A Woman Who Is Destined to Become a Sword Saint
After finishing her training, Anne was summoned by the instructor.
Since she had secretly overheard the conversation from afar, she already knew the situation.
She wondered why the lord was calling for her.
“That must be the lord of Nelson Estate.”
She had struggled to reach this island. This was her first time seeing the lord in person.
Surprisingly young and handsome.
Though he was stern, his face didn’t match the vague image of a withered old man she had imagined.
The instructor still fawning over him suggested he was truly remarkable.
“Did you hear everything, Anne? Don’t do anything to upset His Lordship.”
“Is he that scary?”
“He’s just too kind. That was the problem. But things have changed lately. He personally executed a corrupt knight.”
A lord like that summoning a mere soldier?
Had he noticed her disguise?
‘No way. Even if he did, it couldn’t be the real reason.’
He ruled an entire island.
He wouldn’t care about a disguised soldier.
‘Still, I need to be careful.’
Amy’s illness was worsening by the day.
If she got kicked out here too, there would truly be nowhere left to go.
Following the instructor’s advice, she curried favor as much as possible.
“Did you summon me, Lord?”
“Sit here. This will be a long story.”
“Yes.”
She tried her best to look composed, but it was no use.
As expected of a lord.
His sharp features were intimidating.
One mistake could end her life, that was the reality of nobility.
Her lips burned.
“...Bonny, this is where you sit.”
“Ah, I’m sorry.”
She had been so tense she mistakenly took his seat.
Fortunately, the lord didn’t scold her.
Nobles didn’t even hit a small shopkeeper for a mistake, yet he had still beaten someone before.
Was his personality unexpectedly kind?
“Bonny, do you know why I summoned you?”
“...Did I make a mistake?”
“Then I would have disciplined the instructor.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t understand.”
No matter how she thought, no answer came. She answered honestly.
“Why did you hide that you’re a woman and join as a soldier?”
Anne’s mind went blank.
How could he know?
The magic disguise was perfect, and even after joining, she hadn’t been caught.
Not even the instructor, who had watched her training up close, had noticed.
And this lord had seen through it just from watching her from afar?
“It seems like there’s a misunderstanding. I am a man.”
She immediately denied it.
He might have just guessed.
There was no greater mistake than that.
But...
“You’re really a man?”
“Yes. I passed the physical examination, and I can show you the proof if you want.”
“I see. You must have hidden it with illusion magic.”
“...!”
The next words confirmed it.
This lord truly saw through everything.
‘How easily I was found out...’
Anne had lived only with her little sister since their parents passed away.
This sea was a harsh place for sisters to survive.
She had experienced it so cruelly through her body that it had grown stale.
That was why she had disguised herself and joined the army, so no one would know her.
She never imagined it would be uncovered so easily.
‘Just a guess? How stupid. If I hadn’t been so sure, a noble wouldn’t summon me directly.’
He waved his hand.
Her pink hair was suddenly exposed.
She had researched it desperately and worked so hard to make the disguise perfect.
“Your hair was originally pink? This suits you better.”
Was this what it meant to be a noble—one hand gesture and everything could shatter?
In front of a noble, all her efforts were just a joke?
But Anne’s surprise was only beginning.
“The reason you joined hiding your gender as a woman...?”
This one thing she had to hide at all costs.
“Is it because of your sister?”
He had already figured it out.
“My-my sister’s situation is...?”
“I am the lord of this place. There’s nothing I don’t know.”
A chill ran down her spine.
He was just a low-level soldier.
Only recently joined.
And yet he knew about her sister’s family?
Amy was the one weakness he could never exploit.
The only family she had left in the world.
A being she had to protect even with her own life.
Her desperate efforts had been exposed too easily.
‘Should I run...?’
Where?
Was there anywhere left?
Could sick Amy endure this?
No. How could she escape from this lord?
If she touched him, she would be executed.
Could she even win against this man?
Countless thoughts swirled in her head.
“So don’t do anything reckless. This is an island I rule, and there’s nowhere for an injured sister to flee to.”
“...I understand.”
The lord simply reminded her of reality.
He had already seen through her worries.
“...”
Anne looked at his eyes again.
She had always thought they were unusual.
But she couldn’t even guess how deeply they could see.
‘...Fine. Rebellion is pointless.’
This island, this territory, this mansion—they were all his domain.
It was like fighting sharks with her bare hands in the sea.
No matter what she tried, she would only suffer more.
‘From the moment I entered here, my fate was sealed.’
There was only one way to survive a predator—bend completely and offer everything.
“If that is Your Lordship’s will, then I will...”
She swallowed her anger and grief.
If a male noble wanted this from a woman like her, it would end this way.
Her body, which she had cherished for her parents’ honor,
but for her sister, she was ready to offer it anytime.
“No, no, no. Wait a moment. What are you doing?”
But that was strange.
She had signaled that she would obey,
and even prepared to offer herself.
Why was the lord so startled and stopping her?
“Did you not say you wanted me to offer my body to protect my sister?”
“What nonsense is this?”
“...”
She truly didn’t understand.
If not that, then why had he summoned her?
Apart from her appearance, she had no value to him.
Mentioning her sister wasn’t blackmail?
“Why do you think that?”
“Because earlier you clearly said you like women.”
The lord pressed his hand to his forehead.
He looked like he had a headache.
As a boy, he would make that face whenever he secretly went hunting.
Anne felt oddly embarrassed.
“Anne, the reason I called you has nothing to do with that.”
He spoke in a serious voice.
Even after looking into the eyes of a mere soldier or a girl,
“I summoned you because I have a proposal to make.”
“A proposal for me?”
“Yes.”
He had dragged it out for so long, and then he said it.
“You, become my companion.”
It was so sudden it made her eyes widen.
“...I don’t understand what you mean.”
Companion?
Not some boy chasing adventure.
A man speaking such romantic words in this world?
She had never seen such a person wandering the islands.
“Aren’t I already your soldier?”
“What I mean is a deeper relationship than that. You could call it a bodyguard.”
Bodyguard?
That didn’t make sense either.
What did he think she could do?
A low-level soldier he didn’t even know well, whose skills weren’t proven?
“Anne. You have wandered many islands to protect your sister. You must have seen all sorts of dirty things.”
“...!”
“I respect your efforts. It’s amazing that a young woman like you has accomplished so much.”
“...”
Tears almost welled up.
The hardships she had never told anyone about.
To survive, she had to act strong even in front of her sister and others.
How hard and painful had that process been?
When someone finally saw it, her young heart was overwhelmed.
“But you will fail.”
“What? What do you mean...”
“Otherwise, your sister will definitely die.”
Without realizing it, she glared at him with hatred.
He met her gaze with the same calm eyes as before.
“Please don’t say that lightly...”
“Do you think I’m joking?”
“Of course... I will work hard and bring her to the hospital...”
“When? Do you even have a house? Are you eating properly? How will you pay for the medical bills?”
Anne bit her lip.
She was furious, but what he said was true.
The world was not kind enough to care for a sister who fell from the sea.
She had found a place to hide from danger, but that was it.
Her sister’s living environment, which needed treatment, was still only average.
‘But what does he know? A noble who never worried about starving all her life...’
“So I will help you.”
Anne looked up without realizing it.
She had shown an arrogant attitude for a moment.
The lord still looked kind.
“I will provide a place for you to live. Live there with your sister. I will introduce you to a doctor with my name. The pay will rise, so you’ll be stable.”
She stared at him with a dazed expression.
Was he really offering all of that?
It was too good to be true—had a fairy played a joke?
Why was he showing such kindness to someone with nothing?
“I have nothing to give you, Lord. Why are you...?”
“If that is what I want, why haven’t you said it?”
Before she could even gather her joy, surprise, and confusion,
the lord answered as if it was natural.
“Become a companion I can trust.”
****
‘Cute~ I made the offer, but the conditions were insane.’
Read thought about the conditions he had proposed to Anne while patting himself on the back.
Housing provided.
Personal physician (including family).
Even a salary increase.
These were already extravagant conditions.
Of course, he wasn’t being stingy at all.
‘Anne is the kind of talent worth catching no matter what.’
A future pirate queen and swordswoman who would sail the seas.
If he could recruit such a person as a bodyguard, he would be willing to invest even more.
‘For Anne too, this is a good proposal.’
Her current goal was to protect her sister.
Her sister suffered from a serious illness.
The illness itself was simple—if she treated it steadily, it would be fine.
The problem was Anne had no time or money to care for her sister.
‘If a sister lost her parents and home and fell into the sea, what kind of fate awaited her?’
In truth, it was lucky that she wasn’t dead or enslaved.
That was also why Anne had disguised herself and joined the army.
The two sisters were good prey for the surroundings.
At the very least, they would have decided to disguise themselves to reduce the threat.
Even with all that effort, she had failed to protect her sister.
‘Her sister’s death would make Anne fall, turn her against the world, and become one of the worst pirates.’
Of course, Read had cut her down in one stroke, muttering “After all, she’s a murderer.”
But this time would be different.
He would become her patron and help her grow.
“Anne, I need a bodyguard.”
“...”
“And it won’t be an ordinary bodyguard. I need one who can defeat any pirate that tries.”
“You mean...me?”
She nodded.
“I saw talent in you. The talent of a great sword. A sword genius who will become a sword saint in this sea.”
“A sword saint...”
It was all knowledge from the game, but he wasn’t lying.
“This is an investment. Growing a sword to become your right-hand man in the future. In return, I promise you and your sister a peaceful and happy life.”
Anne’s body shook.
It wasn’t exaggerated.
Peace and happiness with her sister.
That was exactly what she wanted.
“Will I really... become strong enough to be your bodyguard?”
“Of course. I can promise you.”
“If I become your bodyguard, can I protect my sister... Amy?”
“I promise with my name.”
If she couldn’t even save one child, there would be nothing she could do in the future.
“I understand. I will believe in you, Lord.”
Anne knelt.
Her pink hair swayed once.
It was like offering her sword to her master.
“If you help us sisters, I will offer my sword and my life to you, Lord.”
“Don’t worry. It’s already done.”
Read said it firmly and patted her shoulder.
“For the next year, I will normalize this estate. Get strong enough to stand beside me by then.”
“...Yes.”
Anne Bonny.
A future pirate queen who would be called the strongest swordswoman.
He had recruited her as a bodyguard knight.
‘For now, she’s just a sprout. But in a year, she’ll turn into a monster.’
She had secured at least the minimum safety.
Now it was time to start causing trouble in earnest.