The Great Search

The rulers of the province, the Hong Dynasty, were currently hostile to the nearby Cheng Clan of the Orange Province due to some petty quarrel of their younger generation over some girl, and as a result of such enmity skirmishes were now frequent at their border.

When Mei's power awoke she was within the borders of the Red Province, working for the Hongs as a mercenary both before and after the event, ignorant to the chaos such phenomenon brought in the ruler classes of each Province.

With the occurrence happening directly within the borders of their own Red Province, the Hong Dynasty was the first to react, issuing the order to search for any young maiden possessing both stunning beauty and overwhelming swordsmanship and bring them back to the imperial palace, using the occasion to obtain the Sword Hime as well as a pretext to enlarge the royal harem with previously mostly untouchable beauties without great obstructions.

Mei was among those brought to the palace. Initially she didn't know why she was being brought there, and when she understood she couldn't do anything about it as her weapons were already taken elsewhere and guards were everywhere, so she could only wait for the right moment to escape.

Despite gathering all the potential Sword Himes, the Hong didn't treat them all the same.

The lodging assigned varied, with servant rooms given to mercenaries like Mei and great houses given to maiden from noble families, and they were to live there "Until we find what we are searching for".

Obviously such as excuse was just that, an excuse, and the new residential area would be used from then on as an unofficial harem even if the sword hime was found.