Chapter 78: By the Side of the "King"
Even though he was only fourteen, Lu Yinghua, who had ten years of blood, sweat, and tears behind him, spoke with great gravity.
"It is best for a 'King' to face another 'King.' We only need to do our jobs."
"...In other words, your master, that 'Leader,' is coming here?" Ancilla asked.
The one known as the most sinister Demon King, the pinnacle of martial arts, the Campione who is undefeated to the point of seeking defeat—could she be coming here as well?
"Once I have met the seventh Godslayer, Master will naturally follow."
"Oh? Do you not think that Leader of yours might lose?"
Hearing Ancilla's question, Lu Yinghua flashed a mocking smile.
"The Marquis of Voban is dead. I don't know how the seventh Godslayer defeated him, but no matter what arduous method he used, it is impossible for him to be my Master's opponent. He will be defeated without mercy."
"You certainly are confident," Ancilla laughed.
"Heh, I simply know well how powerful Master is."
Though his master was tyrannical and unreasonable, being in this situation left Lu Yinghua with no choice but to lament that having a powerful master might be something to be grateful for. But immediately after, Lu Yinghua's body trembled slightly as he spoke.
"If we fail, there's no telling what kind of torture we'll suffer at Master's hands..."
Lu Yinghua took a deep breath. To avoid being beaten, he had to give it his all.
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The sun was shining perfectly; on a leisurely and pleasant afternoon, Shirou was leaning back somewhat lazily on the sofa.
Standing behind him was a beautiful girl with long golden hair. The girl raised her slender hands, her long, fair fingers pressing gently onto Shirou's shoulders.
"Mmh. Use a bit more strength. Did you not eat?"
"..."
Princess Alice pursed her lips, her teeth itching with irritation, yet she had no choice but to continue massaging Shirou's shoulders.
This was their fourth day in Japan.
"Lu Yinghua... the disciple of 'Leader' Luo Hao, is it?"
Shirou looked at the documents in his hand, scrutinizing the photograph of the boy shown there.
"Mm-hmm. He looks like he'd be popular with girls, but he's extremely bigoted and twisted. He harbors a particular hostility toward beautiful, capable women. It seems even I am hated by this misogynist," Erica said, speaking of her own power and beauty. If someone else said it, it might be narcissism, but when Erica said it, it seemed perfectly natural.
"Apparently, there is a very formidable and violent woman by his side, which is why he has this strange resistance—along with the psychological trauma of being beaten by his master during his childhood."
"In other words, he's a fellow with a psychological disorder."
Shirou nodded, summarizing it as such.
"In terms of martial talent, Lu Yinghua is an undeniable genius. His talent for martial arts is even above that of the 'King of Swords.' I expect he will make a name for himself in the world of magecraft one day," Erica noted.
Though his talent surpassed Toni's, no matter how hard he worked, there was no possibility of him defeating a Godslayer. The only path to surpassing a Godslayer was to become the next one.
"Speaking of which, My King, do you know that the magical energy we speak of is referred to as 'Qi' by practitioners in Jiangnan? Do you know what that implies?"
"Neigong...?" Keywords like "Origin of the Breath," "Qigong," and "Great Mighty Heavenly Dragon" flashed through Shirou's mind, and he immediately made a connection.
"Ah... yes... that's exactly it. I didn't expect you to already know about this."
Erica felt it was a bit mysterious that Shirou, who had never been to Jiangnan, understood its ways, but she did not recklessly question him. Instead, she continued in a conversational tone.
"Generally speaking... 'Qigong' is called 'Neigong' in Jiangnan martial arts. Those with excellent Neigong will be surrounded by powerful magical energy. This is used not only for magecraft and sorcery but also within the secret techniques of martial arts."
To put it in gaming terms, magical energy was the "Mana."
"Therefore, if one does not master fist techniques, swordsmanship, and Neigong, one cannot learn profound martial secrets. Our knightly swordsmanship is the same; sword skills must be forged alongside cursed power. Sir Salvatore Doni, who is excellent only in one area, could be called a genius of heresy."
A "Genius of Heresy"—for Toni, who understood absolutely nothing about magecraft aside from swordsmanship, this was perhaps a fitting title.
"If I were to encounter that fellow, I might not be his match in pure force, but I have the confidence to defeat him," Erica said with a smile.
Known as the "Red Devil," she was highly skilled in strategy and tactics. If she was interested, she would use every means available. However, at her core, she was still a "Great Knight" who loved direct combat.
Confronting victory or defeat head-on is the flower of the battlefield. It is very dangerous to clash with someone who holds this aesthetic; which is to say, for the sake of certain victory, they will cast aside even their pride.
"Who knows. We'll see when we meet him."
Shirou, who vaguely sensed that "Leader" Luo Hao was likely already approaching aggressively, felt no sense of crisis whatsoever despite the impending great enemy. Having followed Shirou for a long time, Erica's personality seemed somewhat influenced by him; since Shirou appeared unconcerned, she likewise set her mind at ease.
"More importantly, let's hurry and eat lunch. What ingredients did Yuri bring today?"
Putting those topics aside, Erica looked at today's lunch.
"Ah... if it's alright, please everyone enjoy this together."
The lunchbox Yuri brought out contained eel rice. Another box was packed with rolled omelets, kinpira burdock root, Chikuzenni, teriyaki mackerel, pickled cabbage, and more. There was also a thermos filled with miso soup with seaweed and tofu.
Erica brought out Chinese-style snacks: shrimp dumplings, crab roe shaomai, and zongzi with chestnuts and pork. It was obvious they were made by her maid and assistant, Arianna. Although it was a pity they had gone cold, they were still delicious.
"Today's lunch is quite abundant."
After handing a paper cup of miso soup to Liliana, Liliana spoke in praise.
"Because it was prepared for the King and everyone else, it should at least be at this level..." the beautiful Shrine Maiden replied shyly.
"Yes, I see." Picking up a piece of omelet with her chopsticks, Liliana nodded.
Just then, the sound of a ringtone came from Yuri's pocket.
"My apologies, everyone please don't mind me and eat first."
Looking at the display on her phone screen, Yuri stood up politely, then left the dining room to take the call in a corner outside.
"Speaking of which, I also prepared a dessert for after the meal today. Although it's my first attempt, please have a taste, My King."
Liliana spoke up at this moment. Then, under Erica's somewhat surprised gaze, the silver-white knight-princess neatly arranged cheesecake on the table and brought out a jar of orange-colored jam.
"This is also my homemade fig jam."
"That's rare, Lili. You usually only make main courses for lunch," Erica said circuitously in a calm tone, her voice laced with a bit of confusion and suspicion toward Liliana's behavior.
"It's not that I don't know how to make things that fill everyone up, but doing this occasionally seems nice. Someone as high-profile as you probably wouldn't understand."
The silver-haired knight-princess spoke quietly, her dignified eyes revealing a competitive intent toward Erica. Though not as flamboyant as Erica, Liliana was also a very high-profile type. If they weren't, these two knight-princesses could never have become each other's rivals.
"My, my~ I wonder what happened today... Lili, what kind of resolve have you come to? I'm a little curious."
Finally, Erica couldn't help but ask directly.
"It's not strange at all... I have simply made up my mind. As the first knight by the King's side, it is important to be recognized by the King and those around him. Therefore, I should strive to become a knight worthy of the King."
Liliana's answer was steady and powerful.
"So, Erica, I will turn a blind eye to your seductive behavior toward the King. As the first knight by the King's side, I will not be jealous just because someone loves the King—provided, of course, that your actions do not become an obstacle to him."
With a subtle, downward-looking gaze, this silver-white knight-princess was showing a rare display of dominance in front of Erica.
"Oh? Does that mean you intend to become the King's most favored knight?" Erica asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That... that is..."
Liliana suddenly began to stutter.
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