Uchiha Soren cared little for the three royals besides Princess Lana.
To him, they were ordinary mortals—disposable pieces to hand over to her later.
As for the kingdom's former strongest warrior, Gazef Stronoff, he had already died at the hands of a certain shinobi. Every national treasure he carried now belonged to Konoha.
The Razor Blade—a weapon that sliced through even magically reinforced armor as though it were butter, its crystal-like body gleaming coldly.
Konoha's combat shinobi had conducted tests:
It cleaved cleanly through Great Fireball Jutsu, and even Water Formation Wall and Earth Formation Wall suffered noticeable damage.
The blade had since been shipped to the Konoha Science Institute, alongside piles of magical manuscripts and captured magic casters—part of a larger effort to merge chakra-conductive metals with arcane design.
The Guardian Armor—forged from refined steel and enchanted to resist even Great Fireball without a scratch.
Higher-grade jutsu like Great Fire Destruction caused it to soften, but its defensive capability made many shinobi envious.
Even more remarkable was its adaptive enchantment—it reshaped itself to fit the wearer perfectly.
Naturally, the Weapons Division in the Science Institute was ecstatic.
If its mechanisms could be replicated, one day even Susanoo might wear true armor, or incorporate such enchantments as chakra-woven equipment.
Then there were the Amulet of Undying, which provided continuous regeneration, and the Gauntlets of Vitality, which prevented fatigue and kept the user at peak strength.
If these two artifacts' principles were cracked, every shinobi could essentially carry a dedicated medic at all times.
Combine that with the Razor Blade and Guardian Armor, and shinobi combat power would leap forward dramatically.
Just like Gazef, who rose from a mere mortal to the realm of heroes—
even a chunin could soar toward jonin-class power.
While foreign equipment was being studied, so too were nonhuman bloodlines—but results would take time.
After leaving Royal Capital: Rolante, Soren headed to the Adventurers' Guild.
The moment he stepped into the first floor, he saw Lilynette, Sukama, and their new member—the dark-skinned "Persian Cat," Edez Trian.
Three captivating beauties seated together naturally drew every gaze.
But the Mithril-rank tags on their shoulders deterred would-be troublemakers; adventurers of that rank in the capital were cunning—those who weren't had already been cut down by the Black-Skinned Dancer herself.
"Go on—keep talking," Edez said coldly.
Earlier, two adventurers had mocked the Four Weapons; now both lay on the floor moaning.
Edez's sandal pressed into one man's shoulder as she leaned in with a vicious smile, venting all the fear and humiliation she'd endured under shinobi interrogation.
Sukama did nothing to stop her—the Four Weapons had been underestimated for too long.
Meanwhile, Lilynette lounged lazily, resting her ample chest on the table to relieve her aching back.
Her unfocused eyes drifted around the hall—
until they suddenly lit up.
She shot to her feet in one fluid motion.
"Soren-sama!"
Chairs screeched as Sukama also stood, startled.
(So that's the man tied so deeply to the shinobi… the one holding the Four Weapons' fate.)
Edez stepped off her victim, stunning him into unconsciousness with a final kick.
Remembering the instructions the two women had given her last night, she stood behind them, adopting the timid expression of a well-behaved housecat—worlds apart from her earlier savagery.
"Soren-sama, this is our new member, Edez Trian."
Lilynette took Soren's arm, pressing her generous curves against him as she whispered with honeyed breath:
"Soren-sama, what do you think? Does she meet your preferences?"
Soren pinched her nose gently, amused.
"Of course she does. As expected of my considerate Lilynette—truly a generous priestess."
Her eyes sparkled with mischief, lips parting in a silent, playful promise.
The irritation Soren had been suppressing from his meeting with Princess Lana surged again.
But business remained.
He patted Lilynette's back and glanced at Sukama.
"Wait here. I'm going to speak with Guildmaster Nara."
After he ascended the stairs, the three women returned to their seats.
Every adventurer around them stared with unreadable expressions.
"What are you looking at?"
Edez snapped.
The entire guild fell silent.
Sukama and Lilynette calmly sipped their milk tea—like noblewomen enjoying a peaceful afternoon.
On the third floor, Nara Shikamin sat respectfully as he briefed the Supreme Leader.
"With space-gates established at three major ninja villages, cross-continental guild operations are stabilizing.
Many shinobi who weren't assigned to the Central Ninja Army have begun traveling toward the border cities of the Northwest Army and Southeast Army."
The Northwest watched the Council Nation;
The Southeast guarded against the Theocracy to the south and the Empire to the east.
Shinobi leaders from resource-poor villages had begun eyeing the fertile lands of this continent.
And after witnessing how weak ordinary humans here were compared to shinobi, ambition spread like wildfire.
Council Nation, Theocracy, Empire—
All three countries had become rich, undefended prey.
With Konoha's tacit approval, shinobi forces poured into them like wolves.
Soren tapped the desk lightly.
"Shikamin, continue monitoring the regions beyond the kingdom.
Let the Rain, Stone, and Mist villages each handle a direction.
Konoha will simply sit back… and watch."
"Understood, Soren-sama."
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