The Will in Your Sword -5- The Day Before the Decisive Battle
The day before the final duel, Hanna and I strolled through the streets of the Capital to cap off our preparations.
You might wonder if going out on the eve of such an important match makes any sense, but sometimes a change of pace yields better results. Of course, I'd polish my sword one last time after we got back, but you need more than just kicking up dust in the training grounds—you need to breathe some fresh air too.
Hanna, thrilled at the rare outing, kept glancing at me while fidgeting with her shoulders. Was her face okay? Was her hair flying around too much? Every time I looked away, she'd peek into a shop window and fuss with her locks. When our eyes met by pure coincidence, she flashed an awkward, bashful smile.
"Heehee."
"Something on my face?"
"No. You're just so handsome."
"I know."
"..."
Even at my cheeky response, Hanna nodded with a smile.
"I know too..."
"What?"
"Nothing."
I gazed up at the sky, mirroring her pleased grin. Cherry blossoms blanketed the streets, and Hanna savored the petals drifting down, enjoying the leisure. Watching her so content, I thought to myself: Today, I'll open my wallet wide. I'm no miser who loves scrimping, but I avoid splurging—except today, for my disciple, I'd pour it out without regret. It just felt like that kind of day. One where the money wouldn't sting.
I snuck a peek at Hanna's ear. Her bare lobe looked pristine without earrings. Hope I picked the right ones. I'd bought them thinking they'd suit her, but would she like them? Gifting accessories to a woman wasn't my forte. Band-Aids from my pocket? Sure. But earrings? Honestly, I had no eye for it.
I fiddled with them in my pocket and stole another glance at her. When to give them so it'd feel natural? Just thrusting them at her with "Here, a gift" lacked impact—she probably wouldn't like that either. Gifts gain meaning in the right moment. This was my first real present to my disciple as her master; handing it over like a stray pebble felt wrong. Well, technically not the first since I'd given her a sword before, but face-to-face? This counted as the debut.
I eyed her, agonizing over it.
"Hmm... Nice weather, huh."
"Yeah."
"Blossoms everywhere too."
Hanna smiled at the vibrant flowers lining the street.
"But you're prettier than them, butler."
"Huh?"
"You're cooler and more beautiful than any flower."
"What's with the flirty talk?"
Hands behind her back, Hanna stepped ahead and turned to me. A gentle spring breeze tousled her hair, carrying a faint floral scent.
"What's wrong with a little flirting? It's only for you."
"...Hah."
I let out a dry chuckle and ruffled her hair. She looked up at me with a mischievous grin amid the mess.
"I'll win."
"Obviously."
"No, not just that. The other thing too."
"Huh?"
With a cheeky "Hee," Hanna grabbed my hand. Her soft touch threw me off for a second, but she tugged me along with a beaming smile.
"Come on, I'm hungry."
Pulled by her hand, I smiled. Is spring finally blooming in my life too? After all the beatings life threw my way, flowers were finally budding.
In the bustling restaurant, we sat at our reserved table, lips pursed as we poured water for each other.
-Glug glug.
"..."
-Gulp.
The mood soured. We'd entered in high spirits, but it deflated the moment we sat. Not because of the crowd—we'd booked this famous Capital spot knowing it'd be packed. No, just one reason: the pair at the opposite table rubbed me the wrong way.
Hanna drained the water pitcher alone, as if filling her frustration with liquid. She kept refilling and downing her glass, growling at the guy next to her.
"When I begged to come here just once, he wouldn't budge even if it killed him..."
"Haha..."
"It's so ridiculous, I can't even speak."
I shot an awkward glance at the two men: a neatly dressed middle-aged man in uniform and a young one in the academy's white uniform. I emptied my glass with a wry smile. We're no pushovers. Funny thought, coming from me—I was here for a mood boost too. Like looking in a mirror.
I nodded with a smile.
"They came because they can win, right? Just like us."
Rowen chuckled dryly at my casual jab, nodding. A sword master's ears catch every little prod. His open reaction made me laugh too.
Arms crossed, Rowen eyed Mikhail.
"You did well on the homework I assigned. Better than expected."
"You're too kind."
"Achieving that in just fifteen days? You could afford some arrogance."
"All thanks to your teachings, Master."
I snuck a peek at the humbly replying Mikhail and whispered to Hanna.
"Annoying, huh?"
"Yeah."
"Loses to me every time at the academy, yet acts all magnanimous."
"Pfft."
"Says he wins every day now. Ugh."
-Twitch.
I grinned at Mikhail's stiffening face. Sharp ears on him too. I'd planned to pass on modern hearing aids as a possessed soul later—pity. Fist clenched in triumph, I met Hanna's eyes; her beaming smile drew one from me too.
"Don't drink so much water. Food hasn't even come yet."
"It's fine. Anything you buy, I'll eat."
"You'll burst today."
"Heehee..."
Hanna shook off her sour mood with a bright smile. Spotting the servers with our food, her eyes widened as she turned to me.
"Whoa... Looks super expensive."
"It is."
"Then I'll chip in...!"
"Insulting a rich butler like that."
As we bantered warmly, a snide remark drifted from the next table.
"As if they have money. Bunch of debtors."
Couldn't ignore that. I perked up at the seasoned middle-aged man's bait, focusing in. Needling over money when there's none to needle? Hurts. I'd just paid off my debts and was sitting pretty—being belittled for cash was intolerable. Sure, Rowen had way more, but bad vibes were bad.
Before my irritation cooled, Rowen's taunts rolled on.
"Not a place for a fallen house's servant anyway."
"Is that... so?"
"Know your place. There's that old saying: the titmouse following the stork tears its crotch."
"..."
I smiled it off. No need to bite. The jab was aimed at me, sure, but it missed the mark entirely. Taunts that worked on me mostly insulted the young miss. Money or status? Minimal damage. And it wasn't just me—Hanna was included, but so was his disciple Mikhail, from the slums. Rowen might not know, but it'd grate on him.
I smirked bitterly at Mikhail's frozen expression.
"Shall we eat?"
"Huh?"
Hanna, bristling like she'd draw her sword any second at Rowen's barbs, tilted her head at my calm. Her eyes screamed Why aren't you reacting? I scooped a bite of steak to her lips.
"Ah."
"Ah..."
-Nom.
"Good, right?"
"Yeah..."
"Handpicked this place for you, since you love meat."
"How'd you know?"
"I know everything."
I glanced at the middle-aged man beside us.
"Unlike some."
Rowen's face hardened at the "some." As I fed Hanna—who shook her head happily, gripping her fork—Rowen glowered like he'd bolt.
"I can feed myself..."
"Ahh."
"Ah..."
-Bam!
"We're out."
"Huh?"
Mikhail, choking down steak, looked up at the suddenly standing Rowen and fumbled to pack.
"Forgot some business."
"Ah..."
"We can toast after you win."
I lounged with an arm over my chair.
"Leaving already?"
Rowen left without a word. Hanna called after him one last time.
"I'll win."
"..."
"I'll prove I don't need a father this time."
"...Let's go."
In the now-quiet restaurant, I kept feeding Hanna.
"You can stop now..."
"Huh?"
"It's because of Dad, right?"
Seeing her downcast face, I set down my fork. Propping my chin, I gazed at her intently. She fidgeted, eyes darting.
I smiled at her shyness.
"Nah."
"Huh?"
"Wasn't because of him."
I dipped the fork again.
"You're eating so well—that's why."
"What... That's cheating."
"I'm a cheater by nature."
I fed her another bite with a grin. As the plate emptied, Hanna patted her full belly. I set the fork down and rummaged in my pocket.
She eyed my fussing curiously, question mark practically over her head.
"Whatcha looking for?"
"Oh, nothing. Hanna, can you wear earrings?"
"Yeah... Got 'em pierced before. Why?"
I chuckled softly—"Lucky"—and pulled out a pair of small earrings.
"A gift."
Gold earrings with finely set green emeralds. Hanna stared, trembling, then reached out.
"Never given you a proper one before."
I placed them in her palm.
"Let's put them on. Together."
And so, the day of the decisive battle arrived.