Unexpected Encounter (4)
People usually give off some kind of presence. Footsteps, breathing—some sound is only natural. Or was it because she was a Sword Master? Emilia appeared without the slightest noise. And because of that—
“Grrrr!”
Akasha counterattacked in a flash. She must have decided it was an ambush. That was why Emilia’s sudden entrance had provoked her.
Bang—!
With a sound like iron smashing together, Emilia let out a groan. Akasha’s reaction had been that swift.
“What’s with this little brat?”
“Grrrr!”
Akasha’s movements were dazzling. She relentlessly targeted Emilia’s vital points—neck, temple, solar plexus, the back of the hand, ankles, everything. It was like watching a single acrobatic performance.
“Why is she so ferocious?” Emilia muttered.
Yet she blocked every strike without dropping her guard for even an instant. So this was what a Sword Master could do. She deflected Akasha’s attacks without even drawing her sword.
A duel between a Sword Master and a future Demon King’s Army Commander. It was the kind of scene that made your chest swell with grandeur.
This isn’t the time for sightseeing.
I, who had been staring blankly, finally shouted at Akasha.
“Akasha, stop! She’s my acquaintance!”
“Huh?”
Akasha glanced back at me just before the magic could activate in her hand. It seemed she had already learned the beastmen’s sorcery and even her own unique magic in the meantime.
That was way too close…
The spell Akasha used was self-replication—a unique magic rooted in beastmen sorcery. It summoned multiple clones that possessed the exact same power as the original. In the original novel, when she served as a Demon King’s Army Commander, she could create over a hundred. A one-woman army. A walking calamity.
If she had unleashed that spell and the fight had escalated for real, there would have been no turning back. Akasha’s identity as a beastman would have been exposed, and she would have suffered something truly horrific.
It was a relief she had stopped.
I let out a sigh of relief and called out to Emilia.
“Emilia, it’s been a while. Have you been well?”
“Young Master! It’s been so long since I last saw you.”
Emilia approached with a bright, beaming smile. I introduced her to Akasha.
“This is Emilia. She used to be my personal servant.”
“Hello. I am Emilia, the ‘servant’ of Sieg Barbary.”
Did she still want to call herself my servant even now? She had put deliberate emphasis on the word when introducing herself.
“Ah, I’m Akasha. I’m sorry.”
Akasha glanced at me nervously before apologizing. Then her eyes met Emilia’s and widened into perfect circles.
“Eh? That Sword Master?”
She had recognized her—the protagonist of the match we had just been watching.
“As expected, God-nim’s Sieg really was that Sieg! Of course…!! Now I finally understand how that person became so strong.”
Akasha was marveling, but what did Emilia’s strength have to do with me?
“Akasha, quiet!”
I scolded Akasha, whose tail was wagging furiously inside the robe. Even though we were in a deserted spot, someone might still overhear. I wanted to calm her down before the problem grew any larger.
“Akasha, let’s keep this a secret for now. Shh!”
“Uh… yes!! Shh!”
When I pressed my index finger to my lips, Akasha copied the gesture exactly.
Whew. At least the immediate crisis was resolved.
I breathed another sigh of relief.
Right at that moment—
“What secret are we talking about, Sieg-nim?”
A voice that was impossibly familiar drifted over from the side.
When I turned my head, three people stood there. Two of them had extremely familiar faces.
“You didn’t lie to me, did you?”
It was Soho. She spotted Emilia instantly and broke into a radiant smile.
“So the Sieg who raised Sword Master Emilia was actually a man! Oh ho…”
And beside her stood a woman who looked exactly like Soho. Daeho gazed at me with open admiration.
It seemed the misunderstanding I had feared had already taken root.
We changed locations. The three of us entered a quiet lodging. There had been too many eyes around to clear up the misunderstanding on the spot. As the saying went, birds hear words spoken by day and mice hear words spoken by night. We asked for their understanding and moved before the situation could spiral any further.
“So would you care to explain what exactly is going on, Sieg. Nim?”
“First of all, the Sieg Emilia mentioned is indeed me.”
“But you clearly said it wasn’t! Are you hiding things from us?”
What exactly did she think our relationship was? Soho looked utterly betrayed, her face full of disappointment.
“Please calm down and listen. It’s true that I’m that Sieg, but all I did was tell Emilia she could become a Sword Master and cheer her on. I never taught her swordsmanship or anything like that.”
“That’s correct. Young Master gave me confidence. He told me I could become a Sword Master!”
After hearing my explanation, Soho’s gaze shifted to Emilia. Emilia promptly chimed in.
“I actually wanted to say exactly that, but I never imagined it would create such a misunderstanding.”
“…If you answer a question like that, of course everyone will misunderstand.”
Soho let out a sigh at Emilia’s confident attitude. It was a completely drained, hollow sound.
“Still, it really is fascinating. Becoming a Sword Master through nothing but encouragement. I wonder—was it because Lady Emilia’s talent was exceptional to begin with? Or does that encouragement truly hold such power? I’m curious.”
Daeho, who had been listening with her chin resting on her hand, spoke up. Their appearances were identical, yet the aura they gave off was completely different from Soho’s.
Whoa!
I marveled inwardly. I was finally seeing my absolute favorite character with my own two eyes. Part of me wanted to shake her hand immediately just to confirm she was real.
I had been too distracted on the way here to look at her properly, but now I could finally take her in. Her golden hair cascaded over her shoulders in soft waves. When it caught the sunlight it sparkled like real gold—the same color as Soho’s. Yet the way her brilliant blonde framed her face gave her an even more elegant, refined air.
Then there were those blue eyes. They reminded me of a deep lake; just meeting them made you feel like you might fall in.
Was it the dignity of an older sister? The gentle smile playing on her lips subtly revealed the composure and quiet confidence that lived inside her. Everything about her radiated richness and relaxed poise.
“Ah, I’m late with my greeting. I am Daeho Baekya. It’s a pleasure, Sieg-nim.”
After I had stared a little too long, Daeho introduced herself. She already seemed to know quite a bit about me through Soho.
“I’m Sieg Barbary. You really do look exactly like Soho-nim. For a second I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.”
“Do I? But my breasts are bigger! Hehe. Would you like a closer look?”
“U-um, sister?”
When Daeho teased playfully, Soho’s face flushed bright red. Thanks to that, I ended up learning some rather intimate family details. Even identical twins had their differences, it seemed.
“Soho was praising you so highly earlier. Now I understand why. You really are incredibly handsome. No wonder Soho would fall for someone with those looks.”
“Ah, sister! What have you been saying this whole time!”
“What? It’s true I’ve never heard you talk about a man before. Yet you were so excited when you spoke about Sieg-nim? At first glance, it really looks like you’re interested… hmm?”
The teasing continued. You could see how close the two sisters truly were. But for the one on the receiving end, it was pure torture. Her crumbling expression said it all.
“It’s a shame, though. To find out that Sieg-nim wasn’t the one who trained Lady Emilia. If you had been, I would have wanted to ask you to train my servant as well…”
The servant Daeho mentioned was the tall, muscular woman from the Seolha Empire who had faced Emilia in the finals. She stood silently at Daeho’s side, acting as her bodyguard.
“Or perhaps, Sieg-nim, you could at least offer a word of encouragement to our Jakkan.”
“Would that even work? Then anyone could become a Sword Master. It’s probably just that Lady Emilia is exceptionally talented.”
Soho quickly tried to stop Daeho’s request. I felt the same way. If simple encouragement could create a Sword Master, then everyone in the world would be one by now.
“Still… I feel like I’d borrow even a cat’s paw if it would help. If that’s what it takes to gain even a little strength…”
Daeho let out another sigh, this one heavy with genuine longing.
Come to think of it, the original story’s main plot was about to begin soon. It started with the meeting between Princess Nero and Daeho. While tracking down the one who had cursed the Baekya family, Daeho would learn that a member of the Demon King’s army had slipped into the capital. She would try to capture that demon to obtain a clue about the curse.
In her heart, Daeho wanted to handle everything alone. But because her magic consumed her lifespan, she couldn’t use her power freely. In the end, she would have no choice but to seek help from the imperial family.
“…As expected, I’ll have to ask the imperial family for help.”
Daeho shook her head. Just like in the original novel, she clearly didn’t want to rely on them if she could avoid it.
“Ah! That’s right! Sister, there was a reason I wanted to introduce Sieg-nim to you. Why don’t you let him use his healing magic on you once?”
“What…? Healing magic? From a man?”
Daeho barely held back her laughter at Soho’s suggestion. She must have thought it was absurd. A man using healing magic?
“Sieg-nim, I’m sorry. I’m not trying to mock you. It’s just that what Soho said was so surprising that I…”
Daeho glanced at me apologetically.
“I understand. It’s not every day you hear about a man using healing magic.”
I nodded and pulled the certificate from my pocket. It was the one officially recognized by the church. Daeho’s eyes widened the moment she saw it.
“I-it’s real?”
“Yes, sister. Sieg-nim is the real deal. He even lifted my curse.”
Daeho’s mouth hung open. It seemed she could finally believe it. She stepped closer to me.
“Very well, Sieg-nim. Please cast your magic on me. If it truly can heal… I apologize for doubting you. In return, I’ll let you touch my breasts.”
“Huh?”
Daeho winked and drew even nearer. At her outrageous offer, I raised my hand as if to brush the suggestion aside and began the incantation.
“Heal.”