Chapter 708: The Maiden Days of the Sword Master

Upon hearing Lolth’s words, A Qiu’s pupils contracted faintly.

Yet, she displayed no trace of fear or panic.

Instead, her lips curved upward into a smile.

"My… but succubus…"

"Though I scarcely know you, you’re hardly the cruel sort, are you?"

"Rumors about you occasionally reach my ears, and after this brief encounter… you surprisingly possess a glaring latent ‘kindness.’ Thus, phrases like ‘by any means necessary’ ring hollow even from your lips."

Lolth grinned broadly at A Qiu’s assessment.

"Your flattery is appreciated—and not entirely unfounded, Sword Master of Seychelles…"

"But does basing your security on mere character judgment truly bring you comfort?"

Her tone remained composed, the blade unwavering against A Qiu’s throat.

"Dear Guardian Sword Master of Seychelles, you read me remarkably well for our second meeting."

"Though discerning personalities isn’t my forte… analyzing psychological patterns in specific situations does fall within my expertise."

Lolth paused deliberately.

"Allow me to speculate—given your profound attachment to Seychelles, and your rare military engagements like the Gandhi Alter confrontation…"

"Therefore, Your Excellency, I’ll hazard my own conjecture about you."

"For your ilk, ‘willingness’ matters little… The crux lies in ‘capability,’ does it not?"

Mana crackled around Lolth as smoke and flames writhed, exuding regal authority.

"I could slaughter every Seychelles citizen—this I swear."

"Divine observers? Their interference? Should I desire it, I’d complete the purge before their intervention… or through it."

"Consider this retreating scenario—should I err, the Republic of Seychelles would bear unbearable consequences. How many deaths can you stomach? A thousand? Ten thousand? Half the population?!"

Her voice turned glacial as she leaned closer, eyes boring into A Qiu’s until their breaths mingled.

"Answer me—what cost will your ‘confidence’ exact?"

"You may possess resolve, but remember—you’re first a Sword Master! Your conviction lasts only while brandishing steel!"

"I understand better than most how judgment’s weight breeds doubt!"

"Especially when treating this as mere ‘sport’!"

"Dare you gamble a nation’s lives for games? Such depravity I refuse to credit!"

"I’m a ‘compassionate’ succubus—you’re the dutiful Sword Master!"

"Let us wager—whether your faith in my mercy outweighs my trust in your duty!"

A Qiu’s smile vanished.

The maiden swordmaster silently acknowledged—Lolth’s words struck true.

Even with ninety-nine percent certainty of the succubus’ goodness… even with 9,999/10,000 odds of this being bluster…

However, the succubus before her could indeed deliver on her ominous declaration.

Even with merely a 0.0001 percent probability…

She couldn’t risk taking that gamble.

As Seychelles’ Sword Master – a seemingly whimsical girl who nevertheless maintained absolute principles in this critical moment –

As long as Lolth refused to confess this was all deception, she dared not wager on this deadly game.

The stakes were uneven from the start.

The moment Lolth placed the entire "Republic of Seychelles" on the betting table, A Qiu had already lost her footing in this match.

She could never forgive herself if her impulsive actions endangered Seychelles.

A Qiu exhaled deeply, her breath trembling with reluctant concession.

"Fine – demoness, your insight into human nature proves sharp indeed."

For her current self, this was an unwinnable stalemate requiring personal surrender.

Lolth’s lips curled upward at the sigh.

"A Qiu, you truly wear the mantle of ‘Sword Master’ better than most."

The red-haired warrior offered no retort, instead drawing the dagger resting across her thighs. Its point met the hilt of Lolth’s boning knife with deliberate precision.

*Clink.*

The metallic chime rang pure as temple bells – symbolic acknowledgment of a parried strike.

This single note carried layered meaning:

Blades crossed.

Concessions made.

Lolth sheathed her weapon and offered a theatrical bow to the cross-legged swordmaster.

"Regardless of circumstances… the ‘Guardian Sword Master of Seychelles’ honors her title through action."

A Qiu’s shoulders lifted in half-hearted acknowledgment.

"Titles and honors were never my pursuit…"

"Nevertheless," she continued, rising fluidly, "the trial stands concluded. My congratulations, succubus – you’ve cleared the second challenge."

Her emerald eyes narrowed suddenly.

"Yet one question lingers…"

"When you threatened our nation’s collapse… did you truly contemplate following through?"

Lolth blinked slowly, regarding the warrior with bemused pity.

"You’ve swallowed your own fears whole, haven’t you?"

The demoness’s chuckle carried unexpected warmth. "Let’s simply say… my conscience might surprise you."

Her slender fingers brushed imaginary dust from her bodice. "Moreover, wholesale slaughter never suited me – I’m woefully inefficient at mass destruction."

"A thousand or something… that’s just empty boasting."

"Even my supposed ‘capabilities’ are nothing but pretense."

As Lolth spoke these words, A Qiu froze momentarily before…

A soft chuckle escaped her lips despite herself.

"You’re truly… utterly ridiculous."

The spectral figure dissolved into fading laughter, merging back with the surrounding ‘domain.’

The path stretched endlessly onward as Lolth resumed her journey.

Her progress halted when she noticed ahead a traveler-clad girl – dust-caked satchel slung across shoulders, conical bamboo hat casting shadow over a charcoal-gray duster, legs bound in cloth wrappings, and an elongated sword case rising behind her like metallic plumage.

Still A Qiu.

Yet Lolth perceived…

This was merely A Qiu.

A Superlative Level neophyte whose sword aura, though remarkable for her stage, lacked the soul-shaking intensity of previous manifestations. Like discerning between a thunderous roc blotting sunlight with hundred-meter wings and some tiny gecko pawing air with centimeter claws.

"Adorably earnest."

The murmured observation summoned twin stares – Isabella’s puffed cheeks resolutely turned aside and Tina’s reproachful pout burning into her back.

Lolth raised surrendering palms.

"Merely an observation!"

Approaching the road-weary version, she found traveler-A Qiu canting her head curiously before…

Three raised fingers gleamed between them.

"Third manifestation."

"This self wandered Seychelles and continental realms during my early twenties – seeking answers through pilgrimage to renowned Superoperators… master bladesmiths especially."

"Ah, those days of wide-eyed uncertainty… How youthfully awkward I was!"

"Pray tolerate this version’s simplicity."

The traveler pressed palms together in respectful salute.

"Such courtesy," Lolth marveled. "What corrupted you into later incarnations?"

"Corrupted? Explain yourself!"

A Qiu’s brows knotted in affront.

"My future self remains faultless!"

"Do I somehow become… dishonorable?"

As she spoke, Lolth found herself unable to press further.

She shifted the conversation instead.

"Hmm… How should I phrase this… In any case, what are the requirements to clear the third level?"

When Lolth posed this question, the traveling maiden A Qiu’s expression brightened with sudden recollection.

"Ah—I nearly forgot to explain that part!"

"How scatterbrained of me."

With that, she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head once more.

"Well, the third level’s trial remains fairly straightforward."

"As I mentioned earlier, I journey across lands seeking answers to certain questions while honing my skills."

Her demeanor shifted as she adopted a questioning look.

"Now… I’d like to pose three of these very questions to you, Miss Succubus."

The declaration caught Lolth off guard.

"Ah… Certainly, proceed."

A Qiu inclined her head slightly before beginning.

"Then… The first inquiry, Lord Lolth."

"What constitutes a ‘sword’?"

Her eyes shone with earnest curiosity as she asked, her tone reminiscent of a schoolchild inquiring about zoo elephants from a parent. Yet Lolth understood the profound nature behind this simplicity. The girl before her stood as the continent’s sole recognized "Sword Master"—surpassing even An’s sister Yi and Lolth’s own sibling Xiletor in blade comprehension. Truthfully, when considering generational gaps (Xiletor’s title being counterfeit and Yi belonging to a later era), this youthful-appearing expert might well reign supreme.

This was no naive child asking about pachyderms, but rather the equivalent of an elephant-shaped prodigy questioning the essence of her own being. Moreover, the philosophical depth inherent in mastering transcendent forces like swordsmanship mirrored Lolth’s own contemplations on "spatial essence" or "mana’s true nature." That A Qiu had reached these existential crossroads at twenty while attaining Superlative Level only validated her Sword Master credentials.

Lolth deliberated extensively, despite lacking formal swordsmanship training. Yet the query wasn’t entirely foreign—her analytical nature had previously grappled with analogous metaphysical concepts. The succubus’ mind whirred through potential responses, each more nuanced than the last.

Moreover, the identity of the girl before her served as its own revelation.

"What is a sword?"

This inquiry could be further sharpened by the particularity of A Qiu’s own nature.

What would "sword" signify to the future Sword Saint Seychelles?

Approaching the question through this lens, Lolth discovered an ingeniously straightforward path.

"It’s ‘you’."

She met A Qiu’s gaze solemnly.

"You yourself are the ‘sword’."

From nearby came Naivee the turtle’s muffled snicker.

"Goddammit, that succubus is absolutely scheming this."

Kanor initially meant to chastise Naivee, but after brief contemplation merely exhaled wearily.

Their mistress did have this regrettable tendency toward mischief during pivotal moments – not that it altered anything.

The answer remained fundamentally correct.

For A Qiu, the Sword Master…

Her very being embodied "sword".

The surrounding domain thrummed with silent confirmation – every element a blade, every blade constituting existence itself.

A Qiu’s laughter chimed like crossed steel.

"Reverse-engineered from the conclusion, was it?"

"Though this does mirror the answer I ultimately embraced long ago."

"However… Miss Lolth, you’ve misinterpreted the riddle."

"As the third tier of the Fourfold Sword Formation, this instant inquires not what ‘sword’ means to me…"

"…but rather, what it signifies for you."

The philosophical twist might have resembled zen paradox, yet Lolth responded without pause.

"For me?"

"Swords mean absolutely nothing!"

"A sword’s just a sword – irrelevant to my affairs. What else could it possibly be?"

The retort leapt from her lips unbidden, effortless as breathing.

A Qiu’s mirth cascaded through the chamber.

"Ahahaha! Truly marvelous, Lord Lolth!"

"My regrets compound – had our paths crossed sooner…"

Her gaze drifted toward Isabella, Tina, and Kanor.

"…Alas, my timing proves imperfect. Born perhaps too early…"

"…Or arriving slightly tardy."

Melancholy tinged her words as she spoke, the wistfulness of a wanderer longing to behold all the world’s wonders and beauties.

Here lingered the last vestiges of her maidenhood – that part not yet wholly surrendered to the blade.