Subaru Natsuki, who returned from the new Three Kingdoms

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The pronunciation was strange, and even the two words were spoken haltingly.

Liu Bei did not laugh at him.

The alcohol had made him appear much more relaxed than usual. He looked down at the twin swords in his hands and suddenly asked:

Do you know what these two swords are called?

Subaru Natsuki shook his head.

Liu Bei raised his left hand.

"This one is called the Sword of Benevolence."

He raised his right hand again.

"This one is called the Sword of Righteousness."

Cao Mengde said, "I, Liu Bei, have neither soldiers nor land, yet I wield benevolence and righteousness as my weapons. With these two swords in hand, how can I not be considered a hero?"

As Liu Bei spoke, he chuckled again.

"Just as he finished speaking, a clap of thunder sounded in the sky, and I dropped my chopsticks."

"I had no choice but to tell him that the thunder had scared me to death."

Natsuki Subaru only half understood what he was hearing.

He didn't know why Liu Bei was afraid of Cao Cao seeing the two swords.

Liu Bei stared at the sword in his hand and remained silent for a long time.

"Actually, Cao Mengde was not wrong."

"What can a person who cannot even decide where he wants to go hold onto besides righteousness and benevolence?"

This was the first time Natsuki Subaru had heard Liu Bei speak in such a tone.

It's not about talking about brotherhood with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei, who have expressionless faces.

It's not about telling soldiers with facial paralysis that "every man has a responsibility for the rise and fall of the nation."

It wasn't the kind of politeness maintained with a blank expression when facing Cao Cao.

Instead, it was a person with nowhere to go who, after drinking, uttered a heartfelt and emotional statement.

"I have no idea where you've come from; this is the first time I've ever met you."

Even though Subaru Natsuki had already joined Liu Bei during the period of the alliance of feudal lords, Liu Bei suddenly uttered a strange sigh at this moment.

But he quickly recovered from his low spirits.

He sheathed his two swords and looked at Subaru Natsuki.

"Want to learn my swordsmanship?"

Subaru Natsuki's eyes suddenly lit up.

"I want to...learn!"

"My lord, teach... teach me."

Liu Bei finally showed a genuine smile.

"it is good."

"But before you learn swordsmanship, you have to do me a favor."

He took out a pre-written letter from his sleeve and handed it to Natsuki Subaru.

"Deliver this letter to Yuan Shao for me."

"It must be sent secretly, without letting Cao Cao's men know."

Natsuki Subaru took the letter and nodded vigorously.

"Deliver...deliver it. Then, come back."

"good."

Liu Bei patted him on the shoulder.

"When you return, I will teach you the sword of benevolence and the sword of righteousness."

Natsuki Subaru kept those words firmly in mind.

That very night, he took the letter and left Xudu under cover of darkness.

He looked back once before leaving.

Liu Bei was still standing in the vegetable garden, with neither Guan Yu nor Zhang Fei by his side.

There were only two swords and an empty wine jug.

……

Natsuki Subaru successfully met Yuan Shao.

Yuan Shao did not laugh at him because of his strange accent, nor did he look down on him because he was just an unknown guard by Liu Bei's side.

Natsuki Subaru spoke too slowly, so Yuan Shao told everyone in the tent to be quiet and told him not to rush and to speak slowly.

Yuan Shao accepted the letter and ordered people to prepare food and clean clothes for him.

This was the first time Natsuki Subaru had met such a wise and benevolent person.

So he wavered.

He thought that Liu Bei would eventually reunite with Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

Those two men, one a benevolent brother and the other a righteous brother, how could it be his turn, a stranger who can barely speak properly, to stand guard by Liu Bei's side?

Yuan Shao's situation was different.

Yuan Shao was willing to wait for him to finish speaking and was also willing to leave a place for an unknown person.

Natsuki Subaru made up many reasons for himself.

He told himself that he could still make a name for himself by staying under Yuan Shao's command.

He told himself that after Guan Yu and Zhang Fei finished their drinks, they would return to Liu Bei's side. With his virtuous and righteous brothers still around, Liu Bei wouldn't need him.

He also told himself that he would find Liu Bei again when he had the chance, and that it was never too late to learn the swords of benevolence and righteousness.

So he didn't go back.

The letter has been delivered.

The messenger, however, stayed by Yuan Shao's side.

For many years afterward, Subaru Natsuki experienced death after death.

He learned Tian Feng's Hentian Sword Technique and mastered it to its fullest potential in Guandu.

He joined Cao Cao's army and gradually rose from a general with a sword to the Grand General of Chariots and Cavalry of Wei.

He has seen many heroes, and has also been misunderstood by many.

But he never learned Liu Bei's sword of benevolence and righteousness.

That night in Xuchang was the last time he saw Liu Bei.

But wasn't that also the first time he truly saw Liu Bei?

This wasn't the first time I'd met that man named Liu Xuande.

Instead, for the first time, we looked beyond his usual kindness, forbearance, and empty platitudes, and saw the true heart trapped within fate.

The vegetable garden in my dream is still swaying in the wind.

Liu Bei stood in the dim light, holding the swords of benevolence and righteousness, and smiled as he said to him:

"I'll teach you when you come back."

In his dream, Natsuki Subaru stood outside the courtyard gate and opened his mouth.

This time, he was able to speak fluently.

But Liu Bei could no longer hear it.

"My lord."

"I am back."

Chapter 40: 040. It seems today isn't my birthday.

The room was dimly lit, with only one lamp on.

Mary sat on the cold ground, her hands on her knees, her fingertips nervously gripping the hem of her skirt.

Her skirt was covered in mud, and she had lost one of her shoes.

The silhouette of a blonde woman was faintly reflected in the dark mirror behind her.

"so what?"

A woman's voice came from the mirror.

"The task I entrusted to you has failed?"

Mary's shoulders trembled slightly.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

She kept her head down, not daring to look in the mirror.

"The monster couldn't bite him. Elsa was also defeated by him."

"Elsa was captured, but you escaped and came back alone?"

Mary's fingers clenched even tighter.

She could almost feel her fingertips getting cold.

The feeling I had when I was a frog last time resurfaced deep within me.

Fear, disgust, and physical aversion surged into my heart all at once.

"That black-haired man named Natsuki Subaru is strange."

Mary quickly explained.

"He evaded the curse and defeated Elsa. The blue-haired maid, Rem, was initially skeptical of him, but when Elsa tried to kill her, he repaid evil with kindness by shielding her with his own arm, and finally, shouting something about hating the heavens, defeated Elsa with his severed arm..."

The woman in the mirror did not speak.

Mary swallowed hard and continued:

"Later he bled a lot and collapsed. The blue-haired maid didn't even care about me, she just kept holding him and calling his name."

"That's when I escaped."

The room was quiet for a moment.

Mary lowered her head, waiting for the punishment to fall.

Suddenly, a soft laugh came from the mirror.

"I see. I knew a request that would cost that guy so much couldn't be that simple."

"However, the information you two exchanged was still useful."

"That little blue-haired maid is very important to Subaru Natsuki, right?"

Mary nodded cautiously.

"Natsuki Subaru is also very important to her."