Chapter 7 - "Sword Masters are the beings closest to nature."
"Sword Masters are the beings closest to nature."
The power nature bestows upon humans: mana. Sword Masters draw that mana to its limits, forging the weapon of slaughter known as aura.
Sword Masters always sensed nature. The faintest tremors, the brush of killing intent, subtle dissonances, the barest hints of malice.
Paradoxically, it was their extreme sharpness that often made them numb to it all. In emergencies and crises, even mortal threats became laughable trifles before them.
I, too, had grown numb to many things since reaching that strength beyond limits.
"I've come to escort you, young... Young master."
That was why I could feign sleep so calmly, even knowing a nighttime guest had arrived at the cabin.
Blanketing the surroundings with mana as I slept was a habit. In mountains teeming with magic beasts, letting your guard down during a campout meant your limbs got torn apart by a sudden intruder.
So even a single rat scurrying nearby would snap my eyes open.
"...Young master. I've come to escort you."
Thus, the moment this man—who felt like a Sword Expert—stepped into the forest, my sleep had ended long before.
I focused my senses on the hesitant man addressing Didi as "young master." He was armed, but I sensed no intent to attack.
Someone here to fetch Didi.
Leaning back in the chair with my eyes closed, I judged the situation using every sense but sight. Circumstantially, the nighttime guest seemed to be a knight from Didi's family.
"But this man..."
"Speak quietly."
He's already awake.
Suddenly sitting up now would just be awkward. I decided to keep pretending to sleep until he left, waiting for the moment to pass.
"Could he be—"
"Shh."
"...the one who means harm to you, young master?"
Shring. The scrape of metal as a sword slid from its sheath.
I hesitated, wondering if I should go on alert, when—
"Don't act rashly. He's my lifesaver."
Didi cut in coolly. His large fingers wrapped around my hand. The warmth spreading from it felt unfamiliar.
Even after the man withdrew his hand from his sword hilt, Didi kept toying with my hand without a word.
The man spoke anxiously. "Young master, shouldn't we be going now? The palace..."
"The mansion must be in an uproar."
Didi interrupted him hastily.
Something's off.
He'd seemed like he was hiding something for a while now. And here, the only one he could be hiding from was me.
Does he know I'm not asleep?
If he thought I was sleeping, he wouldn't bother hiding it like that. His fingers fiddling with my wrist made me feel strangely unsettled.
I was tempted to just open my eyes, but I hated the hassle of complications, so I decided to endure for now.
"Young master."
The man urged Didi with an anxious voice. Didi, now kneading both my hands, replied languidly.
"Yeah. I suppose I should go."
Regret dripped from his voice.
Did he grow fond of me that quickly?
It felt odd. He'd grilled me so sharply about why I saved him, yet he was clearly grateful.
He pulled back the blanket and sat up.
"But... isn't that outfit a bit too small?"
The man asked in a strange tone. I recalled Didi sleeping with my shirt unbuttoned, draped over him like an outer coat.
A small chuckle escaped.
"The owner of the clothes is just small."
This jerk.
I barely suppressed a twitch between my brows. Sure, I was a full head shorter than Didi, but that was just because he was freakishly tall—for my age, I wasn't small at all.
Didi gazed down at me for a moment, then stroked my hair. The touch was tender, laced with affection, which puzzled me even as I steeled myself.
If he tries to remove the mask...
I'd have to subdue both him and the man. I knew my hand striking Didi's nape would be far faster than his reaching for my mask, so I wasn't tense—but I hoped it wouldn't come to that.
I don't want to use force.
Had I grown fond of Didi in that short time, too? I didn't want to attack him unless I had to.
"...Young master."
"Shh."
The man's voice grew strange as he glanced between Didi and me. Suspicion, maybe? Or shock?
Didi let out a soft breath, moving the hand stroking my hair up over my face. He gently traced the skin above my eyes not covered by the mask, slid down the bridge of my nose hidden beneath it to caress both cheeks carefully, hovering around my exposed lips.
His hand didn't seem to want to remove the mask—it felt like he was committing my face to memory through touch.
...He's acting so weird.
When his fingers brushed my lips, it really started feeling off. Half hoping he'd just leave already, I shifted slightly as if stirring from sleep. Didi froze, then slowly withdrew his hand.
"You really must go now."
The man pleaded urgently. Ignoring him lightly, Didi glanced around me.
"You'll be uncomfortable."
A firm arm slipped behind my neck and knees as I leaned against the chair back. My body lifted in an instant.
His solid chest pressed against my head. Didi clicked his tongue as he lifted me effortlessly.
"Too light."
I couldn't fathom why this man was acting this way. The gentle demeanor, the worried tone—they were all so unfamiliar to me.
The hard mattress met my back. Didi removed my shoes, tucked the blanket tightly around me, and smiled faintly. A subtle vanilla scent wafted from the blanket that had covered him.
He reached out, brushing back the hair over my ear, then whispered slowly into it.
"We'll meet again soon, Shushu."
Mwah. Something soft touched the mask over my forehead, then pulled away.
Crazy.
I wasn't one for skinship, but Didi's soft voice and gentle kiss were more than enough to stun me.
"Young master...!"
"Quiet."
His voice shifted from spring breeze softness to something entirely different. The gap between how he treated the man and me felt like spring versus winter—it was disorienting.
"Time to go."
His footsteps rang out cheerfully. Leaving the frozen me and the man behind, Didi opened the cabin door and laughed aloud.
"Goodbye, Shushu."
I'll miss you.
The added whisper, his footsteps exiting, the man hurrying after, the door closing. I couldn't open my eyes until the sun hung high in the sky.
Even after Didi left, I lay there blankly, rigid for a long while. Only once the sun fully rose did I slowly open my eyes and sit up.
Leaning against the wall, I brushed the bed slowly. The faint vanilla scent still tickled my nose.
That kid smelled of lemon.
A vague old memory stirred in my mind. A memory vivid even after years had flown by. I wondered how that kid was living now.
It was similar back then, too.
Something like this had happened once before.
Why did you save me? What do you want?
It was a stormy summer night. I'd found a gravely injured child collapsed and brought him to this cabin to treat him.
There’s no such thing as kindness without reason! Don’t lie!
Didi was a world-weary adult who'd seen every ugly side of life, but that kid had been like a wounded lamb, constantly tormented and scarred by people, wary of everyone.
Shushu-unnie...
Yet he'd wanted to trust people one more time.
I wonder if he's doing well.
After recovering somewhat, the kid had vanished without warning, and I'd never seen him again. I didn't expect repayment for the favor, but I'd hoped to at least glimpse his face and know he was okay.
Well, no news is good news.
I leaned my head back weakly. I convinced myself he was probably thriving too much to visit.
I got up sluggishly and straightened the bedding. Didi's faint vanilla scent from the sheets. The bitter lemon scent of that kid, still sharp in my memory.
Folding the blanket and smoothing the bedspread with a blank expression, a wave of emotion suddenly hit me, and I let out a hollow breath.
I've grown too numb.
I felt pathetic toward myself. Chuckling dryly, I flopped down.
That was why human warmth was dangerous. The cabin interior, shrouded in the massive tree's shadow, was dim even in morning. A single thin ray of sunlight barely pierced the window.
This place, made lonelier by the faint light, was perfect silence. Buried in shadow, I slowly closed my eyes.
A feeling of floating alone. The silence of being the only one left in space.
This sensation was commonly defined as loneliness.
It's strange, isn't it?
It was always just me here. Why did it suddenly feel so desolate?
"Shushu-unnie!"
Unlocking and opening the door with practiced ease, a small figure dashed in and leaped lightly into my arms. I chuckled softly and hugged back.
I set down the food packaged from Helene on the floor.
"Aria."
Aria whipped her head up and clung to my waist.
"Why didn't you come home last night? I was really worried!"
Her pouting, tearful face tugged at my heart. I gave an awkward smile.
"Sorry. Something urgent came up last night. Did you eat dinner properly? I'm sorry I couldn't make it for you."
"Is food the priority right now?"
Aria's gentle eyes sharpened as she scowled. I nodded stubbornly, reading her mood.
"You have to eat properly. There wasn't much food at home anyway."
"What about you, unnie? Did you eat dinner?"
I clamped my mouth shut and scratched my head awkwardly in front of her glaring eyes. I'd skipped dinner treating Didi, so I had nothing to say.
"You're always like this, Shushu-unnie. You worry about me constantly but never take care of yourself. You say you love only me, that I'm everything, but you hide so much from me."
Aria grumbled, her tone more resigned than angry or demanding—it hurt even more.
I'm sorry, Aria, but...
I couldn't tell her everything. Even knowing she'd be hurt and tormented by my secrets, I couldn't reveal them.
I just... really can't say it.
I could never tell the worried Aria that I'd been trampled by magic beasts into pulp and become a Sword Master.
"...I know. There must be a reason. I know you wouldn't hide things from me without one, and I know I'm acting childish right now. But I'm worried about you..."
Her small mutter tore at my heart. Aria buried her face in my chest.
What should I do with you...?
I bit my lip, then slowly stroked her hair.
Unnie! Please snap out of it! Shushu-unnie, please!
I vaguely recalled the time shortly after I'd picked up the sword. My first magic beast subjugation expedition—I'd come home a mangled mess. Aria had found me collapsing in front of the house.
...There must be a reason you can't say. Got it. I won't ask anymore.
After wandering between life and death for days and finally waking, she'd asked about my injuries. When I couldn't answer, she'd shut her mouth fast. She'd grown up too quickly.
"I'm sorry for not being able to tell you so many things."
I wanted to say I was hiding it for her sake, but now even that felt uncertain. Was blindly keeping secrets truly best for her? When she hurt like this.
I... didn't know.
"Don't go anywhere today, unnie. Let's head to the city and have fun together?"
All I could do was change the subject. Aria flinched in my arms. She rubbed her slightly reddened eyes vigorously and smiled brightly—as if to reassure me.
"Yeah. Let's go play."