Chapter 10: The South

Part 1

An academic year in the Institution comprised the full cycle of all four seasons, so the closing ceremony after Ianna’s first semester had been plain and simiple.

Heinrich, the Institution dean, who hadn’t shown up all semester, only attended the closing ceremony to make his speech and quickly made himself scarce because he was apparently busy.

Heinrich.

He was Herrace’s grandfather and was researching the curse of mana, and he was Lalatua El Mardial’s, the young and crazy archmage, teacher.

“Come find me there when I call you.”

He was also the master of the Institution’s Grey Magic Tower, which was the location that had been written on the scrap of paper Arhad had given Ianna during the slave auction.

If he was related to Arhad somehow, then it was likely that Heinrich wasn’t just some ordinary elderly gentleman. But Ianna would have to wait for the day she was officially introduced to him if she wanted to learn more about his unusual background.

Awards had been given to the top students of each department after the speech and Ianna had been called up to the stage as one of them. She had taken the highest-level classes for her major and had received A’s in all of them, making her the top first-year student in the Swordsmanship Department.

Grades hadn’t been recorded in the official transcripts yet —that only happened at the end of the year—, but Ianna’s unrivaled grades washed away every last trace of the rotten and baseless doubts that the students carried about her in their hearts.

It wasn’t possible to fully unite everyone’s hearts as one. Each student had their own personal opinion of Ianna. But every student more or less acknowledged Ianna’s skill, regardless of whether that took the form of envy, dissatisfaction, curiosity, goodwill, or awe. They had no choice but to acknowledge her, considering that she was the top of her class in addition to also being both the victor of the underclassmen swordsmanship competition and someone with an alarmingly competent control over mana at just the young age of sixteen.

They were now fully accepting of the fact that Ianna, the only women in the Swordsmanship Department, was extraordinarily skilled and saw her for who she really was instead of being blinded by her background or the rumors about her.

She was an outstanding noble who acted only on her convictions despite the poor circumstances of her birth or the dirty rumors that destroyed her reputation, she was a swordswoman of excellent skill who also worked hard, and she was an amazing person who, though cool-headed and arrogant in disposition, was well-mannered and faultless in her actions.

This was Ianna’s reputation now.

People tended to applaud those who performed well in things that they ought to perform. Ianna had fearlessly chastised and chased away the terrifying Black Fox when they had harassed an innkeeper, had readily broken her arms and nearly ended her career as a swordswoman to save a young child when others had thought that she had only been acting because she didn’t want to compete in the New Student’s Swordsmanship Competition, and had saved a little girl who had run in front of a duke’s carriage…… The rumors going around about a crimson-haired swordswoman of the Institution only served to raise Ianna’s reputation higher.

The students now only praised her saying, “Isn’t she amazing?” when the topic came up, as if they had never spread bad rumors and gossip about her in the first place. Even those who had never spoken to Ianna before had slowly started growing out of the bad rumors and were developing goodwill for her.

In was in that mood that Ianna had wrapped up her first semester at the Institution and welcomed her first break from school.

Students of the Institution were allowed to go home for break, stay at the Institution and take summer classes, study independently, or work and earn some money.

Eiji had said that he would be busy all break long because of work and would probably not be able to see anyone until break was over before quickly vanishing off to somewhere, and Herrace had looked gloomy as he announced that he would be returning home to train with his father and Travis.

Taro returned home with his shoulders drooping when his farewell to Lalatua was returned with only a cold shoulder, and Lalatua had said that she would hole herself up in her tower at the Institution and do important magical research.

Like the nerd he was, Rikijen had filled his schedule to the brim with summer classes, and Priscilla had said that she would be working at a famous madame’s boutique because some of her personally designed pieces had become an overnight sensation. She had also said, with her eyes positively sparkling, that she was planning to complete her clothes for Ianna, which she had been planning and fitting all semester, soon before the upcoming school festival.

Sarachè had written a letter to Ianna asking about her grades and her plans for break, and Ianna had written back to inform Sarachè that she was the top of her class and that she was planning to travel with a caravan for work experience.

“Phew.”

Ianna wiped away the sweat at her neck. People had started wearing lighter clothes now that it was summer and the sun was scorching hot. Ianna, who was wearing a sleeveless shirt with a standing collar and pants made of lighter material, was of no exception.

Ianna walked quickly with a bag of clothes and necessities on her back, her long and slender rapier at her waist, and a set of travel boots on her feet. She was on her way to the Paella Company building.

“Come on in, Little Ianna.”

Mursi, who had been inspecting his goods, greeted Ianna warmly and welcomed her inside. The Paella Company was scheduled to go on a long expedition in a few days and needed to take stock of not only the luxury goods they were planning to sell but also of their foodstuffs and daily necessities.

“Where is Chendelf?”

Ianna made her way up to the second floor of the building with Mursi while politely greeting the employees she recognized, whereas the employees who had never seen her before tilted their heads to the side in bafflement as they wondered what a young lady like her was doing here. Mursi sent away the people who asked him who Ianna was before quietly answering,

“He’s with Finn in his room at the moment.”

“I’m grateful for everything Finn is doing for him.”

Chendelf needed someone to care for him because he didn’t have any hands. It was easy enough to hire a nurse or caretaker with money, but it wasn’t possible to assign an outsider to Chendelf’s care if you took the fact that he was a dwarf into account. It had to be someone trustworthy with tight lips. Mursi had originally planned to ask a nurse, whom he had chosen after careful consideration, to stop her usual duties and care for Chendelf instead.

But then, Finn had stubbornly insisted that he would take care of Chendelf himself. Finn was precocious, but he threw a tantrum like any child his age should when there was something he truly wanted or there was something he truly wanted to do.

It was a lot of work for a child, but Mursi adhered to Finn’s admirable wishes and allowed it. And so, Finn had been glued to Chendelf’s hip for the past month. Finn helped Chendelf eat, helped Chendelf go to the bathroom, massaged Chendelf’s shoulders, and generally helped Chendelf enjoy his time there without getting uncomfortable. The spirits Finn summoned also helped take care of Chendelf.

Chendelf gradually settled down in the peaceful atmosphere the child of a mythical race had created for him. When Finn pestered Chendelf to tell him stories, Chendelf combed through his memories and regaled the child with mysterious legends of the Karankell Rocky Mountains or with old dwarven tales. The intriguing stories made Finn happy. And with time, the two had grown as close as if they had been grandfather and grandson by blood.

Rumble.

Mursi pulled out and put back some books on the bookshelf that took up an entire wall in a particular order, and the whole thing moved around as his study gently opened up. Ianna slipped inside the secret tunnel that had opened up.

Mursi had many enemies. He was always prepared, but he also prepared for the worst and had designed an escape route just in case.

The tunnel was a complex maze. It branched off into different directions at least a few dozen times, and there were some routes that only led to dead ends. Moreover, a hallucination spell had been cast over the entire tunnel to dull people’s sense of distance and direction.

The walls had also been reinforced by magic, so it was next to impossible to break through them to escape. The entire maze was also riddled with deadly traps, and failing to keep an eye out for them could spell out a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

The secret tunnel was something that Mursi had taken great pains to create. Anyone who entered the tunnel without knowing about it beforehand was doomed to wander around aimlessly until they became a corpse.

Thump thump.

One set of footsteps echoed through the air. The torches glimmering in the darkness cast a lone shadow behind its owner.

Ianna was walking alone. Mursi, who had memorized the maze by heart, could not accompany her because he was busy, but that didn’t matter. Not only had Mursi taught her how to navigate the maze, but Ianna had already been there several times and was familiar with the routes.

She climbed down a long spiraling stairway after a bit of walking before she arrived at a single door. Ianna threw the door open without a moment’s hesitation.

“Ianna!”

“Miss!”

Finn and Chendelf, who had been sitting together reading, jumped up and beamed when Ianna walked inside.

Unlike the dark and gloomy tunnel, the room Chendelf was staying in was furnished with a luxurious beige down sofa, pale yellow walls, and was generally filled with warm and gentle colors.

This was a breakroom that Mursi took refuge in whenever things got extremely busy with work, and it was equipped with a ventilation system in one corner of the room that connected to the air outside so it wouldn’t be stuffy even though it was located deep underground.

The scent of herbs circulated the room to soothe heavy hearts. A bookshelf, that took up an entire wall, was lined with books for light reading. Chendelf, who had spent the past month here under Finn’s care and had been able to rest his weary heart, had grown considerably brighter.

“Chendelf, we’ll be setting off in a few days. And today makes it exactly one month since I first met you…….”

“……!”

Chendelf’s heart started beating furiously with excitement and anticipation when Ianna trailed off. He gulped as he eagerly awaited her next words.

“Let’s try to fix your hands.”

“A-aheeem! But how? What do I need to do? Hmm?”

Chendelf was bright red and flabbergasted as he didn’t know what to do with himself. Ianna nodded to Finn, who had brought over a potted plant and a watering can.

“Finn, if you would.”

“Okay!”

Finn scooped up some of the dirt in the flowerpot and set it on the floor to call forth an earth spirit and sprayed some of the water from the watering can in the air to call forth a water spirit.

Finn, being as curious as he was, had experimented and learned that all he needed as a medium to call the spirits with was a single drop of water and a small pinch of dirt. He did not need to go all the way outside every time.

“Spirits?”

Chendelf eyed the bouncing lump of earth and the drop of water floating in the air in bafflement.

“You know about the spirits?”

“Of course. We dwarves receive the grace of Lord Towe and Lord Kagomyne. Lord Towe provides us with good-quality metal, and Lord Kagomyne gifts us hot fire —which is important to our way of life.”

“Towe? Kagomyne?”

“You didn’t know? Towe of the earth in the Karankell Rocky Mountains to the south, Kagomyne of the fire in the Girohai Desert to the west, Innis of the water in the Himalapè Ice Fields to the north, and Shweia of the wind in the Great Forest of Shaob to the East. Those are the names of the spirit kings who are revered in each of the four corners of the world.”

The mythical races lived in the four corners, and not much was known about the secrets of the four corners of theworld even after all this time. Ianna imagined the mud doll and the fish in her mind.

[Names? But “Fish” and “Mud Doll” work just fine? Heeheehee. We don’t refer to each other by names. I’m Splashy, he’s Slowpoke, the spirit of wind is Wily, and the spirit of fire is Moody…… Well, actually, we do have other names you could call us by……]

She recalled what the fish had once told her right before his summoning had been over. He had said something about other names that she could call them by? Were these the names the fish had been referring to?

“But what are you trying to do with the spirits? I can call spirits too.”

Chendelf stared dubiously at the squirming dirt before Ianna regained her senses and reached out to the lump of earth and the drop of water.

She felt the strange sensation that something was burrowing into her as the lump of earth and the drop of water gradually began growing larger. She found the way they converged together and took on such little forms curious no matter how many times she saw it happen.

“W-what in the world?!”

Unlike Finn and Ianna, who had already seen this mysterious sight play out several times now and was used to it, Chendelf cried out in alarm.

[Hmm? Oh, it’s a dwarf.]

[You’re right! But why is there a dwarf here?]

The fish and the mud doll, which had gained consciousness after being summoned, turned to Chendelf before they rushed toward Ianna. Chendelf was startled by their presence and stepped back.

They were small in form, but the presence they gave off was on a completely different level than what he had felt from any spirit he had ever seen before. They were stronger and overpowering. They were small and adorable, but Chendelf shrank back because he lost his nerve when they looked to him.

“Towe and Innis?”

The fish and the mud doll, who had been staring at Chendelf with intrigue, shivered in delight when Ianna called out to them. The fish even cried out, [Ahh—!] in delight.

[You know those names? How did you know? Hardly anyone calls us by those names anymore!]

“I thought you told me that you don’t have set names —did I misunderstand you……?”

[No, just as you said, we don’t have set names. We are an aggregate of every spirit, so the names of every spirit are also our names.]

“I see. But, no one calls you by those names anymore? According to Chendelf, I mean, the dwarf, you seem to be venerated by those names.”

[No ordinary spirit is called by those names. Not many people currently alive are capable of calling us, so those names are simply worshiped —but we aren’t actually called by them…….]

The mud doll slowly nodded.

“In that case, I’ll start calling you Innis and Towe. It felt a little strange to keep calling you ‘fish’ and ‘mud doll’…….”

The fish’s —Innis’ body exploded and the mud doll —Towe crumbled into dust.

Chendelf, who had been staring at them anxiously, was startled. Ianna, however, had a faint smile on her lips because she knew that this was simply how they expressed their joy.

[Mm……mm! I love you, I love you soo much! Ahh!]

Innis reformed his body and began circling around Ianna with glee. Towe, too, rebuilt his body and raised his arms as he walked up to Ianna.

“A-are you really Lord Towe……? In the flesh? B-but, your presence…… But then again, you look so different from the statue in the village…….”

Towe heard what Chendelf had nervously mumbled to himself and stopped to turn toward the dwarf.

[This is not my true form, dwarf. It is simply the form I have chosen to take so I could stay here longer.]

Chendelf watched on awkwardly as Towe waved his arms around with a solemn voice, as if he was telling the dwarf not to make light of him, before he resumed running up to Ianna and leaning firmly into her. The giant statue of Towe in his village was overflowing with awe and dignity, but the tiny spirit king before his eyes was so cute and adorable.

“I’m sorry, but there’s another request I’d like to ask of you.”

[Don’t be sorry. It brings us joy to hear out your requests. Never hesitate if you have something to ask of us.]

[He’s right, he’s right. So what is it?]

Ianna beckoned Chendelf closer, and Chendelf hesitantly walked up and showed the spirit kings his severed arms. His arms were shaking, and he was going numb and trembling now that he was standing before beings he considered as gods.

Still, despite his nervousness, Chendelf was so full of anticipation that he didn’t quite know what to do with himself. He stared at his severed arms with a complicated look on his face before closing his eyes entirely. His living hell, which had been suffocating him for several months now, might finally come to an end. The tiny beings studying his arms crossed over common sense and conventional wisdom into the realm of reverent legends. His rapidly beating heart made it difficult for Chendelf to breathe.

[Hmmm. This is cruel. It’s amazing that he hasn’t gone insane. What kind of bastard would cut off a dwarf’s hands —which they value more dearly than their own life?]

[This is a little different from your case, Ianna. You still had all of your components inside you —your bones were simply splintered and scattered……but the dwarf’s had were entirely cut off at the wrists, so we’ll have to recreate the elements that make up his body —his bones, muscles, blood vessels, blood, and the like— all over from scratch. We can do it, but it’ll require a lot of divine power. And, there’s also something else we need to tell you.]

Towe turned to Ianna. Innis, who was always restless, splashed around his tail as if to tell Towe to continue, prompting Towe to nod back.

[I told you the last time you summoned me that the volume of divine power pooling inside of you has increased. The divine power leaking out of you now is nearly twice the amount you had when you first summoned Splashy.]

“Meaning…….”

[It means that we can stay for longer now. You can probably call us once every full moon, too.]

Towe had told her last time that the walls around her heart were cracking, and it looked like more divine power was leaking out from them too. Ianna put her hand above her heart and said,

“Would you have the time to tell me about the seal you mentioned last time?”

[Yes. It doesn’t take much power, and neither will it take very long. Let me explain the other trait of divine power too while I’m at it. Like I told you last time, divine power carries both the trait of life and the trait of power. It is said that divine power has the trait of power because it is capable of manifesting as reinforcement, fortification, special powers, and seals. Some of these terms are used in the Age of Magic as well. Reinforcement and fortification.]

“Yes, I know. Is this what you mean by reinforcement?”

Ianna injected mana in her hand and reinforced it.

[Yes. Reinforcement is the strengthening of an object’s qualities by injecting it with divine power. It is possible to overload if you use it beyond the body’s limits.]

“Yes.”

Then, Ianna fortified her sword. The mana around the sword condensed into a misty white.

[Fortification is the art of covering an object with divine power, just as you have done with your sword there. It is simple in concept, but can be used in an infinite variety of ways depending on how you create it, how much divine power you use, and how you choose to attack your opponent with it. Reinforcement and fortification do not consume divine power. And they are techniques that are still used in the Age of Magic.]

Both mana and divine power were apparently used in the same way.

[Third, is the manifestation of powers. I told you about powers last time. A power is a special ability unique to every god. Powers use fragments of chaos as mediums and consume divine power to use. Hey, Splashy. You look like you’re fidgeting over there, so why don’t you demonstrate it for her?]

[Okay!]

Innis, who had been pacing around like he was itching to say something, flicked his body. He created a small whirlpool of water in front of Ianna. The whirlpool raged, died down, showered down to the floor, and even flung itself in Finn’s face. And then, it vanished.

[Innis can control all water, and I can control all earth. Not only can we control it, but we can create and destroy it too. That’s our power. A power is decided by the soul and is imprinted on the heart, and it can be used with the heart as a medium so long as the user has divine power. And lastly, are the seals you were curious about……. Seals can be created by anyone if they have perfect control over their divine power. Now, look.]

Towe pointed to a leaf that had fallen to the floor. Brown divine power seeped out of him and enveloped the leaf completely. Then, the light sank into a nearby book and vanished. The leaf had vanished as well.

[If you have divine power completely under your command, then you can assign it to completely isolate your target from the outside world. I sealed the leaf inside the book just now. And now, I will lift the seal.]

Towe reached out toward the book. Then, the brown light that had disappeared just earlier suddenly appeared again and was reabsorbed back inside Towe. And the leaf was now sitting on top of the book.

[The inside of a seal is severed from the space-time outside of it. A seal is a technique that can neither be seen nor removed by anyone other than the owner of the divine power who created it. Seals don’t consume divine power because the divine power returns to the caster when it’s lifted. But someone who has a stronger ego than the caster can both see and break the seal if they focus hard enough. And seals also come undone if the caster dies.]

With a puzzled look on her face, Ianna asked,

“Then what about my heart?”

[There is nothing wrong with your heart. It is no different from any other human’s. Only……there is divine power locked away inside your heart and I can feel it very faintly, but I can’t look inside because hearts are realms that belong solely to the souls that have imprinted on them. But I should be able to see, since the spiritual plane overlaps with the astral plane, but I can’t. It’s like I’m being blocked by a wall……. Which is why I told you I thought it was a seal. I’m not fully certain, but I think it’s the most plausible theory. And, if it really is a seal, then there are probably cracks in it because your divine power is leaking out little by little and we can vaguely feel the divine power inside your heart…….]

Ianna suddenly thought of Laos. If there were still gods remaining in the world, then surely it had to be Laos.

“If it’s really a seal, then can it be Laos’?”

[No. Laos’ soul has an ego that is about as strong as ours, so we would be able to feel it if it was Laos’ seal……but we don’t feel Laos at all. The walls around your heart weren’t made by Laos.]

Towe firmly shook his head no.

[We only feel your aura from the wall, and nothing else. Which is why we’re so confused about whether it’s really a seal or not.]

“I see…….”

If the seal around her heart that really belonged to Laos, then it would have proven that Laos was still alive —but it wasn’t, so Laos’ current state of being remained a mystery.

[Anyway, your divine power is leaking out from your heart little by little. But we don’t know if your heart is producing the divine power or if it was simply stored inside.]

Ianna was human, so there was no reason why her heart would be producing divine power.

[I’m pretty sure you still have a lot of divine power left, but I can’t say for sure when you’ll use it all up. And, while I’m overjoyed that you keep calling us like this…….]

Innis trailed of and wriggled anxiously.

Living beings died when they exhausted their divine power. Which meant that one should not use divine power recklessly.

“You needn’t worry about that.”

Ianna had already contemplated over the fact that her lifespan decreased every time she summoned the spirits, but she had quickly decided that it was more important to her to have her questions answered than it was to live a long life.

She had already lived this life once. She would rather live a short life without regrets and have all her questions answered than live a long life filled with regret and unanswered questions.

“I want to call you.”

[Uwaah, I love you so much, Ianna!]

Innis cried out in delight as soon as the words had left Ianna’s mouth and slammed bodily against her cheek. Towe nodded.

[I’m still worried, but I’m happy for your words nonetheless.]

[But anyways, Ianna!]

Innis swam up to her and flapped around his tail. He continued,

[Won’t you be more casual with us? Like you are with Finn?]

“With Finn?”

[We really wanna be friends with you……but you’re always so wary around us. But you’re not wary at all when you talk to Finn. That’s probably also why you’re only gentle when you’re talking to Finn. We’re so envious of him. Right?]

[Mhmm.]

[We’ll always be on your side. So……please?]

Do I really? Then again, I guess it’s true that I’m nicer to children whom I don’t need to be wary of. Ianna contemplated for a moment before she nodded.

“I’ll try.”

[Kyaah!]

Innis flopped up and down when Ianna’s voice took a softer tone.

[Good job, Splashy! Now, we should hurry up and begin since time’s running out. There were a lot of stories from the Holy Age that we’d prepared for you, but we’ll use the remaining divine power to recreate the dwarf’s hands since that’s what you asked for.]

Ianna turned to Chendelf. Chendelf had been listening in mute amazement and was startled when he became the topic of their conversation again. His face flushed red with anticipation.

The spirits bid Ianna farewell.

[Bye Ianna. See you next time.]

[Yaah!]

Towe’s and Innis’ bodies broke apart into dirt and water before mixing together. They crossed in the air like a violent maelstrom before pouring down on Chendelf’s outstretched wrists.

“……!”

And what happened next to Chendelf’s hands, which seemed like a glimpse at the Creator’s power itself, was etched deeply into their hearts and filled them with what felt like almost a sinful sense of awe. It was simply that mysterious and incomprehensible.

“Ah…….”

Chendelf dropped his jaw in a daze. The flesh that had healed over his severed wrists clattered and unraveled like an unwound thread. New bone formed from the stumps of his severed ones like a freezing icicle and shaped itself into the bones of his hands and fingers.

Strong and sturdy scarlet muscles grew over his bones while his blood vessels extended and dug inside the new muscle like the roots of a plant. Blood poured through his new blood vessels with every beat of his heart, and his muscles began moving with vitality.

Then, rough dwarven skin covered his hands. Pink nails were formed at the tips of his fingers, and lines were drawn across his hands with every beat of his heart and every movement of his newly formed hands. Finally, Chendelf’s heart beat loudly and his hands formed tight fists, as if to declare that the process was complete.

Towe and Innis vanished without a trace once it was over.

“…….”

Chendelf stared blankly in a daze like he was dreaming before suddenly snapping back to his senses and looking down at his newly formed hands that were waiting obediently for his commands like they had always been there. Disbelief crossed his face as he clenched his fists, pulled at his hands, and wiggled each and every finger.

He had truly gotten his hands back. And they were no different from before.

“……Ugh.”

The area around Chendelf’s eyes distorted and his eyes grew bloodshot. He hunched his shoulders and breathed heavily, but he failed to hold it back and broke out sobbing.

“Ahh.”

He clenched his hands tightly together as large tears dropped onto them. In his tears was the grief and despair that had tormented him until now mixed with the joy and delight that was overflowing in his heart.

“Ahh, ahhh. Sooob.”

Ianna and Finn simply watched him quietly.

“Waah.”

Finn, who had also clenched his hands into tight fists, started crying along with him. He was so relieved to know that Chendelf, who was always in a gloom even when they were playing together, would be all right now and had burst out in tears.

Ianna sighed as the two members of the mythical races sobbed around her and waited patiently for them to stop.

“Ianna…….”

Chendelf, who had been crying while staring at his hands for some time now, looked to Ianna while sniffling when there was a pause in his tears. He shuffled over to her and knelt with his head on the floor. He continued,

“I will never forget what you have done for me. You are my savior. I will do anything for you should you only ask. Oh —yes!”

Chendelf clenched his hands into tight fists. His coarse beard quivered. A fiery desire and a deep-rooted resolve took hold of the dwarf’s moistened eyes like madness.

“I will create and gift you my life’s greatest masterpiece as soon as I get home!”

It was a promise he had carved deep into his soul.

“That’s all right. Please, stand up.”

Ianna took Chendelf by the hands and helped him up. Chendelf grasped his savior’s hands tightly so he would never forget how they felt. Ianna continued,

“Didn’t you tell me that dwarves were buried in the Karankell Rocky Mountains alongside their life’s masterpieces when they died? You really don’t have to…….”

“I would have been destined to die the most pitiful death if it had not been for you!”

Tears were pouring down from Chendelf’s eyes because he still could not believe that his hands had been created anew. His countenance could not properly contain his joy and snot was dribbling down his face.

“None but I could know how I feel right now. You didn’t simply give me hands. You gave me a miracle. You returned my dreams, my future, and my life back to me.”

Chendelf shut his mouth as he stared at Ianna, who was starting to grow embarrassed, with his tear-filled eyes.

“……This is only something I just started considering, and I loathe to think back on the time when my hands were cut off, but perhaps God assigned this fate to me as the greatest trial I had to overcome so I could meet you.”

“Please don’t think that way. You are exaggerating…….”

Ianna was about to refuse again, but Chendelf knelt yet again and pulled ardently at the hem of Ianna’s pants before she could.

“Don’t refuse. Please, accept this……! I-I wish to forge you a sword with these new hands you’ve given me. I want to forge the greatest sword of all and gift it to you. This is my life’s new desire in the place of wanting to die!”

“…….”

Ianna hesitated before she ultimately nodded. She had meant to turn him down because her motives for rescuing him had not been wholly pure and because she was familiar with dwarven customs, but it wasn’t polite of her to keep turning him down when he wanted to do this for her so badly.

Ianna knelt so that her eyes were level with Chendelf’s.

“If you’ll make a sword for me, then I’ll accept it with gratitude. I’m sure it will be an amazing gift that surpasses my every imagination.”

Chendelf sniffled loudly and tears ran down his face again when Ianna smiled gently and consented.

“Thank you…… Thank you…….”

Finn walked up to Chendelf, who was handling his hands as though they were the most precious treasure in the world, and babbled,

“Grampa, please make me some toys too!”

The Chendelf of the past hadn’t known how precious his hands were and had been filled with arrogant pride in his works, so he would have angrily quipped back, “Do you even know how much my works will cost?” —but he didn’t do that now. He was grateful just to be able to create something again.

He was surging with a craftsman’s desire to create things again now that he had his hands back. He wanted to hold a carving knife and a block of wood in his hands as soon as possible.

“Yes, of course. I’ll make you anything you want.”

Chendelf was flush with joy as he nodded.

Mursi, who had finished his work, walked in the room not too long afterward. He was alarmed when he saw that the dwarf had hands again. Ianna had told him, “The person who fixed my arms last time visited again,” but he failed to hide his astonishment and voice his wonder out loud.

“To think that they could not only fix your arms but also recreate his hands anew —I see it must be true when they say that the world is filled with hidden marvels.”

Mursi made a bit of a fuss over it. Ianna stared at him for a bit before she decided to tell him that she had summoned the spirit kings, who were revered in the four corners of the world as gods. Mursi was someone she could trust.

Mursi stared back in mute amazement for a moment before he nodded back in bewilderment and stopped asking any further questions. Not only was the look on Ianna’s face too sincere for him to distrust, but he also found it more credible to believe that a divine being had recreated the dwarf’s hands rather than to believe that Ianna, a human, had performed the miracle of creation, which encroached upon the territory of the gods.

Ianna was satisfied by Mursi’s oddly calm reaction. Meanwhile, Mursi extended Chendelf his congratulations.

“I’m so happy for you. Congratulations, Lord Chendelf.”

“Thank you, Mursi. I will not forget everything you’ve done for me.”

Chendelf bowed to Mursi from the waist. He loathed and despised humanity, but Ianna and Mursi were the exceptions to that rule. He continued,

“Could you bring me a carving knife and some wood? I would like to make Finn some toys.”

“Yay!”

Mursi nodded back happily when Finn laughed and raised his hands in the air.

“Of course. I’ll bring you some right away. And Little Ianna, all the mercenaries who were hired to guard our caravan are gathered in the courtyard at the moment —what do you think about dropping by to say hello? It’ll be a long trip, so I think it’d be best if you got to know each other before we set off.”

“I’ll do just that.”

Part 2

It was only right to greet them, as she would be spending nearly a month with them. Ianna and Mursi left Chendelf and Finn behind and quickly made their way through the secret tunnel.

Mursi spoke briefly about the mercenaries he had hired as they exited his office and climbed down the stairs.

“I already have escorts assigned to my company. But they won’t be on the offense —they’ll be protecting the noncombatants and will only be dealing with anyone who approaches them first. Mercenaries hired from the mercenary guild will be dealing with any attackers otherwise. Oh, and… A lot of students from the Institution, which you attend, also applied when I posted the job.”

Mursi beamed.

“I didn’t plan on hiring students because I thought that it would be best to only have a few people of skill protecting the small number of luxury items we’ll be taking with us, but there was a student who was evaluated very highly by the Institution who applied, so I decided to hire him. I think you might know him, Little Ianna.”

Ianna looked skeptical as she shook her head.

“I don’t know a lot of people, so there’s a chance I won’t…….”

“But I heard from an acquaintance that you’re very well known in the Institution? Whether it be because of your fighting prowess or because of other things.”

Mursi opened the door as he spoke. Ianna squinted a little as the summer sun shone down on her as soon as she exited the building. She blinked her blurry eyes a few times and looked around once her vision had recovered. A lot of men were looking to Mursi and Ianna with great curiosity.

Judging by the way the men were giving off sharp impressions, they were probably highly skilled even among mercenaries. Ianna surveyed them quickly and gauged their level of skill before she opened her eyes wide upon seeing a certain man among the crowd.

Why……is he here?

“……Sir Arhad?”

Arhad, apparently having heard Ianna’s quiet whisper, smiled faintly and nodded in her direction. Ianna feigned a smile back. Why did he keep cropping up in places where she least expected him?

“Is he someone you know?”

“Oh, yes. I know him well. May I go say hello to him?”

“Of course.”

Ianna walked briskly up to Arhad.

“What a coincidence. I did not know that you would be working here, Sir.”

“Yes, it’s quite the coincidence.”

But there was no way that this was a mere coincidence. Ianna silently refuted,

‘It’s obvious that you applied because of me.’

After all, there was no way that the leader of Camastros, an underground organization that stood against the Black Fox, would work a temp job at a mere caravan, now was there? Besides, he was looking at her with such overflowing fondness —how could this possibly be a mere coincidence? Ianna was certain of this.

‘But what does he want with me?’

Ianna studied Arhad with a sharp gaze as though she wasn’t in a good mood. He had continuously avoided her at the Institution. And so, Ianna had guessed that there would be some vast change in his temperament within the next three years and had decided to watch him change from afar. But, after seeing him lead Camastros a month ago, she had learned that he was already the same Arhad she had always known him to be.

‘Which means that he didn’t avoid me because he was shy.’

But Ianna decided not to ask him about it. Arhad did not know that she knew everything. She could not ask Arhad, a student of the Institution, why he had acted one way while the leader of Camastros acted elsewise.

And so, Ianna decided that she would wait until he told her himself. She decided to separate the leader of Camastros from the student of the Institution. She was planning to ignore the Arhad of the Institution and try and capture the more daring leader of Camastros instead. And yet, the Arhad of the Institution had suddenly changed his attitude and had approached her first.

“I applied to gain more practical experience……but I never dreamed that you would be here too, Little Ianna. I hope we can get along while we’re here.”

Ianna turned the gears in the head. Apparently, Arhad had changed his mind after the incident with Camastros.

‘Well, it makes it easier for me if he’s decided to be open like this.’

Ianna was happy for it, since she hadn’t liked the way he had fled from her with his tail tucked between his legs. And so, Ianna decided to change her course of action as well. Opportunities needed to be seized as they presented themselves, after all. She would learn why he had avoided her all this time, eliminate the cause, and prevent him from running away ever again.

Ianna did not think that running away suited Arhad, and neither did she want to see him do it.

“I dislike people who can’t make up their minds,”

Ianna said coldly as she crossed her arms. She continued,

“So I don’t think I’ll be able to get along with you unless you tell me why you were avoiding me, Sir. And to be honest, you left a rather negative impression on me back then, not a positive one.”

“Haha…….”

Arhad ran his hand across his face and laughed, at a loss, as he was met with Ianna’s wintry attitude. He continued,

“I see I’ve made a pretty bad impression on you. I dropped by for a minute because I was told everyone was gathering, but I have a lot to do before the caravan sets off so I’ll have to leave soon……. I don’t want to give you a brief explanation for my behavior right now because I don’t think I’ll come off as sincere, so may I take the time to explain things slowly while we travel? We’ll be walking together for a while, so please feel free to ask me any other questions too, even if it’s not about why I kept running from you like a coward. I welcome any questions so long as they’re from you, Little Ianna.”

There was open fondness in Arhad’s words. Ianna was filled with doubt because his behavior had turned on its head in every sense of the word.

“Then please at least tell me this, even briefly. Why has your attitude changed so suddenly?”

Ianna had become Arhad’s subordinate a few weeks ago. It was possible that their newfound relationship had allowed him to loosen up somewhat. But, if he meant to keep his identity a secret, he would not be able to answer even if only because of Camastros. And so, Ianna was curious as to how he would reply.

“…….”

The smile gradually disappeared from Arhad’s face. A dark shadow cast over his eyes, and only Ianna reflected brightly within them. It was almost obstinate how he only saw Ianna in his field of vision.

Why was it? Ianna, who was looking him in the eye, suddenly found herself parched. Was it because of the heat? Ianna looked directly up at Arhad as she wiped away the bead of sweat that had rolled down her cheek.

A few moments later, Arhad opened his mouth and, as if he was casting a pebble to create ripples across the once-still surface of water, said,

“I want to get to know you better, Little Ianna.”

Arhad’s sincerity pierced through her. She didn’t quite know what it was that he was feeling, but anyone who couldn’t perceive an emotion that was cast toward them in such dense quantities must surely be dull-witted indeed.

And Ianna wasn’t dull. She gulped before she knew what she was doing.

“I’ve liked you ever since I first laid my eyes on you, Little Ianna. And I want to get to know you better.”

Arhad looked up as he spoke deliberately and smiled when their eyes met again. He continued,

“Which is why I can’t keep acting in ways you hate. So please don’t think poorly of me.”

He was speaking politely, not casually, but the way he expressed things so simply and was so open about his fondness for her was exactly like the way he had been in the past.

“I believe that you and I can forge a good relationship together, Little Ianna……. You said that you liked me and wanted to get to know me better too, so wouldn’t you agree?”

Ianna was a little disconcerted because Arhad had suddenly changed and become more aggressive. She had already been certain that he was just as fiercely possessive and fond of her as he had been in the past. But she hadn’t expected him to be so open about it.

“That’s…….”

Ianna fumbled over her words, unable to respond immediately.

She would have coldly brushed him off had they still been in the past. She had shut the doors to her heart tightly under lock and key and was filled with only hostility toward Arhad, and so she had always unilaterally rejected his goodwill and had refused to converse with him. She had shut him out of her heart and had refused to listen to what he had to say. She had always ignored his feelings, whether they be sorrow or rage, and had therefore never once studied his facial expressions properly. And that had been enough for her at the time. After all, in the past, she had hated Arhad so much that it nearly drove her insane…….

But not anymore. Now, she was glad that he hadn’t changed. Still, Ianna was so used to rejecting him at every turn that she couldn’t figure out how to react quickly enough and ended up hesitating. One layer of Arhad’s emotions was peeled off his visage as he watched her struggle.

“Was I mistaken?”

He looked extremely anxious and uneasy when he asked. His composure had ultimately only been a thin sheet of ice floating atop a deep sea of uneasiness.

Ianna didn’t know why Arhad was acting like this, but she had the feeling that he would run away again if she refused him. And so, she cast the mess of her thoughts aside and simply answered frankly as her heart dictated.

“Not at all. I look forward to working with you.”

“Oh.”

Relief and composure washed over him again and covered the negative emotions that had been gnawing away at him like a sheet of ice forming over the turbulent seas. Arhad closed his eyes and he smiled radiantly. He continued,

“I’m glad.”

Just then, Ianna was overcome with an unfamiliar feeling.

Was he always able to smile like this?

She could not ever recall Arhad smiling in her memories of the past. It was likely because she had never cared to study his expressions back then. But something told her that she probably had seen it before. She probably just hadn’t thought well about the fact he was smiling. After all, nothing Arhad did had sat well with her back then.

But his smile was pleasant to her eyes now that she wasn’t looking at him through the veil of hatred. Now, she wished he would keep smiling like that.

Ianna ended up looking away before she could stop herself because he was so radiant that she found it difficult to keep looking at him. She immediately realized that this was the first time she had ever turned away from his gaze in both her lifetimes.

Ianna’s face crumbled in embarrassment. The edges of her cheeks blushed ever so slightly red. Arhad was confused by the extremely uncharacteristic expression she was making and asked,

“Is something wrong?”

“……It’s nothing.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s not nothing. Can you look at me please? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“You’re so handsome that it’s hard to look at you.”

“……Aha.”

Arhad, whose eyes had been open wide, laughed a little in amusement when Ianna glossed over a reply. He continued,

“Truly? I hear that quite often, but I never thought I’d ever hear it from you, Little Ianna. I’ll have to work hard to maintain my looks.”

“Didn’t you say you had a lot to do?”

“Yes. I’ll be taking my leave now. I’ll see you again when the caravan departs.”

Arhad laughed pleasantly and nodded gently at Ianna’s direction before saying a short farewell to the other mercenaries and making his leave. It was only then that Ianna turned her gaze back to his retreating figure.

“Ahem.”

Ianna, who had been watching Arhad go until he disappeared from view with a strange light in her eyes, turned around when someone cleared his throat. A tall man was standing next to her. He was wearing a tight black sleeveless shirt that proudly exposed his brown muscles under the summer sun, and he extended a hand out toward Ianna in greeting.

“Uncle Mursi was singin’ yer praises, Miss. I was pretty surprised when he told me that a lil’ thing of just sixteen could use mana and that you cut through an entire cow in just one go, but now I see yer even better than the rumors say ya are. The presence ya give off is something else. Like damn, yer like a young tiger —a tiger, I tell ya,”

the man, who had a body that seemed to be louder than even his words, prattled on. He continued,

“The name’s Benfomè, and I’m responsible for the mercenaries that’ll be taggin’ along Uncle Mursi’s caravan startin’ today. Just call me Ben for short. I look forward to workin’ with ya!”

People lived all across the continent, but there existed only a few languages between them. This was because the myths said that all life originated from the God Laos.

The few languages that did exist were generally divided between the dialects of the North and the South, as the vast Lotso Mountains, which ran through the heart of the continent, severed most of the communication between the North and the South. There were multiple languages within the North and the South respectively, but all Northern languages spoken across the Northern kingdoms were relatively similar, and so were all Southern languages.

But the people who lived to the east and west of the Lotso Mountains came into contact with both the North and the South and were therefore generally bilingual and spoke a mix of both dialects.

In particular, the Kingdom of Toraca, which was friendly with the Kingdom of Roanne, and the deserts around her primarily spoke a dialect that was similar to that which was spoken in the Kingdom of Roanne. Still, the people of Toraca were famous for their heavy accent —a result of living so far away from the capital, Therodore, where the people spoke more fluently. Taro’s was one such accent.

Ianna looked to Benfomè, who was grinning with his white teeth bared, with a strange light in her eyes.

It was rare to hear someone speak with an accent in the capital. Most people were automatically pressured into speaking in the standard dialect when they arrived at the capital, even if it was awkward for them. Those whose accents were so thick that they couldn’t speak the standard dialect at all usually either kept quiet or fumbled around with the standard dialect in a rather comical manner because everyone would start staring at them like they were some country bumpkin trying to make it big in the city when they heard their accent.

Ianna took Benfomè’s hand and returned his greeting.

“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Ben. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you inside the company building before. Are you from the desert?”

“Gosh, clever girl. I just got here a few days ago from the West. That bein’ said, what’cha usin’ ‘Mister’ for? Ya can go right ahead and drop that. Just call me Ben —but with a bit more charm in yer voice. Or ya can call me Uncle Ben —that works too. Yer voice is darn pretty.”

“I must respectfully decline, Mr. Ben.”

“Yer not just stiff —yer a piece of ice, ain’t ya? Oho.”

“Putting aside the matter of what I decide to call you —are you a personal acquaintance of Mr. Mursi’s?”

“Yeah. Uncle Mursi asked our Boss to lend him a few extra hands, so I beat all my competition and scurried my way here right away. I’m gonna live here now and take charge of the mercenaries who get hired.”

“Your Boss?”

“That’ll be Absilot of the Tiger Mercenary Guild. Ya’ve heard of him before, yeah?”

Then, Benfomè leaned into Ianna’s ear and whispered,

“I heard that yer the one who gave Uncle the tip, Little Ianna? About them black foxes, that is. I’m here to protect Uncle and his white lil’ babe……Finn, I mean, from them damn foxes. No one but Uncle knows that’s the real reason I’m here, but I think ya should know too, Lil’ Ianna.”

Apparently, Mursi had gotten uneasy and had asked his friend Absilot for help. And if the Mercenary King himself had sent Benfomè over to protect his friend, the Benfomè was probably extraordinarily skilled.

Ianna slowly studied Benfomè, who was waving around his fist while saying, “They’re all dead now—” in full confidence. He was certainly a first-rate mercenary. The aura about him suggested that he was a savage beast lying in wait and was ready to spring at his enemies at a moment’s notice.

He was wearing gauntlets on both arms, and Ianna thought that his choice of weapon suited his muscular arms quite well.

“May I ask what your rank is?”

Benfomè flashed a grin as he took out his badge to show her. It was neither bronze nor silver, but gold —something that only a very few mercenaries could boast.

Mercenary badges were bronze, silver, or gold, and the bronze and silver badges were further separated into seven ranks each. But there was only one gold rank.

Ianna was not surprised. She had expected this, to an extent. It wouldn’t make sense for someone with his skill to have a silver badge. It was no easy feat to earn a gold badge, even if you were strong. It was only given to seasoned mercenaries who not only completed dozens of difficult requests but was also commissioned often by the wealthy.

Mursi and Finn were sure to be safe if a mercenary of Benfomè’s level was guarding them. But it cost an exorbitant amount to keep a gold badge mercenary in one place. It usually took at least a king to keep a gold badge mercenary permanently stationed in one place —could Mursi really afford it?

Benfomè guessed what Ianna was thinking as she stared at his gold badge and laughed as he returned his badge to his pocket.

“Uncle Mursi is our desert’s savior. And he’s the Boss’ good friend to boot. I’m only chargin’ him enough so I can enjoy life in the capital to my heart’s content. Haha. Just enough so I can grease my belly with expensive food and feast my eyes on the pretty things walkin’ around these parts, haha. Well, let’s just say I’m takin’ a break from my main job. But anyway…”

Benfomè jerked his head in the direction that Arhad had gone off to and pithily whispered,

“That guy from just now. What’s that guy so good-lookin’ for? The others practically wilted in his presence……like he’s some kinda shining statue while they’re just pebbles rotting away off the side of the road. He was polite but he was kinda hard to approach before ya came along, but he was all joy and smiles with ya as ya guys whispered to each other something tender —he yer boyfriend?”

“No. He’s a senior in my school department.”

Benfomè clicked his tongue when Ianna swiftly refuted him.

“Ya sure? I felt something a lil’ off when the two of ya were standin’ together……like an itch I couldn’t get to or something…… But the two of ya looked good together regardless.”

“I dislike conversations of this nature, Mr. Ben. Can you please stop talking about pointless things and introduce me to the rest of the mercenaries now?”

“Uh, yeah. This way.”

Benfomè scratched his head when Ianna responded icily without even the slightest change in her facial expression and led her to where the rest of the mercenaries were. The number of gazes she was showered with spoke volumes about how many people were interested in her.

And it was only natural. Not only was Ianna a rare swordswoman, but the rumors about her indicated that she had accomplished things that even burly men would have been hard-pressed to accomplish.

Moreover, they had heard Benfomè, a gold badge mercenary, call her a tigress and praise her highly, so they had been eager to meet her not only for her appearance but also for her skill.

“This here’s Sangot, a silver badge veteran mercenary who has a life contract with the Paella Company.”

“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Sangot.”

The affable man named Sangot bowed to Ianna in greeting. He continued,

“This is our first time being properly introduced, but we travelled together during the caravan through the Allacamorah Forest and I’ve seen you around the company building a couple of times.”

Sangot, whose dark brown hair was tied behind him, looked familiar to Ianna. She recalled that she had seen his relatively slender figure —a contrast to the burlier men around him— a few times.

“I remember you. It’s nice to finally meet you. My name is Ianna.”

“Sangot’s a skilled mage. He specializes in wind magic.”

The other mercenaries scrambled to introduce themselves to her. There caused a small commotion as they all clamored —“We’ve heard a lot about you,” “Did you really win the Institution’s underclassmen swordsmanship tournament?” “We were told that we were absolutely not to be rude to you,” and “Would you mind showing us how strong you are sometime?”

The porters, who were moving around the goods off in a corner, stole glances at Ianna as she was swarmed by the mercenaries. She was so lovely that she seemed like a lone flower blooming amongst the rocks as she stood between the rough and tanned mercenaries.

Everyone had known that Ianna wasn’t just some delicate flower because of what they had heard from the rumors about her, but they questioned if the rumors were true because they had never met her in person before —and they had tilted their heads to the side in bafflement.

Business was officially concluded after Mursi and explained what was to happen during the course of the trip and noted everything that required precaution. The sun had already set over the royal castle by the time he was done, and the day was growing dark.

Unlike the mercenaries who had immediately gone drinking, Ianna returned to the room Mursi had assigned her and unpacked her things. She had decided to stay at his place until the caravan set off.

She only took out her toiletries and a few changes of clothes, since she was leaving in a few days anyway, and plopped down on her clean bed.

“Arhad…….”

Ianna muttered Arhad’s name into the empty air.

Ianna was normally subdued when she wasn’t wielding a sword, but Arhad was the sole person who could make her emotional even then. Today had been no different. The fact that Arhad was participating in the caravan was a variable that she truly had not anticipated.

She had thought that the caravan was simply the means by which she would take Chendelf back to the Karankell Rocky Mountains, but things weren’t so simple anymore.

‘I’ll have to decide on my attitude.’

She did not want to find herself at a loss because she didn’t know how to act, like she had a few hours earlier. Neither did she want to embarrass herself by failing to look Arhad in the eye again. And so, Ianna was determined to decide on what kind of attitude she would hold toward him. Naturally, she came to only one conclusion.

‘If Arhad wants to meet me head-on, then so will I.’

The door to her heart, which had only ever been closed to him before, was already open. It had already been long since that the walls keeping him out of her heart had crumbled down. She would greet sincerity with sincerity. She would return Arhad’s each and every word and action with sincerity. She would communicate with him and share her feelings with him in an effort to know him better. She was certain that Arhad would want her desperately in this life too, and she would be as his veritable sword.

Ianna rolled over to her side. She stared at her empty hand resting on the bed for a while before she closed her eyes.

‘It’s so simple……but I hesitated and made him nervous for no reason.’

She had disliked the moment of unrest he had displayed when she had hesitated. Ianna reflected on her actions and told herself that she would never do that again as she changed the course of her thoughts.

“We’ll be walking together for a while, so please feel free to ask me any other questions too, even if it’s not about why I kept running from you like a coward. I welcome any questions so long as they’re from you, Little Ianna.”

The only things that Ianna knew about Arhad were superficial facts that everyone knew. She disliked that.

But now, Arhad had offered her a chance to talk. The expedition South would be her first chance to ask him anything without doubting everything he said. Still, Ianna was aware of the fact that there were things that she, who had been reborn and still remembered their past lives, could and could not say to him.

The first thing that she would have to feign ignorance of was the fact that Arhad was a secret prince of the empire. Second, was that he was the leader of Camastros. She would have to pretend she didn’t know these things until and unless Arhad disclosed them first.

‘He’ll probably let a few things slip if he plans to bring me under his banner one day. I just need to play to his tune.’

Conversation was the best way to get to know someone without digging up information about them behind their back. It was also the universal way of getting closer to another. All Ianna had to do was play ignorant and match his pace —and she would be able to get closer to him. Then, Arhad would eventually disclose himself and officially recruit her into his fold. All she had to do then was to act surprised and touched as she agreed to join, and she would be able to forge a stronger relationship with him.

Still, Ianna also considered that it wouldn’t be too bad an idea to act coldly toward him every now and again, like she had in the past, since there was a chance that Arhad could think she was easy if things progressed too smoothly.

Ianna opened her eyes wide. She erased any thoughts of Arhad from her mind. There was something she needed to do.

“……!”

Ianna was startled when she walked into Chendelf’s room. The room was filled with wood carvings.

‘As expected of a dwarf.’

Ianna was impressed as she slowly surveyed the room. There were little birds that looked like they would fly away in fright if she walked too close to them, flowers that seemed to sway in the wind, rabbits nibbling away at the grass, and even a slumbering lion. They were all so detailed that they could have been alive.

Ianna tore her eyes away from the wood carvings and searched for Finn and Chendelf. Finn was fast asleep on the sofa with a small fairy doll in his arms, and Chendelf was busily carving away at something with his back to the door —he hadn’t heard Ianna coming inside.

He was working on something that was a big as a table. Its thick tail extended past its body. It was covered in tough scales, but the lines of its neck, back, and tail were ever so elegant. Ianna had thought it was an ordinary monster until she looked above its shoulders.

She realized it when she saw the carving’s head. The creature, which had its wings outstretched from its joints and had its head wide open in a terrifying roar, was undoubtedly a dragon, which only appeared in books.

“Mr. Chendelf.”

“Ack!”

Chendelf looked back in alarm before a warm welcome settled in his eyes when he realized it was Ianna.

“Is that……a dragon, by any chance?”

“Exactly!”

Chendelf was happy that Ianna had expressed interest in his creations as soon as she had finished saying hello. He made a fuss about how his senses were coming back, and Ianna stroked the vivid scales on the dragon’s back. She had only ever seen drawings of dragons before —this was her first time seeing one materialized outside of the page. It was as lifelike as if Chendelf had sculpted something he had actually seen before. She felt like its fiery breath, which was said to have slaughtered people in one go, would escape from the dragon’s maw any minute now.

It was said that there lived a dragon at the heart of the Lotso Mountains from times immemorial. Dwarves, who lived in the South, would have never seen the legendary creature before, so Ianna wondered how Chendelf was able to make such a realistic one and why he had chosen to do so.

“What made you suddenly want to carve a dragon?”

“Because it’s the greatest being to walk the earth!”

Ianna nodded. It looked like he had been carving animals and had gone all the way up to a dragon on the food chain.

“I see. But to think that you’d be able to carve something so realistically after only seeing it in drawings and books —dwarves really are amazing.”

“Hmm? I’ve seen one before several times.”

Ianna stiffened up when she heard what he had said.

“You’ve seen a dragon before?”

“Yes.”

“But how? The dragon lives at the heart of the Lotso Mountains and never moves from its lair…… Have you been all the way there before?”

“What are you talking about? There is a dragon living in the Karankell Rocky Mountains as well.”

“There’s a dragon in one of the four corners?”

Ianna had never heard that there was a dragon other than the one in the Lotso Mountains even as a joke. Chendelf tilted his head to the side, puzzled.

“Do humans not know this? But then, how did you know there was one in the Lotso Mountains?”

“There used to be a lot of people who crossed over the Lotso Mountains because it’s located at the center of the world, and there was one traveler long ago who met the dragon and survived. That’s how we know.”

“Either they were incredibly lucky, or the dragon decided that they would be the one to serve as a warning, I see. Then again, there are no humans in the four corners, and the dragons have never once left their territories over the course of their long lives, so it makes sense that humans might not know about them. Actually, it might only be natural that no one knows about them unless they’re a member of the mythical races or at least friends with the mythical races.”

Ianna, who had sat down on the sofa after realizing that Chendelf’s story would take some time to tell, awaited his next words with great interest.

Chendelf took notice that his savior was greatly interested in the topic and decided to tell her everything he knew. He cleared his throat a few times and straightened out his husky voice.

“There is one great dragon living in each of the four corners —in addition to the one in the Lotso Mountains. The dragon who rules the Karankell Rocky Mountains, where we dwarves live, is Lord Gamadaian, the Earth Dragon; Lord Millanikonè, the Forest Dragon, rules the Great Forest of Shaob; Lord Frillianu, the Ice Dragon, rules the Himalapè Ice Fields; Lord Terranodin, the Fire Dragon, rules the Girohai Desert; and the dragon who lives in the Lotso Mountains is their leader, Lord Kandemayon, the Chaos Dragon.”

Chendelf listed the dragons’ complicated names one after another. Who would have figured that dragons had names? Ianna was surprised to learn that there were not only four more examples of the unique and legendary creature, but that each dragon even had their own names.

“Interesting. We humans had thought that there was only one dragon in the world —to think that there actually were four more in each of the four corners.”

“That’s probably because no human has ever made their way all the way into the deepest depths of the four corners and lived to tell the tale. The dragons make their lairs at the heart of each of the four corners, and the spartoi take care of anything that gets too close.”

“The spartoi?”

“Powerful warriors born from the dragons’ sharp teeth. The spartoi are cold-hearted and rational, and they guard the dragons’ lairs. They’re stronger than most large monsters because they receive their powers directly from the dragons. There’s also one in each of the dwarven villages scattered across the Karankell Rocky Mountains to guard us.”

It would cause chaos for the entire region if this fact ever came to light. Groups of humans would disturb the quiet and peaceful four corners, just like how they explored the Lotso Mountains, and the mythical races who lived there would suffer casualties.

“It would be best if you never repeated what you just told me outside of the four corners.”

“Hmmm? Why not?”

“Humans are greedy. They might start exploring the four corners……whether it be for goods to sell, power, or knowledge.”

Chendelf frowned heavily.

“Well, I’m sure I won’t even get the chance to since I won’t be associating with any humans other than you or Mursi.”

Ianna pressed Chendelf to continue his story once he had agreed.

“Please tell me more. What did you mean by ‘Earth Dragon’ or ‘Forest Dragon’?”

“It’s the best way to describe them. Lord Millanikonè is mild-tempered, verdant in color, and is said to love the forest.”

Ianna got the idea. The titles allowed her to guess the four dragons’ temperament and the color of their scales. But then, what did it mean that Kandemayon was called the ‘Chaos Dragon’?

“Hmmm. We don’t know much about Lord Kandemayon either. All we really know is that he’s called the Chaos Dragon.”

Ianna repeated Kandemayon’s name in her mind. Kandemayon, the dragon residing in the Lotso Mountains, had given humans a warning.

“All ye who seek the gods’ secrets will die in the fires of hell.”

Did the other dragons living in the four corners also guard the secrets of the gods?

Ianna tapped against the sofa with her fingers. She had never once forgotten the second thing she needed to accomplish in her current life. She needed to learn what her relationship with Roberstein was, discover everything there was to know about her body, and make it all her own.

She could not tolerate the fact that her past life may have been influenced by something she hadn’t known about. She needed to know everything there was to know about herself, and she needed to be in control.

Which was why she was searching for clues about the gods. She would not yield even if others found out what she was doing and called her crazy, and she needed to know even if it meant shaving away at her own life.

‘Then I’ll have to meet the dragons too.’

Ianna raised her head and looked to Chendelf. He was breathing quietly so he would not disturb her deep rumination. Ianna smiled to express her apology.

“There was something I needed to think about. But anyway, is it easy to meet the dragons in the four corners?”

“No, it’s not. I was only able to meet Lord Gamadaian because I’m pretty skilled even among the dwarves.”

Chendelf puffed out his chest as he praised himself. He might have been a little arrogant according to some, but Ianna simply nodded in acknowledgement. She didn’t know what the dwarves considered average in terms of skill, but even Ianna, who was not knowledgeable in the arts, could see the artistic beauty in the carvings he had made strewn about the room and the dragon he was painstakingly carving even now.

“Lord Gamadaian is deeply interested in beautiful works of art or finely crafted weapons, and I’ve met him twice as a representative of the dwarves to offer him the masterpieces we made for him.”

Chendelf carefully fiddled with the dragon he was making and continued,

“We normally can’t enter Lord Gamadain’s lair unless he calls for us. We leave to bring him offerings in great haste whenever he does.”

“You pay tribute to the dragon?”

“It’s not a tribute, but a gift of gratitude. It’s thanks to him that we’ve been safe from ferocious monsters or greedy humans for generations…….”

Chendelf trailed off. He quickly returned to the topic at hand.

“And dragons sleep often and for long periods of time. Lord Gamadaian was asleep for nearly a decade and has only awoken recently. We only see him once every ten or twenty years.”

“A decade……you say?”

“The dragons were with the God Laos when he created all life. They’ve been alive for millennia, so it’s nothing for them to sleep for a mere decade. We call it their periods of slumber.”

“I feel like I might lose my sense of time.”

“Right?”

According to what Chendelf had said, it would be a while before Ianna had a chance to meet the dragons. Their slumber was one thing, but would the dragons really allow a human to approach them? She would be lucky if they didn’t simply kill her for trespassing. She might even have to fight the spartoi in the worst-case scenario, and she could not say with confidence that she could fight the dragon-powered spartoi and win with her current level of skill.

Ianna had been taken to the idea of meeting a dragon, but she quickly abandoned the thought. She decided to forget about the dragons until she was strong enough to face them. And, in any case, she hadn’t come to Chendelf’s room to talk about the dragons.

“I know this might be rude, but there was something I wanted to ask you.”

“What is it? This is all I know about the dragons. I don’t know much about them either.”

“That’s not it. I’m good about the dragons. They’re not what I wanted to ask about…….”

Ianna had not forgotten the reason why she had rescued Chendelf. She continued,

“Could you please tell me how you were captured by the Black Fox and what they said and did to you? I need to know more about them.”

Ianna had not been able to ask previously because Chendelf had been extremely anxious and sensitive about the topic, but he had gotten his hands back now. It might be difficult, but she figured that he would now be able to tell his savior who had given his hands back to him about how he had suffered.

And, just as Ianna had expected, Chendelf opened his mouth to speak after a moment of silence.

“Alright. There’s isn’t anything I wouldn’t tell you.”

Chendelf stroked his beard as he recalled his dreadful past.

Part 3

At the dawn of the Age of Magic, humans and the mythical races had joined together to clear away the monsters that swarmed the land. But the humans, newly freed from the constant threat of death that the monsters had presented, had turned their gazes elsewhere and began to grow greedy.

Which was why the dwarves had left the plentiful lands at the center of the continent. They laid down their roots in the Karankell Rocky Mountains, the furthest reaches of the South, and left behind the chaotic Central region without a shred of lingering regret.

The Karankell Rocky Mountains, with its immeasurable variety of ores and precious stones and yet-to-be identified mountains of precious metals, were like a sacred paradise to the dwarves. Under the Earth Dragon Gamadaian’s protection, the dwarves obeyed their instincts and made anything their hands could possibly create —whether it be weapons, shields, armor, statues, or other works of art.

Dwarves characteristically went crazy when they saw good-quality metals, but Chendelf took this to an extreme. He had been infamous for growing fanatically covetous whenever he found good-quality materials and would do anything in his power to make it his.

But he was also famous for neglecting to even eat or drink as he hammered away at his creations until he was convinced they were perfect, as well as for his outstanding dexterity and sense for making things. Chendelf, who took great pride in his creations and loved them dearly, was one of the best craftsmen even among the dwarves.

The dwarves went out to search for new ore veins once every two months under the protection of the spartoi. They were impassioned by the natural scenery and put their emotions into their creations when they returned to the village.

Chendelf, however, had not been satisfied by these infrequent excursions. He was more passionate and temperamental than his younger peers despite his old age and would leave his village alone to scavenge the Karankell Rocky Mountains as soon as he had completed his latest piece.

He had good senses and a good intuition for fleeing, so he was able to run away whenever he noticed any monsters approaching. But the Karankell Rocky Mountains were not so lenient a place that a lone dwarf’s excursions could last forever. Chendelf had returned home seriously wounded more than a couple of times, and all his friends had tried to stop him from leaving. And yet, Chenderlf never stopped, despite being fully aware of the danger, because each trip gave him valuable knowledge that he could incorporate into his next piece.

There was something about Chendelf’s works that moved his friends’ hearts, and they eventually stopped trying to hold him back when they realized that it was his reckless behavior that made his creations possible. But they never joined him in his excursions.

Dwarven villages were always noisy with the clanging of metal and the mining of rock. Monsters occasionally made their way to the villages, but there was a spartoi stationed in each village that slew the monsters in one blow, so the dwarves were able to live in peace. They were also safe from the occasional human who showed up with ill intentions.

It was only natural that the dwarves would find themselves short of food and other daily necessities if they lived their lives while holed up in the infertile mountains, so they had always traded with the smallest number of humans they could afford since ages past. But their repulsion of humanity was entrenched deep inside their very bones, and they always regarded the humans with caution and fear.

Dwarven history stated that humans were greedy and that there was no end to their desires. It was only natural that dwarves were instinctively wary of humans —not only were they taught about human greed since they were young, but the few humans they happened across either coveted their weapons or tried to kidnap them.

But Chendelf was different. He had a friend named Hanidelf who followed around a human named Maimayè, the Archmage of Fire. Hanidelf had claimed that not all humans were bad, that there were more fun and interesting humans than there were bad ones, and had sent many letters that defended humanity —and the fondness in Hanidelf’s letters had slowly changed Chendelf’s opinion about them as well.

Moreover, Chendelf was always impressed by the human merchandise the Jabellon traders always brought over and by the human-made gifts that Hanidelf frequently sent him. Humans were not as deft as were dwarves, but Chendelf thought that there was something miraculous about the ideas they came up with. Necessity and greed invited creation. Humanity’s greed had brought their civilization to new heights. And so, Chendelf had grown very interested and fond of humans.

And then, one day, he had chanced upon a human. Chendelf regarded that day as the day the gods abandoned him.

As usual, Chendelf had been scavenging outside again. And he had come across a group of humans because he had failed to perceive them, as they were not monsters.

“N-no way, is that a dwarf?”

The humans had been shocked. Chendelf had been stunned for a moment, but he had carefully greeted out of goodwill.

“Ah, ahem. Hello, humans.”

“Hey, grab him!”

The ruffians, who had been searching for rare monsters from the four corners to sell off at auctions, had reached out their greedy hands as soon as they saw a member of the elusive mythical races. They did not stop at just curiosity and interest.

“Ack!”

Chendelf was terrified when the humans began rushing him with scary looks on their faces and had promptly tried to flee. But anyone who braved the for corners, which was sometimes called the lands of death, were either those who were confident in their skills or those who could prove that their skills weren’t just for show.

The group Chendelf encountered belonged to the latter. Chendelf had tripped over the traps they had brought to hunt monsters with and had fallen over. He had struggled against them, but was only met with violence in return. He passed out, and he found himself in a dark, square, and dusty room when he next awoke.

He had been chained tight against a pillar. He had been gagged with a coarse piece of cloth. His hands had been tied behind him so he couldn’t move, and his legs had been shackled. And the humans were in heated conversation before him.

“So like I said —we should just keep him with us and sell off whatever he makes, yeah?”

“Are you out of your mind? Don’t you know how valuable dwarven weapons are? They even say that the royal families across the world know exactly how many pieces of dwarven-made craft the nobility own. We’d be tracked down immediately if we started selling the stuff he makes.”

“But we’d get so rich.”

“You assholes. Think about the present. That’s a goose that lays golden eggs we’ve got here. I want to keep him as much as the next guy, but we won’t be able to handle him. What if the nobles send their armies after us?”

“But then what? Should we contact the royal family? The king might pay us the dwarf’s weight in gold if he’s happy with us.”

“Don’t trust the king or the nobles. Wouldn’t they only pay us enough to keep up appearances? Let’s just sell the dwarf off in the black market for a ton of money and forget about him. That’s the easiest way to get things done.”

They had been enticed by saccharine dreams. They could make the most profit by confining the dwarf and forcing him to make things, but it was only a few select high-ranking members of the nobility who would be able to afford them. And it was likely that they could be blindsided and killed off quietly if they weren’t careful.

“Uraaaagh!”

Their gazes had turned to Chendelf’s muffled scream. Chendelf had struggled desperately even as he ignored the pain from his flesh rending apart. He had glared at them with reddened eyes as the veins popped out of his temple. One human had walked up to him and had removed his gag.

 “Release me! Return me to the Karankell Rocky Mountains at once!”

The humans had laughed at him.

“The hell’s he talking about? Dwarves might be good with their hands, but I guess you’re actually pretty stupid? You’re our precious source of money now. Got it, oh high and mighty dwarf?”

One human smacked Chendelf on the head and shoved him.

“Y-you! Are you humans not afraid of divine punishment?! Do you think you’ll be able to live peaceful lives after doing something as evil as this?!”

“Wow, well aren’t you naïve? Is it because you live far out in the four corners? You don’t seem to understand how the world works. And what punishment from what god? God would already be punishing us if he really existed. Snicker. All you need to do is stay quiet and earn us a good bit of money.”

Chendelf had yelled back as tears had fallen from his eyes.

“You damned humans! Do you really think I’d really give up my creations to trash like you?! You scum are no better than animals! I won’t make you anything even if you kill me!”

Whatever goodwill Chendelf had for humanity in his heart had turned into hatred and seething rage. It burned his heart and left behind scars in its wake.

Chendelf poured out his love to his each and every creation. He pitied the works he had sold to humans through the Jabellon Company so badly he thought he would go insane. It drove him mad to think that such disgusting humans were tainting his beloved creations.

“Heard that? There goes our plan of forcing the dwarf to make stuff for us.”

“Let’s just sell him.”

Eventually, the humans sold him to the Black Fox, who were infamous even among other slave traders. The fact that the Black Fox bought valuable slaves at high prices were well-known among those who worked in the trafficking business.

But mere hunters were not enough to properly handle a dwarf. It was said that powerful people of influence always kept a venomous snake in their hearts. That snake always hungered for the greedy and sank its fangs into them to devour them whole.

Chendelf had stared on blankly as the humans had been murdered by the Black Fox as soon as he was handed over to the latter. It was only then that he truly learned how evil humanity was. As history had repeated time and time again, humans were greedy, self-centered, and cruel. His ancestors had been wise to avoid them and hide themselves away in the Karankell Rocky Mountains, and he had been a fool for thinking fondly of humans.

Chendelf had not been sold off as a slave. He had been moved around from place to place —he was dragged, and carried, and thrown around— with his eyes blindfolded. When his blindfold was finally taken off, Chendelf had found himself in a hair-raising underground cell that was lit by only the light of two torches. He had still been bound in chains when he met a fat man who looked like a high-ranking member of the Black Fox.

“A dwarf. What a lucky day! Hehe. Isn’t this the best?”

The man had grabbed his bulging stomach and roared with laughed as soon as he walked inside. Chendelf had glared up at him. The man had stopped laughing as he lips twisted.

“What’s this —are you mad? I guess you would be. I bet you’re mad at yourself for being so stupid. I heard that you were captured near the entrance to the Karankell Rocky Mountains like a fool? What was a dwarf like you doing all the way out there? Tut tut.”

Stupid. So stupid. The human had sneered at Chendelf.

“……Human. Are you after my creations too? But it’s no use. I will make nothing for you humans. Return me to Karankell. If you do, then the heavens will not punish you.”

Chendelf had not given up hoping that he could return to him homeland yet. He had believed that there was no way that God would fail to deliver him from the cruel humans.

“What are you talking about? I’m not interested in your creations. We have enough dwarven weapons back in the empire. There’s another reason why I’ve brought you here. I’ll let you leave nice and easy so long as you answer me this.”

Chendelf had glared fiercely at the man. The man looked villainous, but he hadn’t lied. Would he really let Chendelf go back home?

A small seed of hope had budded in Chendelf’s heart.

“Where is the key to Pandemonium and the large fragment of the Demon that you dwarves are said to protect?”

Why was the man asking him about things that could only be found in the first chapter of the Holy Book? Chendelf frowned.

“What? Are you mocking me right now?”

“This isn’t a joke.”

Chendelf had been bewildered when the man shrugged.

“Are you just pretending not to know, or do you really not know? The relics of the Holy Age are supposed to be in the four corners.”

Chendelf’s face had stiffed up just then. He didn’t know anything about a key to Pandemonium or a large fragment of the Demon, but he knew that there was ‘something’ in the Karankell Rocky Mountains that the dwarves regarded as sacred and had taken care of for generations.

The dwarves’ cemetery was located in the mountains of Karankell. The ‘relic of the gods’ was located at the very heart of the cemetery, and it was a priceless treasure that the dwarves revered and valued more than even their hands or lives. Chendelf was of no exception and loved the relic as well.

Chendelf, who, as a dwarf, could tell no lies, had paled, and the man had licked his lips with a wiggling tongue upon witnessing the change in the dwarf’s behavior.

“So you do know?”

“N-no I don’t! I don’t know anything!”

Chendelf had refused to tell the man even if it would mean his death. What would happen if the humans learned about the treasure? They were being so cruel to a mere dwarf like him, but the treasure was a relic of the gods. Chendelf could not even begin to imagine what the humans would do to get their hands on it.

His heart thumped furiously. The treasure was every dwarf’s final goal and was also practically the basis of their race’s existence —Chendelf’s entire race could be affected if he told this greedy human about it……. A chill had run down his back.

“Oh yeah? Then I’ll make it so that you’re begging me to let you tell me what I want to know.”

Chendelf had been tortured horrendously after that. He had been whipped all over his body, and his flesh had been fried by hot iron. He had experienced all sorts of torture devices one at a time.

Dwarves naturally had good recuperative abilities, but Chendelf’s mind could not withstand the torture after about two months of it and his mind had slowly started slipping away from him.

Chendelf had been convinced that it would be better to die than to disclose anything about the treasure. Which was why he had tried to bite his tongue and kill himself several times over, but he had been stopped at every attempt. The Black Fox had tried to turn him into a puppet by marking him with the seal of imprisonment, but the seal had bounced off of him for some reason before it even touched him.

The man had looked down at Chendelf, who was thoroughly covered in wounds and sitting in a blank daze, in exasperation.

“Tenacious, aren’t you? Not going to talk? It’s obvious that you know something……. Hmmm.”

Then, as if it was nothing, the man continued,

“Then what about your hands? I’m thinking off starting by ripping off your fingernails one by one —what do you think?”

Chendelf had glared at the man and spat in his face when the latter threatened him. A thick wad of spit stuck to the man’s face.

“Why you little…….”

Fury had erupted in the man’s eyes. The cruel things that had been done to Chendelf’s hands afterward had ripped off pieces of his heart little by little. His fingernails were ripped off —one, two, three……until he had none left. Then, when he still refused to talk, his fingers had been chopped off one after another.

Chendelf had screamed and wailed as he watched his fingers, his treasures, be painfully chopped off day after day.

His fingers were not simply a part of his body. They were his everything. That which had been cut away were his pride, his livelihood, his hopes, his dreams, his future —his very life itself.

His hands had been next once all his fingers had been chopped off. Chendelf had not been able to commit suicide even though he so badly wanted to, and so he had instead wished he could go insane.

Chendelf had tried to commit suicide at every chance he got, but he changed his mind after recalling the relic of the gods in his home.

The cemetery where the relic rested was like the arms of a mother that helped lay the dwarves to rest in peace. Chendelf had lost his hands, and he felt as though he would never be able to rest if he died in these horrid lands where the humans who had taken his hands from him lived. His soul would roam the world eternally.

He needed to return to the cemetery in Karankell, to God’s warm embrace. It was only then that he would be able to forget his grief and leave this living hell as if he was simply falling asleep.

Chendelf had erupted in screams when the man had put his hands, bereft of all his fingers, beneath the steel blade at his wrists and had threatened him one last time. Go ahead, cut them off! Hurry up and cut them off! May you fall to hell and never find salvation in all eternity!

And soon afterward, his hands had been cut off.

Chendelf had laughed like he had truly gone insane. Tears had poured out from his eyes as he laughed. His mind had slipped away from him. The man clicked his tongue and ordered his subordinates to treat Chendelf’s wounds so he could be sold off as a rarity at the slave auctions.

‘I’m finally free. All I need to do now is die.’

Chendelf’s body had been in tatters. His body had eventually healed because dwarves had amazing regenerative abilities, but his severed hands would never grow back.

Chendelf had tried his best not to look at his hands as he sprawled out on the cold floor of the basement cell. He had done his best not to even think of his hands and had focused only on Karankell. He felt like he would truly go insane if he allowed himself to think about his hands even for a little bit. He absolutely despised the humans, he regretted the reckless and careless actions he had taken, and he had felt depraved, as though hundreds of bugs were crawling over him. All of this had pushed him closer off the edge of madness.

Then, humans had been dragged into his cell. They had cried tears of despair as fellow humans dragged them inside. Those who sobbed audibly had been returned with swearing and violence.

The rage and hatred welling up from the victims, their thirst for vengeance and their desire to cling to life —all those negative emotions. Chendelf had stared down at them from his corner. Greedy humans were cruel even to their own kind.

The bastards were raising demons inside their hearts. The demons devoured their greed and grew only bigger. The Demon……was surely human nature, and not its own being.

And then, Chendelf had met Ianna.

“And that’s it.”

Chendelf looked to Ianna with subdued eyes once he had finished his story. Ianna opened her mouth and said,

“Thank you for taking the trouble to tell me.”

That was all Ianna could say to him. She did not apologize for being human like the people who had tortured him. Apologies were said by those who regretted their actions. There was no reason why she should apologize for what those pieces of trash had done. She continued,

“Humans will deal with human trash. Please let yourself rest when you return to Karankell.”

But she still felt hatred toward the trash.

“Do you…….”

Ianna’s red eyes fixed on Chendelf, and Chendelf felt a strange sense of bloodlust coming from them.

“Do you desire the fat man’s head? If you’d like, I’ll have him beheaded and send it down to the Karankell Rocky Mountains for you.”

Chendelf shook his head when he heard her frigid, hair-raising offer.

“No. There’s no need for you to do that for me……. I will lay down my grudge and cut off all contact with humans. I don’t want anything to do with humans anymore, whether it be out of goodwill or for revenge.”

“Is that so?”

“But you, Ianna……you, I will never forget.”

Chendelf’s hands trembled as he grasped Ianna’s. Ianna smiled back as she quietly meditated on his story. She had originally thought that the Black Fox was after the mythical races for money, but she had never in her wildest dreams thought that they would be after relics from the Holy Age that were referenced in the Holy Book.

“What are the key of Pandemonium and the large fragment of the Demon that they’re after?”

“I don’t know either. All I know is that they’re mentioned in the Holy Book.”

“Then, is it all right if I ask what the dwarves’ treasure is?”

Ianna’s eyes sparkled. She was more interested in the relic of the Holy Age that he had mentioned than she was in incomprehensible terms.

Chendelf hesitated for a moment before he nodded.

“I don’t know much about it myself. It’s just a sharp shard of silver-white metal stuck in the middle of the dwarven cemetery.”

“A shard of metal?”

“It’s probably not just any ordinary shard of metal. Every time I see it…….”

Chendelf had a mixed look on his face as he reminisced about his distant home. He continued,

“My heart hurts and I feel like I’m about to cry. But I also feel extremely comfortable. No matter how angry I am, all my anger evaporates as soon as I look at it. It makes me want to stay near it forever. And it’s not just me —all dwarves feel this way.”

This was the main reason why his ancestors had created the cemetery, where generations of dwarves would lie down to rest, around it. It was every dwarf’s lifelong goal to sleep beside the treasure with their life’s masterpieces. It was their greatest treasure, which gave them peace, as if they were being embraced in God’s arms when they died, and it let them smile blissfully in their final moments.

“I don’t know why. But we dwarves sincerely believe that we can forget all our sorrows as long as we are near it. This is why I wanted to go back to Karankell so badly. Why I held on without killing myself. I would have never been able to rest for all eternity if I died in the world of man, but I thought that I could forget both the fact that I’d lost my hands and the hell I’ve been through if I died there…….”

Ianna was intrigued by this shard of metal. The way Chendelf had described it was similar to how Priest Pianca had once described the gravestone, the greatest treasure of the Faith of Laos, in theology class.

But it’d be difficult for Ianna to see the gravestone in person, since the Church of Laos guarded it with zeal.

“Would it be possible for me to enter the dwarves’ cemetery?”

“You?”

Chendelf looked puzzled. He continued,

“I have full faith in you, but I don’t know if the others will too. Dwarves fundamentally dislike humans……. And the cemetery is where we rest with our life’s greatest masterpieces —it’s a sacred place for dwarves, but a field of treasures for humans.”

“As I’ve repeated multiple times —I have no interest in dwarven craft.”

Chendelf, who had been mumbling to himself, waved his hands around in alarm.

“I know that you’d never to anything untoward, but I don’t know if the others will agree……. But why do you want to visit the cemetery?”

Ianna fell into thought. She considered telling Chendelf about the god’s soul and divine power lurking within her body, but she had no way of telling how a member of the mythical races, who’s thought processes were different to that of humans, would react.

“I want to see the relic of the gods with my own eyes. I won’t touch anything. Could you please help arrange things so I can?”

Ianna was vague in her reply, but Chendelf realized that she must have her own circumstances and did not ask any further. And so, he nodded and accepted the only request that Ianna had asked of him.

“All right. I will try my best to make it so that you’re allowed to enter. You’re my savior, and I’m sure the others won’t object too strongly if you’re accompanied by the spartoi and other dwarven warriors.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing. Not at all. I’m glad that I could help you in any way.”

Ianna, who had bowed in gratitude, fell silent again. She was lost in thought as she rested her chin against the back of her hand. Chendelf grinned. She sure thought a lot.

“…….”

Chendelf looked down at stared at his new hands, which were identical to his old ones that had been chopped off. It had been a dreadful trial, but his hands had been returned to him as if nothing had happened to them in the first place.

He looked back up and stared at Ianna with a deep look in his eyes.

He had been discouraged, and he had despaired. But he had regained his hope after meeting this girl, and he had cried tears of joy.

Losing his everything and gaining it back again had left a deep impact on his soul. He had been hit with such frightful yet magnificent inspiration during that mysterious moment when his severed hands had gone against divine providence and returned to him.

Chendelf, who had burst into tears when his hands had reformed, had looked to the young human who had given his hands back to him, who had kept her seemingly impossible promise and had returned his everything to him, with a fever in his eyes.

He would make this human a sword.

His soul was shaken violently by the greatest desire to create that he had ever known. Chendelf’s hands shivered as he looked to Ianna.

He could forge the finest sword there ever was if it was for this young swordswoman. He was certain of this.

And so, Chendelf thought. That, surely, the cruel trials he had endured had all been for the sake of meeting Ianna.

And he believed. That, surely, all of this had been his destiny.

~~*~~

Part 4

The caravan took off a few days later. It was a long journey from the Central regions of the continent to the South, so the caravan brought many horses and wagons with them. The guards and mercenaries hired by the caravan talked idly amongst themselves as they walked alongside the clattering wagon wheels.

There were also a couple of wagons carrying people, not goods, at the center of the caravan, and Mursi, Finn, and Chendelf were riding on one such wagon. Chendelf had boarded the wagon quickly at the crack of dawn while the moon was still visible to avoid people’s eyes, and he didn’t leave the wagon even during mealtimes.

Mursi had offered to let Ianna ride with them, but Ianna had turned him down. She did not want to be treated any different from his other employees when she was being paid to do the same job as them. Besides, Arhad was also there.

Arhad had said hello to her first, while looking a tad thrilled, as soon as they had set off, and Ianna had politely returned his greeting. And then, she had naturally found herself walking with him.

She was still walking next to him and chatting idly about life at the Institution even now. They talked about frivolous things like how the dorms were or which professors were good at teaching.

Ianna stole a glance at Arhad. It was new to her, to be walking side-by-side with him like this. She had never once granted Arhad the chance to stand by her side. She had always only felt inferior and defeated before him and had always wanted only to beat him, and so, she had always only ever been cruel to him.

‘But why is he so nervous?’

He was talking smoothly, but Ianna could see that the muscles in his jaw were somewhat tense. Ianna entertained herself at the hilarious thought that, if he was already so nervous when she hadn’t done anything yet, then the Arhad of the past might have pinched himself to check if he was dreaming had he been here instead.

Ianna stared openly at Arhad. The man reflected in her eyes was the very man who would be her liege in this life. She had only ever treated him irrational hostility. This was the first time she had looked at his face with such peace in her heart.

She studied his looks. Had people really said that the four guys she had castrated before were attractive? That was ridiculous. Comparing them to Arhad was like comparing fireflies to the sun.

He had distinct features and deep eyes, every line of his face was sharp and prominent, and he was very virile in his handsomeness.

Moreover, his shadowed golden eyes were different from the rest in that they glowed strangely. It was difficult to remain composed under his gaze. They made him somewhat difficult to approach, but they also carried an attraction to them that made it impossible to stop once you were drawn into their pull.

And the light of his eyes took on a denser color as he desired her. The firm look in his eyes softened and he tried to coax her with fondness overflowing from his eyes. Which was why his persistent desire for her talent had incited rumors that Arhad Ro Ralzo Bahamut had been ardently trying to woo Ianna Roberstein.

It was because Ianna had firmly resolved to see him as her liege in this life that she felt content whenever he looked at her even though she had only been displeased with the light in his eyes in the past. Who wouldn’t be happy to know that the person who was to be their master was so eager to have them?

‘In any event, he certainly is good-looking enough to be popular.’

Ianna felt as though she could understand why the other girls always yelped around like they were having so much fun when they saw him. Ianna nodded in her satisfaction. Having a liege who was remarkable in multiple aspects made serving him all the more worthwhile.

He was remarkable, but his surroundings were still fraught with danger and he hadn’t completely obtained everything quite yet. Arhad was someone who could grant his subordinates the highest honor of serving an emperor —he was the best liege any retainer could ask for.

“…….”

Arhad, who was receiving the full brunt of Ianna’s attention, had stopped talking at one point and was frozen stiff. A beast under her gaze would have bristled up in fear that it was about to become prey —that was how stubborn her gaze was. He was nervous because he could not fathom why she was staring at his face with a gaze that could have bored holes through his head.

He let her be for a while because he didn’t know what else to do, but he eventually caved and spoke up when he realized that she might not stop.

“Is there something on my face……?”

“Oh.”

Ianna turned away and faced forward when she realized she was being rude.

“I was just thinking about how you’re just as attractive as the rumors say you are. And it’s also strange that you’re walking next to me like this as if you were never avoiding me.”

Ianna replied while feigning ignorance. Technically, it wasn’t a lie. She was the one who had avoided Arhad for decades in their past lives, but Arhad was the one who had avoided her in this one. But what could she do about the fact that the past was but a dream that only she remembered?

Ianna took out some jerky from the pouch at her waist and munched on it.

“Pft.”

Ianna had scowled when the jerky was tougher than she had expected, and Arhad, who had been watching her, chuckled in good cheer. He smiled like he was having fun.

Ianna stopped chewing on her jerky for a moment. His smile was so similar to the one he had shown her just a few days ago. After that first smile she had seen when he had first crossed blades with her when she was nineteen, the expressions on his face had only been colored with misery, obstinacy, and obsession as the seasons passed. Eventually, his lips had hardened and he had only looked enraged or like he was about to cry whenever he looked at her. And the look he had worn when he had ultimately stabbed her in the heart was one of bloodlust born only of resignation.

Which was why Ianna was always taken aback to see Arhad smiling.

“Shall I be honest about why I was avoiding you?”

Ianna’s eyes snapped back up to him when she heard his quiet offer. Her gaze was filled with her fierce demand that he told her.

“I kept from telling you because I was embarrassed, but, now that things have come to this, I think it’d be for the best that I come clean and undo any misunderstandings that I may have caused. I avoided you because I was scared of you, Little Ianna.”

“……What?”

Arhad laughed quietly at her bafflement.

“According to the rumors……I would’ve been done for if I got on your bad side.”

Ianna was speechless.

Even Ianna was aware that she was single-minded to a fault. She would immediately cast something aside if she decided she didn’t like it, and she would mercilessly and obstinately stick to her decisions forever once she had made up her mind. That was exactly what had happened with Arhad.

Ianna fell into thought. She had lived her life up until now while considering everything to be a fresh start. She even thought that she had become a bit more lenient than she used to be as of late. Besides, she hadn’t done anything that should have warranted such rumors, so where had they come from?

“Which rumors are you referring to?”

“The rumors about your incident with Elily Shamar, or the time you maimed the four playboys, or about your match against Travis Bendham. I heard that he applied for a leave of absence after the competition.”

“…….”

Ianna had thought that she hadn’t done anything to warrant his concerns, but her actions evidently spoke for themselves. She rubbed at her head as she felt a headache form.

“I don’t hate people without good reason. Everything you listed just now did happen in fact, but I always had a reason for reacting as violently as I did, and with Travis Bendham, I was…….”

“I know. No one who takes pride in their swordsmanship can stomach any insults directed at their sword. All the targets of your indignation were people who questioned your sincerity for your sword.”

Even Ianna knew that there were rumors spreading around the Institution about how she was about as emotional as rock because she normally did not let them show, so there was no reason why Arhad would not have heard of them. Arhad must have been on guard because every time she had let her agitation show had something to do with her sword. He continued,

“I saw your swordplay for the first time at the swordsmanship competition, Little Ianna. I was astonished by your outstanding skill, and I wanted to get to know you better. But then I realized that I needed to be careful about what I say and how I act around you after seeing what happened to Little Travis.”

To think that the first time Arhad had seen her was during the swordsmanship competition when she had been ruthlessly hacking away at Travis…….

“So I was quite frightened when you asked me to spar with you as soon as we met. I was nervous because I didn’t know how you’d react after we were done.”

“…….”

“I excused myself by saying that I didn’t want to disappoint you with my lack of skill, but I’m the top student among the fourth-years, and I take pride in my skills. I was afraid that you might hate me, Little Ianna……if I beat you.”

Ianna munched away at her jerky without a word.

“That being said, it wasn’t as if I could fight you half-heartedly and just let you win. That’s why I avoided you. I truly like you, Little Ianna, and I want to be friends with you, but I was worried I might mess up and create a wall between us right from the start of our relationship.”

Was this why he had avoided sparring with her and had always run from her like a dog with its tail tucked between its legs?

“But I’ve decided to be more confident in myself now. After all, your first impression of me didn’t seem too bad, Little Ianna.”

Ianna crammed another piece of jerky in her mouth. She was embarrassed about how open her childish feelings for the sword were.

Cautiously, Arhad asked,

“Have I hurt your feelings for thinking this way?”

“No. You saw through my personality and understood it clearly. I can see why you were worried, Sir.”

“Then…….”

“Indeed. If you had defeated me, I would have chased you around until I finally won. I might have even drawn my sword against you every time we met.”

“…….”

Ianna swallowed the jerky in her mouth and rinsed it down with water. Arhad didn’t reply, but Ianna didn’t think his silence was meaningful and drank her refreshingly cold water before returning her canteen to her waist.

“But, even if I chased you around, it wouldn’t have been in hostility. Who else could I blame but myself for having lost? If I lost, it would have been because of my own lack of skill.”

Arhad, who had been wearing a solemn look on his face, suddenly turned to Ianna and stared piercingly at her, but Ianna simply kept her eyes forward.

Why had she been hostile to Arhad, unable to acknowledge her own lack of skill, in the past? It was because her circumstances at the time had driven her to act that way.

She had been at the peak for her madness for the sword back then. Ianna had been scorned by everyone regardless of rank at the time, and she had only been treated with contempt after debuting in high society.

She was beautiful, but not as beautiful as the dignified Lilith Tarwitt, the flower of the kingdom. Nor did she have any other talents by which she could earn everyone’s acknowledgment. Ianna had only had her sword back then.

The day that she had faced Arhad at the swordsmanship tournament had been both the first day she had ever competed against others and the first day she had ever been acknowledged.

And yet, she had suffered her first appalling defeat at Arhad’s hands and had been forced to her knees. Everything had hurt, her entire body and her mind, like she was a hatchling who had finally managed to break out of her shell with great effort only to be kicked by an eagle’s talons as soon as she was free.

He was her first enemy who had defeated her. The man who had broken her as if he had been toying with her entire being.

She had painted him as her enemy like a chick imprinting on its mother.

‘I was in a bad situation.’

She would not be overcome by animosity or a sense of inferiority just because she lost anymore. After all, she had cleanly conceded her defeat as she died. And, in her last life, Arhad had been Ianna’s rival and her enemy, but in this one, while he was still her rival……he would also one day be her liege.

“I would not mind losing to you, Sir Arhad.”

Arhad stiffened up.

“……Why is that?”

“Who could say?”

Ianna answered ambiguously. She could not tell him the reason. She could not tell him, “Because I was born again, I’ve lost to you so many times in my past life, and I’ve already conceded my complete defeat.”

There was no way she could say that. Being treated as insane would be the least of her worries if she did. Ianna continued,

“I have this feeling that you’re incredibly strong. It’s true that I’m competitive, but I wouldn’t do something as childish as suddenly start hating you just because I lost.”

She made up an equivocal answer on the spot.

“Haha.”

Arhad laughed himself silly as he placed his hand on his forehead.

“Why are you laughing?”

“……Just because. I felt stupid for worrying so much, and you answer was completely beyond my expectations. I’m actually at quite a loss right now. But in any case, I’m relieved.”

Ianna was puzzled, but she saw an opportunity in Arhad’s cheer and brought up her longstanding request once more.

“Then, will you please spar with me sometime?”

Even she agreed that she was being stubborn in her request.

But Ianna loved the sword. Before she had met Arhad, she had found joy just by wielding her sword. But she had learned that training alone, while still fun, wasn’t exciting enough.

Ianna had fought the man standing before her for an entire lifetime, and she already knew of and was familiar with the hair-raising chill she felt whenever she crossed blades with him. She had already tasted it, and only Arhad could satisfy her appetite now.

Hadn’t she felt this keenly during the swordsmanship competition? It was obvious to her that she would be left frustrated forever if she had to keep holding herself back when there was an opponent whom she could fight with her whole heart and soul right there.

And besides, she wanted to beat him at least once since she was living a new life anyway. There was nothing she could do about this part of her nature.

“…….”

Arhad didn’t reply. He simple stared down at her with a completely unfathomable expression on his face.

‘Will he refuse again?’

He stared down at Ianna without a word as she nervously looked up to him for a while before he finally smiled faintly.

“As long as I won’t fall out of your favor, Little Ianna, then I’ll spar with you anytime.”

Arhad reached out. He placed his hand on top of Ianna’s head. And he tussled her hair. Ianna blinked.

~~*~~

Ianna was excited and she wanted to brandish her sword at once, but she decided to hold back while she was traveling with the caravan. She did not wish to make a spectacle of herself in front of the other mercenaries.

“Hand over everything you’ve got!”

She could not concentrate because of the situation at hand, which was sure to repeat itself several more times in the near future. It wasn’t that she couldn’t concentrate because she was afraid of getting attacked, but that she absolutely abhorred being interrupted by weaklings that could be cut apart with just one light swing from her sword while she was focusing on her training.

There were a lot of mountains on the continent. Mountain ranges, even those that weren’t offshoots of the vast Lotso Mountains that crossed the heart of the continent, emerged sporadically across the continent like fissures in the earth.

Soil, plants, animals, rocks, trees, minerals…… The mountains were repositories of all sorts of natural resources. They were also sturdy fortresses that stopped enemies from invading during times of war.

But not only were the mountains teeming with wild animals, obviously, but they were also swarming with ferocious and ruthless monsters. At the beginning of the Age of Magic, humanity had joined forces with the mythical races to drive them into the mountains, where the monsters supposedly originated from. This was why it was rare to see a monster in places that were mostly inhabited by men, but, to the contrary, it was also why the mountains were crawling with them. And more dangerous monsters lived in larger mountains.

Which was why the kingdom periodically exterminated them. If the kingdom was negligent in her extermination of monsters, the monsters would group together and descend into human villages to wreak havoc.

And yet, the monsters never vanished completely even if the kingdom was thorough in her efforts to exterminate them. Things quieted down immediately after each extermination expedition, but the monsters would begin appearing in hordes again as if they had never been culled to begin with after just a few seasons. This was why travelers were in the most danger when they journeyed through the mountains or through dense forests.

And, though rarer, there were also bandits in the mountains. A lot of starving citizens from kingdoms ruled by tyrants became bandits after struggling to eat, but only those with power survived in the mountains. The rest had essentially volunteered to become monster food.

The bandits settled down in areas were monsters didn’t appear as frequently and made a living by hunting monsters and selling their parts or by robbing travelers and charging them a toll to pass.

Most travelers saw the toll as a fee for clearing the area of monsters and paid it. Sometimes, bandits robbed travelers blind or captured and sold them into slavery, but that ran the risk of someone reporting their actions to the kingdom and having the army dispatched to subdue them, so the bandits generally stuck to charging tolls.

On some occasions, the bandits would attack a caravan that was accompanied by strong warriors and nearly get themselves slaughtered, but this was extremely rare because the bandits picked and chose their targets. And sometimes, even strong warriors could lose if too many bandits attacked them at once.

Roanne was a powerful militant nation that wiped out both monsters, naturally, and bandits whenever the kingdom caught wind of them, and Roanne warriors were always eager for the chance to show off their skills. But not all countries were like Roanne.

“If you don’t pay up, we’ll take all your stuff and feed you to the monsters!”

Travel had been smooth while they were still within Roanne, but they had run into a swarm of a few dozen or so bandits in the middle of the Momomba Mountains right at the border between the Kingdoms of Roanne and Menakosi. They had been wondering why there were so few monsters, but it was apparently because of the bandits.

Mursi had tried to pay the toll at first. But the fee that the bandits demanded had been ridiculous. So ridiculous, in fact, that they might as well have told the caravan to drop all their merchandise and leave.

The band of bandits were famous in the Momomba Mountains, and each of their members were warriors who were capable of controlling mana. They were overconfident in themselves because they had already robbed dozens of travelers of their belongings and had slain the monsters in the area with relative ease.

They had practically drooled at the sight of the merchandise the Paella Company owned. Caravans with only a few skilled warriors often transported luxury goods. The bandits had grown overconfident in the fact that their prey only consisted of a few skilled warriors and in the fact that they vastly outnumbered the caravan guard detail.

“Oho. Would you look at these chickens?”

“I was just starting to get bored.”

Benfomè and the other mercenaries cackled as they rolled out their necks. The bandits had picked the wrong opponent. Most of the mercenaries in the Paella Company’s caravan’s guard detail were silver-badged mercenaries, and they were all seasoned veterans when it came to fighting. Not only were they proficient at controlling mana, but they even had a skilled mage with them, so they would be difficult opponents for a band of bandits who were used to robbing travelers who travelled in smaller numbers.

Perhaps the caravan might have been in a tight spot numbers-wise if it was only guarded by silver-tagged mercenaries. But the mercenaries had Benfomè, one of the most skilled mercenaries in the continent, among their number. He was more than strong enough to blow away all the bandits on his own.

Moreover, two swordsmanship specialists —honors students from the Institution’s Swordsmanship Department……no, the future emperor of the Bahamut Empire and a future duchess of the Kingdom of Roanne, who would one day be revered as the strongest swordsmen in the continent— were also included in the guard detail.

Simply put, the bandits were unlucky.

“Reduce your toll to ten percent of what you requested. I would be willing to pay it then.”

Mursi tried to negotiate with the bandits peacefully. He could simply overpower them with brute force, but the bandits were still just as human as he was, and he was willing to pay them for clearing the area of monsters.

“Snicker. Looks like this guy’s already growing senile. We aren’t gonna reduce our rate, so either pay up or drop all your stuff here and leave —you have one minute to choose!”

Every guard had their hands on their weapons as they waited for their employer to make a decision. There was only one way to get through to those who refused to listen to words.

“What d’ya wanna do, Uncle?”

“Mmm…”

Benfomè’s lips twitched in frustration as Mursi could not make up his mind.

“What ‘cha thinkin’ so hard about it for? Let’s just beat ‘em up and pass on through. Our Boss would’ve just broken their necks or ripped their heads clean off and gotten on with his day!”

Benfomè said with his fists clenched tight, prompting Mursi to sigh.

“Ben, you stay in front of the wagon and guard the wagon and the porters. You’ll break bones and rend through flesh if you fight the bandits.”

“Aww.”

Benfomè’s, who had been eager to exchange blows with the bandits, shoulders drooped in disappointment. His bulging muscles grew soft as he relaxed them.

“Are we done talking then? Don’t regret it later! Snicker!”

The mercenaries grabbed their weapons and looked to Mursi when the bandits drew their wicked blades and slowly closed in on them. Mursi sighed and lamented the fact that things had resulted in violence.

“Mr. Mursi, should we kill them?”

His voice was calm despite the bloodthirsty nature of his words. Mursi turned to Arhad when the latter posed his quiet question without a hint of tension in his voice even though the bandits were reeking of bloodlust and had drawn their sharp blades at them.

Ianna, too, awaited Mursi’s answer. The bandits’ lives depended on his next words.

Mursi shook his head no.

“I don’t want to shed blood. Please subdue them and knock them out, if possible. But I don’t mind you killing them if things get dangerous for you.”

He didn’t wish to shed blood, but he would still rather the ruffians die than risk his own getting even a little hurt.

Arhad understood and nodded back before slowly drawing his longsword. He did not, however, undo the thick leather sheath around it.

“Get them!”

The mercenaries brandished their own blades when the bandits charged at them in earnest. The sound of metal clashing against metal rang through the air as things took a violent turn.

“You little bastard. I’ll cut up that pretty face of yours!”

Arhad smirked when three bandits whom he had been observing rushed at him and he kicked hard against the earth to spring between them like an arrow.

Creak, cruuunch! Crash! Crunch! Pow!

All Arhad had done was swing his sword sideways, but one bandit doubled over into the shape of a horseshoe after being hit in the stomach, tumbled to the ground in a grand manner with the horrific sound of bones being broken, and expired on the spot; then, Arhad had immediately returned his heavy sword back into its original position to smash it down upon another bandit’s head like lightning. The bandit fell down as his skull cracked audibly.

“Y-you little!”

Arhad dodged the terrified third bandit’s blade by bending at the waist and bent his arms sharply backward to stab the bandit in the pit of his stomach with his blunted sword.

“Urk!”

The bandit coughed up bloody phlegm as he was sent flying and finally hit hard against a tree. He sprawled out on the ground, and it was difficult to tell whether he was still alive.

The battle paused for a moment when the bandits that had rushed Arhad had been sent flying all over the place. If it had been a sharp blade that had been used against them, then Arhad would have been surrounded by a vicious sea of blood by now.

Arhad clicked his tongue as people stared at him in mute shock.

“Sorry. I’m not good at controlling my strength.”

Arhad, who had taken care of the three bandits in but an instant, ran to where the rest of the bandits were concentrated. They savagely raised their blades at him. But it was no use.

Ianna spectated from behind before raising her scabbard. Her competitive spirit was surging within her. She did not want to lag behind Arhad.

“Ianna! Stay here!”

Ianna was about to run toward the bandits, but she stopped and turned around when someone called out to her. The porters were huddled around the wagon that Mursi was riding, but an ashen-faced Chendelf was peeking out from the window. They were all trembling so fiercely that Ianna thought they might pass out if she wandered too far from them.

Ianna looked between the bandits, the wagon, and the frightened porters before eventually walking up to the wagon next to where Benfomè sullenly stood.

“Mr. Mursi, I’ll be guarding the wagon as well.”

“Thank you. But there are a lot of bandits —wouldn’t it be best if there were more people fighting on the frontlines?”

“Jeez, this would all be over in a jiffy if I went out, but ya just had to make things cumbersome…….”

“I’m sure you haven’t forgotten that protecting Finn and myself is your first and foremost priority, right, Ben?”

“Tch.”

Benfomè pouted as he punched a bandit who had approached the wagon to take hostages square in the jaw with his gauntlet. The bandit’s jaw caved in like a mashed potato as he passed out on the spot.

“Things will be over soon since Sir Arhad is here.”

Ianna stole a glance at Arhad as he brandished his sword and finished off the bandits one after another.

Arhad was going as easy on the bandits as he possibly could. But, the bandits were blown back as if by a typhoon even when he only waved his sword like he would a fan, and they still broke a few bones each after being sent flying through the air.

“Please look over there. It’s already almost over, no?”

“Is Little Arhad truly that strong? I know that he’s remarkable, of course, but is he truly so strong that even you would sing his praises, Little Ianna?”

“Even I can’t guarantee that I can beat him.”

Creak!

“Ack!”

Ianna stabbed her scabbard to the back as she heaped praises on Arhad, and the bandit who had taken her scabbard to the face fell backward. He clutched at his face and groaned before Ianna kicked him hard in the stomach, and then Ianna stepped under yet another bandit’s arms as he came running to her from her front and grabbed him by the throat.

“Eek!”

The bandit yelped in alarm when the young girl stepped inside his range like a ghost and picked him up by throat. He was taller than her, and yet his body floated in the air for a moment before slamming back down to the ground head-first.

Craaash! Craaaack.

His bones broke audibly as his neck bent at a right angle, and the bandit fainted while frothing at the mouth. Ianna looked so calm as she brushed off the hand she had used to grab the bandit with that the girl hardly looked like she had just destroyed two grown men at all. The mercenaries and other workers who had been sneaking glances at her because they were curious about her skills paled in fright.

“This would’ve been over in an instant if Sir Arhad had used a sharpened blade, but it’s taking a little while because he’s trying to control his strength.”

Ianna observed Arhad. There was a bead of sweat rolling down his face. His brows were ever so slightly furrowed. He was working hard to suppress his power, since he had ended up killing the bandits earlier despite holding back. The way he flinched and shrank back while fiercely wielding his sword to make his blows weaker reminded Ianna of a lion tensing up every muscle in his body to try and pet a little bird without crushing it.

Ianna smirked because she found it hilarious before running toward a few bandits who were approaching the workers. Most of the mercenaries were making quick work of the bandits, but there were so many of the latter that some had managed to slip past them and target the civilians. Ianna moved quickly and took them out of the picture.

The caravan’s guard detail swiftly whittled down the bandits’ numbers, and the situation was quickly taken care of.

Most of the bandits ended up lying on the floor while moaning in pain.

“I’m sorry. Please spare me!”

“Pathetic bastard!”

A sour Benfomè punched the bandit leader, who was begging for his life on his knees, in the face and barked that he should count himself lucky. A sudden impulse budded in Ianna’s heart as she quietly watched over the exchange. She felt a little awkward carrying out her impulse. After all, she had never been one to look after others first.

Still, she was curious as to how Arhad would react, and she wanted to try doing other things for him since she had only ever rejected him before. Ianna pulled out a dry towel from her bag. She doused it with cold water from the canteen she had brought with her and wrung it dry before quickly walking up to him with both the wet towel and her canteen in hand.

“Sir.”

Arhad turned around as soon as he heard Ianna calling for him. Then, he stiffened up in shock when he saw the towel and canteen presented before his eyes. His eyes took on a vivid color of bewilderment as he looked back at her.

“Good work. It must’ve been hard to control your strength.”

“Oh…….”

Arhad simply stared piercingly back at her without so much as moving to accept the things she was offering.

‘Does he not want it?’

Ianna tilted her head to the side.

‘Then again, he might’ve broken out a sweat, but it’s not hot enough that he might want something cold —maybe I’ve done something unnecessary? I guess I shouldn’t do things like this going forward.’

Ianna came to a decision and was about to withdraw her offer.

“I’ll give it to someone else if you don’t need it.”

“……!”

Arhad returned to his senses when Ianna began to pull back and quickly reached out and grabbed her wrists. Ianna was startled by his sudden movements and looked up at Arhad, who had stood up at some point. His face was flushed red for some reason.

Arhad placed his hands over the towel and canteen Ianna was holding.

“Not at all. Thank you for your consideration, Little Ianna —I was quite hot. I can use this right now?”

Ianna wondered if he really did have quite the bit of trouble controlling his strength, as his face was much redder than usual as he took the towel from her. Ianna nodded and handed both the towel and the canteen to him. Arhad never took his eyes off her as he took the cold towel and slowly brought it up to his face.

“……It feels good. Truly.”

There was a tingle in Arhad voice as he mumbled with the towel pressed against his face. Ianna was satisfied that Arhad had gladly accepted her goodwill and had a pleasant look on his face as he cooled off. She had considered erasing the awkward course of action from her mind because she had thought he was uncomfortable with her when he only stared at her without taking the towel or canteen, but she now had a change of heart. She was quite pleased to see how happy Arhad was. She decided that it wouldn’t be a horrible idea to keep doing things like this for him if she ever felt inclined to moving forward.

“…….”

The people resting nearby them snuck glances at Ianna and Arhad. The Institution’s Swordsmanship Department was a terrifying group of people, and its honors students were monsters. Ianna and Arhad were young, considering that warriors were considered to begin their prime years in their late twenties, and yet their martial arts prowess was amazing. So amazing, in fact, that the others were almost jealous of them.

Moreover, they had been astonished to realize that Arhad hadn’t been fighting at his best when Ianna had been lauding him to Mursi. The skills he had displayed while fighting the bandits had been so incredible that they would not have doubted it if Ianna had said that he was fighting at his best. And yet, he hadn’t? He’d been holding back?

The young man had been sweating like he was having trouble with the bandits, so what was it that had made the girl say that? Was she overestimating his skills and idolizing him because he was her senior? She had looked to him in admiration as she handed him the towel, so perhaps she had been blinded by love?

The other mercenaries were envious of Arhad when Ianna, who was not only so skilled that she had finished multiple grown men armed with lethal weapons in but an instant and brusque but was also a lovely young girl, had given Arhad her towel.

No one had been seriously wounded in battle. Those who were wounded took care of their trivial injuries on their own, and the caravan quickly left the place because it was covered with traces of the fight. Still, the mercenaries were exhausted from fighting because the bandits had greatly outnumbered them, and the porters, though they had not been injured, were mentally fatigued.

While the Momomba Mountains weren’t as large as the mountain ranges that branched off the Lotso Mountains, they were still large enough that they couldn’t be crossed in just one day. Though it was still somewhat early, Mursi saw that the day was beginning to grow dark and decided they would rest for the night by a clean lake that was a well-known campsite amongst travelers.

“Hey, catch that!”

“Nail that in over there. Yes, just like that. And tie the ropes tight.”

The men put up simple tents while the women, who had been riding in the wagons, quickly began cooking for the entire caravan. Ianna was tasked with fetching water. It was a simple task, and she had planned to help set up tents afterward, but the men had stopped her and told her to sit and rest —and so, she accepted their goodwill and did just that.

She disliked the fact that they saw her as a woman before seeing her as just another employee, but she had already completed the task she was responsible for, and she didn’t feel the need to stubbornly insist on helping out because she wasn’t accustomed to putting up tents, much less cooking. And so, Ianna decided to enjoy the pleasant warmth of the campfire, as the night air was still cool even though it was summer.

The creamy stew that the other women had cooked with basic vegetables and meat was good, perhaps because they were good cooks. The mercenaries packed away several cauldrons of it as night quickly fell upon them. Hungry wolves had begun howling from the distance. And so, the mercenaries decided to take turns keeping watch.

“I am a guard.”

“Yes, but…….”

“What are you seeing me as right now? I’m grateful for your consideration, but I was hired as a guard, just like you. I am not someone who needs your protection. I am neither hurt nor tired, so it would more efficient to let the wounded rest through the night without being put on duty instead.”

“But you’re still a girl, Little Ianna, so I’m sure you get tired more quickly than we men do, no?”

Ianna furrowed her brows sharply when she heard what the mercenary had said.

“Are you discriminating against me because I’m a woman?”

The mercenaries had tried to tell Ianna not to worry about keeping watch and to get a good night’s rest instead, but they only soured her mood and were fiercely censured by her in return. Their natural consideration for her, a lovely young girl who was barely half their size, had accidentally set off her wrath, which stemmed from her characteristically adamant sense of duty and obligation. Ianna did not want the men to be considerate of her on the sole account of her gender. Rather, she absolutely refused such goodwill.

Female warriors were rare to begin with, and Ianna was exceptional even among their number. Ianna was aware that hers was a rather special case, but she still found the mercenaries’ attitudes unpleasant nevertheless.

She figured it would be for the best that she drilled it into them at least once that she wanted to be treated as an equal regardless of gender.

The mercenaries floundered and eventually apologized as Ianna’s cold fury showed on her stiffened visage.

“We’re sorry. We didn’t realize it’d upset you this much.”

“I’m grateful for your consideration. But I am being paid to work this job just like you are, so moving forward, please refrain from excluding me from the duties I should be undertaking just because I am a woman.”

The mercenaries fully grasped Ianna’s personality with that one sentence and nodded. And they gave her a shift for keeping watch. Her shift came directly after Arhad’s, as the mercenaries figured that she would be more comfortable keeping watch after her senior. Ianna was satisfied with the arrangement, and she made to head inside the women’s tent that she had been assigned to.

But someone grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her behind just then. She stepped back reflexively to keep her balance and was peeved as she turned around to see who it was. It was Arhad. Ianna’s displeasure was appeased.

He had kept his silence while she had been telling off the mercenaries, and it was only now that he said,

“I’ll take your shift too, Little Ianna. Please have a good night’s sleep.”

Ianna baulked.

“Sir.”

Her hesitation only lasted for a moment, however, and she glared at him with a colder air about her than she had donned when she had been angry at the mercenaries. She continued,

“I’m sure you heard me saying this earlier, but I am working right now just as you are. So why should you take my shift? Are you suggesting that I abandon my duties?”

Ianna intended to be hotly furious with him if he had failed to understand what she had just explained to the mercenaries earlier and explained himself with an excuse as ridiculous as the fact that she was a girl or if he decided to be vague about his rationale.

She was to become the sword to mow down any enemy who would pose a threat to him. And so, she would be insulted to know that he saw her as a mere girl who needed his protection.

Arhad laughed awkwardly as Ianna glared at him with her fiery eyes.

“I don’t care about gender —I simply wanted my dear junior to have a good night’s rest. I wanted to look after you. Have I done something wrong, Little Ianna?”

Ianna was rendered speechless for a moment. There was nothing she could say if he was being considerate of her for being his junior, instead of because she was a girl.

“No, you haven’t, but…”

“You would not be pushing aside your responsibilities, Little Ianna. I am making you a request because I want to, and you would simply be accepting my request.”

“…….”

“So please, head inside and sleep.”

Arhad gently pushed Ianna inside the tent as soon as the words had left his mouth and immediately turned around and went back outside. Ianna stood in place for a while before plopping down on the layers of cloth that was being used as a makeshift bed and pressed her thumb against the furrows of her brow.

Part 5

She wasn’t necessarily pleased, per se, but she wasn’t inclined to curtly reject Arhad’s goodwill either. Ianna remembered how she had always rejected him in the past. She remembered how she had never once conceded to him, and her head was filled yet again with the look of resignation he had worn when she had only been cruel to him and had never once allowed him into her heart. She recalled the way his eyes had shaken when she had died, and the pessimistic emotions that had surged within them.

But he was laughing in this life. Which was why she was so strongly opposed to rejecting his goodwill. Things would be different if she knew that she could never allow herself to bend her will under the circumstances, but she wanted to tolerate it and accept Arhad’s goodwill if she could.

Ianna ending up tossing and turning through the night, unable to fall asleep, and she jumped out of bed when it was about time for her shift to start. She pulled back the cloth at the entrance to her tent and slipped outside. Arhad was sitting at the center of the campsite with one knee in the air as he stared deeply into the campfire.

“Sir.”

Arhad opened his eyes wide and stiffened up in surprise upon seeing her.

“You weren’t awake all this time, were you?”

Ianna walked up to Arhad and grinned while looking down at him.

“I couldn’t sleep. I’ve been laying in bed wide awake. You said you wanted to look after me, yes? Then, would you please stay here and tell me about yourself so I don’t fall asleep during my shift? Or, you could just leave me here and go inside to rest. It’s up to you.”

Then, Ianna walked across to the other side of the campfire and sat down opposite of Arhad.

“……In that case, I suppose I’ll have to stay.”

Arhad laughed in resignation.

The embers danced in the darkness. The darkness, which had settled down like a fog, failed to swallow up the fire that cast its glimmering light on their faces.

Arhad poured some tea leaves and hot water in a cup and handed it to Ianna before sitting across the fire from her. Suddenly, Ianna said,

“You said I could ask you anything I wanted a few days ago.”

“Yes, I did. What would you like me to tell you about?”

Ianna took a sip of her hot water with tea leaves floating in it when Arhad affirmed. She had simply come outside out of stubbornness because she couldn’t sleep, but now she was sure she had made the right choice. Nighttime, when others were asleep, was the perfect time to share secrets.

“Could you tell me about your family, your birthplace, and your childhood —things like that?”

These were topics that were exchanged between people who didn’t know each other very well, as they were easy to discuss and wouldn’t pose much of a burden on the party listening. Arhad, who was hiding an enormous secret about him, was the exception to the rule, but Ianna feigned ignorance.

But then again, there wasn’t much she knew about him in the first place. She only knew of his history after he had become emperor.

“My stories might get awkward at times, and you might even find them difficult to believe.”

Arhad rubbed his face with his hand. When he put his hand away, he was wearing a resolute expression that seemed to suggest that the time had come. He continued,

“Still, I ask that you continue to see me for who I am even after you’ve heard my story.”

“Do I look like the kind of person who’d let a few stories change my attitude?”

Ianna threw a stick into the fire. She continued,

“I’m sure you’ve heard the stories of my childhood, Sir. You said you were interested in me because there were so many rumors going around about me, so I would think that you already know all there is to know about my past.”

Arhad didn’t reply. His silence confirmed Ianna’s suspicions.

“My own past is what it is —and I would not scorn another for theirs,”

Ianna said as she looked to Arhad. Their eyes met. Arhad looked back at her from across the flames and quietly replied,

“All right. Then I’ll begin my story……. But first let me begin with this. I can’t tell you what house I’m from, but I am the bastard child of an extremely high-ranking noble family from a country to the north of the Lotso Mountains.”

Ianna tossed another dry branch into the fire without a word. Arhad’s golden eyes studied her face tenaciously only to leave him puzzled when her facial muscles never so much as quivered.

“You’re not surprised.”

“I’m not one to be surprised easily, and I already had an inkling that you weren’t any ordinary commoner, Sir. Though I hadn’t expected to learn that you were from the North.”

“I’m glad to hear that. In any case, the head of the household I’m from slept around with many concubines. When a concubine got pregnant, the house would kill off the unborn fetus, the mother, and the mother’s entire family. But no one could dare criticize the house for its cruelty because it was simply too powerful.”

Arhad’s gaze was fixed on something he saw within the surging flames.

‘The Bahamut imperial family.’

Ianna tried to recall the Bahamut imperial family. But all she could draw up in her mind was Arhad Ro Ralzo Bahamut —the man sitting before her. Arhad had already been the emperor ruling over the North by the time she had become a duchess and had begun looking into state affairs, and she had no connections to the Bahamut imperial family otherwise.

“My mother’s family sent my mother to be a concubine because she was strikingly beautiful. They wanted her to get pregnant and steal my father’s house’s bloodline.”

Exceptional skill in the sword or in magic often ran through the family. He was likely referring to the fact that the Bahamut imperial family was historically said to have amazing control over mana.

‘Did they want to steal those skills?’

Ianna could not conclude anything for certain. The blood running through Arhad’s veins belonged to the imperial family that dominated the vast lands of the North so far away.

‘Was his mother’s family a noble house that wanted the imperial throne?’

But this was also questionable. The Bahamut imperial family had historically practiced intermarriage ever since the empire had been founded, whether it be due to tradition or otherwise. It wasn’t as if the imperial family had no children either —it would be difficult for Arhad to pose a threat to the throne while the young and powerful Crown Prince Taylon Bahamut was still alive.

Moreover, the imperial family was regarded as gods in the empire, and the emperor was so powerful that none of the nobility could dare say a word against him. It wouldn’t have mattered to them that a child of their bloodline had been born who could potentially pose a threat to their influence. They had murdered every concubine who had been with child until now —there was no way that they wouldn’t simply be able to kill a single child.

Or perhaps his mother’s family had wanted a child who could legitimately sit on the throne in preparation for a rebellion they were planning to stage someday. This was Ianna’s most probable hypothesis. She was certain that Arhad seemed to be preparing for something behind the scenes.

“My mother eventually conceived. She was pregnant with me, of course.”

Arhad’s words flowed serenely although the story itself was dark.

“She escaped to the Lotso Mountains through a route that had been prepared ahead of time as soon as she learned she was pregnant, and my father’s household grew livid and chased after her as soon as they learned of her escape. My mother might have been eaten by monsters and died as soon as she entered the Lotso Mountains had she been alone. But there was someone who assisted her.  This someone was none other than Lord Heinrich, who is currently the dean of the Institution. He was very close to my mother’s family.”

Ianna had figured that the two were closely related ever since Arhad, as the leader of Camastros, had told her to go to the Grey Magic Tower when he called for her, but she hadn’t realized that their ties reached so far back.

‘How is that old man related to Arhad’s maternal family?’

It was only natural that Ianna thought of Herrace when she thought of Heinrich. Heinrich was Herrace’s grandfather, who was busy researching so he could cure Herrace of his illness. The archmage who could produce the strange medicine that was capable of temporarily stopping a person’s heart. The elderly man was also Lalatua’s teacher, and now he was apparently Arhad’s guardian as well.

Ianna grew dizzy as she thought about the many connections the people around her had to Heinrich.

“My mother passed away soon after giving birth to me. And her family was massacred by my father’s household. I have a residence outside the Institution now, but I still have my own room at the magic tower. And this is how I was born. Incredible, right?”

Arhad concluded his depressing story on a cheerful note. Ianna smiled gently as if in relief and asked,

“Will you take revenge?”

“Who could say? Instead of taking revenge, I would rather that they die so I can live.”

Arhad threw a stick into the fire. He continued,

“My father’s house is extremely obsessed over the authenticity of their bloodline, and I was born with their blood running through my veins. They probably won’t give up on the idea of finding and killing me. Lord Heinrich says they’re still looking for me fervently.”

“What are you planning to do in the future?”

“I will grow strong enough to kill them first should they ever find me.”

“You’ve never once considered robbing them of everything they have?”

“Not really. I am satisfied already with the life I have now.”

Was survival the reason why he had become the emperor? He desired neither vengeance nor was he greedy for power —he had simply wanted to survive.

It was pitiful. Ianna wondered if Arhad’s sword had been so tough to break because he had grown strong just to survive.

Ianna had felt a strong sense of kinship that day when she had first met him at nineteen. It stemmed from their shared love for the sword.

I love the sword because it affirms who I am, but why do you love the sword, Arhad? Ianna had pondered over this question once. The questions had been buried under her fierce enmity toward him, but the story she heard from him now seemed to say that the answer was survival.

“So you can fight back…… Hmm, so you train so hard to survive?”

“No. That has nothing to do with the circumstances of my birth.”

Ianna’s head went blank when Arhad shook his head firmly and said something she hadn’t quite expected.

‘It’s not for survival?’

She had thought she was certain, but she was apparently way off the mark.

“The reason why I train so hard in swordplay…… I would have to tell you about my childhood to explain that, but I’m a little hesitant since it might sound rather unusual. My childhood was quite abnormal.”

Ianna grew heavily intrigued when Arhad hid his face behind his large hand in embarrassment.

“I’m curious. Please tell me.”

What was it that had made him so strong? Ianna was so curious that she uncharacteristically urged him to continue.

“All right. I just hope you don’t think I’m crazy after this. So, when I was young…”

Ianna clutched tight to the sword clattering at her waist without knowing she was doing it when Arhad began talking. Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her eyes were glowing with anticipation. Her heart was pounding with excitement, just as it had whenever her teacher, Gerard, had told her stories of the past when she was young.

“Lord Heinrich told me about the circumstances behind my birth as soon as I could see reason, and he told me that I would have to live while always preparing to kill them because they would kill me first if I didn’t. I understood what he was saying, but I couldn’t have cared less at the time.”

‘What does he mean by that?’

Ianna tilted her head to the side.

“Were you unsure of what to make of that information because you were young?”

Arhad shook his head no.

“No —I really just didn’t care. My mother’s entire family might have been massacred, and my father’s house might be after me, but I was neither angry nor afraid. If I died, I died, and if I lived, I lived; I didn’t have the curiosity of a child, nor a future that I dreamt of —I had no desire for anything. I have never lamented the absence of my parents in my life, and neither have I ever complained to Lord Heinrich about anything. That being said, it wasn’t as if I turned my attention and affections elsewhere either.”

As he’d said earlier, Arhad must have been a rather unusual child. Ianna reminisced about her own childhood. She recalled the little girl who had always yearned to be loved. The little girl who had been scarred by gazes colder than the biting winter winds. She had always been lonely, had always craved for warm love, and had always wished someone would speak to her tenderly. Ianna could never imagine herself acting like that now, but that was how she had been in the past.

“I was never interested in anything —not in the soft teddy bears that most children are drawn to when they’re young, not in books filled with compelling stories, and not in the mysteries of magic. My entire world was monochromic. It was like I could only see in black and white…….”

Arhad, whom Ianna considered as more like her than any other when it came to the sword, had been so different from her as a child. He had been a dead person with a beating heart when he was younger.

“But I used to have the same exact dream every night, and I was always lost inside that dream even when I was awake.”

“A dream?”

Ianna asked at the sudden mention of a dream.

“Yes. I always saw the same dream over and over again when I was young, and I was always vivid and alive in that dream. It was always dark in the dream, and I could never see anything. But there was always something reddish and hot at the end of my dream.”

Arhad stared at the flames surging before him. The flames reflected in his golden eyes and made it seem as if they had caught afire.

“I wanted it so bad it drove me crazy in the darkness of my dreams. My emotions never stirred for anything, but the heat I felt from it made me so parched that I trashed about in pain because of the thirst and I wanted so desperately just to grab hold of it. I felt joy whenever the heat came close and enveloped me, and I felt sorrow when it left……but I had no idea what it was.”

Arhad reached out toward the fire and clenched his hand as if he was grasping onto something.

“It was all I thought about —whether I was asleep or awake. I wanted to snatch it away and hold it tight in my arms. But it always eluded me, and my possessive desire only grew stronger as the days passed. I wanted it so badly even when I was awake, as if my waking reality was simply a continuation of my dreams, and it nearly drove me insane. So I was always in a blank daze as I ruminated over my dreams. Lord Heinrich even thought that I was retarded.”

Arhad smirked as Ianna listened intently.

“I’m rather strange, aren’t I? In any event, I had no interest in anything other than whatever that heat was when I was younger. But then, one day, when I saw the sunlight reflecting off the sharp blade of a sword…”

Ianna clutched at the hilt of her sword even tighter.

“And I instantly broke free from my dreams. My monochromic world was instantaneously flooded with color, my heart beat furiously, tears suddenly poured down my face, and my emotions flared up from within me. I eventually broke out sobbing like a child that day.”

He was so like her, whose violent emotions had flooded her head and caused her to burst out in tears when she had first taken hold of the sword.

Ianna quietly tilted her head to the side. What does the sword mean to us that it made us cry so vehemently and awakened us from the waking slumber of our lives?

“I don’t quite know what it was that I felt that day. But that was when I started training in the sword. When I hold a sword tight in my hands and wield it, it casts away the darkness that used to imprison me with every swing.”

Arhad looked up. His golden eyes, which had been fixed on the campfire, naturally fell upon Ianna.

“I never wanted to let my sword go. I kept my sword close at hand no matter what I was doing. I am certain now that the glowing thing that I wanted so desperately in both my dreams and my waking reality was a sword. I grew to love the sword dearly.”

Arhad’s eyes were dyed reddish, just as they had been when he had been staring at the campfire, when he looked to Ianna.

“By nature, I am not very greedy. But that changes when there’s something that I want. All of my greed gets focused on the object of my desires until I grab hold of it. And, I love the sword. I get greedy when I see someone who is skilled in swordplay, and I want to keep them close and be good friends with them. I enjoy feeling greedy, since it moves my heart.”

Ianna’s heart was racing.

“Perhaps that’s why……? My heart squeezes like it does when I wield a sword whenever I see you wielding your sword —you, Little Ianna, and no one else.”

The look on his face as he spoke was so ecstatic that it was almost fragrant.

“I am extremely fond of you, Little Ianna. It’s difficult to adequately describe with words……but I truly wish to get to know you better.”

The man who had always wanted her, who had always tried to make both her sword and her heart his own. So this is what he had been hiding behind his mask. His fondness of her was so different from her hostility toward him that comparing the two was like comparing black to white, but they had both ultimately stemmed from the same fervent feelings.

“I hope I haven’t made you feel uncomfortable.”

Arhad returned his gaze to the campfire after he had said his piece and stayed silent. Ianna, too, stared at the crackling campfire for a while before she finally let out a sigh. Arhad’s golden eyes nervously turned to her again, but Ianna simply untied the tangle of her crimson hair and tied it back up again as if nothing had happened and casually said,

“You’re quite strange, Sir.”

Arhad, whose eyes had been tracking the dance of her flame-like crimson hair, smiled faintly in understanding.

“I suppose I am. Perhaps I really am a little touched in the head. But I’m glad you don’t seem to have found anything about me disagreeable, Little Ianna.”

“And I suppose that I’m quite strange as well, since I’m like you.”

“Pardon?”

“I love the sword too. And I love your sword as well. So much so that I want cross blades with you whenever I see you wielding it.”

The hostility and the fondness, both of which stemmed from the sword, that neither could cast aside until a conclusion had been called atop an endless stream of death. It was only after one of them had been reborn that the hostility had withered away like a wilting leaf and had blossomed into a fondness to match the fondness that had already bloomed.

“And so, I like you, the owner of your sword, as well, Sir.”

Arhad clenched his mouth shut at her straightforward words. The jolt in his eyes, the leap of his Adam’s apple, the tiny tremors of his hands —Ianna rested her face in her palms as she observed the shaken man from across the heat haze emitted by the flames.

He was a strange man. If fate truly existed, then surely the strings of destiny between Ianna and Arhad were tangled into a knot that could never be undone.

‘What are the ties that entwine us that we influence each other so?’

Ianna couldn’t understand. It was only natural that she didn’t. Fate was an abstract concept that cold reason could never fathom.

‘Who are you that you have such a large influence on my life?’

Ianna grumbled silently to herself.

“I……should I say that I’m happy to hear it……?”

His golden eyes rolled this way and that. Arhad looked like he was at a complete loss. Ianna took solace in the fact that he appeared to have been the more heavily swayed between the two of them. She watched over him for a moment before she opened her mouth again and bluntly said,

“I will wield my sword for you should your father’s house ever come to harm you. Because I’ve taken quite a liking to you, Sir.”

Arhad covered his mouth with his hand at Ianna’s half-serious words. Ianna laughed when he failed to hide the delight in his countenance. She continued,

“You and I —don’t you think we get along rather well? I have a feeling that we’ll be good partners one day at this rate.”

“Haha!”

Arhad ultimately put his hand down and burst out in laughter. The sternness of his eyes mellowed, and the thin layer of ice he had hidden underneath the surface while he was with Ianna broke. Both the look on his face and the sound of his laughter were so sincere —there was no trace of a lie in them. Ianna stared at him as he laughed.

Ianna felt victorious every time she watched the foolish man be swayed by each and every word she said.

And so, she was made to admit it yet again. That always rejecting him so adamantly, that feeling like he had crushed her so thoroughly, had only ever served to hide her wounded pride…….

Ianna smiled ruefully.

~~*~~

“You should’ve just used your fists. It would’ve made everything so much easier,”

Ianna advised Arhad in earnest, as he was still having quite a bit of trouble controlling his strength. Arhad always accidentally ended up killing at least one or two out of every ten people he fought.

“It’s cumbersome to use my fists, and doing so would get my hands dirty, no?”

Arhad laughed awkwardly. There were several things that Ianna’s sharp eyes had uncovered about him as they spent time together, and one of them was the he generally had an egoistical and cruel side to him —Ianna was the only exception to this treatment. He continued,

“It’s difficult to control your strength when your opponent is showering you with bloodlust. I feel bad about making Mr. Mursi see something he didn’t want to see, but it doesn’t matter so long as no blood it spilt, right? They’re the ones who picked a fight with us first.”

He didn’t seem to care if a few of the bandits died, especially since they were the ones who attacked first. He was also a bit of a clean freak.

He didn’t care much about sitting down on the dirt or moving around dusty things. But he disliked spilling blood. And, he always left some distance from whomever he was talking to in a conversation as if he didn’t want to be touched. It wasn’t immediately obvious, but his attitude was discernable to a careful eye.

‘Not that I mind so long as he doesn’t act that way with me.’

“Little Ianna.”

There was a fierce look in Arhad’s eyes. Ianna faltered, as he normally didn’t look at her with such intensity. He continued,

“Your right cheek…….”

“……?”

Ianna rubbed her cheek and wondered if something had gotten on her face. It smarted a little. It was only then that she realized that she had a small cut on her cheek. There was a smidge of blood on her hand when she brought it down.

‘Is he glaring like that because of this cut?’

Ianna smirked when she realized that Arhad was reacting so extremely to such a trivial matter.

“Are you injured? Does it hurt?”

“I am a swordswoman, and it’s only natural to get injured in a fight. And this isn’t even a serious injury. It’ll heal on its own with time.”

“You might say that, but I’m still worried.”

Arhad raised his hand only to bring it back down again. He clenched his fist so hard that his veins bulged out from the back of his hand. He tore his gaze off of Ianna’s injury and turned to the woods the bandits had escaped to.

“Those impertinent…….”

Ianna had heard the words he had inadvertently murmured loud and clear. There was no expression on his face, but his eyes were seething with a chaotic bloodlust as he chased after the bandits with his gaze and his glared at the woods as if he wanted to chase them down and rip them apart right this instant.

‘There is absolutely no reason for him to be so angry right now.’

A wound was like a part of a warrior’s body. Ianna wiped her blood off on her clothes and grabbed Arhad by the arm. Arhad flinched and turned back to her, and the bloodthirsty look evaporated from his mien.

“I’ll be back soon. Please stay here and rest.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m a bit embarrassed to tell you —must I?”

“Don’t tell me you want to go relieve yourself. Besides, I’m sure you weren’t about to go and finish off the bandits who ran away, right?”

Arhad straightened himself out as he stared down at her.

“No. You were right. I don’t forgive anyone who dares harm someone I treasure.”

Arhad smiled and continued,

“May I please go and finish them off?”

But the words that came out of his mouth weren’t gentle at all. He was slowly showing off his vicious side from the past. Even in the past, Ianna had known that he was the type of shrewd militant ruler who never hesitated to cut down any obstacle or enemy in his way while also rewarding his subordinates handsomely, but she had never paid much mind to it. She felt a bit strange that he, someone who had always done as he had pleased until he was satisfied, was seeking permission from her.

There was an odd light in Ianna’s eyes as she looked back at Arhad, who was waiting for her reply. He had seemed like a panther preparing to rip his prey to shreds just mere moments ago.

“There’s no need for you to do that. It’s such a trivial wound…… I don’t recall allowing a blade to come even remotely close to me, so I was probably scratched by a pebble or something that had been flung into the air during the fight. It was my mistake. Besides, if I had wanted to finish them off, I would have done it myself.”

Arhad signed in resignation when he heard Ianna’s stern reply and walked up to a wagon. He came back with a wet towel upon his return.

“Don’t get yourself hurt if at all possible.”

They had grown a step closer ever since that night by the campfire. They had grown accustomed to conversing with each other, and they even exchanged jokes now. While they were more than happy to talk only about the sword, they also spoke about their pasts from time to time.

They paid close attention to each other while fighting monsters or bandits even if they never mentioned anything out loud, and they looked after each other once the fighting was over. Some mercenaries were a little miffed that they were being so friendly with each other, while others nodded and smiled at how pleasantly the senior and junior were getting along.

Most people would probably have been satisfied with the relationship they had now. It was best to stop right there if they only wanted to get friendly with each other.

But the tenacious bonds between Ianna and Arhad only grew more tangled. They had yet to cross blades. Arhad had not disclosed everything yet, and he was still hiding away the feelings he had bottled up inside. Ianna, too, was withholding about half of her true feelings from him.

In the light, the relationship between Arhad and Ianna was that of a senior and junior who had shared interests and were both fond of each other, but in the darkness, they were employer and employee —or rather, two strangers who happened to share the same goal.

Their current level of friendship was only the tip of the iceberg, but it was clear that they would grow only more entangled into each other in the future —like a small seed that had only just started laying down its roots or a patch of ivy about to snake up a wall and cover it with its vines.

“Oh, we can see the castle now!”

Someone pointed to the castle that was now visible in the distance. Soon enough, the caravan had arrived at Mursi’s destination —the capital of the Kingdom of Sonya, a kingdom in the South known for its fertile fields and granaries.

“Good work, everyone!”

Mursi lead everyone to a restaurant as soon as they had crossed the castle gates.

“Order anything you want.”

Mercenaries ate a lot because their job involved working their bodies, but Mursi, a big-shot merchant, was not one to be stingy about food expenses.

His employees’ eyes sparkled despite the fatigue written on their faces. The restaurant owner beamed as thirty or so burly men scrambled to get seated and began ordering in voices loud enough to shake the entire building.

Ianna sat in a corner and awaited the meal she had ordered as she consulted a world map she had purchased at Theodore.

The Kingdom of Roanne, the Kingdom of Menakosi, the Kingdom of Sonya, the Kingdom of Mavarosin, the Kingdom of Vampirka.

Those were the kingdoms that led straight down south on the map from the Lotso Mountains. The Kingdom of Sonya, where they had just arrived, was around the center of the South, and Ianna would have to cut through the Kingdoms of Sonya, Mavarosin, and Vampirka to reach the Karankell Rocky Mountains.

It had taken nearly a month to reach the capital of the Kingdom of Sonya. It had taken a little longer than expected because they had been attacked by so many monsters and bandits.

Still, Ianna could make it to her destination quickly enough if she was only taking Chendelf with her. Travel would be quick if she reinforced her legs with mana and carried Chendelf while she ran. Karankell was sometimes called a labyrinth, but she wouldn’t have to worry about getting lost since Chendelf would know the roads. She was sure that she could make it back to Theodore before classes started again if she travelled without rest.

“What are you planning to do now, Little Ianna?”

Ianna, who had been propping up her forehead against her hand and staring at the map as she estimated how long it would take her to travel, looked up. She had been too focused on the map to care about what was happening around her, and it was only then that she realized that Arhad was looking at her.

“I’ll be heading toward the Kingdom of Vampirka because I have a few personal matters to attend to. Will you be heading back up, Sir?”

Mursi had said that he planned to stay in the Kingdom of Sonya until harvest season, so Arhad would probably leave now if he wanted to travel back with leisure and make it before the semester started.

“No. I need to head south too and make my way to the Magic Tower of Fire in western Vampirka.”

Ianna was surprised by Arhad’s response. Arhad apparently had business with Maimayè Leviagè, the highest authority on fire-attribute magic and one of the Ten Archmages.

Maimayè Leviagè.

He was a mage who had been awarded the peerage of a marquis in his homeland, the Kingdom of Vampirka, because he had been second to none in his application of fire magic ever since he was young. Mages who took up the profession for power were one thing, but mages who were captivated by the charms of magic generally did not accept awards of peerage from any country because they tended to dislike formalities and found the whole ordeal too bothersome to deal with. Heinrich was a prime example of the latter, and Maimayè had once been as well.

But the Kingdom of Vampirka was on the smaller side and Maimayè was sure to be a powerful asset in times of crisis, so they had kept him from wandering the world by tying him down to a peerage and had built him a grand magic tower and promised him anything he wanted in exchange. Maimayè had given into temptation because a mage’s research materials were expensive, and he had agreed to settle down in the Kingdom of Vampirka. And so, he had resided primarily in the Magic Tower of Fire located in western Vampirka for the last several decades.

Arhad said that he needed to deliver Maimayè some valuable research materials at Heinrich’s request. He had apparently accepted the request since he had been planning to travel south anyway.

It was possible to transfer objects with teleportation magic, but Heinrich would need to suffer for several days to cast the spell. Teleportation was a high-level spell that consumed vast quantities of mana.

Teleportation had been researched long ago. Moving an object from one space to another required precise calculations about the coordinates of the destination, the distance to the destination, and the direction of travel, and the spell itself necessitated the movement of vast quantities of mana.

Which was why teleportation was not used very often despite being thoroughly researched. In particular, it was never used to teleport people. This was because the objects being teleported could be split in half or sent to the wrong place entirely if the caster’s calculations were even the slightest bit off. When applied to people, this meant that it was possible that a person could potentially be teleported without their heart or buried alive in the middle of a mountain.

Even excluding the risks, teleportation required so much mana that it took a toll on the caster’s body. Every action brought about an equal and opposite reaction, and it was theorized that the mage who had survived the attack on Kandemayon in the Lotso Mountains had gone insane as a side effect of teleporting himself away.

“Why are you going south, Little Ianna?”

Ianna raised the teacup the waiter had left on her table to her lips. She had told Arhad, the leader of Camastros, that she would take the dwarf to Karankell during the slave auction. And he had responded with displeasure, saying that her sympathy was misguided.

Look at him feigning ignorance even though he obviously knows.

“I need to go to the Karankell Rocky Mountains.”

“That far out? But why?”

“There’s someone whom I need to escort there.”

“To the Karankell Mountains?”

There was no point in lying to him. And neither was there any reason for her to tell Arhad, her senior at the Institution, about the dwarf since he already knew.

“Technically, they aren’t exactly human.”

“Then are you referring to a dwarf?”

Arhad immediately whispered the word “dwarf” without even bothering to look the least bit puzzled. It took the wind out of Ianna’s sails, as she had been curious to see how he would react and what kind of show he would put on for her.

‘He replied so quickly without even a moment’s hesitation —how is he planning to handle this situation?’

Ianna swiftly regained her cheer. Things were about to get more fun from here.

“How did you know?”

“If you needed to escort someone who wasn’t human to the Karankell Mountains, then they would have to be a dwarf.”

“But it still shouldn’t have been your first guess. Dwarves haven’t been sighted in the rest of the continent for several centuries. And yet you aren’t even surprised.”

Was he trying to subtly hint at the fact that he was the leader of Camastros? Ianna would welcome it if he was. She had cast a bit of doubt in her eyes as she replied.

“I don’t know how the dwarf you’re referring it ended up at the center of the continent, but I’m quite familiar with dwarves because I’ve seen Hanidelf, the dwarf staying at Lord Maimayè’s magic tower fairly often. And besides, such things don’t surprise me. I tend to just accept things for what they are.”

Ianna’s lips twitched a little as Arhad continued to feign ignorance. She wanted to grab him by the collar and bully him into coming clean with everything, but she had decided to wait until he was ready to disclose himself first, and so she had little choice but to play along. Arhad continued,

“But what was the dwarf doing up so far north? And how did you meet this dwarf, Little Ianna?”

“It’s a bit of a complicated situation. And I’m not sure if it’s something I should be talking about. But simply put, I’m taking him to Karankell because I promised him I would.”

Arhad intoned and smiled as if he was intrigued.

“I’m sure you’ll be rewarded with a good sword for your efforts. Congratulations.”

Ianna’s brows twitched. Last time, he had said that there was no point because the dwarf would kill himself as soon as he returned to the Karankell Mountains anyway, and now he was congratulating her for being able to receive a good sword.

Ianna disliked it when people acted fake. And she hated it when people said things they didn’t even mean. She especially hated it when people lied about things they obviously knew about. And so, her voice was a little thorny when she replied,

“I’m not doing it for the reward.”

“Oh, you must have misunderstood me…… I never meant to suggest that you were. All the ancient texts say that dwarves are a race who always repay their debts. They’d have several good swords lying around that they’re highly likely to present to you even if they don’t forge you a custom one. I only meant to say that the gods will surely look favorably on your good deeds, Little Ianna. I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”

Arhad narrowed his eyes and smiled. The other women in the restaurant, who had not been able to take their eyes off of him ever since he had first stepped foot inside, blushed red as his long and resolute lashes lowered and the corners of his eyes softened. ‘If only I was that crimson girl he was smiling at……,’ they thought as their fantasies took flight.

But Arhad had hidden ice-cold reason behind his apology. Ianna had long since been in the habit of looking people in the eye when she spoke to them because a person’s eyes and facial expressions were where their emotions were displayed most prominently and because this allowed her to read their feelings to some extent.

And so, she realized rather quickly that Arhad was displeased. He had been displeased when she had first walked out with Chendelf at the auction, and he still looked pretty grumpy about it even now.

Ianna grasped why he was in such a mood after she carefully thought back on everything he had said. He was still as disapproving of her wish to bring the suicidal dwarf back to Karankell as ever. He had only congratulated her because he had determined, based off the dwarves’ innate characteristics, that the dwarf would repay his benefactor with a sword before committing suicide.

Arhad had always been honest with her, now that she thought about it. Ianna grew embarrassed about her misunderstanding and waved her hands in front of her.

“Not at all, I overreacted for no reason……. I’m sorry.”

“I’m partially at fault too for not making myself clear.”

Ianna decided she liked Arhad even more. She had always liked people who were honest and consistent in their behavior.

It was then that their order of beef steak for two had arrived. The steak, which was appetizingly striped from the grill, smelled deliciously of butter. There were fries and fresh vegetables on the side —the dish was well worth the price.

“We should cut it up first.”

The steak was rather large, as it was meant for two people. Ianna picked up her knife as she spoke, but Arhad had stopped her by saying he wanted to do it.

Ianna didn’t really care who cut up the meat. And so, she simply shrugged and handed him the knife. Arhad smiled delightedly. Ianna was perplexed.

‘Did he really want to cut the meat that badly?’

I suppose he did—Ianna thought to herself as she picked at the salad with her fork and watched Arhad neatly cut the steak up.

“What do you think about letting the dwarf meet up with Lord Hanidelf at the Magic Tower of Fire?”

Arhad proposed out of the blue as Ianna stabbed at a piece of meat and some vegetables with her fork and was about to bring it up to her mouth. It didn’t take long for her to decide that it wasn’t a bad idea.

Hanidelf and Chendelf were close friends, and, though Hanidelf was indirectly responsible for the tragedy Chendelf had suffered, it was likely that Henidelf could bring Chendelf some solace.

“Would that be all right? I’m sure Hanidelf is heavily protected if he’s a dwarf residing in the Magic Tower of Fire.”

“It won’t be a problem. Oh, and we should go to the Kingdom of Vampirka together since we’re both headed in the same direction anyway.”

Ianna was startled by Arhad’s collected words. They would have parted ways here if Arhad had not had business at the Magic Tower of Fire. But, as luck would have it, they were now planning to keep traveling south together.

‘But was this really by chance?’

Had Arhad planned to accompany her to the magic tower in advance because he had already known that she was escorting a dwarf before the caravan had set off? —Ianna could not help but doubt. It was highly possible, considering how remarkable Arhad’s battle strategies had been in the past.

But the possibility that it really could just be a coincidence still remained, and it was possible that Ianna had simply deluded herself into thinking otherwise. Still, strings of coincidences were generally brought about by inevitability. And so, Ianna was sure that Arhad was hiding an ulterior motive.

‘But who cares?’

Delight filled Ianna’s face as she smirked while chewing on the meat. The food was delicious. Mursi had said that he had specifically brought them to a restaurant that was particularly known for the quality of its food, and he hadn’t been lying.

~~*~~

Part 6

“Safe travels. And take care.”

Ianna said her farewells to Mursi the next day and set off with Chendelf and Arhad.

Ianna glanced down at Chendelf repeatedly as they walked along the path. Chendelf had not uttered a single complaint despite how quickly they were walking. He was regulating his breathing and keeping up just fine.

But he had not spoken a single word. He was deathly silent, and it seemed like he was taking great care to quiet even his breathing. He had started acting this way ever since he had first seen Arhad.

‘Is he afraid because Arhad is human?’

Chendelf had been overjoyed when Ianna had suggested meeting up with Hanidelf before heading down to Karankell. Chendelf did not hate Hanidelf at all. He was a little miffed at the fact that he had suffered so much because he had blindly believed in what Hanidelf had told him, but after meeting Ianna and Mursi he had understood that, like Hanidelf had said, not all humans were evil, and he had also learned how precious his hands were and had been immensely inspired at the end of it all.

Ianna had spoken highly of Arhad to him, and Chendelf had a good first impression of Arhad and had said that not only did he trust whatever Ianna said, but also that Arhad must be a good person if he was on good terms with Hanidelf too.

But, strangely enough, Chendelf had frozen stiff like a mouse meeting a cat and hadn’t spoken a single word ever since he had met Arhad despite having been restless when he had jumped down from the wagon. The funniest part was that Arhad didn’t seem to mind in the slightest.

“Did you do something to Chendelf, Sir?”

Chendelf’s strange behavior continued even after they had been walking for some time, and Ianna could not help but ask because it was stressing her out. The only reason why Chendelf would be so afraid was if Arhad had done something to him. But Ianna couldn’t be sure of this either because Arhad had never had the time to harass Chendelf.

Chendelf jumped up in alarm and grabbed onto Ianna’s clothes as he frantically shook his head no.

“N-no, he didn’t. I just don’t feel too well…….”

“Really?”

Arhad raised one of his thick eyebrows when Ianna expressed her doubts.

“I haven’t done anything. I only met him today. Mr. Hanidelf reacted the same way, so I guess that dwarves just don’t like me for no real reason.”

Other dwarves acted like this around Arhad too?

Ianna furrowed her brows and looked between the frightened dwarf stuck close at her side and Arhad before stooping down and grabbing Chendelf by the shoulders.

“Then why are you trembling so much?”

“I’m just tired.”

“Would you like to take a break?”

“I’m not tired enough to need a break yet…….”

Chendelf simply shook his head no without actually answering no matter how many times Ianna asked. He tugged at Ianna’s clothes to suggest that they move faster. Arhad intoned— and looked down at Chendelf, causing the latter to flinch and hide behind Ianna.

“Gasp. Gasp.”

Chendelf really did seem to get tired not too long afterward. It was only natural that his short legs would have a hard time keeping up with Ianna and Arhad’s relatively longer ones and their monstrous stamina. But they were tight on time, and it was obvious that it would take even longer than traveling with the caravan had if they slowed down to match Chendelf’s pace.

And so, Ianna asked Arhad if he wouldn’t mind running. Arhad looked down vaguely at Chendelf’s direction instead of replying, prompting Ianna to reach out and move to pick the dwarf up and carry him under her arm as she had originally planned.

“Wait.”

“Aaaack!”

Arhad stopped Ianna and picked Chendelf up by the back of his robes. He looked like he was picking up a puppy or a kitten by the scruff of its neck. Chendelf yelped and was so alarmed that he looked like he might pass out at first, but he soon froze stiff again and did not so much as struggle.

“I’ll carry him. He may be a dwarf, but he’s still a man, no?”

Ianna didn’t understand what Arhad was getting at. It didn’t really matter to Ianna whether Chendelf was a man or not. Chendelf did not have the dark and indecent motives that other men usually did, so she had been planning to carry him under her arm like she would a heavy bag.

“I don’t mind. And I don’t want to cause you trouble, Sir, so please give him here.”

Ianna reached out and took a step forward, but Arhad simply smiled and took a step back.

“You might not care, Little Ianna, but I’m sure it would hurt Mr. Chendelf’s pride. You may be strong, but men have a pretty strong sense of manly pride, you know?”

Ianna had no idea what this ‘manly pride’ was, but she remembered how Herrace had once gotten embarrassed because of it during their application exams. Arhad continued,

“Besides, don’t you think Mr. Chendelf might feel bad you’re doing so much for him? I’m sure he’s already grateful enough that you were willing to bring him all the way back to his village, so I’m sure he doesn’t want to inconvenience you further by having you carry him too.”

There were sharp thorns hidden in Arhad’s addendum. He had disliked Chendelf ever since Ianna had first rescued him at the auction, and it was obvious that Arhad disliked the dwarf even still.

Arhad did not know that Chendelf had recovered his hands because the dwarf had never reached out from his robes. Arhad still thought that Ianna was escorting a suicidal dwarf who would kill himself as soon as he arrived home. It was only natural that Arhad would be displeased by the situation.

Ianna understood where Arhad was coming from, but Chendelf, who had no way of knowing any of this, simply cowered in fright.

“Isn’t that right, Mr. Chendelf?”

Arhad lifted Chendelf higher so their eyes were level.

“U-uh, yes…….”

Chendelf replied dumbly. Arhad was smiling, so Ianna could not help but wonder why it seemed like he was threatening the poor dwarf. But still, since Chendelf had consented…….

Ianna looked awkwardly back at Chendelf, who was started to grow pale beneath his robes.

“I don’t mind either way, but Chendelf seems uneasy around you, Sir, and he also looks pretty uncomfortable……being held by the scruff like that.”

Arhad shrugged.

“I don’t particularly care how I carry him —be it over my shoulders, on my back, or in my arms…….”

“N-no, that’s all right! This is fine!”

“Or so he says.”

Chendelf waved his arms around fiercely as he vehemently protested, and Arhad gave Ianna a small smile. But the smile vanished from his face the moment he turned back to Chendelf.

“…….”

Arhad looked shocked when he saw how Chendelf was holding his hands tightly together.

He had finally found out. Ianna gauged Arhad’s reaction.

‘Is he surprised?’

It was only natural, since the dwarf had suddenly formed new hands. Ianna continued to feign ignorance.

“Is something the matter? Is there a problem?”

“……No……. It’s nothing,”

Arhad replied in a strained voice. He looked like had wanted to say something but was holding back, as his hand clenched tighter and he had begun biting at his lips without being aware of what he was doing.

‘I’m sure he’s curious.’

Ianna found it hilarious how he was probably wracking his brains trying to solve a question he could not ask. But the bewilderment left his visage soon enough, perhaps because he had finished thinking things through, and his lips pursed as the rest of his face froze stiff. He let out a long sigh and rubbed at his face in irritation. Then, the look on his face turned grim.

“……?”

It was Ianna’s turn to be bewildered.

‘How did he accept the fact that Chendelf’s hands grew back so easily?’

It shouldn’t have been easy to acknowledge that Chendelf’s severed hands had suddenly regenerated no matter what type of hypothesis he had come up with.

‘What is he thinking?’

There existed no spell that could help one regrow their lost limbs. It was possible to reattach a severed body part with healing magic if it was applied immediately, though it would still scar, but Arhad should have known that Chendelf had been without his hands for a while.

“Shall we go now?”

They hit the road with a strange mood about them at Arhad’s suggestion.

~~*~~

They arrived at the Kingdom of Vampirka a week later. It didn’t take long to run through the Kingdoms of Sonya and Mavarosin with their legs reinforced with mana, as most of their lands were level plains suitable for farming and the roads were well-maintained. They could have saved even more time if they had not slowed down and walked whenever they reached the border between territories so they wouldn’t stand out too much.

“…….”

Ianna and Arhad were completely fine. But Chendelf, dangling from Arhad’s hand, looked like he was about to pass out any minute now. He had been frightened of Arhad to begin with, but now he was dangling from Arhad’s hand while also traveling at speeds so fast he was getting motion sick.

“It’s late, so we should rest here for the night and head to the Magic Tower of Fire tomorrow morning.”

Chendelf had immediately conked out as soon as they had gotten to the inn, and Arhad and Ianna had come downstairs for a meal.

Ianna nibbled at the food on her fork. She had been so focused on running until they had gotten here that she had put her questions aside, but she found it strange no matter how hard she thought about it.

‘Just what on earth is he thinking? Just what is he so unhappy about that he’s making the mood awkward?’

Ianna furrowed her brows. The fact that she had to feign ignorance even though she already knew that Arhad was the leader of Camastros severely limited the range of topics she could talk to him about. It also frustrated her that she couldn’t ask him the things she wanted to ask either.

“Why are you so angry?”

Ultimately, this was the question she settled on. She continued,

“You didn’t seem to be in a good mood ever since we started running with Chendelf a week ago…… Could you please tell me why?”

“It’s nothing important. I’m just a little tired.”

Ianna put down her fork and waited for him to continue, but Arhad only picked at the noodles on the plate in front of him with his fork. Ianna could understand it if he was only being bewildered because Chendelf had regained his hands, but where was Arhad’s open indignation was coming from?

“I remember telling you that I detest lies.”

Like she had told Eiji before, Ianna was the type of person to close her eyes, turn the other way, and assume that there was a reason behind their actions when someone was trying to hide something. But it was a different story if whatever they were hiding directly involved her and they knew fully well that she was involved.

If the other party was an enemy, she would simply torture the information out of them or kill them and save herself the future trouble. To the contrary, it bothered her to no end if she was faced with the situation and the other party was someone she was fond of. Especially when the other party was Arhad.

Arhad’s hand stopped moving when Ianna’s anger started leaking into her words. He bit down at his lips and looked up to look her in the eyes.

“……That dwarf called Chendelf…”

Ianna redoubled her focus when Arhad reluctantly began speaking. What had Chendelf done? Arhad pressed against his brow with his thumb.

“I find him offensive. And very, very much so.”

“Sir, you told me that you never did anything to him. In that case, has Chendelf done something to you?”

The Arhad she knew was not the type of man to hate someone without reason. He had been very rational as an emperor, and the way he treated people followed the laws of cause and effect.

Arhad did not say anything more about Chendelf no matter how many times Ianna asked. He even seemed to regret that he had confessed to disliking Chendelf to begin with. Ianna gave up trying to get him to answer, as she didn’t think he would tell her anything anyway and they would only waste time if they fought a battle of emotional attrition.

Arhad had placed his hand on his forehead, as if he had a headache, as he had bid her good night and retired to his room after they had climbed back upstairs. Likewise, Ianna entered her room as well and laid down on the bed. She needed to sleep soon if they were to head for Karankell first thing in the morning tomorrow, but sleep eluded her as she tossed and turned.

‘Arhad and the dwarves —what is the relationship between the two? Why are the dwarves so afraid of him, and why does Arhad act like their reaction is only natural?’

Up until the point they had actually met, Chendelf had trusted what Ianna had said and had been at least a little fond of Arhad. But he had been terribly frightened as soon as they met in person, and he had barely said a word on the entire way here. And Arhad had calmly accepted Chendelf’s strange behavior. Arhad had acted neutral until he had seen Chendelf’s hands.

‘His hands!’

Ianna opened her eyes wide. Indeed. Arhad had only started acting strange after he had seen Chendelf’s hands. He had been a little displeased when he had first picked Chendelf up and had said something or another about manly pride or whatnot as he explained why he should carry Chendelf instead, but he hadn’t been so sour that he was absolutely piping with indignation as he was now.

‘If he didn’t like Chendelf before seeing his hands because he thought Chendelf was only clinging to me so he could commit suicide, then why did his mood grow so much worse so rapidly after seeing Chendelf’s hands?’

Ianna was the type of person to act immediately when she had questions she wanted answered. She had never contemplated this much in the past, as she hadn’t opened her heart to anyone and therefore had not needed to worry so much.

Ianna pulled her covers all the way up to her neck and closed her eyes. Her current life was so inconvenient. It was only natural —she had closed off her heart and had been a lone wolf in her last life, but now she had to worry about how others felt.

But it wasn’t so bad.

Ianna decided to ask Chendelf why he was so afraid of Arhad tomorrow after they parted ways with Arhad at the Magic Tower of Fire. It was entirely possible that Chendelf hadn’t said anything as of yet because he was too afraid to speak while Arhad was still traveling with them.

They arrived at the Magic Tower of Fire the next day. There were people in robes occasionally walking about around the tower, but the entire area was blanketed by silence as Maimayè apparently hated being disturbed while he was focused on his research.

Ianna stole a glance at Arhad, who was beside her, as they walked. His expression was serene, so it looked like he had managed to organize his thoughts one way or another. He had apologized for causing her worry at breakfast. Ianna was more concerned now that he looked so calm.

‘He calmed down so suddenly……is this the calm before the storm?’

Chendelf hid behind Ianna in a fright whenever he felt Arhad’s eyes on him.

They entered the first floor of the Magic Tower of Fire, a tall tower built with reddish bricks. Chendelf grabbed at Ianna’s robes while Arhad had left to ask the probationary mages managing the tower to inform Maimayè of their arrival.

“……That human is terrifying. I’d like to part ways with him soon,”

Chendelf mumbled feebly. Ianna knelt down immediately as Chendelf began speaking so their eyes were level.

“Please tell me. Why are you so afraid of him? I don’t understand what’s going on. Has he harassed you in any way?”

“No. He hasn’t done anything.”

“Has he threatened you with his eyes even without saying anything? Or have you ever felt like he was going to murder you out of nowhere?”

Ianna hadn’t felt anything, but it was entirely possible that Arhad had directed bloodlust at Chendelf without her notice.

“No, he really didn’t do anything.”

Ianna grew only more frustrated by what Chendelf was saying.

“Then why? He’s strong, but he’s not a bad person.”

“I’m sure he’s not if you’re the one vouching for him. But it’s not his personality that terrifies me……it’s the strange feeling he gives off.”

Chendelf began to tremble.

“A strange……feeling?”

Ianna furrowed her brows at his peculiar choice of words. She could not understand what strange feeling Arhad would be giving off that would scare the dwarf so if not bloodlust. Chendelf continued quivering as he continued,

“Ianna, you give off a warm feeling that makes others want to rely on you……but he makes me feel like I’m staring down a blackish creature with fangs sharper and more vicious than that of a large monster’s.”

“…….”

“It’s not bloodlust. He’s just terrifying.”

Chendelf clutched at the hem of Ianna’s clothes when she couldn’t answer.

“I start trembling and I break out in goosebumps whenever his golden eyes turn to me. Just like when we saw him at the auction.”

Ianna baulked.

“……You recognized him? His face was covered, and his voice was completely altered too.”

“It’s extremely unusual for a human to give off such a hair-raisingly terrifying feeling. Don’t get too close to him if you can help it, Ianna. Something doesn’t feel right about that human. And…….”

Chendelf stared at Arhad’s back with frightened eyes. He continued,

“The feeling that human innately gives off is terrifying, but what’s even scarier……is that he feels like several things have been mixed into him.”

“Mixed into him?”

Chendelf’s hand was quivering as he clutched to Ianna’s clothes.

“Yes. I don’t know how to explain it, but it’s terrifying even though I don’t know why I feel this way.”

Ianna looked down at Chendelf, who was still petrified, for a moment before slowly turning to Arhad, who was talking with a mage. Arhad looked back when he felt her eyes on him. His stern and expressionless eyes narrowed into a smile.

Things moved quickly after that. The mage who had gone to inform Maimayè of visitors came back and quickly brought them to the top of the tower at the archmage’s urging. They had to climb a lot of stairs, but it wasn’t that difficult to make it all the way to the top.

“Who’s this? If it isn’t Little Arhad! It’s been so long. How many years has it been?”

“Have you been well?”

Maimayè welcomed Arhad in warmly. Maimayè, who was patting Arhad on the shoulder, was a middle-aged man with silver strands mixed into his blond hair. He had become an archmage at a rather young age, and he was far younger than his colleague Heinrich.

“I trust Mr. Heinrich is still the same as ever?”

“Yes. He’s still researching that.”

“Tsk tsk. What a sad old man. If he had spent his time delving deeper into the secrets of magic, he would’ve outdone the arrogant likes of Wiffheimer Potestas and then some.”

“Well, he cares far more about the last remaining member of his family than he cares about magic”

Ianna flinched from behind them when she heard what they were talking about. Heinrich’s family must be a reference to Herrace.

Judging by their conversation, it looked like Heinrich was focusing on his research to cure Herrace of the curse of mana that was ailing him. After all, hadn’t Herrace said that his grandfather had made his medicine?

Arhad pulled a parcel out from his pack.

“Here’s what you asked for.”

“Oh, a flamestone —they say it’s difficult to find one of these even in the western desert mines! I was a little dubious when Mr. Heinrich said he’d secured some, but to think he’d really send me one. How on earth did Mr. Heinrich manage to get his hands on this?!”

A powerful greed began shining through Maimayè’s, who’d looked like an ordinary middle-aged man until then, eyes.

“I was also told that you had something for Lord Heinrich in return.”

“Yes, yes, I know. Hurry up and hand it over.”

Maimayè accepted the parcel Arhad handed to him carefully like he was handling a newborn chick. Joy colored Maimayè’s face as soon as the parcel touched his hands.

“Hahaha. I might even be able to cast Zicara Valgenta’s meteor magic with this, ahahaha!”

Zicara Valgenta was the archmage who had founded the Institution at the dawn of the Age of Magic. Zicara Valgenta was said to have been well-versed in all kinds of magic, but was most famous for the legendary ultimate spell Meteor, which rained meteors from the heavens.

The reason why Maimayè wanted to cast the spell, which was practically a natural disaster on its own, despite that the world wasn’t engulfed in war as it had been during the dawn of the Age of Magic and there was thus no need for such a weapon of mass destruction, was because of his blazing greed and passion for magic. Mages never hesitated to do anything when it came to magical research.

“And this is just a personal request of mine, but could we see Mr. Hanidelf?”

“Hmm? Hanidelf? You want to see a guy who freezes up whenever he sees you? But I thought you didn’t particularly care about Hanidelf either?”

“Little Ianna.”

Ianna walked up to the archmage with a bewildered Chendelf in tow when Arhad gestured to her. She stood before Maimayè and bowed.

“It’s an honor to meet such a famed archmage. My name is Ianna.”

“Oho!”

Maimayè turned from Arhad to Ianna and began to stir up a fuss. He continued,

“I love the way your hair and eyes are the color of flames! What a shame —a shame indeed. A fiery girl like you is just my type! I would have tried to woo you with flowers had I only been twenty years younger, Miss.”

The corners of Arhad’s eyes twitched.

“Would it be all right if I repeated what you just said to Lady Fellaidè?”

“Goodness, it was just a jest. Fellaidè has finally been opening up to me a bit as of late. Don’t you tell her anything, tsk. Anyway, is Little Ianna here the one who has business with Hanidelf?”

Maimayè looked down at Chendelf’s short frame when Ianna pushed the dwarf forward.

“And who is this child?”

“He’s not a child, but a dwarf.”

“What?”

Chendelf carefully took off his robe and showed off his rough dwarven appearance. Maimayè’s jaw dropped in shock when he realized he was looking at a dwarf —the likes of which he though he would never see in the continent other than Hanidelf.

“You said your name was Maimayè? I’ve heard about you long ago. I am a friend of Hanidelf’s —could I please see him?”

Part 7

The two dwarves hugged each other tight as soon as they saw each other when Maimayè guided them to a workshop inside the magic tower.

“Hanidelf!”

“Chendelf, you rascal!”

Hanidelf smiled broadly as he thumped Chendelf across the back.

Maimayè and Hanidelf were researching magic swords in the magic tower. A magic sword was a type of artefact that could absorb mana and manifest magic on its own, unlike normal artefacts that required the use of a mana stone.

Magic was an ability that mages could only demonstrate fully while being protected in the rear lines. It was no easy feat to cast spells and arrange mana into complex formulas and algorithms while wielding a sword. Even a normal sword artefact would have fetched an exorbitant price.

But it would become infinitely more expressive if the sword could cast magic on command. Technology that would allow even a normal person to cast unlimited magic was priceless.

But Hanidelf and Maimayè weren’t just stopping there —they were even testing to see if incredibly high-class magic could be imprinted onto a magic sword. The results of their collaboration were treated as priceless treasures even if they weren’t yet perfected.

Hanidelf was simply a craftsman who innocently wanted to see how far he could take his craft, and Maimayè was cut from the same cloth, so the two of them had decided to pursue a perfected creation even if it would take a long time. They were not interested in selling magic swords. They only sold off one or two items a year at the heavy insistence of their high-ranking sponsors. And their prospective customers waited anxiously for every sale.

“It’s been too long, Chendelf!”

Hanidelf enjoyed researching magic swords so much that he would forget to even eat once he started researching. He had been showered with so many topics for research after first arriving at the magic tower that he soon found that he had never once gone back to his homeland and had only the time to send back letters.

That being said, it wasn’t as if he didn’t miss his friends. But he had brushed off his friends and had declared that he wouldn’t return home until he had perfected a magic sword, and so it would hurt his pride to go back home before he accomplished his goal even if he did miss his friends. Which was why he had been enduring his loneliness. And then, his closest and childhood friend, Chendelf, had suddenly come to visit him.

Hanidelf stirred up a fuss as he continued to thump Chendelf across the back.

“But what brings you here? Did you follow a human from the Jabellon Company out of Karankell?”

Tears swelled up in Chendelf’s eyes as he planted his fist in Hanidelf’s stomach.

“Kgh.”

Hanidelf bit his tongue due to the hefty impact. He took his arm off of Chendelf’s back and stepped back a few paces. Then, he fell on his behind.

“Damn……it, what was that for?!”

Hanidelf yelled as a vein popped out of his temple. Chendelf stared down at Hanidelf, who was still squealing in pain, and sighed heavily.

“I’ve forgiven you now. Then again, you technically never did anything wrong.”

“You fat little —what are you even talking about?!”

A tear dropped down from Chendelf’s eyes. Hanidelf was so alarmed to see Chendelf crying that he immediately forgot his indignation and dropped his jaw so wide at least ten or so flies could have flown inside his mouth at once before he noticed. The Chendelf that Hanidelf knew was an ill-tempered dwarf who was so conceited that his arrogance could have touched the skies. He simply drank his woes away no matter how injured he was or no matter what sorrowful things happened to him —but he had never been one to cry.

“D-did you eat something weird? Or is it because I called you fat? I-I apologize for that! But, is that really why you’re crying? It’s not like you at all.”

“Let’s get a room first. I don’t want to talk in front of other humans.”

Hanidelf was so disconcerted that he was babbling nonsense as Chendelf helped him back up. Hanidelf was bewildered as he led Chendelf into a small room next to the workshop, and Maimayè, who had been watching quietly over the two dwarves’ reunion, puff—ed out his cheeks as he let out a sigh.

“Goodness. This is my first time seeing a dwarf outside of Karankell. How did you end up meeting him, Little Ianna? I might just die of curiosity. Can’t you give me a tiny hint?”

“There’s nothing I can tell you if Chendelf doesn’t tell you himself.”

“Aww. You’re as decisive as you look, Miss.”

They waited for the dwarves to come back out. Arhad eventually left for a breath of fresh air when the conversation started getting long, and Maimayè started talking to Ianna in earnest.

“Mr. Heinrich and I are collaborators. I procure things from the South that Mr. Heinrich needs, and Mr. Heinrich provides me with rare magical materials that I can’t easily get my hands on even with how much money I have. But all Mr. Heinrich requests from me are usually medicinal herbs that are good for the body or poisons that can be used to make medicine when used in small doses. The stuff he requested from me this time is also a dreadfully poisonous plant. It can be used as medicine when mixed with a few other things, but when used alone it could kill you as soon as its juices touch your tongue.”

Maimayè clutched at his throat in dramatic fashion, but he scratched his head in disappointment when Ianna simply listened quietly and didn’t particularly react. Still, he continued his story with enthuse not too long afterward.

“In any case, Mr. Heinrich would be doing his best research on magic at his age, but he’s too busy gathering herbs for Little Arhad and his grandson, who are both inflicted by a strange illness. And Mr. Heinrich had to go through twice the trouble since they both showed similar symptoms.”

“……An illness?”

Ianna, who had been listening quietly, suddenly cut in. Arhad was ill? She could not believe it. She continued,

“Sir Arhad has a similar illness to Herrace’s?”

“Hmm? You know Herrace?”

“He’s my peer at the Institution. And he’s also a good friend of mine.”

Arhad had a similar illness to Herrace’s? The idea that Arhad of all people couldn’t control mana because he was afflicted with the curse of mana was absolutely preposterous.

But then, Ianna remembered something that made her uncomfortable. She remembered hearing that Arhad was absent often due to sick leave, though she had dismissed the information as trivial when she had first heard about it.

“Aha. So the little rascal got into the Institution this year. Herrace would have gotten into the Swordsmanship Department —what department are you in, Miss, that you know both Herrace and Little Arhad……?”

Maimayè trailed off at the end of his sentence, and, as always, Ianna replied,

“I’m in the Swordsmanship Department as well. Everyone seems to find this strange.”

“Cack.”

“More important, what illness does Sir Arhad have? Is it the curse of mana?”

“Caack.”

Ianna grabbed Maimayè by the clothes before he keeled over backward while making curious noises.

“T-thank you. But, how did you know about that? Did Herrace tell you about the curse of mana?”

“Yes. He told me about his circumstances in person.”

“Then you really must be close with him —he almost never tells anyone about his circumstances because he’s quite proud despite everything! And you came here with that dreadful Little Arhad too……you must be quite skilled.”

“So, does Sir Arhad have the curse of mana too?”

Maimayè muttered something about how Ianna was even better at getting others to march to her tune than he was when she cut off his wicked whispering and replied,

“I don’t know the details either, but it’s a similar illness in that mana still surges toward his heart like crazy. But in Herrace’s case, it only happens when he tries to control mana, whereas it was like that all the time with Little Arhad. And I vaguely remember Mr. Heinrich saying……something about how their symptoms were caused by different reasons long ago. He said that they both had heart conditions, but I…….”

“Mr. Maimayè, what are you talking about?”

Arhad, who had quietly opened the door and walked back in while Ianna and Maimayè were talking, interjected. He shook his head when Ianna turned around to look at him. He continued,

“You needn’t be so concerned about what Mr. Maimayè was saying. I’ve already gotten over those symptoms.”

“Gotten over them?”

Maimayè hit his fist against the palm of his other hand at Ianna’s quizzical question.

“Oh, right. We don’t know what caused them, but I’m told that Little Arhad doesn’t exhibit his symptoms anymore. Who would’ve known that the little brat who always used to sit around blankly in a daze like he was retarded would grow up to be so dashing?”

“I wasn’t retarded —I was simply lost in my thoughts.”

“That’s what you think.”

Maimayè cut him off when Arhad resentfully quipped back. He continued,

“Anyway, Little Arhad had an adorable face when he was young, but he was always staring blankly like a fool. And mana was always surging around him like it was trying to suffocate him. But then, Mr. Heinrich told me some surprising news one day. He said that the little rascal’s eyes lit up and he burst out sobbing as soon as he picked up a sword! I got so curious about him that I even brushed off the Kingdom of Vampirka’s attempts to stop me, since we were at war with the Kingdom of Pupuny at the time, and made my way to Mr. Heinrichs magic tower.”

“And then?”

Maimayè grew delighted when Ianna urged him to continue and bragged,

“Mm. It was amazing. The mana used to surge toward him like it was trying to eat him alive, but now it was obedient to his control! Little Arhad had such amazing control over mana after overcoming his illness that anyone would envy him for it!”

“In any event……what he means to say is that I’m quite all right now.”

“Indeed. You needn’t worry about him at all.”

Ianna was convinced even though no one knew what the cause behind his illness had been, as it was entirely reasonable that Arhad had gained an amazing control over mana after overcoming an illness that showed the same symptoms as did the curse of mana. And yet, Arhad’s sick leave, which she hadn’t paid much attention to before, wouldn’t stop weighing on her mind.

“Anyway, that flamestone I got in return for those herbs! Where does that old man even find stuff like this? Heehee. I’m holing myself up in this tower because I’m being sponsored by the kingdom, but there’s no need for me to keep tying myself down like this now that I have a flamestone!”

Maimayè pulled out the flamestone he had carefully tucked away in his pocket and laughed as he fiddled with it. He continued,

“My magic will develop more now that I have this. Damn you, Gilchop you bastard, I’ll drop a meteor on your head! Just like that, hmm, perfect.”

Maimayè was lost in his own little world as he muttered to himself. Just then, Chendelf and Hanidelf walked out of the room.

Chendelf’s eyes had been brimming with tears as he told Hanidelf his story, and Hanidelf’s eyes were red because he had sobbed upon hearing the cruel things Chendelf had suffered. Rather, he was still crying even now and was unable to settle down.

Maimayè grew curious again upon seeing how intensely Hanidelf had reacted to Chendelf’s story, but he quickly gave up on the notion of asking when Hanidelf shook his head no with a firm look on his face that suggested he would never speak a word.

“Anyway, what are you planning to do with Chendelf, Little Ianna? Are you here to ask me to take Chendelf back to his village? But I can’t leave Hanidelf alone here for too long…”

“No. We were only here to see Mr. Hanidelf —I’ll be escorting Chendelf back myself.”

Maimayè opened his eyes wide in surprise.

“You’re escorting him back? A-are you going with Little Arhad?”

“No. It’ll only be Chendelf and myself. Sir Arhad simply accompanied us on our way here. I can’t trouble him any further than this.”

“……You’re saying that you’ll be escorting a dwarf there, deep inside the heart of the Karankell Mountains?”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“Of course there is! There are so many problems with it that your entire plan’s practically exploding with them!”

Maimayè turned to Ianna and began scolding her.

“What were you even thinking, young lady? You may be a student in the Institution’s Swordsmanship Department, but you’re still just a novice. The dwarf may know a few shortcuts, but how many days —no, weeks— do you think it’ll take for you to get there? Do you know how many high-class monsters are out there in search of food? Are you mistaking the monsters out here in the four corners for the monsters that appear in the smaller mountain ranges? Goodness gracious.”

Ianna was about to refute and say that it wouldn’t be a problem for her, but Arhad spoke up before she could.

“He’s right when he says that it’s dangerous. The monsters out here in the four corners are far cleverer and more ferocious than monsters found in other regions. It might not have been a problem if you were alone, Little Ianna, but won’t your strength be reduced to half if you have to protect someone else along the way? You’d be in big trouble if a starving horde of monsters cornered you and Chendelf. And it’s obvious that it’ll take you at least a few days to reach your destination even if you wrapped mana around your legs.”

Ianna had planned to move out after buying some jerky, a few canteens of water, and some other goods she would need for exploration before heading out. Still, Arhad knew how strong she was, so it must really be dangerous out there if he was saying all this even still.

Ianna furrowed her brows for a moment as she contemplated her next steps.

“So you should go with the Jabellon Company.”

Ianna broke out from her stupor at Arhad’s unexpected suggestion. He continued,

“You can go with the Jabellon Company. They travel to the dwarves’ villages to sell cold beer around this time of the year when it gets the hottest. Mr. Maimayè, could you write her a letter of introduction?”

“Of course. They should be setting out soon, so you should be able to catch them if you hurry.”

Maimayè immediately ran to his desk and began scribbling down something on a sheet of paper with a feathered pen. Ianna looked to them, puzzled, as she asked,

“Is the Jabellon Company a group of incredibly skilled warriors?”

It was safe to go with the Jabellon Company even when it was apparently too dangerous for Ianna, whose fortified blade could cut through even hard rock? Ianna continued,

“How are they able to travel to the dwarves’ villages so easily?”

“House Jabellon has a special sleeping drug that’s been passed down for generations. Even just a sprinkle of it is enough to force any human or monster alike asleep. It’s so potent that it’s said that it can force both a large-scaled monster about to clamp down on its prey and the terrified prey to fall asleep with just a single spray.”

Anyone using that drug would be safe so long as the monsters didn’t rush at them faster than they could react.

“It sounds like there’s much potential for that drug to be abused.”

“It’s said that the drug is difficult to manufacture in large quantities because the base ingredients are so rare and the manufacturing process is complicated. I know about this because I work with the dwarves, but there are a lot of folks out there who want to know how to do business with the dwarves, and House Jabellon keeps their mouth shut because they want to keep a monopoly over dwarven trade. Those who do go to trade with the dwarves are usually retainers of House Jabellon, so their mouths are sealed pretty tight. So keep this a secret for me, will you?”

Maimayè held up his letter when he was done speaking. He still looked somewhat uneasy as he held it up. He continued,

“Hmm, but I’m still not fully comfortable about this. House Jabellon is known for doing clean business, but there are still a few dirty snakes among their number, so I’m still uneasy about sending a rare dwarf and a weak-looking and pretty young girl swordswoman to them alone…… Oh, right! You look tough, Little Arhad —why don’t you escort them there instead? Wouldn’t that solve everything?”

Maimayè proposed while visibly brightening up, but Arhad looked awkward as he shook his head no.

“I was planning to go straight back up north because I have business to attend to in Theodore. I really had to squeeze this expedition into my schedule…… And besides, Mr. Chendelf is uncomfortable around me, so he’d probably prefer to go back home with the Jabellon Company rather than with me. And Little Ianna will be able to fight at her full strength since there’ll be a lot of people around.”

By “business,” did he have something to do with regards to Camastros? Ianna wondered if she was deluding herself into thinking that he had made time in his busy schedule to travel just for her?

Ianna was uncomfortable with the idea and was about to tell him it was all right, that he didn’t need to look after her so much, when Chendelf suddenly pulled at the hem of her clothes. He gestured at her when she turned around to look at him. Ianna bent down, and he whispered in her ear,

“He scares me, but you told me that he was a good person, and Hanidelf told me that he wasn’t a bad human despite being scary too. Could he maybe come with us? It’ll certainly be much safer if he does.”

Ianna faltered a little at the change in Chendelf’s attitude —he had wanted to part ways with Arhad as soon as possible because Arhad terrified him. Perhaps Hanidelf’s guarantee had pacified him somewhat. He continued,

“Monsters have strong predatory instincts, so they’ll never attack him. They’ll run away. And, humans are scary, but they’re extremely weak compared to you or him. Besides, he seems to listen to you, Ianna……. Though it can’t be helped if he has other matters to attend to.”

Ianna pursed her lips. Monsters. Unlike animals, which only lived in accordance to their survival instincts, they were malicious toward other life and killed not just for food but also just to slaughter.

‘But why do they run away from Arhad in fear? It’s not bloodlust —is there something innate about him they’re afraid of?’

Ianna recalled the monsters that had been cut down by Arhad and had died in a pool of blood without even the slightest bit of resistance. She had simply thought that they had been unable to resist the pressure he gave off, but it looked that this wasn’t necessarily the case.

Dwarves shivered in fear at the mere sight of him, and monsters regarded him as a top predator. What kind of being was Arhad in the monsters’ eyes? Ianna wanted to know.

Slowly, Ianna opened her mouth and asked,

“Won’t you please accompany us?”

Arhad opened his eyes wide when Ianna asked him for a favor. He then lowered his gaze and held his silence as though he was in serious contemplation. Still, he quickly brushed his worries away and nodded.

“Very well.”

Ianna was a little alarmed that is affirmation had come so quickly, since it hadn’t been very long since she’d asked. She even wondered if it was really all right for him to agree so readily, since he had been in such a hurry to go back that it was extremely likely that he really did have business to attend to.

All she had to do was to thank him for his kindness now that he’d agreed, but he’d agreed so quickly that Ianna felt off and vainly said,

“But you said you had business to attend do…….”

“Not at all. I’ve come all the way out here anyway, so I don’t mind helping you if I can. And now that’s it’s come to this, we should travel together on our way back to the Institution too.”

Arhad did not seem hesitant at all. No traces of his earlier contemplation were left to be seem.

“Thank you.”

Arhad smiled a little when Ianna thanked him with her head bowed. Ianna saw him smile.

‘Truly, what a strange man.’

Ianna rubbed the bridge of her nose. She was the one asking him for a favor, and yet he was sneaking glances at the expression on her face and listening attentively to every word she said —it was almost comical, like he was a lonely black dog waiting for a pat on the head or something. Was she deluded for thinking that it seemed like he would push aside any pressing matters he had to attend to in favor of even a single small request from her?

Ianna shook her head. Surely, she was deluding herself. Surely, either his business wasn’t all that urgent or he had thought up of a new plan altogether. And that was how Ianna decided to settle the matter.

Arhad looked to the morning sun outside the window and nodded.

“You won’t need to match the Jabellon Company’s schedule if I’m going with you. We’ll head to the dwarves’ village as quickly as we can, and I’ll wait on standby in the area when you head in and do what you need to do there. I’m sure you won’t be able to stay for too long, considering that we’ll both have to be back at Theodore soon…….”

“I’ll only be stopping by the village, so I don’t mind it that you’ll be accompanying me all the way there and back, but does that mean that you’ll be waiting in monster territory while I’m in the village, Sir? I won’t be in the village for long —why don’t you come in with me, since it’ll be dangerous outside?”

“I won’t be entering the dwarves’ village. They don’t react particularly well around me.”

“……I see.”

Arhad was right. It was only obvious as to how the other dwarves would react to him. Ianna looked down at Hanidelf, who was standing next to Chendelf. Even Hanidelf, who should be somewhat familiar with Arhad, still looked a little afraid of him, so it was entirely possible that dwarves might even burst out in tears upon seeing him for the first time.

“And besides, the monsters don’t pose a threat to me.”

He was being insanely arrogant. Arhad had only just stopped Ianna and Chendelf from venturing out alone because the monsters were dangerous. And yet, he was claiming that he himself would be fine.

“They don’t pose a threat to you? What is your basis for saying that? Is it because you trust your skills?”

“Haha. My skills aside, small and large monsters alike avoid me much like the dwarves do —though I have no idea why. They freeze stiff as soon as they see me. And so, I’ll be all right even if I’m outside alone.”

Arhad shrugged. Ianna was lost in thought. Chendelf had said that the monsters would be afraid of Arhad, and Arhad himself had just acknowledged the same. It only served to make her more curious. Why were they so afraid of him?

It wasn’t an issue of spirit. Chendelf had said that Arhad was simply terrifying without reason. There was no way that Ianna, a human, would be able to understand why monsters perceived Arhad as a top predator even before he pointed his bloodlust at them.

So, what was it? Just what on earth could it be? What did the dwarves, a mythical race, and the ferocious monsters see in Arhad that terrified them so? He was simply human.

“But I’d appreciate it if you could leave the village as quickly as possible.”

Ianna nodded when she heard Arhad’s hesitant addendum. He was accompanying her despite having other matters to attend to, so it was only right that she did her best to adjust to his schedule.

“Then we should leave soon.”

Hanidelf and Chendelf, who were already close to tearing up again, hugged each other tight at Ianna’s words.

“Let’s meet again when I return to the village.”

“You better see to the completion of the magic sword first, you rascal.”

“Sure thing, bastard.”

Hanidelf bowed to Ianna from the waist as soon as he let go of Chendelf.

“Ianna, was it? Thank you.”

“……?”

“Chendelf told me everything. Thank you, truly, for saving my friend.”

Hanidelf undid a bracelet from his arm and offered it to Ianna. The bracelet was gold and was decorated with rubies that sparkled in a capricious manner and other precious gems that looked altogether very expensive.

“What is this?”

“This bracelet is one of the most complete items Maimayè and I collaborated on. Maimayè cast his shield spell on it. I’ve been wearing it just in case, but I’ve had no real use for it since I’m always holed up inside the tower. I actually wanted to give you a magic sword, but a swordswoman like you would have no need for one and Chendelf will forge you a wonderful blade anyway, so I’m giving you this instead.”

What stroke of fortune was this? She was already going to receive a dwarven sword from Chendelf, and now Ianna was even being offered one of the few dwarven-made magical bracelets in the world. Ianna shook her head as she turned Hanidelf down.

“It’s quite all right.”

“Accept it, please!”

Ianna, who had tried to push Hanidelf’s hand away, flinched when Hanidelf sounded like he was about to burst out in tears. He continued,

“What I did was no different from casting Chendelf down to hell, and it was you who rescued him. I must repay you for this debt!”

“It’s all right. I’m more than grateful enough already for the sword that Chendelf promised me.”

“Chendelf is Chendelf, and I am me!”

Ianna tried to turn him down several times, but her efforts were in vain. She tried to ignore him and climb down the tower, but Hanidelf grabbed her legs and pulled back at her. Ianna tried to ignore him and keep walking, but he refused to let go and was dragged along.

“…….”

Ianna looked down at Hanidelf, who was still grabbing at her legs while he was being dragged across the ground, in exasperation.

As Arhad had told her, dwarves were certainly a race who were persistent in returning the favor once they felt as though they had incurred a debt. It looked like Hanidelf planned to chase her down while crying nonstop if Ianna refused to accept his gift.

Hanidelf, upon realizing that Ianna had stopped and was looking down at him, swiftly turned his head.

“This is simply my gift to you, so please accept it.”

The reason why Ianna had rejected the bracelet was because she felt like it was excessive to receive not one, but two such items that even royalty were hard-pressed to obtain. But then, she changed her mind. It was just as difficult to recreate someone’s hands as it was to receive dwarven-made crafts. It was also no small feat to use up one’s own life force to summon a spirit or to take up one’s time to escort a dwarf deep into one of the four corners.

Ianna felt as though the information she had learned from Chendelf alone had been worth the effort……. But she had never requested that information, and she realized that there was no need for her to keep refusing when it was the dwarves who had judged how much their debt to her was worth and was trying to repay her for it.

Ultimately, Ianna accepted the bracelet. Hanidelf broke out into a grin.

“Thank you!”

“I’m the one receiving the gift, so there’s no need for you to be so grateful.”

The archmage Maimayè had personally enchanted the bracelet with a shield spell, so Ianna was sure she could put it to good use.

Part 8

Ianna, Arhad, and Chendelf left the magic tower as Maimayè and Hanidelf saw them off at the entrance. They walked slowly because there were a lot of eyes around them. Then, they appeared in the group’s field of vision.

As was normal for a region that bordered one of the four corners, there were a lot of monster hunters walking around with sharp blades resting on their shoulders. Near the entrance to Karankell was a market for selling monster products, such as monster hides or fangs. There were also some stalls that were auctioning off rare-looking monster babies in steel cages.

Chendelf wrapped his robes tighter around himself when he saw this and hid close behind Ianna as they walked.

The entrance and the opening areas of the Karankell Rocky Mountains were bustling with monster hunters and adventurers. There were still trees and grass covering the dirt and rocks, so it looked more like a forest than it did a wasteland.

There weren’t many people in the middle regions of Karankell because there were a lot of dangerous monsters there, but the opening areas were teeming with people because it was the prime hunting grounds for anyone hunting small creatures or weak monsters.

Ianna and Arhad walked on either side of Chendelf. People were stealing glances at their unusual party. Ianna’s party consisted of one young man, one young girl, and one small figure who was small enough to be a child, and they stood out amidst the sea of burly men.

Chendelf trembled at the sight of the sharp, glistening blades and the weight of the people’s gazes on them, and Ianna pat him on the back to tell him everything was going to be okay. But just then.

“Hey, hey! What are you two lovebirds doing out here with a kid?”

A bald man snickered as he held up his bottle of wine to his lips.

There was an uncomfortable mood in the air. It wasn’t just him —everyone around the man was also staring at Ianna’s party, and at Ianna in particular. She would have attracted less attention if she passed off as a mage, but Ianna wasn’t wearing a robe like most mages did, and she was wearing comfortable clothes and had a sword strapped to her waist like any other swordsman.

It wasn’t that no swordswomen mercenaries existed at all, but they were generally weaker than their male counterparts and were usually ignored for being useless.

“Hey now, you’re both young and attractive —are you here to dump off your little “accident” in one of the four corners?”

His tongue had turned foul, perhaps due to the influence of alcohol. His party members tried to stop him, but he brushed his peers aside and continued to sneer at Ianna’s party.

Ianna furrowed her brows and tried to leave as the man’s words began to cross the line. But Arhad stopped her.

“This piece of trash is running his mouth, I see.”

Their surroundings had been filled with only contempt before, but Arhad’s icy words promptly elevated the tension in the air. Arhad turned to the man, who was wearing a look on his face that seemed to say, “What’s this now?” and expressionlessly continued,

“I’ll give you one chance. Shut that nauseating mouth of yours and scram if you don’t want to die.”

Ianna peeked out from over Arhad’s shoulder. Arhad was tall, so she could only see what was happening above his shoulder when he stood in front of her.

The man’s group grew anxious as they were hit with Arhad’s bloodlust. It was only natural, as Arhad had a hand on the hilt of his blade and his bloodlust was sharpened, as though he would immediately behead anyone who dared insult him any further.

“He’s not a pushover.”

“Is he a noble?”

Ianna stared at Arhad’s profile from behind. His expression was generally gentle whenever he was with her, but he looked like a completely different person while he was expressionlessly showering the man with bloodlust.

“You…….”

The drunk man’s face turned deeply red. He had regained his senses, but he was too embarrassed to apologize to a greenhorn at least ten years younger than him in front of so many people that he yelled back instead.

“You cocky little……aaaack!”

Plop.

The man was rendered unable to finish his sentence. His right ear had fallen off with a sprinkle of blood. He screamed as he clutched at his throbbing ear. His hand, which he had taken away from his head while trembling, was covered in blood. His gaze fell naturally down to his ear on the ground.

“……Uggh.”

Cold sweat poured down the pallid man’s face. It had happened in but an instant. He hadn’t even registered his ear being cut off. He was sure that Arhad’s sword was still in its sheath, but it was glistening sharply out in the open as if time had paused while he had drawn it. Additionally, the distance between the man and Arhad was greater than Arhad’s sword was long. In other words, Arhad had reached out to him when slicing off his ear.

This time, Arhad moved slowly so the man could see him move. Cutting off the man’s ear had been Arhad’s final warning. Arhad would really kill the man if he didn’t leave this time.

But the target of Arhad’s blade was frozen stiff in his bewilderment. His peers quickly ran up to them and spoke up in the man’s stead.

“W-wait! We’ll leave, alright? We’ll shut up and walk away! I’ll apologize on his behalf —we’re sorry!”

The man and his peers had been hunters for a long time. They had danced with death dozens of times because they often came across dangerous monsters. They had developed a sense that was similar to the prey instincts of herbivores during their time. This sense was sounding the alarm and telling them that, even if Arhad was young, provoking him any further would be perilous for them.

And they couldn’t seek revenge against Arhad either, as what the man had drunkenly remarked had been offensive enough to warrant Arhad’s reaction. Rather, they couldn’t even consider taking revenge for the ear unless they wanted to risk a greater sacrifice. They strongly felt as though they should just do as Arhad said.

One man quickly picked up the fallen ear, while another ran up to the drunken man and smacked him hard on the back of his head.

“Ack!”

“I told you take it easy on the alcohol! I know it helps you relax so you’re not all stiff from nerves, but you’re the only one around here who drinks so much that you can’t even think straight!”

It was only then that the man was freed from the influence of Arhad’s bloodlust and burst out in tears.

“Damnit……that hurts, damn you! It hurts!”

“Shut up unless you want to live without that ear for the rest of your life. We won’t be able to stick it back on unless we heal it now.”

“We’re really sorry. He’s not a bad guy, but he runs his mouth like a dog when he gets drunk.”

The man’s peers collected him and immediately made themselves scarce. The others, who had been frightened by the blood and the ear rolling across the dirt, slowly distanced themselves from them.

Arhad turned around and looked to Ianna, still behind him, with a small smile when he felt the uncomfortable looks turn away from them.

“Let’s go.”

Ianna looked up at Arhad with a strange light in her eyes. In the past, she had had to fend for herself whenever someone insulted her, but now someone was willing to even kill the offender in her stead as he shielded her.

She had not had anyone at her side in the past. Ianna had always been alone, and others had only pointed fingers at her, insulted her, and cursed at her —no one had ever covered her protectively and gotten angry on her behalf. That was why Ianna had always had to look out for herself.

But things were different in this life.

The road grew rougher, and the people who had been walking with them scattered when the path ended. Ianna, Arhad, and Chendelf made their way to where there weren’t any other people. They saw parties hunting small monsters like kobolds or goblins as they walked, but Ianna only grew more restless as they kept walking.

“Keeeck!”

It was because the monsters, which always barred their sharp fangs against humans, would freeze up as soon as Arhad so much as looked in their general direction. There were even some that trembled and soiled the rags they were wearing.

Ianna witnessed the bizarre happenings as she continued to observe Arhad. The hunters took the chance while the monsters were frozen stiff to cut off their heads or pierce their hearts.

“What’s with them today?”

“Who cares? Maybe they’re just cramping up a lot today.”

Ianna felt that something was off.

‘……Are the monsters really freezing up in fright just because he looked at them?’

There was no way this could be true. Naturally, the monsters were not afraid of Ianna when she looked at them. They weren’t even aware that she was doing it. But it was different for Arhad.

Ianna stole a glance up at Arhad. She probably wouldn’t learn anything even if she asked him directly. He’d already told her that he didn’t know the cause himself from the get go. Ianna didn’t know if he was lying or if he really didn’t know, but she could understand why he might want to lie about it. If he was lying, then it was probably because the truth exceeded the realm of common sense.

“Where do we go, Chendelf?”

Ianna asked Chendelf when all trace of human presences vanished from their surroundings.

“Hmmm. Do you see that mountain over there with the very sharp peak?”

Ianna looked to where Chendelf was pointing. The peak he was pointing to was very sharp and was piercing the heavens like a fang. It was different from the mountain peaks around it, and almost seemed man-made.

“That mountain is a landmark that leads to our village. Let’s head there first.”

“I’ll be carrying you again as we run, Mr. Chendelf.”

“……!”

Chendelf paled visibly when he heard what Arhad had said, but he nodded anyway even though he was trembling in fear.

They ran quickly. They passed through the rustling forestry, and the trees and grasses gradually disappeared and was replaced by the reddened earth and dirt as they header deeper into the mountains. And then, they found themselves in an area devoid of any green —there was only dirt and rock. Eventually, the shell of forestry disappeared completely, and they began to see the southernmost corner of the world, the Karankell Rocky Mountains, in its true glory.

They began running in earnest once they had entered the desolate mountains. There were hardly any humans around, as only the exceptionally skilled made their way into the middle areas of Karankell, and nothing in particular caught their attention.

“Haaaaaah.”

Chendelf was making strange noises, as usual.

“Wake up, Chendelf. Which way do we go?”

Ianna asked as soon as they had reached the pointed mountain that Chendelf had identified, and Chendelf stumbled over his words as he asked Arhad to put him down.

“I-I can’t think straight while we’re running, so I think it’ll be difficult for me to show you the way. I’ll call us another guide.”

Chendelf dizzily put his hands on the earth.

“Come out, Tamatan!”

A bit of divine power left Chendelf’s heart and dampened the earth. The dirt around Chendelf’s hands lifted up and something popped out, just like what happened when Finn summoned a spirit of earth. It was a little mole made of dirt. The mole called Tamatan started playfully jumping around Chendelf’s legs as soon as it came out.

Tamatan ran up to Ianna and circled around her as well. It was like it wanted her to touch it. Ianna was about to reach out and touch the spirit as was habit before she quickly pulled her hand back. She stole a glance at Arhad’s face. Arhad’s brows were a little furrowed, but he didn’t seem all too curious, as anyone seeing a spirit for the first time should have been.

“You’re familiar with the spirits?”

“Yes, I am. I’ve seen Mr. Hanidelf summon them before when I was young. And I’ve also seen a few members of the mythical races that Lord Heinrich is acquainted with summon them as well.”

Ianna was surprised to learn that Arhad had many more contacts with the mythical races than she’d imagined. In that case, would it be all right to show Arhad the spirit kings? He might be surprised at first, but he was likely to accept them grow accustomed to them quickly enough.

But Ianna opted to postpone that decision. She didn’t know why, but she was uneasy about introducing Arhad to the spirit kings.

When Tamatan ran back to Chendelf, Chendelf asked,

“You know my village, right? Lead us there! As quickly as you can!”

Tamatan jumped up and down before shooting off into another direction like an arrow. Tamatan upturned the dirt in its path, which then became a trail the party could follow.

Ianna and Arhad ran along the path that Tamatan had made for them. They started venturing into monster territory as they ran deeper into Karankell. But no monsters attacked them even though they were running straight through their territory. No, not only that, but Ianna even sensed that any monsters in their path were hurriedly moving away from them.

They continued smoothly without any obstacles in their way. The only thing they came across were faint footsteps and dust.

“……!”

Arhad suddenly covered his mouth with his hand. Ianna turned to him, alarmed.

“Are you all right?”

Arhad closed his eyes.

“It’s nothing. I just haven’t been feeling well.”

Arhad’s face was pallid. There were a few beads of sweat across his forehead.

‘When did this start?’

Ianna was bewildered. She was perfectly fine, but someone as sturdy as Arhad of all people was having such a hard time? Even if he was carrying Chendelf?

“Are you tired? Shall I carry Chendelf instead? Or should we rest a bit?”

“It’s not because I’m tired. It’d be better if we could run to the village as soon as possible.”

Ianna’s mood soured when she heard his low mumbling. She slowed down until she eventually came to a stop.

“Have you truly recovered from your illness?”

Arhad’s illness was the first thing that Ianna thought about.

Herrace had said that he had taken the medicine that temporarily stopped his heart often because of the curse of mana. Even without the medicine, the curse of mana put a strain on his heart because mana flooded into it like crazy. And Arhad had apparently experienced similar symptoms. Ianna grew worried that there might be a problem with his heart.

And, now that she thought about it, Arhad had said that he had “gotten over” his illness, not that he was “completely cured” of it. It was possible that his heart would start acting up again if he pushed himself too far.

Arhad stopped running and looked back at Ianna. Ianna glared back at him in displeasure.

“Why do you take so much sick leave from the Institution?”

Arhad fell silent for a moment before he spoke again, unable to withstand Ianna’s persistent glare.

“The truth is that I am ill.”

Ianna’s face warped. She had thought that he had been absent because he was busy planning his conquest of the Bahamut Empire —but he had actually been sick?

“What kind of illness is it? Will you recover?”

He had been perfectly fine in their last lives, so he would surely recover one day. But, no. It was entirely possible that he had always been sick in the past and Ianna simply hadn’t known.

“You could call it a heart condition, I suppose. It’s impossible to cure with medicine. It’s an illness that I’ll have to live with for the rest of my life. I’ve had it since I was young.”

“Then, does controlling mana pose a problem for you? Lord Maimayè said that mana used to flood into your heart when you were young…….”

Herrace said that he brushed against death whenever he tried to control mana. And that his constitution was weak because of the strain his heart was under. Ianna looked grave. Then, Arhad waved his hands.

“Not at all. I said that I’ve gotten over that, remember? I’m perfectly fine while controlling mana, and I’m truly fine even if I push myself.”

“Then what kind of illness is it?”

“……I get symptoms periodically, and the time between the onset of my symptoms decreases with each cycle.”

“What are your symptoms?”

Arhad looked hesitant when Ianna asked, but he eventually answered,

“Slumber. I fall asleep if I don’t take my medicine before my symptoms start. And I remain asleep until I take my medicine again. For days, months……but there aren’t any problems as long as I take my medicine on time.”

What a peculiar illness. To think that he falls asleep if he doesn’t take his medicine on time —to think that such an illness even exists.

But then again, an illness like the curse of mana existed as well. Ianna knew little about medicine or illness beyond basic first aid, so all she could do was accept the fact that such bizarre illnesses existed.

“Is it easy for you to procure this medicine?”

“……Yes.”

There had been a slight pause before his answer, but Arhad had affirmed. He probably wasn’t lying. In the past, Arhad had travelled all across the continent during his war of conquest.

Ianna had never imagined even in her wildest dreams that he could be afflicted with such a strange illness. But, even if he had never been able to cure his illness and had lived with it all his life in the past, he could still obtain his medicine easily enough, and it had probably posed no problem on his health since he had not only waged his war of conquest for over a decade but had also overwhelmed Ianna in battle time and time again.

“So, you’re saying that your illness poses no danger to your health?”

“Yes. I can still live a full life. It’s just a chronic illness, so there’s no need for you to worry so much. Oh…….”

Arhad smiled in delight. He continued,

“Were you worried for me? Thank you.”

Ianna wanted to ask him more questions, but she held back because Arhad had effectively ended the conversation by being so delighted about her worry.

“In any event, it’s not due to my chronic illness that I’m having trouble right now. But I’d like to get out of this place as soon as possible.”

“Why is that?”

Ianna voiced her doubts. She felt that the reason wasn’t because he had business to attend to back at Theodore. He had looked perfectly calm, as if he had already forgotten about whatever business he had, when they first entered Karankell.

Arhad closed his eyes as he placed a hand on his forehead.

“I’ve been getting certain impulses that have been tiring me out psychologically…….”

“Impulses?”

“Shall I say that the fleeing monsters are grating on my nerves?”

Arhad said as he looked to the direction in which monsters were running away from them. Ianna froze up the very moment she saw him look.

Why was it? She had broken out in goosebumps.

Arhad remained exactly the same. He hadn’t done anything special in particular —he had simply looked to where the monsters were. But Ianna felt like she had seen a vicious beast baring its sharp fangs at its prey.

Arhad turned away from the monsters and smiled gently at Ianna.

“Anyway, it’s no big deal. You needn’t be concerned. Let’s be off.”

“But Chendelf doesn’t look too well, Sir. I think we’ll have to take a short break.”

Ultimately, they decided to take a break in the shadow of a large rock that shielded them from the scorching sun. No monsters approached them.

Ianna stole glances at Arhad. Arhad was covering his face with his hands. Ianna started observing him openly, since she didn’t think he could see her anyway.

‘What secrets are this man hiding?’

Chendelf had said that Arhad was like a great beast whom he felt would tear him apart at any moment even when Arhad wasn’t pointing bloodlust at him. Ianna recalled the strange feeling she had gotten earlier.

What are you? Are you not an ordinary human being? Why are the monsters so afraid of you? And what was that just earlier?

Arhad was covering his eyes. Ianna reached out to him before she realized what she was doing.

I know that you are a strong and terrifying man. But in spite of all that, you are my rival whom I’m eager to defeat, and you are now also someone who will one day be my master…….

Arhad flinched when Ianna’s fingers brushed against his arm. He reacted openly, and his golden eyes, which had been covered by his hands, looked to Ianna.

“…….”

Ianna locked eyes with him for a moment, unable to even take her hand off his arm, before she finally regained her senses.

“My apologies.”

Ianna withdrew her hand and pressed her forehead against her knees.

Why was it?

The reason why she had wanted to confirm it with her own hands……was because Arhad had seemed unfamiliar to her for a moment.

He was her one and only rival, the man who would one day become both the emperor had her master.

She had thought that this was all there was to him, and she was disconcerted when she suddenly felt his identity grow more confusing than a maze.

“Ahhhhhhhhh!”

Just then, a scream from far away bit into Ianna’s ears. Ianna jumped up and turned to where the screaming was coming from. It was growing closer by the second. The earth rumbled and vibrated around them. Ianna narrowed her eyes and stared at where a large cloud of dust was kicking up.

She found about twenty or so large orcs. But, unlike normal orcs, which were greenish with pig-like heads, these were black and had horns growing out of their heads. Ianna remembered reading about them.

Black orcs —a high-level subspecies of orc that could grow up to five horns and grew stronger and studier with each horn. Ianna scanned the orcs’ heads to find that they all had at least three horns. There were about five or six humans screaming as they ran away from the powerful orcs.

Ianna looked to Arhad. Should they leave, or should they stay sitting here? Considering how monsters had reacted to Arhad up until now, it was likely the orcs would just leave on their own. That, or they would freeze stiff and neither run toward nor away from them.

“…….”

Arhad furrowed his brows heavily because he had a splitting headache, but he eventually turned to where the noise was coming from. There was a strange light emitting from his eyes.

“Hey, y-y-you there!”

The people running desperately from the horde of orcs had spotted Ianna, Arhad, and the pallid Chendelf.

“S-save us! Please! No, run!”

The orcs behind them were breathing out steam from their noses in anger. Ianna spotted a strange-looking orc among the horde. One of the orcs was carrying the corpse of a baby orc on its shoulder, and several arrows were sticking out from the baby orc’s body —they had probably belonged to the people who were running away from them.

Even the weakest of monsters had some semblance of intelligence and cared for their families. It was obvious that the horde of monsters was chasing down the humans because they were angry that the humans had killed their child.

The orcs, who were carrying large axes and clubs, were so lost in their rage that they failed to realize that Arhad was there. The orcs were closing in on the group, and Ianna contemplated her next actions for moment before turning to Arhad. He didn’t look too well.

Ianna placed her hand on the hilt of the sword strapped to her waist and prepared to draw it. The distance between the orcs and the group of people was getting shorter. The people would get caught sooner rather than later, and, even if it was their fault to begin with, Ianna felt like it would ruin her mood to watch them be ripped apart by the monsters.

Chendelf hid behind the rock he had been leaning against and crouched down when he saw Ianna preparing to draw her blade.

Click—

Her sword hit against her scabbard. Ianna waited for the right moment. She was planning to take the initiative and draw her sword right after the people had bypassed her and slaughter the orcs.

“Wait, Little Ianna.”

Arhad got up and stood in front of Ianna. He continued,

“I’ll handle this.”

Arhad was giving off a strange vibe. Ianna missed her timing to draw and the people rushed past her while screaming, and she heard the blood-curdling whisper of a sword slipping out of its sheath. Arhad had swung his sword, which he had drawn in but an instant, horizontally. A cruel slash rushed toward the orcs.

“Kwehk!”

The orcs at the front of the horde were immediately bisected, and the orcs at the rear stiffened up as soon as they saw Arhad. Arhad ran in between the frozen orcs and butchered them.

“E-eek!”

The people who had been running from the orcs looked back when they realized they were no longer being chased and fell back in alarm when they saw the massacre Arhad was carrying out. They continued to stare at him in a blank daze.

Orcs were relatively intelligent, and the survivors quickly realized that they were about to die when they saw their brethren fall around them. They cried out and lunged for Arhad in one last struggle.

Contrary to their efforts, the orcs never managed to even scratch Arhad as their numbers continued to dwindle. The orcs that tried to flee in fright were killed when a released fortification came flying at them, and the orcs who made one last desperate stand were sliced apart weapons and all.

Ianna could not leave the frightened Chendelf behind and join the fray. She guarded the dwarf hiding behind her as she observed the situation. She did not think for even a moment that Arhad was helping the fleeing people because he had taken pity on them.

“Shall I say that the fleeing monsters are grating on my nerves?”

Why was he suddenly taking offense to the monsters?

Eventually, only four orcs with five horns on their heads each remained.

“Grrr.”

The orcs glared at Arhad as they quivered in fear. They saw their fallen brethren on the ground and flinched, momentarily at a loss, before they firmly took hold of their weapons and roared as they rushed toward him.

Swoosh—

One orc’s head fell to the ground as Arhad’s sword drew a diagonally upward trail of light in the air.

One.

Arhad kicked aside the blade of an axe and cut down the orc that had swung it at him when its arm was pulled aside with its weapon, rendering it defenseless.

Two.

A club came flying for Arhad with enough force to burst his head apart, but Arhad dodged by bending forward a little and struck his sword into the orc only to pull his sword back out the other side.

Three.

It had all happened in but the span of three short breaths.

But then, Arhad began acting strangely. He had cast aside his sword. Ianna opened her eyes wide.

‘There’s still one left —what is he doing?!’

The last orc charged at Arhad and smirked a little when it saw the blade that had slain its brethren hit the ground. It swung its axe will all its might from behind Arhad, thinking that it had an opening.

Ianna drew her sword. She clutched it tight as she prepared to release a fortification at the orc. But Arhad quickly drew closer to the orc and pushed his taut arm deep into the left side of the orc’s chest.

Poow!

Arhad’s clawed hand had pierced through the orc’s tough muscles and buried into the left side of its chest, where its heart was. Ianna heard the sound of muscle tearing apart from where Arhad’s arm was buried inside the orc’s chest. Arhad was holding the orc’s still-beating heart in his hand when he broke out through the orc’s back.

There was no crimson shower of blood to herald its death. Nor did the orc go on a rampage. The people did not breath out sighs of relief that the orcs had been safely exterminated, they did not laugh in joy, and not did they express their astonishment that Arhad had dealt with all the orcs so quickly by himself. There was only a strange and subdued silence.

The silence stemmed from the fact that Arhad’s arm had pierced through the orc’s flesh and bone so readily that he had even managed to rip out its heart.

Then, the orc’s heart burst in Arhad’s grasp.

Ianna’s heart sank heavily the very moment she witnessed Arhad’s brutality.

But it wasn’t because his actions had been cruel. She didn’t know why she suddenly felt this way. Her head had suddenly felt like it was about to split open just as the muscles in Arhad’s arms contracted and the monster’s heart had burst in his grasp.

Her bewilderment only increased when an aura began flowing out from the monster’s heart. Something was flowing out from the monster’s heart and down through Arhad’s arm. It flowed up through his blood vessels and coagulated in Arhad’s heart.

Ianna knew what it was. It was divine power.

Pshhh!

Fresh red blood erupted from the hole in the orc’s chest like a volcano when Arhad pulled out his arm. The people, who had been watching over the cruel spectacle with bated breath, placed their hands over their hearts in fright only to be relieved to find that their own hearts were beating furiously.

“Ugh!”

Ianna shut her eyes tight. Her head was suddenly ringing. It hurt so much, like it was about to splinter like broken glass, and she supported herself against the rock beside her as she bit down at her lip.

Ianna blinked in a daze. Her vision was hazy. The wasteland had disappeared, and all she saw was fog. But someone was standing there. And she was enraged at something that was as hazy as an afterimage. And in their hand……was something thumping furiously in the raging winds…….

“Little Ianna!”

Ianna snapped back to her senses as a pressing voice called out to her. Her vision cleared, and all she saw now was a bewildered Arhad grabbing hold of her arm. The illusion she had seen just moments ago had all but disappeared in an instant.

Ianna blinked.

‘What was that?’

She shut her eyes tight and clutched at her throbbing forehead.

“Why are you sweating so much? Are you hurt anywhere?”

Ianna simply leaned against the rock in a daze without even bothering to answer him.

“Oh, the blood…….”

Arhad realized that the blood on his hand was dying Ianna’s clothes crimson and quickly let go. But then, Ianna opened her eyes and quickly pulled back at Arhad’s blood-drenched hand. Ianna stared piercingly at his hand. It reeked of blood, but there was nothing exceptional about it.

“Were you shocked by what I did? I’m sorry. I lost my mind for a moment…….”

Ianna whipped her head up and looked at Arhad in his obvious bewilderment. She slowly let go of the rock and wiped the sweat off her face as she posed him a question laced heavily with suspicion.

“Why did you go out of your way to burst open the monster’s heart?”

“…….”

Arhad looked awfully nervous. His jaw was visibly stiff. Eventually, he wrung out a response.

“I must have gotten too……excited while I was dealing with the monsters. I’m sorry you had to see that.”

“Then what was that energy you absorbed into your heart?”

Arhad stiffened up.

“The……what?”

Arhad spoke slowly, as though he was short of breath. What do you mean, “what”? Ianna squeezed his wrist tighter. Is he trying to dodge the question? Preposterous.

“The strange energy that burst out from the monster’s heart and was immediately sucked into yours. It definitely wasn’t mana.”

“…….”

The people whom the orcs had been chasing timidly walked up to them as Arhad opened and closed his mouth in a state of panic.

“T-thank you.”

They gasped in surprise when they saw Arhad from up close. They had thought he would be at least middle-aged due to his astonishing skill, but he was actually younger than they had expected and so good-looking it was surreal. But then, they tilted their heads to the side in bafflement. He had slaughtered the orcs so brutally that even they, the party being rescued, could not help but cower in terror, and yet he was unbefittingly frozen stiff in panic as a young girl grabbed him by the hand.

Without taking her eyes off of Arhad’s wavering golden ones, Ianna said,

“If you’re all settled, then you may leave.”

That was all she said. Ianna took one glance at them before turning around and dragging Arhad away.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry, but could you come with us?”

They followed after Ianna as they pleaded. Where they were currently was much more dangerous than the forests near the entrance to Karankell. The Karankell Rocky Mountains was a place where skilled and well-prepared warriors came to explore or average busybodies came to risk their lives in search of treasure and fame —and it was a place where everyone, regardless of whether they were the former or the latter, courted death as they inched closer to the heart of the mountains.

The group that had nearly been killed by the orcs belonged to the latter. They had brashly entered the Karankell Rocky Mountains with only their pride in their skills and their lust to uncover the secrets of the four corners, and they were exhausted from being attacked by one powerful monster after another nonstop.

There had been twenty of them at first. Nothing had attacked them when they had first left the forests or entered the middle regions of Karankell. The monsters, drooling in anticipation of prey, had been waiting patiently until they had left safety behind them.

And then, the monsters had suddenly started attacking. Large tentacles belonging to some kind of plant had dragged some of their companions underground, and a sudden pack of werewolves had dragged away some of their companions with their sharp fangs in the night. When the sun was shining so bright it was difficult to keep their eyes open, bird-like monsters that had been hiding in the light had snatched some of their companions and flown away. And so, their friends had vanished one by one.

The remaining survivors had finally and just barely managed to find a place to hide and collect their breathing, exhausting from the constant running, when a baby orc had found them and had started shrieking while running toward them. The survivors had turned their arrows on the baby orc and turned it into a pincushion in their indignation at being chased around as prey for monsters.

And then, they had been scared out of their minds when a colossal horde of black orcs had appeared from behind the dead baby orc!

The four corners, the outermost reaches of the continent, had become the monsters’ habitat after being cornered there by humanity long ago during the dawn of the Age of Magic. Legends stated that the four corners had become saturated by monsters in exchange for the extermination of monsters from human territory.

Those who had forgotten the legends and lived peaceful lives hunted monsters for game and scorned the legends of the four corners that warned them otherwise, but those who knew how terrifying the monsters could be did not. The people who only survived because Arhad had just so happened to save them had surely learned from what they had experienced over the last few days and knew all the way to their very bones now as to why the four corners were forbidden lands in all but name.

The monsters in the four corners were on a different level from the monsters they had been hunting up until now. If the main continent was where humans hunted monsters, then the four corners were where monsters hunted humanity.

They badly wanted to leave Karankell, but they were not confident that they could escaped unharmed. They were all injured, and it was obvious to them that monsters would rush for them like mad after smelling their blood.

Which was why they wanted to travel with Arhad. They eyed the orc corpses fearfully before deciding that they would surely be able to leave unharmed if they travelled with Arhad.

And yet, they found themselves unable to bring themselves to ask the swordsman of inhuman skill, who had not only slaughtered the black orcs in an instant but had also burst open a beating heart with his bare hand like some kind of monster with a grudge against life, for help.

But now, that very same amazing swordsman was being intimidated by a mere girl? And so, they bowed their heads to Ianna instead. They had, unfortunately, asked the wrong person.

“You were the ones who decided to enter this place, and you were also the ones who murdered the baby orc and enraged the rest of the horde. You are responsible for your own injuries, and we have no obligation to help you when we’ve only met you today. We have our own business to attend to, so leave us.”

Wintry winds seemed to blow as Ianna spoke. It might have been a different story if they were on their way back, but they certainly didn’t have time to look after the group when they were already busy themselves. Additionally, Ianna’s party was currently headed for the dwarves’ village, and they wouldn’t be able to bring the people there. And neither did Ianna feel inclined to help them at the cost of being unable to attend to her own affairs.

More importantly, Ianna’s attention was currently focused on the ashen-faced Arhad. That which had burst out from the monster’s heart and flowed into his fingers and the palm of his hand, that which had mixed into his blood poured into its final destination in Arhad’s heart. Divine power.

What did it mean that the divine power had plastered itself over his heart? It was almost as if he had taken the monster’s life and had plastered it over his own…….

The scene she had witnessed earlier filled her mind. Ianna did not want to care about others at the moment.

“You’re too cruel, Miss. If you’re human…….”

Someone in the group said, sounding close to tears, when they heard the icy words that had left Ianna’s mouth.

“I will not repeat myself.”

There was bloodlust in Ianna’s eyes as she looked back at them. She continued,

“You should be grateful we saved you at all. You would’ve been orc food by now if we had simply let you be. And we would have suffered as well, had the orcs been stronger than us. And yet, not only did you put us in harm’s way and get saved by us —now you even want us to escort you out too?”

“…….”

“I already told you that we have business to attend to. We saved you when you were drowning —do you except us to give you the clothes on our back and the shoes at our feet too?”

“I can escort them out, Little Ianna.”

Was he trying to dodge the question? Arhad shut his mouth when Ianna grabbed his wrist tighter. She kept her grasp on Arhad’s wrist and she issued the group a warning in a blood-curdling voice.

“Leave —unless you wish to die where you stand.”

Fear overtook them. They didn’t know why, but they were suddenly afraid that they would die by the sword dangling at the girl’s waist if they didn’t leave immediately.

“Please have mercy on us, Miss!”

“Please save us, Miss! We don’t want to die here!”

“Please help us! We’ll give you everything we have —just please get us out of here!”

But their fear of Ianna was overshadowed by the terror they had felt as they ran away while abandoning their friends who were being eaten. One member of the group jumped forward and fell to his knees before Ianna while sobbing, and the others soon followed suit.

Ianna furrowed his brows sharply in displeasure.

Not only did it not sit well with her to kill off those who hadn’t even committed a capital offense and were begging for their lives, but it also wasn’t the best time nor place to ask Arhad about divine power. She also had to escort Chendelf back to his village quickly.

“……Little Ianna.”

Arhad called out to her just then.

“I don’t wish to lie to you. So can you please just look away from this?”

His quiet voice was so desperate that it sounded like his throat was closing in on itself. Ianna turned to Arhad. His face was pale with despair, like the world would end if he dared answer her question.

Ianna lowered her gaze and looked at Arhad’s free hand, which she wasn’t holding. It was clenched into a fist so tight his nails were digging into the flesh of his palm.

“…….”

Arhad closed his eyes when Ianna didn’t answer and slowly opened them again and looked down at the kneeling group while drawing back a little.

“I’ll take them back to the forest. We shouldn’t be very far from our destination, so please make your way there with Mr. Chendelf.”

“T-thank you, thank you!”

The group jumped up with a visible cheer and bowed to Arhad in a hurry. Ianna sighed. What Arhad had proposed was technically the best solution.

“Mr. Chendelf. How much further is it?”

“Um, hold on a moment…….”

Chendelf pat at the dirt while still a little disconcerted. He continued,

“Not much further, judging by how soft the dirt is and by the fact that there are tiny pebbles mixed into it. Usually, it would take longer because we would have to avoid the monsters’ territories, but we’ve been travelling in a straight line, so it shouldn’t even take a day if we follow Tamatan.”

Ianna nodded.

“Then that’s what we’ll do. But before that…”

Ianna pulled at Arhad’s hand, which she still hadn’t let go of. She gestured with her head when Arhad, who looked much calmer now, snapped back to his senses. She continued,

“Could you step aside with me for a moment? Chendelf, please wait here.”

“B-but…”

Chendelf faltered. It looked like he was afraid of the dazed humans. And so, Ianna cautioned the anxious group by saying,

“I’ll make you regret it if you approach him or even talk to him, so stay where you stand and don’t move a muscle.”

“Y-yes! We understand, Miss!”

“I’ll be back soon, so please don’t worry.”

Ianna dragged Arhad away by the wrist after Chendelf had gingerly nodded. She only let go of his wrist once they had gotten far enough among the rocks that no one could eavesdrop on or even see them. Arhad’s arm flinched and twitched a little when the sturdy restraint binding it was suddenly removed.

Ianna stared at the anxious Arhad for a moment before saying,

“I won’t ask if you tell me not to. But is this issue really that important to you, Sir?”

“It’s a bit embarrassing for me to say. So I don’t wish to tell you.”

Ianna stared deep into Arhad and said,

“All right. But I already know what that energy was. Is there still a reason why I should look the other way when I already know?”

Arhad’s eyes opened wide as he looked to Ianna.

“It was divine energy, or life itself, was it not?”

“How do you…….”

“I see that you knew about divine power too, Sir. I happened to hear about it from a spirit that I met by chance. The spirit told me that divine power was the energy that allowed it to manifest in the world, and it told me that divine power was like life itself. I was curious as to why you absorbed it……. Could you please at least tell me why? Is your illness, perhaps…….”

Arhad, who had been listening quietly, suddenly grabbed Ianna by the shoulders.

“……!”

Ianna was pushed roughly into a rock before she could even understand what was going on. She closed her eyes in alarm when she suddenly felt her back hit against a hard surface, and she looked up at Arhad again upon opening them. The light in Arhad’s eyes were wrought with chaos when she looked back at them. The edges of his lips were twisted down.

“Then…….”

All traces of his earlier timidity had vanished from his voice, and he was seething with rage. The fury escaping his voice colored his visage. He continued,

“……You knew?”

Arhad’s face distorted and his lips were quivering.

“I’d thought that it was just an ignorant mistake…… But you knew, you knew, and yet you still used a damned spirit to create the dwarf’s hands……?!”

“Oh…….”

Ianna voiced before she could stop herself. The fury he was erupting with now was the same rage that he had so desperately hidden away throughout their entire journey south. And Ianna could infer what it was that Arhad knew and why he had grown so enraged when he had first seen Chendelf’s hands.

Arhad already knew about divine power, and he already knew that divine power was life.  He knew that calling forth a spirit consumed divine power, and he knew that synthesizing a body required divine power as well.

‘He was angry at me for shaving away at my lifespan to recreate Chendelf’s hands.’

Arhad’s grasped her tighter, and his golden eyes glistened with bloodlust, though Ianna didn’t know who it was directed at. Arhad was unable to hold back his fury and he grit his teeth together, as if he was keeping himself from raising his voice, as he said,

“I’m warning you, but don’t use divine power so recklessly. Your lifespan will decrease the more you use it! How could you use your divine power for the likes of a mere dwarf……?”

Arhad was seething with anger as he spoke, but then he realized what he was saying and immediately shut his mouth in alarm. Ianna did not miss this opportunity.

She reached out. She grabbed Arhad by the collar and pulled him up to her. When he was close enough that their faces were nearly touching, she whispered,

“You don’t need to try so hard to hide it. I already know that you’re the leader of Camastros.”

“……!”

Arhad’s eyes opened wide in shock. Ianna continued,

“Chendelf told me. He said you were leader of Camastros.”

It technically wasn’t a lie. It was still true that Chendelf had told her that Arhad was the leader of Camastros —she had simply known about it beforehand.

Arhad froze when he was unexpectedly outed. He forgot even his anger as his froze stiff and worked the gears in his head to figure out what was going on.

“You’re hiding quite a lot. Which means you must have a lot to say going forward. Isn’t that right, Ro?”

Ianna smirked as she let go of Arhad’s collar. The dam had broken because of what Arhad had accidentally let slip, and now it was time to deal with the waters.

Ianna was quite pleased with the situation. She had regained much of her composure. She smiled as she raised her hands up.

“I don’t intend to rush things. You and I will probably be working together for a while, so I’m sure there’ll be plenty of opportunities for me to hear what you have to say.”

“…….”

“What you decide to tell me will play a huge role in how we establish our relationship. So please take the time to decide what you want to do by the time I get back.”

Ianna did not intend to break her promise to Arhad no matter what sorts of secrets the rushing waters carried.

“Let’s go.”

Ianna started walking away, but Arhad failed to wrap his head around everything she had abruptly said and could not even begin to think about moving his feet. Ianna looked back at him.

“Aren’t you coming? Then, I’ll see you later.”

Ianna smiled gently as she left Arhad behind.

“…….”

Arhad, who watched her retreating figure with shaking eyes, clutched tightly at the wrist Ianna had been holding earlier.

~~*~~

Part 9

—Swiiiish!

Whoosh.

Ianna was running forward in the straight line when a large snake —a king snake— shot up at her from the grasses in her blind spot with its mouth wide open. It’s giant frame shattered trees and rocks as it lurched in anticipation of swallowing its prey. The red tongue peeking out from its mouth slithered toward the delicious prey, the human and the dwarf, in front of it.

Ianna dodged to the side by kicking hard against the ground when the snake’s head lunged toward her like a ballista and drew her already bloodied sword. But the snake had already twisted its neck and had chased after Ianna like an arrow.

Clang!

Ianna’s sword clashed against the snake’s treacherous fangs and the snake’s overwhelming strength sent Ianna flying through the air. But Ianna simply somersaulted midair and landed as if nothing had happened. The snake judged that Ianna, who had a delicious aroma about her, was quite the powerful meal, and its yellowish eyes glistened as it sashayed and lunged at her again.

“Ughhhhh.”

It was only Chendelf, who was being held under Ianna’s arm, who was in such a panic that he couldn’t think straight.

—Swiish!

“Ahhhhhh!”

Chendelf screamed his head off when a pair of fangs dripping with deadly venom passed right before his eyes. Ianna’s eyes narrowed at she looked down and Chendelf, who was about to pass out, and smirked. They had already been attacked by several ferocious monsters by now, but he hadn’t grown accustomed to it at all.

Ianna poured some strength into her legs and readjusted her grip on the sword in her right hand.

Shhhhh…….

A writhing crimson aura covered her blade as she fortified it. The sword’s immediate surroundings were dyed in the color of a vivid blaze that was as bright as the sun. Mana swirled as it was sucked into her blade and was plastered densely around it, and Ianna ran directly for the snake that was lunging at her ferociously instead of moving to avoid it. She quickly changed the direction of her feet just as the snake’s head was right in front of her nose and held her blade flat to the side. Her blade struck exactly at the edge of the snake’s mouth.

Crack.

Ianna held the hilt of her sword firmly.

Riiip!

Ianna ran along the length of the snake as she ripped it in two from mouth to tail.

Craaash!

The snake was no longer moving. The snake’s head had crashed against a rock and the rest of its corpse didn’t even quiver as blood and entrails dripped out from its wound, and the tension left Chendelf’s body as he saw the monster’s pathetic end. Ianna flicked the blood off her sword as she mumbled,

“This is fun.”

It had truly been a while since she had last been able to wield her sword to her heart’s content without holding back. She had fought the Black Fox not too long ago, but their bloodlust had been nothing compared to the monsters’.

The familiar stench of blood pierced her nose and awoke her senses. Truly, a real fight was always fun. Ianna idly wondered……if she should apply to a monster extermination expedition once she returned to the Institution. It wasn’t a bad idea, as she would both get extra credit for her combat classes and also be exempt from certain other classes if she participated in an expedition.

“…….”

Chendelf had heard what Ianna had mumbled but pretended that he hadn’t. Tamatan began moving again as soon as Ianna had finished taking care of the monster and Ianna quickly followed after it.

The monsters had begun attacking relentlessly now that Arhad was no longer in their party. An ogre larger than a centuries-old tree, werewolves that howled as they charged in, iron scorpions with carapaces of steel, plant-like teleteles with sticky tentacles and sharp teeth, giant king snakes as thick as three trees were wide…….

Ianna was trying to avoid as many monsters as she could so they could reach the village as quickly as possible, but she could not help that it took some time to stop and finish off any monsters that attacked and chased after them persistently.

They hadn’t even come close when Arhad had been with her, but they attacked Ianna like they were sworn enemies now that he wasn’t. The situation had completely turned on its head, and the only point of difference that stood out was Arhad’s presence. Ianna had an inkling that the answer to the question, ‘Why are the monsters so afraid of Arhad?’ lay in the heart.

Arhad’s heart condition, the fact that he had absorbed life from a monster’s heart, the fact that Chendelf had said that it felt like there was something mixed into him, the fact that both monsters and dwarves alike were terrified of him.

The pieces of the puzzle were fitting together one by one and the tangled-up truth was pointing to the heart.

Arhad’s actions had made it clear that he stole divine power from monsters often. He had probably stolen divine power from all sorts of monsters —no wonder it was all mixed together in his heart.

He was an apex predator in every sense of the word.

Perhaps there could be another explanation behind everything, but Ianna had no way of knowing it.

Ianna started being able to see the silhouette of the village in the dust after she had been running while carrying Chendelf under her arm for several hours. She hadn’t needed to match Chendelf’s pace while running while carrying him.

“F-finally…….”

Chendelf trembled and asked Ianna to put him down, so Ianna slowed down and put him down next to her.

Ianna collected her ragged breathing and took in the scenery before her. Stacks of white smoke were rising up from behind a wall made of stacked rocks. The village was still far away, but she could already hear the bold sound of hammers crashing down on steel. She even thought that her sharp nose was picking up the smell of dust and steel.

Chendelf quivered as he took a step closer to his village.

“H-hmm? Ack, who’s there? A-a human?! A human all the way here?!”

A dwarven guard, who had been snoozing on the job, nearly forgot to breathe when he saw Ianna’s tall frame and made to run back to the village. Just then, Chendelf yelled,

“Bebadelf! It’s me, Chendelf!”

The dwarf, Bebadelf, froze and stopped in his tracks when he heard Chendelf’s voice and name. Bebadelf ran up to him when Chendelf took off his robe and stared at the latter in disbelief. Chendelf smirked,

“I’m just as fat and chunky as I’ve always been —what are you staring at me like that for?”

“Am I still half-asleep?”

“Maybe. Will a good smack wake you up?”

Bebadelf slapped himself on the cheeks in his bewilderment. He scowled as his cheeks began to sting.

“Are you really Chendelf? You rascal……we thought you were eaten by monsters since you haven’t been back in over six months!”

“Damnit —do I look dead to you?!”

“But we really thought you were dead!”

The two dwarves hugged each other tight, just like Chendelf had with Hanidelf. Other dwarves from the village began pouring out one by one as they continued to make a fuss as the village entrance. They had grown curious about the loud noises they heard from the entrance, as the village didn’t usually get visitors.

They stepped back at first when they saw how tall Ianna was, and then they looked like they had seen a ghost when they saw Chendelf standing next to her.

“Wait, but that’s…!”

“Isn’t that Chendelf?”

“I think you’re right —no, you are right! It’s Brother Chendelf!”

“Goodness, it really is Chendelf! Hurry and fetch your father, child!”

Ianna stepped back a few steps as dwarves began pouring out and circling around him and watched over his warm welcome. The dwarves smacked him or tugged at his beard in the name of checking if he was a dwarf or a ghost, but Chendelf was laughing brightly in good cheer. Ianna felt like it had been worth the effort to see Chendelf like that as she leaned her dusty body against the village walls.

Ianna was guided to the village elder’s home. The dwarves regarded her with curiosity. They did not conduct trade with the Jabellon Company inside of their village, they had only watched on from afar when Maimayè had visited several years ago, and they were whispering freely amongst each other as they stared at Ianna.

They had glared at her in open hostility at first when they learned that she was a detestable human, but their uneasiness faded away as their hearts settle down, and they were now merely puzzled as they tilted their heads to the side.

“…….”

Ianna felt strange as the dwarves looked to her with curiosity and caution from several paces away. Dwarves were regarded as a rarity in the main continent, but it was humans who were a rarity here. The dwarves were barely half her height, and Ianna felt like she was a giant who had intruded upon a secluded village of midgets.

Just then, a dwarf with white hair walked past the other dwarves and came closer. The years had left their mark on his face, but the aged dwarf was still just as burly as his younger brethren. Chendelf stood up from his seat with joy written plainly his face when he saw him.

“Elder Kukudelf, you’re still alive and kicking!”

“I nearly died of surprise just now. Your house would’ve been left to crumble and you would’ve had a gravestone with your name on it by now if it wasn’t for Remidelphi! You’re old enough to stay in the village and keep quiet, so why are you running all over the place and causing trouble like the young’uns? Tut tut. But anyway —what happened? And what’s with that human girl? You brought a human all the way to the village —have you lost your mind? How could you bring a wicked human here?! You didn’t have an accident, did you? Surely, you didn’t bring her here to marry her, right? Tut tut, you turned down all those nice and sturdy dwarven ladies, and now you’ve brought along a tall and skinny and wicked human…….”

Chendelf’s mind seemed to wander when the dwarven elder, Kukudelf, started nagging him. But he came back to his senses when Kukudelf started spewing nonsense about Ianna and he looked awkward when Kukudelf started badgering for concrete details like how many months it had been.

Chendelf stole a glance at Ianna and breathed out in relief when he found that she didn’t look uncomfortable. He was purple with rage as he slammed his fists down on the table.

“I know you’re getting on in your years old man, but what are you saying to someone who just came back from the grave?! This young lady here is my savior who saved me from bad humans!”

“Humans? Back from the grave? Tell me in greater detail.”

Chendelf snapped his mouth shut like the cat had gotten his tongue when Kukudelf asked gravely. He wanted to run his mouth about how wicked the humans had been, but not while Ianna was with him and was surrounded by other dwarves.

“I’ll tell you about it later —but it’s late now and I want to go home. And, why hasn’t Remidelphi come to see me yet?”

“Remidelphi waited forever for her bastard of a brother to come home, but she eventually left and got married in Pegè village.”

“What —which little bum was it who whisked that child away?!”

Chendelf hopped up and down with rage. Remidelphi was Chendelf’s younger sister. Kukudelf cackled as he watched Chendelf’s antics.

“Well, you know… That guy Panglodelf, who always dropped by your place to ask you to teach him your techniques. You always said you liked how earnest he was. He’s a decent man, so you needn’t worry too much. You should worry about yourself instead, since you don’t have a cute little sister around to cook for you anymore. But for today, we’ll slay five pigs and bring out some of the beer we had in reserve since you came back to us alive!”

The dwarves began cheering as Kukudelf made his declaration while Chendelf was still reeling. It hadn’t been planned for, but it was only right to carry out a festival tonight. Their dear friend, whom they had thought was dead, had come home alive —when else would one hold a festival if not on days like this?

Kukudelf gestured toward the dwarves.

“You lot hurry and catch those pigs, bring out the beer, and start cooking —Chendelf and the human will stay here with me.”

The dwarves wanted to stay and continue observing Ianna, but they wistfully looked amongst each other and scattered when Kukudelf ordered a festival.

Kukudelf stared plainly at Ianna after the other dwarves had left and he, Ianna, and Chendelf were all that remained.

“In any event, she’s not a dangerous human, is she?”

Chendelf, who had been muttering, ‘My Remidelphi went off to marry Panglodelf that little bastard……,’ snapped back to his senses.

“Ianna isn’t a bad human. You can tell just by looking at her, can’t you, Elder?”

“Indeed, she certainly feels very different from all the other human’s I’ve met in my lifetime. She’s definitely human, but she doesn’t feel all that unpleasant. Or rather, I even seem to grow fonder of her as time passes. And I’m sure the others feel the same. Human —you said your name was Ianna? Who are you?”

Ianna kept silent as she didn’t quite understand what he was trying to ask. Kukudelf sighed and shrugged. He continued,

“Then again, a human is just another human —what else would you be? I’ve said something absurd. Forgive me.”

“Elder, there’s something important I wanted to ask of you…….”

Chendelf asked on the sly as he hedged his bets.

“What is it? You came back to us alive, so I’ll grant you anything as long as it’s reasonable.”

Kukudelf cackled as Chendelf cautiously asked,

“Would it be possible for Ianna to enter the cemetery?”

“What? The cemetery?”

Kukudelf’s face stiffened up. He continued,

“What business does a human have there? She’s not trying to get her hands on the dwarves’ legacies or on the relic of the gods, is she……?”

“No, that’s not it! Ianna was originally planning to leave as soon as she dropped me off, but I insisted that I would forge her a sword. She even turned me down at first and said that she didn’t need it, but I was stubborn. Ianna is an amazing swordswoman who can’t be seduced by a sword.”

Chendelf pulled out Ianna’s sword. Its blade was still bloodied as it glistened in a frightening manner, but all Kukudelf did was click his tongue at it.

“What’s this shabby sword? Did you pick it up from the trash somewhere?”

“Can you believe it? We cut through all the way here from the entrance to Karankell in a straight line with just this one shabby sword, and she even slew a king snake, the ruler of the grasses, in one stroke with it!”

“What —a king snake?”

“Yes. I thought I was going to faint.”

Their heated conversation made Ianna feel embarrassed. She had broken her sword while training too many times to count. They kept breaking no matter how well she maintained them, so she already regarded her sword as an expendable good rather than a beloved possession. The sword was important to her regardless of whether it was a cheap blade or a good sword.

She planned to save up money to buy a good sword to break it in and call her own once she graduated from the Institution, of course, but she was still a student at the moment and she regarded her sword as a common supply that she could buy from just about anywhere. Ianna maintained her sword well and it was a decent blade altogether, but it was still shabby in the trained eyes of the dwarven master craftsmen.

The two dwarves elevated their opinion of Ianna’s swordsmanship in exchange for their low opinion of her sword. Kukudelf looked once each to Chendelf and Ianna before falling into thought.

“I see, so she’s skilled enough to cut down a king snake with a sword as shabby as this……. I can see why she wouldn’t be seduced by a sword. And the light in her eyes are clear, without any trace of deceit, so perhaps it should be all right. And besides, we must repay her for saving one of our own.”

“Oh, then…”

“But go early in the morning tomorrow. She may be a special human, but the other dwarves still hate humans and won’t look upon this too favorably. And the dwarven warriors guarding the graves will be with you two at all times. Will that work?”

Chendelf visibly brightened up.

“Thank you, Elder! But what about Lord Kerakis?”

“He is away on an urgent summons from Lord Gamadaian.”

“What? But what if the monsters invade? Isn’t that dangerous?”

“He left us a summoning scroll. Lord Kerakis said that we could summon him immediately if we tear it up. Well, the monsters know that these lands are under Lord Gamadaian’s protection by now and probably won’t attack, but it can’t hurt to be careful.”

Ianna, who had been listening quietly to the conversation, suddenly spoke up.

“Is this Kerakis you speak of a spartoi?”

Gamadaian was the dragon who lived in the South. If Kerakis had been summoned away by Gamadaian, then it was easy enough to guess that Kerakis was one of the spartoi who resided in the dwarves’ villages.

“Oh, you have a lovely voice, Miss. But Chendelf, you rascal —just how much did you tell this human?”

“Would it be possible for me to meet this spartoi?”

“You’re not only interested in the cemetery, but also in the spartoi —you must be very curious indeed. Then again, they say that curiosity is one of humanity’s characteristics…….”

Kukudelf stroked his white beard. He continued,

“There’s no reason why you would not have been allowed to meet him, had Lord Kerakis been in the village. But Lord Kerakis is Lord Gamadaian’s guardian, and he is not here at the moment, and we cannot simply call him over for personal reasons. He only gave us the summoning scroll because Lord Gamadaian ordered him to defend our village.”

“I see.”

Ianna had little reason to visit the four corners. And she had even less reason to meet with the mythical races. Which was why she wanted to get close to Gamadaian, a dragon just like Kandemayon, the dragon of the Lotso Mountains who had declared that he was guarding the secrets of the gods, if at all possible. The dragons were said to have been alive when Laos recreated the world, so Ianna believed that they might also know about origins of the divine power locked away in her heart and about the End of the Holy Age.

Which was why she wanted to meet a spartoi, who were said to be directly connected to the dragons, in person, but there was nothing she could do if he wasn’t here.

“You might be able to see Lord Kerakis if you stay in the village for long enough and wait for his return, Miss, but I will not permit it,”

Kukudelf said firmly. He continued,

“I recognize that you are different from other humans. But I don’t want your uniqueness to make the dwarves forget their caution. The outside world is truly dangerous, after all.”

Chendelf nodded silently next to Ianna. Kukudelf smiled bitterly when he saw.

“I see you must have been burned rather badly, Chendelf. You used to ask me all the time if all humans were truly that wicked because of what you heard from Hanidelf, and you used to ask me so passionately if it was all right to leave for the outside world, so full of mysterious wonders, since Hanidelf was doing well for himself in the world of man —but now you are solemn and wiser upon your return.”

Even a human would be considerably shocked if their hands were cut off. But they would have been able to survive even without their hands. But a dwarf’s hands were their very soul —and not merely just a part of their body. What Chendelf had suffered was more than enough to alter his personality. Humanity was simply that cruel.

“I don’t plan to stay too long either.”

Ianna nodded. It was probably better for the dwarves that they never forgot their caution toward humanity. She continued,

“I have my own business to attend to, so I will be leaving tomorrow as soon as I’ve seen the cemetery. Thank you for allowing me to see it.”

“You truly are a courteous and mindful young lady.”

Kukudelf nodded as he smiled quietly.

“In that case, let’s go to my house at once, Ianna. I must take your measurements!”

Chendelf jumped out from his seat and grabbed Ianna by the wrist. Ianna asked,

“You need my measurements for a sword?”

“Of course!”

Chendelf abruptly shouted back. He was so eager to forge the sword that his face was glowing bright. He continued,

“Even orcs carry clubs that are suited for their size. Things like your sword’s weight, length, and width should depend on things such as the breadth of your shoulders, your height, weight, and the length of your steps. Your body will change, of course, since you’re a living being, but it’s fine as long as I take that into account while forging the sword. Only the person whom the sword was forged for will be able to wield such a blade. And that is exactly the kind of sword that I will forge for you! So come on, hurry!”

Ianna found herself being dragged out of her seat by Chendelf’s impatience. She followed after him as he quickly made his way to the door. Kukudelf waved as he saw them off.

“You are the star of today’s festival, Chendelf, so make sure you finish quickly and attend. And I congratulate you, human Miss. Chendelf is one of the best craftsmen in our village —no, among all the dwarves.”

They stopped again as soon as they had opened the door. A dense crowd of dwarven children jumped up and surrounded Chendelf and Ianna.

“It’s a human, a real human!”

“This is my first time seeing one. She’s so tall!”

“But is she really a wicked and greedy human? She doesn’t look evil at all.”

The dwarven children circled around Ianna. No lie would slip past their shining and innocent little eyes. Ianna knelt down slowly and smiled as she greeted them.

“Hello?”

“Kyaah! The human said hello!”

The children screamed as they scattered. It was like they were running away in alarm after poking at what they had thought was an immobile rock statue only to find that it moved. Ianna smirked as she stood back up.

“Doesn’t the Jabellon Company come to the village? The children are acting as though they’ve never seen a human before,”

Ianna asked as she walked behind Chendelf.

“Neither have the adults. We trade with House Jabellon elsewhere. The only other time there’s ever been a human in the village was when Maimayè stubbornly barged his way in.”

Chendelf’s house was not far from Kukudelf’s. His house was also small. But the smithy behind his house was colossal.

Chendelf stood in front of his house and took a deep breath before swinging the door open. The house was dusty, as its owner had been away for a while. The tears that Chendelf had held back before the other dwarves flowed freely from his eyes.

“I’m really back…….”

He quickly tried to hide his tears by wiping at them with the back of his hand before he ran into a room and came back with a measuring tape. He had Ianna stand still as he carefully measured her height, the length of her legs, the breadth of her shoulders, the length and circumference of her arms, the length of her forearm, and the length of her upper arm.

“You’re still growing, but I shouldn’t have to account for too much extra height since you’re a girl.”

“I’ll probably only grow about this much more. I think I’ll end up around 173 cm tall or so?”

Ianna spoke as if she could foresee her future as she indicated a measurement between her thumb and index finger, but Chendelf simply nodded without the slightest hint of doubt, measured the distance, and jotted it down.

“I’m sure you’re right if that’s what you say. But humans really are tall. The swords we dwarves use must be considerably short for you. No wonder why the Jabellon Company requested that we make their swords one-and-a-half to two times longer than our own. Anyway, I’m done measuring you now.”

Chendelf placed the sheet of paper on which he had recorded Ianna’s measurements and stretched. He looked to the view outside his window. It was already dark outside, save for the light of the moon, stars, and the fireworks the dwarves were lighting. It was very different from the somber darkness of the cell. The sound of his happy brethren made his sense of hearing run wild. They were eagerly waiting for Chendelf to come out.

“Hurry up and come out, Mister Chendelf!”

The dreamlike scenery filled Chendelf’s heart to the brim when a child giggled and called out for him, and Chendelf looked outside his window with tears in his eyes.

“Ianna, you should come too……”

“No. I will not be interacting with the dwarves.”

Ianna refused him outright before Chendelf could even finish his proposal, prompting Chendelf to look back at her quizzically.

“Why not? You’re a good human, so I’m sure the other dwarves will also……”

“What kind of person am I in your eyes, Chendelf?”

Chendelf looked to Ianna, who looked like she would melt away and disappear into the darkness, and yet who also stood out and shone even brighter than the glowing full moon at his back.

“You’re very honest and upright. You don’t lose yourself to greed, and you always look straight ahead as you proceed on your path. You are the kind of person we dwarves like.”

Ianna lowered her eyes for a moment before she looked up again.

“I am the first human to ever visit this dwarven village. Firsts are always important. It’s only natural that the dwarves here will begin thinking of me when they think of humanity, and I don’t want that.”

“…….”

“Humans are greedy, and it is rare for a human to have as little want for dwarven weapons as I do. Most humans will go crazy for dwarven crafts. It will be detrimental for the dwarves if they start believing that most humans are like me just because they met me first. I will visit the cemetery first thing in the morning tomorrow and make my leave, so that I will not leave a lasting impression on the dwarves.”

Chendelf understood.

Ianna slipped out the back door with the barrel of beer and wooden mug Chendelf had given her, saying that the beer was good and she should have a taste. Then, she melted into the darkness like she had back when she had been tailing Arhad and wandered around the village until she found the tallest building. She climbed up on to the roof without anyone’s notice and looked down at the entire village.

The darkness was growing thicker, but the village was brightly lit up and cheerful, as if it had forgotten that night was falling upon it. A dark forest spread out beyond the village in which the dwarves lived. The forest was the only thing in the area that was green, as there wasn’t even a single blade of grass growing on the rocky mountains otherwise. That forest was the only reason why the dwarves could survive in such wastelands.

The buildings in the village were well-made, well-proportioned, and highly individualized —they had been made to suit the dwarves’ aesthetic. Lying around on every street were amazing works that would have fetched an enormous price had they been sold to human kingdoms.

Ianna looked away from the buildings and rested her gaze on the dwarves. They were running around this way and that while carrying barrels of beer. Some had their arms around each other as they danced around the bonfire in the village square. There were some dwarves arm-wrestling in one corner of the square, and others who had passed out drunk. Almost all the children had a carving knife in one hand and either a piece of wood or a rock in the other as they busily carved away.

Ianna drank her beer as she quietly remarked,

“It’s a peaceful village.”

Ianna’s eyes fell on Chendelf, who was laughing heartily. He had truly been dying when she had first met him. He had been crying out in his hatred of humanity after having lost his hands, which were more important to him than anything else in the world, and slowly losing his mind.

He had asked her to bring him home not because he had wanted salvation, but because he had wanted death and repose. He still severely distrusted humans even after regaining his hands, and he trembled in fear whenever he saw a human wielding a blade. He was terrified that he might lose his hands yet again.

But Chendelf was bright and cheery now that he was back with his own.

The reason why Ianna had saved him that day when they had first met was simply because she had wanted to hear about his circumstances. She was satisfied just to hear what had happened, so she had simply given him a tiny bit of help —it had barely meant anything to her at all— because he was suffering…… And she marveled at the fact that her actions had led to a conclusion that she had never imagined.

It moved her heart to see the darkness lift and the light grow brighter. She stared deeply at the sunny expression on Chendelf’s face as she closed her eyes.

~~*~~

Part 10

Chendelf woke up early the next morning even though he had drunk so much beer that his stomach was bulging. He could not forget to see to his savior’s request and send her off even if he was staggering due to his hangover.

Dwarves usually started their mornings early. But the dwarves had been up until dawn celebrating Chendelf’s return last night, so there was nary a soul to be seen on the streets this morning. Chendelf and Ianna walked along the meandering path as they made their way toward the village exit and village square. There was a large statue in the middle of the square, and Ianna could not help but stop and stand before it.

“This is…….”

It looked somewhat familiar and tickled at Ianna’s heart even though she had never seen anything like it before.

“Oh, that’s Lord Towe.”

“Amazing.”

Ianna walked up to the statue, which was a little taller than her in stature, and stroked its thick arm. The Towe Ianna knew was a small, round, and cute mud doll. But the statue of Towe looked majestic. And it also looked similar to the golems, created by mages, that she had seen in the past.

But there was something artificial about the golems the mages had created, whereas the statue of Towe was made of earth and grasses, which gave off an air of naturalness as if he had been made by nature itself.

“It’s said that this statue was created long ago when our village was first founded. It’s just a model, and the real Lord Towe is larger than the mountains —or so the stories say. I was surprised when I first met the real Lord Towe. He was so cute and little…….”

It was only then that Ianna understood why Chendelf had looked so uncomfortable when he had first met Towe. The small Towe and the statue before her both gave off a similar air about them, but they were so different it was difficult to believe they were one and the same.

“He said that the doll wasn’t his true form. I’m sure this is what he really looks like.”

Ianna looked at the statue of Towe for a while. She could call forth the spirit kings once a month, but she did not think that she would ever have the chance to see their true forms.

Towe and the other spirit kings had said that they took on smaller forms so they could stay in the world for a longer duration of time. And all she really cared about was the stories they told her about the Holy Age, so it didn’t matter to her whether they appeared before her in their true forms or not. They were still fundamentally themselves even if they weren’t using their true forms.

She did want to see their true forms at least once, but she abandoned the idea because she didn’t know how much of her lifespan she had left to spend.

“But you knew, you knew, and yet you still used a damned spirit to create the dwarf’s hands……?! I’m warning you, but don’t use divine power so recklessly. Your lifespan will decrease the more you use it!”

She recalled what Arhad has said. She rubbed at her shoulders, which he had grabbed so firmly. They still ached even though so much time had passed. She had found that her shoulders were purple with bruises while she had been changing that morning.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Ianna took her hand off of the statue of Towe.

Chendelf and Ianna continued down the desolate path until they finally exited the village. Then, they travelled along the circular wall until they reached the green entrance to the forest behind the village.

The forest was dense, and the thick trees were clearly at least a few hundred years old. The forest filled up the valley between the mountains to either side. The giant trees, which she had never seen before, pierced the heavens and made Ianna feel uneasy —though not scared— as if she was stepping foot into uncharted lands.

Chendelf walked steadily into the forest. Ianna stood in place for a moment before carefully following after him. They walked along the winding road until it suddenly came to an end, and Chendelf tapped against a few trees in the area before figuring out which way to go based on the sounds he heard.

They continued for some time before a seemingly endless rock wall blocked their path. There were also other rocks of various sizes strewn around them, cutting off their field of vision.

Chendelf wove through the large rocks with a practiced gait. Ianna had to crouch sometimes as she followed him, as some of the gaps were only big enough for a dwarf’s height. They eventually cleared the forest of rocks and was met with yet another rock wall.

There was a small and dark cave in one corner of the rock wall. Chendelf pulled out a piece of wood with oiled cloth wrapped around one end and set it aflame before walking into the cave. Ianna hesitated a little, as the cave was smaller than she had originally thought, and eventually entered it while crawling on her knees.

Chendelf cheerfully walked down the dark and winding path. Ianna was made to realize that the dwarven cemetery was a secretive and elusive holy land that was impossible to reach without a dwarven guide. She also realized what a stroke of luck it was that she, a human, was being guided along by a dwarf, who normally did not interact with humans.

The cave was narrow. But there was a light at the end of the tunnel, and Ianna could not hide her astonishment at what she saw when her field of vision opened up again.

The cemetery was vast. The wastelands and rocky mountains stretched out before her endlessly. She could not see the end of the cemetery even when she squinted. It was designed to be impossible to look into from the outside. Incredibly tall mountains encircled the cemetery, as if a giant meteor had once fallen there and mountains had been formed along the rim of the resulting crater. The sun was high in the sky and was bathing the entire cemetery with light like a god embracing all in his bosom.

Ianna was startled when she looked away from the distance and turned to the scenery before her. Gravestones had been engraved into the earth and the mountains like a porcupine’s needles. And glittering under the sun beside each gravestone were the deceased’s masterpieces.

Ianna found herself being careful with her each and every movement, and she found it difficult to bring herself to speak. She deeply empathized with why Chendelf had called this place the dwarven holy land. The dwarves’ history was living and breathing here, and the place was a treasure for those dwarves who wanted to be laid down to rest.

But something was strange.

“…….”

Ianna felt like something was off as she realized what the peculiar feeling tickling at her heart was.

It was nostalgic. It was her first time here, but it felt so overwhelmingly nostalgic. Why was that? There was no reason why she would be familiar with a place she had never seen before in her life.

“I see you’re working hard!”

“Yo, Chendelf. You’re really back. I heard from the Elder. And this over here……is the human who saved you?”

Ianna hadn’t seen them because she was too enthralled by the cemetery, but there were four heavily armed dwarves by the cave exit. There was a sharp light of caution in their eyes as they looked to Ianna, a human, which eventually turned into bafflement.

“She doesn’t feel as uncomfortable as I thought she would.”

“I know, right?”

“I wonder why? I’ve met the humans of House Jabellon a couple of times, but I was always uneasy around them.”

“Chuckle. Ianna’s not like the other humans. She really isn’t.”

Chendelf boastfully flipped his beard as the other dwarves were disconcerted over the fact that they didn’t feel uncomfortable around Ianna.

Chendelf laughed as the corners of his eyes crinkled in wrinkles and grabbed Ianna, who was standing in a daze, by the wrist and pulled her along.

“There are a lot of mountains surrounding the cemetery, aren’t there? They radiate out from a central point as if they were made by a fallen meteor. And the relic you wanted to see is at the center of the cemetery.

Could Ianna finally see the object that was called a vestige of the Holy Age?

Ianna narrowed her eyes as she glanced toward the center of the circle created by the mountains and the gravestones. The relic, however, was too far away for her to see, and her vision was obstructed by the countless gravestones along the way.

“Let’s go.”

They proceeded slowly. They walked and walked along the path that wove between the gravestones until Ianna finally stopped in her tracks. Then, she placed a hand over her heart.

­Thump— thump—

Her heart was being strange. It beat louder as she got closer to where the relic was. She was expectant, but she did not think she was nervous. So why was her heart beating so?

‘Am I feeling restless without realizing it?’

Ianna tilted her head to the side as she walked behind the dwarves again.

But her heart only choked up more and she felt like her insides were churning as she continued to walk. Ianna stopped again. She furrowed her brows as she placed a hand over her heart. Her heart was beating more wildly than it did after she ran at a full sprint.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing.”

Ianna looked between her body, which was palpitating visibly with every beat of her heart, and the center of the cemetery. ……Was her divine power or her soul reacting to the relic of the gods that was said to be there?

Indeed. If that was the case, then she absolutely had to confirm it with her own eyes.

Ianna grew stubborn as she slowly approached her destination. But her breath caught as her heart continued to thump and made it hard for her to breathe. She started to grow dizzy, and she began sweating all over. Her heart beat like crazy with every step. Her heart was beating so hard that it hurt, and Ianna clutched at her clothes above her heart so hard that she thought she might squeeze her heart out as she worked hard to keep her breathing steady.

“We’re here. This is……hmm? Ianna? What’s wrong? Are you hurting somewhere?”

Chendelf, who had looked back cheerfully, quickly grew alarmed. Ianna, who had always looked powerful, was pale and covered with buckets of sweat like she was mere moments from collapsing.

Ianna looked up and looked past the worried dwarves to where the metal shard, glistening white under the sun, was.

She was sure of it. Her furiously beating heart was resonating with the metal shard that was waiting there. She could tell. She didn’t know why she could tell. But, for some reason, she knew she was certain.

Its original form could not be found anymore, and it was surely just a lone metal shard— but Ianna was certain that it was a fragment of some sword.

Then, the fragment began glowing crimson.

“Ugh……!”

Ianna closed her hands tight and clutched at her head. Her head hurt so much she thought it might burst open. She could not bear it. Her veins popped out from the back of her tightly clenched hands.

“I love you.”

Someone’s voice muttered in her head.

“……But I’m so exhausted.”

It echoed through her head and made her dizzy.

“I’m sorry for breaking my promise.”

She was in that illusionary hazy fog again. She was stabbing at something with a sword there, but she couldn’t tell what it was that she was stabbing. Tears continued to fall from her eyes.

Someone was standing before her. But she couldn’t see their face because her tears were clouding her vision.

“Why……?”

Someone asked in shock. And something golden was being shredded to pieces beneath her blade.

Clatter—

Something shattered and fell from her hands. And a crimson wind began to blow around her as if it was trying to shroud over everything.

~~*~~

“I’m telling you, Elder, we must study this human!”

Ianna opened her eyes in a daze as she heard people bickering. Her once hazy vision cleared after she had blinked a few times.

“Hmmm.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the relic of course, but this was the first time it’s ever glowed like that, you know? I nearly fainted when it suddenly lit up like that. Nothing in our records have ever stated that the relic has ever reacted like that before. There must be something wrong with this human!”

“What do you mean there’s something wrong with Ianna! Watch your tongue!”

a familiar voice raged back.

Ianna looked to the dwarves who were chatting excitedly amongst themselves without realizing that Ianna had woken up. There had been five dwarves earlier, including Chendelf, but there were six now. Kukudelf, the dwarven elder, had joined them.

Ianna looked up past them and beyond the mountains to find that the sun was setting. It had been early in the morning when she had arrived here, but, judging by the position of the sun and the color of the sky, it was already evening now.

‘Did I pass out?’

Ianna frowned heavily as she touched her hand against her forehead, which still throbbed like it was about to split open. How long had it been since she had last passed out like this?

No —this was the first. The only times when she had experienced something even remotely close to passing out was when she was so exhausted from training that she slept like the dead. In any event, Ianna decided that passing out was not a very pleasant experience.

Ianna closed her eyes. A bead of sweat from her forehead traveled down her cheek and fell from her chin.

‘What was that illusion?’

She had stabbed someone. Whomever she had stabbed had been shocked, and they had writhed in betrayal as they were shredded apart. Soon afterward, Ianna herself had started to burst apart from the heart. And then, the crimson wind had blown. And the illusion had ended.

She had never experienced that before. She had never done that before. She had never once whispered words of love to anyone before in her life, and neither had she ever cried so wretchedly while apologizing either.

And yet, it felt wrong to call it a mere illusion. It was not an illusion. It felt closer to a forgotten memory. And not just anyone’s memory, but her own. She felt like she had remembered a forgotten memory when she had seen the relic of the gods, just like how she had thought, ‘Oh, right. She was here too,’ when she first met Isphee, whom she had forgotten about in her past life, again and remembered who she was.

Like she was only just remembered something she had suffered so very, very long ago…….

Like she had been able to reminisce about those memories after seeing an object that was related to it…….

But what was that memory? —it had been so graphic that she could not help but believe it was hers. That memory, which Ianna was sure was hers even though she had never once experienced it in her past life! That memory, in which she had stabbed someone to death and her heart hurt so much it nearly drove her insane when they looked back at her in dismay and betrayal!

……That memory was most likely Roberstein’s.

Ianna brought her hand down from her forehead once she had reached a conclusion and solemnly looked to the relic standing silently behind the dwarves.

Badump, badump…….

‘It’s calling me.’

Was it a delusion that made it seem like the sword fragment was anxiously calling out for her? Her heart, body, and mind were resonating with it like they had become one. Ianna sprang up and quietly walked toward the relic.

“Ahem. It’s strange, but it’s also suspicious. It might be fine now, but what if something happens to the relic later? Why would the relic of the gods react to a mere human……eek! She’s awake!”

“What are you doing?!”

“No, you can’t!”

The dwarves had been too busy talking amongst themselves that they hadn’t had the time to stop Ianna from walking up to the relic. Ianna reached out and stooped forward as she grasped the relic buried partly in the ground.

“Phew…….”

Ianna breathed out. The ringing had stopped. The cold metal felt pleasant in her grasp.

“B-but how?”

The dwarves were so surprised that they started croaking and some even fell backward on their behinds.

“What are you?!”

“How are you able to touch the relic?!”

Ianna looked down at the metal resting obediently in her hand. The metal shard was uneven, angular, and smaller than the hilt of a dagger, and all she was certain of what that it was a fragment of some sword.

Ianna let go of the fragment and straightened back up. The dwarves were startled and stepped back.

“Please tell us, Miss.”

Kukudelf asked calmly as he stepped forward.

“How are you able to touch the relic? Are you related to it somehow?”

Once the initial thrill had died down somewhat, Ianna replied,

“I simply reached out for it. Is there a problem with that?”

“But there must have been a special reason you could touch it. No one else can.”

Kukudelf slowly walked up to the relic and reached out for it. But an invisible power burst out from the fragment and repelled him before his hand could touch it and before his feet could even bring him too close to it. It had obviously rejected him.

Kukudelf grabbed his aching wrist and looked to Ianna with a strange expression on his face.

“As you just saw, the relic does not allow anyone to even get close to it. And so, we are unable to even study it from up close to figure out what it is. We are simply grateful that it exists and helps us find repose. So, I will ask you again. Do you know what this relic is, Miss?”

Ianna was silent.

“E-Elder.”

There was a tremor in Chendelf’s voice as he called out to Kukudelf. Kukudelf, who had been waiting for Ianna to reply, glared at Chendelf to tell him not to interfere before suddenly opening his eyes so wide they nearly fell out of his head and dropped his jaw.

“Chendelf, you……!”

“I-I just reached out without thinking since the others were trying to touch it too…….”

Chendelf was quivering as his hand was wrapped around the relic. The dwarves stared at him in blank shock.

“I want to touch it too!”

“Me too, me too!”

The other dwarves reached out for the fragment. But the relic pushed them all away, like it had with Kukudelf. They started nagging at Chendelf in disbelief.

“Chendelf! How are you able to touch it?!”

“Damn you, what did you do?!”

“I-I don’t know, you fools! What is going on here?!”

Chendelf was panicking. The relic felt warm and smug, like it was watching over the dead, like it always had. The area immediately around it was sacred and inviolable. He could not comprehend why he was able to grab it.

Chendelf turned to Ianna in his bewilderment.

“I-Ianna, what in the world is going on? Why can I touch the relic? Huh?”

Ianna looked to Chendelf, who was floundering, and then to his hand. Only she and Chendelf, with his hands that had been created using her divine power, were able to touch the relic that no one else could touch.

And she could only think of one being who could explain everything that was happening here.

“Let’s find out. Please call forth an earth spirit.”

Chendelf was still bewildered as he called for Tamatan, just as Ianna had asked him to. Tamatan burst out from the ground. It circled around Chendelf before running over to Ianna to express its joy. Unlike when Arhad had been with her, Ianna reached out to Tamatan without hesitation.

Streeetch.

Tamatan’s body and Ianna’s seemed to fuse as one as soon as she touched it. Tamatan distorted at her fingertips as she felt the sensation of something being nibbled away at her heart, and it then transformed into a more familiar shape. Towe had appeared in the form of the mud doll she was used to seeing.

The dwarves tilted their heads to the side when the felt the powerful energy at Ianna’s fingertips and saw an earth spirit they had never seen before. Towe grunted as he stretched.

[This place is brimming with the energy of the earth. It feels nice. This place is……I see, it must be Karankell.]

Towe, who had been standing around while savoring the situation, immediately ran up to Ianna as soon as he put his arms down.

[Ianna! Thank you for calling me again. But what are you doing in Karankell? —this is one of the ends of the world.]

“I brought the dwarf whose hands you recreated back here.”

[You mean Chendelf. Then again, Karankell is the dwarves’ hideout. It must have been a long journey to get here, and you even made him new hands too —I see you must be very kind.]

The expression on his face never changed, but Towe tapped Ianna’s hand in apparent satisfaction. Ianna flashed a grin before she took Towe’s body and brought him toward the relic.

“I called you because there’s something I wanted to ask you about…… Would you happen to know what this is?”

[That’s…….]

Towe let go of Ianna’s hand, tottered up to the fragment, and placed a hand against it. He continued to stroke it as he weakly said,

[I see. Yes, I know what this is.]

The dwarves leaned in as Towe, who felt like a very strong earth spirit despite his adorable appearance, said he knew what the relic was, and Towe calmly continued,

[Kagomyne and I created this metal together. There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize it.]

Ianna opened her eyes wide. The dwarves blanched like their souls had left their bodies.

“By Kagomyne, you mean the Spirit King of Fire? You spirit kings created this?”

[Yes.]

Towe nodded ruefully.

[It is the only one of its kind and the greatest metal in the world, which Kagomyne and I created together using Roberstein’s divine power just for her, and only she is permitted to use it. It will strongly reject anyone other than Roberstein. Only those who received her power……in other words, those whom she permitted may touch it. It can only reveal its true worth as metal when it is held in her hands.]

Towe fiddled with the metal shard.

[This metal was used to forge her a sword. I feel bittersweet to see that only this tiny fragment remains of the greatest sword in the world. It really makes me realize that the world of the gods, which I had thought would last forever, has truly ended.]

“Roberstein’s sword…….”

Towe, who had been moping, hesitantly looked to Ianna when she mumbled Roberstein’s name.

[But you can hold this, right?]

Ianna quietly affirmed.

[Yes. I see. You are definitely Ianna, but you also feel strongly of Roberstein.]

“……Towe.”

She was certain now.

“I told you that I would tell you about myself last time.”

[Hmm? Yes, you did.]

Ianna lowered her eyes.

“I believe that Roberstein was my past incarnation.”

A past incarnation. Anyone else would have only taken the concept as a jest, but Ianna was being serious.

She had even been reborn, so why couldn’t she also have a past incarnation? Not only had she immediately known that the humble relic was a metal shard that had once been a sword and even felt nostalgic about it, but what had persuaded her the most was the illusionary memory she had seen.

If the memory hadn’t been from her past life, then perhaps it was from a past incarnation that she no longer remembered. It started making sense to her as to why Lebony had mistaken her for Roberstein and had embraced her a year ago.

[A past incarnation……. Are you referring to a previous lifetime? But, how can that be?]

Ianna had pondered over the concept of a past incarnation after Towe had told her about the Holy Age.

It was only possible to ruminate over a soul’s memories if it had been imprinted on a heart. And a soul would not go extinct so long as it had a supply of divine power.

These two points suggested that a soul would not go extinct so long as it hadn’t consumed all of its divine power even if its body was dead.

The soul would not be able to remember is previous lifetime if it was given a new heart and body. Its previous life would become a past incarnation once it began its new life.

And so, Ianna hypothesized. That Roberstein’s soul had lived on through House Roberstein’s bloodline. Roberstein’s soul and divine power had resonated when Cherno, who carried Roberstein’s soul, and Lebony, who possessed Roberstein’s divine power, had come together, and Ianna, their child whom Lebony had eventually conceived, had inherited both.

There were still a few things she was unsure of, but Ianna was relatively certain about her theory. Ianna stole a glance at the dwarves. They were staring at her and Towe with blank looks on their faces. This wasn’t something she could talk about when others were present. And so, she returned her gaze to Towe, who was waiting for her reply.

“Who could say? It was just an idea I was considering, and I didn’t become certain of it until today. I’ll tell you more next time once I’ve had a chance to think things through. But if I was to summarize things and make it simple, I think Roberstein’s soul lost its fragment of chaos and became my soul when it was reborn as me.”

[……It sounds plausible. I don’t know how that would have happened, but there is logic in your theory since your soul and divine power tastes like Roberstein’s.]

Towe pondered intently for a moment before he slowly nodded.

[I’ll think about it more with the others when I go back.]

“Thank you.”

[Sure. Now then, I still have a lot of power left…… Is there anything else you need help with?]

Towe wanted to help with anything he could, so he told Ianna to ask him anything.

“…….”

Ianna stared at the setting sun that was filling the skies crimson as she rubbed Towe’s head.

“Hmmm…….”

She was already more than satisfied just to consult with him. There was so much she still needed to ask, but she was happy enough just to have him here.

The spirit kings were unique beings who knew things that no one else in the world could know, and they answered her questions. They were otherworldly beings who saw her clearly for who she was and loved her unconditionally.

Towe grumbled a little when Ianna simply rubbed his head in silence before he suddenly jumped up.

[I know —if you’d like, I’ll make you more of that metal based off that shard!]

Towe waved its arms at the fragment in excitement.

[It truly is the greatest metal in the world. And it’s best used to make a sword. I can make you more if you summon Kagomyne too. Won’t you have a need for it?]

The greatest metal in the world…….

Ianna mumbled. She rested her gaze on the metal shard. Something about the silver-white metal was alluring to her.

‘The greatest sword that will only belong to me.’

Ianna tilted her head slightly to the side.

‘It’s not a bad idea.’

Ianna, who had never been obsessed about her possessions, felt greedy for a specific sword for the first time in her life. She had only ever been obsessed about swordplay, but never about a physical sword. This was the first time she had ever wanted a specific sword.

[Dwarves are affiliated with fire, so they’ll be able to summon a spirit of fire. Why don’t you summon Kagomyne so we can make you that metal? —I’ve been getting tired of him grumbling all the time about why you never call for him.]

Ianna turned to the fidgeting Towe and smirked.

“Towe, I don’t want to be swayed by my past incarnation. Nor do I wish to use anything that used to belong to my past incarnation. It’s simply a past life that I can no longer remember, and I devote myself only to the life I’m living now.”

[I see……. It seems I’ve been a little thoughtless.]

Towe began to droop down in guilt when he thought that he had soured Ianna’s mood, but Ianna lifted his head up with a finger. Towe looked her in the eye.

“So, could you make the metal for me instead? Please make it while thinking of me, and not Roberstein.”

Towe felt something hot as he looked into Ianna’s crimson eyes. He felt dizzy for a moment. He had been summoned several times now, but he had never seen her like this before. Her soul was usually cold, but it tasted incredibly hot and brilliant right now. Ianna was greedier for the sword than any other, and she was more animated than any other whenever things had to do with the sword. Ianna smiled beautifully.

“The greatest metal in the world —I want it very much.”

Towe trembled as if he had been struck by lightning.

He was so happy.

She wanted something.

She needed something.

Towe shivered in delight.

[But of course —we’ll revise even what shortcomings existed in the old metal and make you something better! Oh, but it won’t do you much good just to make you the metal. Ianna, you don’t know how to handle divine power yet, do you?]

Towe grew antsy when Ianna shook her head no.

[We don’t have the ability to create swords, so someone else must forge one for us. But they must be able to handle divine power if they want to be able to touch the metal.]

“Then what about Chendelf?”

[Chendelf?]

Towe’s round little eyes fell on Chendelf. Ianna turned to the dwarf as well.

“Uh,”

Chendelf said dumbly when he felt their gazes on him. The dwarves were frozen stiff as they listened to Towe speaking, and Chendelf, who had not been an exception, was struck dumb when he suddenly heard his name crop up in the conversation. Towe clapped his hands together.

[I see. Chendelf can touch the metal because his hands were formed from your divine power. The metal will not reject him, since his hands were made purely from your divine power. Why don’t you ask him?]

Chendelf stared blankly at his hands.

“In other words, Chendelf and I are the only people able to touch the metal because I don’t know how to control my divine power yet.”

[Yes.]

And so, Ianna asked Chendelf, who was heating up by the second, a question.

“Chendelf, could you forge the sword you promised me from the metal created by the spirit kings?”

“Huh? Huh? Huuuuuh?! Of course I can!”

Chendelf yelped as his face turned scarlet.

“Ooooooh.”

Chendelf clenched his hands into fists. The blue veins in his hands bulged as he clenched them tight in his eager anticipation about working with the greatest metal in the world and in his powerful delight. Surely, they weren’t making a fool of him? Chendelf knelt before Ianna.

“I was just about to ask you if I could! Ianna, please let me do this!”

“You’re the only one who can, in any event. Will this be all right, Towe?”

[Of course. But first, the dwarf must call forth a spirit of fire.]

“Hey you, hand over your torch!”

Chendelf jumped up as soon as he heard what Towe said, grabbed one of his brethren nearby, and began rummaging through the latter’s things. He pulled out a torch in great haste and quickly set it aflame. It burned brightly against the night that had fallen upon them at some point. Chendelf placed his rough palms toward the warm flames.

“Come forth, Helghetti!”

The fire fell off from the torch. A ball of fire rolled around the ground for a bit before jumping up and down.

It was probably hot, since it was fire, but Ianna reached out for the spirit called Helghetti without any hesitation. Helghetti exploded like a firework as it surged skyward and became a pillar of flame. The blaze wobbled and curved to wrap around Ianna like a snake.

Towe, who had been watching over the entire ordeal, quietly muttered,

[Call him Kagomyne. He’ll really like it.]

“Ack!”

The dwarves sank down to the ground when the fire began to seemingly swallow Ianna whole and were pale as they trembled in fear, but Ianna, the person actually wrapped inside the flames, didn’t feel hot at all. The warmth from the flames guarded her from the chilly night air and was actually rather pleasant.

Then, the flames gathered around her shoulder and formed into a little fox with fiery fur.

[Y-you’re real!]

The little fox was so excited that his ears were perched and twitching. Ianna could not help but reach up and stroke the quivering little fox that was wrapped around her neck like a scarf because he was just too darn cute. His fur looked like fire, but it flattened against her fingers and was soft to the touch just like real fur. Perhaps it was his way of being considerate toward his summoner.

“Kagomyne?”

“K-Kagomyne? Mm-hm! That’s me! It’s so nice to meet you, Ianna! I wanted to meet you so much! Thank you so much for calling me! Please be nice to me!]

Kagomyne looked truly overjoyed as he rubbed himself into Ianna’s hand before jumping down from her shoulder as gently as a feather. He barked in laughter.

[It feels so good to be able to taste such awesome divine power again after so long!]

A pebble flung itself at Kagomyne’s head just then, and Kagomyne’s head was whipped to one side. The pebble had been thrown gently, but it was more than enough to tick Kagomyne off.

[You wanna die?! What was that for?!]

Kagomyne bristled up and tapped his tail, which, unlike when he had been wrapped around Ianna, was now a sizeable flare, against the ground. Towe, however, sounded indifferent as he replied,

[Now’s not the time to be lost in your emotions. We have to listen to Ianna’s request.]

[Request? What is it? Hmm? I’ll do anything if it’s for you.]

Kagomyne’s mood immediately changed again and he looked up at Ianna with sparkles in his eyes. Then, his mood changed again and he glared at Towe sharply when the latter smacked him with his arm.

[Are you seriously picking a fight with me? Want me to turn you into soot?]

[We can fight later —do you remember that?]

Kagomyne shook his head side to side in irritation before he turned to where Towe was pointing and opened his eyes wide.

[That’s…….]

[Yes, it’s the metal we created with Roberstein’s power —a fragment of her sword.]

[It still existed here after all this time? Jeez.]

Kagomyne’s eyes filled up with tears and eventually overflowed. Of course, it was fire that was falling from his eyes and he still looked like an adorable little fox, but his sorrow still just as palpable. The Spirit King Kagomyne’s mood fluctuated rather quickly.

[We will make a new metal similar to that one not for Roberstein, but for Ianna.]

[What do you mean?]

[Don’t think about the crimson god. Think only of Ianna, whose power you tasted when you were summoned. And, remember all the little flaws that we regretted before when we made it the first time? We will fix all of that and do it better.]

[Oho, I haven’t had such fun work to do in a while.]

Kagomyne’s fiery fur swayed as he stood up on his hind legs and clung to Ianna with his front legs. He continued,

[That’ll require me to use up all the divine power I have now. I’m sad that I won’t be able to talk to you for very long. You have to call for me again, okay?]

Ianna had a soft spot for small and cute things and had the sudden urge to pet him. She knelt and ran her fingers across Kagomyne’s back. It felt a little strange, as his fur still felt like fur even though it was flickering like a flame.

“You said that you could make the metal based off that shard? But that’s the dwarves’ treasure now, so I don’t want to take it from them. Can you make it without doing anything to the shard?”

[That won’t be a problem. We will only be using it as a reference. Then, we’ll start now. Give us some space.]

Everyone present stepped away from the sword fragment until Towe gave them the okay. Towe waved his arms from afar.

[Let me say goodbye now since I’ll need to use up all the divine power I currently have to create the metal. I’ll see you next time, Ianna. And I wish you well, dwarves.]

The dwarves bowed down in gratitude. Kagomyne was jumped around next to Towe like he was performing a circus act.

[You have to call me again, okay, Ianna?! Promise!]

Towe’s and Kagomyne’s bodies began pulling apart once they had said their goodbyes. Towe scattered into a pile of dirt all at once, and Kagomyne curled up and became a ball of flame.

They revolved around the sword fragment. The dirt and the flames mixed into each other and split apart before rushing inside the vibrating fragment. The pillar of earth and fire grew brighter the closer it got to the fragment, and the metal shard, with the spirits still inside, became as an undulating mass of liquid metal.

Badump.

Ianna’s heart skipped a beat. She could tell. That her own divine power was devouring Roberstein’s from within the metal.

Ianna placed her hand above her heart as her eyes shone.

Yes —I am me.

And so, your power will become mine as well.

But I will no longer allow you to influence my life as you have been doing until now.

After all, you’re just another part of me!

Liquid metal poured out from the original sword fragment a little while later. The sword fragment was left in its original state and shape, as if nothing had happened to it at all, and was embedded in the ground exactly where it had been before.

Tumble……

The new metal had cooled as soon as it separated from the fragment and tumbled over to the side —there was sufficiently enough of it to forge a new sword. Ianna impatiently walked up to it and picked it up.

Once the spirit kings had disappeared, Kukudelf nervously asked,

“Were those truly the spirit kings who were said to have existed since times immemorial?”

His voice had taken on an additional tone of respect.

“Yes. They were Towe and Kagomyne.”

“And you, Miss, have inherited the power of a god named Roberstein from the ancient past, and our treasure is a fragment of the sword this god once used?”

“That appears to be the case.”

Kukudelf let out a few shaky breaths when he heard Ianna’s composed reply.

“What did you mean when you said that you created Chendelf’s hands, Miss?”

Chendelf, who was positively thrilled as he hugged the lump of metal Ianna had handed to him tightly against his chest, startled. The look on Kukudelf’s face hardened in an intimidating manner as he carefully observed Chendelf’s hesitation. Kukudelf, who had only been like a kindly old man until then, looked more ferocious than a drooling wolf staring down its prey when his face contorted.

“I see……. You needn’t tell me the details. The humans cut off Chendelf’s hands, I take it? And you must have borrowed the spirit kings’ miraculous powers to recreate them, Miss. Everything makes sense now.”

Kukudelf, it seemed, had inferred most of the truth just by listening to the conversation.

Everything in the world was made up of nature. The bodies of living beings were of no exception. It would be easy for the spirit kings, mythological beings that ruled over all matter, to make such a miracle possible. And, it was also a miracle for someone to call forth such beings as if it was only a matter of course.

Kukudelf looked to Ianna with clouded eyes before folding his hands and bowing to her from the waist.

“Allow me to address you formally this time, Lady Ianna. Please forgive me my insolence from yesterday.”

Ianna felt awkward as Kukudelf, who had been hurling insults at Chendelf and pounding at the table just yesterday, suddenly treated her courteously as if she was a guest of the highest honor. She had been treated with respect almost every day at some point in her past, so it wasn’t that she was unaccustomed to being treated as such. She simply thought that the courtesy didn’t suit Kukudelf. The dwarves were rough in appearance, so it only felt natural to her that they were also rough in manner.

“Please address me as you have been.”

“Pardon? But…”

“You’re making me feel awkward, so please.”

Kukudelf, who had been anxiously stringing his words together, scratched his head when he heard Ianna’s request and smiled back at her bashfully.

“I see. That would make things easier for me too. In any case, I had originally thought that all you did was to simply bring Chendelf back, but I see now that you’re actually his savior. I give you my thanks as the elder of Chendelf’s village.”

“Not at all. I ended up receiving an amazing sword in return.”

“Won’t you stay in the village for a little while longer? You may be human, but I’d like to talk with you some more because you’re special, Miss…….”

“No. That wouldn’t be a good idea, like you said yourself yesterday. I may be special, but I am still human.”

Kukudelf looked back at Ianna fondly as she shrugged before finally turning around to look to Chendelf in unmistakable envy.

The other dwarves, too, were practically drooling as they stared at Chendelf, who had holding the lump of metal to tight it seemed to merge into him, with their mouths agape. It was almost as if their friend had suddenly brought back the most beautiful woman in the world as his bride.

“I envy you so, so, so much.”

“To think that our treasure was a metal shard that was once a fragment of a god’s sword. Divine metal that’s best suited to forge a sword with……,”

one dwarf muttered as he reached out to the metal, bewitched. Chendelf stuck his nose high in the air when he saw.

“Ugh, were you blessed by the God Laos or something?”

“Blessed, you jerks? This is my reward for overcoming my trials! Hahahaha!”

“Then again. I’d never want to suffer through something that horrible……but I’m still so envious of you. Arrgh! A divine sword! I wanna touch it too!”

One dwarf reached out greedily for the metal, but it exuded a powerful energy that repelled him and sent him crashing down to the ground. The dwarf began tearing up in sorrow.

“Let me help you forge that sword, Chendelf.”

“You can’t even touch it.”

“I still want to be a part of the forging process. I’ll draw you up fresh water from the heart of the forest.”

“Me too, me too! Do you want me to lend you my family’s heirloom —our mithril hammer? Yours is made from steel, so it’s probably rusty from disuse by now.”

“I wanna help too!”

The dwarves ran up to Chendelf and began begging him earnestly. Ianna watched over them from a short distance away. Judging by the way they were acting, she didn’t need to see to know how the other dwarves back at the village would react when they saw Chendelf return with the metal in his arms.

Ianna had high expectations. Even swords forged by young dwarves for practice were considered top-class in human society. So how much more incredible would a sword that was lovingly forged from a metal the dwarves loved be?

Ianna was not generally one to let her emotions show, but even she could not hide her delighted smile.

~~*~~

It had still been twilight while Ianna was at the cemetery, but it was night and her surroundings were dark now that she had exited the forest.

The path before was completely dark even though the moon was bright in the sky and the stars were twinkling as they embedded the blackness. The dwarves had asked if she wanted to spend the night at the village, but Ianna had turned them down.

Ianna had decided to come back once the sword was ready. It could only be touched by Ianna and Chendelf, and Ianna had decided to come back later since Chendelf was loathe to return to the world of man. It was worth the effort, Ianna figured, since she would be receiving an amazing sword in return.

Chendelf had said he would send word to Hanidelf when the sword was ready, so all Ianna had to do was wait patiently.

“Thank you so much, Ianna! Thank you for saving me, and thank you for giving me this amazing opportunity. I’ll be sure to return the favor by forging you the ultimate sword!”

Chendelf hugged Ianna tight once they had cleared the forest, and he smiled brightly as he let go.

Ianna left the dwarves’ village as Chendelf, Kukudelf, and the other dwarves saw her off.

She walked a little further and arrived at the forest of rocks she had passed through on her way to the village. She didn’t know the roads, but she knew which direction she was supposed to go. All she had to do was to follow the compass that Chendelf had given her.

The matter with Chendelf had wrapped up now, so all she had to think about was the matter with Arhad.

Ianna recalled how Arhad had lost himself and yelled at her. And she understood where he had been coming from. She didn’t quite know how he knew, but Arhad knew that life was one of the traits of divine power. And he also knew that summoning a spirit consumed some of the summoner’s lifespan.

It was no wonder he had misunderstood. He could only assume that she had done so out of sympathy. Arhad knew nothing about her, after all.

“……!”

Something dropped down in front of Ianna not too long after she had left the dwarves’ village. Ianna, who had been looking at her feet because she was lost in thought, looked up at the dark shadow before her. Standing before her with his back to the moonlight, was Arhad.

Why was it that his bright golden eyes, which were so familiar to her, seem so heartbroken just then?

It wasn’t because of the surrounding darkness. It was probably because of the golden light filled with shock and betrayal she had seen in her illusion.

Ianna let out a small breath. Why was she being so sentimental about it? —there were many people in the word with golden eyes or hair.

“You came all the way out here? I wouldn’t have minded if you’d waited for me in the forest or at a village.”

“……I’m here because I had a bad feeling about something.”

Arhad’s golden eyes wavered as they scrutinized Ianna all over and he sighed in relief —when he saw that she was completely fine. Then, he lowered his gaze.

“Thank goodness. You’re all right.”

Ianna stared back at him as she said,

“Were you worried for me?”

“But of course. Monsters must have attacked you constantly after I left. And, let me say this again.”

His eyes seemed to light up even in the darkness —perhaps they were reflecting off the moonlight. He continued,

“Stop summoning the spirits. They’re powerful, but they’re a double-edged sword when summoned by a human. You probably won’t feel it, but your lifespan will decrease quickly, Little Ianna.”

His fury had been like fire yesterday, but, though he had stopped himself when he had slipped up due to his anger and hadn’t spoken any more on the topic, his anger had only been abated temporarily.

Ianna was silent.

Her current life was focused on Arhad.

Someone who knew her well might have told her thus. That it wasn’t like her to allow her life to be controlled by another. But the thing that had saved her when she was younger and had been wandering through life, unable to find a new goal after having been reborn, was the promise she had made to Arhad that she would be his.

She had decided as soon as she had begun truly living again. I will be yours, just as you wished. I will be a powerful sword to stand before you and clear your path. I will be stronger than you. I will be the knight protecting you from your side, and I will be stronger than you. And so, we will end in yet another draw —but in this life, it will be one of mutual victory.

Which was why Ianna had to be stronger than any other. She would grow to be perfectly strong, strong enough to best even Arhad, and she would be his perfect knight. After all, that was her ultimate goal in this life.

So don’t be upset. Everything I am in this life is for you and our shared future.

……There was no point in speaking of things past that Arhad no longer remembered. Others would simply think she was rambling in delusion, so it was something she would keep buried in her heart forever.

“I’ll try to hold back if you insist so strongly.”

Incredulously, Arhad asked back,

“Even when the price for summoning a spirit is your own lifespan?”

“Yes. I’m grateful for your worry, but I called for them of my own accord after being fully aware of the costs.”

She would not tell him that she would stop even if she was at death’s door. Arhad ran his hand across his face like he was developing a headache when Ianna stubbornly closed her mouth after saying her piece. He looked like he didn’t even know where he wanted to begin. Still, he would try to persuade her forever until she consented. He was tenacious, after all.

Ianna stared into Arhad’s face. There were beads of sweat forming on his forehead, and he was rather pallid. He had been perfectly fine before —so why was it that his condition had suddenly worsened as soon as he had stepped foot into one of the four corners? And why on earth did he steal life from monsters like he had been bewitched?

It probably wasn’t a good reason. Anyone could tell that much, considering that he had looked like the world was about to end when Ianna had caught him absorbing the monster’s life.

As Ianna passed by him, she said,

“I answered your question, so now it’s your turn, Sir.”

“……What would you like me to say?”

“May I ask you why you absorbed divine power? You needn’t tell me if it’s too difficult to answer.”

Ianna walked ahead as Arhad slowly followed her from behind. Arhad chewed on his words for a moment before he decisively said,

“I’m not really sure how I should explain this, but it’s something like survival instinct —it’s not something I can control.”

Arhad was mumbling as he dragged behind her. Ianna simply listened without saying anything in reply. She understood that he was not looking for one and wanted for her to hear him out. Arhad continued,

“I didn’t want anyone to see me like that. You’ll surely hate me, Little Ianna, if you learned about my secret. And so, I’d rather not bring this matter to your attention.”

Hate. Ianna contemplated the word. It was certainly a horrid thing steal another’s life. It was only natural that anything that lived should fear him for it and be repulsed by him.  He might even be regarded as an unusual murderer if he stole life from other people too.

Ianna recalled how Arhad had stolen the monster’s life. The divine power had flowed into his heart and had filled it up like it was holding together something that was about to break apart. Did his illness, which would cause him to fall into slumber if he didn’t take his medicine, have anything to do with this?

“Where did things go wrong? I shouldn’t have followed you here, Little Ianna. I never imagined that you might know about divine power, and I shouldn’t have lost my composure and let slip a secret that I had wanted to keep from you. It’s been one mistake after another.”

His voice sounded strained.

“But in any event, I can tell you if you wish to know. There’s nothing to hide now that it’s come to this. I’ll put up with it.”

Arhad sounded resigned as he spoke. He remained silent afterward, as if he was anxious. Ianna smirked.

‘Did his plans fall apart when he found out that I was shaving off my lifespan like it was nothing?’

Ianna turned to Arhad. His mouth was clamped shut. His head was hanging limply like he was at a complete loss —it was pitiful, really. Ianna opened her mouth.

“I know myself best. I am someone who doesn’t care about what happens to everything else so long as I can do as I please.”

Arhad looked up with a strange look on his face when he heard her brazen words. She continued,

“I don’t care if others call me inhuman, nor do I care if they call me egoistic. But this is also why I never demand altruism from another.”

His expression only grew stranger. Ianna steadied her breathing and continued,

“And so, if your secret is something that you absolutely need to do and something that you yourself cannot control, then there is no helping it. Even if you end up harming others by absorbing their divine power, it was something you had to do for yourself. I understand that you had no other choice but to do what you did. And, I am all right with anything so long as it works out in my favor, so I have no reason to hate you when you’re being so good to me.”

Arhad stopped in his tracks. He had been dragging his feet along as he walked, and Ianna, too, stopped and turned around when she heard him stop.

“It doesn’t seem like you wish to talk, but all I did was ask you to tell me —I wasn’t trying to force you into anything. We have a lot of time ahead of us, so there’s no need to rush things. I have a feeling that the ties that bind us will last for quite a while, Sir……. And my instincts are usually correct, so you can trust me on this.”

The look on Arhad’s face was impossible to read. He was laughing foolishly —perhaps from surprise, perhaps from despondency, perhaps from joy……there were so many emotions mixed into his action that it was impossible to guess what he was thinking.

The one thing that was clear, however, was that he was very pleased with the situation at hand. He had been listless before, like a convicted criminal pitifully awaiting his execution, and Ianna felt as though talking to him had been the right choice.

“Please answer my question when you’re certain that I will not hate you for it. I look forward to working with you going forward, Sir Arhad —the leader of Camastros.”

Ianna turned back around as her lips curved into a smile. There was a calm light in her eyes. She had told him her honest feelings, but what she had truly wanted to say remained buried deep in her heart.

You needn’t worry about a thing. I will never leave you or cast you away in this life, no matter what atrocities you may commit and even if everyone else abandons you.

Ianna kept her mouth shut because it would be awkward to say this to someone she hadn’t known for a very long, even if they were fond of each other.

“And, why are you speaking so politely to me again? You were speaking down to me just fine before.”

So instead, she smirked and said something else that had been on her mind for a while.

—“The South” End