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Time slowly went by as the battalions and royal family waited for Silent Night's recruits. People weren't required to fight, but it would leave a lasting impression for the King. Even more opportunities could open up. In reality, only the royal family and Aiden cared about Shu's absence. Rin was an anomaly.

After about thirty minutes, the situation changed. Footsteps could be heard near the back exit of the palace. The majority of the Golden Circle turned toward the source. Eventually, three figures could be seen. Shu casually entered the field. His black haori fluttered in the breeze, the sound of his ominous breathing reverberating through the mask.

Rin could be found right behind him. Her lips were slightly red and puffy. Fortunately for her, it was hidden by her metal kasa. It mattered not. The stoic expression perpetually adorned her face.

Muzette was a fair distance behind them, walking with a sleazy smile. She hadn't interrupted them immediately. The succubus wanted to spy on them a bit longer and it had been a great decision. She was able to witness an intense session that didn't seem like it would end. They had too much energy!

'I want to see more…Ahh ~ the flame of youth!' She thought.

All eyes were on the two rookies as they met up with their battalion. Commander Aiden didn't have anything to say. His blood red eyes said it all. Dealing with these two was becoming a chore. King Solomon spoke up.

"The infamous recruit arrives. It's only now that I remember your words from the exam. I guess seeing you was the key. Your sword is only a tool used for killing, isn't that right?" He questioned. Shu nodded with a slight bow.

"That is correct, Your Majesty." He responded.

"Even so, do you plan on participating in the exhibition matches?" The Archmage continued.

"I don't."

There was a moment of silence. Everyone looked at the lazy samurai with wide eyes. He'd just blown off the king without a second thought! Who did he think he was?

"How dare you?! Making the King wait for you! Not only did you fail to apologize, but you won't fight? And you call yourself a knight of the Golden Circle. Disgusting." A voice rang.

The sleepy man turned toward the voice. It was Osbern, Solomon's son. He was incredibly angry, if the scrunched up expression was anything to go by. Shu didn't respond. He instead sat down beside Stark. Rin quickly followed.

Princess Sophia was intrigued. The way he carried himself…it was different from the others. It was as if the Golden Circle was only a means to an end for him. Many recruits took this seriously, while he seemed to take it for granted. The royal beauty lightly tugged her father's robe.

"Hmmmm?"

"........"

She sneakily pointed at Shu. Solomon raised an eyebrow. He then stroked his beard for a moment. It was unknown what they were talking about.

"I will consider it." He finally said.

The final recruits eventually finished their matches. Unexpectedly, the snow demon also participated. It seemed like everything was coming to an end. All that was left were the achievements.

"Alright everyone. Let's begin the bestowal of the stars of achievement. Three stars is the maximum, and will allow you one request from your captain."

A holographic screen appeared with the time periods and mission results of each candidate. Only the King and his commanders could see it. This was supposedly classified information.

"Let's start from greatest to worst. At the top, we have Eldan from Tree of Eden. He's completed a total of 35 missions since his recruitment, with a 100% success rate. You will receive three stars." The Archmage declared. Three stars appeared next to his name.

Shu raised an eyebrow in surprise. He didn't expect the blind fighter to busy himself that much. This whole time, the young samurai thought of him as a kindred spirit. Two lazy peas in a pod. It seems he was wrong.

"Coming in fifth, we have Genesis of Tree of Eden. She's completed a total of 30 missions since recruitment, with a 100% success rate. You will receive three stars."

Time passed as several recruits were called out for their past deeds. Most of the battalions were surprised that the Legendary recruit hadn't been called yet. After what felt like forever, Shu finally heard his name.

"Coming in 31st, we have Shu of Silent Night. He's completed a total of…12 missions since recruitment, with a 100% success rate. It says here that you didn't accept any missions for a period of 3 months. Hmmm. Taking into account your success rate, you will be given one and a half stars."

The young samurai scratched the back of his head. There wasn't much he could do about that. He didn't expect the time period of his completed missions to be revealed. They were finished back to back, after all.

After a while, all of the recruits were covered. Honest and constructive advice was given. The commanders would teach shortcuts and tricks about the job. The event was finished.

"That concludes the Golden Solstice. Feel free to stay for the festivities, or be on your way. I have other matters to attend to." King Solomon declared.

His body was immediately covered in light and dark mana butterflies. In only a second, he vanished. The prince and princess left their chairs and returned to the castle. Now that everyone was free, Eldan and Faye approached.

"I must say, I'm surprised. I kind of expected you to fight me today." The white haired man said. Shu shook his head.

"...We'll have a match someday. Though it won't be in a setting like this."

"Big Brother Shu, how did you barely get any stars? Where did you go for 3 months?" Faye asked.

"Well, I had to take care of some things."

"Mysterious huh? Fine, don't tell me." She pouted.

Muzette wrapped her arm around Shu's neck. Her cleavage smothered his head. Faye was shocked by the woman's boldness. A small blush appeared on the innocent girl's cheeks.

"Ara ~ are these your friends? Not bad. Good people just gravitate toward you! Ahhh, Shu…why don't you introduce me?" She mewled while groping his body.

An icy killing intent had already made its presence known. The grass was freezing over. Rin was extremely possessive.

"Suc-Succubus?!" Faye exclaimed.

Such a race was too much for her. A plethora of blood exploded from her nose before she fell to the ground. Shu gave a wry smile before speaking.

"This is Muzette. She's part of my team. Yes, she is a succubus. And this-" The young samurai gestured toward Stark. "Is Stark. I don't know what he is, but…"

"I'm half titan." The large man revealed. It made sense with the massive amount of mana inside him.

With introductions out of the way, the group said their goodbyes. Commander Aiden remained at the castle while the team made their exit. It didn't take long for them to return, since he opened a portal for them.

…

…

…

Several days have gone by since the Golden Solstice. It had been a relaxing time for the team. This would be short lived, as missions were beginning to pile up.

The young samurai could be seen at the edge of the river. The snow demon was giving him a soft lap pillow. A gentle breeze washed over them. It was unknown how the other members were spending their time.

Shu was very close to falling asleep. The surroundings were too peaceful. It was perfect.

"Ahhnnn…" A yawn escaped his lips.

"Sleepy Shu." Rin muttered.

The lazy swordsman looked up at her emotionless face. If there was one thing about this yokai, it was her gaze. She had a massive staring problem. It was a mystery how she didn't feel discomfort due to not blinking.

"...I am always sleepy. You know, I've been wondering. How did you spend your time before I joined this battalion?" He spoke slowly. Rin thought for a moment.

"Mnnn…TV? Mnnn…Missions. I took a lot of missions." She finally said.

"Slaughtering folk left and right huh?"

"Mnnn." She hummed in agreement.

"That's not healthy. Good thing I came here."

"Peabrain Shu. What do you have to do with it?"

"Who knows…but what I do know is-"

The young samurai grabbed the back of her head and pulled. Rin's face neared his. Shu couldn't help but taste her once more. He truly enjoyed the yokai's little mouth. Upon pulling back, he smiled.

"-that you taste like a delicious popsicle. Maybe it's because of your race?"

"................."

Rin didn't know what to say to that. She couldn't help but frown. Was that why he kept eating her lips? Because she tasted good? It was hard for her to understand why he'd been kissing her recently. She didn't even know what a kiss was!

At this moment, Commander Aiden appeared. His red eyes bored into them as usual. He never seemed to relax.

"You have a mission, Shu. Someone has specifically requested for the Sword Demon."