Chapter 80
The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 80
Translation: godsn
It would be difficult.
'Resigning from the captaincy would be meaningless.'
If he stepped down as captain now, it would only appear as if he were making a blatant bid for the throne. Moreover, the Azure Sky Knights losing their captain due to imperial pressure would undermine Agenka's independence. The Azure Sky Knights would rather go to war with the empire to maintain their sovereignty than tolerate such a forced change in leadership.
'Crown Prince Cruen understands the Azure Sky well enough. He wouldn't push us recklessly. The Crown Prince faction might not accept it easily, but if I can steer their focus toward me rather than the order...'
Bowing to the Crown Prince wasn't an easy path, but it was the most peaceful one. On the other hand, rejecting the engagement would plunge everything into unpredictable chaos—he'd make enemies of both the Crown Prince and the Second Prince.
If he considered only himself and the Azure Sky Knights, weathering the turmoil to preserve their independence wouldn't be a bad choice. The order was far from weak. But doing so would almost certainly destroy Echinacea's peace. The whereabouts of the Magic Sword would also become difficult to obscure. She would inevitably be dragged into the conflict.
For Echinacea's sake, he should accept the engagement. Yet he didn't want to. Even as he dismissed it as futile hope, even as he acknowledged that such a day might never come, he couldn't bring himself to completely shut the door on the possibility of being with her.
He couldn't give up on her without even hearing her answer. That was why Yurien had no choice but to ask her.
The day of the appointment ceremony arrived.
Echinacea attended despite suffering from another bout of illness, not even mentioning her pain. Even though the ceremony could easily be postponed, why did she always push herself like this? Why did she never take care of her own body? With a bitter heart, Yurien ordered the proceedings to be expedited.
"Henceforth, I declare Echinacea Roaz to be the squire of Knight Yurien de Harden Kyrie. This oath shall remain in effect until death or new birth intervenes. May 19th, 1629. Ar Sebat-tiem."
An eternal vow, the exchange of oaths, their signatures inscribed side by side. As he went through the formalities, Yurien found himself thinking of the engagement.
What if the one forced upon him as his fiancée had been Echinacea? What if, instead of this appointment ceremony, it had been their engagement taking place here? What if this document weren't a squire's oath but a betrothal contract? He entertained these thoughts as he gazed down at the parchment.
He had realized he wanted to stay by her side, and in doing so, had eventually come to understand that he loved her—yet only now, for the first time, did he imagine marrying her. The fantasy was so sweet it momentarily made him forget reality. Echinacea Roaz as his wife—he'd never even connected the idea before, but once he did, he couldn't think of anything else. The word "marriage" floated hazily through his dazed mind. Yurien was half out of his senses.
"Captain—no, my lord. I heard you're getting engaged."
But Echinacea's voice snapped him back to reality.
"Congratulations."
Her face was calm as she said it. Composed and unshaken, she was congratulating him on his engagement. It felt like a thin, cold blade had followed her words to carve through his chest. Would it be different if he lifted that veil over her face? Was there even the slightest tremor beneath it? A futile hope rose and vanished.
He had thought it would be fine even if he could no longer watch over her, so long as she lived happily. That resolve hadn't changed. Her happiness mattered more than his love. Still, if there were even the slightest possibility—he would do anything. He didn't want to give up. So he asked.
"If, just if, there is something you desire... would you sacrifice your peace to obtain it? Could you endure being swept into turmoil for its sake?"
"......I would never choose to sacrifice my peace."
Her answer was only natural. Echinacea didn't love him—wasn't she rather uncomfortable around him? Even if by some miracle she came to love him, a future where she chose him would never come. Because choosing him would shatter her peace.
Even if a miracle occurred and she loved him, if she learned that he was the root cause of all those nightmares she endured...
There had never been any possibility from the start. He knew that. Yet the despair welling up within him was unstoppable. He barely managed to suppress the surging emotions and crafted his reply with deliberate indifference.
"I understand, Echinacea."
Yurien gazed down at the sword wrapped in white leather. The name he'd given it while picturing her eyes was engraved along the blade's fuller.
Amethyst.
His fingertips traced the letters. The sword he'd prepared before Echinacea Roaz's enrollment had been completed and delivered days ago. Having missed every opportunity to present it, the weapon remained in his possession. He might never get to give it to her at all.
He had decided to proceed with the engagement.
[Wise decision. It's the better choice for both the Demon Sword's wielder and for you.]
The Holy Sword was subtly pleased—an expected reaction given how it had disapproved of his lovesick transformation. Once he announced his engagement to Lady Diassant and ordered preparations for the ceremony, everything would proceed smoothly.
Rosalin Diassant was a woman who understood the meaning behind this engagement. Beautiful in appearance and clearly intelligent. She seemed to harbor no grand expectations for marriage, suggesting they could coexist without difficulty.
Echinacea would live peacefully as a squire before smoothly becoming a knight. As his squire, she risked being dragged into his conflicts—potentially even having to move at the Crown Prince's sword—but conversely, as his squire, she could be safer than anyone. He would ensure it.
Now he only needed to announce his decision.
Yet the heart is an uncontrollable beast, refusing to surrender so easily. Because even the slightest possibility made him reluctant to give up. No—simply because he didn't want to relinquish her. The thought of having to abandon her was driving him mad.
The words of his decision wouldn't leave his lips.
Just as he delayed the day he would give Amethyst to her, he postponed announcing his choice. Though the Holy Sword frequently urged him, Yurien couldn't let go. To empty his mind, he immersed himself in work. There was much to do—the summer Sun Festival next month, and that incident he'd resolved to prevent ever since learning time had reversed.
The saintess's murder. The discovery of a girl's charred corpse in a burned hut alongside Elgiosa.
"I'll announce my decision after saving the saintess."
[What difference does that make? Aren't you just stalling?]
"I need time to sort out my feelings."
Langiosa nearly asked whether those feelings could ever truly be sorted, but held back upon seeing its master's agonized expression.
Amidst this, Baraha's presence only deepened Yurien's torment.
"Just grant me one day's leave, Lord."
Passing by the vice commander's office, Yurien overheard Baraha's voice. He paused briefly to listen. The Baron clicked his tongue in response.
"Requesting leave during our busiest season? For what purpose?"
"I'm visiting Cadet Echinacea in the infirmary."
"...So you're abandoning your overworked Lord for romance?"
"I'll work twice as hard upon returning. Just one day's rest, please."
"Does that mean you haven't been working hard until now?"
"Of course not! I mean I'll work even harder!"
"Do you like her that much?"
"Yes."
"And how does she feel about you?"
"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to work at it. So, Lord, please grant me just one day of leave."
Baraha answered confidently, and the Baron let out a stifled laugh. Unconsciously, Yurien gritted his teeth. He was fiercely envious of how easily Baraha could lay bare his feelings and declare his determination. Even if Yurien could somehow untangle the suffocating web of complications around him, he still carried a guilt he needed to confess to her.
"Wait a moment, there's still work left—"
The rustling sound of the Baron shuffling through papers filled the room. Yurien glanced absently at what he was holding—tasks he'd brought to finish ahead of time, knowing he'd soon have to leave to rescue the Saintess. There was quite a lot.
His body moved faster than his thoughts. He knocked on the Vice Commander's office door and entered.
"Baron."
"Yes, Captain?"
"I'd like you to handle these as well."
Yurien placed the stack of documents on the Baron's desk. The Baron paled at the sheer volume.
"That's... quite a lot."
"I don't have much time before the long-term mission we discussed. These are just festival preparations—nothing too difficult. It'd be good for Baraha to get familiar with paperwork while assisting you."
This time, it was Baraha standing beside him who turned pale. The Baron didn't suspect Yurien's claim of being pressed for time—not when Yurien had always been so diligent. Even when squires and cadets were swallowed by Nodes and left disoriented, he had never neglected his duties.
"Understood, Captain. Baraha, I'm afraid I can't grant your leave."
"...Yes, Lord..."
"My apologies. Do your best."
Having offloaded the work, Yurien left the office. The Holy Sword chided him with clear disdain.
[What kind of childish nonsense is this, you?]
Yurien quietly pressed his lips together. He knew full well that what he'd done was petty jealousy.
Days passed. Unlike the Holy Sword, Lady Diassant didn't press him. She remained quietly in the quarters assigned to her—until one day, she suddenly moved. The intelligence officer assigned to monitor her came to report.
"She appears to be heading toward the Wisdom Club's meeting place."
"Wisdom? The club Echinacea Roaz belongs to?"
"Yes. It seems her goal is to see her. Ah, this is the investigation report on Bread von Poum you requested earlier."
"Good work."
Yurien tucked the sealed envelope deep into a drawer and stood immediately. He didn't know why Lady Diassant wanted to meet Echinacea, but he hoped they wouldn't cross paths. As he headed toward the military academy, he spotted Lady Diassant returning.
"Did you have any other choice, my lord?"
"If I were to decide to abandon Langiosa... the range of options would expand considerably."
The words he spoke to Rosalin Diassant were half impulsive, but they were also a method he had quietly considered.
He couldn't discard Langiosa—not when he needed to preserve his memories. But others didn't know that. To them, it would seem like something he could abandon at any time. Losing the Holy Sword wouldn't strip him of his status as a Master, nor would it force him to step down as Captain of the Azure Sky Knights. Even without Langiosa, he could overwhelm other Giosa Owners. That fact was one of the weapons he could wield if he ever refused the engagement.
After sending Lady Diassant back, Yurien headed toward the military academy. He had deliberately avoided seeking out Echinacea after the appointment ceremony, knowing that seeing her again would shatter the fragile control he'd barely maintained over his emotions. But this time, his nerves were frayed beyond endurance.
She was walking with her roommate, Alice Winterbell.