Adaptation (3)
Once again, I couldn't help but notice how punchable Alpendir's face was. That delicate, pampered look like he'd never gotten his hands dirty, the oily sheen on his golden hair (not actually oil, but still), and those smug, pursed lips made him look insufferably arrogant. But the most irritating thing was his signature way of speaking.
"Looks like you were cleaning up."
"..."
"Hm. Don't they even serve tea to guests here?"
His tone was like he was talking down to some lowly subordinate. I couldn't pinpoint exactly what made it that way, but listening to him just naturally brought that feeling to mind.
"Cut the crap and get to the point."
Alpendir curled one side of his mouth upward.
"Ellie was quite worried about you."
"I remember making my feelings very clear back then."
"I know. But how can a person's heart be sorted out in just a day or two?"
I scowled in frustration.
"So what the hell do you want me to do? Go curse her out?"
"No, I'm not talking about Ellie."
He fixed me with those hollow eyes.
"It's you."
Alpendir continued in a grave tone. "I'm curious about your feelings."
Too bad it wasn't a confession.
"You've said you've already moved on, but from my perspective, that doesn't ring true. It's quite worrisome, in fact. You've never been one to give up easily."
And he wasn't wrong. In the past, I'd pulled out all the stops to win Ellie's heart—no holds barred. Hell, I'd even resorted to extreme measures without hesitation.
"So what do I have to do to convince you?"
"Stake your house on it."
My face twitched at that.
"Declare in front of me, in the name of Eisenberg, that you're giving up on Ellie. Do that, and I can send you on your way with a clear conscience."
Eisenberg. Guardian of the North, shield of the Empire. Once, I hadn't been able to bear the weight of that name and ran from it. I was far too weak to carry the burden of those who depended on my back.
Which is exactly why I understood all too well.
"No."
Sometimes, people fight to avoid ending things with a single word. Because they know the weight it carries. For me, Eisenberg was that kind of name.
"The name Eisenberg isn't light enough to stake on some random bitch."
Alpendir let out a snicker. "You're really twisting it to say you haven't given up, aren't you?"
"Instead, let's do this another way."
I stood, grabbing a sword that had been abandoned in the corner. God knows how long it'd been sitting there—dust caked the blade.
"There's a tradition in the North for when words fail. Know what it is?"
"What?"
"We fight."
My blood ran hot. The excitement from the battles to come just wouldn't fade.
"If I lose, I'll do as you say. Kneel and declare in the name of Eisenberg that I'm giving up Ellie."
"..."
"But if I win..."
I glared at him and barked it out.
"We forget everything that's happened and pretend we never knew each other."
"It's been a while since we last sparred."
It was late into the night—dawn, really—and we faced each other on the training ground. No spectators. The hour was late, and this wasn't any official duel anyway.
"No aura allowed. Surrender if you leave the grounds or admit defeat. Right?"
"Yes."
"Good. We'll do that. But are you sure you're okay with this?"
I looked up. One corner of his mouth was smirking.
"You're gonna lose."
This little shit... But objectively, he wasn't wrong. Back then, we'd been evenly matched. But the moment I stopped training, the gap widened fast.
'All thanks to that imperial bloodline.'
The rumors weren't exaggerated—he got stronger just by breathing. While I'd clawed my way to Swordmaster through blood and sweat, he'd reached it with a single flash of insight.
"To be honest, I don't hate you that much."
"..."
"From what I've seen so far, you've never once bowed your head. No matter who the opponent. I kinda admired that stubborn pride. Respected it, even."
He paused, then added lowly, "But that's also your biggest weakness."
My eyebrow twitched.
"You're weaker than me."
A short silence fell. He smirked again, letting out a small scoff as he looked at me.
"You've already lost to me once, haven't you?"
Was that why? Why Alpendir had always been so damn arrogant.
Makes sense—he never took gambles where losing was likely. Especially if Ellie was on the line.
A memory flashed: back when the Northern front still held. After my father—the renowned Northern Grand Duke—died, imperial forces including me rushed north.
'What a goddamn pain-in-the-ass place.'
Alpendir was there too. We overlooked the monsters blanketing the land below the walls. Their assault would start tomorrow, and we'd have to hold the line against them. Whether it was possible, I didn't know. But we had to make it happen.
'...Your role is crucial.'
Alpendir nodded gravely. He'd become a Swordmaster early on. And a Swordmaster could turn the tide of a war.
I explained the plan: An elite squad including me would rampage through the battlefield, creating chaos. Then Alpendir strikes. We'd bleed their forces and fall back to hold the line. If it worked, we could repel this wave.
'Leon.'
'Yes?'
'How far would you go for Ellie?'
I turned. Alpendir stared at the monsters beyond the front, lips tight.
'Now's not the time for—'
'For her, I'd sacrifice the Empire itself.'
What had I said then?
'Then you'll have to try even harder.'
Ah, right. That idiotic response. He hadn't been fishing for that at all.
'Effort... yeah. Gotta put in the effort. For her.'
The next day, Alpendir never showed. The elite squad—mostly top-tier Sword Experts—screamed his name as they died. The Northern front held through three more waves before collapsing.
"Does 'the past' include today?"
"Do whatever you want."
I took a deep breath. Permission granted. The Crown Prince was a bastard, but he kept his word.
Which meant no hesitation on my end.
"You fucking dogshit bastard."
"...What?"
"You said today doesn't count, right? So I can fuck you up however I want?"
Alpendir laughed in disbelief. "Yeah, go ahead. Barking like a damn puppy—it's a nice sight."
The squad had fought only to protect me. When I passed out, they prioritized evacuating me. When I came to, they were all dead.
"But keep this in mind."
I'd clutched their bodies below the walls, sobbing for ages. Guilt crashed over me. I'd missed Alpendir's betrayal, built the plan around him. Lost my comrades because of it. The North's fall was just a matter of time.
"If you lose, everything spills—from that shit you spewed in the private chamber last time to today."
"You retarded fuck?"
"Such arrogance."
The Empire thought I'd killed the Crown Prince. As the last witness, I was bound and dragged back. Proving my innocence didn't take long—but long enough for the North to fall.
I hated Alpendir. Imagining him and Ellie living happily in some countryside hideaway made my blood boil.
Maybe that's why I'd been half-hoping for this moment.
"I'll yield the first move... guk...!"
Alpendir tumbled across the ground several times. Spinning like a pillbug. He barely clung to the edge, clutching his gut, eyes bulging in disbelief.
"Wh-what the hell was th-that...?"
"Told you not to drop your guard."
Only then did I raise my wooden sword.
"Figured I'd teach you a lesson with just my fists first."
I smacked my lips. He stared up at me, eyes trembling, utterly shocked. That arrogant swagger? Gone. Scrambling for his sword, he looked like a dog desperate to take a shit.
It was fucking hilarious.
"Block this if you can."
A shame it was just a practice sword.