Fate
Fate
Ekaf Tusin Ogatorf.
Not just some ordinary knight, but the youngest knight commander in the kingdom, a man whose swordsmanship was so outstanding he was chosen as the 3rd Sword among the King's Ten Swords, and a knight renowned as one of the prides of the Itisel Kingdom who also possessed exceptional command ability.
Amazingly, he told me that six years ago, on the very day I'd killed those bandits, he had served as the forward scout who investigated my village. I wondered why someone like him would personally be doing reconnaissance, only to learn that the situation had been serious enough that he believed he needed to handle it himself. If someone that capable judged it that important, he was probably right.
It wasn't like the Demon King was some mongrel from the neighbor's backyard. The Demon King's Army had attacked the kingdom for the first time in hundreds of years, so it was definitely a serious incident.
"We could only reach the village after night had fallen. Since it was the first invasion in centuries, we moved cautiously... so we arrived far too late."
What they found was a completely destroyed village, the corpses of thieves whose times of death were estimated to differ, a still-damp mound of earth, and my parents' grave that they hadn't had time to fully cover. They had checked for any survivors but found nothing, so they had apparently wrapped things up by returning to Ogwen.
Our hut wasn't somewhere you could see easily, and I'd been so exhausted that day that I went to sleep extremely early. We'd missed each other by an almost ridiculous margin.
"But... to think there was a survivor. And one who killed those thieves at such a young age?"
"I understand why this might make my character look questionable, but they were about to steal even my parents' belongings, and I couldn't tolerate them desecrating their grave. I hope you can understand why I made that choice."
"Hm? What are you talking about? We're asking how you managed to become that capable at such a young age. Those men were bandits. Killing them was the right thing to do."
I was speechless at Radnelbandes's unexpectedly baffled response. An eight-year-old had killed six people, and that was really their reaction? I was starting to question the moral standards of this world.
"I understand what you mean... but honestly, I'm the same. At eight years old, even the strength problem alone should be hard to overcome, never mind technique. I'm sorry we're bombarding you with questions when we ought to be praising what you accomplished, but the whole thing is so extraordinary that I hope you'll indulge us."
"Well... the thing is, when I was young..."
Setting aside the absurd connection, now that my past killings had been comically exposed like this, hiding my Magic Power was out of the question. So I decided to spin the story a bit before relaying it.
With the help of a passing mage, I became able to sense Magic Power, and through repetition, I learned to control it. At the time, I used it to strengthen my body and kill them. But after hearing my teacher's words, I realized how dangerous that was and sealed it away—until I used it to kill Delt this time.
That was roughly what I told them. None of it was exactly a lie, but instead of admitting I could use Magic Power routinely, I made it sound like something I only risked in a life-or-death emergency. All three of them immediately went stiff.
"Even if it was for survival... making it through a risk like that unharmed is a miracle. You're also the first person I've ever met who could even do it."
"I say this having actually seen a bastard explode and die doing that same shit... it's a fucking miracle."
Thanks to Radnelbandes, who had an actual eyewitness account, a strange silence hung in the air, but it was also Radnelbandes who broke that silence.
"Indeed, I don't feel any aura. And yet such growth... Ragnis. So this is why you deliberately brought him."
"Yes, Master."
When I glanced over, Ragnis had relaxed her stiff expression and was smiling faintly.
"He's a man who not only saved me twice but also possesses talent. Someone who carries on the late Margrave's legacy cannot fail to offer his benefactor the proper reward and opportunities he deserves."
"Indeed... even after training from age eight, it's an impressive level of development. Not every knight's child turns out like this. Even my own daughter would be several steps behind you."
"Indeed, your daughter is talented, but comparing her to a friend who's shown such distinction since age eight is a bit much."
No, even so, she's someone else's daughter, isn't that a bit too harsh? The words nearly climbed to the back of my throat, but Ekaf nodded.
"Indeed, there's no comparison."
Now I was the one feeling awkward. Ekaf spent a while organizing his thoughts, took a sip to wet his throat, then looked me straight in the eye and continued.
"Is your goal to avenge your parents and the villagers?"
"That's part of it... but after experiencing such a major event at a young age, I never wanted to go through something like that again. My goal is simply to make sure no one even dares to fuck with me."
"Are you saying you want power?"
"No. I just want one thing to be true."
"A fact?"
"That's right. Messing with Eldmia Ega never ends well. Whether I make that true through authority or force doesn't really matter to me, as long as it's something I can do. That's why I helped Ragnis too."
Perhaps I had been too direct, because Ragnis secretly jabbed me in the side, but with people like them right in front of me, I couldn't react, so I clenched my teeth and endured.
"That's an extremely long-term goal. I may not be able to help with all of it, but I could help you take revenge on the Demon King's commander who led the attack on your village. If we can actually make that happen, it benefits the kingdom as well."
As if it were a matter of course, Ekaf continued with his expressionless, calm face.
"If I were to offer my help, would you be willing to come to my house and receive instruction?"
The proposal that Ragnis had wanted more than I did had come out of his mouth in the end.
◈
I pretended to agonize over it in front of them, but in the end, there was only one choice I could make.
I pretended to think it over, but there was really only one move available: play the guardian card and get out of there for now. Ragnis took my insistence that I needed to consult Asilie seriously, and Ekaf and Radnelbandes had heard that she was both my teacher and benefactor, so they agreed too. They even lent me a horse, saying today wasn't my only chance and I could give them an answer by the final day. At least no one tried to pressure me.
When I thought about it, it was a laughable situation. I had no need to ask Asilie anything in the first place.
There was no reason for me to be scolded for recklessly acting to save Ragnis. Our relationship was one that began as a contract with the simple condition of an eight-year term when I had saved Asilie. So in truth, Asilie had no great need to care whether I lived or died. It would just mean she was free a little sooner.
But it was obvious neither of us actually felt that way. I genuinely tiptoed around Asilie, and she genuinely worried herself sick that I might die.
If my parents were still alive right now and told me not to follow Ekaf, would I agonize over it? No matter how much I thought about it, I would just nod and say "I see," then silently follow Ekaf.
But that eight-year contract, a contract with barely two years left, was making me agonize over Ekaf's offer. A part of me wanted to refuse this perfect opportunity to learn proper swordsmanship, master aura, and become stronger, making all sorts of excuses, just to spend two more years together with Asilie.
I couldn't tell whether it was because that was a happiness with a clear expiration date or because of personal feelings.
Even though I rode the horse as slowly as possible to sort out my complicated heart, I arrived at the hut in an instant. I couldn't tell if it was because the warhorse was strong or because I'd lost track of time while lost in thought, so I decided to just blame the excessively energetic warhorse.
It was probably around four o'clock. I'd been away barely more than a week, yet the sight of the hut made my chest tighten.
And at the center of it was Asilie.
As I was momentarily distracted by her platinum-blonde hair, gleaming with a stronger silver sheen as it caught the light filtering through the leaves, Asilie—who had responded to my sound by pricking up her ears—stopped feeding the horse and greeted me with a wide smile.
"Welcome back, Eldi."
"I'm back, Sis."
I dismounted and tied the horse up beside ours, and Asilie, examining it with interest, asked.
"That's definitely a warhorse, isn't it? I can't imagine you specifically accepting one as a gift... so I guess the discussion isn't over yet?"
"That's right. Something came up that I need to talk to you about. They lent me the horse because I have to go back once more anyway."
"Something to discuss?"
Seeing the curiosity in Asilie's face made my already reluctant mouth even harder to open. But it wasn't something I could put off forever, so I slowly began.
"Ragnis's standing is apparently way more incredible than I thought. It wasn't just a guard coming—it was an entire escort unit."
"Oh my."
Since she had said she had no interest and simply gave Ragnis a light farewell before coming home, she was completely in the dark. Still, she seemed quite surprised, as if she hadn't expected it to be that level.
"One of the representatives of that escort unit was a man named Ekaf, the King's 3rd Sword."
Asilie had been listening with her ears pricked in mild interest, but her expression subtly hardened at those words alone. While I hesitated at the reaction, she asked in a subdued voice.
"He asked whether you'd come train at his house, didn't he?"