The air inside the lavish tent trembled with a quiet tension. The moment Misaki stepped back—her hands clenched and lips sealed—Lady Sayaka's fury surged again.
With a sudden jerk, she grabbed a delicate porcelain jar and hurled it across the room.
CRASH.
The sound echoed violently as fragments shattered against the wooden pillar.
Just then, the entrance flap was yanked open, and Commander Raiko stormed in.
"Lady Sayaka! What in the world is going on now?!" he shouted, not bothering to mask the frustration in his voice.
"What possibly didn't go your way this time?"
Sayaka froze for a moment. Then, slowly turned her head, amber eyes narrowing as she met Raiko's gaze.
"Raiko..." she said coldly, her voice low but sharp,
"Why did this expedition take so long? Didn't you say it would be over quickly? You promised results."
She took a step forward, the hem of her silk robe trailing over shattered glass.
"That idiot Hanzo lied to me again." Her voice trembled now—not in fear, but rage barely contained.
"He said he knew what I wanted… He claimed he had evidence from when Third Lady Akane's child was born. But he fed me nothing but vague tales and useless scrolls."
Raiko's expression darkened, understanding now that this was not just another tantrum. It was a boiling storm beneath layers of power, betrayal, and secrets.
Raiko's jaw tightened. He averted his gaze slightly—turning his head to the right, away from Sayaka's burning stare. A drop of sweat trickled down his temple, betraying the pressure that brewed inside him.
"That… well…" he began, voice a notch softer, cautious.
"What could we have done, Lady Sayaka?" he added, exhaling slowly.
"There were far too many monsters in the northern stretch in this kuroi tani jungle. The expedition wasn't just a stroll through cleared terrain…"
He paused, hesitating. Then carefully corrected her words,
"And… please, don't call him an idiot. He is Lord Hanzou after all. We owe him some respect, don't we? Calling him 'idiot' is—rude."
Sayaka's eyes narrowed, lips curling into a faint sneer, but she said nothing yet. Raiko knew well he was walking a tightrope—balancing military honesty and Sayaka's explosive pride.
The tension between truth and authority hung thick in the tent's air, like smoke before a fire.
[Sayaka noticing Raiko's reaction]
Sayaka narrowed her eyes, catching the faint twitch in Commander Raiko's expression.
Sayaka (voice rising):
"Ahh, so that's it, huh?! You guys planned it again—trying to keep me far from Akane! Hmph!"
She turned to Misaki and pointed at the others with a smirk of bitter realization.
Sayaka:
"Misaki! Look at them! Planning behind my back again. That damn Hanzou—he knew I had the right! He promised me!"
She stomped forward, gripping Misaki by the shoulder, almost like a child about to cry.
Sayaka (ranting fast):
"He said I'd be the first to hold Akane's child after the birth. He promised! And now he sent me off on this stupid expedition so he could steal the moment for himself—gahh, that idiot!!"
[Misaki holding Sayaka gently]
Misaki gently placed her hands over Sayaka's, steadying her.
Misaki (softly):
"Lady Sayaka... please, calm down. What had to happen has already happened. Getting angry won't change it now."
Sayaka looked away, teeth gritted, but she slowly began to calm down.
[Raiko watching silently from the side, thinking]
Raiko, still standing nearby, let out a small sigh and thought silently:
Raiko (monologue):
"Just like always… she explodes like a child when things don't go her way."
"…but still… what can I do? Lord's orders are absolute. Even if I wanted to tell her…"
He glanced away, guilt flickering across his face, trying to hide the truth he couldn't speak aloud.
Sayaka slowly turned her head toward Commander Raiko, her amber eyes narrowing with sharp precision. Her voice came out low and steady, yet laced with a chill that made even the air around her tense.
"So... what exactly did Hanzou tell you?" she asked, her words cutting through the silence like a blade.
Raiko stiffened. A cold sweat began to form along his temples. He looked away for a moment, as if searching for the right words—or perhaps trying to escape the weight of the truth pressing down on him.
"It's… nothing serious," he muttered. "Just a small thing."
Sayaka raised an eyebrow, her tone dripping with restrained sarcasm. "Hmm… is that so? Care to say that again?"
Her gaze bore into him, and in that moment, Raiko realized there was no way out. He let out a defeated sigh and dropped the act.
"Alright," he admitted quietly. "Lord Hanzou… he wanted to spend some time alone with Lady Akane. But as long as you were around… that wasn't possible. So… he arranged this expedition to send you away. He instructed me to keep you busy with this mission—long enough for him to have that time."
Sayaka didn't speak right away. Her expression didn't change, but the silence around her suddenly felt heavier than any storm Raiko had ever weathered.
Raiko hesitated, then added cautiously, "Lady Sayaka… You never wanted to stay in the mansion like the other ladies. You chose the path of martial arts, and now you've become a Great Martial Master. But even as a Master, you can't change some things. Perhaps it was you who agreed the most to Lord Hanzou marrying Lady Akane… after all, she was just a servant, and yet you supported her the most."
Sayaka remained silent.
Raiko's tone shifted, as if carefully treading dangerous ground. "Still… what do you actually do every day, milady? Wander around? Sit beside Lady Akane all day as the 'second queen' of Tenshogai? If you're a Martial Master, then act like one. Even Lord Hanzou said it…"
His voice dropped. "And yes… I agree with him. You can't change much now as a Great Martial Master. That's why he keeps forcing you into missions. At least if you trained soldiers in the military force, that would be a real contribution."
He looked down, almost ashamed. "First Lady Reina continues to support Lord Hanzou with political and economic matters. Third Lady Akane has taken full responsibility for the mansion and all the servants… But you, Lady Sayaka…"
The silence that followed was heavy.
Lady Sayaka's lips curled slightly—just enough to show a flicker of emotion she usually kept hidden. Her gaze shifted, not in anger, but in quiet resignation.
"Fine... whatever," she muttered under her breath, her voice calm but edged with weariness. "No need to say anything more."
A moment of silence passed.
Though her face remained composed, her thoughts stirred restlessly. Maybe… in some way, Commander Raiko was right. He only voiced what I should've accepted long ago.
She let out a soft breath, her shoulders easing—just a little.
This isn't the time to argue. The mission comes first.
Turning back to Commander Raiko, she nodded—this time without the sharpness of pride.
"Alright then," she said firmly. "Nothing more to discuss. Let's resume the expedition from tomorrow."
Commander Raiko looked momentarily surprised by her calm reply. He gave a respectful nod, silently acknowledging her words.
And just like that, the tension began to fade. The quiet between them spoke of things unspoken—of responsibilities, regret, and the heavy path ahead.
After finishing his words, Commander Raiko gave a slight bow and turned away, stepping out of the tent without waiting for a response. The flap of the tent gently fell shut behind him, leaving Lady Sayaka alone in the soft flicker of the lantern light.
A hush settled over the space.
She stood silently for a while, then slowly turned her gaze toward the corner of the tent where no one stood—yet her mind was far from empty.
Akane…
A quiet ache stirred within her heart, one that had been buried for years. Her thoughts wandered to a name—a child's name. A name that still echoed within her soul.
"…Ryouma," she whispered, her voice nearly inaudible.
As she spoke, her amber eyes began to glow softly, then brighter—like molten gold igniting under pressure. A pulse of energy surged through her body.
The air thickened.
A deep, radiant blue aura exploded outward from her, dancing like flames around her figure—untamed, crackling with intensity. The aura's presence was both majestic and dangerous, rippling the very fabric of the air in the tent.
She stared straight ahead, her eyes now piercing.
"Let's see," she murmured, her voice calm but carrying a hidden storm.
"If your name truly holds weight… will your progress match it, Ryouma?"
The aura grew, briefly shaking the lanterns and fluttering the tent's fabric. Then, with a deep breath, she pulled the energy back into herself—her presence still commanding, her mind now sharper than before.