Chapter 132: The Unyielding Maidens
"Lord Yotsuba, you're amazing! You even defeated that sadistic general!"
Several girls chattered excitedly, their voices filled with admiration and reverence.
It was no wonder.
After all, Esdeath's reputation in the Imperial City was immense—her popularity and recognition far surpassed even General Budo's.
That being said, although Esdeath lost this time, she didn't renege on her promise.
After catching her breath, she readily accepted the task of training Green and Nahashu.
And he, leading the six girls, disappeared into the dense forest, heading toward their next training location.
It was another waterfall, different from the previous one.
The waterfall here was not as fierce as the one before; instead, it resembled a gentle mountain stream cascading from the valley above, forming a clear, deep pool below, which then flowed into a small river downstream.
It evoked a poetic scene of a small bridge, flowing water, and a rustic home.
"It's so beautiful. Lord Yotsuba, are we going to conduct special training here?" Cornelia asked delightedly.
"Yes, this is where you will train in concealing your presence."
"Concealing our presence?"
Hearing Mahiro's words, the girls exchanged glances, seeing nothing but confusion in each other's eyes.
None of them understood what it meant.
"What does 'concealing our presence' mean, Lord Yotsuba? Could you explain it more clearly?" Cornelia inquired.
Tsukushi and the others also looked at him curiously, as the chosen scene didn't seem to match the idea of rigorous training!
Only Akame blinked adorably, surveying the beautiful surroundings while thinking to herself that this place would be perfect for a picnic or something similar.
Speaking of picnics, her stomach was starting to growl. How she missed the aroma of Lord Yotsuba's cooking!
Observing their reactions, Mahiro sighed inwardly.
He had learned the concept of concealing one's presence from Gozuki, but it seemed that guy hadn't taught the girls a single thing about it.
How could he keep secrets while training assassins?!
Damn it!
Thinking this, Mahiro spoke again: "Simply put, you will be catching fish in the river."
"The fish species living here are called River Tuna. They are highly alert and easily spooked, so you need to suppress your presence and blend into the environment to catch them."
As he spoke, he paced along the cliff edge.
"Lord Yotsuba, I don't really understand. Could you demonstrate it for us?"
Poney raised her hand boldly.
The others all gave Poney a thumbs-up.
Well done, you dummy!
Since it involved catching fish in the river, surely they would have to take off their clothes, right?
After all, during the last physiology lesson, they had learned about the secrets of a girl's body, but they still didn't know much about boys' bodies.
Especially when it came to their instructor's body—they were incredibly curious!
Their eyes were filled with anticipation.
The mature Cornelia blushed fiercely, while Tsukushi had already covered her adorable cheeks with her hands, peeking at him through the gaps between her fingers.
As for the others, they all stared intently at his next move.
Unfortunately, they were disappointed.
Although Mahiro agreed to demonstrate, his method involved capturing a Danger Beast in the forest instead of catching fish.
After all, he couldn't swim—it couldn't be helped.
However, while the six girls were disappointed, they were also amazed to see him stroll casually up to the Danger Beast and knock it unconscious.
"That's roughly how it's done. Do you understand now?"
Mahiro dragged the prey with one hand and brought it before them.
Seeing that they still seemed a bit confused, he explained: "This is the most classic and commonly used skill for assassins when carrying out covert missions."
"Silently approach the target, deliver a fatal strike, then quietly depart without leaving any traces or being detected by anyone.
This is the essence of being an assassin."
Though there was another branch in the path of assassins, given their current physical condition and skills, they clearly couldn't achieve it.
"Your task today is to successfully catch a River Tuna for your lunch. Otherwise, you'll go hungry today."
"If you understand, start taking off your clothes now!"
Upon hearing his command, though the girls felt somewhat embarrassed, they understood why men and women were trained separately.
Truly worthy of Lord Yotsuba, to have considered everything so thoroughly!
"Yes, Lord Yotsuba!"
Poney immediately raised her hand in a salute, radiating energy. Her personality was quite similar to Seryu's.
Even the leader Cornelia saw nothing inappropriate about it. Despite having learned about physiological differences between men and women, and despite Instructor Yotsuba being right in front of them, she still swiftly removed her outer garments.
At the mention of lunch, Akame cast aside all her reservations.
The six girls undid their assassination unit-issued clothing without hesitation, revealing the cute and pretty underwear underneath—gifts specially chosen for them by Mahiro.
When they removed their final layers and changed into the swimsuits he had prepared in advance, their charming figures were fully displayed before him.
Truly deserving of the busty faction's Gin and Tsukushi—their curves were wonderfully accentuated by the swimwear.
While Cornelia and Akame's sizes could be said to be just perfect.
And compared to Cornelia's mature womanly appeal, Akame's youthful charm was absolutely maximized.
Beyond her perfectly shaped oval face, she possessed soft, flawless features: eyebrows like painted strokes, an elegant nose, rosy lips, and long hair cascading like a waterfall.
Very beautiful.
Only Kurome and Poney were slightly lacking, being only marginally larger than Mine.
"Hehe, is Lord Yotsuba reacting to Poney's body? If Lord Yotsuba wants to touch, you're completely welcome to!"
No one knew where Poney learned it from, but she struck a seductive pose.
Mahiro naturally responded with a merciless chop to the top of Poney's head.
As Poney crouched holding her head defensively, he said expressionlessly: "Because of this idiot, not only do you have to catch fish, but you must do so while wearing weights in the river. Understood?"
"Eeeeeeh?!!!"
"How could this be..."
"Ugh, it was already difficult enough, now it seems the difficulty has increased another level..."
They couldn't help but voice their lamentations, casting resentful glances at the foolish Poney.
It's all your fault, you dummy!
Poney herself felt wronged—this was completely different from what was promised. Had she been deceived?!
Damn it!!!
But despite the commotion, and however close their relationship with Mahiro might be, they never slacked off during training.
"Lord Yotsuba, if I can catch several more, may I eat them all?"
Before setting out, Akame suddenly asked this.
Truly a foodie—even though catching just one of these fish was challenging for them, Akame directly stated she wanted to catch several more for fear of not eating enough.
"Of course, you're free to handle any prey you catch, but don't say I didn't warn you—these fish are extremely difficult to catch. If you can't conceal your presence completely, you won't be able to catch them at all."
As he spoke, Mahiro was already building a fire by the riverbank.
"So that's how it is. We understand what Lord Yotsuba means."
Seeing how seriously Mahiro made it sound, the girls immediately responded with equal seriousness.
"Hehe, don't worry too much. You should be able to learn it with proper training. Besides, that type of fish is incredibly delicious. I can teach you how to prepare it."
"Really?!"
The most excited were undoubtedly the food-loving sisters Akame and Kurome.
During this period, they had already sampled the taste of every Danger Beast in the forest.
Now, hearing about something delicious, Akame's wine-red eyes began to sparkle brilliantly, her mind filled with images of several fragrant grilled fish...
"Lord Yotsuba, I'm going in!"
Akame took the lead, arriving at the cliff edge. Gazing at the tranquil, deep pool below, she gracefully stretched her elegant figure.
From under her arms, one could see two flattened oval contours, while her perky, firm buttocks were completely visible!
Though she still appeared somewhat youthful and inexperienced, she already possessed an initial charm that was quite captivating.
Splash!
Akame dove straight into the pool without even creating a splash.
Though the refracted light made the water appear shallow, the pool actually had an astonishing depth of ten meters—otherwise the River Tuna wouldn't have chosen to inhabit this place.
Seeing this, the others exchanged glances before successively jumping into the pool as well, swimming swiftly through the water like mermaids.
Although Gozuki had trained them for three years, he hadn't actually taught them much beyond some basic wilderness survival skills.
Swimming was one of them.
At least this saved Mahiro some effort.
And so, Mahiro sat by the cliff edge, quietly roasting Danger Beast meat while occasionally watching the splashes in the pool.
From daylight until dark.
By the time he had finished eating an entire Danger Beast, the girls finally crawled ashore, completely exhausted.
Everyone was either lying prone or on their backs, breathing heavily.
"So, how did it go everyone? What were your results?"
Though it was obvious from looking at them, Mahiro couldn't resist teasing.
"Ugh... Sorry, Lord Yotsuba, we... we failed."
Everyone let out mournful groans.
So it really was that difficult...
"How about you, little Akame? Didn't you say you wanted to catch several to eat? How many did you get?"
"Ugh..."
When called by name, Akame's delicate body trembled instantly. Like a dead fish, she lay face-down in the dirt without moving. After a long while, she finally responded in a muffled voice:
"Sorry, Lord Yotsuba... I've failed your expectations... My operation was unsuccessful."
If one could see her face now, they would find she could no longer maintain her previous composure—her cute face was completely flushed red, filled with shame.
"Never mind, never mind. I'll demonstrate one last time for you. If you still can't learn it by then, you'll really have to go hungry starting tomorrow."
In the end, Mahiro's heart softened.
Although he had considered making them skip a meal as punishment, he ultimately didn't go through with it. Instead, he personally entered the water to catch several large fish for them.
After all, if they went hungry today, they would lack energy tomorrow, which would create a vicious cycle affecting the entire training session.
As for his inability to swim?
It was true he couldn't swim, but that didn't mean he couldn't fly.
What difference was there between flying through water and flying through air?
Meanwhile, the young girls, upon hearing that Mahiro wasn't going to punish them, quickly scrambled up from the ground and watched intently as Mahiro entered the water to catch fish.
Soon enough, several large fish came flying out of the water, landing one after another on the shore.
It looked so simple—just entering the water and scooping up fish with such ease. Why did it become so difficult when they tried it themselves?
Even that fool Poney felt somewhat unwilling to accept this, her fighting spirit ignited.
"Alright, come over and get ready to eat."
Mahiro dragged several large fish over to the fireside and called out to them.
The six girls in their swimsuits leaned against each other as they sat around the bonfire, none of them finding the situation inappropriate.
It felt like they were on an outing, preparing a delicious dinner together with Mahiro.
Not only grilled fish, Mahiro also taught them how to prepare other dishes, such as a delicious and savory fish soup. As the originally clear broth gradually turned milky white, the girls all gasped in amazement.
After tasting it, Poney and Tsukushi wore expressions of pure bliss, while Akame and Kurome gazed at him with worshipful, fervent eyes after their first sip.
They engraved this beautiful, joyful memory deeply in their minds.
Though Mahiro was their instructor, he showed them a level of care they had never experienced before.
Although this was technically training, it felt more like he was accompanying them on a fun outing.
Unlike their previous "father" Gozuki, whose cold title remained superficial, Mahiro brought them the genuine warmth of a family.
If possible, they even wished time could freeze forever in this moment.
However, after eating and drinking their fill, the girls hugged their knees, curled up, and watched the flames flickering in the evening breeze over the woodpile.
Each of them was in low spirits, reflecting on their performance.
After all, no matter how you looked at it, they had all been marked as failures in today's training. Yet how could they not understand Lord Yotsuba's kindness—his compassion that couldn't bear to see them go hungry?
But this very kindness made them feel too ashamed to face him.
"Lord Yotsuba, Tsukushi... Tsukushi will definitely work harder from now on! If I still can't catch a fish tomorrow, please don't go easy on me!"
It was unexpected.
Among the six of them, the first to speak up was actually Tsukushi—the gentlest of the group, who served as the team's healing mascot.
Her amber eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
She felt that if she didn't do something, if she didn't strive harder, she would be unworthy of Lord Yotsuba's kindness!
After she spoke, the others also expressed similar resolutions.
"Poney... Poney will do the same too!"
The vocabulary-deficient fool Poney could only squeeze out this single sentence.
"Is that so? Then I'll look forward to your performance tomorrow."
"YES!!!"
The cries of the six girls echoed through the night sky.
That evening, Mahiro did not return but instead built a temporary shelter for himself and the girls to stay in.
Mahiro lay on a wooden bed on one side.
The other girls faced him from across the aisle, their gazes lingering thoughtfully on Mahiro as he slept.
The night passed without incident.
Early the next morning, the girls began their training again.
Still wearing their weighted gear, they leaped into the river.
But it had to be said—they had improved today.
Though they still failed to catch any fish, they managed to touch the tails of the fish several times. On one occasion, they nearly succeeded but lost their grip while trying to toss the fish ashore.
That evening, aware of their failure to catch any prey, they voluntarily imposed punishment on themselves—none of them ate.
Even the most gluttonous among them, Akame and Kurome, resisted their appetites.
Though as they watched Mahiro grilling meat by the campfire and smelled the enticing aroma, they couldn't help but drool with desire.
On the third day, they finally caught their first fish.
Another week passed, and they were already able to catch a small amount of fish to barely fill their stomachs.
Half a year went by just like that.
These girls had completely mastered the art of concealing their presence, and they all performed exceptionally well, unaffected even while wearing weights.
Like the top predators in the deep pools of the river, they once drove the river tuna to the brink of extinction.
...
...
Meanwhile, Nahashu and Green had been training under Esdeath during this period.
It seemed this woman had become addicted to training; according to Nyau, Esdeath came up with different ways to torment the two every day.
But it had to be said, if they could endure under Esdeath's hands, their strength would undoubtedly undergo a qualitative change.
Nyau was the best example.
Originally, Nyau wasn't very strong, but after being personally trained by Esdeath, his strength could no longer be underestimated.
Two years slipped away like sand through their fingers, but amidst the arduous training, Akame and the others seemed to have forgotten the concept of time.
Perhaps it was because Mahiro often ate, lived, and traveled with them, accompanying them in training, or perhaps because each training session was full of novelty, making them feel happy every time.
After two years of cultivation, the eight-member elite team's bodies gradually matured, especially Cornelia, Gin, and Tsukushi—the three had grown into full-fledged women.
The sisters Akame and Kurome exuded a youthful charm.
Only Poney remained flat-chested with little growth, but her legs were well-maintained, more alluring and firm than Cornelia's!
Most importantly, their physical fitness had improved several times compared to before, with their weight load increasing from 15 kg to 45kg!
They wore the weights whether eating or sleeping, and no one removed them without Mahiro's permission.
A year ago, Esdeath had to go on an expedition to suppress the ethnic groups at the southwestern border, so Nahashu and Green returned to the team.
However, whether it was Nahashu and Green, who had been trained by Esdeath, or the six girls who had persevered under Mahiro, in terms of physical fitness alone, they were no less than Daidara of the Three Beasts.
Their growth was truly remarkable.
But at this moment, the Imperial City was also on the brink of turmoil, with the atmosphere becoming tense and stagnant.
There was only one reason—
The old emperor of the empire was critically ill!