The Moonlight Swordsman



A collective gasp escaped from the lips of everyone aboard the ship, their eyes widening in awe and disbelief as they beheld the sheer might unleashed by Seraphine. 

Blood from the defeated creature mixed with the ocean, leaving a deep red stain in the once-churning waves around the fallen creature. Its huge eyes were closed, and it stood motionless in the water.

Aizel was taken aback by the speed and efficiency with which Zareena tucked the giant monster's corpse away in her magical storage ring. 

How much storage is there in her ring?" He thought.

[We will make sure after killing her, to retrieve that ring from her corpse in the future]

The party slowly made its way back to the ship as the adrenaline of the combat began to wear off.

Now that they had collected themselves, the crewmen quickly went back to work, getting the ship ready to sail again.

"You guys really took down the Grade IV monster really fast," Daisy commented.

"It barely reached Garde IV; that's why it was easy to kill it," Zareena replied. 

"Now did you see Aizel? This was just a mere glance of power. We are going to face even more tough challenges in the upcoming tournament," she further added.

This idiot doesn't even know that their mere glance of power helped me a lot," Aizel thought.

[Fufu master, I wonder how she will react when you use that leaf magic in your own style in front of her]

Hehe, I can't wait to shock her. But first, we need Daisy to get more information about it from Princess," he replied.

"Now don't belittle my sparring partner, Zareena. He can do it a lot better than you all did," Soren commented.

"Says the guy who was taking a deep bath under the ocean," Edumont replied.

"If I had gotten serious, the monster would have died in my first attack," Soren replied, then walked away.

This idiot really gets on my nerves," Edumont thought.

I have to calm down. Always remember the master words." With that thought in his mind, he also left for his room.

"Why is our team filled with idiots?" Raven questioned in annoyance.

"Couldn't agree with you more," Aizel said, and then he also left for his room while giving an eye signal to Daisy to follow him.

Daisy trailed behind Aizel as they made their way to the room.

Aizel concentrated his power and created an unnoticeable barrier that surrounded them, effectively blocking the passage of sound and protecting the privacy of their discourse. 

"Daisy I want you to do something for me."

"Yes, tell me what it is." She asked.

"Try to ask or at least get to know more about princess power and that leaf magic that she did. You and the princess both share the same affinity and core. 

"Maybe she might tell you something."

"Okay, I will try Aizel, but I can't be sure whether she will really tell me or not."

"Don't worry, just try your best."

[Master you know, you both are alone right now in the room, fufu]

Aizel's cheeks flushed slightly as he came to terms with the situation, brought on by the sudden recollection of a vivid memory.

The almost-shared moment between him and Daisy replayed in his thoughts, stirring a mixture of emotions within him. 

With an awkward yet endearing gesture, he scratched the back of his head, his gaze momentarily averted.

Clearing his throat, he mustered the courage to address Daisy, his voice carrying a hint of bashfulness. "If you don't have anything to discuss, feel free to go."

"Oh, then I will take my leave." After saying that, Daisy left.

Why do I feel disappointed?" she thought as she left.

[Master, if you stay like this, Daisy might really find someone else]

Don't talk rubbish and let me sleep."

He needed a break, so he laid down for a quick nap.

Meanwhile, Daisy made her way towards Zareen and Seraphine, who were seated on the elevated platform of the deck, leisurely sipping their tea. 

She reached out and took a seat beside them, pulling the chair gently toward herself. 

"Are you still feeling nervous, Daisy?" Zareena asked.

"Not really; I think I will be able to do my best in the upcoming mission," she replied.

"You don't have to worry about too much. I am not expecting you to fight.

"Your job will only focus on scouting and sensing. We will take care of the hunt,"

Daisy nodded slightly.

"Princess, can I ask you something?" 

"Yes, speak." Zareend nodded as she sipped her tea.

"Those leaves that you used, whether they were made of wind magic?" Daisy asked. 

She rubbed her thumbs over each other in nervousness.

"Yes, I am glad you noticed and asked me about it. It seems you really have the determination to grow stronger.

"I know that you also have a wind core the same as me. So I will tell you more about it. 

"But to completely perfect the technique, you need to reach Grade III first."

Daisy nodded in understanding.

"A single leaf contains 100-minute leaves that are constructed together to create one golden leaf. You can do it with the help of mana and a lot of practice.

"But that's not the main problem of the technique. Creating many golden leaves at the same time is a difficult task. You have to make sure each leaf contains the same sharpness and mana."

"Once your core upgrades to the next level, your control over mana and magic will also improve. 

"Then you might be able to create one golden leaf made of 1000-minute leaves that will have the same powerful sharpness grouped together," Zraeena explained.

"How much time did it take for you to master this princess?" Daisy asked.

"It took me 10 years to reach this stage. I am still trying to construct 1000-minute leaves at the Grade III level.

"If somehow I can pull this off, then one golden leaf will be enough to slice any mage below Grade IV easily," Zareena said with a little pride.

"Incredible princess," Daisy said with a smile.

Meanwhile, Seraphine slowly leaned toward Daisy and whispered, "The kids in your home—are they yours and Aizel's?"

Hearing this made Daisy's face turn as red as a ripe tomato. The princess's delighted chuckle added a bit of lightheartedness to the scene.

On the other hand, Daisy, who appeared mildly frustrated, merely shook her head in disagreement.