Chapter 66
Chapter 66
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Travel
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A strange dream.
Unfamiliar scenery flashed by like frames of film.
The world was dim and drenched in a blood-red hue.
And in that world, an open clearing came into view.
"......"
Swordsmen stood silently in wait.
Every one of them had a hardened expression, standing stock-still.
They seemed to be awaiting someone's command.
Or perhaps biding their time.
Then the view shifted.
Far in the distance stood the imperial palace.
It looked far more dilapidated and rusted than when I'd attended the Cluster of Stars.
Strange. The palace shouldn't look like that.
And between the palace and the swordsmen,
a man and woman stood quietly gazing at it.
"Not shaking, are you?"
The man spoke.
Dull blond hair.
Dead gray eyes.
'Huh?'
That's odd.
He looks like someone I know.
Like if I'd aged over ten years from now, that's what I'd look like.
But my eyes aren't dead like that?
For now, I watched their conversation.
The woman replied with a smile.
"Why would I? The captain's right here."
"......Foolish. Don't assume I'll have the luxury to protect you on the battlefield."
"Aw, come on. Don't be such a buzzkill."
The woman shook her flowing black hair.
That was unusual.
The swordsmen I'd seen so far, and even the man called captain, showed no signs of grooming themselves.
No, even if they tried, their bodies might not hold up anymore.
They weren't human. You could tell just by looking.
Like the bloodkin.
But this woman was different.
Her black hair gleamed with luster, her skin soft and supple—a picture-perfect beauty.
"Well, I get it. Going after the emperor's head? It'll be fierce resistance. I've gotta watch my own back."
"As long as you know."
"But hey, Captain. Isn't it weird? Why are we the only ones from the First Unit moving out to take him down?"
"......"
Who is this woman?
Her voice sounds familiar.
The man's voice resembles mine too, which is creepy, but that makes sense.
This must be a scene from the future.
When Kline Leonhart joins the Crimson Blood Cult.
In other words, the original story.
The problem is, who is that woman?
I don't know the original.
So I can only guess.
"If the cult leader moved, taking the palace would be a breeze. It feels like we're being sent out as some special strike force."
"Yoru."
"It's like they're telling us to go die—"
"Shut your mouth. What if the cult leader hears?"
"......or rather, I shouldn't even joke like that. Yeah, yeah. I know. Our captain doesn't take jokes."
"......"
'What?'
The name my future self called her.
Yoru.
That was the name of a girl I met a few years ago.
I looked at the woman again.
Black hair. Yoru's.
Features. Yoru's.
Breasts......could be Yoru's future.
In that case.
'I can see her eyes.'
The woman's eyes were red.
Meaning she's a vampire.
"Head back and rest. Prepare for tomorrow."
"What about you, Captain?"
"I don't need it."
"Then I won't go either."
"......"
My future Yoru was still playful.
Teasing like she was coquettish, just like the real Yoru.
The only difference was,
unlike with the current me, my future self didn't indulge it and showed clear annoyance.
"......"
My vision blurred.
The dream was ending.
Before consciousness faded, I thought of Yoru's appearance.
'......She was wearing an eyepatch.'
Coincidence? Or intentional?
I pondered briefly, then decided to let it go.
I wouldn't ask until she told me herself.
I respect her. If she's wearing an eyepatch, there's a reason.
I could ask when the chance came.
And.
The dream closed, and the memory of it grew hazy.
I turned fifteen.
I'm gradually becoming a proper man.
Of course, I've still got five years till adulthood, but since everyone around me treats me like one already, it doesn't matter.
The past year since meeting Ellie was spent entirely honing my magic infusion proficiency.
The perk I gained as a reward: magic infusion "Light."
This technique of infusing light into my sword to wield a magic blade can't be taught by anyone.
Knights have aura, mages have magic.
In this world where they're strictly divided, there's no one qualified to teach a freak like me effectively.
While I pondered the path of the magic swordsman, Ariel grew like a weed too.
Now ten years old, my little sister had matured a bit more.
But in my eyes, she was still just a cute girl.
No, she really was. Even at ten, traces of her six-year-old self lingered here and there.
Was it because she was still pure? Or because she'd been influenced so little by the hidden world?
Didn't matter.
As long as Ariel grew up happy, that was enough.
Anyway, with no suitable sparring partners, I was agonizing over how to improve.
and it came down to Ariel being my only option.
She doesn't use magic, but she's not a pure knight either.
She doesn't cling to swordsmanship in the first place.
Ariel's true power comes from the hidden world. In a way, isn't that the real magic?
So.
Today, I was sparring with Ariel again.
"......"
The family-exclusive training grounds.
Ariel and I faced each other there.
At ten, Ariel had grown quite a bit taller.
Still small compared to her peers, but I was glad for her growth.
Her pale eyes were as unfocused as ever.
Just blankly staring at me.
But I couldn't let my guard down.
The Ariel before me was like a mountain.
Even now, straining my eyes to read the flows, I couldn't spot any weaknesses.
'The flows are severed.'
To be precise, unreadable.
The flows directed at Ariel clustered around her, unrecognizable.
As expected of the world's strongest.
"Here I come."
I pushed hard off the ground.
And charged straight ahead.
"-."
Ariel's eyes shifted faintly.
She tracked my path. But didn't respond.
At her level, reacting now would just waste energy.
Whoosh—
Light filled my sword.
Flare. Basic light magic.
The magic Ellie taught me back then now infused my sword reliably.
The light-infused blade headed for Ariel.
Different from normal aura.
If aura is neutral energy, the light blade carried heat.
Light magic has fire properties too.
It was a solid strike with my full power behind it, but
to Ariel, it wasn't hard to block, apparently. Her hand moved slightly.
In that instant.
Bam!
"Guh!"
A shock hit like a rhino charge.
My sword-grip hand trembled.
The old me couldn't have handled it or would've dropped the sword.
Thanks to my growth, I defended, but
'Whoa. Dizzy as hell.'
Still a mountain. A mountain.
The light on my sword vanished without a trace, crushed by overwhelming force.
I'm not weak. Ariel's just too strong.
"......"
Ariel silently swung her other hand.
Now it was her turn to attack.
My sword shook slightly, then lightning-like impact crashed from above.
I infused light into my sword again.
It formed a circular barrier to protect me.
The magic sword I'd shown Father before.
If I named it now, "Divine Shield."
The radiant barrier looked like it would make me invincible—but
Bam!
"......"
I blocked the first strike.
But the relentless momentum shattered the barrier.
And just before the wave of force engulfed me,
"Enough."
Ariel withdrew her power.
"Hoo—"
I relaxed and caught my breath.
A brief exchange.
Completely different from spars before walking the magic swordsman path.
One attack from me, one from Ariel.
Just that, and I realized we couldn't continue.
"Brother. You okay?"
"Yeah."
"What now? I told you I didn't have to. I might hurt you."
"What are you talking about? You're holding back way better than before."
Ariel had definitely learned restraint.
Our first spar before the Cluster of Stars felt like she was trying to kill me.
Or maybe not? Maybe it was to toughen me up so I wouldn't freeze facing death.
Yeah......that makes sense. My little sister's been a good kid from the start.
"But seriously, Brother. What are you even learning? I do it 'cause you ask, but."
"Hmm. Well? I think you're better than other knights, so."
I've been sparring with Ariel for a while.
She was the only knight helpful in the past year.
Especially since the hidden world resembles magic.
My magic sword is more like Ariel's style than normal knights' aura.
So I kept sparring to observe it, but
"Hmm. Tricky. The gap's too big."
"Should I get weaker?"
"You can do that?"
"Destroy my body."
"Hey, don't say scary stuff."
I stroked Ariel's head, thinking.
What I need is a better sparring partner.
Practicing magic sword alone and creating techniques is fine.
The high-heat light blade was my creation, after all.
But without a partner, I can't tell if I'm improving.
"Brother. Maybe if I weaken a bit—"
"No, I said don't."
First, stop my sister from self-harm.
After sparring, I went to the family head's office for a chat with Father.
No specific purpose.
Just securing father-son talk time.
Even the stony Father now seemed to look forward to it, a faint smile on his face.
"I see. Your growth has stalled."
"Yes. No proper sparring partner. And no one to teach me."
"Makes sense. Your magic swordsman path is uncharted territory. No knight of this era can help."
Father pondered deeply.
Then pulled out a sheet of stationery from his desk.
He looked at me with serious eyes.
"Kline."
"Yes."
"Would you endure any hardship to raise your strength?"
"Pardon?"
What now?
A bit puzzled, but Father's expression was grave, so I nodded.
This world has the Crimson Blood Cult and Blood Demon.
Unavoidable destined villains.
To defeat them, I must grow stronger.
"Yes. Of course."
"I see."
Father scribbled on the paper.
Writing a letter to someone.
Who, though?
"What are you writing?"
"A letter to the only knight fit to teach you."
"Pardon? There's someone like that? Why not tell me sooner?"
"......"
Father's pen paused.
He frowned, uncharacteristically.
"......She's far crankier and stranger than you can imagine. I'd never introduce her to my son."
"Who is she?"
"The Sword Empress."
Sword Empress?
I'd heard of her. Aonia's top swordmaster.
Different from the empire's three great swordsmen.
Less knight, more swordsman, I guess.
"You're introducing me to her?"
"Yes. I don't know the empire's knights well, but in Aonia, the Sword Empress is famous for her unique swordsmanship. Not shared arts like Fierce Tiger Strike Sword. Purely her own path."
"Oh. She sounds perfect."
"......That's why I'm writing the intro, but whether things go as you hope..."
Father still seemed reluctant to connect me with her.
But I don't care.
If it makes me stronger.
Lets me walk the magic swordsman path, anything goes.
Catering to a bitchy personality is no big deal.
Scribble-scribble—
Father finished, folded the letter into an envelope,
stamped the Leonhart Ducal seal, and handed it to me.
"Take it."
"Thank you, Father."
"I know where the Sword Empress is. I'll arrange transport there. Go straight away."
"It's fine? Leaving the duchy for so long?"
"Haven't I said it often? You're already a full adult. Do as you wish; I'll support you more than that."
"......"
My nose stung a bit.
He's not talkative, but Father cares for family like this.
If those vicious rumors about Ariel hadn't spread early, maybe our father-daughter bond would've been better too.
"And. If you go to Aonia, visit your mother too."
"Ah. Come to think, I can see Mother."
Our mother recuperating in Aonia.
She left right after Ariel's birth; how many years since I last saw her?
I missed her. Perfect.
"Then I'll be off."
"Yes."
I bowed to Father and left the office.
Destination set.
The eastern land, Aonia.
The next tale headed there.