Master of the Magic Sword -3-

The space trembled along with the status window's chilling voice.

"Get lost. You look like you'd stink..."

"(...)"

"Ha...? You want to be my butler? Know your place. A commoner without a title, how dare you bring up the name of Deathmount."

"(...)"

The space rippled and the trials began to move rapidly. I couldn't steady my gaze as the trials flashed by like a video on fast-forward.

"I said get lost!!! Why do you keep following me and bothering me?"

"(...)"

"You're smiling? What's so funny?"

"(...)"

"Stop smiling. It pisses me off."

I hadn't understood the situation. The scene was shifting rapidly. I saw ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠myself forcing a smile while speaking to the amnesiac lady. Then—

"...Why are you crying alone?"

"(...)"

"Ah... You want to get close to me?"

"(...)"

"I'm sorry. I have a prior engagement."

I saw my pathetic back as I extended a hand to the amnesiac Yuria. The same with Mikhail.

"Who are you?"

"(...)"

"Ah...? You want to learn the sword from me? I'm sorry, but I don't teach people I don't know."

"(...)"

"I'm sorry. I don't go to cafés with strangers I've just met..."

"(...)"

"What? Who are you? How do you know I'm from the slums...?"

"(...)"

"Are you threatening me right now? Leave before I report you. I don't want to feel worse."

Even with Shuen.

"Ooh?"

"(...)"

"Hmm... I don't get it!"

And with Shyartia.

"Don't lay a hand on Her Highness the Princess!!"

"(Startled...)"

My pathetic back, failing to approach, flashed past in quick succession. Startled by the incomprehensible situation, I let out a sigh of relief and nodded. Whatever was happening, if I'd witnessed those scenes as they were, the lantern would surely have gone out.

Watching the lantern flicker like a small candle, I exhaled in relief.

'Somehow, I held on...'

It seemed I could finally catch my breath. The trials had come at me relentlessly. If it had only been simple illusions, it wouldn't have been this difficult. But because the hallucinations recreated emotions so vividly, those feelings had inevitably infected me. If the process had been shown any slower or in more detail, the lantern would definitely have gone out.

'Haa...'

Alone in the trial space that had ended with the status window's appearance, I stretched and tried to lift my mood.

'I almost died.'

Right now, focusing on recovery was the priority. I couldn't tell if the trial was truly over. If the status window's intervention ended, the trials might resume. Calming my shaken emotions and steadying my mind was the only preparation I could make.

'...Mmm.'

Sitting down on the floor with a thud, I gazed at the faintly burning lantern and voiced a quiet question. I didn't understand why the status window had helped me. I'd always thought it maintained neutrality, so I never expected this kind of favoritism.

'Suspended...'

What I needed to prepare now was the mindset to accept the trial. How I received it mattered more than the meaning of the trial itself. If I recklessly challenged it and fell into depression, that would be the real problem. I had to think about what came after passing the trial. I needed to stay calm and steady my heart.

'Huu.'

But I couldn't take this trial lightly either. Thinking it would never happen might bring peace of mind. The salve called "avoidance" worked quite well, after all. However—perhaps the memories I'd seen through the trial were also an opportunity to avoid the worst possible choice. I believed that overcoming this trial would lead to a happy ending. I honestly wanted to avoid a tragic conclusion.

The me inside the trial had looked sorrowful. Like a clown hiding sadness behind laughter, he had seemed bleak and depressed. I asked myself: 'If it were the current me, could I avoid choosing black magic to protect everyone?'

The answer didn't come easily. If sacrificing myself could protect everyone, I felt I would gladly make that choice. So, in short—

'It means I'm still weak.'

The strength I'd thought was sufficient didn't meet the standard of the trials yet to come.

'...Then I really need to obtain the magic sword.'

The me inside the trial had been holding Tyrving. A strong desire to overcome this ordeal for the sake of greater power welled up within me.

'Let's do this.'

My breathing steadied. The dying lantern regained its calm and began to bloom with a flame of hope. I slowly nodded and steadied my resolve. Don't pretend to be weak—become strong. That was the key to escaping the worst. I slowly gathered my strength.

The noise gradually subsided. The noise that had seemed endless due to the status window's intervention slowly faded, and signs that the trial would resume began to appear.

'Huu...'

-Chijijijik...

'I have to overcome this.'

'Huh...?'

Along with the magic sword's words, my vision shifted once more. A cold wind blew, and the familiar pure-white door appeared before my eyes again. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Rising slowly from where I sat, I walked toward the door while holding the lantern, my heart filled with courage.

'Let's go.'

-Kkiiiiiik.

A wind blew. Instead of a chilly breeze, a warm wind brushed through my hair and caressed my face.

*

-Flash.

'This place is...'

I opened my eyes in a familiar place. A familiar ceiling. A familiar scent. And a familiar bed.

'A bed...?'

When I opened my eyes, I was lying in bed—the very same bed I'd seen for the past thirteen years. Startled, I tried to sit up quickly, but a warm hand touched my forehead and gently pushed me back down.

"Don't move," came the kind voice.

For a moment, I lay still. My head rested on a soft thigh. Having been given an unintentional lap pillow, I opened my eyes slightly and looked up at the owner of those thighs.

"...Heehee."

"Huh...?"

"Surprised?"

"My lady...?"

It was the lady. She was looking down at me, smiling as she brushed her hair back. Dressed in revealing clothes that exposed her treasure pouch, she smiled and said—

"Yep, it's me."

"...Huh?"

"It's been a while, hasn't it? Really... a long time."

She was staring at me intently.

'What is this...?'

The trial had changed strangely.

'What the...?'

The amnesiac lady had disappeared somewhere. Instead, the lady wearing provocative white lingerie gazed at me with languid eyes, gently stroking my hair as she smiled.

"Did you sleep well?"

"...Ah, well... I couldn't really sleep?"

"Really...? That's a shame. You should've slept a little longer."

"Um... What exactly is going on here? The lady seems a bit strange."

"What do you mean, 'what's going on'? It's a good situation."

"Pardon?"

The seductive lady wore a languid expression as she placed her hand on my forehead. Then, calmly drawing a breath, she began to speak words I couldn't understand.

"I'll say it quickly before the other girls arrive."

"Pardon?"

"I'm excited to talk after so long, but I don't have much time."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hmm, just listen."

The lady roughly grabbed my collar and closed her eyes. In that instant, something moist touched my lips. My eyes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠widened, and the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠lady in the trial smiled brightly as she licked her lips with her tongue.

"I should've done this sooner."

"No... What?"

"No... I just feel good."

[Bang bang...!]

"You crazy bitch!!!!"

"Open the door!"

"Open it right now. Before I cut it down with my sword."

The sound of violent pounding echoed. The lady glanced once at the door, which rang as though it might break, then smiled and raised a finger to her lips.

"Sorry."

"Sorry for what... Well, thanks for the kiss anyway."

"...I. No."

Looking at the opening door, the lady spoke with a hint of regret.

"We're truly sorry."

[Kwa-ga-ga-ga-gak!!]

"Now go."

The lady poked my chest and waved her hand in farewell. My vision darkened. I began to sink into a deeper darkness—or rather, back into the original flow of time. In the receding view, the lady wore a sorrowful expression and spoke in a small, inaudible voice.

"My prince."

"..."

"This time, I hope you can seize your own happy ending..."

*

-Flash.

"Huaa!!!"

Coming to my senses, I stood there blankly, touching the lips that had met in the trial. It hadn't been a dream. The kiss had felt so vivid that I stood dazed for about three minutes. Then a familiar voice called down from above.

"Commoner!!!"

"Ricardo!!!"

"...I'm back."

I had returned. Back to the original world. I didn't know how things had been resolved, but I let out a long sigh of relief at the fact that I was back.

'...Looks like things went well.'

My body was perfectly normal. It wasn't contaminated by black magic, and even while holding the magic sword, no ominous energy flowed into me. If anything, the mana flowing through me felt purer than when I'd held Tyrving. I smiled and shook off the complicated feelings. Good was good, after all. Now, I felt like I could draw the magic sword. I wasn't sure if I'd passed the trial, but I felt that the current me possessed the qualifications to draw it.

"..."

Steeling my resolve, I slowly poured strength into the hand gripping the magic sword. The moment I saw the tip of the sword slowly being drawn out, a smile bloomed on my lips.