This Is Joy

This was...

Of course, the manor wasn't burning. It stood perfectly intact.

No blood or corpses littered the floor, and instead of the stench of death, a warm, cozy fragrance drifted to my nose.

After looking around the manor with fresh eyes, washing up, and changing clothes, Mother and my younger brother returned.

"Cael!"

A woman with long black hair spotted me at the entrance and came running at once.

Lillian Luminara. My mother.

"I'm so glad you're safe."

Mother pulled me into a tight embrace.

"It's been a while, Mother."

"Yes. Half a year."

Half a year, huh...

To them, it must have been.

"Brother..."

Then a boy not yet of age looked up at me with round eyes.

His gaze held equal parts joy and pity.

My younger brother, Aren Luminara.

"You've returned."

"Yeah."

"Why..."

I stepped toward Aren, who was biting his lip.

Back then, the reason I'd returned home after deciding to strike out on my own was this kid's letter.

Aren's letter had already burned away, but its contents still remained etched in my mind.

The handwriting was round and neat, just like Aren's personality.

In this place that had felt like a cozy cage to me, Aren was the only one I could vent to. Every time, he would listen with those bright, attentive eyes, never interrupting.

I had always talked about myself and rarely ever listened to Aren's side of things.

How much must this kid have resented me, how pathetic must I have seemed, when the manor burned?

The eldest son who never even showed his face when crisis struck the family.

"Aren."

"Yes, Brother."

"I returned to the family of my own will. After wandering the world, I realized that what I wanted was here all along."

"...Is that so?"

"Yeah."

"Then I'm glad."

Aren smiled bashfully. I gave a small smile ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠of my own and lightly ruffled his hair.

Of course, I had no intention of living as a servant of Ella even if I stayed with the family. I simply couldn't leave them behind here the way I had in my previous life.

"Then let's have a meal together for the first time in a while."

"Yes, Brother."

It had been a long time since we last ate together, yet conversation didn't flow much. We all knew there would be plenty of chances to talk from now on.

For me, that was enough.

After the meal, I took the sword I used to keep at the manor and stepped out into the garden.

To prevent the family's annihilation, I first have to exterminate the pests inside the territory.

Starting half a year ago, gambling dens and red-light districts had begun springing up across the land.

Considering how devoutly the Luminara family followed the Ella Church, it was absurd.

I hadn't known at the time, but now I understood those establishments were Baron Scalen's forward bases.

But my current condition isn't quite enough to go storming in.

Even as I was now, I could thrash most of them.

Victory wasn't guaranteed, though. More than that, wandering the world had taught me that the strongest man doesn't always win.

So I need to raise my sword stage first.

My sword stages progressed in order: Joy, Wrath, Sorrow, then Pleasure.

I had even conceived of a higher stage called No-Sword, but in my previous life I had stopped at Pleasure.

This life, I have to reach No-Sword no matter what.

Only then could a human body defeat the Demon God.

But for now, reaching Joy alone will be enough.

The method for attaining the Joy stage was extremely simple.

Acquire the physical ability and holy power (mana, in my previous life) needed to handle Joy, then feel pure, complete joy.

In my previous life, I reached Joy half a year after the family fell, the moment I killed Baron Scalen—the root of every tragedy.

That was when I became the Sword Demon and began wandering the world.

Even when I killed him, the bastard was still regarded as a virtuous man.

My physical ability is lower than when I killed him back then, but it's more than enough to reach Joy.

I drew the sword and poured holy power into it. Then I closed my eyes and began swinging as my body led me.

Shiiik— shiiik—

I was joyful enough right now.

I had thought everything ended when the Demon God severed my neck, yet I had been given ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠another chance at life.

And that wasn't all.

I had returned safely to the family and met the manor that had not yet burned, the family that had not yet become corpses.

Shiiik!

How could I not be joyful?

Every fate that had once been irreversible could now be twisted by my blade.

The one who had wandered the living world as the Sword Demon now answered to the name Cael.

So I could swing my sword once more, filled with joy.

"......"

After a horizontal slash I lowered the blade. Only the light of the setting sun clung to the pure-white edge.

I had failed to reach the Joy stage.

Why?

I was clearly feeling joy right now, wasn't I?

It wasn't a lack of physical ability or holy power. I had created this sword style myself; I understood it better than anyone.

Then why?

I didn't know the reason, but my sword was more honest than my head.

Failing to reach Joy meant I hadn't satisfied the necessary conditions.

Did that mean I had no choice but to move in this state for now?

"Brother."

Aren approached then, cradling a scripture and a sword. I sheathed my blade and asked,

"What is it?"

"You seem to have grown even stronger in the meantime. I can't afford to fall behind, so please teach me some swordsmanship."

Aren didn't swing a sword as often as I did, but he practiced from time to time. Whenever he read scripture, I had been the one holding a blade.

"Fine."

"Thank you."

Aren smiled faintly, carefully set the scripture and scabbard on the ground, and stood before me with sword in hand.

"Swing freely first. Then I'll point out the problems."

"Yes."

Aren nodded, closed his eyes, and steadied his breathing.

When composure settled over him, he snapped his eyes open and began painting sword strokes through the empty air.

Whoong! Whoong!

Monotonous and textbook-perfect. Aren was swinging exactly as the manuals taught.

His talent was outstanding, yet the greatest flaw was the complete absence of sharpness in his blade.

When he finally lowered the sword and exhaled deeply, he turned to me.

I delivered my assessment without mercy.

"It looks like a sparrow pecking with its beak. Aren, are you planning to harvest grain with that sword?"

"......"

"If your dream is to be a farmer, you possess genius-level talent. And while cutting grain you'd probably ask the worm that fell to the ground, 'Are you okay, little worm? Are you hurt anywhere?'"

"......"

"A living saint has arrived. Amazing. Aren, you will become the greatest priest among farmers."

Aren couldn't answer for a while, then glared at me.

"That's too much, Brother."

"It's the truth. A sword exists to protect you, yet swinging it that way is completely useless."

"I can just hit them on the head with the flat and knock them out."

"And if they pretend to be unconscious and jump you?"

"Then I hit them again."

"Then their head will burst and they'll die. Excellent lesson. You're ready to leave the mountain."

Aren glared at me again, so I met his eyes without flinching.

After a stretch of that, Aren began to laugh quietly.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing. You just seem the same as ever."

Aren looked at me, the smile still lingering on his face.

"Honestly, a strange thought crossed my mind. I wondered if my letter had somehow changed you too much."

"I am who I am."

"I see."

Aren nodded. Then, following a shaft of light, he suddenly looked up at the sky, so I tilted my head as well.

A red sunset was already flooding the heavens.

"It's beautiful."

"It is."

While we gazed at the same sky, a breeze suddenly rose, bringing a pleasant coolness. I closed my eyes and savored the sensation, then drew my sword as my body guided me.

"Brother?"

"Watch carefully."

I opened my eyes and settled into stance.

"Watch how I swing a sword."

In the next instant the blade moved as smoothly as if riding the wind. I cut the wind itself, and I sliced through the cascading sunset light.

Shiiik!

Then, remembering Aren's swings, I began moving the sword like a sparrow.

Pecking at rice grains, flapping in panic at a sudden gust...

The image was so ridiculous that a snort of laughter escaped me unbidden.

Swaeek! Swaeek!

After that I painted the air with my own style of strikes.

I deflected imaginary attacks, severed limbs, and pierced someone's heart.

I swung without restraint, as if a sharp typhoon were raging.

And when I finally drew the blade in a horizontal arc...

When the wind that had swept the garden finally settled, Aren's mouth fell open.

"Whoa..."

I relaxed my stance and gazed at the upright blade.

Then a faint smile curved my lips.

Sssss!

Sharp wind coiled around the edge—ready to sever everything before my eyes at any moment.

Normally mana glowed blue and holy power white, but when I clothed them in my sword style, attributes could be granted like this.

Aren, still fixing his bangs, asked with startled eyes,

"Brother, what is that...?"

How should I explain it?

I could elaborate at length, but right now I simply wanted a simple answer.

"This is..."

A sensation I had never once felt after becoming the Sword Demon.

An emotion like a breeze blowing beneath warm sunlight.

"Joy."

Aren tilted his head.

"Joy?"

"Yeah."

Only now did I understand ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠why I had failed to reach the Joy stage earlier.

What I had felt at first was joy born from the past of my previous life. What I savored now was joy that could be felt from the present alone.

With this, my plans would suffer no setbacks.

I intended to fill my blade with this joyful heart and offer it as a gift to my enemies.

I sheathed the sword and started walking.

"Brother, where are you going all of a sudden?"

"On a pilgrimage."

"It's getting dark, though?"

I stopped in front of the entrance and gave Aren a crooked grin.

"That's exactly why I'm going."

"Huh?"

Turning my back on him, I left the manor with only a light wave of my hand.

"I'll be back by tomorrow morning."

The village farthest west in Luminara Territory.

The land was wide even for a barony, and since I had ridden at a leisurely pace, night had already deepened by the time I reached my destination.

I wasn't hungry; I had eaten fruit from the roadside on the way.

"Hmm."

Lights were out all across the village, and no one wandered the streets.

Luminara Territory usually enjoyed decent security, so shops often stayed open even at this hour—yet here every window was shut tight.

"......!"

A man whose eyes met mine through a window flinched and slammed the shutters closed.

An understandable reaction.

I was currently wearing a straw hat and ragged burlap while carrying a sword.

—I-if you need them, take them.

I had been staring at a scarecrow dressed in a straw hat and rags when a resident who came out of his house told me to take them.

I was quite popular, it seemed.

I planned to return them after I was done. No matter how much of a bastard I had been, I had never forcibly stolen from hardworking residents.

Probably.

I entered a secluded alley around then.

A red glow spilled from a side path. Like a firefly drawn to light, I ambled through the alley.

There I faced a three-story wooden building.

They built it right out in the open.

This place was called the Pleasure Village—a den of prostitution and gambling.

I had wondered how it could operate without reaching the lord's ears, but the nearby residents probably simply never reported it.

Getting ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠involved might bring trouble, and some of them had likely used the place themselves.

The territory is so large that plenty of pests have gathered.

All because we lacked strength and talent. The land was too good for our rank; of course it drew greed.

This is their core forward base.

I knew about these people because I had investigated thoroughly while killing Baron Scalen in my previous life.

I knew the operator and his subordinates, and so on.

Of course I didn't know their faces or exact combat strength, but they were no match for me now that I had obtained the sword of Joy. The details I could learn from this moment forward.

"......"

Faint laughter and raised voices drifted from inside the building.

Are you happy too? So am I. Let's see who ends up happier tonight.

Finishing the thought, I slammed my foot into the door with all my strength.

KWA-AAAANG!

One door panel went flying. I strode boldly through the wide-open entrance and announced,

"Accept a customer."

This was our land to begin with. There was nothing to hesitate over.