Leonia's Story
"Leonia."
Selene's voice was as flat and emotionless as always.
"Should I lose for you?"
"What?"
Leonia turned to look at Selene, visibly flustered. Brika also twisted her head toward the pair.
"If you want to win... I'll make it happen."
"Want to win... of course I want to win. But..."
"I. Will lose. In the swordsmanship tournament."
"N-no. That's... that's not what I want."
"Why?"
"Why? Because winning that way would be meaningless."
"But Leonia. You're struggling."
"That's..."
"You're struggling because you're afraid of losing."
"......"
"Leonia. I don't want you to struggle."
"Still... didn't you say you wanted to become the headmaster?"
"Without the Empire's Blade. Can't be headmaster?"
"That's not necessarily true, but..."
"Then it's fine. The Empire's Blade. Leonia can take it."
Brika watched the two of them.
"I..."
"Hey, Leonia. Just let it go already. The family will survive even without the title now anyway."
"Yeah..."
"I don't give a damn about noble politics, but you've reached the point where the family is financially independent. Even if you become the Valteria family head, there won't be any factions left that can oppose you."
"......"
Brika stared hard at Leonia's face before speaking in a serious tone.
"That duel in the training grounds that day. You know Selene went easy on you, right?"
"I do."
"You will lose."
"I. Can lose for you."
"Sure. If she goes easy on you again, that might be true. But is that really what you want, Leonia?"
"...No."
Leonia squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling.
"This is just entertainment anyway. The ones who actually risk their lives with swords on the battlefield are us grunts."
"......"
"You nobles just need to train hard at magic and strut around the battlefield. There's no reason for you to risk your life over swordsmanship, which for you is nothing more than a hobby with symbolic value."
Brika crossed her arms as she looked at Leonia and continued.
"Besides, aren't you Valterias the type who live and die by honor or whatever the hell it's called? So you really want a rigged match?"
"...No. That would be the true dishonor."
"Well, it doesn't matter to me, so I could just look the other way?"
"No. Even so, I don't want to protect the title of Empire's Blade like this."
"Good. Then instead of wasting time on pointless talk, train like your life depends on it. And even if you lose, lose with style."
"But..."
"Like how I lost to you."
"......"
Leonia clenched her eyes shut as if countless thoughts were swirling through her mind.
"Leonia."
Selene guided Leonia to sit in a chair. Her face was still deathly pale.
"The Empire's Blade. Why do you want to protect it?"
"Huh? ...Well. Isn't it like my pride? It's been my source of confidence since I was young... so..."
Selene shook her head from side to side.
Sniff sniff.
"Ugh? What are you doing?"
Selene suddenly leaned in and smelled her.
"Pride. No."
"What?"
"Revenge... fear."
"!!!!"
Leonia flinched at Selene's words.
"Want to get revenge? Why?"
"That's..."
"Why not magic? Why do you want revenge through swordsmanship?"
"......"
Selene took Leonia's hand.
"Tell me. The story."
"What?"
A low hum filled the air.
"Ugh?"
"Wh-what is this? Memories are suddenly flooding into my head?"
Selene placed her hand on Leonia's head. At once, Leonia's memories began flowing into the minds of everyone in the room.
"Tell us the student council president's story... like when you asked lots of questions as a student."
"This is..."
"Can you... do it?"
"...Yes."
Leonia gave her consent. At that moment, one of the surging memories began to approach the three of them.
The life of a fallen noble was slightly better than that of commoners, but slightly worse than that of other nobles. The Valterias, having lost the succession war, were thoroughly crushed. The only survivors were Leonia and her father.
Her father had never been deeply involved in the succession conflict to begin with. Thanks to his clean reputation, even after lengthy investigations, his political enemies couldn't find any dirt on him.
Many people had grown disillusioned with the succession war, so the pair survived in exchange for having their noble authority stripped away.
The Valteria purge ended with Leonia's mother ascending the guillotine. It was when newborn Leonia had just begun to babble.
After that, the Valteria father and daughter lived in an ambiguous position—neither wealthy nor destitute.
Thanks to those who remained loyal even after their fall, and thanks to her father who swallowed his pride and began helping with the other nobles' accounting work, the fallen house managed to survive.
For ten years they lived a decent enough life and spent peaceful days.
And around that time, Leonia—who had shown talent for swordsmanship from a young age—won the swordsmanship tournament and received the title of Empire's Blade. It was the day the name Valteria, which had become taboo after their fall, reemerged into the world.
By then the Valerius dynasty had found stability. Unlike the previous emperor who had shed blood during the succession war, the next emperor was known for his moderate disposition.
With Leonia being called the Empire's Blade during such a time, public sympathy for the Valterias gradually began to grow.
However, because of Balkazar's fierce opposition, the issue of the Valterias' restoration had not yet risen to the surface.
And then—
"Father! I'm back! Today I met people who recognized me again!"
Time passed, and the day arrived when the youngest-ever Empire's Blade, Leonia, had her early admission to the academy decided.
"In three years I'll be going to the academy... Hm? Father?"
When Leonia arrived home, she sensed something ominous in the air.
"Now that I think about it, the door..."
Leonia realized she had entered the house without using her key. Living in the commoner district where security mattered, this was unusual behavior.
"Ah!"
And then—
"Uncle!"
"Ugh... Miss..."
Leonia discovered the servants bleeding out and dying.
"Who on earth..."
"R-run away, miss."
"Kgh!"
Judging that robbers had broken in, Leonia immediately drew her sword.
"M-Miss..."
"Wait for me. I'll definitely save you!"
The Empire's Blade charged forward, burning with rage. The confidence that came with her title drove her into reckless action.
"Leonia! You mustn't come!"
"Father... Kugh?!"
The robbers inside the house were no ordinary thieves. If they were mere robbers, they wouldn't have been able to use advanced magic. The incident that day was not a random burglary but a meticulously planned assassination.
"Cough!"
Along with an explosion, Leonia was slammed into the wall. At the same time, an unknown force bound her body, rendering her unable to move.
"Damn it!"
Having trained in both swordsmanship and magic swordsmanship from an early age, Leonia had believed herself strong in any battle. But she didn't know—having never experienced real combat—that a moment's carelessness could easily turn the tide.
"My body..."
Under what appeared to be binding magic, Leonia couldn't move. She couldn't use magic swordsmanship, let alone proper swordsmanship.
"What the hell is this kid? Weren't they calling her the Empire's something-or-other?"
The masked woman's voice dripped with mockery. It seemed Leonia's body was immobilized by her gesture, by her magic.
"Swordsmanship is just a facade anyway. It might help build foundations, but in the end it's meaningless in battles that use magic. Unless they come at us in numbers, that is."
"Heh, aren't you pretty bad at magic yourself?"
"Shut up. You're the one working under that amateur! And I'm not bad at it! I'm just not used to it yet!"
"Same difference."
Two masked men. In total, three masked figures had attacked the mansion.
"Stop yapping and do your job. We have to finish the job if we want our reward money."
"Your reward money, you mean."
"Just get moving already."
A low hum sounded as one masked man placed his hand on the other man's body. Then another hand rose toward Leonia's head.
"Kgh?!"
Leonia experienced a severe headache for the first time, along with the sensation of her mana reversing inside her body.
And then—
"Done?"
"Yeah."
"Really?"
"Of course it's done."
"Hehe. Yes. I can feel it."
After something happened, one of the men drew his sword with a sinister laugh.
"Shall we test it then? Loosen the puppet strings on the kid a bit."
"What are you going to do?"
"Hehe. Just do as you're told."
The man then approached Leonia, whose body was paralyzed as if bound by strings, and spoke.
"Now then, little one. Let's play a game."
"Y-you bastard! I'll kill you! How dare you do this to my people..."
"No no, don't misunderstand. None of your people are dead."
"What?"
"Look carefully."
Leonia looked around. The people, including her father, were injured and unable to move, but they seemed to be breathing.
"What is..."
"I'm giving you a chance."
"What."
"Try to defeat me with your own ability."
"What... did you say?"
"Defeat me without using magic. That would be fair, wouldn't it?"
"What are you talking about..."
"Swordsmanship. Let's have a sword fight. Real combat swordsmanship. Without magic. You and I will duel. If you win, everyone lives. However..."
The man slowly stepped back and raised his sword.
"If I win, everyone dies."
"You..."
With a soft ring, the masked man drew his sword—a curved blade.
"Kgh?!"
At the same time, Leonia felt the magic binding her gradually disappear. In this situation, defeating the person before her seemed like the only way to save everyone in the house.
"I'll kill you!"
Leonia didn't hesitate. She drew her sword and charged.
Clang!
And then—
"Guh?!"
"Excellent. Truly excellent!"
Leonia was defeated. The Empire's Blade was defeated.
"What... did you say?"
"Hehe. Shall I tell you why you lost to me?"
"Hey. Don't casually spill your comrade's ability secrets."
"Kgh..."
"What does it matter? She's going to die anyway, isn't she?"
"I told you not to spill it."
"Tch!"
Bleeding from her abdomen, Leonia collapsed.
"Me... losing... I..."
She couldn't believe her first defeat had led to such a fatal outcome. It was infuriating that she would die so pathetically without seeing the Valterias restored.
"Leonia..."
"Father..."
She couldn't believe she was leaving while watching her family die at the hands of robbers like this.
"Hm? What's this, kid? You can't die already."
"What?"
But Leonia didn't know.
"Then... shall we start the final cleanup?"
"Let's do that."
That the unforgettable nightmare was only just beginning...
A low hum.
"Ugh?! My body?"
Leonia, who had been about to close her eyes, felt her body begin to move again. It moved by something other than her own will. As the binding magic strengthened once more, Leonia rose from her spot. Against her will.
"Now now, miss? If we clean everything up ourselves, there will be traces left behind?"
"W-wait?"
"So do us a favor before you die, won't you?"
"S-stop..."
Leonia's body moved. It moved regardless of her will. Like a marionette hanging from strings... it charged with sword in hand. Toward the people she held dear...
"Stop! Stop it!"
That was how Leonia witnessed it.
"No!"
The sight of her family dying by her own hands...
"I see... It was an assassination."
"Yes... I nearly died from excessive blood loss, but I survived. By luck..."
"It must have been hard."
"......"
Brika quietly embraced Leonia, who sat in the chair.
"I... with my own hands, my father and family..."
"No. You know that's not true. The ability to control people like puppets..."
"I, the Empire's Blade, lost helplessly."
"I told you that wasn't your fault either."
"No!"
Leonia pushed Brika away.
"If I... if I could have at least killed that bastard with the curved sword, I could have protected my honor! That was my chance when he arrogantly released me and suggested a duel!"
"Do you really think he would have spared your family?"
"Even so! Even so, I am the Empire's Blade! Aah... why did I lose?"
"That wasn't a tournament. It was real combat. It's not about scoring points over several rounds. Real combat is where one mistake decides life or death. And from what I saw, that guy had some kind of ability..."
"That's why! That's exactly why I—!"
"It was just bad luck. No matter how talented someone is, if the situation doesn't favor them and they make a mistake, they die. Even people picking up a sword for the first time can land a hit if they swing wildly. Even veterans die in ridiculous ways. That's what real combat is."
"But... but because of me, my father..."
"......"
Leonia collapsed again. She covered her face with both hands.
"The Empire's Blade... that title is the one thing I cannot lose."
"......"
"I'm not saying I'll protect it through dishonorable means. But... it's that important to me."
"Leonia."
"Someday... someday when I meet that bastard again, I will definitely take revenge for my father with my own swordsmanship..."
Selene, who had been watching quietly, approached and took Leonia's hand.
"Then. Let's practice."
"What?"
"You have to. Work hard..."
"......"
"Swordsmanship. You need to get stronger."
Leonia hung her head. Brika sighed and shook her head.
"But let me be realistic with you. You will lose, Leonia. This girl is a monster. The next Empire's Blade belongs to her."
"......"
"So just rest easy. If your family would be destroyed over losing a single title like Empire's Blade, then that's as far as you go. Besides, that won't happen anymore."
"Leonia. Training..."
"No, Selene. Training is pointless. She's already complete, so what more is there to train? If she loses even after coming this far, that's all there is to it. Just like how I lost to Leonia..."
"No."
Selene grabbed Brika as she tried to turn away.
"Leonia. Not yet."
"What?"
Then, with an expressionless face, she stared at Brika and refused to let go.
"Leonia. Have Brika complete you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Leonia. Still bad at swordsmanship."
"What?"
Then she seriously uttered something strange.
"Selene's swordsmanship. Many problems."
A short while later.
"What the hell is this absurd girl..."
"What... do you mean?"
After several sparring matches, Brika swept a hand down her face in disbelief.
"After doing this instructor job for a few years, I can finally see it. How absurd the opponent I lost to really was..."
"What?"
"Of course I didn't pay attention since she was the Empire's Blade, but if I'd known her fundamentals were this pathetic I would have fixed them long ago."
"Wh-what are you saying? You lost to me and now you're..."
"Shut up, you idiot! That's not the problem right now!"
"What?"
"How the hell are you beating me with swordsmanship like that?"
"What?"
Brika exploded with frustration and began venting her irritation.
"Haah, fuck! You're making me hit a damn wall here."