Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

And at Astrea's house, the nights, after more than a decade... became lively again.

Chapter 17: 017. Cai's broadsword does not harm the old or the young.

After another night of heavy drinking, when Subaru Natsuki woke up, his first thought was that he was dead.

My second thought was that he hadn't died completely.

My head still hurts.

The feeling that it was as if someone had taken his head off, soaked it in a wine jar overnight, and then twisted it back onto his neck was something no normal living person should be able to endure.

"I've been ruined by wine and women, and now I look so haggard..."

Natsuki Subaru lay on the overly soft bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"From today onwards, I will abstain from pornography."

He paused for two seconds after he finished speaking.

wrong.

He has no color now.

Then I'll have to quit drinking.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, Subaru Natsuki showed an extremely pained expression.

"Quitting alcohol...impossible, absolutely impossible."

He turned over and sat up.

The hangover made him feel a little lightheaded, but the room in front of him was unusually clear.

The spacious guest room had clean bedding, and a decorative sword that looked quite valuable hung on the wall. There were also carved tables and chairs by the window. Sunlight streamed in through the sheer curtains, falling on the floor and shining as if someone had spread a layer of gold dust on it.

Natsuki Subaru stared at the room for a long time, then suddenly felt a deep sense of respect.

"The Reinhard family is truly unfathomable."

This is not a guest room.

This is even more luxurious than the toilets in the Xuchang Imperial Palace!

If Emperor Xian of Han were to come here, he would probably never want to return to his throne!

Subaru rubbed his stomach. He had eaten too much at Astrea's restaurant last night and didn't feel hungry yet.

I'm just a little thirsty.

Natsuki Subaru pushed open the door and went out, wanting to find some water to drink.

The Astreya family mansion looks more stunning during the day than at night.

Last night he thought this place resembled the Dragon Palace of the East Sea, but now that he's awake and looking at it again, he realizes he was being too conservative last night.

The corridor looked like it could lead you to the next city.

Every few steps along the wall, there is an antique or piece of armor.

Outside the window was a neatly manicured courtyard, with trees, flowerbeds, and fountains, all so orderly that it didn't look like a place for people to live, but rather like a place for historians to write eulogies.

As Natsuki Subaru walked, he looked around and marveled at the vast wealth and power of the Astrea family.

How many graves must Boss Cao have robbed to amass such wealth?

As Natsuki Subaru was reflecting on this, he suddenly heard a very faint sound of wind breaking from the depths of the courtyard.

The sound was very faint.

The average person might only perceive it as the wind blowing through the leaves.

But Natsuki Subaru has died too many times on the battlefield.

He had heard the sounds of arrows piercing the air, blades grazing his ears, and spears thrusting from behind at close range.

So he immediately stopped.

It's not the wind.

It is a sword.

Subaru Natsuki's eyes lit up slightly.

Could it be Reinhard practicing his swordsmanship?

Seeing Reinhard's battle against Elsa yesterday sparked his great interest in the swordsmanship of Reinhard, the contemporary sword saint!

In his past life, he was bullied by Zhang Fei and Guan Yu.

This prevented him from having a proper exchange and learning experience with Liu Bei, the benevolent and righteous swordsman.

He couldn't afford to miss this opportunity again in this lifetime.

Natsuki Subaru followed the sound and soon arrived at a secluded training ground.

However, to everyone's surprise, it was not Reinhard who came into view.

He was an old man.

With white hair and a tall, upright figure, he possessed a robust physique beyond his years. Dressed in a simple long gown, he stood like a sword that had been drawn from its sheath for many years.

He held a wooden sword in his hand.

There was no audience.

There were no attendants.

There were no unnecessary movements.

The old man simply swung his sword again and again.

Each sword strike was unadorned.

It wasn't even fast enough to be seen clearly.

But the sword path was too clean.

It's so clean it's as if most of a person's emotions have been stripped away, leaving only the act of "wielding a sword."

Natsuki Subaru stood on the sidelines, his eyes growing brighter and brighter as he watched.

What a fine sword! What a fine sword!

The old man also stopped after a certain sword strike.

He had noticed the guy who had been staring at him for a while, and turned to look at Subaru Natsuki.

"Young man, who are you?"

Although the old man was old, his voice was still strong and powerful.

— Wilhelm van Astreya got up very early today.

Or rather, he has been getting up very early during this period.

After agreeing to Crusch Karsten's offer of recruitment, his goals became clearer than before.

beluga whale.

The monster that took his wife Theresa will one day reappear before him.

Crusch promised to help him gather intelligence and defeat the White Whale.

All he could do was sharpen his sword until that day truly arrived.

Being old is not an excuse.

It's not sadness either.

If the sword becomes dull, then keep swinging.

Swing your arm to remember the past.

The sight of it striking my body reminded me of the battlefield.

When he stood before the white whale once more, for that splash of crimson in his life... he was still able to bring down that sword.

The Fool of the Supreme Heavenly Sword—

Wilhelm never expected to encounter a strange young man while practicing his swordplay today.

Black hair, black eyes, reeking of alcohol, and strangely dressed.

He doesn't look very old.

But those eyes were extraordinary.

Wilhelm has seen too many people.

Young, old, cowardly, brave, gifted, and unaware of their impending death.

But the eyes of the boy in front of me don't seem like the eyes one would expect for his age.

That wasn't just the look of someone who had killed.

Rather, it is the look in one's eyes that has stood on the edge of death countless times, and crawled back from the edge of death countless times.

Some people are devastated after experiencing death once.

Some people become numb after experiencing death ten times.

In the boy's eyes, there was simultaneously numbness, exhaustion, excitement, and a kind of absurd and unbridled pride and... madness.

That's strange.

It's also very dangerous.

"Excellent swordsmanship! The old hero is indeed valiant!"

Subaru Natsuki's first words were a compliment.

He spoke from the heart.

"Old hero, your swordsmanship is truly remarkable."

Wilhelm narrowed his eyes slightly.

"You know about swords too?"

"Understood."

Subaru Natsuki nodded.

"I once served under Yuan Shao and met an old gentleman whose swordsmanship was as superb as yours. Although he was a bit irritable, spoke harshly, and met a tragic end, his swordsmanship was indeed excellent."

Wilhelm did not understand who Yuan Shao was.

I don't understand what "under the tent" specifically means.

But he could tell that the boy wasn't just making small talk.

"What's your name?"

"Subaru Natsuki."

Natsuki Subaru patted his chest.

"The Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry of the Great Wei, but currently without an official seal or salary, he is temporarily staying at the Rhine-Harut family's residence."

Wilhelm was silent for a moment.

There was too much information, and not a single piece of it was something he could immediately understand.

What is the Great Wei? What is the General of Chariots and Cavalry?

But he understood the last sentence.

"Did Reinhard let you stay here?"

"Correct."

Natsuki Subaru smiled.

“Reinhard and I hit it off immediately yesterday, and we drank heartily until we were completely drunk. He is a kind and honest man, and I like him.”

Wilhelm's expression finally changed slightly.

Reinhardt.