The Flower That Bears a Sword - Chapter 9

Translation: godsn

[What are you thinking about to smile so terrifyingly?]

"I'm thinking of discarding you."

[......How exactly do you plan to discard me, you heartless master?]

"I'm going to become a knight."

[Since when? What's with this sudden knight talk?]

"I'll join the Blue Sky Hawks and find another obedient Giosa instead of you."

[Hey! Where would you find a Giosa as obedient as me? Just look at me—I'm staying perfectly calm even though my master is plotting to abandon me!]

"If you don't like it, then stop whining about killing strict people."

[Tsk, killing is the fastest and cleanest solution to most problems. It's convenient for you, exciting for me—I'm just suggesting a mutually beneficial method. Master, you should respect my tastes a little.]

Eki ignored the magic sword's nonsense.

She'd made her decision about the magic sword problem. Now there was another matter to address. She pulled out the empty parcel she'd stored in her drawer—the one she'd retrieved from Nora earlier.

"Val. You said you don't remember anything before your ego awakened, right?"

[Would you remember what happened while you were asleep?]

"Then you naturally wouldn't know why you were placed in our family's kitchen either."

[No idea about that.]

Eki meticulously examined the wrapping paper and string. There was no writing, no traces left behind. As someone who wasn't a mage, she had no further means of investigation.

Whoever brought the magic sword certainly didn't have good intentions. Did someone hold a grudge against the Count Roaz household?

She needed to resolve this issue before leaving for Agenka. She couldn't leave her family in danger. Yet she couldn't just stay home guarding them until something happened either. This wasn't a problem she could quickly track down and solve, and disposing of the magic sword was also urgent.

'Someone who can investigate this in my place and protect my family while I'm away.'

There was one person she could ask. No one else even came to mind. Someone who'd known both her and her family for many years. Someone trusted like family. Strong enough and wise enough. And like other precious people, someone who had died by her hand.

'Nicole...'

She was scheduled to arrive at the mansion tomorrow. Eki steeled her resolve and put the parcel away.

"Things are about to get busy."

[Getting busy? Who are we killing?]

"Shut up and go to sleep."

Eki grimaced as she gripped the magic sword. Grumbling, the sword seeped into her hand as if melting into it.

Echinacea woke early again the next day. Having conserved even her sleeping hours to gather Giosas, she'd developed a habit of taking minimal sleep. And if she didn't wake before Nora entered, hiding the mark on her palm would be difficult.

Of course, she couldn't explain these circumstances. If she kept waking early like yesterday, everyone would start looking at her like she'd grown a third leg. So she secretly went out at dawn to warm up lightly, then returned to pretend to sleep late into the morning.

It was secretly quite the ordeal. After living like an ascetic monk for so long, lying still felt awkward. She kept feeling restless, as if she should be doing something.

'But at least I didn't have nightmares last night. I probably won't have them much from now on.'

Buried in bed, she lounged while thinking this. She'd slept without dreaming—a pleasant, deep sleep. Just as she'd grown accustomed to peaceful sleep, she'd soon adjust to resting too. She'd earned the right to rest now. It was okay to rest.

Eki rubbed her cheek against the soft pillowcase and smiled faintly. Then at the expected knock, she bolted upright.

"Young mistress, it's time to wake up."

"I'm awake, Nora."

"Oh my."

When Eki opened the door, Nora's eyes widened in surprise. Bringing wash water, the maid spoke with amazement.

"You woke up early yesterday too."

"I'm trying to wake earlier from now on. About when will Nicole arrive?"

"She's already here. She's unpacking in her room."

"Already? You should have woken me."

"Lady Nicole said not to disturb you."

That made sense. Nicole was the person Echinacea felt most at ease around. She didn't have to carefully measure her words like she did when conversing with noble girls her own age. But precisely because of that, she had often lashed out at Nicole in irritation. Knowing this all too well, Nicole must have stopped Nora, saying something like, "Don't wake her up—you know she gets cranky when woken in the morning."

After clearing ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠away the washbasin, Nora prepared a simple breakfast. As Echinacea ate and changed her clothes, she kept pondering how much—and in what way—she should tell Nicole.

'If it's Nicole... I could probably just tell her ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the truth. But still, I can't say everything.'

Nicole Sizton was a mage sponsored by the Roaz Count family.

It was common for nobles to sponsor those with exceptional talent, but Nicole's case was a bit unusual. She had been an orphan whose magical aptitude was so negligible that she couldn't find a patron.

Most nobles had refused to sponsor her, deeming her level of talent useless. Only the Count and Countess Roaz had taken pity on her and brought her in. With their support, Nicole attended a boarding-style magic school, returning to the Roaz estate during vacations to play with Echinacea and Lancelid.

Nicole's magical abilities were so poor that calling her a mage was a stretch. Yet the Roaz family never blamed her for it—they knew she was doing her best. The Count and Countess had even granted her the small village of Sizton as a fief, assuring her it was fine if she never became a proper mage.

Everything changed around the time Nicole graduated from magic school. A Sage from the Magic Tower—where the most powerful mages gathered—realized that Nicole possessed a talent that couldn't be measured by conventional standards. After that, Nicole became that Sage's apprentice and successor, entering the Magic Tower. By her early twenties, she had made a name for herself as an outstanding mage.

Now, Nicole—the successor to one of only seven Sages—had surpassed the Roaz Count family, who were merely decent nobles at best. Yet she still used the surname Sizton, given to her by the Count and Countess, and often stayed at the Roaz estate during her vacations.

"All done, my lady."

"Thank you, Nora."

Nora gave Echinacea's dress a final adjustment before sending her off. Alone now, Echinacea headed toward Nicole's room. As she walked down the hallway, she recalled memories from before her regression.

In the past, Nicole had arrived at the Roaz estate on the same date. But unlike now, what she would have seen back then was the ruins of the Roaz mansion, slaughtered by Echinacea's hand. Echinacea didn't know how Nicole had reacted to that sight—by then, she had already been off massacring another nearby village.

And Nicole had tracked the traces of the Demon of the Magic Sword—the one who had annihilated the Roazes—and come after her alone.

'She... didn't recognize me.'

Of course she hadn't. Even someone as close as family wouldn't have. In just a few days, Echinacea had become unrecognizable.

Nicole had glared at the Demon of the Magic Sword with swollen, tear-streaked eyes burning with hatred. She could have fled—but she didn't. Instead, she threw herself recklessly at the demon, desperate to avenge the Roaz family. Only then did Echinacea realize that Nicole, who had always seemed indifferent, had genuinely cherished them.

Still early in her possession by the Magic Sword, Echinacea had been wounded for the first time. Nicole Sizton was a formidable mage, and the sword hadn't yet fully adapted to its host. Still, the injury wasn't fatal. But in exchange for that wound, Nicole had died by her hand.

'It was better that she didn't recognize me. If she had... it would've been even harder. For both of us.'

Lancelid, their parents, and the people of the Roaz mansion had recognized her. It had been right after she took up the sword. That was why, even now, remembering that dawn was unbearable.

Before she knew it, she was standing outside Nicole's door. Hesitating, she didn't knock right away.

[What are you waiting for? Go in already.]

The Magic Sword's whisper grated in her mind. Echinacea clenched her right fist irritably, steadied her breathing, and finally knocked—carefully. From beyond the door, she sensed movement. Then, it opened.

"...Eki?"

Nicole looked utterly bewildered. The short red hair brushing her shoulders, dull green eyes, slightly prominent cheekbones, and freckles under her eyes—it was the face she remembered, now free of the burning hatred and pain, replaced only by mild exhaustion and confusion. Echinacea quickly swallowed back the tears threatening to well up and smiled.

"Long time no see, Nicole."

"Uh, yeah."

"Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Nicole stepped aside. The room was in its usual disarray. As a mage, Nicole never entrusted her belongings to servants, yet she was hopeless at organization, leaving her room perpetually chaotic. Echinacea casually pushed aside a messy stack of papers and took a seat.

"Did you finish unpacking? How long are you planning to stay this time?"

She asked with a smile. Nicole adjusted her smudged monocle, studying Echinacea intently before suddenly furrowing her brows.

"Are you really Eki?"

"It's me. Why? Is something off?"

Nicole cleared away the books piled on another chair and sat down, eyeing Echinacea suspiciously. The old Echinacea would have started by pointing out the smudged monocle, then openly shown her disdain at the state of the room. She wouldn't have sat down—she wouldn't even have stepped inside, calling it filthy.

"The Eki I know wouldn't smile at me like this so sweetly."

Only then did Echinacea realize she was acting unlike her "usual" self. She hadn't even noticed the smudged monocle or the mess in the room. She'd long stopped caring about such trivial things. And now, seeing someone who had been dead alive and breathing, those details didn't even register.

"I'm just happy to see you, Nicole."

"Talking nonsense like ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠this—you must want something, right? Get to the point, I'm busy."

Nicole retorted bluntly. Echinacea laughed despite herself. The Nicole in her memory hadn't changed at all. It was Echinacea who was different.

"It's not nonsense. I really do like you a lot, Nicole."

"Are you insane? Why are you being so gross?"

"Back in magic school, you must have struggled a lot, but you never showed it—I always thought it was amazing how you kept earning scholarships. And even though I was the sponsor's daughter, you treated me normally. I was actually grateful. But I acted all displeased and kept nitpicking at you—I'm sorry."

"...Did you eat something weird?"

"I just... never said any of this before."

Nicole rubbed her arms as if creeped out. Echinacea just kept smiling. It felt liberating to voice feelings she'd been too proud to admit in the past.

The old Echinacea had disliked Nicole's non-noble traits. Deep down, she'd looked down on her as a commoner mage sponsored by her family. So even while eagerly awaiting Nicole's visits, she'd never shown any affection.

It had been foolish. Once someone dies, you can never see them again—and no one knows when death will come. And in the face of death, what matters isn't status, but character. So why had she been so hung up on something as trivial as status, so shackled by shallow pride that she couldn't be honest?

Nicole seemed utterly disoriented by Echinacea's sudden warmth, visibly uncomfortable. She coughed awkwardly, her eyes darting around before ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠she even started fanning herself. Then, forcing a composed tone, she asked again:

"What in the world do you want, going this far with such embarrassing talk?"

"Of course, I do have a request, but everything I just said was sincere too."

"Ugh, enough. Just stop with the weird talk and tell me what you want."

Echinacea obediently pulled out an empty bundle and placed it in front of Nicole. Nicole eyed it curiously before picking it up. When she confirmed it was empty, her expression soured.

"What's this?"

"It's the bundle found in our kitchen at dawn today."

"It's empty. What was inside?"

"Nicole. What I'm about to tell you must stay between us. Can you keep a secret?"

"What's so serious? Fine, just say it."

Echinacea checked their surroundings. Only she and Nicole were near the room. She took a deep breath, lowered her voice, and whispered:

"There was a Magic Sword inside it."