Hi, it's me, I've been busy playing with friends for 3 weeks, and operating with 4 hours of sleep has its downside.
Besides that after this year's end, I will be free from uni so expect more chapters to be put out by then.
~~
Blade roamed the streets, her fox traits hidden by illusions.
"So, any places you want to visit?" Chrone asked his excitement a stark contrast to his earlier melancholic mood.
"Nowhere in particular," Blade replied as she continued to wander aimlessly.
"Pfft, no fun. C'mon, we're in a new city—new people to see, new places to visit, new experiences to have!"
"My objective here is to receive an audience with the king. Nothing more, nothing less."
"Hey, a little entertainment won't kill anyone and certainly won't hurt your chances of meeting the king."
Blade didn't respond.
"Ugh, what are you, a robot? You're more monotone than the ones I know!"
"A robot?" Blade asked.
"Never mind, let's just start gathering information about the city. I'm sure someone will tell you how to meet the king legally," Chrone suggested, emphasizing "legally" because he knew if he didn't, she might just teleport to the royal palace.
Even though he was a sword now, he still considered himself a mostly rule-abiding citizen.
"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" Blade suddenly said, causing Chrone to freeze for a moment.
"Wha—what? No waaay" A hint of nervousness crept into his voice.
"You're thinking I would teleport into the palace if you hadn't suggested a proper way to meet the king."
"Wait, what? How did you know that?"
"Being a god has its benefits. One of them is being able to peer into a mortal's mind when they think of you."
"Wait, what? Huh?" Chrone's thoughts ground to a halt at the mention of "god."
Blade didn't elaborate and simply continued observing her surroundings.
"Wait, can you explain what you meant? Hey, hey, what do you mean by being a god?"
"I assure you, I won't teleport to the royal palace. It wouldn't be quite as... fun that way." A hint of mischief colored her tone.
--
After a brief conversation, they decided to visit the administration guild first, as it was a place where many people came and went—a likely spot to hear rumors about the city.
Blade, seeking directions, approached two burly men, each with a scar over one eye and a brand on their arm.
"Could you point me in the direction of the administration guild?"
Both of them looked at each other before observing Blade, her eyes which seemed dead and uninterested by them gave them an odd feeling.
"Right down that way miss, past the food stalls, it's a large building, hard to miss" One of them pointed in a direction.
"Thank you" After saying thanks, both of them silently nodded at her while intently looking at her back.
"Ain't she a beauty." One of them commented.
"Yeah, just hope Boss doesn't get a sniff of her." The other said with a hint of worry.
After some silence both simultaneously said.
""Wait! Boss is at the guild!"" They said in panic.
--
Arriving at the guild, Chrone's excitement was through the roof.
It's the first time he visited the most talked about place in any fantasy novel.
"It's The Guild!" Chrone said in excitement.
"It's the guild?" Blade said was confused by Chrone's excitement.
Dismissing his excitement, Blade entered the guild.
As she entered, a cheer could be instantly heard, a group of men who sat around a table was looking at another buffed man who was trying to flirt with one of the receptionists.
The man in the reception had golden hair a strikingly good-looking face with a lean-buffed body.
Each time the lady behind the desk rejected his advances, the crowd cheered in laughter.
"Come on, Emily, please give me a chance."
"Sir, please if you do not need any more help from the administration guild, step aside" Her voice held some irritation, clearly angry by the sight of the man.
"Sounds more like a post-break-up than anything else to be honest," Chrone said while watching the scene.
Approaching the desk, one man who was sitting with the group of men noticed Blade.
His gaze was filled with lust as he observed Blade's breasts and butt.
"What a strange feeling," Blade muttered, though she has been used to being stared at for her beauty, the feeling of being lusted by men still gave her a strange feeling as a former man.
She ignored his gaze and went to the desk.
"Drake, move out of the way, there is someone behind you" The yellow-haired man who seems to be named Drake, looked behind him.
He carefully observed Blade and noticed the sword on her hip, looking back to the receptionist, he sighed in defeat and exited the guild.
"*Sigh* I apologize for the inconvenience, what can I help you with miss?"
"I want some information about the sword festival"
"Oh, you're visiting the city to participate in the festival?"
"I want to know the prize for participating in the festival"
"I see, then do you need me to explain how to participate and what the prizes are?"
--
"Well, that was rewarding," Chrone said to Blade as they wandered through the city. "We need to thank those two guys. They looked like grunts from a bad camp, but you can't judge a book by its cover."
Blade didn't respond but rested her hand on Chrone's hilt, glancing over her shoulder.
A moment later, a group of men who had been sitting around the table in the administration guild appeared.
"Hello, lady. Could you kindly follow us—" One of them stepped forward and tried to wrap his arm around her hips.
Blade sidestepped his attempt, her eyes dull and lifeless as she stared at them.
"That wasn't very nice, lady. Just play along, and no one will get hurt," he said with a sinister smile. "Don't bother crying for help; no one's going to hear your screams."
Extending her divine sense, Blade confirmed that no one was nearby, likely due to the men's doing.
"I was wondering when the cliché adventurer bully fight would happen," Chrone remarked, as if he had been expecting this.
"Should I kill them?" Blade mumbled to herself, weighing the consequences. "No."
Murder was still a crime, and she didn't want to face the king as a criminal.
The grunts, unnerved by Blade's calm demeanor, drew their weapons.
"Aye, don't be a pussy. She's just bluffing," the red-haired man, apparently their boss, belittled his subordinances. His words restored their confidence as they circled Blade to block any escape.
"Celestial Unshackle: Absolute Charm Body Technique," Blade murmured. Deep within her soul, the sound of chains rattling and shattering echoed.
Intrigued by Blade's next move, Chrone checked her status and noticed a new skill.
==============
Name: Absolute Charm Body Technique
Description: The Pinnacle of Charm. Any living creature who gazes upon your figure will be irresistibly attracted to you, and your voice will compel anything below you to obey your commands.
==============
"Fight one another" Blade uttered, and without a second that has passed the once organized group turned to each other.
Blade, about to turn and leave, felt Chrone move on his own, slowly floating upward.
"Ah, right," she muttered. Before Chrone could fly into the fray, Blade firmly gripped his handle and whispered close and softly, "Stay."
After a moment of silence, Chrone quietly returned to his sheath, and they both walked away, leaving the situation behind.
~~
Is it just me or the story and animation of Evergarden still is top tier to this day or is it today's animes aren't that great?
It's sad to think about.
I need to watch violent evergarden again, that story is just amazing.