Early in the morning, at the fortress, in front of the door of the commander’s office, the ninja, Jin Rei, was sitting down on a chair. His hands on his lap. He had been waiting here for the commander to arrive and give his report about what had happened. And truth be told, he was in a rush. That girl threatened him after all. At any rate, she was trouble and dangerous. And one he would rather not face again anytime soon.

  He had been waiting here, on this chair, for some time now. There was even barely any staff except for some night overs when he arrived. Not like he had anywhere to go but straight here. Besides, his commander would typically arrive early.

  But the one who arrived first was not the one he was looking forward to. It was the commander’s other aide, Minori. She raised an eyebrow, pointing a sharp gaze towards him.

  “You look like you’ve been here a while.”

  “That’s because I am.”

  “I thought you were on observation duty.”

  “Well, I left that duty. And I ain’t coming back.”

  She frowned, clearly displeased. “What did you say? The commander gave you the mission. You can’t just back out from such a simple mission.”

  “The situation’s changed, and I’m telling you, it ain’t a simple mission! Not at all.”

  “Are you sure you’re not just being lazy?”

  “You know how I love doing these kinds of missions.”

  “Hm. Don’t tell me you’re having difficulties. You?”

  She seemed to be having a hard time believing that Jin would find a simple trailing mission difficult. And Jin understood it quite well. This kind of mission was quite common for him. Following and stalking people the commander told him to, enemies and such. Even if they had the most excellent guards or ninjas, they couldn’t beat Jin in every stealthy aspect. He was among the very best. However…

  “Yes. I never thought I would get beat like this.” He crossed his arms with a visible pout.

  “No way. Are you sure it’s not because you’re just slacking off?”

  “Trust me, Minori. If you’ve seen what I've seen, even at my most diligent, it won’t change a thing.”

  “What did you see?”

  “Something that makes me quite insecure.”

  “... Seriously?”

  “Seriously.”

  “What are you two talking about?” Suddenly came a third voice.

  “Commander, you’re here,” Minori said.

  Jin promptly rose from his seat and saluted stiffly. The commander, of course, immediately noticed this change in his behavior. Well, Jin was not in the mood to take things casually. His pride was just damaged, after all.

  “Did something happen?” The commander asked. “Did she complete the bounty?”

  “Y-Yeah. But I think we should talk in a more proper setting.”

  “Of course.”

  They got inside the commander’s office. The commander sat down as Minori stood beside the desk, facing Jin with a stern expression. She must be feeling a bit disappointed that he seemed to fail his simple mission. However, Jin understood that she just didn’t understand the situation.

  “So, what happened?” the commander asked.

  “She got me.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She has known that I’ve been following her since the beginning.” Both Katsuo’s and Minori’s eyes widened. “She has only been letting me watch,” Jin added.

  “And she decided to confront you now?”

  Jin nodded. “... I don’t know why exactly. But she didn’t seem to be in a good mood. Even after completing that bounty.”

  “Several warriors had gone to hunt that bandit, none of them succeeded. She must have an excellent team.”

  Jin shook his head. “That’s the thing, she did it all by herself.”

  The two people in front of Jin looked utterly shocked.

  “There’s no way that’s possible,” Minori said in disbelief.

  “Well, she did,” Jin remarked. “Add to it the entire base. She wiped everyone out, every single bandit.”

  The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

  “That’s insane.” Minori placed a hand on her sword.

  “Her movement, her methods, it’s like mine. The way of a ninja.” He described her style — which would certainly upset and offend a particular girl if she ever hears it. “She wiped the entire base in complete stealth. However, even I would be hard pressed in achieving the same feat. Not to mention killing the boss.”

  “Let me guess,” Katsuo said. “She also silently killed the bandit leader.”

  “Yes. There was no commotion whatsoever. She just came out of the building carrying the guy’s head.”

  “Is she really that strong?” Minori asked in a strained voice.

  “She confronted me in the city after coming out of the Bureau. I was following her closely, but then she just disappeared from my sight.” Jin lowered his head. He still couldn’t understand how he lost her at that moment. Was it just because she was more skillful and faster than him? “... And then she snuck up behind me, a blade pointed at my face. I couldn’t even sense her coming.”

  Katsuo nodded. “I see. And what did she say?”

  “She said she doesn't intend to bring harm to the city and our people. That precisely she wants me to convey to you.”

  “Hm.” Katsuo leaned back in his chair. “What else?”

  “And that to be quick with their request of a ship escort. Otherwise, it would be trouble for the both of us. Meaning her and you.”

  “Is she threatening the commander?!” Minori formed a stern expression. It was not good to hear someone threaten their leader just like that. That was a great offense to commit against a high-ranking officer.

  “Guess so. She did say we can’t threaten her with our power.”

  “The arrogance.” Minori clenched her fists.

  “Calm down,” Katsuo said, holding out his hand. “Following someone would not exactly bring a favorable impression. So I understand that she’s irritated with us. Still, if she’s that arrogant, I wouldn’t be surprised if she can back it up.”

  “There’s no way she can handle you and the city, right, commander?” Jin asked with a wry smile.

  “If she could defeat that bandit with ease, then I’m sure facing her would indeed be troublesome. And as I said, those people on her ship, they’re dangerous. We don’t know what they are fully capable of.”

  “Huh… So I guess I should really stop following them now?”

  “Yes. Let’s not provoke her any further.” He placed a hand on his chin. “Powerful physical strength, a powerful magic caster, and a skillful ninja that beats even mine. That girl is brimming with abilities. So that may be why she’s their leader.”

  “She’s really not flashing her abilities around,” Jin commented.

  “Can there really be someone so overpowered?” Minori asked with an uncomfortable expression. For someone to have all of those abilities, it was simply absurd. Even she had to focus all of her efforts on becoming a warrior to be this skilled. And to have all those different aspects was just absurd.

  “It would appear so. We even have no idea where she came from. Their ways might be different from ours. And well, there are just some people that are special.” He sighed. “Whatever their purpose may be in coming here, we can’t stop them from going further into our island without earning their ire. Let’s hope they don’t do something too damaging.”

  “What are you planning on doing now?” Minori asked the commander.

  “Firstly, I take her word for it. That they don’t intend to harm us. And then stop delaying the ship escort.”

  Jin’s mouth fell open. “So you were delaying it?”

  “Yes. Best to get rid of them as quickly as possible… A shame, we couldn’t learn more about them.”

  “Do you think they’ll go to the capital city?” Jin asked.

  “... Most travelers do. But if something ever happens, it won’t be under our jurisdiction.”

  “Uh-huh.” Jin faintly nodded. “I hope I won’t face her again soon…” he muttered.

  The commander turned towards Minori. “Summon Captain Suda. Maybe I’ll add another ship as well…”

  “Yes, commander.”

  After their meeting, Jin headed straight to the courtyard for some fresh air. He watched the soldiers run around, exercising and training. For now, he had nothing to do, he was supposed to rest. But his encounter from earlier was still fresh in his mind.

  It really bothered him, basically demolishing his confidence. And thus he spent plenty of time spacing out. Then a moment later, Minori noticed him and came up beside him.

  “What the heck is wrong with you?”

  He jerked and frantically turned towards her. “N-Nothing.”

  “Yeah right, with all that pout and oozing sadness. Don’t think I wouldn’t notice.”

  Jin let out a long sigh. “Just some personal issue.”

  “Is this about that girl surpassing you or something?”

  He frowned. “Can I even call that surpassing…?”

  “... You’re taking this too personally, Jin. Someone will tend to be stronger than you. It’s not that big of a deal.”

  He turned a sharp gaze towards her, he was a bit displeased hearing that last sentence. “It’s a big damn deal, Minori. You wouldn’t understand.”

  “That’s right, I don’t understand why it bothers you so much!”

  Jin clicked his tongue. “I was among the very best in my department. My fellows, we were either equals or have tiny bits of difference. And I admit, I lose to you — but that’s a different scenario.” Him fighting directly with a warrior was a completely different situation. No one would expect him to easily win that.

  “But?”

  “But I stood no chance, none at all. An overwhelming defeat. You know how hard it is?” He groaned with irritation. “I gave my whole life for the skills I have now. And some random girl just appeared out of nowhere and basically showed how inferior I am. She even mocked me! Can you believe that? Like I was just some mundane man.”

  “Again, you’re taking this too personally.”

  “... You know the only person I couldn’t beat at all? My master. And I was fine with that, I respect him.”

  “What? Now you’re feeling some inferiority complex over some one-time encounter? That isn’t healthy.”

  “How would you feel if you faced someone that is just toying you around?”

  “... I wouldn’t know.” She had never faced someone like that before.

  “So you wouldn’t understand.”

  Minori sighed tiredly. “And so, what are you thinking of doing?”

  He tapped his hands on his lap. “... Guess consulting with my master.”

  “What for?”

  “Ask him to train me harder, harder than before. Or at least teach me something special.”

  “That’s just overdoing it.”

  “No, it’s needed. I need it. I’m an aide to our commander, if I can’t overcome someone with the same skill set as me, then I’m a disgrace.”

  “... Very well. If that’s what you want. I don’t know when we’ll be coming back to the capital city, but I’m sure the commander will visit once everything has settled here.”

  “Yes, when that time comes, I will meet with the master again.”

  “... You think your master is a match for that girl?”

  “What kind of question is that? There’s no way even that girl is a match for the old man. He may be old, but he’s not that weak. It’s like age doesn’t even matter to him.”

  “Huh. I suppose. Age and experience have great merits in one’s abilities. But you think he’ll take it well, your request to train again?”

  “I’m not sure. But I’ll try.”

  “You should tell the commander about your plan.”

  “... Yeah.”

  “And you should try to get some sleep. Like, now.”

  Jin faintly nodded. “... Alright.”