Chapter 75
The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 75
Translation: godsn
Yurien reflexively stopped speaking. His hesitation didn't last long. In the end, he bought the hand mirror from the stall. It was an object he'd never even held before, let alone owned.
He rode his horse outside the city walls, stopping at the fields on the outskirts of Agenka. Leaning against a short tree, he carefully examined the mirror he'd just purchased. Though it was the same face he saw every day, it looked unfamiliar in the small hand mirror. He tried lifting the corners of his mouth to smile. It looked stiff and awkward. He composed his expression and tried smiling again. Still awkward.
[What are you doing right now?]
Langiosa asked in an exhausted voice. Yurien fiddled with the corner of his mouth as he answered.
"I was curious about what my smiling face looks like."
[Why on earth would you be curious about that?]
"Because she always relaxes when I smile. I think she likes seeing smiling faces."
[......I swear, the things I witness after living so long.]
The Holy Sword openly clicked its tongue. Yurien wasn't listening. He lifted the mirror and smiled a few more times before muttering blankly.
"It's not working. It just looks awkward."
[Are you seriously practicing how to smile now?]
"If I could smile better, maybe she'd smile back at me."
[......Ha.]
"I think I used to smile easily in front of her."
[You're done for. Completely done for.]
"What do you mean by 'done for'?"
[Seeing you so far gone makes me think we've already passed the point of no return.]
"Speak clearly."
[Never mind. It's better if I keep my mouth shut about this.]
Grumbling, the Holy Sword said nothing more. Yurien accepted this and looked back into the mirror. He practiced smiling with considerable seriousness.
The next day, Yurien couldn't focus on his work all morning. Wielding his sword during morning training had been manageable, but once he started on paperwork, his thoughts kept wandering. To the thought that Echinacea Roaz and Baraha Islaf were probably together right now.
Because of this, by afternoon he hadn't even finished half the documents he needed to review. Normally, he would finish paperwork by noon and spend time on practical matters like overseeing the knights' training. Struggling to focus, Yurien eventually threw down the papers and stood up. He felt like throwing a gauntlet at his past self who had maneuvered Baraha into becoming her mentor.
[You're not planning to go see the Magic Sword's wielder again, are you?]
As he left the commander's office, the Holy Sword spoke to him in an exasperated tone. Yurien made an excuse.
"I'm just going for a walk since I can't concentrate."
[You call that an excuse?]
"I'll just take a quick look and come back."
[You're completely out of your mind. Please, just don't let this go too far.]
"'Go too far'? What do you mean by that?"
[I mean don't commit any crimes. I'd prefer if you remained my wielder for a long time.]
"That's absurd."
[I wish this were an absurd concern too.]
The Holy Sword grumbled discontentedly. Leaving behind the sword's unnecessary worries, he quickly headed toward the stables. Since they were supposed to be handling horses today, they should be there. But there was no sign of anyone in the stables. Yurien stopped abruptly where he could see the stable entrance. Neither Baraha nor Echinacea was inside.
'Where did they go?'
Wondering if they might be nearby, he expanded his senses as far as possible. He soon located Echinacea. She was talking with someone else at a nearby water trough. As Yurien approached, he listened to their conversation.
"He said he wanted to meet and apologize to me? To me, Senior Bread?"
"Yeah. If you're not ready to forgive him, you can refuse. Just because he wants to apologize doesn't mean you're obligated to accept it."
Had something happened to her that warranted an apology? Yurien frowned. The conversation bothered him, and the person talking to her bothered him even more. Ian Pelletro. Even without using True Sight, it was obvious he was brimming with wavering malice. Yurien quickened his pace slightly.
"When did he say he wanted to meet?"
"He asked if we could meet this evening if possib—"
Ian trailed off as he noticed Yurien's presence and hastily bowed in greeting.
"Ar Sebat-tiem. It's an honor to see you, Captain."
Only then did Echinacea turn to look behind her. Her complexion carried a faint weariness. Though she appeared outwardly composed, subtle differences lingered—the slightly sluggish turn of her head, the eyes lacking their usual sharpness.
Is she unwell?
He recognized it instinctively. Having spent years observing someone at the Master realm, his heightened senses naturally picked up on such details. He'd witnessed her injured, poisoned, sleep-deprived, or forcing herself to move through exhaustion enough times to tell the difference immediately.
For now, he shifted his gaze to Ian and activated True Sight.
"An apology, you say? What is this about?"
"...There was a dispute among the cadets."
From Ian, a thick, almost crimson-black malice slithered forth like creeping vines. It pulsed violently, as if ready to burst outward at any moment. Yurien had seen this form of malice many times before—it always manifested when ill intent was primed to take action.
And its target was obvious. The audacity of Ian Pelletro to direct such malice toward Echinacea Roaz right in front of him—Yurien wanted to kill him where he stood. The thought burned through him as he glared down at Ian. Sensing his murderous intent, the Holy Sword intervened.
[Calm yourself. You have no evidence yet, nor do you know exactly what he's plotting. Have you forgotten all the investigations you've conducted on that bastard until now? Apprehending him without due process isn't justice.]
Even without Langiosa's nagging, Yurien knew this well. It was just difficult to suppress his fury in the moment. He tore his gaze from Ian and looked back at Echinacea. After witnessing that seething malice, the sight of her—burning clean and bright like the sun—felt like his True Sight was being cleansed. Still, he wanted to see her face properly and deactivated the ability.
"What kind of dispute was it, Cadet Echinacea?"
"It's a personal matter, Captain."
Echinacea left no room for further inquiry. It would've been stranger if she had asked for his help. Yurien smiled bitterly to himself as he carefully studied her complexion.
She doesn't seem injured.
Then why did she look so exhausted? Countless possibilities swirled in his mind. Among them, a report from one of his informants—disguised among the academy's staff—resurfaced. Echinacea had returned to the dormitory drenched in sweat alongside her roommate. They had likely been sparring.
Considering her hands, which still lacked any calluses, swinging a sword intensely enough to drench her entire body in sweat would almost certainly leave her aching afterward. Unlike before her regression, her body was still that of a noble lady with almost no physical conditioning. Revisiting that assumption, the signs of physical strain became obvious. She even looked feverish.
And here she was, pushing through discomfort when the Freshman Ranking Tournament was tomorrow. No doubt she dismissed it as trivial and endured it silently. She wouldn't even consider telling anyone—too accustomed to overcoming everything alone.
Yurien addressed Ian.
"Cadet Representative. Do you have anything further to say to Cadet Echinacea?"
"Huh? Ah... Well..."
As Ian hesitated, Echinacea smoothly interjected.
"If he wants to apologize, tell him to come see me himself, Senior."
"...Understood. I'll pass that along."
"If you're finished, you may leave. I have matters to discuss with Cadet Echinacea."
Yurien dismissed Ian, already resolving to investigate this so-called "apology." Given the density of malice he'd sensed, there was undoubtedly some scheme at play.
Once Ian was gone, Echinacea lowered her head, avoiding eye contact. Yurien gazed at the strands of pink hair cascading over her shoulders and finally spoke.
"Something..."
He began hesitantly, then trailed off. Seeing how tense and wary she was, would she even welcome his help?
"...If there's anything I can assist you with..."
Was there anything he could do? Whether it was dealing with Ian's irritating behavior or simply staying by her side while she was unwell. Unlike the times he'd silently watched her gather Giosas alone, now he could reach out to her. He could help. He wished she would rely on him, even just a little.
"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that, Captain."
"...No, never mind."
But she probably didn't want that. Perhaps what she wanted most right now was for him to never appear before her again. A bitter smile escaped him before he could stop it, and Yurien hastily covered his mouth.
He could just pretend not to notice and walk away, but he didn't want to. If he couldn't stay by her side, he at least wanted to make sure she had medicine. Echinacea was more likely to push through her pain than properly take care of herself, stubbornly dragging her weakened body around. At best, she'd probably just sleep it off, thinking rest would be enough.
"Follow me, Cadet Echinacea."
Yurien led her toward the knights' headquarters. After having her wait briefly, he sprinted up to his office. The usually composed captain running up the stairs two or three at a time was such a rare sight that the knights and clerks in the headquarters gaped in shock.
Unfazed by their reactions, he quickly reached his office. Inside was a first aid kit. He opened it, retrieving a blue ointment effective for muscle pain and, just in case, a red one for external wounds.
After adding antibiotic syrup to the pile, he stuffed everything into a paper bag, then glanced around to see if there was anything else that might help. His eyes landed on a glass bottle resting on the table beside a tea set—homemade ginger tea Baron Tilius had left behind the other day, saying his wife had made it.
'Good for colds and fatigue,' he recalled.
He placed the entire bottle into the bag. Even then, he lingered, scanning the room. He wanted to give her more, even if it was something trivial. Part of him longed to stay by her side and care for her properly. The fact that he couldn't left him with a dull ache.
"Should I send for a doctor or a priest...?"
[Enough already.]
The Holy Sword cut in sharply, responding to his muttering. Slightly dejected, Yurien grabbed the paper bag and headed back downstairs.
Echinacea was waiting for him near the flowerbed in front of the headquarters building.
The slender curve of her legs visible beneath her short dress, trailing down from her calves to her ankles. Her long hair cascading under the late afternoon sun. Her slightly parted lips exhaling a faint sigh. Her usually sharp eyes slightly hazy with fever. Her expressionless face, weighed down by exhaustion.
Yurien paused at the entrance. Sensing his presence, she lifted her head and turned toward him. Her lowered lashes fluttered open wide, her eyes capturing him, and a faint flicker of relief—ah, you're here—spread across her pale face.
It was nothing significant. She probably wouldn't even remember it. The expression that surfaced wasn't quite a smile, just the barest hint of gladness at the arrival of someone she'd been waiting for.
But in that moment, Yurien realized just how desperately he wanted to see her smile at him. His heart thudded heavily in his chest.
Until now, he had only seen her weeping, tormented by guilt, gasping from nightmares, or burning with determination to overcome it all. But this—this fleeting, unconscious softening—was something entirely new. And it shook him more than he expected.