Chapter 76
"You never say what you want, so I spent a lot of time wondering what to give you. Then I prepared something you'd love the most."
Kaiser handed me a box.
I tilted my head and opened it. My eyes went wide.
"Wow......"
Inside was a sword. My heart pounded. Mouth slightly agape, I lifted the scabbard from the box. Even holding both, the sword felt incredibly light. Entranced, I gripped the hilt and drew it.
Shing.
The blade emerged with a scraping sound. Eyes sparkling, I examined it closely. A razor-sharp edge forged from unmistakably fine steel. Subtle mana infused within, as if enchanted. An intricately gold-embellished hilt, centered with a mana stone.
'Wow......'
All that came out was admiration. For someone like me, who'd scrimped and saved for months to buy a sword from the local weapons shop at fifteen and used it ever since, this was the first truly fine blade I'd ever held.
While I was lost in the sword, Kaiser explained with a proud smile.
"It's made from steel only found in the north. Optimized for amplifying aura. The mana stone in the hilt smooths mana flow. Truth be told, I commissioned it not long after you arrived at the estate, and it just came in. Crafted by Porgos of the Atara Kingdom, the continent's greatest blacksmith. Do you like it?"
'Like it?'
I stared at the sword for a long moment before turning to Kaiser. A faint expectation lingered on his face. I flashed him the brightest smile imaginable.
"It's the best gift ever, Father."
The sword is my soul. My life began with a sword and would end with one. I loved the blade itself, of course, but this gift felt like Kaiser's acknowledgment of how vital swords were to me. It filled me with boundless joy.
"It'd be even better if you used it to hack Audi Prama's limbs to pieces...... but you declared you'd handle him your way. Since you're taking care of it, I won't interfere. Win that hunting contest and crush him flat."
Kaiser's expression as he mentioned Audi was like a demon crawling up from hell. Even I, a Sword Master, felt a chill from the sheer killing intent and let out an awkward laugh.
'It was tough holding back those two when they were raging to behead Audi.'
After the imperial ball, Aria had heard the rumors about the incident between Audi and me. Kaiser learned of it through her and tried to storm the Prama estate multiple times.
'You're my daughter. Kashmir Crisis! You're so precious I hesitate even to touch you—the first being I've ever truly loved deeply in my life! And you, my daughter, suffered an insult from that scum? You expect me to sit idle? I can't. Just knowing I wasn't there when it happened makes me want to shove my head into a devil's maw! Don't make me and your brother more miserable. Audi Prama dies today.'
'Do you know why I'm a commoner-born adopted daughter who's been called out for overstepping in high society while clawing my way to dominate it? It's for my sister! She threw herself into the mercenary world to save just me, living rough her whole life. I don't want her disrespected by anyone ever again! I want to crush this damned high society under my heel so no noble there can ever look down on her! And now you tell me to endure some worthless scum insulting her? I can't! I'll kill that bastard for sure!'
Somehow, I'd overheard their heart-wrenching sincerity from the two in their fury. The one who helped calm my overwhelmed self was none other than Kal.
'You think I don't want to lop off that bastard's head? I'm the one who wants to kill him most. Because...... I'm the cause. That scum targeted Kashmir to get back at me.'
'If it were up to me, I'd torture him until he begs to die.'
'But why......!'
'The one insulted was Shushu. She said she'd handle it her way.'
'We can't interfere. Shushu wanted no one meddling.'
That day, Kal showed me respect. Eyes burning with uncontainable rage, he still set his emotions aside and insisted we had to honor my choice.
'Kal stayed silent about my choice on Merhen too.'
The day after the ball, Merhen was found half-dead in a corner of the palace gardens, but true to our agreement, Kal kept quiet about him insulting me.
If he'd spilled and Kaiser and Aria learned Merhen had insulted me too—after Audi—they'd have torn high society apart. For me, who didn't want a huge fuss, it was a relief.
Convinced by Kal, the two grumbled in fury but suppressed their feelings to respect me. They looked like they wanted to charge out any second, yet affirmed they'd honor my way. They were too lovable and precious.
'Uh, sis? You're crying? H-Hey, don't cry...... That damned bastard, just wait till I see him. Okay?'
'......I thought you didn't want us interfering, but was I wrong? Did it hurt that I held back? Should I go rip his mind apart right now?'
'Shushu. Don't cry. If you do...... I don't know what to do.'
Their overflowing, undeserved love filled my narrow heart to bursting and spilled over. I think I shed a few tears that day.
'Maybe all my past misery was for this moment.'
Happiness and unhappiness are equals in exchange, so perhaps the suffering led to this overwhelming joy. That's how happy I was.
'That's why I'll protect these times no matter what.'
Reaffirming my resolve, I drank in the sight of the three with a loving gaze.
BAM!
"Damn it! Master key privileges, really? Didn't we agree no sword gifts?!"
"You think I don't know she loves swords, so I didn't?!"
Kal and Aria shot up in outrage. Apparently, there'd been some negotiation among the three I wasn't privy to.
I stared at Kaiser, who looked like he'd pulled a sneaky trick, in bewilderment. He smirked infuriatingly.
"The one who ignores means and methods gets loved the most."
BAM!
No sooner had he spoken than the two unleashed attack magic at him. Kaiser blocked the incoming strikes with aura—a familiar sight.
A peaceful, unbearably happy day.
And then the day of the hunting contest arrived.
"......Are you really okay like that?"
Maria, who'd finished preparing to leave, inspected me head to toe and asked again, worry etched on her face.
I gave her a small smile.
"It's enough."
"Still...... you haven't even done your makeup, and for a hunting contest with no protective gear at all......"
"Maria. Who am I?"
I cut off her fretting and stared. She bit her lip and bowed.
"The lady of House Crisis, and my mistress."
"And the Sword Master Mir."
Maria's shoulders jerked. As one of the servants who'd sworn not to speak of it, she couldn't utter that I was Mir. I smiled confidently at her tense reaction upon hearing the name.
Even facing ferocious magic beasts, I'd worn just a black cloak. Protective gear only weighed me down and got in the way.
"A Sword Master's mana is stronger than any gear."
I was confident no armor could protect me better than my own mana.
"Sis! Ready?"
Down on the first floor, Aria, Kal, and Kaiser waited, prepared. I nodded with a smile.
Aria rushed over, scanned me up and down, then flinched and furrowed her brow.
"......You're going like this?"
"Huh?"
Aria's face crumpled. I blinked, tilting my head at what could be wrong.
"Weird?"
"No, no...... It suits you. You look insanely cool...... That's the problem."
"What?"
"It's too...... lethal."
Feeling déjà vu from my debutante days, I floated question marks over my head. Kal and Kaiser had said the same last time, and now Aria too.
'What's...... the issue?'
My outfit was plain to the point of bland. Bare skin showed only at my knees and a bit above my calves.
As I looked at Aria conveying my confusion, Kal and Kaiser approached from the sofa, faces grave.
"......With a woman like this, you'd think she deserves to be exploited. Too dangerous."
"Agreed. It's a bit...... precarious."
"Sis's outfit...... it's not overtly revealing or vulgar—it's subtly lethal. Like it stimulates the imagination?"
'Where?!'
More confused watching Kal, Kaiser, and Aria gravely discuss while eyeing my clothes, I checked again. It was overly simple—no vulgarity anywhere.
"Isn't this just standard noble hunt attire?"
"......It is. But on you, it feels off. Gives a sense of forbidden allure."
'What the hell.'
I shot Kal a deadpan look for his nonsense. He avoided my eyes for some reason.
'Well, the three of them always lavish praise on me.'
Dismissing it as such, I shrugged.
"Got it. But no time to change—let's go."
Discontent rose on their faces, but it couldn't be helped.
The clearing before the forest where the hunting contest was held bustled with tents and crowds of nobles. The hot topic on everyone's lips amid the chatter was, of course, this.
"Lady Kashmir Crisis is entering this hunting contest, right?"
Kashmir Crisis, who abruptly announced her participation at the welcome banquet for the delegation a week ago.
Compared to Aria Crisis, who dominated high society upon debut and mingled freely, Kashmir was eerily quiet. She only appeared at unavoidable major events, an enigmatic figure. Even when present, she exuded an otherworldly aura that kept distance—no mingling. Her rare sightings at the palace or temple fueled endless rumors.
"Did you see her confront Viscount Prama at the imperial ball? So bold."
"I found her bold to the point of rough. And she wields a sword. Her temperament must be......"
"Did you see the crown prince block Viscount Prama? Rumors say he's courting Lady Crisis."
"I heard she’s close to His Holiness the Pope."
"Didn't Viscount Ainheart ask her to dance at the debutante?"
Whispers everywhere. Goodwill and malice mixed with unverifiable gossip filled the air.