Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 161: Arc 4, Act I, - 6: The Ashen Whisper

The eastern pathway out of the palace had been lit up with golden lights from overhanging lamps. The shrubbery and grass hosted the first symphony of crickets to break in the night.

The soft twilight under the fluffy clouds was only more beautiful down this path of glistening bricks and flowers going to sleep.

Past a small fountain of water and down two sets of stairs was an open field of well-kept, lush rainforest grass that stretched out till another large building in the distance cut it off—the palace’s barracks.

Scattered to the left and right were some buildings, such as the cafeteria, storages and so on. Military equipment, training dummies, targets, weapons, armour and more were not a rare sight.

Feyan led them all to the left of the field, where sand covered a large area. Pitched into the sand stood a test dummy cladded in chainmail.

"Ting, cling, clink, Clang!" And before it a figure stood, with her grasp around a sabre with a black wooden handle and the blade that twinkled silver as she pulled it back.

She turned her head slightly to hear the incoming footsteps and turned. Her deep brown eyes were surrounded in smoky black as she glanced to the sudden visitors.

She held her blade hilt high and pushed the sabre into the leather scabbard on her hip without a noise. Her oily hair was parted down the middle till they reached a little past her shoulders.

Two feathers with brown and white patterns hung off her left ear under her hair, one long and one short. Her brown leather jacket was unzipped, with the symbol of Cravolta on the middle of her white sleeveless t-shirt.

She wore charcoal black trousers and her boots were not too dissimilar from what Jotou wore.

She first bowed seeing Daiyu approach. She then glanced to Feyan as her large eyes constantly were narrowed by her sharp brows. She brought up her hands, moving her fingers to signal.

"Uh, sorry... I may have taken a bit too long with the tour. It is hard to schedule everything within a day," Feyan replied, squinting at her hands.

She turned to the other four guests and bowed her head lightly. She then signalled something and looked to Feyan, hoping he would translate.

"Wait, let me try," Daiyu halted Feyan, "Nice, to... uh-"

"Finally," Feyan verbalized.

"-Finally meet you," Daiyu finished with a proud smirk, "See I got it."

"Are we playing shadow puppets?" Asobi tilted her head, taking out her wand.

"She can’t talk you twit," Fumeko slapped Asobi’s wand back down.

"Oh...!" Asobi turned back to her, "Wait! Did someone steal your voice!?"

The woman cocked a brow, her eyes finally changing expression as she smiled and let out a breath as a laugh.

"Excuse her please, she’s very, childlike," Hotaru’s ears fell. "Feyan could you translate that?"

The woman then shook her head to the wolf-girl, signalling something else. Feyan then looked to Hotaru as she signalled, "I cannot, speak, I’m not, deaf. I can, hear you, crystal clear."

"Oh." Hotaru gave a small curtsy, "Nice to meet you too, I’m Hotaru Kinoshita."

"Uh, sorry, I did not get to translate that last part. Nice to finally meet you...?" Feyan paused.

The woman’s lips opened to sigh as she turned her head to Jotou and pointed with an open palm.

"Thundering Blade," Jotou finished. "Nice to meet you too," the blonde gave a smile. The woman nodded once.

"I apologize, I need to still polish up on my Cravoltan sign language," Feyan replied.

"This is Fumeko Namora and Asobi," Jotou introduced.

"What, we don’t get a hello?" Fumeko crossed her arms.

The woman raised a brow and the signalled once more. Feyan, "I said, my, hellos, to all of you but, Feyan... failed to- alright, I believe we know what she means. I apologize once more..."

"I can do the intros if ya want?" Daiyu spoke to her. The woman waved her hand in agreement.

"Everyone, this is Arabella Kaveri, Admiral of the Royal Guard. Also known by her title, the Ashen Whisper. She even taught me how to fight," Daiyu smiled.

"You already know how to fight," Jotou squinted.

"Not with a greatsword," Daiyu corrected.

Jotou turned her attention back to the Ashen Whisper, "I was told you were promised to see me. Why is that, Arabella? May I call you that or do you prefer admiral?"

She signalled with her fingers, a light smile upon her thin lips and her eyes half-closed in seemingly, content? ’It’s easier to read her facial expressions. I think she prefers to be called by her name?’ Jotou tilted her head slightly.

Feyan translated watching the movements, "I prefer, the former, though I will, respond to, admiral, all the same. As to, why I wished, to meet with you."

Arabella glanced to Jotou with furrowed brows, her lips neither smiling nor frowning, "One, I was, hoping to get, a full account of what, occurred in, Har-tamat, directly from all of you.

Documents and, reports can, easily, misrepresent, the situation at large; I’d prefer something, more precise, without all the, formalities of letters."

Feyan barely blinked, completely engulfed on his current duty with razor sharp focus. Arabella then smiled; her eyes relaxed as she rolled up her jacket sleeves—her forearms toned and smooth.

She signalled once more, tilting her head downwards, "Second, I was hoping to see the, Thundering Blade, in combat. You’re, quite an inspiration, from what I’ve read—a worthy, adversary."

"Hey what am I, chopped liver?" Daiyu half-closed her right eye.

Arabella glanced back at the princess as her jacket sleeves rolled back down, "I mean no, disrespect princess. But you’ve asked, me to, ’be real’, with you.

You are a strong, combatant. I just, wish for a, change of, scenery. She is after all, known as, the Thundering Blade."

"Well, that title came before my prowess, but if I’m more of a challenge than Daiyu, then how could I refuse?" Jotou’s eyes sparked a little. She turned to Arabella, "And thank you."

Arabella nodded once before cracking her knuckles with a smirk. She signalled again, "And third, to thank you personally. To protect Cravolta, is one of my, vows."

Arabella’s eyes softened as she gazed at the blonde, a look of slight admiration, "Your work, in Hartamat and in, Kria have saved, countless lives. You have, made a heroic, name for yourself.

The princess, tells me, you’re much like her, in that, you’re not of this world. I’m sorry, the both of you have, experienced, such a thing..."

Her hands stopped for a second, her pupils stared to the sand before her hands absentmindedly moved, "To have your life, be interfered, by magic can, be... correction, IS, a very dire circumstance."

Arabella closed her eyes and shook her head, looking back to all of them, "My, condolences." She then looked to Feyan, a sigh leaving her lips as she gave him a thumbs up.

"Jotou’s the only one who remembers everything, so she would be the best to tell what happened," Hotaru shifted her gaze to the blonde.

Jotou pondered for a moment, "Well, I can tell Daiyu briefly what happened to me too—when I woke up. If that’s alright or would you just prefer a report from me?" she looked to Arabella.

Arabella shook her head before she put out her palm to signal Jotou to proceed. "Alright then. After the crash, I woke up in a coffin in some funeral house in East Kria.

After being saved by this person’s," Jotou pointed to herself, "-father I was arrested because of the Velatos Case out of suspicion. Though, it was all a conspiracy to keep me under wraps. Cause this person, Ana, was killed by a velatos."

"I’m sorry, killed by a what again?" Daiyu interrupted.

"My lady, the dark creatures with ruby red eyes and shadowy forms," Feyan uttered. He then whispered into her ear, "We had an entire day of discussing this; it is the reason why the Trailon Regime is even being trialled?"

"Oh, right, got it. Go on," Daiyu waved her hand.

"Right, anyway. I met Fumeko who came there looking to be a detective, spoiler, she didn’t get it. We had to fight a velatos, and it couldn’t touch me, just my clothes.

We ’killed’ it, but it was more so a self-destruct function they had. Then, they tricked Hotaru into coming and helping us out of being arrested for questioning and she became an adventurer with us.

After fighting another velatos, we took a little rest before taking the next, which, turned out to be a scam from a circus owner to promote traffic to his last performance.

That’s where we met Asobi and let her join us too. Then it started to snow in Kria-"

"Just, tell me your parts, I think I already read about the velitinios stuff," Daiyu rushed.

"Oh please, for all your long-ass storytelling," Jotou rolled her eyes.

"Just because I tell it more engagingly."

"Till you run out of breath-"

"Snap!" Arabella snapped her fingers with both hands. She widened her eyes and slanted her head. "I’ll continue, if I don’t get interrupted again," Jotou side-eyed Daiyu as the princess stuck her tongue out.

"I fought a giant velatos and used a master level spell, Thundering Strike, that nearly killed me, but Hotaru healed me. We were invited by the mayor of Kria who gave me the title as part of his political campaign.

Blah, blah, blah, we got a nice cottage-esque house, met with the acting chief of Kria’s Maleficos Ordinate and figured out a little of the sham about the case.

We trained in magic, then..." Jotou stopped her rushing for a second, "A, priest, helped me figure out what to do. Jack Tenner was a spy working as the mayor’s secretary and I trusted him at the time.

Apparently, he was keeping track of all of us in secret. Fumeko found the Lexokodac while Hotaru was injured, so Asobi was taking care of her.

One of them was also involved in the case, but we didn’t know, but eventually led me to find the Swivelling Blade." 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"After Jotou almost got her butt kicked," Fumeko added with a sly smirk.

"Shut up!" Jotou glared. "I learned to fight with a sword with him and then a spirit-assassin came and I dealt with him, Fumeko went off to the Ordinate and she searched the place with the acting chief.

They found out everything, but the leader of Kria’s Adventurers Guild was in on it and cornered Fumeko while we were separated.

I went with Asobi and she broadcasted a huge announcement across Kria with my voice and revealed the conspiracy. We all came back together, our house burned down and then we met with the remaining Lexokodac.

We had a huge fight in the Adventurers Guild, where I also met the Frosting Wind and fought her, though I guess she was holding back?

After which, I killed Moren atop the roof. I assume you know all the case details because after that, nobody was controlling what information came into and left Kria.

After that, we decided to go an adventurer... Little did I know it was going to be hell..." Jotou continued with all that happened with her escapade in Hartamat, avoiding the truly intimate parts and not revealing much.

Though, her story was thorough and seemed enough for the Ashen Whisper. "-Then, I destroyed the device. The scientist got arrested so, that’s still up in the air and the minister’s arrested too."

Jotou took a deep breath, "There, as quickly as I could put it. We wanted to go to Galuvit Town and were stopped by the Royal Guard."

Asobi sat down in the sand, drawing pictures of cat and dog faces with her wand, occasionally speaking lightly to the air next to her.

Arabella bowed her head, seeming content with her tale. "You’re welcome," Jotou replied.

"Hmm," Daiyu pondered whilst Feyan listened to everything intently, making mental notes. "So you can’t be hurt by the velatos thingies?"

"That’s your takeaway?" Fumeko leered. Daiyu hid her face with a stretch, not allowing Fumeko to get a look at her expression.

The princess forced a smile, though it appeared completely natural, "Huh, funny. Hey Ara, wanna show them my special trick?" Daiyu turned to Arabella.

"Ooo! Did I hear you have trick!?" Asobi hopped up, "Come, come, don’t be shy! Share with us so all our eyes can spy!" her legs shook.

"Well, when you put it that way, how could anyone say no?" Daiyu pouted her lips to Arabella.

"Princess, I would still say no..." Feyan uttered before Daiyu turned to him with a soft glare.

Arabella sighed, walking back to the assortment of practice equipment kept to a side. "What kind of trick is it?" Hotaru queried.

"Oh no..." Feyan muttered under his breath.

"You’ll see," as Daiyu replied, Fumeko tried to get a look at the princess’s face, subtly keeping an eye on her; a sudden shift in tone? Changing the subject after Jotou said all that?

"This trick better be worth all the ’secrecy’," Jotou’s eyes glazed over...