Chapter 13
The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 13
Translation: godsn
Ian smiled warmly. Despite his slightly sharp features, he had an approachable and sociable personality. It was easy to see why he'd been chosen as the Cadet Representative. Eki let out a faint sigh.
"Then can you tell me now why this recruitment competition is about to get intense?"
"Hmm."
Ian cleared his throat. Cadets around them were subtly focusing their attention on the pair. It was only natural—in the bustling communal dining hall, the sight of the Cadet Representative sitting side by side with such a peculiar freshman was bound to draw eyes. Under their gazes, he studied Eki carefully once more before dropping what might as well have been a bombshell.
"First-year Echinacea Roaz, you've been nominated as a Squire."
Instantly, all noise in the dining hall ceased. An eerie silence hung in the air for a moment before voices erupted from all directions.
"A Squire? A freshman becoming a Squire?"
"...What kind of nonsense is this?"
"Ian! Hey! You're joking, right?"
"Senior, what's going on here?"
Some cadets even approached Ian directly, pressing him for answers. Ian laughed awkwardly, as if he'd expected this reaction.
"An official notice will be posted on the main bulletin board soon."
"An official notice? You're insane—this is a real Squire nomination?"
"Come on, it must be temporary. No way it's real."
"Is this true, Senior? It's been two years since the last Squire was appointed, hasn't it?"
The gazes now directed at Eki were sharper than blades. Stunned, Eki gaped wordlessly.
Knights taking on Squires was merely a recommendation, not an obligation—after all, errands and assistance were tasks that cadets already took turns handling. Nominating a Squire under these circumstances was essentially the same as taking on a personal disciple. It wasn't uncommon for an entire year's batch of fifty officer cadets to produce not a single Squire.
Because of this, Eki had never even considered becoming a Squire. Forming a close relationship with an official knight as their Squire was something she wanted to avoid at all costs. Her goal had been to spend her time as a cadet making a modest impression on the Blue Sky, achieving moderate merits, then becoming a Master and immediately ascending to official knighthood.
But to be nominated as a Squire on her very first day? Unconsciously grinding her teeth, she asked:
"Who is it?"
Which lunatic nominated me as their Squire out of nowhere? From the entrance exams until today, I haven't even exchanged greetings with a single knight! Could someone among the Giosa Owners have recognized me? No, if that were the case, they'd have tried to kill or arrest me. Then who the hell is it?
A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind. At her question, the cadets' attention shifted back to Ian, who took their scrutiny in stride. Calmly, he answered:
"Sir Yurien de Harden Kyrie."
It was a name no one could have anticipated. A silence far heavier than before settled over the room.
Giosa Owner, wielder of the Holy Sword Langiosa, Captain of the Azure Sky Knights. At twenty-three, he'd become a Master; at twenty-four, he'd defeated the former Captain in combat to claim leadership. In the four years since, he had never once nominated even a temporary Squire.
After a prolonged silence, one cadet finally spoke up in a trembling voice:
"Ian, this is a joke, right?"
"Go check the notice yourself."
Shrugging, Ian turned back to Eki. She stood frozen, as if time had stopped. He produced a parchment scroll and placed it before her, speaking matter-of-factly.
"Your appointment letter. There's a one-month probationary period—official assignment comes afterward. During probation, I'll be responsible for your preliminary Squire training. Report to the 4th Training Ground east of the main building by 9 AM tomorrow. Any questions?"
"......"
She stared down at the scroll before her. The high-quality vellum was sealed with red wax bearing the clear imprint of the Blue Sky Hawk emblem. Her mind went utterly blank.
"Guess not."
When she remained silent, Ian rose from his seat. As he turned to leave, he suddenly added, as if he'd just remembered something.
"Ah, you have a duel at sunset today, right? Behind the girls' dormitory—the Seventh Training Ground? Cadet Alice told me. Since I've accepted the role of witness, I'll see you then. Enjoy your meal."
Only then did Eki snap out of her daze. Reflexively clutching the scroll, she shot to her feet.
The moment she vanished from the dining hall, the room erupted into chaos as if a bomb had gone off. Words like Owner, Squire, new student, Azure Sky Knights Commander, and duel swirled wildly through the air. In the close quarters of the military academy, rumors spread like wildfire.
Eki raced back to her room at near-flying speed. Fortunately, Alice wasn't there. She slammed the door shut behind her, locked it, and collapsed onto the floor. With trembling hands, she broke the red wax seal on the parchment scroll.
The neatly penned appointment letter in deep blue ink came into view.
―Appointment Letter
Military Academy First Year, Echinacea Roaz.
The above cadet is hereby appointed as Squire to Knight Yurien de Harden Kyrie.
April 18, 1629.
No matter how many times she reread it, the words remained unchanged. The vivid red seal stamped clearly bore the emblem of the Azure Sky. Eki flung the letter aside in frustration.
[That is Yurien, the wielder of Langiosa, right? Does he remember you? He seems to recognize you. But if he does know, isn't it normal for him to try to kill you? Squire? What do you think, Master?]
Yurien? Yurien?
The Magic Sword's chatter barely registered in her mind. She stared blankly into space as images of the Yurien she knew flooded her thoughts.
The man pointing a white blade at her. The startled expression when he saw her tears. The voice that offered her a chance. Those blue eyes watching through the gap in the iron gate. The gaze that met hers amidst the stench of corpses piled over Agenka.
The emotions she held for him were anything but simple. They might have even blossomed into love. There had been moments when she gathered the words she wanted to say to him upon waking—moments that made her heart flutter. Without a doubt, her feelings had been tinged with warmth.
But before those feelings could fully mature, the atrocities she had committed were too horrific. She couldn't bring herself to love him.
The memory of locking eyes with him in the ruins of Agenka, the moment he drew his last breath—those had sharpened into searing guilt and throbbing grief, overwhelming any other emotions she had for Yurien. Her heart had shattered before it could even bloom.
Tainted by the Magic Sword, she had slaughtered countless people, many of whom were dear to her. Echinacea carried guilt for them, yet she also had something to say in her defense—that she hadn't done it willingly, that it was all the Magic Sword's doing.
But she couldn't say the same for Yurien.
Because what he had believed in wasn't the shell tainted by the Magic Sword—it was the Echinacea inside. And she had betrayed that trust.
It wasn't the Magic Sword that broke his faith—it was me. I... I ruined the chance he gave me. Because I couldn't endure it...
Eki buried her face in her knees.
Why in the world had he appointed her as his squire? Just because she ranked first in the entrance exams? Had she gone too far during the second test against that junior knight? Did that knight relay something to him?
Or—did he actually remember? Did he recognize her? But how? She hadn't faced him once since her regression. It couldn't be. If he had recognized her, he would have come to kill her alongside the other Giosa Owners, not appoint her as his squire.
That man, who showed me mercy once and suffered a horrific downfall because of it—if given a second chance, he wouldn't hesitate to cut me down.
Eki was certain of it.
If his memories remained, there was no way Yurien wouldn't despise her.
And so, though part of her longed to see him, she couldn't bring herself to face him.
But now she was to be his squire. She would have to remain by his side constantly.
Her head spun. She sat frozen in place, lost in thought for a long time. The cursed sword tried to provoke her a few times, but when Eki refused to respond, it eventually tired itself out and fell silent.
As the sun set, the fading light of dusk spilled through the window. Only then did Eki rise from her seat. She picked up the longsword leaning in the corner—the only plain item among her lavish belongings. It was a cheap blade she had hastily purchased in the streets of Agenka, its quality far from impressive.
She couldn't wear it at her waist with her dress. Instead, she gripped the sheathed sword in one hand and headed straight for the seventh training ground behind the dormitory. Every cadet she passed along the way flinched at her attire, then immediately turned to whisper to those around them. The word "squire" reached her ears more than once.
The crowd gathered around the training ground was staggering.
Though the military academy didn't provide formal instruction, it ensured ample resources for training. There were multiple training grounds, each varying in size, type, and purpose. The seventh training ground was a small, fenced-off area meant for cadets to warm up before bed or right after waking—just a few straw dummies and a simple wooden fence.
There was enough space for a duel, but hardly any for spectators. So the cadets packed themselves tightly outside the fence or near the dummies. The sheer number made it seem as though nearly every cadet in the academy had shown up.
A duel between the top and second-place cadets on the first day of enrollment would have drawn attention on its own, but now that one of them had been named the Knight Commander's squire? Even those who normally wouldn't care about a duel had no choice but to swarm in. The cadet representative, acting as the officiator, might have kept quiet, but the news had already spread like wildfire in the crowded dining hall. It was inevitable.
As the rumored protagonist who had taken the academy by storm in half a day approached, the cadets hesitantly stepped aside. Eki walked into the training ground with an impassive expression. Alice Winterbell was already there, her face twisted in an odd expression—likely having heard about the squire appointment as well.
"Glad you could make it, Cadet Echinacea."
Ian Pelletro greeted her with a friendly smile. Eki responded with only a silent nod before taking her place opposite Alice.
"Well, no point dragging this out... Shall we begin? As the challenger, Cadet Alice will have the first move."
"Yes, thank you."
"Understood."
Alice and Echinacea both acknowledged. Standing between them, Ian clapped his hands lightly. The dense ring of watching cadets fixed their gazes on him.
"On the late afternoon of the 18th day of the 4th month, 1629 of the Divine Era, under the supervision of officiator Ian Pelletro, Cadet Echinacea Roaz and Cadet Alice Winterbell hereby commence a dialogue of blades. May mercy and grace be granted to the victor, submission and humility to the defeated, and honor and justice to the swords themselves. Ar Sebat-tiem."
The duel declaration resembled a prayer. Given that the origins of the Azure Sky Knights lay in apostles who revered the divine sword Kairos Giosa as proof of the divine, traces of such religious customs remained deeply ingrained in their culture. Ar Sebat-tiem—an ancient phrase meaning May God's glory be with you—was originally an expression used primarily by priests.
As the declaration concluded, Alice drew the sword at her waist. Its polished silver blade gleamed like a mirror, unmistakably a well-crafted and meticulously maintained masterpiece.
She raised the sword before her upper body, aligning the blade straight, then brought the crossguard close to her lips—almost touching, but not quite—before pulling it away. Finally, she let the tip of the sword droop slightly to the right. It was the poised etiquette of an Imperial knight, executed with perfect discipline.