Chapter 76
The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 76
Translation: godsn
Even seeing just a fragment of that smile, an indescribable emotion swelled within him, making him feel as though he could accomplish anything.
Fearing his agitation might show, he quickly quickened his pace. As he walked, he heard the light patter of her footsteps following closely behind. The moment he registered the sound, he deliberately slowed down. His strides would naturally be longer than hers, so he adjusted his pace to match hers. The sound of her heartbeat seemed to keep time with their footsteps.
When they reached the women's dormitory entrance, he approached her. As she took the envelope, her round eyes blinked up at him in puzzlement. That face of hers was so lovely that his expression softened involuntarily.
"Don't push yourself too hard."
If he stayed looking at her any longer, nonsense might spill from his lips, so he left after those brief words. As he turned away, he lightly touched her shoulder in encouragement.
Yurien glanced down at the hand that had brushed her shoulder as he walked away. The slender shoulder that had fleetingly touched his palm had been slightly warm from exertion, but unlike at the fountain earlier, it wasn't trembling.
That small change left him buoyant the entire day.
The next day was the freshman ranking tournament. Though he'd managed to focus during morning training the day before, today he couldn't concentrate even while gripping his sword. He worried about how she would fare in the tournament while still unwell. Eventually, Yurien abandoned his morning training and stepped outside the Captain's private training grounds.
"Ar Sebat-tiem. The investigation you requested yesterday is complete."
A man dressed as a servant waiting outside the training grounds whispered softly while offering a towel.
"Well done. The contents?"
"Submitted in writing, sir."
The crinkle of paper could be felt within the towel the man handed over. Yurien checked his surroundings before unwrapping the towel to read the note inside.
—Bread von Poum, third year, cadet rank 68, member of the Noblesse Club, second son of Marquis Poum of the Kyrie Empire.
Known for arrogant disposition with poor reputation within the academy. Previously assigned (at Cadet Representative's request) to oversee Echinacea Roaz's squire training, returned limping while spewing profanities.
'Though exact circumstances remain unclear, it appears he holds considerable malice toward Echinacea Roaz.'
With such temperament and lingering resentment, he'd been loudly proclaiming about "apologies" and such. Moreover, Ian Pelletro delivering this message had been brimming with malice on the verge of action. However one looked at it, the situation was suspicious.
"Investigate Bread von Poum's recent activities. He appears to be plotting something."
"Ar Sebat-tiem."
The intelligence agent disguised as a servant saluted and withdrew. Yurien returned to headquarters and met with the Vice Captain in his office.
"I need to look into academy club affairs. Any cadets you'd recommend?"
"Clubs all of a sudden? Which club do you mean, sir?"
"The Noblesse."
"That's an exclusive club that won't accept those below certain family standings. What business brings you there?"
"There's a Noblesse member showing suspicious activity. To investigate properly, I need to understand the club's workings."
"Hmm... Baraha knows academy matters well. I'll summon him."
The Vice Captain called a servant to fetch Baraha, then studied Yurien with mild curiosity as the Captain lounged on the sofa.
"First time I've seen the Captain involving himself in academy affairs."
The Azure Sky Knights Captain had his hands full governing Agenka, managing diplomacy with nations, and overseeing the knight order. Academy matters typically ended at the administrative office level. Only critically important issues requiring final decisions reached the Captain's desk. For him to involve himself from the initial stages was highly unusual.
"Does this have something to do with Cadet Echinacea Roaz?"
"......I trust you to be discreet."
"Understood."
Having known Yurien for a long time, Baron Tilius asked no further questions. Shortly after, Baraha Islaf arrived. Yurien asked him if he knew any cadets familiar with the Noblesse Club.
"Yes, there is one."
"By this evening, use that cadet to gather information on the Noblesse Club's structure. The factions or groups within the club, the club president's control, where the power dynamics lie—everything."
Cadets would know the power structures among themselves best. Baraha hastily jotted down his instructions, then hesitated slightly before asking.
"You mean by today?"
"Do you need more time?"
"......No."
Because of this order, Baraha would miss watching Echinacea's ranking match. He left with noticeably slumped shoulders. After handling a few urgent matters, Yurien headed straight for the military academy.
If the Knight Commander openly attended a freshman ranking tournament, it would cause an uproar. So he pulled up his hood and took a seat near the outer staircase of the second-floor spectator stands—a spot barely visible from the first-floor arena or waiting rooms. Through the window by the stairs, he watched Echinacea's match.
'She's still not in good condition, is she?'
Yurien was the only one who noticed she was ending each match in a single strike due to her lingering illness. He was also the only one dissatisfied with the match between Alice and Echinacea.
'Pushing herself again.'
Seeing her exhaust herself to guide Alice through a practice duel stirred both worry and jealousy in him. As someone who knew her true skill, the half-hearted duel was frustrating—yet it only made him crave more. He wanted to cross blades with her.
Would there ever come a day when he could spar with her? Would he, too, be able to converse with her through the sword? His grip tightened on the windowsill, fingers digging in with restless longing. He watched her swordplay until the very end before quietly leaving his seat.
May 10th, 1629, Divine Era. The Azure Sky Knights' Monster Subjugation Squad departed for the northern White Crow Canyon.
In the past, casualties in the subjugation squad had been largely due to Specters appearing at night, but the many injuries sustained during daytime hunts beforehand had also played a role. The state of the monsters in White Crow Canyon had been dire. Drawing from past memories, Yurien increased the squad's size to minimize injuries.
He intended to handle the Specter alone. Without its attack, he wouldn't be able to catch Ian Pelletro attempting to kill Baraha—but letting the Specter rampage just to expose Ian was out of the question.
'He might try something else, though.'
On May 12th, as soon as they arrived near White Crow Canyon, Yurien held a meeting with the knights. A scout reported the number of monsters was higher than expected, but with the larger subjugation squad, it wasn't a major concern. The hunt seemed likely to proceed smoothly.
On his way back from the meeting, Yurien ran into Dietrich. The knight grinned and beckoned him over.
"Hey, things look pretty good, huh?"
"What do you mean?"
"Your squire and Baraha. They were setting up tents together."
"......."
"They seemed to get along well, so I helped out a bit. Baraha's not exactly the delicate type when it comes to that sort of thing."
Yurien's eyes flickered. He lowered his gaze to hide his unease and asked quietly,
"Do they seem well-matched to you?"
"Well, Baraha definitely likes her... Not sure if it's romantic yet, but Cadet Echinacea doesn't seem to dislike him either, right? Spend enough time together, bond naturally, and things'll just happen."
Dietrich spoke lightly while carefully observing Yurien. When Yurien's expression remained impassive, he scratched the back of his head.
"Hey, you're really not interested in her, right?"
"Why do you keep asking about such things?"
"Because you're my closest friend, and I'm worried whether a blockhead like you could even handle romance properly, that's why!"
"Tend to your own affairs first. Knight Teresa frowns every time your name comes up."
"That just means she cares. Indifference is the scariest thing, you know."
"So, are you just going to keep circling endlessly?"
Dietrich answered with unexpectedly serious eyes.
"For now. Look, at the very least, I need to stand on equal footing with Teresa before I even think about confessing or not. That's why I have to become a Master first. After that, I'll definitely become a Giosa Owner. I know it sounds like I'm dreaming big for just a Junior Knight, but..."
"That's not an empty dream. You will become a Giosa Owner."
"...Thanks for saying that, you bastard."
Dietrich let out a short laugh, waved his hand, and headed toward his own barracks.
Yurien already knew he would become the Owner of Lemingiosa. He had seen it. Even his death. The image of Dietrich and Teresa's corpses hanging from the fountain's angel statue rose unbidden, twisting his stomach. He shook his head.
The future where he becomes the Owner of Lemingiosa will come to pass, but that death will not.
Echinacea Roaz had made sure of that. This world now was the one she had won. Her destruction had not been her will, but the salvation she created had been.
Echinacea.
As he walked toward his barracks, Yurien turned that sun-like soul over in his mind. Dazzling, indomitable, precarious. He wanted to stand by her side. He wanted to be her support.
But when she looked at him, she remembered the past and grew uneasy. His very existence weighed on her. And yet, he had taken her as his squire, lingered close, fixated on every minor change, clinging to the hope that she, too, would gradually grow comfortable—
"What a mess."
[What is?]
Instead of answering the Holy Sword, Yurien halted. His barracks stood beside hers. He could sense her presence inside. Staring blankly at it, he finally turned away and stepped into his own quarters. He didn't light a lamp, simply leaning back on the cot in the darkness.
His gaze fixed in her direction. Even though nothing was visible beyond the thick canvas of the tent. His interlaced hands on his knees twisted.
He had privately believed that only he, who knew the erased past, could remain by her side. But if someone else could stand with her—if she would no longer be lonely or in pain—then did he really need to force himself upon her when his presence only brought discomfort?
Perhaps what Echinacea truly wanted was to erase the past entirely and live a new life. As Dietrich said, Baraha was a good man, and if she took a liking to him, she might even find happiness as his lover. That might be the best outcome for her. After all, she and Baraha had grown close quickly, and they seemed to enjoy each other's company, didn't they?
And yet—
Why did something thick and cloying seethe up from the pit of his stomach, spreading through his entire body?
The barracks, devoid of light, was pitch black. In that darkness, Yurien imagined her smiling at Baraha. He had never seen her truly smile, so he pictured the way her face had brightened that day when she greeted him in front of the knight headquarters. If she were to offer that smile, that outstretched hand, to someone else—if she were to touch another—
A raw impulse, unfamiliar in life, surged through him.
Anyone who knows her would inevitably be drawn to her. Baraha, or anyone else. Yurien sincerely believed that. How could they not? A being so radiant—who wouldn't be captivated by Echinacea?