I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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25

Aria’s face twisted. Biting her lip tightly, she lowered her head and took a long moment to catch her breath before slowly lifting her gaze and wrapping her arms around my waist. In the end, she said nothing.

“Welcome back.”

Only Aria and I knew how heavy the emotions behind this simple exchange truly were.

Relief at having returned alive and reassurance that she was still here. Guilt for having to leave her alone, and the loneliness that came from having been alone.

Why must we always feel so much pain?

The smile that blossomed on the child’s lips was so sad that it made me smile sadly, too.

“Alright! Let’s eat! I was just about to sit down for a meal!”

After burying her face in my chest for a moment, Aria turned around and beamed as she headed toward the kitchen. I sat at the small table, pretending not to notice her red-rimmed eyes.

“Maria from the bakery gave us a lot of extra goodies, so today’s meal is quite plentiful.”

Chattering away, Aria placed plates on the table. There were cheap but seemingly sufficient breads and a creamy soup wafting a savory aroma. Thanks to the abundant cedar logs I had recently chopped in preparation for winter, the house was warm.

As I scooped up the soup with a spoon, I repeatedly chimed in with Aria’s chatter.

“Mmm. The Deckardo Marquis’s young lady is looking for a knight in a black mask.”

“Wha—”

I spat out the soup I had been eating. Staring in shock at Aria sitting across from me, I took in her face. Aria loved to read, and she seemed busy with the newspaper even during mealtime.

“What… what did you say…?”

“Lewellin Deckardo, you know. There’s a big advertisement that says he’s looking for someone.”

Aria, who had been answering flippantly, narrowed her eyes at me as she held her spoon to her lips. There was a look of searching in her gaze. I fumbled for words, trying to avoid her sharp eyes.

“C-can you read it in detail?”

“Uh-huh. It shouldn’t be hard. About a week ago, the Count’s young lady Lewellin Deckardo went out into the capital and had a close call with a drunken passerby, but she was saved by a knight who appeared out of nowhere. She’s looking for this knight who rescued her and assured that there’s a huge reward for whoever finds him. The young lady described the knight as wearing a black mask, having a distorted voice, and being short and small in stature, while also using a black aura. When you piece that together, it sounds a lot like the ‘Black Mask’ mercenary king, Mir and…”

Cough, cough!

It was undoubtedly me. I hadn’t eaten anything, yet I was coughing. Seeing the perplexed look on Aria’s face, a slow smile appeared on hers.

It was a look I knew well, akin to a predator spotting prey.

“Speaking of which, the street where the young lady met the knight is right next to that café we went to last time. The date matches too.”

It was the same expression Aria wore when she was about to hunt her target.

“Is that so…? How… interesting.”

“Uh-huh. Interesting?”

Aria tilted her head, resting her chin on her hand. Aria, whose ability to pick up on people’s expressions and lead the atmosphere surpassed even my own as a Sword Master, often showed such significant reactions whenever she sensed something.

A look of a predator far too accustomed to hunting with words and demeanor. I began to sweat and quickly nodded.

“If you think it’s interesting, then it must be.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Aria gave me a strange look. Her calm demeanor while picking up her spoon suggested she was willing to overlook this, but I hoped it wouldn’t spiral into something else.

“By the way, sister.”

Aria leaned forward slightly, her eyes drawing into a playful squint. Instead of the usual ‘spring fairy’ smile I often used to describe her, it resembled more of a siren’s enchanting smile.

“I often think you’re foolishly kind.”

Unable to consider only me and caring enough to look at other unnecessary things.

A soft whisper that captivated my ears. It was a side of her I rarely got to see.

Honestly, I could have fainted from the fear.

After the strange mealtime ended, I took a seat on the old sofa, quietly picking up the newspaper Aria had been reading.

‘I really don’t want to see this.’

I grimaced at the giant advertisement plastered beneath the front page. With a frustrated groan, I noticed the prominent headline written directly across the front page.

“Royal succession in the Atara Kingdom.”

It was a worthy article to examine closely, so I focused and began reading.

[This summer, Alexandros I, who formally entered the royal succession conflict, ruthlessly purged opposing nobles and ascended to the throne this autumn. Envoys from the Empire attended his coronation. At the ceremony, Alexandros I announced that, given the turmoil up to now, he would focus on stabilizing the nation for some time. Representatives from the Atara Kingdom will visit the Empire next spring…]

As I meticulously scanned each line of the lengthy article, I felt a small relief. It seemed the matters concerning the Atara Kingdom’s succession hadn’t strayed from the original plot.

‘But… did the succession happen this quickly? Although they said he was fresh to the throne…’

I squinted, tilting my head.

Since Alexandros appeared in the mid to late part of the story, his early actions weren’t well documented in the original. It did feel peculiar that he ascended the throne a bit too early, but I shifted my thoughts elsewhere.

‘So this guy is a potential suitor…’

I slowly dragged my lips into a smile.

The reason I had my eyes on the Atara Kingdom was none other than Alexandros being Aria’s man.

‘My little sister is truly amazing. She’s landed quite the catch.’

A sudden rush of pride washed over me.

The Atara Kingdom was one of the Empire’s allied nations, tightly related to the northern region, known as the continent’s oddity, where wars frequently erupted. Consequently, it held considerable military power.

‘With incredible gemstone resources, they’re a nation rich in both wealth and military.’

After Chamberler, known as the emperor of the Empire, conquered the continent, every nation and ethnicity knelt before the Empire, but only the Atara Kingdom stood shoulder to shoulder as an ally with the Empire. Even until now, the Atara Kingdom had been referred to as the Empire’s brother nation, maintaining a cordial relationship.

Now, after a few hundred years, there appeared a young and powerful king who seized the throne with blood and sword. Alexandros Leon of Atara.

‘He shared the sword position with Rainer.’

Having seized the bloodied crown, he was a powerful Sword Expert on the verge of becoming a Sword Master, just like Rainer.

‘To ascend the throne, he slaughtered his own brothers and purged most nobles.’

Enjoying the peaceful crackling of the firewood while recalling his notoriety.

If Rainer was a righteous and rigid knight, Alexandros was the complete opposite—a reckless man with a sword.

‘When he snapped, he became a madman with a sword, but he was tender around my girl.’

If Alexandros had behaved violently towards Aria, I might have needed to come up with a way to prevent any contact between them until my head exploded.

However, Alexandros, who was more beastly than a wild beast, would wag his tail like a puppy around Aria, so leaving him as a potential suitor seemed alright.

I scrutinized the big picture of Alexandros printed in the newspaper.

His mature appearance at just seventeen was hard to believe. With short, neatly trimmed white hair that drifted softly and drowsily floating greenish eyes, he had a sharp yet noble expression, visibly emanating an overwhelming presence even in the photograph.

He was frightfully handsome.

‘With this level… he might just be on par with making an appearance before Aria.’

Young, rich, powerful, and handsome. His ill-reputed antics in the story may be concerning, but as long as he turned into a gentle lamb around Aria, I could grant him a precarious passing grade.

‘But…

I frowned, glaring at the photo. I felt a strange instinct nagging at me, a feeling that shouldn’t have emerged now.

On the face of the full-grown man flickered the visage of a young boy, like a mirage. A sense of familiarity washed over me.

It was an emotion commonly referred to as déjà vu.

‘Rainer was the same…

It was peculiar that I had felt such déjà vu from Rainer, the only main character I had met in person. I pressed my furrowed brow deeply, convinced it couldn’t be; still, I kept seeing someone overlapping with Alexandros’s photograph.

‘Answer me! Why did you save me?!’ Shu Shu, sis.

The little boy who had acted like a wounded cat when we first met. When we parted, he had, in a soft voice, finally called me ‘sis’ while reddening his gentle cheeks. With soft brown hair and bright light green eyes,

‘…Wait.’

I widened my eyes, comparing the boy in my memories with the Alexandros in the photograph. The hair color was different, but the eyes looked quite similar.

‘…No. The vibes are too different.’

I shook my head, erasing nonsensical thoughts.

The boy I had met was maddened to the point of being a rabid dog, yet he had felt more like an adorable puppy. He wasn’t this gigantic beast.

‘That kid… I wonder how he’s doing.’

I gave a bittersweet smile and folded the newspaper. The thoughts of that boy had dampened my mood, and I didn’t want to read anymore.

‘After all, why should I be worried about anyone right now? He’s probably doing fine. He wasn’t the type to get scammed anywhere.’

Thinking of that fiery-tempered boy, I chuckled lightly.

‘Speaking of which, I need to prepare for the war as well.’

The moment I thought of the Atara Kingdom, my face stiffened in dread.

There’s a reason I worry about Aria suffering every time the original story veers off course.

‘The original’s latter half… was quite devastating.’

In the latter half of the original, a war broke out between the Empire and the northern peoples. Unable to bear the suffering of those dying, a kind-hearted Aria ventured out to war as a healer despite people’s protests, gradually becoming more and more worn down while witnessing the suffering around her.

‘That trial, though not too long, was a heavy burden.’

I wished for Aria to always be happy, without even a brief trial.

‘I can’t prevent the war.’

Obviously, the war was far beyond my ability to stop. It was a colossal conflict that the long-oppressed northern tribes had been preparing for against the Empire for a long time.

‘But I can help.’

A Sword Master, armed with just a single sword and my own strength against those dubbed disasters. If I were to help, the war could finish sooner.

Perhaps, there would be no chance for Aria to intervene at all.

‘I need to prepare.’

I glanced at Aria sitting opposite me. Sitting in the ghost chair, she had dozed off while reading a book. The sight of her sleeping like a child was so endearing it made me forget my worries and let a soft smile escape.

I picked Aria up and moved into the room. The late afternoon light peeked inside, signaling the subtle entrance of winter. Outside the window, little snowflakes gently descended.

“Sweet dreams, little one.”

After laying her down, I tucked the thick blanket around her snugly and placed a kiss on her round forehead. The slightly scrunched expression on Aria’s face softened.

Quietly closing the door behind me, I retrieved the parchment from the corner of the house and sat at the table, starting to diligently write something down.

It seemed like it would be a long night’s work for me.

A small moan pierced my ears, making my eyes snap open.

In the midnight shadows, the world outside transformed into a white wonderland due to the snowflakes. The snow had turned into a heavy snowfall, settling on the ground and accumulating.

‘What was that just now?’

Though faint, I had definitely heard it.

I sharpened my senses. The only presence I could feel in the house was Aria’s. There was no one else permeating the aura that extended all around.

“Huh…

‘Then…’

The source of the sound could only be one thing.

Slowly raising my body from where I was sprawled on the table, I stuffed the parchment into my pocket. Grabbing the light-sorcery tool resting on the table, my hands trembled violently.

‘Please.’

I fervently hoped my assumptions would prove to be wrong as I hurried into the one and only room in our cramped home.

Bang.

“…I”

My whole body went rigid. It felt like someone had declared the end of the world. Like a person standing on the edge of an unavoidable disaster, all thoughts froze and my mind blurred.

“Ah, Aria…”

A white bedsheet stained with red blood. Blood adorning Aria’s lips. Pained moans continuously seeping from her parched lips. Cold sweat pouring down like rain. Faint heartbeat. Unsteady breaths. Tears shimmering in her eyes.

“… Aria!”

Aria was in a critical situation.