Power

"Okay! Break for 10!"

At his teacher's words, Roko's body collapsed onto the ground as he dropped the bo staff that he was training with to the side.

"Good work today." Momo said as she walked over to Roko with a water bottle, "You trained your hardest today as well."

Roko had no energy to respond nor take the drink Momo had offered him so she just placed it down on the grass in front of his face.

"I am impressed though." Murasaki said as she joined them with a couple of towels, "We've been having you try out various weapons to see if there was any weapon you'd feel more comfortable with than a sword and you've been doing well with pretty much all of them."

"Well there are a few weapons we don't have in stock so it's not a complete test." Momo chuckled, "What a shame. I want to see how you would do with a nun-chuck."

"Nowhere near a practitioner yet akin to one who has practiced." Roko's teacher nodded as he came over as well, "Well, at least once or twice in their life. And not any more. Are you sure you weren't some sort of martial artist or three in your past life or something?"

"My past life was in a very small room in front of a small laptop." Roko sighed, "Any lives before that is unknown to me."

"That's what your world was like?" The old man frowned, "Sounds like a dystopia."

"Nevermind that." Murasaki said as she handed out towels to Momo and Roko, "What are the results of today's training?"

"Hmm..." Roko's teacher went deep into thought as Roko pulled himself up and wiped off his sweat, "Certainly, swords seem to be his strong suit, but that's what he's used to. Of the ones we tested, I see the most potential with a spear, bow or dagger, not counting the sword. Which of these do you think you want to focus on, young man?"

"Spears can be difficult to transport and loses a lot of versatility in enclosed spaces. Bow and arrows are a tempting ranged option but I don't want to be put into a position where I run out of arrows. I've used daggers before and while it went fine, the small range is concerning." Roko replied before taking a sip of water.

"A very reasonable analysis that cuts straight to the point." The old man nodded, "As expected of Roko. However, those weaknesses you mentioned are exactly why you practice and learn to overcome or supplement those weaknesses. Giving up at the offset is a very defeatist attitude."

"It's not that I don't think I can overcome those weaknesses but I'm only here for a week." Roko sighed, "There's no time to properly train with a whole new weapon."

"That's true." Momo mused, "Maybe we should just stick to the sword."

"Mastery is not something you achieve but something you maintain." The old man shook his head, Are you really planning to just stop your training once you return to school?"

"I've got a dozen other things to worry about at school." Roko scoffed, "I won't exactly have the time or energy to commit to a training regime."

"Lady Momo can do it just fine." Murasaki frowned.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you two can still stand around just fine after training for a whole day." Roko growled, "You all have absurd stamina."

"From how it sounds, you haven't gotten much activity to begin with." His teacher said, "Perhaps you should exercise more regularly."

"Leave me alone." Roko grumbled.

"Hmm...in any case, we'll end here for today. For tomorrow, I want you to consider what kind of weapon you want to focus on. We still have a few days left and the training is only going to pick up from here."

"Don't let me get too excited now."

As the sun was setting for the day and Momo lead Roko and Murasaki towards one of the castle's many cafeterias for a quick snack, Roko noticed a large crowd gathering by the entrance of the castle.

"Something going on over that?" Roko asked.

"Hm?" Momo looked over towards the crowd, "Oh, that's probably just my brother returning."

"Your brother is returning?!" Murasaki cried, "Lord Akaza?!"

"You want to meet him?" Momo smiled.

"Yes!" Murasaki cried excitedly, "I've always wanted to meet the First Prince of Shinokami!"

"Aoki was the third in line wasn't he?" Roko nodded, "So this is the one who was supposed to inherit the throne from the start?"

"Yep." Momo chuckled as she led them though the crowd, "He can look a bit scary so try not to be too intimidated."

Once the crowd realized Momo was trying to cut through them, they respectfully moved aside, allowing them to pass through easily. Standing at the gate was a tall man dressed in regal red and gold armor. When Momo approached him, Roko could see his stern face break into a small smile, "Momo." He said as Momo gave him a hug, "I heard you're taking a small break from school. I hope things haven't been too hard for you."

"Things have never been better." Momo said as she stepped back, "I'm just here as a favor for a friend."

"Friend huh?" Her brother turned to look at Murasaki, "Another princess perhaps?"

"No, the guy."

Her brother turned his head as he seemed to finally notice Roko. The two stared at each other, Roko uncomfortable with starting a conversation and her brother staring at him blankly before his eyes warped into a glare.

"Boyfri-"

"Stop right there." Roko interrupted quickly, "No."

"Oh." Her brother blinked, "Okay then."

"Brother, this is Roko." Momo sighed, "He's a special exception student at Memoria Auspice. Roko, this is Akaza. Leader of the First Legion of the Akayoru Legion. Head of the Momoiro Military."

"I'd rather you introduce me as your brother, Momo." Akaza laughed as he held out a hand towards Roko, "Welcome. I hope my sister hasn't been too much of a bother for you."

"Not at all." Roko said as he shook the man's hand, "She's been more of a help than any bother."

"Our family is honored by your praised." Akaza made a shallow bow before he turned to Murasaki, "And you are?"

"Yes! I'm Murasaki Kiji!" Murasaki saluted stiffly.

"Murasaki and Roko are being taught by our old sensei." Momo explained.

"Oho? So the old man has found himself a new pupil." Akaza smiled, "You must have some considerable talent then, young lady."

"N-Not at all!" Murasaki said, her body still stiff and her face growing a shade redder from the compliment, "More importantly! P-P-Please give me some pointers on how to fight!"

Momo and Akaza stared at the nervous young girl who bowed very deeply before laughing gently.

"You're a serious one aren't you?" Akaza chuckled, "Alright. I'll see if there's anything I can teach you. Let's go somewhere private."

"T-Thank you, sir!"

"You coming with, Roko?"

"Are we going back to the training ground?" Roko asked.

"I can't believe we're back here again." Roko sighed as Akaza and Murasaki took to the field to have a little duel.

"At least you don't have to do anything this time." Momo said as the two bowed and drew their swords.

"I was kinda hungry." Roko continued to grumble as their duel began.

"You could always go to the cafeteria by yourself if you want."

"I still can't navigate this castle at all." Roko scowled, "This castle is seriously way too big."

"That's true." Momo nodded, "And we don't always have the staff to keep everything operational so the schedules on what is and is not open changes all the time."

"I'm surprised anybody can find anything at all in this castle."

"Aww, it's not that bad once you get used to it."

"Maybe if you lived here all your life." Roko scoffed, "Even your siblings seem to be away more often than not."

"Oh, Gina's always on tour and doesn't get to stop by all that often, I'll give you that." Momo explained, "But Aoki is always here and Akaza was only away for a conference in another town. We all still live here with our parents, even when my older siblings aren't on the best terms with my parents. Gina, notwithstanding."

"Speaking of Akaza, he's the leader of your nation's military right?"

"Yeah."

"Why did he have to give up the throne for that? A king can also be a military commander. Hell, I think they have to be a military commander. Why did he think to abandon his kingship?"

"Oh, my parents didn't understand it at first either." Momo sighed, "But it's what Akaza wanted. He's a brilliant tactician and one of the strongest warriors in Momokami. But despite how powerful he is, he's more aware of the fact that war cannot be fought alone. He cares a lot about every soldier that risks their life on the battlefield. And he wants to keep them alive, the best way to doing so is cooperation and unity. But as the prince, there was always some...distance between him and his allies. Something that he could never do anything about. And with how skilled he was along with his position, he garnered a lot of envy. That's why he ultimately gave up the throne. To better unite him and his allies together. My parents were staunchly against it but Akaza was just as stubborn. Eventually, they cut off from each other for almost five years until they managed to reconcile."

"You sure seem to know a lot about this." Roko said.

"Hehe. One of my earliest memories was hearing a fight between my parents and Akaza in the middle of the night." Momo smiled sheepishly, "I even managed to get a small peek at them but I was too afraid to keep watching so I left."

"Uh huh." Roko nodded as he watched Murasaki and Akaza's duel, "Two more questions."

"Yes?"

"How long ago was it when your brother and your parents made up?"

"About seven years ago."

"And how long have you been the head princess for?"

…

Momo sighed, "Why do you have to be so sharp? And always skirting the topic you really want to talk about. Things like that make you unpopular you know."

Roko didn't reply.

"...Seven. I was officially announced to be the next heir seven years ago."

The conversation between him and Momo stopped there. Leaving a silence that was only punctuated by the sounds of Murasaki and Akaza's duel.

"Say something." Momo said as she gently punched Roko's arm.

"There's nothing to say." Roko replied simply.

"I know what you're thinking. I've known it for a long time too. You can come out and say it."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Really? You really have nothing you want to say?"

"...Well maybe one thing."

"Out with it then."

"...It's not my position to meddle in family affairs. I'm sorry for asking."

…

"This is why people don't like you."

Akaza and Murasaki's duel continued until the rest of the afternoon had set and the dusk began to cover the sky. Once Momo called for a break, Murasaki and Akaza stopped and sheathed their swords, Murasaki heaving heavy breaths while Akaza only seemed remotely winded. Momo handed out towels and drinks as the two caught their breaths.

"Thank you for the lesson, Lord Akaza." Momo bowed, a bit dizzy from fatigue, "I've learned a lot from this sparring session."

"As have I." Akaza smiled as he sipped his drink, "You're pretty impressive, keeping step with me despite only having just finishing your training for the day."

"No, the impressive one is you, Lord Akaza." Murasaki bowed again, "I can tell you went easy on me for my sake. I hope to one day give you a fight worth remembering."

"Oh no, this fight was very memorable on its own." Akaza smiled, "Talent at your young age is the future of our world. I'm honored to have a part in in you and our country's future."

"T-The honored one is me!" Murasaki bowed again.

"Easy there girl." Momo smiled as she helped Murasaki stead herself after one too much bows in rapid succession, "How about we talk about this over dinner? It's a bit too late for lunch now and I'm sure we're all starving."

When Roko, Momo, Murasaki and Akaza arrived at the cafeteria, there was only a small handful of people there for an early dinner. The real crowd of people would arrive not long after them so they quickly ordered their lunch/dinner and found a small private table in the corner.

"I'm honored to be sharing a meal with you, Lord Akaza." Murasaki gulped as she sipped on some apple juice.

"Heh. There's no need to be so stiff around me, Murasaki." Akaza said as he ate some mild chicken curry, "I'm just another person. Another soldier. Nothing else."

"No, you're the First Prince of Momokami!" Murasaki cried, "Even if you've abandoned the throne, you're still someone with peerless skill and talent! I could never measure up to you!"

"You'd be surprised." Akaza smiled, "There are many people I know who are stronger than me. And not just in one particular area. The world is vast so I hope you'll one day see you visit other lands as well."

"Yes!" Murasaki cried as she saluted with her fork, "I'll one day visit other countries and test my strength against the entire world!"

"And should you come to desire a purpose for your strength, the Akayoru Legion will be happy to have you join our ranks."

"Oh gosh! A position in the First Legion?!" Murasaki gulped as her face grew red with embarrassment.

"You as well." Akaza turned to Roko, "You're welcome to join as well."

"I have done nothing to warrant this treatment." Roko frowned as he took a bite of his smoke chicken don, "You have no reason to invite me into your group."

"On the contrary, I've heard tales of you." Akaza smiled, "You're from another world aren't you?"

"Wait, you are?!" Murasaki cried.

"Not that it matters for anything." Roko sighed, "I'm sure there's nothing I can do that nobody else can do better."

"What about your spells?" Momo asked, "You have Scan and Analyze don't you? That's something nobody else in the world has."

"Without a good enough scale to compare stats against, my spells are just a bunch of numbers. I have no way to reach a critical mass of stats to properly use my own spells. It's the non-numerical effects that I have been depending on and they only go so far."

"You've been around how long and you still don't have enough data?" Momo blinked.

"It's not the amount of data, though you could say that it is in a way. It's the type. So far, I've only had data from people of exceptional birth and not much else. What's more, thanks to Alec, I now know that people's stats are not always the stats they will be operating with. That has thrown me off in so many ways, I wish I had never met him."

"I don't know who this Alec person is but he must be quite formidable." Akaza shrugged.

"Not at all."

"I...see?"

"As you can see, I'm nowhere near mature enough to even attempt to scout." Roko said, "I don't know what you are thinking."

"Heh. To be honest, I was initially just asking out of courtesy."

"Courtesy or not, don't make promises and propositions you don't intend to keep." Roko scowled.

"But now that I've seen how you operate, I'm starting to see some promise in you." Akaza smiled, "If nothing else, I can see you're serious about almost everything. That is admirable above all else."

"Just because I take things seriously, doesn't mean you should conscript me into your army."

"Probably. Well, I can always wait for you to finish your training. Perhaps when you make a name for yourself one day, you'll consider my offer more seriously."

"Oh, Roko already has a title." Momo giggled as she ate her riceball, "Sensei gave it to him."

"Really?! He's got a title from Sensei already?" Akaza grinned, "What kind of title did he give him?"

"Roko's the 'Unnamed Sword'."

"Fascinating."Akaza nodded, "An unnamed sword huh? That sounds rather appropriate."

"Isn't it?" Momo laughed.

"Lord Akaza, you have a named sword as well, don't you?" Murasaki asked as she nibbled her baked potato.

"Yeah." Akaza gently touched the fancy sword that hung at his hip, "This is Gyoten Shingun. Or Dawn March. It's one of my most prized possessions."

"I've heard stories." Murasaki nodded, "That sword has a long history of military service across all sides of a war. It's also known as the Sword of No Allegiance."

"Kinda like you, Roko." Momo said, turning to him.

"Except Sword of No Allegiance is a much cooler name than The Nameless Sword." Murasaki smirked.

"I-I'm sure you can make it work."

"...You know..." Roko sighed, "Doesn't the name 'Nameless Sword' technically mean I've been named and therefore not nameless?"

"Don't think about it too hard."