The Long-Awaited Return
The delegation sent to the Herban Kingdom after Katia’s long, thirsty wait finally finished their talks and arrived back in the Bartion Kingdom. King Aldrick praised the delegation for their hard work, then summoned Katia. She took a moment to steady her heart before opening the door to the king’s office. She walked quietly across the red carpet, knelt on one knee before the king, and bowed her head. From the side where the retainers stood, Rafael Vaster watched her every move.
"……."
Katia slowly lifted her head.
Katia quietly calmed her racing heart and answered.
Thump. Thump.
As Katia rose from her seat and began walking out of the office, her emotions surged once more. Liberation. Anticipation. Excitement. The feelings engulfed her so fiercely that her arms began to tremble. She barely managed to grasp the door handle and step outside when someone followed after her.
It was Rafael.
Katia suppressed the trembling in her arms and the emotions swirling inside her as she answered.
Katia gave a slight bow.
Katia had no desire to engage in small talk with him, but her current mood made her display a flexibility unusual for her as she replied.
Katia disliked how Rafael kept prying into her personal affairs. She swallowed her irritation and answered.
When Katia looked ready to turn away at any moment, Rafael hurriedly brought up the main point.
In Katia’s memory, Hartman village was nothing special. She couldn’t understand why Rafael would call such a place a resort.
Rafael’s face flushed slightly.
Katia refused immediately.
"……."
Katia preferred to travel alone, but the promise of arriving quickly made her waver.
If I can see Ray even one day sooner…
Katia gave a small nod.
For some reason, Rafael looked unusually excited as he hurried away. Katia returned straight to her own office. She locked the door, sat down quietly, and leaned back in her chair, feeling the accumulated exhaustion of long years of fatigue.
After Ray left her, she had run forward without ever looking back. She hadn’t had the luxury of turning around. Chasing after his unseen back, ten years had already passed. Many things had changed, but this one feeling remained unchanged—solid as bedrock.
She had believed they would spend their entire lives together. She had thought they would live happily in this small village, growing old side by side. She had believed he wanted the same. But she was wrong. He had carried a burning ambition deep in his heart. Like a child clutching a doll, she had clung to him, saying a woman like her would never let him go. Ray had left her side without a word.
"……."
At first, she had resented him. Her whole body ached as if she had been beaten. She spent her days in tears and her nights awake. Then one day, she finally realized the truth. Ray had not abandoned her. It was she who had abandoned him.
She had only ever leaned on him. If she had truly wanted to be with him, she should have gritted her teeth, carved away at her own bones, and stood beside him as an equal. But what had she done instead? She had convinced herself she could never match Ray’s talent. When Taron said she lacked the gift, she had simply accepted it. She had done nothing, merely watching his back from afar. It was only natural that Ray had left. A pathetic woman like her had no right to stand at his side.
She stopped her tears and gripped her sword. After that realization, she changed. Training. Training. Training. To apologize to Ray, to meet him again, to stand beside him once more—she had thrown everything into it. She tempered her body and gave meaning to every single movement of the sword. To reach the highest enlightenment, she recalled every motion Ray had shown her in the past. There had been hints in that path. Every movement he displayed had carried meaning.
After spending a long time recalling and replicating those patterns, she began to feel powerful currents of mana flowing through her body. Her understanding of swordsmanship advanced far beyond what it had been before; she could almost feel it breathing. By following in his footsteps, she began to see the realms beyond what he had reached. She began to understand the emotions he must have felt. So this was the world he had been living in. Ray, how pathetic of me—it took me this long to finally realize it. I’m sorry, Ray.
But to stand as his equal, she could not simply follow his footsteps forever. Using the path he had shown her as a foundation, she now had to find her own way. Before leaving her hometown, she had sought out Taron and crossed swords with him. The last time they had sparred was before Ray left, so quite some time had passed. Clang. The match was decided in a single exchange. Taron dropped his sword and fell on his backside. He stared at her in disbelief.
And so she became a knight in order to grow even stronger, all while waiting for any news of Ray.
"……."
Having finished her long reminiscence, Katia turned her head toward the window.
Her voice was filled with tender longing.
Lately, I’ve been feeling that my mind is becoming scattered. I’ve caused Tiar unnecessary worry. If I let myself be dragged around by the trauma of the past, I’ll end up hurting not only myself but everyone around me.
I had just finished washing my face with cold water and preparing to head out when Tiar burst through the door without even knocking, breathing hard.
I quickly strapped on my sword sheath and hurried with Tiar toward the center of the village. When we arrived, what I saw in the distance was a group of royal guards in black uniforms herding the villagers—bound hand and foot—into one place while holding swords to their throats. Among them, I could see Doren unconscious and Taron bleeding.
I stopped Tiar, who was about to charge forward in rage.
I told Tiar about the village’s secretly hidden escape passage. It was a path Katia and I had discovered as children and never told anyone about.
On the left chest of their black uniforms was an embroidered black swan. Everyone knew that symbol. It belonged to the most elite unit cherished by the notoriously aggressive Herban Kingdom—the Black Swan Knights. Their combat strength made up a significant portion of the Herban Kingdom’s forces. For such a unit to have secretly infiltrated the Bartion Kingdom? This had to be a meticulously planned operation carried out with the mindset that even the Black Swan Knights would be executed if discovered. The loss of even a single royal guard would be a heavy blow to the Herban Kingdom. I didn’t know their exact purpose, but right now, the priority was to get Tiar out safely so she could inform the kingdom and prevent even greater damage.
Tiar listened to my explanation and nodded.
Tiar turned and carefully moved toward the secret passage I had told her about. I took a moment to steady my breathing and calm my mind.
Will I be able to hold out until Tiar reaches the city and brings back reinforcements?
It was frustrating that I couldn’t use my right arm. My proficiency with one-handed swords had improved considerably, but I still hadn’t found a sword style that truly suited it. Still, I had to do it. I had no choice but to succeed. I could never stand by and watch the people of my hometown die.
I tossed the sheath onto the ground and gripped the sword tightly.