The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 10

Translation: godsn

"...What? A Magic Sword?"

Nicole suddenly laughed and leaned back against her chair. Her voice relaxed as she responded.

"What nonsense is this now? Aren't you way past the age for fairy tales, Eki?"

"A transparent blade with engraved patterns, a hilt made of some unidentifiable black metal, about this long—"

Eki raised her hand to indicate the height that would reach her chest when standing. Nicole's expression shifted slightly.

Valdergiosa, the Magic Sword notorious for causing massacres whenever it appeared, was quite famous even among the Giosa Series. But despite its infamy, few knew what it actually looked like. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠While Nicole, as the top disciple of one of the Magic Tower's Seven Sages, might know, it was perfectly normal for a noble lady like Echinacea to be ignorant of such things.

"So you're saying that sword was inside that package?"

"Yes, it was definitely a Magic Sword. The Magic Sword Valdergiosa."

"How would you know it's Valdergiosa?"

The expected question came. Eki offered her prepared excuse.

"Actually, I've been quite interested in the Giosa Series. It looked just like the illustrations I saw in a book before."

"...It must be a fake. There are plenty of Giosa replicas around."

"Well, see for yourself. It'll change your mind."

"What?"

Eki slowly removed the glove from her right hand. After placing the silk glove on the table, she extended her hand. Nicole's eyes widened at the black pattern on that palm. And when a sword—completely identical to Eki's earlier description—materialized from that pattern, all color drained from her face.

Eki grasped the hilt of the sword floating above her hand. She laid it horizontally on the table. Nicole, her face deathly pale, stared at the sword before muttering an incantation under her breath. A brief glow flashed in her eyes before fading—some form of detection magic, it seemed.

After examining the sword in that state, she jolted up in shock. She scrambled away from the table with remarkable speed, her trembling finger pointing at it.

"Va-Va-Valdergiosa...!"

"I knew you'd recognize it immediately. Being a mage and all."

Eki gave a bitter smile and reached toward the Magic Sword's hilt. Seeing this, Nicole moved with unbelievable speed—nothing like her usual self—and seized Eki's wrist before she could grasp it.

"Are you insane? Trying to touch a Magic Sword?"

"My hand's already touched it, sis."

"Good heavens, this—we must inform the Magic Tower immediately, get it sealed—no, the Azure Sky Knights—"

"No, you just saw it yourself."

"Sa-sa-saw what?"

Eki easily slipped free from Nicole's grip and took hold of the Magic Sword. The sword melted away into her hand as if being absorbed. Nicole stood dumbfounded, staring at the empty space where the sword had been before turning her gaze to Eki. Eki understood the unspoken question.

"That's right. It recognizes me as its master."

"H-how? Then you... you're now...?"

Nicole descended into panic, her words becoming incoherent. Magic Swords earned their name by controlling their wielders into committing massacres. Yet the Eki before her appeared completely normal. She seemed different from usual, yes, but nothing like a blood-crazed demon consumed by slaughter. Eki shrugged her shoulders.

"Wondering why I'm sane? Well... That's not what's important right now."

"Not important? You're wielding a Magic Sword while remaining perfectly sane—!"

"Sis, why ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do you think a Magic Sword was in our family's kitchen, wrapped so carelessly like that?"

Nicole's eyes wavered. Echinacea pulled her glove back on and added,

"What if someone else had grabbed the Magic Sword before me? I'm not corrupted by it now, but what if I'd been controlled? What would've ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠happened then?"

"...The Roaz estate would be nothing but corpses by now."

"And just the Roaz estate?"

Echinacea gave a chilling smile. Nicole removed her monocle and rubbed her eyes. Then she wiped the smudges off the lens with her collar. Echinacea waited in silence. When Nicole had regained her composure and put the monocle back on, she spoke.

"Who, with what intent, and how they brought the Magic Sword into the Roaz household. You're saying that's the most important thing now?"

"Exactly."

"You're wrong. What's more important right now is how you're holding that cursed blade without being affected at all. We need to examine you properly—you're a ticking time bomb. After we find some way to dispose of that sword—"

"I already know the reason. And I've thought of a way to handle the Magic Sword too."

"Echi."

Nicole rubbed her eyes again, visibly troubled. Her voice grew heavy.

"What are you hiding?"

"...I'm sorry, I can't tell you. The only reason I revealed the Magic Sword to you was to ask for your help investigating. Otherwise, I wouldn't have mentioned this either."

"Investigating? The sword's origin?"

"Yeah. I have other things to take care of."

"What things?"

"I need to deal with the Magic Sword."

"...So, you're asking me to investigate its origin while you handle the sword? Is that why you came?"

"Right. And to ask you to look after my family while I'm gone."

"Gone? Where are you going?"

"Agenka."

Nicole let out a groan-like sigh. Slumping into a chair with exhausted resignation, she carelessly tossed aside her monocle. Her murky green eyes, dark as a swamp, fixed on Echinacea.

"Do you have any idea how serious this situation is?"

"I know very well. That's why I'm telling you. Because I can trust you."

"Now you're suddenly spouting embarrassing nonsense. You shouldn't trust people so recklessly, Echinacea Roaz. Do you realize what'll happen if it gets out that you're the Magic Sword's wielder?"

"It'd be dangerous. In many ways."

"Dangerous? Shall I spell it out for you? You'd be quarantined immediately. Just because you're fine now doesn't mean there's any guarantee you'll stay that way. They might experiment on you to figure out why you're not being controlled. Some might argue you should be killed outright since there's no telling when you'll snap. Do you really think people will believe you're uncorrupted?"

"But you believe me right now."

"Of course I—wait, don't tell me you actually think others will trust you like I do? I never thought you could be this naive—!"

"Obviously, I'd hide it from everyone else. I haven't even told my parents. You're the only one I can ask to investigate because you're the only one I can trust."

"Where does that trust even come from?"

Nicole asked, sounding utterly exasperated. Echinacea pressed her lips together.

Because I saw you refuse to run even in the face of death. When death looms, you see a person's true nature. And I've seen that more times than I can count. You... are someone I can trust.

She couldn't say it. The timeline she'd experienced no longer existed. She desperately wanted it that way and didn't regret it, but the thought that she could never share or have those experiences understood by anyone made her feel a little lonely.

Swallowing the words she couldn't speak, Echinacea said instead,

"Then, should I not trust you?"

"No, that's not—... Never mind. Don't. It's better if you don't trust anyone at all."

Nicole's face darkened as she muttered to herself, then she suddenly startled and lifted her head.

"Wait—why are you going to Agenka? Don't tell me you're planning to march into the Azure Sky Knights and announce, 'I'm the owner of a Magic Sword,' are you?"

"You were the one who suggested telling the Magic Tower or the Azure Sky Knights earlier!"

"That was when you weren't the Magic Sword's owner! Are you out of your mind? Is there even a way to get rid of that thing? How the hell do you plan to handle this?!"

Relinquishing ownership of a Magic Sword was simple. But the method to do so was entirely unknown. It was a sword that controlled its owner—what else could be expected? Unable to abandon the sword for other reasons, Echinacea avoided explaining how "easy" it would be to discard it and instead answered only the latter part of Nicole's outburst.

"I'm going to become a knight of the Azure Sky Knights."

"......What?"

"An official knight. That's how I'll deal with the Magic Sword."

Nicole didn't even bother to hide her openly distorted expression. Her voice dripped with disbelief as she repeated, "Are you serious?"

"A knight? You? And of the Azure Sky order, no less?"

"Yeah. The officer cadet selection exams in Agenka are held every spring, right? I'm going to take them. Start as a cadet and become a knight as quickly as possible."

Technically, if she revealed she was already a Master, she could take the initiation exam immediately—but that would be far too suspicious. A twenty-year-old noble lady, previously unremarkable, suddenly declaring ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠herself a Master? Of course, becoming an officer cadet was already absurd, but at least it was less outrageous than claiming Mastery outright.

'If I build up a reasonable record as a cadet and show gradual improvement in swordsmanship, then reach Mastery around twenty-three—around Yurien's age—it'll draw less attention. Just enough to pass off as a prodigy.'

Nicole, who couldn't even begin to guess Echinacea's thoughts, grabbed the back of her own neck.

"How do you expect to become a knight? You've never even held a sword before!"

This was a question she had anticipated and prepared for. Echinacea smiled wryly.

"I've actually practiced swordsmanship in secret."

"Now you're just spouting nonsense. Do I know you? Swordsmanship training? With your personality?"

"And, Nicole—I'm the Magic Sword's owner. A Giosa Owner."

A Giosa Owner.

Barring extremely rare exceptions, one had to be at least a Master to become a Giosa Owner. Therefore, every Owner was, by default, an exceptional swordsman. That much was common knowledge.

By that logic, Echinacea, as a Giosa Owner, should be an exceptional swordsman. But Nicole couldn't reconcile the Echinacea she knew with the descriptor "exceptional swordsman." She was utterly bewildered.

"A Giosa Owner...? Even if it is part of the Giosa Series, that's still a Magic Sword—?"

"Yeah, it's a Magic Sword. That's why I've gotten more skilled with the blade."

It wasn't a lie. When you got down to it, she had become a swordmaster because of the Magic Sword. Nicole, however, interpreted her words differently.

"The Magic Sword has that kind of power? Ah—but it was originally a sword that controlled its owner, wasn't it? Is it something similar? No, then your self would have to disappear... What the hell...?"

"Anyway, I don't plan to keep wielding the Magic Sword forever. So until I become a knight... I'd like you to investigate its origins while... protecting our family. You're the only one I can ask for this."

Count Roaz was a man far removed from politics and schemes. The fact that he lived on his estate without involving himself in the capital's political circles said enough. The Countess wasn't much different, and Lancelid was just a seventeen-year-old boy who hadn't even had his coming-of-age ceremony yet. In matters like this, the only person who could help was Nicole Sizton.

Nicole's expression stiffened, and she fell silent for a long moment. Echinacea fidgeted anxiously with the edge of her glove as she waited for her answer, then murmured softly,

"I'm sorry for asking this of you."