In the late evening, in the palace garden by the gazebo…

Greaves and his party along with Shien and Cycelia walk out through the glass doors. Cycelia takes a seat at the table inside the gazebo along with the rest, while Lian and Shien walk out to the empty space nearby the oak tree. Lian stops after a few paces and looks around before turning her black, almond-shaped eyes to her brother.

「This here should be fine, don't you think?」

Leaning onto her spear, she asks with a smug smile.

「Yes. I see no problem. A warrior can seldom choose his battlefield.」

Turning to face her, Shien nods his head.

「Are you sure you don't want to use wooden staves? I'm sure the guards have some for training…」

Cycelia calls out from the gazebo, causing both of them to turn their attention to her.

「No, we'll be fine with real spears…」

Lian smirks at her, then turns her eyes back to Shien.

「…But I can get a training spear if you're afraid of getting hurt, dear brother.」

She adds with a smug smile directed at him. He lets an amused huff out of his nose.

「…You jest, elder sister.」

He lowers his head as he replies, and something akin to a smirk appears on his face.

「Nh-hm. I am. It would be shameful if you would get so rusty, that you wouldn't be able to keep up the pace with your own sister, despite being part beast now.」

Lian says, straightening out of her lazy slouch on her spear.

「Indeed. It would be.」

Shien calmly nods with a frigid expression, focused on his sister's smug face.

「Try to not hurt yourselves…」

Cycelia anxiously calls out towards the two with her brows furrowed.

「I can heal them if something happens.」

Alicia chimes in, smiling a little while she brings her silver wand closer. Greaves and Will watch the two, leaning onto the balustrades.

Thunk-Fwipfwipfwipfwip.

With a swift kick against its shaft, Lian deftly spins her spear along her hand into a two-handed grip.

「Well? Will we spar, brother?… Or have you changed your mind?」

She asks with a smirk, tilting her head lightly, narrowing her almond-shaped eyes.

「I have not. To make it fair, why not have your companions give us the signal?」

Shien calmly replies, taking his broad-headed spear into his hands as well. Lian glances at the gazebo over her shoulder.

「Good idea… How about one of you do that? Clap your hands from excitement, perhaps…」

She says as she briefly looks at Will and Greaves, then turns her attention back to Shien.

「I'll do it.」

Greaves announces and pushes himself off his lazy slump over the balustrade.

「Then…」

He spreads his hands, preparing to clap. Shien and Lian enter their preferred combat stances, both pointing their spear tips at each other.

Clap!

「Go!-」

Greaves shouts out, quickly bringing his palms together. The two siblings cross the distance between them in a blink-and-you'll-miss-it moment.

CLANG! Krrrrk!…

Sparks fly, briefly lighting up their faces in an orange light when their weapons meet. With his quick thrust aimed at Lian's leg deflected, Shien is now forced on the defensive.

Clang-klank! Clang clang clang! Clank!…

The siblings exchange swings and stabs, neither meeting their marks. Lian opts for easier strikes that take less effort, while Shien continues to try and deal a decisive blow.

Clankclangclank!

Still unable to regain the momentum, Shien is forced back a few steps. While to someone uninformed it momentarily appears like Lian is barely avoiding his thrusts, an observant spectator is able to tell with ease that it's the opposite. Lian barely has to move to enter a safe space between her and her brother, where he is unable to deal out any attack. Meanwhile when Shien isn't parrying, his dodges are large, rapid leaps back and to the sides. Both of their faces are deeply focused and glaring at each other's eyes, briefly snapping away to track the opponent's weapon movement.

Lian briefly appears exposed and wide open from one side, which Shien is quick to exploit.

Clang!- Thunk!

Just before his broad spearhead can slash her arm, an amused smirk appears on her face. With one smooth movement, she flips her spear around to block it.

「Ungh!」

Shien lets out a grunt when the blunt end of his sister's spear impacts the underside of his chin at the same time as she blocks his slash. He is sent stumbling backwards.

「Dear brother… You should be more wary of things that appear too good to be true.」

Lian says with a smug smile as she slides her feet along the grass back into a more balanced stance.

「Nhh… That brings back memories…」

Shien replies, wincing while briefly rubbing his chin before he re-enters his combat stance as well.

He and Lian side-step around each other, trying to gain a more favorable position, but after a few seconds both of them realize it will be fruitless.

Clang-clang! Clank!

The two rush in towards each other in a wild flurry of blows. Despite his greater speed, Shien quickly loses the initiative and is forced to defend himself again. Lian continues making minute movements in a stark contrast to her brother's wild, heavy, and powerful swings. Each of his redirected blows viciously carve the dirt and send large patches of it flying into the air along with the grass. Eventually, Lian's stabs slowly start hitting what she is aiming for. Shien winces lightly when her spearhead nicks his bicep, forearm, thigh, and face in a series of shallow cuts.

Clankclankclankclang!

Shien is forced to completely abandon any offensive efforts, and is now practically walking backwards from his sister while she's advancing with each matching step. Deft and graceful, Lian barely moves her arms with as little effort, as if she was playing pool and thrusting a cue. Shien is clenching his teeth, visibly putting in effort into his defense while Lian remains expressionless, simply glaring at him and his weapon.

Swishswishswish- Clank!…

「Ngh… Grgh…」

Shien lets out stifled grunts through his teeth when the spearpoint digs into his arms and legs, causing blood to flow freely. Despite his injuries, Lian continues to stab away, though she makes no effort to strike his vitals like the throat or his organs. She seemingly is focused on making every failure painful, rather than dangerous.

Clankclangclankclang!…

「He's bleeding… Should we stop them?」

Will says as he adjusts his glasses, furrowing his brows while watching the dueling siblings.

「Why bother? Alicia's here.」

Greaves replies while he's focused on the two, and nods his spiky head at Alicia sitting nearby at the table with Cycelia.

「Right… It doesn't look like he's hurt too bad.」

She nods her head, watching as well.

「I think they both know Shien heals faster than normal people, so Lian is being particularly merciless, even if they're siblings…」

Cycelia chimes in with her brows furrowed in mild worry.

Clang! Clang! Clang!…

Lian transitions from swift strikes into heavy, powerful slashes that send Shien stumbling sideways. He manages to block them just in the nick of time, grimacing heavily.

Fwoop!…

With one smooth motion flowing from her previous strike, she brings her spear up over her head into a hammer-like smash. Shien's eyes widen while they track her weapon. He moves his spear in the way, anticipating a heavy blow. His attention is briefly pulled away from her spear down to her swinging ponytail as she appears to be spinning.

Fwap.

「Nh!?-」

Shien suddenly feels an impact to the back of his shins force his feet out forward from underneath him.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Thud!

Wincing, his back slams into the grass. Before he can even place his hand upon it to try and get up to his feet, he feels a sharp point pressed into his throat.

He opens his vertically-slit eyes, and finds Lian's spear pointing at his throat while she's standing over him, one foot on his spear's shaft.

「Ahhhh, brother… Did you really think I'd only use my spear? Your body is a weapon as well…」

She lets out a large, exasperated-sounding sigh as she looks down at him with a smug, almost pitying smirk.

「…When will you learn? This isn't the first time, brother. Do I really need to bash this one into your head?」

「…This indeed brings back memories.」

Shien remarks with a very minor grimace, eyes closed again, and appearing almost embarrassed.

「Do you concede?」

She asks, tilting her head.

「Yes… I've lost again, elder sister.」

Fwipfwipfwipfwip… Clunk.

He nods, and Lian pulls her spear away. She twirls it around her hand again, then grabs it around its midpoint.

「Now stop bleeding on her majesty's grass. It's rude.」

She says, holding her free hand out for Shien, and takes her foot off his spear.

「My apologies…」

He grabs his sister's hand and gets up with a small, quiet grunt.

Pat. Pat. Pat…

She brushes some of the dirt and grass off his back. They turn for the gazebo and approach in an unrushed, leisurely step.

Shien is covered in blood and dirt, while Lian is pristinely clean and smugly smiling.

「Do you want me to heal you?」

Alicia perks up, clutching onto her silver wand.

「No… These wounds will serve as a lesson. They look worse than they are.」

Shien shakes his head gently, jiggling his black ponytail behind it.

「No need to worry about him, I didn't poke him anywhere important… Except his pride.」

Lian adds, smirking at the two as she leans onto the balustrade from the outside.

「I have abandoned my pride, elder sister… But it's unfair to say I have not learned anything from you. I have used this exact principle of misdirection learned from you before.」

The spearman replies, looking at her.

「Oh? When?」

She asks, and her smirk transforms into a very little amused grin.

「In the frozen north, I distracted a beast with my cloak and killed it when it was overly focused on it. The very same trick you used on me now.」

Shien explains, turning his gaze to Will and Greaves while they listen.

「Hooh? So the hunter didn't expect to become the hunted?」

Lian leans back onto the balustrade with her elbows, her spear resting in one of her arms.

「…I am afraid so. Embarrassingly enough, I remembered your lesson, but didn't apply it sufficiently. It shows the difference of skill between us.」

Shien reluctantly admits, nodding his head.

「Mmmhm. All that speed and strength, and you've wasted so much energy flailing your spear around that your sister could beat you…」

She nods in response, and shrugs her shoulders.

「…You focus too much on dealing flashy and heavy hits. You fought so many beasts, that you forgot what's it like to fight people. Ironic, considering people aren't that tough.」

Lian adds, and smirks at her brother.

「Still, that was really impressive. I could barely track what was happening.」

Will chimes in, adjusting his glasses.

「Oh? You could?」

Lian asks, turning her smug face to Will.

「Well- Um… Mostly…」

He adjusts his glasses again, and lowers his head.

「Hmmmm…」

She hums loudly, smiling smugly at him and the rest in the gazebo. Lian then bounces away from the balustrade.

「…That's enough for me for today. I'm heading back to my room.」

「Goodnight, Lian.」

Will replies, watching her leave for the glass doors.

「…I suppose I'll head to sleep too. I'll see that you are rewarded for helping Straf apprehend the spy.」

Cycelia stands up and takes a few steps towards the gazebo's exit before pausing.

「No your highness, there's no need. We barely did anything.」

Will holds his hand up, shaking his head.

「You helped enough. Either way, you should be compensated for your time, at least. Goodnight.」

She replies, and lightly bows her head towards the adventurers. She looks at Shien, and nods her head a little at him as well. With a frigid face, he nods back in silence.

「Goodnight, your highness.」

Will nods as Cycelia turns around and heads into the palace. Will and Greaves look at each other, before shrugging and heading back as well…

…

Around the same time, far in the east…

An old mage is kneeling before a low, square table. A paper door slides open.

「Ah, there you are, Willow…」

A man in red lamellar armor enters the small, incense-filled room.

「What do you want, Falcon?…」

Willow asks, looking at the envelope in the young man's hand.

「…A message, huh?… It better be something positive.」

He adds, and takes a sip of the tea from his tall, gripless, plain ceramic mug.

「It depends how you look at it… It's good that you're seated…」

Falcon approaches closer, and holds a small slip of paper out for the old man.

「What is this?…」

Willow asks as he sets his mug down and takes it into his hand.

「…This has just arrived from one of our spies in the Redwing Kingdom. I thought you might want to see this.」

Falcon explains with his arms crossed, smirking a little.

「…Their money? I don't think their money is of much interest to me, Falcon. I've heard of paper money spreading like wildfire recently… Quite ridiculous.」

The old man replies with a disapproving shake of his head, and takes a large gulp from his mug.

「Right. It's their money… But did you read what's under that portrait?…」

「Hm?」

The old man hums, furrowing his bushy brows with a mouthful of tea. His eyes return to the face of the grinning man, then drift lower.

「Pfffffffttftft!… Khhhakh! Khak!… Khak!…」

Willow spits his tea out as his eyes widen, then begins coughing.

「…It seems like your plan to kill off the tournament winner didn't go so well.」

「…Khakh!… Khaakh!… Kofff!…」

Falcon says with his brows gently raised while Willow continues coughing and trying to catch his breath through the wheezes.

「Khhakh!… Khaaaaaakhh!…」

「…Don't tell me this of all things is what's going to put you into the dirt, old man.」「…Hnnnngh!」

The young man looks at the coughing old mage, who then manages to take a large gasp.

「When!?!」

His wide-open eyes snap to Falcon's face, mouth still covered in tea.

「Earlier this morning. The spy in question also discovered their… Money mill, supposedly. It's the one we've sent to investigate the source of the light from a while back.」

Falcon calmly explains while Willow is clearing his throat.

「Ahh… Her…」

He replies, and stands up. Willow heads for the door in a rushed step.

「What are you going to do?」

The young man asks, following him out.

「I'm going to fix it! I knew he was dangerous, and now he's their Minister of Finances!?…」

Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack. Clack.

Willow shouts, practically running down the hallway of paper walls. His wooden sandals make a specific noise against the wooden flooring.

「…If you want something done well… Do it yourself! Grrrgh!」

The old man shakes his head as he lets out a frustrated groan through his teeth…