Shield of the Rose

Waking early in the morning, Richie brushed his teeth and washed his face before heading to the kitchen as usual.

Today, the main ingredient was still fish, but this time it was a dozen live snakeheads. These fish possessed exceptionally dense flesh, rounder bodies, and skin that was slicker and tougher than the cold-water salmon. Most importantly, these snakeheads were still alive, unlike the dead salmon, making them far more difficult to prepare.

Richie worked with swift, agile hands. He quickly gutted and cleaned all dozen snakeheads, using his paper blades for the task. It had taken him three days of practice to find the right feel, and he was now far more proficient.

He pulled out the entrails, discarded them, removed the gills, and scraped off the scales.

Richie used his bare hands to scrape the scales. This was also a form of training; although he was currently reconstructing his combat techniques under Lina’s guidance, he had no intention of completely abandoning his close-quarters grappling skills.

On one hand, it would be a waste, as this style of combat had already saved his life countless times in life-and-death struggles, proving its practical value. On the other hand, he wanted to keep his close-quarters combat skills as a hidden trump card.

Richie’s hands stroked the fish bodies with extreme gentleness, as if caressing a woman’s skin. Yet, fish scales flew off beneath his palms, a process even easier than using the spine of a steel knife.

Taking a fresh paper blade, he made three swift cuts: “slash, slash, slash.” A round snakehead was filleted into three neat sections, the middle section revealing the intact skeleton.

Looking at his handiwork, Richie felt quite satisfied. He had found the knack for both his blade technique and his control of Aura.

The custom Knight’s blade Espol had given him restricted his swordsmanship to slicing and sweeping movements, so his current practice focused entirely on these techniques.

He carefully laid the two thick fillets onto a bed of crushed ice nearby; ice-chilling would firm the flesh, making it easier to slice into thin pieces later. The bony middle section was set aside; once rubbed with rock salt, it would be a prime delicacy whether roasted or fried.

In a short time, Richie had prepared all dozen snakeheads.

Since the weather was warm, the discarded entrails would quickly smell if left out, so Richie picked up the waste bin and headed downstairs.

The disposal site was located outside the town. The garbage trucks couldn’t enter the town, which had currently been transformed into a massive construction site. Previously, because it was a temporary barracks, the military hadn’t bothered to make major changes to the town, even preserving buildings that got in the way to avoid complaints from the residents once they returned.

But this time, with news that an important figure in the observer delegation was arriving, the town had burst into activity.

While they weren’t tearing the entire town down—as time was short and funds were limited—a major remodeling was unavoidable.

Large blocks of houses were demolished, primarily to widen the roads. As a military station, the town’s original roads were too narrow; if two equipment transport vehicles met from opposite directions, they would be completely blocked. Furthermore, there were too many obstructive buildings and too few quarters for the soldiers; a squad like 105 had to share four or five people to a single room.

Richie glanced at the newly built courtyard walls around them. To the east, a new three-story building was being constructed around the clock. Once completed, it would provide everyone with a private room.

For Richie, however, it made little difference; even with a room of his own, he would rarely use it.

Richie carried the waste bin outside the town. Near the entrance, he watched a carriage pass him by.

By the time he returned from disposing of the waste, the carriage had parked in front of the barracks. The genius girl, Trisli, was stepping down from the carriage, flanked by several eager Knights carrying large boxes of books behind her.

Such a major commotion naturally drew the members of the squad out of the barracks.

Robin was the first to act, leaping down from the upper floor and embracing Trisli. “You’re finally here! I’ve already prepared our room.”

In contrast to Robin’s warmth, Lina’s voice was cold. “You’re a bit too eager. The formal orders haven’t even been issued yet.”

Trisli ignored Lina. She gently released Robin and walked to Captain Calli, extending her hand. “It is an honor to work with you. I will be staying with your squad for some time, and I look forward to your guidance.”

Calli had originally opposed the genius girl’s arrival, but after Lina returned to report the deal she had made with Trisli, she no longer cared.

Shaking hands with Trisli, Calli glanced at the boxes and asked blankly, “Could you tell me what is inside those boxes?”

Trisli looked slightly embarrassed. She hadn’t expected the living conditions of Squad 105 to be so cramped; Robin had never mentioned it to her.

Taking a box from a Knight behind her, Trisli opened it to reveal a collection of books. “My apologies. I didn’t realize space was so limited here. I will find another place to store these books.”

“Leave them in my room,” Randy offered, her equipment room being the only space with some room to spare.

“Let’s all help,” Calli said.

Since the captain had spoken, everyone pitched in. Soon, a pile of armor frames and equipment was moved out of the room to make space, as they took up the most room.

With no other storage, these items were placed in the courtyard on several layers of oilcloth to protect them from moisture, then covered with large sheets of protective tarpaulin.

The rainy season had passed, so there was no worry about heavy downpours, and they only needed to get through these few difficult months before the new building was completed.

The cleared space in the equipment room was just large enough for a light bookshelf. The books were unpacked one by one from the boxes.

Richie watched the process, highly curious about the books.

They were exquisite volumes printed on copperplate paper, many featuring beautiful illustrations. Each book was clearly expensive. The subjects were incredibly diverse, ranging from history, geography, music, and painting to biology, mining, and magitech armor manufacturing. The only thing missing was any manual on combat arts or techniques.

“What is the use of all this?” Richie whispered to Lina. He doubted the genius girl had actually read all these books. If they were merely for show, she was far too vain.

Lina had no intention of answering and raised her voice. “Don’t pretend you didn’t hear him. If you’re interested in answering, speak up.”

Lina’s blunt tone drew glares from the male Knights, but Trisli showed no anger, walking over to Richie with a smile.

She wanted to get closer to Richie, and in fact, she wanted to establish good relations with everyone in Squad 105, including her old rival Lina.

“As a soldier, one must be proficient in history and geography. War rarely offers anything truly new; most tactics have been used before. Reading more and remembering more, even if one lacks the talent of a grand strategist to apply them dynamically, at least keeps you alert to traps when facing an attack,” Trisli explained.

“Your words are too idealistic,” Lina countered, disputing whatever Trisli said. “While war offers nothing new, no two battles are identical. It’s like playing chess—it depends entirely on the player’s skill. If books were that useful, the Battle of Morena wouldn’t have been so disastrous.”

Trisli smiled, choosing not to debate Lina, and pointed to the other books. “I love music. Music heightens the senses—whether sadness, joy, anger, or other emotions. I can play several instruments and sometimes perform myself. I also like painting and sculpting. Painting allows one to capture a split-second motion; recording things on paper is better than keeping them in the mind.”

She then pointed to the largest pile of books, which was also the most diverse, covering biology, mathematics, metallurgy, mining, and even sewing, weaving, and knitting.

“Aren’t you close with Espol? I am close with him too, and these books were on a list he gave me. The reason he became a Great Craftsman is because he read all of this.”

“Aren’t you a Knight?” Richie asked in surprise. Did this genius girl actually want to become a Great Craftsman like Espol?

“I’ve always believed that only I know best what I need,” Trisli said with a smile.

Richie was stunned. Lately, as his understanding of the Knight’s blade deepened, he had felt the old man’s brilliance; the old man knew exactly what he needed better than he did.

“Only I know best what I need…” Richie turned the words over in his mind.

To say such a thing meant one was either exceptionally wise or exceptionally foolish. Seeing the books, and knowing Espol had provided the list, meant the old man agreed with the statement.

Lina, as usual, scoffed. “To me, you are still bragging. I don’t believe you can read a book a day. Even if you could, carrying a dozen books is enough for half a month. Why carry so many? If you don’t mind the trouble, others mind the burden!”

Trisli ignored Lina’s bite but chose to diffuse the tension. She wanted a rival, and Lina was a good choice.

“I never read books passively. Reading requires inspiration. When I suddenly gain interest in a subject, I open the book to search for what I want to know; that is the only way to remember it.”

Trisli paused, then continued, “My goal is to become a Sword Saint, so I studied every past Sword Saint. I found they shared a common trait—exceptional wisdom. Some were profound philosophers, others were renowned scholars, and one was a brilliant military strategist. This cannot be a coincidence.”

Lina was taken aback. She hadn’t expected Trisli to bring up the Sword Saints, but she didn’t interrupt. To her, becoming a Sword Saint had once been a distant dream. No Sword Saint had emerged in the Republic since its founding.

But now, she felt a spark of hope. She was confident she could become a Glorious Knight before thirty. With her Holy Emperor bloodline, reaching the Heavenly rank was merely a matter of time and strength accumulation. But she had no confidence in reaching the rank of Sword Saint above it.

Thus, hearing about the Sword Saints was valuable to her. She knew Trisli had been collecting data on them since she was five, and after gaining her genius reputation, she had gathered official intelligence from the Imperial archives.

Seeing Lina quiet down, Trisli was pleased. This was exactly what she wanted.

She hoped the intelligence she had gathered would impress Lina.

“Ace, Honor, Glorious, Heavenly, Sword Saint… every breakthrough requires specific conditions. Ace to Honor requires control—control of the body, power, Aura, and everything else. Honor to Glorious requires a mental breakthrough. Glorious to Heavenly requires the power of the Holy Emperor’s direct descendants. There is a legend that every Knight harbors a dormant, primordial bloodline, and only the Holy Emperor’s descendants can awaken it; only those Heavenly Knights with awakened bloodlines are true Knights.”

These words were meant for Richie and the others. Trisli wanted to impress more than just Lina. While this wasn’t a secret to Lina, Robin, or Dana, the others had no access to such information. Knowing the key to each breakthrough allowed them to prepare early.

“However, the requirement to rise from Heavenly to Sword Saint has never been recorded. Every Sword Saint remained silent on the matter, passing it down only through oral tradition.”

Trisli tapped her temple. “My guess is that the key lies here—wisdom.”

“You have a plan?” Lina asked seriously, no longer mocking her.

“It’s still vague. Wisdom is too broad a concept—intelligence, experience, knowledge, philosophy… all are parts of it.”

Trisli was glad to discuss it seriously and continued.

“Perhaps one doesn’t need to develop all aspects. Becoming a philosopher, scholar, or strategist should be enough. No Sword Saint was a universal genius,” Lina suggested.

Richie, who had remained quiet, suddenly chimed in, “Or perhaps they could be a librarian.”

Lina shuddered, knowing what he meant.

Trisli couldn’t know their secret, but she considered his words seriously. “Perhaps… that is possible. A librarian might indeed be a figure of supreme wisdom, choosing to remain low-profile.”

At night, because of the limited rooms, Richie and Dana went to the basement to sleep, as Robin and Trisli had taken the bedroom.

Thus, Dana had to move out, and Calli had to move out as well, leaving four people in the basement.

Dana still couldn’t adjust to sharing Richie with the others and looked tense.

But having already surrendered her virginity, she could hardly refuse him now.

Richie didn’t push them too hard. Calli was a proud woman, and Dana was his mentor whom he feared. With them, training took priority over pleasure.

Randy went first as usual, and when she finished, the other two began to politely decline in favor of the other.

“Must I order you?” Calli used her captain’s rank.

“I’d like to see how you issue such an order,” Dana smiled, unfazed by Calli on the bed.

“You are the vanguard, always leading the charge in battle. If you don’t go first, who will?” Calli argued.

“You are the senior here. The senior should set an example for the junior,” Dana countered.

Seeing them argue, Richie suddenly pulled both of them down onto the mattress.

“What are you doing?”

“Show some respect,” both chided, though they found the situation amusing. The roles of captain and mentor were gone here.

“Hug each other, body to body,” Richie said, shifting their positions.

Calli and Dana complied, though it felt strange. They were close friends but had never embraced like this.

Being normal women with no yuri inclinations, the embrace brought only embarrassment rather than arousal.

Soon, they realized Richie’s intent. His massive shaft tapped their vaginal openings in turn.

“I realized that training with you two is useless for my own elements. I cannot use Ice or Lightning, and you cannot use mine. What you need is the special life force, which doesn’t require a complex cycle.”

With a thrust, Richie drove his shaft deep into Dana’s vagina.

Dana, pinned beneath Calli, had no room to dodge and took the entire length.

A pulse of Aura from his glans made her shudder, though she assumed it was a normal physical reaction.

Richie rotating his glans against her cervix, but he soon found Dana’s cervix was too firm to open, unlike the other girls. Her muscles were too dense.

He began thrusting hard, the channel exceptionally tight.

His hands worked her clitoris, sending pulses of Aura.

He explored her body, finding her muscles firm like steel. Groping hermons pubis, he found it firm as well.

He slid his hands down her labia, which brought a reaction, and then tapped her anus.

The response was immediate. Dana’s vagina clamped tightly around his shaft.

Richie grinned, discovering her anus was her primary hot spot—another internal passion trait, just like Merlin.

A pulse of Aura from Dana flared, but Richie held his ground. He guided the energy, wrapping her Lightning Aura in his protective life force, allowing her to cycle it without limits.

He then withdrew and entered Calli.

Calli gasp as his wet shaft entered her, the stimulation intense.

She tried to break free from Dana’s embrace, but Richie began the stimulation, injecting the Aura. Calli received it, using the energy to break her bottleneck.

Richie alternated between Dana and Calli, rotating between them.

It was now June, and the weather in Peines was warm.

Richie stood by to watch the duel between Dana and Carvin.

Only Squad 105, Trisli, Dana’s father Caron, and a technician were present. The duel was set for ten strikes in a small field.

“What are Dana’s chances?” Richie asked.

Lina hit his head. “Why aren’t you calling her mentor anymore? Changing your tone the moment you got her… you…”

The girls laughed, enjoying Richie’s embarrassment.

“Who is Dana to you?” Rosa teased.

“Mentor,” Richie muttered dejectedly.

“A mentor is a mentor for life. Even if you become a Sword Saint, she is still your mentor,” Rosa teased, her subtext obvious.

“Fine,” Richie surrendered. “I just want to know her chances.”

“Hard to say,” Lina said. “Carvin is a weak Ace Knight who broke his bottleneck by luck. Dana has the power but lacked the breakthrough opportunity. Her strength is close to his, and it depends on her performance.”

“Surviving ten strikes should be easy,” one of the sisters said.

“If she thinks that way, she will lose. Lightning Aura requires an aggressive drive; a defensive mindset is a trap,” Lina warned.

Richie smiled, reassured. Lina’s calculation was based on normal conditions, but only he, Randy, and Dana knew the truth: Dana was not in her normal state.

Just now in the carriage, she and Richie had a secret session. Her current Aura capacity was six to seven times her normal level, though temporary.

Carvin tried to delay and talk, hoping to break her focus. But Dana ignored him, pulled her heavy lance from the ground, and signaled she was ready.

Carvin had to draw his twin scimitars, realizing the duel had begun.

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