Kays Translations

Chapter 5: The Thirteenth Day of Imprisonment

Not a single sound could be heard from Ashrina’s cell.

There were only a handful of guards stationed at the old castle, including Reiss, and all of them were in unison about Ashrina’s condition.

“She’s way too quiet—more so than just being a quiet person from the start.”

“No need for a reason. Should we just torment her quickly and put an end to it?”

The soldiers assigned to watch over the imprisoned Ashrina were from the border territory’s army.

But outside the Kingdom’s watchful eyes, they behave no differently from lawless thugs. Reis silently listened to their exchanges from his post in the old castle, but eventually, he intervened.

“…I cannot permit any  personal harm to the princess. The royal orders are simply to keep her in this castle.”

“I’m tired of hearing that empty talk. I ask you, what good does it do to treat the abandoned princess with such respect and keep her alive?”

“It is not our place to think about that.”

Tension ran between the two soldiers and Reis—but eventually, the soldiers retreated.

“I doubt a child raised pampered in the palace can hold out that long.”

“Just make sure they’re not doing anything unnecessary when we’re not watching, alright?”

The soldiers were not diligent in guarding the old castle, and only worked properly when there were inspections from the kingdom. Knowing this, Reis chose not to comment.

“If things continue as they are now, she’ll gradually weaken over time.”

“If she’s still alive after two weeks, it means she’s just clinging to life in a fragile way .”

“It’s strange that they’re still leaving this ominous ‘Haunted Castle’ intact. What on earth do they think we are…”

Just as one soldier was about to complain, the door to the guard post swung open. Standing there was the man who had put shackles on Ashrina 

“If you leave it to Reis, there shouldn’t be any problem. he seems to be fond of the princess, and on top of that, when he is given an order, he follows through.”

“Lord Zephen, you’ve returned?”

“The princess is still very much alive today. No suspicious persons have been spotted either.”

“It’s fine, it’s fine, there’s no need to be so formal. More importantly, I have work for you.”

The expressions in the soldiers’ eyes changed—without a word, they stood up, carried their swords, and left.

“I’d like to borrow your strength, but unfortunately, I don’t have the authority to do so. You must be bored, right?”

“There’s no need to worry about me. It’s my duty.”

Zephen, with a faint smile still on his face, approached Reis and placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Thirty days exactly. At that point, we’ll begin the torture. You won’t need to perform your real duties anymore.”

Reis said nothing in response. Zephen brushes his hand off and, without saying a word leaned in close to Reis’s mask.

“You might think you’re the kingdom’s sword, but that’s just arrogance. I’ll say it again—stop thinking about doing anything to do with the princess. The price of that thing will be substantial. Don’t let it live but don’t let it die, understood?”

Had Reis not kept a watchful eye, Ashrina might have been at the mercy of one of the guards. But again, Reis chose not to mention it.

After Zephen left, several horses neighed and galloped away outside the old castle.

Now that all eyes had vanished, the only people left in the old castle are the princess and Reis.

Reis looked at the key in his hand, then clenched it tightly. The light streaming through the window of the guard post waned, and night was approaching.

◆◇◆

“—!!”

That last swing had a real sense of impact. Not only was my palm protected by magic, but now the entire wooden sword was covered in magic, and the dissipation of magical power was reduced to close to zero.

“Master, I felt I did well just now. How much longer do I have to keep swinging today?”

Seated on a stone, the teacher looked more serious than usual—after taking a breath, he got up from the stone and came over.

“I was the one who told you to do so, but… I’ve never known anyone who could keep practicing like you without getting tired.”

“I like this kind of thing. My motto is ‘little drops make a river,’ after all.”

“Even so, you’re exceptional. Do you realize how many days have passed ‘here’ now?”

“Days… Sorry, once I focus on something, I lose track of everything else. Umm, considering the number of meals I ate over there, it’s about three days… Ah…”

I remembered what the teacher had said. The sense of time flowing in the heart’s realm is ten times that in the real world—so…

“Since you arrived here, three days have passed in the real world. That is to say, it has been 30 days since you started practicing here in the spirit world. To me, that is neither a short nor a long time, but it is enough time for a human being  to grow.”

“Thirty days… Since there’s no day or night over here, I wasn’t even aware of it. So that means I’ve swung thousands of times.”

“Exactly. You still need more training to draw out even more of my power, but your basic amount of magical power is gradually growing, and the amount you lose with each swing has become nearly negligible.”

“I was consciously aiming for that, so I’m glad it worked out.”

Ashrina tried not to smile so as not to lose her concentration, but just now she couldn’t hide her sense of satisfaction. Seeing this, Muraku let out a sigh, seeming a bit exasperated.

“I thought you might snap at me for not teaching you anything besides swings, but it looks like you’ve already attained enlightenment when it comes to training.”

“I guess it’s sort of like leveling up. I like training if I can make progress, even if it’s just a little at a time. It wasn’t a surprise that the story wasn’t the same as the game.”

“You’ve developed an eye to discern even the tiniest of changes—this past month has been about nurturing that. But… if your personality is as relentless as this, maybe it’s okay to be a little more greedy.”

“Greedy…?”

The teacher held up two fingers. It’s not a peace sign, so I wondered what it meant—then he explained.

“Double the perceived time in the heart’s realm. I didn’t do this from the start because if the sense of time diverges too much from the real world, it takes longer to regain your senses after meditation ends. Considering your situation, you will need to be able to act instantly in the real world if something happens. But… you, perhaps…”

“It’s a bit nerve-wracking, but if the teacher says so and has high expectations of me, I’d like to try. No, I’ll do it.”

I enjoyed the feeling of gradually improving my ability to handle magic, and I was completely immersed in the training.

“Hold the sword in your hand protected by magical power, and keep it covered with magic at all times. Being conscious of this aligns with the principle of ‘water’—the flow of magic.”

“Is that because I’m aware of the flow of magic?”

“Exactly.  It also ties into the ability to control water with magic.”

“Magic… I think your interpretation of magic is quite different from what’s common in this world, but it’s interesting that there is another way  to do it.”

“Handling magic with different principles than your opponent’s can give you an advantage. It’s beneficial to have a wide array of techniques and tools at your disposal, not just weapons.”

The next stage of swing practice had already begun. Though the teacher’s explanation was complex, the meditation training with the ‘Training Wooden Sword’ will also gradually increase magic proficiency, making the connection to magic understandable for me.

“As for handling the sword, it’s best to swing it with one hand and use both hands if necessary. Once you’re comfortable with magic, you’ll be able to wield heavier swords, giving you more freedom with what you wield. Handling a sword with your right hand alone frees your left hand…”

“That means I can expand my combat techniques. Maybe dual-wielding is an option?”

“Use whatever works for you. It will depend on the weapons you encounter in the future, but I will teach you how to use two swords if necessary. Before that, I will give you some other training.”

“Yes, please!”

I thought it would be difficult to keep my concentration even for a moment, but since my only goal was to become stronger, that wasn’t a problem.

“Next, practice positioning… Always stand in an advantageous spot, being able to attack without being attacked—aim for that ideal. Don’t hold back; try striking me.”

Instead of a sword, the teacher held a small wooden branch. I wonder if he is going to parry my full-powered strikes with that.

“—Here I go!”

　–In the end, from the day the training began, through the entire week in the spiritual world, I was never able to even touch the edge of Sensei’s kimono with my wooden sword.

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