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Sword Demon Battle Ballad: The Eight Arms’s End

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Joshua Juukulius's Careful Encyclopedia Ex Translation

1 —The scenery outside the window always looked like an illusion that was out of reach to me.

“—Joshua, what are ya doin’?”

“Wha!?”

Suddenly, a voice called out to him from beside him, making Joshua’s shoulders jump up and down like a child who had been caught playing a prank.

“Sorry, sorry, I startled ya by calling out to ya out of the blue, huh?”

“N-no, that’s not true. It was because I was spacing out…”

As Joshua turned around, adjusting his monocle that had shifted out of place, he responded to the gentle smile of his master—Anastasia.

In truth, it was Joshua’s mistake. Anastasia hadn’t tried to hide her presence, and she probably had no intention of surprising Joshua. After all, she wasn’t Mimi.

“But speaking of intentions, Mimi doesn’t mean to surprise anyone either. She just surprises people with her honest words and actions…”

“Fufufu, it seems like Joshua has gotten to know my children well. I’m very happy that they’re gettin’ along. And…”

“And?”

“Ya seemed to be starin’ intently at them just now, didn’t ya?”

Stroking the white fox scarf around her neck, Anastasia, who was standing next to Joshua, turned her light blue eyes to the outside of the window—to the Iron Fang’s training being carried out there.

The garden of the Juukulius mansion in the royal capital was quite spacious and was now filled with about twenty people, giving it a lively appearance. At the center of it all was Ricardo with a large hatchet on his shoulder, and the people around him—all beastmen—were attacking him one by one.

It was a scene of Ricardo, the leader of the Iron Fang, harshly treating his members.

Naturally, among the people Ricardo was fighting was—

“Hey! Captain, it’s time to finish this!”

“Ya idiot, if you’re gonna surprise me, keep quiet! But you’re energetic, that’s one of yer good points!”

Raising a spirited voice, Mimi also jumped from behind Ricardo.

As per his sound advice, the surprise attack that revealed the attacker’s presence was easily avoided, and Ricardo caught Mimi’s robe with his hatchet and threw her far away.

“Yikes, I can’t watch this. I’m glad they didn’t get hurt.”

“Ricardo is skilled and Mimi is also agile. Besides, I don’t think there aren’t any injuries. Training is about getting hit and getting hit and learning from that.”

“—Hm?”

Anastasia covered her face with her hands and watched the members of the group train through the gaps between her fingers. She gave Joshua a meaningful sidelong glance in response to his answer.

Joshua blinked and said, “Ah.”

“S-sorry! I was being too bold! I’m just standing here watching the training and pretending to understand…”

“What? There’s no need ta panic like that. I’m not angry at all, I’m actually impressed. Joshua is the son of a family of knights after all.”

“The son of a family of knights…”

Anastasia mediated, but Joshua was at a loss for words.

Those expressions and titles were the least suitable for Joshua Juukulius at the moment. He would have preferred to keep his mouth shut if he was to receive such an evaluation—

“Joshua? Why did ya go quiet?”

“Wha!?”

As he slowly lowered his head, the woman peered at his face so closely that he could feel her breath, and Joshua screamed as he crashed into the wall behind him. The crash sounded so loud it seemed as if the window in the hallway would break, and Anastasia put her hand over her mouth.

“Yer such a hectic kid. I think my face isn’t that good-lookin’ though.”

“I-I think Lady Anastasia is cute and beautiful!”

“I feel like I made ya say that. But thanks.”

“It’s just, well, I wasn’t mentally prepared for it…”

Feeling his own heart pounding in his palm, Joshua was busy trying to control his face, which was turning red and blue, along with the emotions that were linked to it.

Of course, what he said was not a lie. Her large, round, light blue eyes brimming with curiosity, her pretty features that were perfectly positioned, and her long eyelashes that could rival Julius’s were all very attractive.

So Joshua’s current panic was due to the thorn that had been stuck in his heart for so long.

“If you’re the son of a family of knights, you should be standing on the other side of the window, not this side. Instead of speaking wisely, you should silently prove your position with your sword…To give me such an evaluation is not only a waste, but disrespectful.”

“——”

“That’s why! My brother who perfectly embodies the ideals of a knight is wonderful! With abilities and achievements like his, there’s no need to be silent. On the contrary! From the perspective of the other person, it’s only natural that they’d want advice on everything!”

Clenching his fist tightly, Joshua emphasized how amazing Julius was, a man who went above and beyond the typical image of a knight.

Yes, Julius was a true knight. The only one who deserved to be called “the son of a family of knights” was Julius, who had accumulated the achievements that one should have. But he exaggerated a bit. The other knight families were also surely striving to be worthy, even if they weren’t as good as Julius.

Unworthy strays were far more rare and far more wrong.

“——. Julius really is important to Joshua, huh?”

“Yes! I think it’s presumptuous to say that, but even if I gave…yes, even if I gave everything, it still wouldn’t be enough; he’s an amazing person!”

Though Joshua felt a slight sense of discomfort at the implication, he answered Anastasia with vigor. Anastasia nodded several times, saying “I see, I see,” and then turned her gaze out the window again.

“Maybe it’s because of that? Joshua seems to have pretty sharp eyes. It seems like ya even saw Mimi bein’ sent flyin’ earlier.”

“That’s… That may be true. I’ve always watched my brother train with my father since I was little. In that sense, I was in an environment that was the envy of the kingdom’s knights.”

Joshua clapped his hands, realizing that Anastasia’s point had that kind of aspect to it.

Certainly, Julius’s training was something that many knights would be willing to pay to watch, as he was one of the elite of the Royal Guard and was even called the “Finest”. If you had watched him improve steadily since he was a child, it was understandable that you would have discerning eyes—

“No one can imitate Julius’s trainin’ anyway, so if we made a spectacle of it, how much…”

“L-Lady Anastasia? I heard some really impure calculation…”

“Oh, sorry, sorry, don’t worry about it. Whenever I see somethin’ that could lead to a business opportunity, I can’t help but think about how I can make money from it.”

“That being said, if you could not include my brother in that…”

Julius was a generous and caring person, so if any knights asked to watch his training, he would gladly accept. Joshua was frustrated that Anastasia had turned this into a money-making scheme, as if Julius’s humanity and cultivated skills were being converted into money.

His inner thoughts must have been more apparent as Anastasia laughed and said, “Don’t make that face.”

“I’m sorry if my bad habit made ya feel uneasy. It’s Joshua’s privilege to be able to watch Julius’s trainin’. I won’t take it away.”

“No, that’s not what I meant! Please don’t embarrass me…”

As if she was enjoying teasing Joshua, Anastasia’s smile deepened even more, so Joshua turned away from her and narrowed his yellow eyes, looking at the soldiers training once more.

Not having learned her lesson, Mimi came running back and jumped on Ricardo again—

“It looks like this time Hetaro and Tivey will join.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Look—”

As Anastasia tilted her head, she looked towards Ricardo, but Mimi, who looked like she was going to jump straight at him, suddenly turned around at the last moment, and while he was distracted, Hetaro and Tivey, who had quietly approached, launched a surprise attack from the side of Ricardo.

However, the brilliant teamwork of the three siblings was ineffective against Ricardo, who was swinging his large hatchet.

“It wasn’t bad! Mimi, yer eyes were wanderin’ too much! Hetaro and Tivey, ya need ta hide yer presence better!”

“You got us! Captain, you’re amazing!!”

The three of them who were hanging from the end of Ricardo’s hatchet were being spun around above his head by a laughing Ricardo, and they could be heard squealing with joy and screaming.

Joshua, watching from afar, smiled at Anastasia beside him and said,

“It turned out just as I said, didn’t it? But Ricardo who didn’t seem bothered by that is incredible. He is worthy of being Brother’s training partner.”

“——”

“Lady Anastasia?”

Joshua was impressed, but then he suddenly noticed that Anastasia hadn’t said a word and became worried that he had upset her somehow.

However, Anastasia shook her head in response to Joshua’s question and replied,

“It’s nothin’, it’s nothin’. …Joshua, ya really have good eyes.”

“I-I’m sorry to hear you praise me so many times, but… Ha! Maybe this is a prelude to a big request or a big scolding!? That’s why you’re being so kind today…?”

“Hey, hey, hey, I’m always kind, ain’t I?”

Anastasia’s hand suddenly reached out and pinched his cheek, and Joshua murmured, “It hurts.” Anastasia laughed mischievously at the answer, leaving Joshua very confused.

It was true that Anastasia was generous and kind to her family. Joshua was relieved to think that not only Julius, but he, too, was included in that group.

However—

“Is it just my imagination that the way Lady Anastasia looked at me just now is the same as when she was thinking about making money earlier?”

2

“—Joshua, that kid, is it possible he could become somethin’?”

After finishing up her day’s work and looking over the firm’s income and expenditure report, Anastasia asked this to Julius, who had invited her over during her break.

Julius was a little surprised to hear his loyal master speak of his younger brother, but he didn’t show it on his face and continued,

“Joshua? I’m glad that my younger brother is being praised, but what did you notice about Joshua, Lady Anastasia?”

“Today my kids were trainin’ in the garden, right? Ricardo was in the middle, and Mimi and the other members of the group were jumpin' on him.”

“I heard the same thing from the members of the household. …Don’t tell me, did Joshua join in?”

“No, it’s not that bad. I just happened to come across him while watchin’ in the hallway.”

“Is, that so?”

Julius sat down, having almost risen from his seat, and played with his bangs with his fingers, smiling bitterly. Anastasia’s cute brow quirked in response to Julius’s reaction.

“Hm~ What, what? From yer reaction just now, there must be somethin’, right?”

“As expected, you have a keen eye. …Did you notice anything as Joshua watched the Iron Fang’s training, Lady Anastasia?”

“I thought his eyes were good. There were other things too, but that was the main thing.”

Anastasia pointed to her own eyes with two fingers, and Julius sighed softly.

Anastasia, a great merchant of Kararagi, had an eye for beauty that could discern not only things, but also people. And if something met Anastasia’s eye,

“As expected, Joshua has something extraordinary.”

“Ya say as expected, but ya weren’t certain of it, were ya?”

“Unfortunately. As you probably know, Lady Anastasia, Joshua was weak when he was young and was unable to receive a proper knight education.”

“It seems so. He seems to be in much better shape now, and apart from bein’ a little too thin, I don’t see any signs of weakness at all.”

“Yes. As he grew, those problems faded away. That in itself is something to be pleased about, but…”

Julius stopped talking and turned his gaze out the window.

In the corner of the garden of the Juukulius mansion, which could be overlooked from the room prepared for Anastasia, there was a tree with appas growing on it. He remembered the day Joshua first asked for that appa.

While recalling those distant days—

“I often heard from my father that Joshua had been forced to give up his education due to his health condition but that he had a natural talent for swordsmanship.”

“…It seems like yer father had a good eye for that too.”

“After all, it was his own son. But that was why he was so frustrated. Because of that, I received very strict instruction from my father.”

“But thanks to that, Julius is who he is today.”

“Yes.” Julius nodded vigorously to Anastasia’s words.

As a child, despite his actions and words, Julius sometimes resented the hardships that befell him, but now he was deeply grateful for them.

His father’s regret and frustration became the strict guidance he gave Julius, shaping him into the person he was today.

“And it’s not just my father’s guidance. If Joshua ever decides to take up the sword, I don’t want to be a big brother who loses so easily.”

“Oh, that’s surprisin’. Ya also have that competitive spirit, huh, Julius?”

“Of course I have pride and dignity. I may not show it much to you, Lady Anastasia, but I’ve always been quite competitive. However…”

“However?”

“The reason I don’t want to lose to Joshua isn’t because of my pride as a knight or a man, but because I want to be an older brother that my younger brother respects.”

Slightly relaxing his lips, Julius defined his feelings for Joshua in this way.

In every sense, he was in a privileged environment. His father taught him the Juukulius way of life, his friends taught him how to be a knight, and his younger brother taught him how to be stubborn.

“So I am happy that Joshua is being praised by none other than Lady Anastasia. Although, I think that Joshua himself is not very keen to take up the sword…”

“—Ya know, Julius.”

Julius was about to continue, saying that it might be difficult, but Anastasia stopped him. Anastasia stoked her fox scarf and smiled sweetly as usual.

“Ya know this, but I don’t like things that are wasteful. It’s not that I particularly think it would be good if Joshua became a great swordsman, but I can’t stand the idea of him livin’ his life with the mistaken idea that he’s not worth anythin’ at all.”

“That’s…Then, what are you going to do?”

“Right. …For now, I’ll give him more work, especially work with more responsibility. Somethin’ that’s closely related to the royal selection would be good. How ‘bout bein’ an emissary to the other candidates?”

Anastasia’s hands were clasped in front of her chest and her eyes were shining as she made the suggestion, and Julius widened his eyes slightly before giving a wry smile. —It seemed Joshua had touched on her troublesome nature.

And that would surely bring about a desirable change for Julius as well.

“Hoshin’s saying! ‘Confidence makes a man. Confidence is created by achievements’! I’ve decided, I’ve decided. Now that Joshua’s part of my family, I have to make him happy.”

This philosophy, so typical of Anastasia, gave Julius a premonition that it would bring a new wind.

It was the same as when Julius had sensed that she was a suitable candidate for the royal selection and a person fit to be king.

—The new wind blowing through the Juukulius household seemed like a sign that would bring about change in his younger brother’s future.

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The Golden Lion and the Sword Saint – Riot in Flanders Sequel - Translation

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Anastasia Camp Formation Story Translation Pt 4

First | Previous

“Thank you for your hard work, Lady Anastasia. As expected, your performance was magnificent.”

When the conference ended and they left the assembly hall, Julius generously praised Anastasia for her attitude during the discussion.

In response to the praise, Anastasia put her finger to her lips and said, “Hmm.”

“Well, I’d say it was a passing grade. It was partly thanks to the preparations made beforehand, but I think the biggest reason was that I felt reassured havin’ Julius there.”

“I am unworthy of such words. I would be honored if I could be of some help to you, Lady Anastasia.”

“Hmm, a perfect answer… Oops.”

Anastasia pouted in dissatisfaction for a moment, then noticed something and stopped in her tracks. Julius followed her gaze as she turned around, widening his eyes slightly as well.

In the castle corridor, a figure stood tall and composed, not joining the wave of nobles leaving the room. Her gaze was sharp, but not intimidating. Simply put, she had a dignified presence.

In fact, the woman’s presence was like a sword and was almost dazzling.

“Lady Anastasia, that person is…”

“I know, she’s famous. Besides, it’s hard ta mistake her for someone else.”

Interrupting Julius, Anastasia stepped towards her with her hands clasped behind her back. The woman didn’t move in response to Anastasia’s approach, and the two of them naturally found themselves facing each other.

“Anastasia Hoshin.”

“Yes, yes, that’s me. You’re Duchess Crusch Karsten. Or rather, would it be easier ta understand if I called ya Crusch the royal candidate?”

“You may call me what you like. I am in a position to compete with you. In other words, you and I are on equal footing.”

“Hmm, just as the rumors say…nah, she’s even more straightforward than the rumors say.”

The green-haired woman who answered Anastasia’s call—Duchess Crusch Karsten—folded her arms.

She was also a candidate for the Dragon Maiden qualifications, just like Anastasia, and was the first person to be recognized. As she was also a member of the upper nobles who were summoned to the assembly, she would naturally have attended the previous assembly.

Therefore, like Bordeaux, she could have objected to Anastasia’s participation in the royal selection on the grounds that she is from another country, but—

“Ya didn’t do such a thing. Is that a relaxed attitude?”

“Relaxed? I’ve never been one to indulge in such things. I am aware of the mission and responsibilities that have been imposed upon me. Besides, this is now my greatest wish. I will give it my all.”

“——”

Crusch’s way of life, which embodied what an honest and upright noble should be, was something Julius could respect. However, there was something strange about how Crusch was speaking just now. It was an odd feeling that Julius felt because he had had a few opportunities to interact with her.

She had always maintained a strong awareness of her responsibilities as a high-ranking noble. And yet, when Crusch declared that she would give it her all in the royal selection, she seemed tense somehow—

“It’s been a while, Julius Juukulius. How have you been?”

“—It has been a while since I last saw you, but I’m glad to see that you’ve remained well since then, Lady Crusch.”

“I heard from Ferris that you haven’t changed either…No, maybe not. I don’t think you would have done something like this if you were the old you.”

“——”

“If there’s been a change of heart, I guess it’s the same for both of us.”

Crusch did not reprimand Julius, who chose to remain silent in response, but merely nodded. Then she turned to Anastasia,

“Once the remaining two candidates are present, the royal selection will begin in earnest. I’m glad I was able to meet you face to face and exchange words with you before that happens.”

“Are ya the type of person who wants ta see the face of the person yer gonna defeat, Crusch?”

“I would like to know their face. And if possible, I would like to know that my opponent has a purpose worthy of aiming for the throne and is powerful enough to compete for it.”

“Not only do ya look like a knight, but even yer way of thinkin’ is like a knight. In yer eyes, do ya think I fit that ideal?”

“—Let’s have dinner sometime soon if possible. Anastasia Hoshin.”

Crusch smiled faintly and turned away without giving a clear answer to the question. However, that smile was the best possible answer to Anastasia’s question.

—Crusch recognized Anastasia as a rival candidate in the royal selection.

Without a doubt, Crusch was the favorite to win the royal selection. Her judgment made Julius nod in agreement, knowing that his own eyes were correct.

Anastasia quickly noticed Julius’s reaction and pursed her lips.

“What? Ya look awfully satisfied.”

“Of course. After all, Lady Anastasia has been recognized by Lady Crusch herself. She will likely be the most difficult opponent, but it is also an honor.”

“Lady Crusch, what’s with that? And what’s with it bein’ an honor? I’m not the type of person ta get fired up when faced with the glare of a strong opponent. I’d rather have an easy victory, so it scares me.”

Anastasia frowned, making a troubled face as she spoke.

It was still fresh in his memory that she had been excited and couldn’t wait until the big stage where she would put her name forward for the royal selection.

“—That’s right. Anastasia Hoshin. I will tell you one thing.”

Crusch stopped in her tracks as she turned around and pointed a finger in their direction. When the two of them looked up at her, Crusch’s amber eyes narrowed.

“At the moment, there are three known candidates. In addition to myself and you, there is also Baroness Barielle, Priscilla Barielle…but she is also quite a formidable opponent. You should prepare yourself.”

“Thanks for the advice. But it’s okay. –I already know that.”

“…I see. That was just unnecessary worry.”

Strangely, Anastasia looked genuinely displeased. Seeing this, Crusch gave a wry smile, as if she had realized something, and this time she finally left the corridor.

Seeing her leave, Julius and Anastasia were left alone in the passageway.

“Lady Anastasia, what you were talking about just now…?”

“It’s not difficult. The second candidate, Priscilla Barielle… I just spoke ta her in person a little while ago. She seemed like a tricky opponent too.”

“You met Lady Barielle in person!?”

Unexpectedly, a look of surprise appeared on Julius’s handsome face. Glancing at the good-looking man’s reaction, Anastasia gave a slightly mischievous laugh.

“I was just tryin’ ta scout the enemy. The reactions might be different before and after I put myself forward as a candidate. I thought it would be nice ta stir things up while I’m at it.”

“You never cease to amaze me… So, did you have any success?”

“—No matter how many times we negotiate, it’s all a waste of time. But findin’ out after just one is a bit of a gain, if ya want ta call it that.”

“That is…”

Julius frowned slightly, wondering what that meant.

Julius knew very little about the second candidate, Priscilla Barielle. To begin with, there was a gag order on the royal selection itself, and the same went for information about the other candidates.

Those involved in the royal selection were limited to a few important people, including high-ranking nobles, and the royal guard knights who were tasked with searching for candidates with the qualifications to become shrine maidens. Julius, however, was more familiar with the situation than the other knights because he was the first to discover Anastasia, the third candidate.

All Julius knew about Priscilla was that she was the wife of Baron Leip Barielle, who was much older than her, and that it was the Baron himself who was most enthusiastic about the royal selection.

However, as if to correct Julius’s perception, Anastasia shook her head.

“Everyone says that it’s the Baron who’s the real challenger, but if ya see them in person, you’ll see they’re mistaken. –The princess is a much bigger monster than the Baron.”

“…Isn’t calling her a monster a bit of an exaggeration?”

“Maybe it was inappropriate to call a girl that. But, Crusch went outta her way ta warn us…Don’t ya think that’s credible?”

Julius held his breath at the persuasiveness of that statement, while Anastasia narrowed her eyes in a smile.

The one the Dragon Gem would choose would be someone who was qualified to be a shrine maiden who could communicate with dragons—in other words, someone who could fulfill the role that the Lugunican royal family had played up until now.

Given that her qualifications were recognized, how could he think that Priscilla, whose true character was unclear, was merely an ordinary person hiding in the shadow of her husband? In fact, Anastasia and Crusch, two talented people, had been recognized by the Dragon Gem and their names were on the list of candidates.

That was an overly naïve, immature, and shallow understanding. Julius admonished himself.

“My opponents are a duchess and a giant monster… It looks like a tricky situation. Since I’m competin’, I absolutely do not wanna lose, so I need ta think about this carefully.”

“Think about it?”

“If we’re gonna do it, there’s no point if we don’t win. It’s better not ta do it than ta lose. So, I’d like ta go back ta the mansion now and discuss various things.”

As Anastasia gently combed the white fur of the fox scarf around her neck with her fingers, she curled her lips as she considered the pending issues for the upcoming royal selection.

Seeing her pondering, Julius realized that this was beyond his ability.

“My apologies, Lady Anastasia. I actually have an appointment with someone after this.”

“Oh, really? Hmm, then…can we talk tonight?”

“Yes. Then, let’s meet at night. This time, I will come and pick you up myself. –I will do my best to give you good news.”

“If Julius says so, then I guess I’ll get my hopes up.”

After saying that with a playful gesture, he made an appointment for the evening with a smiling Anastasia.

After that, Julius escorted her out of the castle and saw her off to the inn in a dragon carriage. He bowed to Anastasia, who was waving, then turned around with a firm grin on his face.

The meeting place was the knight barracks adjacent to the royal castle. Unlike normal times, Julius passed through a corridor filled with many knights and guards and stepped into the dining hall.

There, awaiting Julius was—

“—This way, Julius.”

A voice called out to Julius, who was looking around the room from the entrance. Looking towards the back of the room, he saw a red-haired young man sitting alone at a four-person table, waving in his direction. Waving back, Julius headed towards the table without hesitation. He then bowed slightly to the person he had been keeping waiting.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting. The business at the assembly hall was completed without any problems.”

“It was a meeting of the high-ranking nobles and members of the Sage Council. You played an important role, so I think it would be unbecoming of a friend to blame you for being late.”

“It’s a relief to hear you say that.”

Julius smiled and narrowed his eyes at the joking young man. Then he looked around the slightly crowded dining hall and deciding it would be too conspicuous here—

“—I have something important to tell you. Let’s move to another location, Reinhard.”

So he approached the red-haired young man—the “Sword Saint” Reinhard van Astrea.