Chapter 7 - Appraisal

This chapter is dedicated to LuHeart2! Happy reading! ^^

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Izumi pov:

I was woken up by the sound of a horn blowing outside the barracks. I assume it was the morning wakeup call that was given to all those who lived here in these barracks and I groaned, not really happy to be woken from my sleep so early. It was still dark out, and cold, and way too early to wake up. Perhaps if I was on a mission, I wouldn't have complained about being woken up in the middle of the night or in the wee hours of the morning. Then again, this was sort of like a mission – a mission in a new world with new people and new rules. I couldn't be lazy now.

Giving my body a good stretch, I got up and headed out of my room while carrying my toiletries. The other people staying in the other rooms of the barracks had awoken as well and were heading to the bathhouse. I followed suit, keeping a bit of distance from everyone while observing them and listening in on their casual talk. When we made it to the bathhouses, I walked into the women's side only to find the change room empty.

I raised a brow and looked around wondering if none of the women had woken up and come here yet or if they were early birds and had already finished up with their daily routine. I did spot one set of clothes and toiletries on the side of the changing room though which meant that there was still someone here. I placed my stuff beside the other person's and headed to the hot spring area with a towel wrapped around me.

When I made it to the hot springs, I narrowed my eyes and looked through the steam to make sure there wasn't anyone suspicious around – especially any guy, in case I was tricked into walking into the wrong side of the bathhouse. I spotted a silhouette in the distance and I could tell it was a woman. Satisfied with that, I got into the water and waded through it cautiously towards the figure. Whoever she was, she was sharp. When I was just about ten feet away, I did a three sixty degree turn and moved to the side as a small dagger was thrown at me, aimed for my head. It got lodged in the wooden door behind me, the one that led to the changing room.

I looked back at the woman with a frown and narrowed my eyes upon seeing her holding up another dagger in her hands, ready to be thrown.

"You better get out of here before I really hurt you, you pervert! You might have dodged the first one but I assure you, the second one will not miss." She said. Her voice was silky but a little low toned in comparison to what most women would have.

"I'm quite sure I don't qualify as a pervert." I said and walked closer to her as she lowered her weapon.

"A girl?" She asked more to herself before turning around and walking to me to meet me half way.

When she was close enough to me and the steam not posing as a visual obstruction anymore, I got to see just who had tried to attack me. It was the same woman I had seen in the training room last evening, though now she was wrapped in a towel and had her hair down. She was a tall woman, standing a good four inches taller than me, with long blond hair, emerald green eyes and a mole under her right eye. She was most definitely older than me but was quite beautiful and well endowed as a woman.

"Sorry about that, Hon. Hope I didn't hurt you." She said with a smile and put a hand on her hip. "I thought it was one of the pigs trying to sneak peek at me....like they oftentimes do."

"It's okay, no harm done." I said with a shrug while wading towards a big boulder and sitting down for a comfortable soak.

"So, are you a new recruit we've all been hearing about?" She asked as she took a seat a little away from me.

"You could say that." I responded with a shrug.

"I'm glad." She said and I looked at her smiling face. "You have no idea how torturous it is being around a bunch of hooligans all the time. I'm so glad that there's finally another girl on the team."

"So we're the only girls in the army?" I asked with a raised brow.

"Yes, that's right. I was the only girl in the Elite Division but now there's two of us. I'm happy that I finally get to have some normal company around here. But I am quite curious about one thing. You look really young....how old are you?" She questioned.

"I'm eighteen."

"Eighteen? That's really young indeed! It's a surprise the Blood Emperor recruited you as a part of his army even though you're this young. Even the men can't get into the army until they're at least twenty because the skill required is way past any regular soldier level. I'm quite curious to know how good you are, seeing how you were able to impress the Blood Emperor."

"I doubt I impressed him in any way and honestly, I'm not really all that happy to be recruited as a part of his army. I was, in one way, forced to join." I said before taking a full dip under the water.

"Well, the Blood Emperor's orders are absolute so whether you like it or not, you're going to serve him from now on."

"I guess. By the way, I didn't get your name." I spoke and moved some of my wet hair out of my face.

"Ah, I'm Koharu. What's your name?" She questioned in return.

"Izumi."

"Izumi, huh? That's a really nice name." She said with a smile. "Well, I guess we should get dressed and head to the dining hall. If we're late, the guys won't leave anything for us to eat."

I chuckled and nodded in agreement, already understanding what kind of people I was going to be with. I did get a glimpse of the guys' rough playful behavior yesterday so I wasn't surprised to hear that they would try to peek at girls when they were trying to bathe or eat like starving beasts, leaving not a crumb behind. But I got good vibes – I had a feeling that I'd be able to fit in quite well here.

Koharu and I got out of the water and got dressed in the usual training uniform that those of the army had to wear on a daily basis. While we got ready, Koharu explained a few more things about the armies that served the Blood Emperor. There were two armies, apparently – one that served mainly as Imperial Guards, scouting and standing guard throughout the palace at all times of the day and the Elite Division that had advanced training in hand to hand combat and kenjutsu, that earned them the honorable title of 'samurai', and took on missions within Sei'an as well as other towns under the Blood Emperor's rule. Both the Imperial Guards as well as the Elite Division were commanded by the Shogun, or the Commander-in-Chief, in training as well as attack and defense strategies. The Shogun was also responsible for assigning missions to those of the Elite Division based on their skill level that could be solo missions or group mission with the numbers ranging from two to five per group.

And as I guessed some way through her explanation, we were a part of the Elite Division. Everyone who lived in the barracks I now had to call my home were a part of the Elite Division.

When we went to the dining hall to get ourselves breakfast, there were about ten guys already wolfing down food like they'd never eaten before. I found it amusing and my lips twitched up into a smile as we passed the table at which they sat. We stopped in front of the buffet counter while holding out a tray with a plate and two bowls for the rice, curry and other side dish. Having got how much ever we wanted to eat, we took seats at a table somewhere in the middle of the hall.

Just as we began to eat our food, another group of guys shuffled into the dining hall while laughing loudly. They spotted us, or rather me since I was new around her, and they walked up to us. They stopped beside our table and one of them whistled as they most probably looked over me.

"Well well well! Look what we have here!" One of them said though I ignored it and continued to eat my food.

"Lucky that the new recruit is a girl, eh? She's pretty!" Another said.

"Shut up, you idiots! Don't make her feel uncomfortable. It's bad enough that I have to deal with you perverts every single day – don't be a bother to the new kid." Koharu said sounding slightly annoyed.

"You're such a killjoy, Koharu! Jeez! We're just trying to be friendly with the new girl!" One of them said with a slight pout. "By the way, I'm Haji, a Captain in the Elite Division. I'll take the liberty to welcome you to the Blood Emperor's army on behalf of all members of the Elite Division."

I finally looked up at the four guys standing beside our table because I didn't want to be rude to the Captain was welcoming me to the Elite Division. I twitched for a moment though when my eyes met with the guy who had just introduced himself as Haji. He was smirking, an excited glint shining in his very familiar golden brown eyes. His long brown hair was tied up in a high ponytail and I noticed a shiny silver stud on his right ear. Upon seeing the expression on my face, his smirk widened.

"You..." I said narrowing my eyes. "You're the guy from that day...the one who followed me."

"Hmm? It seems you do recognize me even though our meeting was short and sweet and my face wasn't very well visible to you. I have to say I'm honored that you remember me!" He said with a chuckle and crossed his arms over his chest.

He seemed to be the youngest of the lot, probably in his mid or late twenties similar to Koharu, and the three men standing with him were easily in their late thirties. But despite the obvious indication of their age on their faces, they were all physically very fit – well toned and mildly buff. I could also tell that everyone here, including the guys at the other table, were quite tall, even more than Koharu. I was probably going to be the shortest here despite being what anyone in my world would call as average heighted.

"Ah, forgive me for being rude to you that day, Sweetheart. I was ordered to stalk you and find out a little about you." He shrugged still smiling. "I have to say though, I was really impressed by how well you fought me that day. I wasn't expecting someone so tiny to have such skill and power in her."

"I didn't expect that I was being stalked by a Captain of the Royal Army. It was rude...but I suppose I can let it slide since you apologized so sincerely and appreciated my skills." I mused, sounding just as playful as he did.

There wasn't anything that I could do even though it was rude of this guy to have spied on me that day. Captain Haji was following orders of the Blood Emperor to find out about me probably because of what Prince Shichiro had spoken about me. The Blood Emperor has sent out a 'spy' to collect information on whether I was good enough and trustworthy enough to be a part of his army. He had got his answer and now I was recruited. Besides the sort of flirty attitude this guy gave off, I have a feeling that he was a decent guy. I saw no reason to be hostile towards him – at least for now.

"Thank you for being so generous, Sweetheart. So, do we all have the honor of hearing your name?" He asked, waving his hand over himself and the three guys with him.

"I'm Izumi. It's nice to meet you all. Since I'm new around here, I hope you'll teach me the ways of the Army, Captain Haji." I said with a friendly smile.

"You have nothing to worry about. If there's anything you need to know, you can ask me, Sweetheart." He said with a playful wink. "By the way, how old are you? If Koharu is calling you a kid, it must mean you're quite the young one."

"She's eighteen. And stop calling her Sweetheart! Just hearing it is giving me goose bumps!" Koharu scolded and rubbed her arm.

"Stop being so dramatic, Koharu. She won't mind being called Sweetheart by someone as handsome as me, now will you, Sweetheart?" Captain Haji asked again while grinning my way.

"Actually, I'd rather you not call me that, Captain Haji. It sounds weird." I said.

"Aww, you're not fun! Alright, I won't call you Sweetheart if you agree to drop the formality with me and just call me Haji."

"I suppose that's doable, Haji san." I responded.

"Hmm, I was hoping you'd just call me Haji. But Haji san is better than Captain Haji." He said with a slow nod.

"If you're done introducing yourself, can you leave? We'd like to finish our breakfast in peace." Koharu said with a frustrated sigh and Haji san held up his hands in defense.

"No need to get so huffy. We'll be on our way now. See you around, Izumi." He said with another wink and walked away to get breakfast. The other three men introduced themselves as well before walking off to join Haji san.

"Ugh, he has such an annoying personality, especially when he's being all flirty." Koharu commented with a frown.

"You don't seem to like him." I pointed with an amused smile.

"Well, it's not that I don't like him as a person – he's a decent guy with highly appreciable prowess as a member of the Elite Division. In fact, he's the youngest member to have be promoted to Captain. He looks really harmless now and is thoroughly irritating when he's flirting, which he unfortunately does often, but when he's serious, he's absolutely ruthless – probably like the Blood Emperor himself. He's so placid, showing no remorse, no regret and not even the slightest discomfort when slaughtering the enemy. It's sometimes disturbing."

"No remorse or discomfort? So he likes to fight?" I questioned with a frown.

"I wouldn't say that. He's just....strange. I often feel that he's hiding a big secret because any normal person wouldn't be so unaffected by killing another, even if it is the enemy. Taking a life is not something anyone can do easily even if they are trained to show no mercy. But Haji....I just feel that who he portrays himself to be and who he truly is inside are very different." She explained.

Honestly speaking, I hadn't really got that vibe from Haji san when he introduced himself to me. Of course, we had just met but I had the ability to pick up subtle hints on people's personalities from the way they talked and behaved within just a few minutes of interacting with them. I wasn't able to pick up any strangeness or the possibility of blood lust or inhumanity when speaking with Haji san. He did seem kind of dangerous when I had met him in the alley outside the palace – he was cold and serious and physically quite strong, enough to make me feel the need to be on guard around him. Perhaps he was just serious when on the job....but then what were the strangeness and the secret that Koharu was talking about?

I took the chance to glance at Haji san who sat at a table on our right. He was laughing with the others he sat with, receiving a rough ruffle to his head that caused his hair to stick out in every possible direction. He had a sort of childlike aura around him and an innocent spark in his eyes despite being a Captain in the Blood Emperor's army. It was as if the person I met in the alley and this guy sitting just a few feet away from me were two different people. I almost couldn't imagine him to be the type to have a passive expression after killing someone, not when he looked so carefree and cheerful right now.

I twitched when he turned to look at me while setting his hair and recovering from laughing a lot. He grinned and waved at me like a little kid, which I sufficed with a small smile and a chaste bow of my head. I then glanced at Koharu before going back to eating my food. I decided not to give too much thought about what Koharu said and just figure out what kind of person Haji san really is by myself. I would be here a while, which meant frequent run-ins with Haji san and more than enough instances to figure him and everybody else out.

Koharu and I had finished up with our breakfast and then headed to the training grounds along with the guys and with Haji san walking right beside me, questioning me about my life before I came to the palace. I kept explanations simple, just as I had done so with Kanzaki san, telling everyone that I was a wanderer before I decided to settle in Sei'an. Haji san probably wanted to know more details but he didn't press me further, understanding that I wasn't going to give any details even if he asked.

When we reached the training room, there were already several people gathered there, standing in groups and talking or doing some warm up exercises. I scanned through all the groups but halted on one of them, narrowing my eyes at the white haired man I had met last night. He was with one of the groups and appeared to be instructing those who stood with him. Koharu was the first to walk up to him and the rest of us followed suit. When we reached him, he looked at each of us but his gaze lingered on me for longer than necessary in mild displeasure.

"I didn't think you would come here after our little encounter yesterday. You must be confident or merely foolish." He commented just as disdainfully as yesterday.

"I don't quite understand if you're trying to compliment me or insult me, White Hair san. You're saying something nice and rude in the same sentence." I said with a hint of teasing.

He narrowed his eyes a bit and the air around us got thick. The men who had been talking to White Hair san looked nervous and glanced restlessly between me and White Hair san since we hadn't broken eye contact.

"I'm quite amused that His Highness thinks that someone like you, a mere child living in delusion, are good enough to serve as a member of his Elite Division army. I heard that the woman who saved Prince Shichiro was a strong and fearsome person but I'm disappointed. You look weak....and are most probably useless to His Highness." White Hair san said with a scoff.

"Haven't you ever heard the saying 'don't judge a book by its cover'? You shouldn't decide whether I'm weak or strong just because I'm shorter and have a smaller build than the rest of you." I commented smiling.

"I see you've not succeeded in correcting that sharp tongue of yours."

"I see you're just as rude as yesterday." I snapped back.

"Wait a second...you're the one who saved Prince Shichiro? That's...unexpected. Ah, and Izumi, you really shouldn't be talking to him like that. He's the Shogun." Koharu said while placing a hand on my shoulder. She sounded mildly surprised and anxious but did a good job of not letting it show on her face.

"The Shogun, huh? I expected a Shogun to be a more intimidating looking guy." I commented and shrugged Koharu's hand off my shoulder. "And yes, I was the one who saved Prince Shichiro and brought him back to the palace in one piece."

White Hair san scoffed and tilted his head up just a bit to look down at me sharply. "You should go home, girl, back to where you belong. This is no place for playing and definitely not the right place for you to be in."

"I know that you're the Shogun but even you can't go against the order of the Blood Emperor, right? He's the one who wanted to recruit me so you should take his permission before ordering me to leave." I said and crossed my arms over my chest.

"This haughty attitude of yours won't do you any good here, girl. I appreciate a soldier who's confident but not one who is overconfident. In all honestly, I very much doubt you are the person who saved Prince Shichiro. Forget about handling missions involving the Blood Emperor's enemies, I'm sure you won't even be able to sneak into any part of the Royal Palace without getting caught."

"Is that a challenge?" I seethed at him. "Advisor san said I was supposed to have my rank and duties determined today but honestly, I don't really care for my position as a member of the Blood Emperor's army. But I despise people who look down on my skills when they don't know anything about me. Tell me what you want me to do so I can show you who you'll be dealing with from now on."

"Woah! You're really brave to challenge Shogun like that!" Haji san spoke up excitedly while walking to us. "But it's a pretty cool idea, don't you think so too, Shogun?"

"A cool idea, you say?" White Hair san jeered and narrowed his eyes at me.

"A-ah, I was just saying that she was quite cool to challenge you even though she knows she's not at your level. I didn't mean that assigning her to sneak into the palace is a cool idea." Haji san corrected sheepishly.

"Oh? Why not? Instead of giving the new recruit just a test in hand to hand combat, why don't we let her show us if she's good enough to go on stealth missions like the rest of you? It will save us the trouble of training her and it will be fun to see the outcome – if she fails and needs us to save her from the stinking prison cell she'll get locked up in for trespassing or whether she'll pass and prove to be a good addition to our team." White Hair san said while narrowing his eyes and smirking slightly but deviously.

"Fine by me. So, what do you want me to do?" I coaxed, my smile widening and making White Hair san's smirk falter just a bit.

"There were some records I needed to go through today and I planned on picking them up this afternoon. Why don't you fetch them for me instead, girl?" The Shogun said. "They are in the Royal Records Room in the west wing of the Royal Palace. Just so you are aware, the Records Room is restricted to His Majesty, myself and Soutarou sama alone so anyone else who is seen loitering close by will be prosecuted. If you get caught, don't expect to escape any punishment. Unless I am in the mood to step in and save your life, you'll probably be sentenced to death."

"You don't need to worry about any prosecution because I won't get caught." I said confidently and it only seemed to irk White Hair san more.

"Oi Shogun, I don't think that's a good idea. None of us are allowed to wander into the main palace unless The Blood Emperor himself orders it. And we can get close to the palace without getting caught even though we've trained for several years. Expecting a new, inexperienced girl to go to the Royal Records Room is like leading her to a fatal trap – it's just too extreme." Iwase san, a lieutenant I had met in the dining hall, spoke up with a frown.

"Iwase san is right, Shogun. It's impossible to not get caught in a place with such high security, even for those who've been Elite Samurai for years. Izumi is probably just being obstinate and reckless....please reconsider your decision, Shogun." Koharu said and came to stand beside me.

"Are you questioning my authority, Iwase, Koharu? Or are you worried that something....unpleasant might happen?" White Hair san asked, the look in his eyes turning slightly sinister.

Koharu flinched back and immediately looked down at the floor. She furrowed her brows deeply and then bowed with her hands balled into tight fists.

"I spoke out of turn, Shogun. I apologize." She said and then straightened up but didn't look at White Hair san again. Iwase san too apologized but he wasn't as perturbed as Koharu.

"Ma ma! Let's not get so worked up, okay?" Haji san spoke while holding up his hands in an attempt to ease the tension that had settled in the training hall. "Iwase san and Koharu are kind of right about the Records Room task being a bit extreme....isn't there something that she can do?"

"I'm fine with infiltrating the Records Room." I said coolly.

"But..." Koharu started but was cut off by White Hair san.

"She's the one who wants to prove her worth. She brought this on herself and she's accepted to go ahead with infiltrating the Records Room even though she's figured that it's one of the most heavily guarded areas of the palace. So she has to go through with it....unless she's only bluffing about her skills." He commented and looked back at me while holding out a piece of paper with the list of record he wanted me to bring him.

I snatched it from his hands and held it up while looking at him dead in the eye, smiling. "What will I be rewarded with if I prove myself to you, Shogun?"

"If you succeed, I will make you a First Lieutenant as against an officer as everyone else starts as in the Elite Division." He said and my smile widened.

"How generous of you. Well then, I'll head out and you can get whatever is necessary to certify me as a First Lieutenant when I'm back." I said and turned to face Koharu. "I appreciate you worrying for me, Koharu, but I'll be fine. I'll be back soon....with the records your great Shogun wants."

I gave White Hair san another glance and chuckled before walking out of the training hall and towards the Royal Palace.

Shogun pov:

"Hey Shogun...you didn't have to be so uptight with the newbie, you know?" Haji commented upon joining me. I was sitting on one side of the room observing the men who trained while working out strategies on a new mission His Highness had assigned to the Elite Division.

"This happened as a result of her audacious behavior. Let her understand through this that being in the Elite Division isn't child's play." I said sharply.

"I feel kind of bad for her though. She's cute and seems like a good girl. She's pretty young too and has so much to look forward to in life. Besides, I've kind of come to enjoy her company already....it will be nice if she succeeds in this little mission and graces us with her company every day." Haji said with a laugh.

"If you're so interested in having her company, why don't you wed her? It will spare me the trouble of dealing with some dauntless child and you can enjoy her company as much as you wish." I spat, not amused by his playfulness.

"I apologize for what I said, Shogun. I was just trying to lighten the mood because you seemed quite displeased by what happened."

"Don't try to amuse me with your foolish jokes, Haji. You are a Captain and renowned for your savageness on the battlefield so you should live up to your name instead of acting so childish and showing interest in a girl who's most likely just an unwanted addition to our division. Your split personality is annoying at times, though I'm not sure it it's really a split personality or it's just that you completely thwart your emotions when in battle." I said and rolled up the parchment that I had been reading. "Keeping your matter aside, the girl has probably been caught by now and being escorted to a prison cell. I'm sure she would have understood she doesn't belong here – I'll let her leave with a clean slate and inform His Highness later on that she wasn't as good as Prince Shichiro thought she was."

"But won't His Highness be disappointed?" Haji asked, unaffected by the comments I had made about his behavior.

"His Majesty has no need for any weaklings. Although, it is a different matter considering how exuberant Prince Shichiro was about the girl." I said frowning. "I'll have to find some way to convey the message without Prince Shichiro feeling hurt by what I say. I don't wish to risk making His Highness angry."

Prince Shichiro had praised the girl a lot. Even though he was hesitant to speak about it in the beginning, His Highness had insisted on hearing everything that happened that resulted in the prince getting injured but returning alive, safe and even with his injuries partially treated. Apparently, it was one of the rebelling gangs desirous to overthrow His Highness that had tried to eliminate Prince Shichiro and His Highness was furious about it. The very night Prince Shichiro had returned, he had ordered me to send out a team to slaughter the rebels in Sei'an. And that's exactly what we had done.

I had assumed His Highness would reward the girl with some money or incentives for saving the prince but I didn't think that he would be so interested in her that he would have her join his Elite Division. Perhaps it was something Prince Shichiro said that piqued his interest – I was not present during the discussion so I was unaware of the details that had been exchanged. His Highness was a powerful ruler, merciless to those who opposed him or failed to follow his orders but generous to those he favored. Out of them, Prince Shichiro was one, which is probably the reason why the girl was brought here instead of merely being rewarded for her benevolent efforts.

In fact, Prince Shichiro was probably the only one His Highness favored more than anyone else in the palace. He was always treated with utmost care and protected by samurai under direct orders of His Highness. This was known only to myself, Soutarou sama and, of course, His Highness's other siblings though the reason for the special affection was unknown. Prince Shichiro feared His Highness just as anyone else but had more freedom than anyone else too. He was a timid child, unaware of and not involved in the envy and jealousy for the throne that the others of the Royal Family possessed. He was genuinely respectful towards his brother and honest, for which His Highness adored and doted him.

But no matter what, having an incompetent girl recruited into the Elite Division based on words of praise from the prince didn't sit well with me. I had no right to object His Highness's orders so the best was way to prove that she was useless and unnecessary in the palace and have her sent back to where she belonged was to send her on an impossible mission and have her fail miserably.

"Listen up, everyone!" I stood up and called out, gaining the attention of all the samurai training in the room. "I want Daiki, Rikuto and Haji to come with me to get the new recruit out of possible prosecution."

"Has she been caught?" Koharu asked seeming mildly concerned.

"Most probably." I replied indifferently. "As you said, it's impossible not to get caught when trying to sneak into some place so heavily guarded."

"Just when I thought there was finally another girl on our team....I guess I'm going to be stuck alone with you blockheads as usual." She sighed heavily.

"You're hurting our feelings, Koharu chan!" Takashi said with a pout that caused the whole hall to roar with laughter.

"Yeah! How can you call us blockheads when we are smart?" Another questioned grinning.

"And not to forget, handsome too." Haji winked.

"If you all don't shut it right now, I'm going to make sure you can never have kids." Koharu threatened sharply causing few of the men to recoil and others to chuckle and hold up their hands in defense.

"Alright, that's enough wasting time. We should head out now. We don't want the girl to end up bruised and beaten before she's forgiven for trespassing." I commanded and walked to the doors of the training hall with the others following close behind.

However, just before I could slide the door open, it was slid open from the other side to reveal Izumi. She looked up at all of us and raised her brows.

"Are you guys going somewhere?" She asked curiously.

"You're still here? I thought you were going to the Records Room to fetch the documents I wanted to read through. Did you feel it impossible to do and return empty handed?" I taunted.

She had been gone for just half an hour and that was definitely not enough time to infiltrate the Records Room and return here. She was probably afraid of getting caught and stayed in her room while debating on whether or not to go ahead with the task.

"Sorry to break it to you but the word impossible doesn't exist in my dictionary." She said with a chuckle.

"Then you were making preparations until now?" I asked amused.

"No, I don't need to prepare for anything, at least not for this long. I got the records you wanted." She said and held out three records for me to take. "I don't see why everyone was making such a big deal out of it. It was pretty easy getting past all the guards, finding the Records Room and finding the records you wanted."

"Woah! Are you for real?!" Haji hollered from beside me. "You actually got in and out of that place unnoticed and so quickly?!"

"I actually took a little longer than I anticipated because one of the Records Room doors was locked. But yeah, I got in and out of there unnoticed. If I hadn't, wouldn't you have been alerted of it by now?"

"You surprise me, girl. I didn't expect you would succeed." I commented as I glanced over the records in my hands for a moment and then looked down at her again. "I believe I have to fulfil my end of the agreement – I certify you as a First Lieutenant of the Elite Division. As for proper introductions, I am Ichirou – Shogun to the Blood Emperor and commander of the Elite Division as well as the Imperial Army."

"Thanks for the certification, Ichirou san. And I'd like it if you stop calling me girl. I have a nice name and I'd prefer you use that." She said but didn't sound disrespectful in any way.

"Fair enough, Izumi."

"Anyway, the Blood Emperor is the one who wanted me recruited for his army, right? So when do I get to meet my benevolent benefactor?" She asked and shifted her weight on her feet.

"His Highness has no need to meet someone like you – he is not a man with free time on his hands to go around meeting every person who get recruited in his army even if it is he himself who approved of it." I said. "You should start your training. You will be partnered up with Koharu for now and she will instruct you on all you need to know regarding training and missions. Dismissed."

She rolled her eyes but walked past me without any fuss to join up with Koharu. She and the others Izumi had met seemed happy to have her on the team and they exchanged congratulatory words.

"That was quite a surprise, wasn't it? She took just ten minutes more than my record breaking time to sneak in and out of the Records Room." Haji commented, still in awe. "So....what do you plan to do about her now, Shogun?"

I smirked just a bit and narrowed my eyes at her. "She was either lucky today or had real skills to succeed in this test. Whatever the case, it seems she's going to be quite useful to the Blood Emperor after all."

"You're just as shrewd as always, Shogun. At this rate, you're never going to get married! Useful this, useful that – can't you honestly appreciate anyone for once instead of think of them as objects?? And you never know, if you honestly appreciate Izumi, she might even fall for you! She's cute, brave and strong – this is a total win-win opportunity!" He teased and I sent his a sharp scowl which he just laughed off.

He mumbled a half-assed apology and sprinted off to join up with the new recruit. He put an arm over Izumi's shoulders and ruffled her head causing her to shove him off and yell at him to stop. But she laughed soon after and walked off with Koharu to one of the human dummies to start, or rather, give us a demonstration of her proficiency in hand-to-hand combat. She was good – powerful, fluid and precise. It was much better than Koharu's skills and she had been training here for five years.

"Looks like His Highness did get his hands on an interesting one. His curiosity has been well rewarded and I will make sure that this new resource is thoroughly utilized till the last drop." I mused to myself.

Giving one last glance at her, I walked out of the training hall and to the palace to report everything that had happened to His Highness.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Woohoo! Awesome way to prove yourself, Izumi! That sure shocked the mean Shogun XD He's not going to underestimate you again, that's for sure >:)

It's a good thing that Izumi has some girl company in the Elite Division. Yes, the girl in the picture at the beginning of the chapter is Koharu. And Haji seems like a nice guy, doesn't he? Even though he did seem pretty badass on their first meeting, he has a fun and flirty personality :P And you have to agree, he looks cute ;)

And don't ya'll just love her sassy attitude? B)

So! How's the progress of the story going? Keeping you on the edge of your seat? Waiting for the Blood Emperor to make his grand appearance? ;)

Vote!

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:D