Dancing with the Elf (1)
To become a master, one needs painstaking effort. In stories, it often happens in life-or-death situations where they awaken at the brink. But that's rarer than you'd think. You could gain enlightenment while eating and become a master. Or keep absorbing mana from mana stones until you hit a critical point. Or spar directly against a master, swinging your sword until you break through.
In that sense, Lady Mente's path to mastery might seem a bit anticlimactic to outsiders.
'They kept pumping mana into her until the curse broke, fully activating the mana in her body.'
It was like she'd been wearing mana shackles, but that curse-shackle was eventually shattered by overwhelming mana.
'Scary. The Emperor.'
The Emperor's method of turning Lady Mente into one of the Empire's Eight Pillars wasn't wrong.
'I thought he lifted the curse, but turns out he just blasted her with massive amounts of mana too.'
Build up mana in the body until it flows in quantities the curse can't suppress. Gibraltar's Silver Dust 'Caroline' drove the final nail, but Lady Mente had absorbed a tremendous amount of mana by then.
'It took five years.'
The Empire took about three years to make her a master. Us? We scouted her when I was ten. Morgania invested in her and built her foundation for three years. Then two years in Gibraltar. Total of five years—longer than the Empire, sure—
"Pure mana. Not a single impurity, achieving mastery in its purest form."
As Father said, Lady Mente had walked the righteous path to mastery.
"Is it because the curse broke? I can tell just from her aura. You've grown strong."
Father kept scanning her up and down, expressing admiration.
"But this change in your body is truly unexpected."
"Tell me about it. I figured even becoming a master wouldn't change my height."
Lady Mente traced a hand below her solar plexus.
"Growing like this overnight. What if people later call it heresy or something?"
"No need to worry about that. It's surprisingly common for the body to reconstitute upon reaching mastery."
There's no specific term, but the Empire calls it things like hwan-gol-tal-tae, or shedding the mortal form.
"It must have been painful."
"Eh, not really...?"
"Your compressed bones and muscles expanding all at once didn't hurt?"
Father's expression twisted.
"Mana lines spreading through every vein in your body, and it wasn't painful at all?"
"Honestly, I went to sleep and woke up like this."
"......Grey."
"We can chalk it up to Caroline's effects, or Silver Dust's."
Father looked like he had a lot to say, but I just smiled.
"What's with that look? You think Lady Mente should've suffered bones stretching and muscles tearing as she shot up thirty centimeters overnight?"
"Do you think I'd say that?"
"Some soldiers are like that. 'I went through it, so the rookies have to suffer to be real soldiers.'"
Becoming a master is the moment your body fully transforms into that of a superhuman, accompanied by immense pain. I went through it too.
"Just call it Lady Mente's good luck?"
"Hmph...."
"Or say that smoking Caroline and Silver Dust together right before mastery lets you awaken without feeling a thing."
"......That has potential."
Father nodded seriously, deep in thought.
"If that's true, we'd keep it as a Gibraltar secret. No... is painless mastery better...?"
Father's so human sometimes.
"Lady Mente. Need a spar?"
"My lord? You mean with you directly?"
Lady Mente blinked in surprise, but Father was dead serious.
"Only a master can face a master's sword. Your body's changed, so you must want to test it."
"......."
Was that eagerness to spar in his eyes? Or am I imagining it?
"Everyone's like that upon becoming a master. Like when I challenged Grand Duke Winchester at sixteen."
"......And your relationship tanked after. Plus, you were already a master before sixteen."
"We needed to publicly announce mastery at sixteen."
Once upon a time, before Father entered the academy. He defeated Grand Duke Winchester Morgania—who was in his prime—in a one-on-one duel.
His first official master duel. It made his name famous, sealing the betrothal discussions with Morgania.
"Father. Unofficially, who did you...?"
"Your grandfather."
"Ah."
"It's a Gibraltar tradition. When you become a master, you defeat your predecessor."
"Grandfather was a Sword Master too."
"He was."
"Did you win?"
"Yes."
"......."
How does it feel for a master to lose to a fresh one? Especially a much younger one.
"Margrave. What if I beat you?"
"Not Crimson Gibraltar, Lady Mente."
"...Tch. You're stoking my fighting spirit."
Lady Mente smacked her lips, flexing her fingers.
"You serious? I'll win for real?"
"Everyone claims they can cross Gibraltar Canyon."
She subtly raised her aura, directing hostility at Father, but he brushed it off casually and pressed on.
"Hoo. Maybe someday, but not today. I still need to..."
"If you don't want to reveal it to others because of Grey, I can face you in the large arena under the villa there."
"......."
"And from Grey's face, it looks like you have no intention of hiding your mastery."
"That's right."
Father knows best.
"Best would be hiding your awakening, but with your total transformation, that's impossible."
I pointed to the middle of Lady Mente's forearm.
"Before awakening, your head reached about here."
"It wasn't that short!"
Lady Mente grumbled, but without real anger. Her height complex was now history.
"How do you explain such a sudden change? Say she awakened as a master."
Revealing this might draw the crown prince's scrutiny, giving him an excuse.
'Like unearthing a hero from nothing.'
Undervalued due to a curse, then suddenly awakening hero-level power. Exactly the 'kingdom's hero' pattern the crown prince fears most.
"Hiding it means erasing her existence entirely, which isn't easy. Same hair, and now she's a beauty who could pass as your daughter."
"What nonsense from a virgin who's never even dated?"
"If we fake an identity, calling her your hidden daughter Lady Mint isn't bad."
"Hey."
"Kidding."
Human relationships don't change overnight.
"Let's celebrate Lady Mente's mastery. But give it some time."
"Overnight change. Yeah, that'll raise questions."
"Roughly... after an expedition, she grasped a clue, trained in seclusion for six months, and emerged transformed. Sound good?"
"Six months... shouldn't it be a year?"
"Hide Lady Mente for a year? That's rough on her."
"If I'm paid, I don't mind?"
Lady Mente shrugged lightly.
"Young master's gotten so strong I don't need to shadow him constantly. And to handle anyone who comes, I need to get stronger."
"You okay with that?"
"Year or two, whatever. Besides, if I fought now, I'd lose to Robert."
"Pardon?"
Robert, who'd been quietly driving the carriage, flinched.
"W-what do you mean?"
"Need time to adapt to this body. And find a weapon that fits."
"Weapon...? You use a sword."
"Double-edged swords don't suit me. Used 'em as a Nostrum knight, but now's the time to train with a new body and new weapon."
Lady Mente chuckled, clenching her fist and slapping her shoulder.
"Maybe join the academy? In two years, this look'll pass for seventeen."
"True, but..."
"Right?"
"L-Lady Mente?"
Robert raised a tentative hand, eyes forward.
"Hate to say this, but—"
"Then shut up."
"......."
"You were gonna say what if I suddenly age rapidly to my real age in two years, right?"
Lady Mente grabbed Robert's collar from behind, shaking him wildly.
"N-no way!"
"You thought it. Picturing a middle-aged woman in her forties? Ha. Sorry, but as a master, I've got at least ten, twenty years guaranteed."
Masters don't age easily. Like Grand Duke Winchester—defeated by a young master, betrothal broken, couldn't even protest, watched his daughter marry politically for a man she didn't love, spent fifteen years on kingdom admin neglecting training amid physical and mental hardship—then aging catches up.
'Even Father, nearing forty, looks mid-twenties.'
Masters symbolize youth.
"Anyway, once home, about Lady Mente's... Ah. Father. Why'd you come greet us so urgently? Mother pregnant again?"
"I don't make a fuss over that anymore."
"Then why...? Saint Geo beat Princess Naria while drunk again?"
"No."
Gibraltar Castle came into view.
"A guest came for you."
"Guest...?"
"Yes. A master. ...Or beyond."
"......??"
Incomprehensible visitor.
"An elf."
"??????"
Count's Castle, villa. I expected Queen Carmen as the first guest in the lavish reception room, but someone else sat on the sofa, leisurely sipping Somnus tea.
"Um...."
"Fine aroma."
A clear, gentle voice.
"Moonshade herb steeped without sunlight. So rich in spirit essence. Impressive, child."
Her speech didn't match her youthful looks.
"The moon's blessing within is scant, but even specks pile higher than a gorge. A fine method."
She wore a faintly golden robe but made no effort to hide, exposing her neck up.
"Cultivating separately isn't defying nature. No cause for anger. Rest easy. This was their fate from birth—thus natural."
An elf. Pointed ears, sky-blue hair unseen in humans.
"Um."
"What is it?"
"First time talking to an elf."
Not even in my past life.
—I'll share a kingdom secret. I led the Eight Pillars to Elf Forest and massacred them all. Their king too.
Before breaching Gibraltar Canyon, the Empire sent an elite squad to annihilate the elves. Emperor and eight Sword Masters. The lush forest hid mass graves below—no one knew until the drunk Emperor confessed, not even the Pillars had hinted.
"Mm. Sorry. It's been seventy years since I spoke with a human."
"Seventy...?"
"Elves live long. Don't judge by looks."
"No, I know, but..."
That's what I wanted to say.
"...You look my age."
"Flattery? Hehe. Nice to hear, even empty. Save it for those girls there."
The elf sipped tea, smiling faintly.
"I came because I've watched you hunt vampires a few times."
"......."
"Vampires are elves' enemies, and you're quite entertaining to me."
She glanced around.
"Curious why I'm here. But can't speak freely with others."
The reception room was empty. She came to talk alone.
"Ears even outside. What to do? If you're willing, I'd formally invite you to the 'forest.'"
"Forest...?"
"There, we can talk undisturbed. Even from the era's guardian with hand on sword behind the wall."
Thick walls. Closed doors. Yet she sensed Father fiddling with his sword outside.
"He's strong."
"He is. For now."
The elf didn't hide her own strength—master-level or beyond. That's why Father escorted me.
"You know who I am to invite me?"
"No. That's why I'm taking you to the forest to find out."
"...Is inviting a human to the forest okay?"
"Yes. You bear that child's blessing."
She tapped her forehead.
"My daughter's sole 'Blessing of Trust' lingers. No reason not to invite."
"...Daughter?"
"You don't know... Oh dear."
The elf covered her mouth in surprise.
"Seems I assumed too much alone."
"...You jumped ahead quite a bit. Could you explain step by—"
For a moment.
"......."
A flash. Two faces overlay on the elf's.
"......Perhaps."
I pulled paper from the reception table, scribbled a symbol with the quill.
"......This?"
"Oh! You know. Yes, it's me."
"......."
On the paper: the Empire megacorp's iconic logo. Ipheria. Elf King, Platinum Lord.