"If you weren't my junior apprentice, I would've beaten you up and snatched Wado Ichimonji away. Let's see how you'd explain that to Sensei!" William scolded Kuina with a stern face, trying to frighten her.
He picked up Wado Ichimonji and placed it alongside his own katana back at his waist, then carried Kuina in his arms. "I'm busy. If you want to challenge me, at least defeat Gin and the others first."
Kuina blushed slightly, uncomfortable with being carried like a princess. She pushed against William's chest but couldn't move him. Upon hearing his remark, however, her embarrassment vanished. Standing her ground, she retorted indignantly, "They're always following you around and listening to your every word. What's the point of defeating them? If I'm going to beat someone, it should be the strongest! If I can beat you, it's as good as defeating them all!"
Feeling slighted by the little girl, Gin gritted his teeth and raised his hand threateningly. "If you weren't Sensei Koushirou's daughter, I'd—"
Kuina turned to Gin with a teasing smirk and leaned closer, as if daring him. "You'd what?"
Gin clenched his wrist, turned his head, and refused to engage further.
William chuckled at their banter, then handed Kuina over to Gin. "Take her to see a doctor and make sure she hasn't hurt her bones."
To ensure Kuina complied, William added, "Once you've healed, I'll play with you."
"Play? You mean challenge!?" Kuina puffed up her cheeks, protesting.
"Fine, challenge." William smiled, giving Gin a knowing look. Gin nodded and carried Kuina away.
William treated Kuina with particular care. Part of it was out of respect for her father, Koushirou. Another part was his natural, elder-like affection toward children given his mental age. Lastly, he felt some sympathy for her situation.
Kuina's relentless determination to defeat William was largely driven by Koushirou's expectations.
From both his past life and his experiences in this world, William understood a harsh truth: people differ in their natural talents, whether they like it or not.
For instance, within William's group, he and Gin, both aided by the Fate Plaza, had the highest potential in swordsmanship and combat. Following them was Edmond, then Aramis, and finally Valon.
Without the Fate Plaza's help, William's talent actually paled compared to Gin's. What made William stand out initially was his education and systematic training in combat, whereas Gin relied on self-teaching.
Once they began training at the dojo, Gin's progress was rapid. Without the Fate Plaza's assistance, William might have lost his position as the strongest in their group. Though Gin was loyal, William knew that as their crew expanded, diverse personalities and ambitions could lead to complications if his strength wasn't unmatched.
If William, a relative newcomer to the world of swordsmanship, grasped this truth, how could Koushirou, a seasoned instructor, not understand it?
Kuina's innate limitations as a girl meant her early progress in swordsmanship was rapid, but as she advanced, the ceiling above her grew more unyielding.
Koushirou's attitude toward Kuina made his stance clear. Despite being his own child, he treated her the same as any other disciple. If he believed she could become a first-rate swordsman, he wouldn't have been so indifferent, even risking public criticism.
Calling it "equal treatment" was generous; others might describe it as negligence.
Kuina, perceptive beyond her years, sensed this disparity. It drove her to relentlessly pursue the title of the dojo's strongest disciple, hoping to prove her father wrong by defeating the highly regarded William.
Brushing aside these thoughts, William turned his attention back to the present. Their departure had already been delayed to accommodate Kuina. After giving Edmond and Valon a few brief instructions, he sent them aboard.
Among the five—William, Gin, Edmond, Aramis, and Valon—William was the strongest, so he usually handled solo guard duty.
Within the remaining four, Gin had the most natural talent, was the most mature, and trained diligently, making him the strongest. Next was Edmond, who had decent talent, the longest training time, and some combat experience. Then came Aramis, talented but somewhat reckless, followed by the hardworking yet average Valon.
William divided them into two teams. Initially, he wanted to pair Edmond with the clever Aramis and place the steady Gin with Valon. However, since Edmond and Aramis didn't get along, he paired Gin with Aramis and Edmond with Valon. They took turns guarding the cargo.
The past year had been relatively uneventful. In the few skirmishes they encountered, their opponents were no match for William and his crew.
Suddenly, a raindrop splashed onto William's face.
"Rain out of nowhere," Aramis grumbled as a few drops landed on him too.
Squinting at the horizon, William noticed thick, ominous clouds gathering in the distance.
"Looks like a storm is coming," he murmured.
---
"Looks like a storm is coming."
In the Kingdom of Navia, at the mansion of the Finance Minister in Kalmar City's noble district, the butler, Eaton, gazed at the darkening sky and muttered softly.
Recovering from his musings, Eaton carefully carried a tray of refreshments into the drawing room.
There, the mansion's owner, Count Arcadio, was listening to a report from his trading company's secretary.
"Based on the intelligence we've gathered, the local market has already been carved up. Their strategy is clever. Even with your reputation helping us establish a foothold, capturing and expanding these fragmented markets will still require considerable time and effort."
Eaton, focused on pouring tea, paid no attention to the secretary's words. Having served Count Arcadio for years, he knew his master disliked overly clever subordinates.
Blowing on his tea, Arcadio remarked casually, "Are people at the company complaining that I've forbidden them from participating in the local smuggling trade this past year?"
The secretary, a distinguished man in high society, dropped to his knees in fear. "My lord, the company owes everything to you. No one would dare utter a word of complaint!"
Arcadio responded with a mere "Hmm," letting the man tremble for a while before saying, "Stand."
Once the secretary stood, Arcadio added nonchalantly, "I figured as much, but I'll explain anyway. It's not that I don't care about those fragmented markets—it's that I find them tedious."
"If some clever fools are willing to build a network for us, why waste our own energy?"
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