“…May Lord.” The Time Government staff nearby kept wiping sweat from their brow.
“Hm?” I smiled warmly and looked over.
“Your Zouza…”
Could he please stop resting his hand on his sword all the time, and that expression as if at any moment he might suddenly unleash a true blade fatal strike? They were scared.
“Oh dear, what a fuss this has become.” I clapped my hands together and smiled politely. “Sorry about that, Zouza is just a little on edge.”
“After all, our Honmaru has only just come out of such a situation, so every member inside still has some degree of post-war trauma. Please understand.”
That’s what I said.
But could you please have him tone down the overwhelming Spirit Power radiating around him?
Are you telling me that if someone here just went up and tried to disarm Sanza Samonji empty-handed, the next second Zouza would just blast us with Spirit Power right to the face?
The Time Government staff struggled to suppress the grimace on their face, trying not to look too fierce, lest they give the Saniwa any excuse or space to make trouble.
Also… maybe it was just my imagination.
The staff secretly cast a sidelong glance at the Saniwa with those god-like golden eyes.
It seemed the other party had grown stronger than before.
Had anything else happened during those more than half a month completely severed from the outside world…?
If I knew what this staff was thinking, I would certainly marvel at their remarkable talent for sensing power.
But the Spirit Power—or rather Magic—flowing from me, isn’t that natural?
After all, those Magic Circuits that had been in an extremely damaged state since birth were now being gradually repaired and nurtured through each close contact with the Sword Spirits.
And after all, I am a Magician.
Ninety percent of my Magic Circuits were broken and unusable, which, put simply for ordinary people, is like having ninety percent of your bones shattered—basically equivalent to severe paralysis.
But now, I have regained the ability to walk independently. If I keep going, one day my Magic Circuits might be fully repaired, becoming truly whole.
So it’s perfectly natural for people to feel that my power has grown.
I swear, when I pushed open the conference room door and walked in, both Kitsune no Suke leading me and the staff in charge of reception all let out big breaths of relief.
Was that really necessary? I’m not going to eat them.
And putting it another way, if you have nothing to hide in your heart, how could you feel fear, guilt, and apprehension when you see me?
My gaze landed on the conference room already filled with everyone but me, the representatives of Spirit Power families and Time Government officials. The smile on my face deepened steadily.
Ladies and gentlemen, is that not true?
The moment the dark blue-haired girl stepped into the conference room, a silent, heavy atmosphere seemed to swallow everything around, like a slowly rising tide of black, cold water seizing all the air.
Even though the owner of the tide did nothing, merely being within it evoked a faint but terrifying sense of suffocation, like having one’s throat grasped by invisible hands.
Not everyone possesses the qualifications to be a Saniwa—it’s a talent far rarer and more precious than simply possessing power, which is why the Saniwa group has always been small and each member so invaluable.
In this conference room, besides that girl standing at the door, the only other person with the Saniwa qualification was the elderly female president of the Saniwa Association.
So, apart from the visibly aged woman, no one present knew that beneath this tidal wave of power, there were other subtle yet crucial undertones—power originating from the Sword Spirits.
Two Saniwa meeting each other, even just exchanging a glance of that power, could perceive the overwhelming emotions the swords bestowed.
Cherishing, protecting, admiration… even watching from the sidelines, one could almost be shaken by the intensity of those heavy feelings.
The gentle, dignified older woman took a quiet sip of tea but had no intention of making this known publicly.
Since this was the child’s own choice, outsiders only needed to respect it.
After all… this was the most gifted and capable child the Saniwa Association had seen in a hundred years.
“May.” A woman sitting in one of the head seats called me over, though her tone was far from reproachful. “Come sit by me.”
I reined in my usual bully-like, ‘come-at-me’ aura and walked over.
Having the qualifications of a Saniwa is a different matter from simply possessing Spirit Power or similar energy.
Even the Time Government, with its ability to cross time and space, only had a handful of Saniwa under its wing.
Moreover, some who had the qualifications had extremely weak power—sometimes not even enough to support a single Honmaru.
This qualification tended to appear more in females, making the Saniwa group a typical case of yin prevailing over yang.
“Since all attendees are present, let’s begin the meeting…”
I’m really not good at these kinds of things.
What I’ve always believed is simple: if someone keeps nagging me, one punch is all it takes.
Whether facing the Retrograde Army or anyone else.
“Hm? What if one punch doesn’t solve it?”
Is that really something you need to think about? Just throw another punch. No big deal.
I left all the arguing to Zouza—that’s why I specifically brought him today.
Do you know the value of the Demon Lord’s sword? Do you understand the worth of the Sword of the World?
If not, just try going head-to-head with Zouza.
I’m like a careless client telling him the goal I want to achieve in the meeting before setting off, then waiting for him to deliver the results that suit my needs as a victory.
As for me? I just sit on the side, fiddling with my phone and playing games.
Yeah!
Actually, I don’t want much.
I only hope those who directly or indirectly caused this incident receive the punishment they deserve.
After all, humans who live only a hundred years are still too fragile in front of the Sword Spirits.
And Zouza would never bring me a result I didn’t want to hear.
The representatives of the Time Government and Spirit Power families wiped cold sweat from their temples, looking like they had been relentlessly pursued and blocked by Zouza earlier… but what did that have to do with me?
After the meeting ended, the president didn’t leave immediately but waited for me outside.
“President? Is there something you need?”
She smiled gently at me, like a true elder.
“There’s something I think you should know.” The president said.
“The members of the task force have found Wisteria’s Honmaru.”
“Are you going?”
It’s hard for me to put into words what I felt when I heard that news.
The Saniwa codenamed “Wisteria” is my junior by intake and a gentle, kind big sister skilled in medicine.
When I was picked up by the Time Government at age fourteen, Wisteria always cared for me like a sister.
She and her Honmaru were also among the victims of the Retrograde Army’s assault.
“Of course.”
“I will go.”