Chapter 15: School Festival

Part 1

Colorful flags decorated the skies as they fell from the building tops. Rainbow-colored fireworks blossomed beautiful flowers as they set off everywhere and their explosions trumpeted, and the landscape on which their smoke settled was filled with a festive merriment. But most important were the voices of laughter, filled with vigor and excitement, as they added to the festival mood.

It was the morning of the first day of the school festival, and the Institution’s empty lots were packed to the brim with people who were as varied as an assortment of colorful flags. The festival would only officially begin after the opening address had concluded, so the people waited tediously for the boring speakers to finish their speeches.

[I’m sure everyone is bored by now, yes? I’ll make this short. This is the start of the 875^th school festival. I hope you’ll all enjoy yourselves during the festival, as our students worked hard to prepare for it.]

Just like he had at the induction ceremony, the vacation ceremony, and the back-to-school ceremony —Heinrich, who disliked formal speeches, kept his opening address short and spared his audience the additional tedium.

There had already been multiple speakers before him who had decorated their speeches lavishly, and there was no need for him to repeat what others had already said. That being said, his speech was still far too short for a dean’s.

“Whooo! It’s the festival!”

“Goodness, his speech was so undignified and ill-befitting for the leader on an organization. Well, I suppose it’ll do. Where would you like to go, Fontana, my dearest daughter?”

Most students and commoners cheered loudly when the dull opening ceremony was finally over, whereas the nobles whispered amongst themselves about how undignified Heinrich’s speech had been while still looking openly happy about its brevity. Heinrich’s speech had been successful.

“Hurry, let’s go! Where should we go? Should we go around and eat?”

“We can do that later, stupid. Let’s go save some seats for ourselves at the swordsmanship tournament!”

“Why don’t we go and take a look at the people who might become our knights one day?”

“My, what a wonderful idea. The event is being held two hours from now.”

People were most interested in the Swordsmanship Department’s swordsmanship tournament. Most other departments held events that lasted all day long, such as selling goods that had been made using the skills students had learned in their majors or running tea houses that displayed the students’ works, but the Swordsmanship Department did not, and did not have any event other than the swordsmanship tournament, which lasted for a few hours each day, and a special event that was to be held soon.

There were no events that overlapped with the swordsmanship tournament —other departments had made sure of this because the tournament was always the most popular event—, and people squeezed into the first arena, where the tournament was soon to be held.

Admission to the school festival cost twenty silver. Tickets were one of the seven colors of the rainbow, and the tickets for the first day were red, tickets for the second day were orange……and so on and so forth, and only those who had the correct ticket color were allowed in each day.

Which meant that each ticket could only be used for a limited amount of time. Only so many people could attend the festival each day. These measures had been taken because spectators would flood into the festival en masse and make a mess of things back when the school festival had been open to the public for free.

This led to ridiculous things happening, such as people selling tickets underground for several dozen times the original price, and many people actually did buy tickets underground because it was worth the money to be able to attend the school festival.

There were only enough tickets to ensure that people could still walk around the Institution grounds comfortably, so people didn’t find themselves crammed together like sardines unless everyone had gathered in one place. The one exception to this rule, of course, was the swordsmanship tournament.

The first arena, where the swordsmanship tournament was to be held, was a large structure with a wide taupe arena surrounded by levels and levels of terraced bleachers. It had been built specifically for large events and could hold up to 20,000 people, but there were still people who couldn’t make it past the passageways leading to the audience seats and were turned away during the tournament. Those who didn’t manage to get seats couldn’t even exit properly because there were so many people still trying to get in.

But people still managed to make a narrow path when those who looked like nobles and were surrounded by sharped-eyed young men protecting them passed by. One such group was walking through the passageway even now.

The group consisted of a young man wearing the Theodore Academy’s uniform, an elegant lady, a maid who was attending to the lady with great care, and a middle-aged man of blue colors and a dignified air about him —and the house emblem drawn on the man’s left chest was one that could not be ignored.

“Mother, Father. This way.”

“All right.”

“You come along too, Pezilla. You saved us seats, I presume?”

“Yes, Young Master. Sir Gens is saving seats for us.”

The lady, whose sand-colored hair was wrapped tightly in a bun, sighed softly.

“I still can’t believe it.”

“What can’t you believe?”

“The fact that Ianna, that child, was skilled enough at the sword to score top of her year in the Institution’s Swordsmanship Department. I remember that she loved the sword……but my word. To think she was good enough to be top of her year. My son, how good does that mean she is?”

Harchen, who was wearing his Theodore Academy uniform, smiled gently.

“Well……she’ll probably be recruited directly into the royal guard upon graduation at the very least. Only if she wants to join, that is.”

“Were women always that skilled with the sword? I never knew. You don’t know how surprised I was when I saw the report card she sent home…….”

“Ianna’s a special case, I’m sure. Women are generally physically weaker than men.”

They entered the arena and went over to the seats that Pezilla directed them to. They were great seats from which they could see the entire arena. The large-bodied knight, who had been saving their seats, jumped up and bowed to his masters before quickly letting them sit.

Cherno, Sarachè, and Harchen sat down and looked down at the sprawling arena before them. They weren’t the only ones looking down, as the swordsmanship tournament was about to begin. Then, Swordsmanship Department students began pouring out into the arena one after another.

The sight of the Swordsmanship Department students walking into the arena equipped with live blades at their waists was more than enough to get the audience’s blood boiling. Spectators clenched their fists with flushed faces when all 432 students had entered.

Everyone knew what was to happen during the first day of the school festival. The emcee with a loudspeaker artefact announced the start of the swordsmanship tournament.

[Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for showing our Swordsmanship Department’s swordsmanship tournament your passionate support. The cool breeze in the air is like a gift from nature to our students, who are soon to be working up a hot sweat as they pit against each other in bloody battles. Haha. It looks like even the God Laos is looking forward to this year’s tournament.]

“Hurry up and start already!”

“Hurry!”

The emcee recited the lines regarding audience precaution that he had prepared even as the audience jeered at him before he finally took a deep breath and said,

[And now we will commence the first day of the swordsmanship tournament —the melee!]

The first day of the tournament consisted of an all-out melee amongst every student in the swordsmanship department. The melee was similar to the group battle that had taken place during the entrance exams but was conducted using real swords. It was also a bit more dangerous because everyone had enemies everywhere —no one was on the same side—, as things should be in a melee. The fact that students of every year were thrown in together, and the fact that the upperclassmen could potentially destroy their underclassmen, was yet another point of interest.

Whoo! Whoo!

The audience was excited. It was difficult to watch a group battle as highly skilled as the Swordsmanship Department’s even once in an ordinary person’s lifetime. After all, Swordsmanship Department students were generally too skilled to partake in a melee unless a war had descended into utter chaos. Every student in the Swordsmanship Department would probably advance to the rank of centurion at the very least. And yet, swordsmen as skilled as they had been gathered together and made to fight what was essentially a small-scale battle —there was nothing more entertaining than this from the audience’s point of view.

Students were disqualified from the melee as follows. If they had a sword pointed at their throat. If their sword broke. If they let go of their sword. If their shield was destroyed. If they dismembered or even killed another student, the offender would not only be disqualified from the tournament but would also face disciplinary action and could even be expelled if things were serious enough.

Finally, no more than three students were allowed to fight the same opponent at once. If more than three students ganged up on another student at once, everyone but the student being ganged up on would be disqualified.

Anyone who was disqualified had to leave the arena immediately, and the melee would continue until there were sixty-four students left standing.

[Please make sure to leave immediately if you’ve been disqualified. Our professors, who have eyes like hawks, will be watching over the entire arena, and you will be penalized heavily if you are caught lingering in the arena even after you were disqualified. Still, I will trust that our honorable students in the Swordsmanship Department will not do something so cowardly. Finally, medics will be wearing white, so please make sure you don’t attack them by accident.]

Sarachè’s worried eyes fell squarely on Ianna and her crimson hair, which was eye-catching even among the sea of 432 Swordsmanship Department students. Ianna looked so slender and delicate in comparison to the buff men around her, and Sarachè was worried that she could be killed if she got hit even once.

“Isn’t Ianna in danger, Harchen? They’re fighting with real swords.”

Harchen’s blue eyes fell on Ianna, who looked calm even though he couldn’t see her too well because she was far away.

“It might be dangerous……but I think she’ll be just fine. Ianna is both the top of her year and the victor of the Swordsmanship Department’s underclassmen’s swordsmanship competition, after all.”

Cherno stared at Ianna so hard with his subdued eyes that they began to hurt as his wife and son discussed.

Swordplay…… When had she trained so hard? She must have trained hard if she was good enough to be the top of her year, and yet he had never known. He hadn’t even known that Ianna knew how to wield the sword until she had personally killed Horby.

And he still knew next to nothing about her. He didn’t know what she liked, he didn’t know what she wanted…….

Cherno’s hands were beginning to sweat as he kept them clasped together.

[And now, we’ll finally begin for real!]

Cla-clang!

Everyone standing on the arena drew their blades as the emcee shouted. Sarachè paled as hundreds of swords glistened sharply under the sun. A loud trumpet signaled the start of the melee and reverberated all across the arena.

“Hyaah!”

“Out of my way, man!”

“Eyaaaah!”

“Shit! Ahh! Damnit! Tch!”

“Uwaah!”

The explosive sounds of sword clashing against sword, screams, and shouts enveloped the arena. There was even the sound of metal being broken apart as some students began using fortification. And there was also the dull sound of flesh beating against flesh rending through the air, as fists and feet were being brandished as well.

It was very visually stimulating. Crimson blood was poured over the arena floor. The blades glistening under the sun were also wet with blood, making for a gory spectacle, to which the audience responded by cheering in what seemed like borderline madness.

Those who were disqualified left the arena in droves with blood dripping behind them. A few even cried out in pain as they were treated by the medics.

Cherno, who had been watching over the arena in silence until then, put his arm around Sarachè’s shoulders, as she was shuddering from the bloodlust and fighting spirit that was overflowing from the melee. Sarachè quivered as she said,

“I’m so scared, Dear. Ianna’s in the middle of that, isn’t she? What will we do if she gets hurt?”

“……I don’t think we’ll need to worry about that.”

As Cherno had pointed out, Sarachè’s worries were unfounded. The trumpet had sounded again, announcing the close of the melee, and Ianna was standing on the floor while wiping blood off from her cheek with the back of her hand like nothing was wrong when the dust settled down.

~~*~~

“Sorry, o junior of mine!”

“Ack!”

Upperclassmen mostly targeted the underclassmen. There were exceptions to the rule, but for the most part, underclassmen were weaker than their seniors because of their younger age and the lesser amount of discipline they had received.

There were three types of people who had survived the melee. Those with good luck, those who were exceptional at swordplay, and those who were proficient at controlling mana.

Ianna held her steel shield, which had been provided to all students, tightly in the left hand as she wielded her sword with her right. Defensive techniques, including shield techniques, were taught in the second semester of the first year, so every student was proficient as using them. A shield was essential in a chaotic battle like a melee if your skin wasn’t made of steel.

Ianna had dived into the clangs of clashing steel as soon as the battle had started. She would not be careless, nor would she make any mistakes. She was aiming for victory!

Clang!

Ianna beat back a sword that was falling toward her shoulder as soon as she entered the fray. Then, when her attacker was surprised by the sudden recoil, she stabbed at his throat with the ferocity of an arrow.

“Aaack!”

The man, whose arm had been flung aside because of Ianna’s powerful parry, screamed and shut his eyes. Ianna’s sword was moving so fast that he was sure that his throat would surely be pierced through.

Swish—

Ianna’s blade had miraculously stopped the very moment that it touched his flesh. The pointed tip of her sword had only pricked his Adam’s apple like a needle.

He had smelled the sharp scent of steel coming from beneath his chin first before he then felt the prick of a needle. The man cracked open his eyes and grabbed at his throat when his bloodcurdling premonition did not come to pass.

“Why don’t you leave now?”

Baaam!

The man looked up when he heard what Ianna had said only to find that she had already turned around and kicked yet another student hard in the stomach with the solid sole of her boot. The sword she brought down on him when he lost his balance was so ferocious, as if she meant to slaughter him, that he could not help but tremble.

The fallen student screamed as well. Once again, Ianna’s blade stopped like magic just before it cut him through. Ianna told him to leave while his eyes were still closed before rushing toward yet another student.

“Is she really a girl? Or is she a monster?”

the man grumbled as he exited the arena. They had no choice but to control their power because, though it was a melee, students were not allowed to seriously injure one another. But it looked like Ianna wasn’t holding back at all. She brandished her sword as if she truly meant to kill, and she only immediately stopped her blade when her opponent cried out in fear. This was incredibly difficult to do because of the sheer momentum of her sword, but Ianna carried it out perfectly. In other words, this meant that she had perfect control over her body.

No, it wasn’t only her control that was amazing, but that she also had incredibly powerful muscles. The man furrowed his brows as he looked down at his hands, which were still trembling from shock. He hadn’t realized that his upper body could be left so defenseless when his sword, which he had brandished upon her first, was so violently repelled. And yet, Ianna had maintained her power even after she had parried him and had moved her sword directly into a thrust. The man stole a glance behind him.

“Aaack!”

“Uwaah!”

The blood from others’ blades, her crimson hair, and her cold red eyes —Ianna’s blade technically never drew a single drop of blood, but she somehow seemed to be covered in it nevertheless.

The man did not like or dislike Ianna in particular, but he did think that she was quite pretty. He did not hate Ianna, who was as lovely as a haughty cat not only because she was his one and only female junior in the Swordsmanship Department but likely also due to her noble lineage. He had even admired her as she trained hard under the sun, and he had watched her in awe while thinking that she was like a fiery blaze. But things changed as soon as he was caught in her gaze. He was only terrified then.

She seemed like a ghost who would take her opponent’s head sooner rather than later as she stooped forward while picking out her target and deftly rushed toward them. The man broke out in goosebumps. He sighed and turned back around as he trudged out of the arena.

“Haah!”

Swish!

Ianna instantly fortified her sword and broke the sword of the man who was standing before her. His eyes were clouded by astonishment. He hadn’t even seen her fortify her blade. The man was an upperclassman who knew how to use fortification. He knew that everyone needed time to concentrate before gathering enough mana to fortify their weapons with. Everyone.

But not only had Ianna’s fortification formed instantly, it was also extremely dense. There was a thick coat of mana hovering around her sword. And it had cut through the man’s sword without any resistance.

“Monster…….”

Most students in the Swordsmanship Department acknowledged Ianna by now, but there were still a few who disapproved of her, and there were also quite a number who were secretly jealous of her. There were even those who couldn’t stand the sight of her for being both a girl and a noble who got better grades then them as they struggled desperately to get ahead in life. And there were also many who still made light of her, even though she was the top of her year and had won the underclassmen’s swordsmanship competition, due to her smaller physique. They could still manage to beat her—or so they had thought until they actually had to face her.

And so, because she was smaller than the rest, it was only natural that others saw her as an easy target amidst the chaos. All those who had gone after her were readily defeated within seconds and ended up feebly exiting the arena.

Anyone who had a good eye for swordplay avoided facing Ianna. The highest-ranking Swordsmanship Department students were all taking care to avoid anyone who might rival them.

Eventually, the trumpet had sounded, signaling the end of the melee, when there were only sixty-four students left standing. Ianna lowered her sword and wiped at the stickiness she felt on her cheek. There was blood smeared on the back of her hand.

There were several eyes staring at her as she exited the arena. Their gazes suggested that they were wondering what on earth a girl was doing there. They turned away guiltily when Ianna frowned and glared back as if she was asking what they were looking at.

The emcee wiped away the sweat he had worked up while watching over the bloody melee as he grabbed his loudspeaker artefact.

[The opening event of the swordsmanship tournament, the melee, has now concluded! The sixty-four students who survived the melee today will automatically be included in the 128 who will proceed to the tournament proper. The other sixty-four students will be decided through preliminary matches that are to take place over the rest of today and into tomorrow. Those who do not make it past the preliminaries over the next two days will still participate in the ranking matches that will take place every day. Please cheer everyone on! Um, and…….]

The emcee looked down at his papers and smiled mischievously.

[The Swordsmanship Department has decided to host a very special event this year. It’s called, “Serving You as Our Master for a Day!” The event will begin today. Sixty strong and sturdy Swordsmanship Department servants will be prepared for you every day! We’ll start with those students who drop out of the preliminaries today and will have more students every day, up to and including the final champion on the last day! If you’re interested, please join us in the second small assembly hall at three for our servant auction!]

~~*~~

The second small assembly hall, in which the auction was to be held, was originally meant for hosting plays and operas. It was only an assembly hall in name, and it more closely resembled a stage, like the theaters in the capital, on the inside. The curtains could block out all light from outside and create total darkness inside, so it was more than suited enough for creating the dark and unwholesome atmosphere of a real slave auction.

[We will now begin today’s auction for “Serving You as Our Master for a Day!” Allow me to tell you a few things you’ll need to keep in mind before we start. First, there can only be one servant per master per day! Servants will only be bound to you until midnight. Please remember that you are not allowed to force anything on the students or humiliate them. Professor Filliger will expand more on that.]

Professor Filliger stepped onto the stage and grabbed the loudspeaker artefact.

[My name is Filliger, and I am a professor in the Swordsmanship Department.]

The nobles who recognized him clamored.

“It’s Lord Filliger Ashltondt.”

“He began teaching to raise up a new generation after stepping down from his positions as the general of the royal guard and the head of House Ashltondt……goodness, to think that I’d see him again here.”

“Theodore Academy invited him to come teach for them, but he refused and personally requested His Majesty the King to send him to the Valgenta Institution.”

“He’s the greatest knight in the kingdom. He’s a remarkable figure.”

[We created this event so that our students in the Swordsmanship Department, a bunch of misfits who constantly reek of sweat, could meet new people and forge new ties. Though there were a few who had voiced their concerns regarding the nature of this event, we would be grateful if everyone could consider it as a good way for our students to meet new people, and, depending on the severity of the incident, I will personally step in and assume full responsibility should anything untoward happen. I will pray that no such things will occur during the course of this event, and we will begin without further ado.]

Filliger stepped back after calmly delivering his speech, and the nobles cheered and applauded him loudly.

“They say that His Majesty the King still trusts Lord Filliger greatly even to this day. No one will dare try anything funny if he says he’ll personally assume full responsibility.”

“I’m sure any student taught by him will be just as remarkable as he is.”

And so, the auction began.

[First up is our morning star, Little Mikhail of year two! He’s here at the auction with us today, but he’s an outstanding student who always maintains his good grades. What is your hobby, Mr. Mikhail?]

Ianna had nothing better to do, so she accompanied her usual group of friends to see the slave auction with a cutesy name. She looked disgusted as their peers were auctioned off.

[I like to read.]

[What kind of books do you read?]

[Historical fiction……]

[What about your favorite food? Do you have a girlfriend?]

“This is insulting.”

Ianna judged the situation as thus. Eiji looked nauseous as he stood beside her.

“Bleeegh. Do we really have to give them a full bio? That’s so unnecessary…….”

The auction master kept his eyes on the audience as hand signals and shouts came flying at him and relayed the ever-rising bidding price.

[One gold eighty silver! Yes, that’s two gold from the lovely lady over there. Three gold! Four gold…… And, that’s five now. Is there no one else?]

Mikhail was ultimately auctioned off for five gold. Mikhail sighed in relief to find that he had been evaluated rather highly. His face stiffened nervously as he looked to the lady who had bid on him. Eiji clicked his tongue as he watched.

“That’s stupidly expensive for just one day. There are so many people in the world who toil away all day long and don’t even earn one gold for their labor…… Is it because nobles are participating?”

Herrace, who was watching over the auction while resting his arms against the banister, looked to the girl whose hands were clamped over her brightly flushing cheeks.

“It looks like the Institution’s students and commoners are also rather heated about the auction too. The girl who bid for Sir Mikhail just now is a commoner from one of my elective classes.”

“Hmm……oh yeah? Then again, the Swordsmanship Department is pretty closed off, so you wouldn’t really meet other people unless you were taking an elective. But not a lot of people do because the major itself is so hard, so it’s difficult for Swordsmanship students to meet other people in general. Looks like they’re trying to use this event to forge some connections. The auction was really popular with the Institution ever since it was first proposed, right? It’s obvious that people were saving up money for this. And it looks like the nobles are keeping tabs on each other too, since you can only successfully bid for one person a day.”

Most of the students who went up for auction found it difficult to keep their heads held high not only because they were ashamed of being auctioned off on the very first day but also because they were embarrassed that so many people were looking at them, but they were still quite expensive regardless.

They were all lower-ranking students who had dropped out of the tournament early, but they were mostly underclassmen who were younger and greener than their seniors. Besides, they might be comparatively lacking now, but values would skyrocket once they had completed their training and graduated from the Institution, so there was nothing for them to actually be embarrassed about.

Eiji marveled at how jam-packed the small assembly hall was.

“It’s already overflowing with people. I wonder what’ll happen later when the tournament proper starts and our higher-ranking seniors start getting auctioned off.”

Then, he stole a glance at Ianna and continued,

“Did you talk things through with Mr. Mursi, Little Ianna?”

“Yeah. He agreed to listen to my request.”

“That’s good. It’s for the best. Though it sucks that you’ll end up losing money. But in any case, congrats for making it into the actual tournament!”

Both Herrace and Eiji had dropped out of the melee rather early.

“I don’t intend to just wail at people when I fight. It’s not really to my preference.”

“I’m quite lacking in comparison to our seniors too. I can’t control mana yet, and my house will worry for me, so I’ve decided to stay within my abilities and not push myself too hard.”

“Is your family coming? And what happened to that bastard Travis? I haven’t seen him around the Institution even though it’s already second semester.”

An awkward look crossed Herrace’s face.

“……My family will be here. But my brother Travis still hasn’t left his room yet.”

For whatever the reason, Travis had applied for a leave of absence after losing his duel with Ianna and had not come back to school yet even though the new semester had already begun. Ianna never brought him up because she didn’t think she needed to concern herself with him, and Eiji and Herrace had never brought him up either because they knew that. And so, they turned their attentions to Taro, who was standing blankly beside them.

“So, why did you drop out?”

Taro had tried his best, but he was still unused to controlling mana and he had been flustered by the fact that he was not allowed to seriously injure his opponent and had ultimately dropped out. He grumbled,

“I would’ve done better if they’d just given me a blunt weapon, like a club or something. I just like to slice my way through everything if I have a real sword. This is makin’ me lose face. Ugh.”

“Dude, just take things easy since we’re first years and all —I’d feel bad for our seniors if they suddenly dropped dead because they took a hit from you or something.”

“Yeah? But I still gotta look good for Lady Lalatua…….”

Eiji clicked his tongue as Taro moped.

“You’re really something else, you know that? Anyway, what’s that Goddess of yours so busy with that you’re here with us? I thought you’d be tagging behind her all day today?”

“I told ya that my whole family’s gonna be here for the school festival, remember? But they all kinda tend to run their mouths, and they’re kinda mean too, so who knows what they’ll say to Lady Lalatua if they see her? That’s why I was gonna take it down a notch for the school festival…….”

Then, Taro buried his face in his hands and sounded like he was on the verge of tears as he continued,

“But I miss her already, sob.”

“Crazy bastard. Stop it already —it’s gross when someone your size starts acting like that. But where’s your family?”

“They’re prob’ly busy going around everywhere and piggin’ themselves out on everything. I don’t think they even watched the swordsmanship tournament. They’re all so large that they’d stand out in any crowd. I haven’t seen them yet.”

“Now I’m really curious about what kind of people they are.”

“I’ll introduce ya guys properly tomorrow or the day after, so just wait.”

“What are you being so secretive about them for? And what do you mean you’ll introduce us properly? We’ll just be saying hello as your friends.”

“You’ll get it when ya see them.”

Taro scratched his head when Eiji told him off.

Ianna kept silent while Eiji was trying to squeeze more information out of Taro. She could understand why Taro had wanted to keep quiet about his family. His father was the Mercenary King who had retired in the western deserts, after all.

She did not intend to act like she had already met Absilot until Taro introduced them properly. Herrace, too, tried to change the topic when he realized that Taro looked a bit troubled. He turned to the comical state of Ianna’s forehead, which everyone had been ignoring until then.

“……Is your forehead really okay, Little Ianna?”

“What, this?”

Ianna rubbed at the large bandage she had on her forehead. She continued,

“It’s fine. I dressed it with some high-quality medicine that’s good for wounds like this……so it’ll be healed in a few days. Priscilla was so upset over it that she was crying, though.”

They had been surprised when they finally saw Ianna, whom they hadn’t seen in a while, properly again that morning. Ianna was never one to allow another to hurt her, and yet she had shown up with a large bandage applied to her forehead. They had asked her what had happened out of worry, and the answer she had returned had been quite spectacular too. She had apparently slammed her own head against a tree while reflecting over a few things.

Eiji pouted.

“That’s some awfully scary reflecting you did there. What were you reflecting on so hard that you hit your head until it broke?”

“It’s true that I was doing some self-reflecting, but I was also disciplining myself too.”

“You really are something special, Little Ianna. It’s like you’re a beast or something.”

The auction eventually concluded for the day as they chatted with each other. People started bidding higher toward the end of the event, but all in all, the students were auctioned to nobles and commoners alike at prices that they were not ashamed of.

The auctioned students were wearing a large, comical sign indicating that they were servants around their necks, and Ianna furrowed her brows when she saw them. They were so embarrassing even just to look at, and she was glad that she had reached out to Mursi for help.

The group split apart after leaving the small assembly hall. Eiji had a lovely date from the Opera Department waiting for him, and Taro and Herrace had gone off to look for their respective families.

Ianna saw them off before making her way through a crowded path. People recognized her and began sneaking glances at her.

“She’s that famous girl…….”

“Did you see her in the melee just now? My word. How can a girl be that strong………?”

“She was kicking and cutting away at all those men…….”

“Is she really a girl?”

“Didn’t the men just go easy on her……?”

“How undignified…….”

“They say she’s getting along with the commoners…….”

“The daughter of a mistress…….”

“She killed her own grandfather……how sinful…….”

It was truly tiresome. She could hear the nobles, who were mixed into the sea of commoners, run their mouths so clearly that she was getting sick and tired of them. She felt like she could hear them all the clearer because she had spent the past year amongst commoners, who could not speak ill of her as freely as they wished.

Nobles had no qualms about slandering those who were weaker than they. The worst of the lot were the noble girls who flocked together because they had nothing better to do with themselves.

Ianna recalled her past self as she listened to them rambling on. She had been at the Theodore Academy at this time in the past.

“Look at how vulgar she looks —she takes exactly after her mother.”

“Everyone, don’t bother even looking at that wench. She might poison you to death, giggle!”

“Will you sleep with me for money?”

“Don’t. What will you do if she tries to cling to you like her mother did?”

“Could you not talk to me? You’re dirtying my ears.”

“Aren’t you embarrassed about adding the name of a reputed house behind yours? Why don’t you just go to the slums and sell your body there? Snicker!”

“You’re just the daughter of a lowly prostitute —what right you do have to cry?”

The vicious harassment and thorny words she had suffered at the Academy. It was normal for her to get slapped across the face so hard she fell to the ground. She was trash —lesser than even a commoner— in the eyes of young nobles.

At sixteen, the weak Ianna who had not even dreamed about being independent because she had still craved for her family’s love at the time, had been wounded endlessly by others and had grown frailer still.

She had listened to her mother’s honeyed words back when she was so young that she could barely remember it anymore and had slipped poison in Sarachè’s tea, she knew that it was something that she could never be forgiven for, and she could not dare speak up for herself and refute the higher-ranking nobles who hurt her ruthlessly because she was afraid that she would only be doing a disservice to her house and get hated for it all the more. It was only then that Ianna had slowly learned to be expressionless and had built up walls around herself to keep from getting hurt whenever someone insulted her.

No one had understood her or gotten angry on her behalf back then. No one had reached out to her or stood by her side as her household hated on her. Her sword was her only friend who accepted her feelings and frolicked with her, was her only family who comforted her, and was her everything that made her feel truly alive. The sword was the only reason why she wasn’t lonely even as she grew isolated from people.

And thus, Ianna had killed off any affection she had for people and became as the Crimson Sword Demon who had no qualms about killing people.

When she had become Prince Schneider’s, an influential person within the kingdom, knight, purged those who had opposed him, and had become a duchess in her own right upon receiving his favor,  people had pretended not to know anything and had bowed their heads in apology when they met with her directly even if they were still insulting her behind her back. They had offered her bribes and flattered her coyly.

One of the things which Schneider had promised her in return for her fealty was the promise that he would not allow any to insult her. After his promise was made, Ianna stopped tolerating those who dared insult her to her face, though she still endured the onslaught of slander that came at her in waves from the cowards who insulted her from behind her back. Not only was she used to people whispering behind her back, but there was little point in dealing with all of them one by one because there would have been no end to it; still, there was also no reason why she should have to endure being insulted to her face any longer.

And so, in accordance to the prince’s promise, Ianna had slaughtered not only those who opposed Schneider but also those who dared to insult her. The cowards had been terrified and had stopped running their mouths even behind Ianna’s back before long, and Ianna had found peace and quiet at last.

“Repulsive bastards……,”

Ianna muttered at the nobles who were running their mouths before she decided to stop paying them any heed and went along her way.

She wanted to train, but it was difficult to train during the school festival because both the main training hall and personal training rooms alike were open to the public. Also, there were too many eyes on her for her to comfortably wander around, and nothing had particularly caught her interest anyway. That being said, it was still too bright out for her to retire to her dorm and rest. Ianna decided to head to the library and study.

Then, she thought about a certain someone who was probably holed up in the tower about now.

And so, Ianna found herself making her way to Heinrich’s tower as if she had been guided there subconsciously. She was able to enter the tower easily because Heinrich had permitted her to enter freely.

There was no one near the entrance save for a few employees, perhaps because the festival was in full swing. The tower, alongside the dormitories, was one of the few places that were closed to the public, so Ianna was able to enjoy the peace as she climbed up the stairs. Ianna closed her eyes.

“It’s quiet.”

The only thing that reverberated along the tower walls was her voice. She liked the silence enveloping her very much.

“Ianna?”

A familiar voice called out to her from the top of the tower. Ianna opened her eyes and looked up. Arhad was leaning over the guardrail as he looked down at her. It looked like he had been reading, as he was holding a book in his hand.

“I knew it. I came out because I thought I heard your voice…….”

“Hello.”

Ianna nodded in greeting. Arhad narrowed his eyes.

“Greetings aside, what happened to your forehead……?”

“Oh.”

Ianna flushed slightly in embarrassment as she grabbed her forehead. She hadn’t wanted Arhad to know that she had slammed her head against a tree while reflecting over how stupid she was.

“Come on up.”

Arhad looked at her forehead with displeasure before he vanished from the guardrail. Ianna climbed up the stairs and walked through an open door. It looked like a study —there were books crammed along the walls, a sofa and a table in the center of the room, and a desk in the corner. Arhad, however, was not inside.

Ianna looked around the room as she wondered if it was all right to sit down on the sofa while the room’s owner wasn’t present before turning back around when she felt someone there. It was Arhad. Ianna took a step back because their faces were too close. Arhad had a hand on the doorway as he stared piercingly at the large bandage on Ianna’s forehead.

“What’s with that bandage on your forehead?”

Ianna didn’t exactly want to tell him, but staying silent made her feel like she had forgotten the purpose behind her introspection in the first place, and so, while still mortified, she said,

“I slammed my head against a tree as a form of self-discipline. But I went a little too hard and fractured my forehead…….”

“What?”

Ianna covered her forehead in embarrassment as the rampant displeasure on Arhad’s face changed into blank amazement.

“Please don’t look at me like that. I was being serious at the time.”

“Anyway, you……just sit down on the sofa for now.”

Ianna sat down and made herself comfortable now that she had the room-owner’s permission. Arhad immediately sat down next to her and placed a mysterious bottle of liquid, a pair of tweezers, a wad of cotton, and some clean cloth down on the table. Ianna tilted her head to the side, confused, when he opened the bottle and used the tweezers to dab the cotton into the liquid inside. It was only then that Ianna realized that the bottle contained medicine. Arhad moved his hand toward her.

“It’s medicine. Take off your bandage.”

“I already applied some medicine.”

“I know, but this medicine is much better than the cheap stuff out on the market, so let me apply it.”

Ianna decided not to turn down his goodwill when Arhad asserted his case. It would be for the better that she did what she could to make her wound heal faster, even if only for the devastated Priscilla.

Arhad flinched when Ianna carefully took off the bandage after a moment’s hesitation.

“Just how hard did you hit yourself?”

Her once-smooth forehead was riddled with small scrapes, and the center of the wound was torn and swollen red as if she had been hit by a rock. There was a slab of whitish salve on the wound already, but it wasn’t a wound that could be healed so quickly.

Ianna scowled a little when her forehead smarted upon contact with fresh air. Arhad sighed and gingerly took the clean cloth to her skin to wipe away the excess salve. He was using his large left hand to secure the right side of her face, but Ianna didn’t turn away from his touch and simply stared up at him as he focused on her forehead.

“You need to learn to take better care of yourself,”

Arhad nagged as he then began dabbing at her wound with the wad of cotton using the tweezers after he had cleaned the wound with the cloth. Ianna felt the cool liquid spread across her forehead. She closed her eyes. The cool liquid medicine, which wasn’t as muggy or stuffy as the salve had been, seemed to envelop her forehead as it was dissolved into her wound. The smarting pain stopped.

Ianna’s eyes narrowed and her lips curled into a faint smiled as her mood cleared up. She hadn’t felt how Arhad had tensed up for a moment and was simply savoring the refreshing feeling when she heard him say,

“It looks like you’re feeling better now.”

“My discipline proved effective.”

“You might actually die if you discipline yourself like that again. Don’t do it again even if you find yourself having to do more self-reflection.”

“……All right.”

Arhad applied more medicine on her wound before coving it up with the bandage again. Ianna shot her eyes open. As a result, she locked eyes with Arhad, who was staring plainly into her face. Arhad rubbed her cheek, which he was still holding, and smiled in satisfaction when he looked into her eyes and found that they were filled with only his reflection.

“But I’m glad that you’re feeling better.”

Arhad brought his hand down and stood up as he began to put away his first aid materials. Ianna touched at her cheek where Arhad’s hand had been. She knew that he was treating her like she was a sulking child, but it didn’t sour her mood. Arhad dropped his things inside a desk drawer before sitting back down on the sofa.

“What brings you to the tower? Did something happen? Let me know immediately when something happens. Don’t try to resolve things on your own like last time.”

It was only when he asked that Ianna realized that she had come to the tower for no reason in particular. Why had she come here? She had never sought Arhad out for no reason before. She was curious as to why she had come as well, and she rested her arm on the armrest and buried her cheek in the palm of her hand as she pondered intently over the question.

“I just…… My feet carried me here because I couldn’t train and I didn’t really have anything else to do. I don’t have any reason to be here in particular.”

“…….”

Her answer rendered Arhad speechless. He simply stared back at her without a word. Ianna smiled back awkwardly. Did he think she was being ridiculous? He probably did. She found herself ridiculous, after all. Ianna got up from the sofa.

“I was planning to head toward the library at first, but I somehow found myself coming here, to where you were. I wonder why?”

“…….”

“But in any event, thank you for the medicine, and excuse me.”

“Don’t go,”

Arhad said abruptly just as Ianna bowed to say goodbye. He continued,

“There are books here too, so stay here and read with me if you don’t have anything else to do. We can chat too…… I was bored of being alone.”

Ianna looked to the books strewn about the table.

“It doesn’t look like you’ve been bored.”

“I was about to get bored. Stay.”

Arhad’s lips were curled into a pleasant smile as he spoke. Ianna looked back at him quizzically. It was absurd for him to say that he was about to get bored. But it would be awkward for her to leave after he had gone out of his way to say that, especially since she didn’t have anything else to do. And so, she sat back down on the sofa. Ianna picked up one of the books Arhad had been reading, looked at the title, and began flipping through the pages. Arhad asked,

“Is the festival not fun?”

“I’m not the kind of person to like it. I don’t really enjoy fooling around like that. What were you planning to do during the festival? You weren’t planning to step outside?”

“I was planning to stay holed up in the tower reading until you came by. I’m abstaining from the swordsmanship tournament on account of illness, so I can’t just walk around looking completely fine.”

“How are you even able to continue attending the Institution? I hear that you’re absent quite frequently. I thought that we weren’t allowed to miss classes…….”

Arhad shrugged.

“It’s my loss if I miss classes, not the Institution’s, so I’m allowed to miss up to a third of all my classes so long as my absences are authorized. I have to take all my exams, too. And, there’s a secret system within the Institution where students are allowed to be dispatched upon request from someone outside the Institution……and I can make up for some of my absences if Lord Heinrich approves my leave. I’ve done that several times already.”

“A delinquent student, I see.”

“Perhaps? Still, I try to attend unless I absolutely can’t.”

Each year in the Swordsmanship Department consisted of eighty students. There should have been 480 students in the department in total, since there were six years, but there were only 432 participating in the swordsmanship tournament because some students had been expelled, some had dropped out, some were on leave, and other were ill. Ianna had already known that Arhad holed himself up in the tower every year during the school festival. Arhad continued,

“Besides, even if there’s no problem with my reputation, it’s still annoying to walk around with nothing covering my face when there are a lot of outsiders around.”

Then again, his appearance was more than eye-catching, so it was possible that he might find himself in a bit of trouble if he happened to catch the attention of some irrational noble who coveted beauty. He was reluctant to go outside unless it was nighttime even on a normal basis because his looks were so striking.

Ianna nodded in understanding before she continued asking,

“Then, couldn’t you have stayed at your house outside the Institution? Doesn’t the noise bother you?”

Arhad leaned back against the sofa.

“I was planning to see the swordsmanship tournament. You’re participating in it, so I thought it might be quite enjoyable this year. Though I didn’t go today because there are always a lot of people during the melee and because I didn’t think that the nobles who were aiming to bid on the most skillful students would be present…….”

What did the nobles who participated in the auction have to do with him? Was there a noble who had caught his interest? Ianna was curious, but she nodded along anyway.

“Is that so? I don’t care about the other days, but please watch the last one. I am planning to win.”

Arhad paused for a moment before narrowing his eyes.

“……Are you now? Last time you said that you would only do your best because you didn’t want to catch the nobles’ attention.”

“I had a change of heart. I’m going to win. There’s no way I could lose a tournament that you’re not competing in.”

“Hmmm…….”

Ianna expressed her doubts when his expression grew serious.

“Is something wrong?”

“……No, it’s nothing. But, what are you going to do about the auction? Are you just going to let it happen? I thought that you would hate it, considering your personality.”

“I’ve decided to ask someone to bid on me as my proxy so I could simply buy myself. I loathe to be dragged around at the hands of another. Just thinking about it sours my mood.”

“Is that so? That’s a good choice. It’s very like you.”

Arhad simply nodded without any response in particular. Ianna looked back at him suspiciously. He didn’t seem surprised at all. Had he predicted that she would do something like this, or……it was a bit of a stretch, but it was also possible that he had learned about it from elsewhere.

Ianna had only told Ryan, the department head, Mursi, and her friends about her plan.

‘Was it Eiji?’

Arhad’s response had been so calm that Ianna’s thoughts suddenly turned to Eiji, whom she suspected was also Shawn.

“So, are you planning on doing nothing else during the school festival save for the swordsmanship tournament? Are you really that disinterested in it?”

Ianna came back to her senses when Arhad posed her a question.

“There’s one other event I’m participating in. I promised a Fashion Department student that I would be her model on day four. I have to go to the Fashion Department building after the tournament.”

“You’re modeling?”

Ianna sighed when Arhad asked in surprise.

“Seriously…… It doesn’t suit me at all, and it’s obvious that I’ll just be scorned at, but my roommate in the Fashion Department begged be to be her model in tears, so I decided to help her out just this once. It’s supposed to be a fashion show…… But in any case, I agreed to it because all I had to do was change into the clothes she made me, go up on stage, and turn back —it’s simple enough. And I’m supposed to be present for the awards ceremony or something too.”

Arhad seemed to be pondering intently over something before Ianna sharply cut him off.

“Don’t you dare come see me.”

“I refuse. What kind of flowers do you like?”

Ianna found Arhad ridiculous —he had skipped over debating whether he should go see her or not and had gone straight to wondering what kind of flowers he should get for her— and she threw the book that she had been skimming through at him. Arhad caught it readily and chuckled quietly but happily.

~~*~~

Part 2

The preliminaries continued into the second day, and the tournament proper only began on the third. The quad-octofinals and the triple-octofinals would be held on the third day, the double-octofinals and the octofinals on the fourth, the quarterfinals on the fifth, the semifinals on the sixth, and the long-awaited finals match would be held on the seventh day.

Students who dropped out of the preliminaries or the elimination matches would fight ranking matches after they dropped out, and the main event, the finals, would be held at the very end of the tournament.

The students who dropped out would also be sold at auction as they dropped out. There were too many students to put up for auction after the preliminaries, so it was decided that sixty students would be auctioned off at random each day. For example, on the fourth day, some of the students who had dropped out at the preliminaries would be put up for auction first, and then the double-octofinalists and octofinalists would be auctioned afterward. Likewise, the last of the students who had dropped out of the preliminaries would be put up for auction first on the fifth day, followed by the quarterfinalists.

On the first day of the festival, Ianna had read with Arhad in the tower for the rest of day before heading directly back to her dorm. Reading had been a good use of her time, as all the books in Heinrich’s study were must-read masterpieces that could never be found in the library.

Her body itched because she wasn’t training like she usually did, but she had been taxing her body so much as of late that leaning back on the sofa to read provided her a good and much-needed rest.

It was the second day, and Ianna came back to the tower because she had nothing better to do. Arhad welcomed her gladly.

“Keep coming back here when you don’t have anything else to do going forward too.”

Arhad brewed some tea. The warm scent of herbs wafting around the room relaxed the heart. Ianna did not refuse and accepted it readily when Arhad pushed a steaming cup of tea in her direction.

“The tea you brew is delicious.”

“I’ll work harder so I can treat you to even better tea next time.”

“I’ll be looking forward to it.”

Ianna let go of her pride and the indignation, envy, and inferiority she felt toward Arhad. She could be with him comfortably now that she had given up on letting the unproductive feelings consume her heart and had organized her thoughts. She was almost surprised to find that she was more at ease when she was with him than when she was with any other.

She wasn’t able to be completely open with him quite yet, but she felt like she could appear before him no matter what condition she was in. Ianna knew very well that Arhad would never hold her in contempt or reject her no matter what she did. He was sincere in his want of her, and that would never change.

Ianna found it so comical that she could not help but laugh out loud. She felt selfish for being so certain about the state of another’s heart —something that no one could truly peer into.

She closed her eyes as she took in the tea’s aroma. She liked the sense of peace that enveloped her very much. Her body relaxed as she smelled the scent of books and tea. Arhad looked at Ianna for a moment before resuming his own reading upon seeing that she seemed to be enjoying her rest. Ianna, who had been savoring the peace with her eyes closed for a few minutes, opened her eyes again.

“About divine power…”

Arhad, who had been reading while sipping at his tea, turned to her. She continued,

“Can I start learning how to handle it after the school festival is over?”

Ianna’s clear eyes were fixed on him. There was no longer any trace of any negative feelings, such as hesitancy, humiliation, or reluctance, or any trace of resentment in her eyes. Arhad was relieved as he nodded.

“Of course. Learning how to control divine power won’t be an easy feat, so it’d be for the best that you started after a large event like the school festival is over.”

“Then, I’ll learn how to control it once the festival is over, but may I ask you a few things I was curious about regarding the theory behind controlling divine power right now?”

“Ask me anything.”

Ianna contemplated for a bit when Arhad consented before she said,

“You stole the monster’s divine power directly from its heart when we were in the South.”

Quietly, Arhad affirmed. Ianna continued,

“Is it possible to steal divine power from others if you know how to control it?”

“Anyone can steal divine power if they know how to control it. You crush the heart and steal the divine power that had been stored inside as soon as the divine power loses the heart that it was centered on.”

Ianna recalled how Lebony had claimed to be the only survivor from the distant Holy Age. She had said that she had been sealed while she was holding onto Roberstein’s divine power. And she had also said that she had lived for nearly twenty years while stealing divine power from others so she could keep Roberstein’s divine power safe.

“Is it possible to live forever if you keep stealing divine power from others?”

“No. There’s a limit to that. It’s possible to maintain your youth, but it’s not possible to make yourself immortal. It’s not possible to regenerate the heart, which adheres tightly to divine power, no matter what.”

Arhad closed his book and placed it on the table when Ianna looked confused. He continued,

“Very well, I’ll teach you about the circulation of divine power today. Close your eyes and focus on feeling the divine power inside yourself. You can do it, since you brought it outside your body last time, right? Just feel it for now —don’t think about trying to handle it. And tell me what you feel.”

Ianna closed her eyes and focused on the flow of the divine power inside herself just as Arhad told her to. The energy’s presence was so natural that she had never once noticed that it had always been there until recently. But she could perceive it now that she had acknowledged its existence.

“The divine power bursts out of my heart……and it’s carried to every nook and cranny of my body as it circulates with my blood, and my blood returns to my heart.”

“Good. Most of your divine power is crammed tightly around your heart, but it can travel anywhere in your body by using your blood as its medium. The first thing that you need to take note of about the circulation process is the connection between your heart, your divine power, and your blood.”

Arhad continued as follows. The heart was the core of the body that pulled divine power, which would disperse otherwise, tightly to the soul; divine power was an energy that was condensed around the heart and maintained both the body and soul; and blood passed through the heart, where divine power was amassed, and was the medium that carried divine power to the body and the soul.

“Divine power is bound so tightly to the heart that it can’t influence the body directly. But a small amount of divine power is melted into the blood —the only thing that can pass through the heart. The small amount of divine power carried in the blood is circulated throughout the body and keeps the body alive. Does this make sense?”

Ianna nodded.

“It is the main body of the soul and the repository of divine power……. The heart plays a hugely important role. Your heart incorporates every kind of matter in the world —earth, water, fire, and wind— inside it. Recall how you used the spirits to make the dwarf new hands,”

Arhad continued as he poured more tea from the still-hot teapot into his empty cup. When Ianna gingerly affirmed, he calmly asked her,

“Then, do you think that the spirits can regenerate a heart or create a new one?”

“Wouldn’t……they be able to?”

“A heart belongs solely to the soul that imprints on it and it belongs solely under the soul’s sphere of control from the moment it does, so it is a territory that not even the spirits can breach. Certain conditions must be in place for the spirits to restore a heart the way that they restored the dwarf’s hands if something happened to it. And those conditions are so complicated that it’s nigh impossible.”

Ianna recalled how Towe had shaken his head no and said it was impossible for him to look inside her heart when she had asked him about it. Arhad sipped some of his tea. He continued,

“But it’s possible for them to create a new heart that doesn’t have a soul yet. The heart is still made from natural matter, after all. Have the spirits told you that the soul is like an archive for memories? Do you know what the conditions for a soul to ruminate over memories are?”

Ianna immediately remembered what Towe had told her.

[A soul has four important characteristics. First, the effects of the body’s activities are stored within the soul. It’s like an archive for storing memories.]

[A god that has awakened and has created a body for themselves can move, sense, feel, and think. Their memories, created through their bodies as they think, sense, and feel, accumulate within their souls. And so, this is also what makes reminiscence possible.]

[Your soul must be self-aware in order to reminisce, since reminiscing is the act of reading the information that has been stored inside the soul, and you also need a fragment of chaos, the soul’s vessel, and a body with a brain to act as a physical medium. And lastly, reminiscing is a spiritual action, so you must also have divine power.]

Ianna nodded.

“Yes, I do.”

Ianna recited to Arhad the information the spirit had told her. Arhad brought his hand up to his aching forehead when she did.

“Sigh……. Just how much did those bastards tell you? But whatever, you can think of a god’s fragment of chaos as their heart. A soul is an archive for memories, but it can’t remember anything without a heart. Now, think about it for a moment. There must be parts of your life that you no longer remember —is the you that you no longer remember still you?”

“……Is it not?”

“I’m not asking for something simple like your name. Consider what would happen if you lost your memories. That you met me, the times you enjoyed spending with your friends, the very fact that you love the sword dearly……you wouldn’t remember any of it, and you would be completely empty.”

Ianna broke out in goosebumps for a moment.

“What do you think memories are, Ianna?”

Ianna clenched her hands together.

“……They’re what let me remain as myself……”

If she couldn’t remember herself, then it would be no different than to say that the Ianna she didn’t remember no longer existed. Other people might remember the self that she had forgotten, but the Ianna who had lived a life she no longer remembered would vanish completely from within herself.

“Exactly. The spirits can create a new heart, and a soul can inhabit that new heart if it strongly adheres to life. But the soul stops being the same ‘existence’ it once was the very moment it begins inhabiting a new heart. It’ll start remembering new memories from then on. It’s still fundamentally the same soul, but it will start life again anew.”

Ianna paused. The soul was fundamentally the same, but it started life anew. Why was it that what Arhad was telling her sounded so similar to the concept of a past incarnations she had once conceived?

“It’s possible to live forever if your heart is in perfect shape and you have enough divine power. But Laos did something and made it so that the heart has its own lifespan regardless of how much divine power it has available. Which is why it’s impossible for humans to live forever. Humans can only reincarnate. Their previous life becomes a prior incarnation the moment they’re born again with a new heart.”

……Reincarnation and past incarnations.

It was all so obvious now. Roberstein’s soul had never disappeared. It had found a new heart when Ianna had been born. And the color of her soul had changed ever so slightly as she lived her new incarnation as Ianna.

Arhad rested his chin against the back of his hand when he saw Ianna fall deep into thought with a sober expression on her face. She looked back up when she had memorized everything Arhad had told her.

“There’s something I’ve been curious about for some time now. How do you know all of this? You know so much about the Holy Age and the knowledge that used to be prevalent back then. Lord Heinrich said before that there are several traces of the Holy Age that remain in the North —is that really true?”

Arhad quietly looked back into the innocent light of curiosity that filled Ianna’s eyes. Then, he slowly opened his mouth and said,

“The secrets of the Bahamut imperial family are something that one of my spies told me…… You understood what I meant when I said that the soul is an archive for memories, I presume?”

“Yes.”

A shadow crossed Arhad’s face.

“A soul……is a unique psychological body that integrates and stores everything you’ve ever thought, experienced, or felt. To put it simply, you can also say that it’s like a storage of the thick and heavy books in which the knowledge and emotions built up over the near-eternal course of every past incarnation you’ve ever lived is kept.”

Arhad lowered his eyes and he took another sip of tea.

“I possess a fragment of the Demon, and that fragment holds the ancient Demon’s knowledge and memories. That’s how I know.”

Ianna was shocked.

“I thought a soul couldn’t remember its memories without its heart?”

“Yes. That’s correct. But sometimes, every once in a while, it’s like the door to the storage cracks open just enough for me to peek at what’s inside even though the lock is still firmly in place. Anyone who holds a fragment is affected by the Demon and inherits the Demon’s memories in their dreams, recalls the Demon’s knowledge as if they had suddenly thought of it on their own, or they suddenly experience the Demon’s emotions, such as anger or sorrow, out of nowhere. There are probably a lot of people who never even realized that all of these even belonged to the Demon in the first place.”

“Is that so…… May a borrow a pen and a piece of paper?”

Arhad supplied her with both without hesitation. Ianna began carefully organizing everything she had learned. Arhad observed her cautiously as he continued to drink his tea. Then, Ianna brought up the piece of paper she had finished writing on and read its contents over again before voicing her wonder.

“It’s amazing that you have access to the Demon’s knowledge. Is there nothing else?”

“Not in particular……I suppose.”

“So is that a yes?”

“There are a few other trifling things, but none that I’m certain of, and even if I tried looking into them it’d amount to nothing more than superfluous trivia in this day and age. I can tell you if you’re curious, but it’ll probably only make your head hurt.”

Ianna saw the refreshed look on Arhad’s face and realized that he wasn’t lying. And so, she simply nodded and let the matter go since she already had the daunting task of organizing and memorizing everything that Arhad had already told her.

“You don’t have any more of the Demon’s memories? Or any other stories about the Holy Age?”

What he had told her today was already more than sufficient as background knowledge for controlling divine power. But she was curious about the Demon’s memories. She wanted to learn more about the Holy Age. Arhad stared back at her as he shook his head.

“No. Besides, it has nothing to do with me even if I did, no? I’m not very interested in the Demon’s memories.”

“I see……. I’m sorry to hear that. I quite enjoyed listening to what Lord Heinrich told us last time.”

“…….”

Arhad brought his tea to his lips without another word.

~~*~~

The tournament proper finally started on the third day. Ianna stretched out her muscles that had grown stiff due to her lack of training. She surveyed the audience seats, from which she could hear noisy laughter from every direction.

A man with a colorful hat was blowing a flute. A group of people wearing ridiculous masks had their arms around each other as they sang along. Children were whining as they asked their parents if the tournament was starting yet as they held round balloons in their hands. The audience was colorful, as if every color in the rainbow had been poured out over it.

There were people gulping down beverages like their insides were on fire, people who were greedily munching away at the snacks in their hands, and people walking around with large baskets of fried potatoes and asking if others wanted to buy some…… Unlike the arena stage, which was covered by a cloud of tension, the audience seats were filled to the brim with a festive cheer.

Was it because she had holed up inside the tower with Arhad instead of looking around the festival? She felt unaccustomed to how crowded it was. Then, she smiled upon thinking about a certain man who was sitting around gloomily by his lonesome despite the festivities around him.

The quad-octofinals and the triple-octofinals were being held today, and Eiji and Herrace would be sold at the auction later because they had dropped out after being matched with an upperclassmen in their match, whereas Taro had lucked out and had beaten a fellow underclassman who was not skilled at controlling mana and had advanced into the next round. There were hardly any first years who had advanced into the quad-octofinals, and Ianna and Taro kept to themselves because neither of them had talked much with students from other years.

“What’cha been up to? —I haven’t seen ya around at all.”

“I’ve been reading.”

“Jeez. Studious, ain’t ya? Anyway, I heard that ya met my old man before the school festival started?”

He had apparently heard that she had met Absilot. Ianna nodded. Taro scratched at his head. He continued,

“Well……it ain’t that I was tryin’ to trick ya or anything……but, ya know, my old man’s no ordinary guy, yeah? I was always a bit worried that people would see me as the Mercenary King’s son and not just as myself. And there’s a reason why I can’t just tell people why he’s holin’ himself up in the desert either……and everyone always asks me how Pops is doin’ when they find out that he’s the Mercenary King. And I’m the type of guy who start’s runnin’ his mouth like a fool once I start talkin’, so…….”

Ianna pat him on the back when Taro hesitated.

“I understand.”

“I knew ya would, Lil’ Ianna! Ya think the others’ll get it too?”

“I’m sure they will. Neither Eiji nor Herrace are narrowminded.”

“Right, right, bwahaha. Anyways, Lil’ Ianna, look over there at the audience.”

Taro quickly broke out of his gloom. Ianna looked to where Taro was pointing. Taro was pointing to a section of the audience that was crowded and so far away that it was difficult to tell who was who, but there was definitely a group of people who still managed to catch her eye. Taro’s family, a small mountain in and of themselves, was waving back at her as a group. Ianna ended up waving back in the heat of the moment.

[The quad-octofinals will now begin!]

The quad- and triple-octofinals were technically a part of the tournament proper, but it wasn’t necessarily incorrect to say that the real tournament only started at the double-octofinals. Those who competed in the double-octofinals and onward were generally only the elite among the elite. Only one match was carried out on the spacious arena at a time, so the audience could enjoy being able to focus on watching highly-skilled swordplay and fortification.

But only the quad- and triple-octofinals were to be held today, and there would be up to three concurrent matches on the arena because time was limited.

[We will now begin the twenty-ninth match. Ianna, year one, and Fons, year four, please come up to the arena.]

Ianna climbed into the arena when her name was called. She glanced over to her side to find two students trading blows as they fought desperately with the right to move on to the triple-octofinals on the line. They were fighting with fortified blades, perhaps because they had both been skilled enough to pass the fierce preliminaries. Particles of light broke away from their fortifications.

“I doubt I’ll need to try that hard…….”

Ianna muttered before she faced forward and bowed her head toward her fourth-year senior whose face looked frozen stiff.

“I will be in your care.”

“M-me too, Junior.”

People in the audience looked to the crimson-haired girl who was preparing for her match. They could not help but stare at her even if they didn’t know who she was because, as a relatively slender girl, she stood out amongst the throng of burly men competing in the swordsmanship tournament.

“You will begin shortly. Both of you, please prepare yourselves.”

She was the only woman in the Swordsmanship Department. She was always at the center of every rumor that spread in the department, whether good or bad. She had been admitted into the Swordsmanship Department, a department consisting predominantly of men, and had not only been the top of her year but had also won the underclassmen swordsmanship competition despite being the daughter of a nobleman.

The rumors concerning her were so outlandish that people normally didn’t believe how truly skilled she was until they witnessed it for themselves. There were even a few who tried to scrutinize everything she did. And…

“Begin!”

Clang!

It was over in but an instant. As soon as the match had begun, Ianna had rushed into Fons’ range faster than the eye could see and had beat away at Fons’ sword with her full might. Fons’ sword drew an arc as it flew out from his hands and clattered to the ground outside of the arena. It had happened so quickly that people did not have the time to gauge how skilled Ianna was.

Fons foolishly looked between his throbbing hand and his sword on the ground outside in turns.

“The match is over! Ianna wins!”

Fons was alarmed and walked up to the professor in an attempt to protest.

“Wait, Professor! This…….”

“Mr. Fons. There is nothing incorrect about this call. The match had already begun, and you dropped your sword.”

A stir ran through the audience after they had witnessed Ianna’s match.

“Huh? What just happened?”

“Was that a blitz attack?”

“How cowardly. It’s discourteous to do something like that as soon as the match starts.”

While most people who weren’t in the know were busy scorning Ianna, a few people who were skilled and had been yawning throughout the matches observed Ianna as she peacefully made her exit with a sharp gleam in their eyes.

[Please gather around if you’ve made it to the triple-octofinals.]

There were a variety of different responses amongst the students who had seen Ianna’s match. Some insulted her for using a blitz attack, others muttered about not understanding what had happened because her attack had been too fast for them to see, and others still looked to her nervously after having acknowledged that she was a strong opponent.

Taro had passed the quad-octofinals as well. He turned to her and gave her a thumbs-up while they waited for the triple-octofinals to start.

“Yer one real swift tigress, ain’t ya? Though I guess ya gotta be if yer gonna hunt.”

“You were quite ruthless as well. You made quite the impression when you went ahead and broke your opponent’s sword before he could finish fortifying it.”

“Well, I can’t exactly make a fool of myself when the whole family’s watchin’, yeah?”

“I suppose that’s true…… But most of the students in the triple-octofinals will know how to use fortification, and they’ll have learned your attack patterns by now and won’t let their guards down around you. You still don’t know how to control mana well, don’t you?”

“I just need to win with my strength and speed like last time, that’s all.”

Despite his big talk, however, Taro was matched against the fifth-year ace in this next round and lost. He kicked at the ground in low spirits.

“Damnit.”

“Looks like you, Eiji, and Herrace will all get auctioned today. Do you need to go straight to the auction house?”

“Well……I still need to wash up before I get sold, so I guess that means I’ll hafta leave soon. Looks like I won’t be able to introduce Eiji and Herrace to my family today. I prob’ly gotta go straight to the auction once I’m washed up.”

Eiji and Herrace, who had both dropped out at the preliminaries, were scheduled to be auctioned today, and it looked like Taro would join their number. Ianna chuckled as Taro trudged out the exit. The auction would be rather entertaining today.

[Twelfth match, Miss Ianna, year one, and Mr. Sanchez, year five!]

Sanchez, who had been gnawing at a leaf in his mouth, spat up the ripped-up leaf when he met Ianna at the arena entrance. Then, he rebuked her.

“Hey, Little Junior, I won’t be an easy opponent for you. Cheap tricks like what you pulled at the quad-octos won’t work on me.”

Sanchez was one of the people who thought that Ianna’s tactic had been cowardly. Ianna looked gently back at the displeasure on his face.

“So you thought it was a cheap trick?”

“‘Course it was. What else would it be when you blitzed him as soon as the match started.”

“If that’s what you think of it, I suppose…….”

That was all Ianna said before she climbed up into the arena and stood in her designated spot. Sanchez climbed up soon after her and stood opposite of her.

Tap, tap.

He stared at Ianna with his arms crossed as Ianna jumped lightly in place to loosen up her muscles. She swung her sword crossways once to loosen up her wrists as well. The wind her sword created flew directly at Sanchez. He snorted out a puff of air.

‘She’s really something else.’

Sanchez stopped strutting around and grasped his sword tightly with both hands as Ianna continued to remain composed even after he had called her attack a cheap trick. She would not be an easy opponent even if she had passed the quad-octofinals only by using a blitz attack. Rather, she would be a difficult one.

Her sword circled around and danced in the air as she moved her hand about and stretched out her wrists. Her wrists were very flexible. Her sword stopped dancing the moment its tip was pointed at him. Sanchez flinched when Ianna’s red eyes, which had been focused on her blade until then, turned to him.

‘Tch, look at me getting all nervous because of this wench!’

Sanchez scowled heavily as he gathered his ragged breathing.

“Let the match begin!”

Neither of them moved even though the match had begun. Sanchez had thought that Ianna would take the initiative and rush toward him like she had during her last match, and he pouted when she remained standing in place.

“Why don’t you come and attack me?”

“Are you ready?”

Sanchez blushed, feeling that he had been dismissed by the question she returned.

“Are you being serious right now, Junior? Come on!”

“Well, if you insist.”

Once again, it had only lasted for but a moment.

Swish—

Ianna, who had looked like she had been walking forward slowly with her sword in hand, suddenly disappeared from view. There was a sudden strong gush of wind blowing at Sanchez’s face.

Sanchez was alarmed when Ianna vanished and he began wildly looking around for her, and he had only just managed to catch as glimpse of her crimson coming from his blind spot at this side. But it was already too late. Ianna had already lowered her center of gravity like a lion waiting to pounce and was targeting Sanchez’s throat.

Whoooosh!

Ianna’s sword came up toward Sanchez’s throat like lightning in the split-second it took for him to turn his eyes and confirm that Ianna was there.

“Whoa!”

Sanchez raised his head. He unsteadily swung his sword vertically back at her. But it was a simple matter for Ianna to thrust her sword through one of his many openings. Her blade never slowed, and it cut through his shirt and came closer to him like a gushing fountain. Her sword was posed to skewer his head right between his chin and his throat, and it was only after Sanchez’s eyes lost focus because he thought he’d die that her blade miraculously stopped.

Fwee—

“Gasp, gasp.”

Sanchez’s face was pouring with sweat as he gasped for air —his heart was pounding so furiously that he couldn’t breathe properly. Ianna brought her sword away from his throat.

“Was this still a cheap trick?”

“…….”

Sanchez left the arena without being able to say another word.

And so, Ianna passed both the double-octofinals and the octofinals the next day. It was a natural result. Her neck cracked as she stretched it out.

Ianna stole a glance at the students who were staring blankly back at her as she left the arena. It was the same students who had once pointed fingers at her and called her cowardly. They flushed red with shame and turned away when they realized Ianna was looking at them.

Ianna turned away from them and walked toward the exit. Prickling stares from the audience still showered upon her even as she exited.

There was something she had learned after the incident with Keigus Dimitri. It was that she must never let her guard or her tension down when she was facing down an enemy with her sword in hand, and that she must never be sparing about using her strength.

She had been tense when she had first started fighting the chimeras because they were simply so grotesque, but she had let her guard down because she had thought that they would be easier to deal with than she had initially thought and because she had felt that all she had to do was beat them down. This was why she hadn’t been able to move out of the way immediately when their blood had exploded everywhere.

If she had taken the chimeras as seriously as she would have taken the fight if Arhad had been her opponent, then she would have been able to avoid the spray without a problem.

A moment’s lapse had caused her to flounder about ungracefully in a kind of shame that she had never experienced before in her life until just a few days ago. And so, she was firmly determined. As long as she was facing down an enemy with her sword in hand, she would take them as seriously as she would take Arhad and do her absolute best to fight them even if her opponent was a frail woman. She would not go easy on anyone even during the swordsmanship tournament.

She had initially planned to lay low until she was nineteen because she didn’t want to catch the nobles’ attention while she was still in school. But what point was there in laying low if Arhad was already here? Arhad would never let her go, and she would be his knight one day.

Additionally, Ianna wanted to prove her worth before the man who would one day be her liege. She wanted to become someone who was befitting of the feelings he poured upon her, and she wanted to grow into someone who would never be ashamed or embarrassed about herself.

Look at me, I’m someone who’s strong enough to be deserving of how desperately you desire me. What do you think —I’m not lacking in any way, right? I’m worthy of your feelings, right? I’m not lacking? I’m worth your desires? ……was what she wanted to say.

Ianna covered her face with her hands. She felt like a child. Why was she being so immature after having lived all those years?

Ianna walked into the dark exit. Her ears were flushed red under the light just before she stepped into the darkness.

“Hey—, Lil’ Ianna, it’s been a while, yeah?”

Ianna, who had thrown herself into the bustling crowd so she could see her friends being auctioned off, heard a familiar voice call out to her. The owner of the voice beamed as he pushed people out of his way to walk up to her.

“Has it really been a while? It’s hardly been a week.”

“Hey, what’cha gotta be so uptight for? I thought we were closer than that.”

Absilot grinned broadly as he pat Ianna across the back. That being said, his large hands elicited explosive sounds as they smacked her. Ianna said nothing about it, however, since it would hurt her pride to ask him to stop because it hurt when he was only happy to see her. Taro’s brothers and Lanka were standing behind him.

“Hey, it’s been a while, lass! This way, Mum.”

“Right. Oh, if it ain’t that rascal Taro’s friend?”

The third day’s auction began as Ianna was exchanging greetings with Taro’s family.

[So, what are your hobbies, Little Eiji?]

“I’ve got a lot, you know? First, I like to make my way around the restaurants in the capital……and among them, I’d say that Elona’s Paradise is the best. I also like drinking, singing, going on dates with pretty ladies, wandering the world with nothing but my bag across my back, hitting targets with my throwing knives…… I’m really good at that, actually.”

Ianna clicked her tongue as she watched Eiji get along ridiculously well with the auction master despite having grumbled about not wanting to sell himself previously. A pretty noble lady bought him for twelve gold because he was not only a cheerful and outstanding young man, but he was also good at carrying a conversation to boot.

“How dare they make Young Master Herrace wear a sign like that?!”

Herrace went up for auction too, and it looked like the people from his household couldn’t stand seeing their precious young master wearing a sign that marked him as a servant. The butler from House Bendham whom Ianna had seen before bought Herrace for fifteen gold. Taro made an appearance shortly after with an awkward look on his face.

He had made quite the strong impression, as he was not only a first year who had advanced to the double-octofinals but had also broken his opponent’s steel sword cleanly in two with just his brute strength without using fortification. Nobles began raising his bidding price. The blood drained from Absilot’s face.

“Jeez, poor kid. Why’s he so cheap? Ten gold? That’s barely nothing at all, yeah? Tut tut.”

“What’cha talkin’ about? It might be chump change to you, Pops, cause ya practically bathe in gold coins, but it’s still big money to most.”

“And only a bunch of men are biddin’ on him. That poor kid of mine. Should I just buy him?”

“C’mon, old man.”

Absilot’s first son nagged at his fidgety father when the latter began sprouting nonsense. He continued,

“It’s no fun if we buy him, ya know? Someone’ll bid for him eventually, so just let him be. Yeah?”

“Thirty gold.”

[Thirty gold! I heard someone call thirty gold!]

Someone called out a rather sizeable sum. The voice that had called it was soft and mild. Taro, who had been tense and nervous until then, immediately became docile when he saw who had bid thirty gold on him. His eyes shook in surprise.

“Wait……huh?”

It was the largest sum that had been called at the auction thus far. Everyone turned to look at who had called the thirty gold.

Her voluptuous curls, the delicious color of ripened grapes, fluttered. Her intelligent eyes shone brightly like jewels. She closed the fan she was holding in her white gloves. Her scarlet and full lips curled up into a smile.

“I do hate it when someone else touches what’s mine…….”

The servant’s sign was hung around Taro’s neck. He dithered for a moment in disbelief —he could hardly believe that Lalatua had actually bid on him— before the auction master smacked him across the back saying, “Good for you!” and he made his way over to her. Lalatua looked up at him innocently with her arms crossed.

“It was so disgraceful to watch —you still can’t control mana?”

“Y-you came to watch the tournament?”

“I simply came to see if you survived my experiment……hmph.”

Lalatua huffed as she whipped around. Taro smiled with his mouth wide open because he found her so lovely. Lalatua cracked open an eye to see the familiar look on Taro’s face and immediately turned her head again.

“Ahh—”

“Lady Lalatua?”

Lalatua placed a gloved hand on her forehead as if she had suddenly grown dizzy. She was so pale to begin with that she truly did look sickly. Taro startled and tried to help her stay on her feet, but Lalatua slapped his hand away with a sigh.

“Ahh, I got sunburnt. But my arms hurt too much to hold up a parasol. Oww…”

“I’ll carry it for you!”

Taro immediately took the parasol from Lalatua’s hands, opened it, and held it up for her. Lalatua brushed her hair back and walked out of the auction with elegant steps.

“Hehe…….”

Taro was on cloud nine as he followed after her.

“…….”

Ianna could not help but think that Lalatua was training Taro like she would a pet. She could see how his future self had been obedient to every word she said.

“What’s with that pretty lass? And what’s with that rascal Taro? Do ya all hafta fawn over yer masters like that if ya get sold at the auction? Jeez, would ya look at him? That’s genetics there all right. None of my brats can keep their heads on straight when they see a white and delicate lass.”

Absilot nagged as Taro walked out without being able to register anyone else in his vision save for Lalatua. Still, he seemed to be in a good cheer about the fact that a pretty girl had bid on his son.

“Ain’t ya just talkin’ about yerself, Pops?”

“Can it.”

“It’s good that our Taro’s got sold to a pretty lady like that. He’s a bit of an idiot, unlike his older brothers, so I was worried about whether he’d be able to get married in the future…… But don’t ya think his chances are pretty high now that he’s been bought by a pretty lady?”

Lanka pulled out a handkerchief and started dabbing at her eyes with it.

“But seriously, why’d that lady even bid on Taro in the first place? To use him as her servant?”

“It’s possible. Maybe she has a lot to buy during the school festival? There even makin’ and sellin’ clothes here.”

“Or maybe she’s just strange and likes guys like Taro.”

“Wow, she must be one real oddball then.”

Ianna pondered over for a moment about whether she should tell Taro’s family that Taro chased Lalatua around because he liked her. But then, she recalled how Taro had gloomily told her that he was going to hold off on chasing after Lalatua for a while because his family was the worst and he had no idea what sorts of things they would say to her should they meet and kept her mouth shut. Ianna didn’t know how bad it could get, but she decided not to say anything after hearing them chat around her. It was probably for the best that she didn’t say anything if Taro had been willing to say that much about his own family.

Ianna left for the tower once the auction was over.

Arhad had said that he would return to the tower after seeing only Ianna’s matches because he had no interest in the auction. Ianna set herself ablaze in her determination to win the tournament anew upon learning that Arhad, who normally holed up in the tower like a hermit, was going out of his way to see only her matches. Arhad, who did not know what was motivating her to act this way, looked uncomfortable as Ianna became increasingly fixated on the idea of winning.

After she had made her way to the tower on the first day, Ianna’s feet had naturally carried her back on the next day and the next day after that. The tower was the only place that retained its original silence when everything else had become boisterous, and the peaceful and relaxing atmosphere inside provided her the perfect place to rest.

“Come on in.”

And there was even someone here whose opinion of her would never change no matter what she did, who would always take her side no matter what…….

Recently, Ianna had been able to rest at her leisure after unequipping the sword that she normally carried at her side for the first time in a long while. Ianna was made to realize how important one’s mental attitude was when she found herself relaxing so peacefully next to someone who had once caused her so much anguish.

“Was tomorrow your fashion show? Your roommate is a fourth-year.”

Ianna, who had been munching away at the cookies he had left on the table, suddenly frowned as if she had bitten a rock when Arhad asked in confirmation.

“Are you really planning to come?”

“But of course.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to see you.”

Arhad drew a firm line and opened up a book to indicate that he would entertain no more of her grievances on the matter. Ianna stared back at him for a moment before spitting out,

“It won’t be a very pleasant time.”

No matter how much she had changed, Ianna would never be able to change her background or the label of parricide that she had attached to her. The fact that she was the sole woman in the Swordsmanship Department alone generated all sorts of ridiculous rumors about her. The people who had run their dirty mouths had decreased, but they hadn’t gone away completely. People still snuck glances at her when she passed by, and they continued to gossip about her like they would eat her alive with their words when they didn’t know a thing about her.

Ianna didn’t care that insults were poured upon her in heaps, and she rather enjoyed the chilly atmosphere. But the only thing that tugged at her mind was the fact that Arhad would be in that atmosphere with her. What would he think when he was buried in the sea of malicious gossip about her?

Arhad had tried to ignore Ianna’s rejection by reading, but he still looked up and furrowed his brows.

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“……Well, don’t you already know the rumors about me?”

“What does it matter to me if a pile of trash chooses to run their mouths?”

A pile of trash, he said. The clear disdain in Arhad’s voice was refreshing to her. But he also looked a little angry for some reason. He continued,

“Do I look that shallow to you? Do you really think that I’ll suddenly see you in a different light because I let a bunch of fools with nothing better to do sway me?”

Ianna quietly shook her head. I already know. I already know that you’ll never change…….

“I thought you didn’t care about such things either, no? I won’t care about it either. Though I’ll gladly beat the whole lot of them to death if you hate them that much…….”

“…….”

“But anyway, you said something about not having a pleasant time. I can’t seem to figure out why it’d be so unpleasant. Do you really hate the idea of me going to see you that much?”

“No, that’s not it.”

That wasn’t it, but she clamped her mouth shut before she could pour her heart out to him. Ianna grabbed at her head in embarrassment.

Ianna felt like she was being childish. It didn’t suit her to want someone else to only see the good and cool sides of her, and she had never thought that such a person would ever exist in the first place.

So, what was she supposed to do about the fact that Arhad made her feel this way?

“I’m going, and that’s final.”

Ianna had no right to stop him when Arhad was being so stubborn about going.

~~*~~

Part 3

The fourth day. Ianna passed the double-octofinals with ease, and it was only at the octofinals that she met a worthy opponent. Only those who were truly skilled had advanced into the octofinals. There were barely any underclassmen left, and most of the competitors were fifth- or sixth-year students.

Her opponent was a sixth-year named Nikata, who maintained good grades and was one of the higher-ranking students in his graduating class. He was like Ianna in that he preferred attacking with his agility, and he did not do something as stupid as making light of Ianna as soon as their match begin. He did not act the magnanimous senior and let his junior attack first, and he was the first to attack instead. Ianna parried him solidly and immediately went into the offense herself.

They exchanged fierce blows. Push and pull, strike and parry, slash and stab……their steel cried loudly, and the audience kept their eyes glued on their high-level clashes like they had been enchanted.

Claaaang!

Creak, creak.

They locked blades. It was obvious to everyone watching that, between a girl of sixteen and a fully grown man, the latter should win a contest of strength. But Ianna was no ordinary girl.

‘Kgh! What kind of girl…?’

Nikata grit his teeth as he watched his trembling blade get pushed back. He drew more power into his fortification. And yet, Ianna, too, strengthened her own as if she meant to match his. Theirs was purely a contest of strength.

Nikata abandoned the idea of winning with his fortification and grasped his sword tighter as he focused solely on pushing back against her. Ianna’s eyes flashed as she abruptly pulled her sword back and slanted to the side. Nikata, who had been pushing against her, lost his balance and pitched forward, momentarily creating an opening between his arms and chest.

Pooow!

The hilt of Ianna’s blade, which had seized on his momentary opening, drew up and struck Nikata on the chin, forcing him to fall over backward. Ianna’s blade pressed against his throat before he could pull his senses together. The judge gulped and cried,

“Ianna wins!”

Whoaa!

A cheer erupted from the audience. Ianna sheathed her sword and extended her hand. Nikata took it while massaging his throbbing chin and pulled himself up. His face was filled with admiration, though there was still a trace of wistfulness in him.

“You’re really amazing, Miss Ianna. I’d heard about how good you were from Ryan, but he really wasn’t kidding around.”

Nikata was a good friend of Ryan’s, the department head’s, and he had heard Ryan praise Ianna to high heavens. He had been wary about Ianna from the very start because Ryan was neither the type the lie nor the type to exaggerate, and he had still lost. Ianna smiled back at him a little, unlike how she had reacted to her previous opponents.

“You were rather amazing yourself, Sir. This is the first time in a while that I’ve had so much fun fighting a match.”

Applause poured out from the audience. No one doubted Ianna Roberstein’s skill anymore.

There were a lot of people who had thought she might be cheating because her matches were always over so quickly. But they stopped doubting her after watching her defeat Nikata, who was considered to be a Swordsmanship Department elite. She was the real deal.

Ianna clenched and unclenched her throbbing hand as she left through the exit. She had faced Arhad in swordplay, not fortification. This was why she always matched the opponent’s level of fortification and tried to win with her swordplay alone. She knew she was being foolishly vain, but her swordplay was the one thing her pride could never concede defeat on, even to Arhad.

Ianna immediately made her way to the Fashion Department building. The fashion show was scheduled to begin in the afternoon, hours after the swordsmanship tournament was over so the two events wouldn’t overlap, but Priscilla had pressed her to come as soon as the tournament was over because she had to wash up, change, put on makeup, and do her hair.

Ianna touched the smooth skin of her sweaty but completely unmarred forehead.

‘That medicine was incredible.’

The medicine that Arhad had applied on her had been amazingly effective. The wound had closed up entirely the very next day, and even the scars had faded away by the next.

‘What kind of medicine was it?’

Ianna recalled the small glass bottle that she was still keeping safe. Was it the same medicine that Arhad had given her when he was wearing the black robe? It probably was, considering that he had given her that medicine back when she had broken her arms. She didn’t know how the medicine was made, though she was sure that it must be astronomically expensive, and she found Arhad foolish for using it on her so willingly while still being grateful for it all the same.

The Fashion Department building, to which Ianna had just arrived, was both elegant and filled with an antique beauty. The building was a milky-white, almost like a temple, even though it was difficult to maintain that color on a building. There was a red carpet that stretched all the way to the entrance, the very kind that one would see being laid out for a king when he had to travel over dingy streets.

Noble ladies with parasols were going about their ways inside. The Fashion Department’s fashion show was the most popular event at the school festival among noble ladies. The swordsmanship tournament was popular too, but noble ladies would only stay in their manors should a war break out and there were even a few ladies who rather disliked the fierce violence.

Noble ladies were most concerned about high society. Dresses and jewels were the most important assets in their inventory when it came to parading their beauty and wealth. It was only natural that they would keep a close eye on the Fashion Department students who would one day become dressmakers and designers.

They also took great joy in buying props and costumes made by the Fashion Department at cheap prices. This held true of not only noble ladies, but of commoners too —men and women alike.

Costumes for the fashion show were ranked regardless of what gender the clothes had been made for, from the lowest rank to the grand prize. Costumes were evaluated based on how complete and beautiful their design was, and they were also evaluated for how well they managed to draw out their models’ natural charms. After all, there was no point in an expensive and flashy costume if it didn’t look good on the model. The grand prize would go to the clothes that drew out the most harmony with the model wearing them, regardless of whether they were plain everyday wear or eccentric fashion.

Everyone in the world sought beauty in some form. Men and women alike sought not for ordinary clothes but clothes that could bring out their best charms, and then sought for those who could make them such clothes after seeing the models dressed and decorated in a manner that drew out their best charms during the fashion show. Like the swordsmanship tournament, the fashion show was one of the school festival’s top five most popular events.

“My, how dirty. Look at all that grime. And why is that girl dressed like a man?”

“She’s holding a sword……is she a mercenary? How vulgar.”

Noble ladies from other countries, who had heard the rumors about Ianna but hadn’t seen her in person yet, began gossiping about her while flapping their fans as soon as Ianna stepped inside the Fashion Department building. There were a few who did recognize her, and they joined in on the gossip while stealing glances at her.

Ianna was not as clean and tidy as she usually was because she had come here as soon as the swordsmanship tournament was over. Her bob, which was tied up in a ponytail, was a tangled mess, and her clothes were dirty. Ianna ignored the people gossiping about her and headed for the room Priscilla had asked her to come to. Priscilla sprang out from the room as soon as Ianna knocked on the door and pulled her inside with a grin on her face.

“You’re here? Did you make it to the quarters?”

“Of course.”

“That’s amazing! But more importantly, you didn’t get any injuries on your face, did you?”

Priscilla was less concerned with the fact that Ianna had advanced to the quarterfinals than she was about whether Ianna had hurt herself. Priscilla studied Ianna’s face and smiled in satisfaction. She continued,

“Now, now, hurry up and get washed up! This waiting room’s traditionally been used to prepare for the fashion show, so it’s equipped with just about everything you need.”

Priscilla pushed some toiletries and a gown in Ianna’s hands before shoving the younger girl in the bathroom and waited for her to finish and come out while clutching at her furiously beating heart. Ianna came back out a little while later while drying her hair with a towel.

“Goodness, get over here!”

Priscilla dragged Ianna over to a chair and began applying moist foundation and a facemask on her. She continued muttering something about how much she was looking forward to this as she dried Ianna’s hair with the towel.

“Oh—my.”

Just then, someone slammed the door open and entered the room. Her high heels clicked on the floor as she giggled.

“What’s this, Priscilla? Surely that grimy girl isn’t your model, now is she? Ohoho.”

Ianna opened her eyes and threw the newcomer a look. She had dark chocolate hair and a haughty look in her light brown eyes, and she was covered from head to toe in showy accessories.

“Why are you here? Buzz off.”

Priscilla gestured at the showy girl to leave with a grimace on her face that suggested she might have accidentally stepped on dung.

“I heard that you, someone who regularly comes to class drunk, found yourself a model, so I was curious as to who it could possibly be. And as could be expected, it’s a girl who suits you well. I heard about that girl on my way here —she’s the one with red hair as coarse as a stack of straws and sunburnt skin, right? Giggle, did you find yourself a farmer’s daughter or something?”

“Hey, Renaris,”

Priscilla said as she glared at the other girl. She continued,

“Are you blind? Or are you just jealous that my grades are better than yours? Either way, you’re just nasty. Why don’t you use your time to practice some more if you have the time to come here and spew nonsense at me? Your embroidery is so lousy that I can’t tell whether you’ve stitched flowers or a pile of shit half the time.”

Renaris’ pale face flushed red.

“Why……why you. I’m still one of the highest-ranking students in our department, you damned wench! But……fine. You’ve never even participated in the fashion show before, so why are you suddenly participating this year? The fashion show is my thing! Don’t you know who my model is? She’s as pretty as a lily, and she’s a lady whose beauty is reputed even among high society! Unlike your model, who has swine bristles for hair, my model’s hair is a soft gold that practically melts in the sun, and her skin is pale and clear…….”

“Are you seriously trying to compare models right now? But, whatever will you do? My model’s one of the best there is.”

Priscilla huffed and hugged Ianna tight around the neck from behind. She continued,

“Her face is both austere and sexy. Her body’s filled out in just the right places, and she’s the best. She has explosive, overflowing charisma despite being as pretty as a noble cat. Her hair and eyes are like a blaze! And, skin? Are you done talking? Do you even know how elastic her skin feels when you rub against it? I’m asking you if you know how smooth her skin is and how lovely its color is. Do you seriously think the feeble and sickly skin of some random noble lady will even be able to hold a candle up to her? Why don’t you just go and tell your model to be careful of her legs giving out from under her when she sees my model on stage.”

Renaris stole a glance at Ianna, whose face was covered by her hair, the facemask, and the towel. It was certainly true that her criticism had been colored by her animosity toward Priscilla, and now that she saw her with her own eyes, Priscilla’s model had an amazing figure and the color of her hair was quite beautiful. Ianna carried a dangerous charm to her even as she was keeping calm with her mouth shut and her head slightly lowered.

“……Who even is that girl?”

“I don’t exactly feel like telling the likes of you. I possess an exclusive right to use this lady as my model, you know. Ahaha. Hahaha.”

Ianna broke out in goosebumps when Priscilla laughed right by her ear, but she kept herself from reacting to it.

“You damned wench! Let’s see how well you still talk after this is over!”

Renaris screamed before slamming the door on her way out. Priscilla huffed.

“She’s always so fussy because she can’t best me.”

“……You were the one chewing her out, though.”

“Ugh, whatever, I don’t care. Forget about that child —I have to dress you up now, Little Ianna!”

Priscilla pulled out a comb and a pair of scissors from her bag after she had finished carefully drying Ianna’s hair. She had trimmed Ianna’s hair a bit after the latter had chopped it off, but it had been too short two weeks ago to style it nicely.

She tossed around Ianna’s hair, looking for the perfect place to make her part so that her hair was proportioned to look the loveliest it could be, and she began humming in satisfaction as she combed away upon finding it.

Then, once Ianna’s hair began to dry, she carefully cut off the uneven ends. Ianna’s hair now fell just past her shoulders.

Once she was done, Priscilla rubbed her cheeks against Ianna’s hair like a puppy seeking praise as Ianna stared blankly at the mirror in front of her.

“What do you think, Little Ianna? Isn’t your hair so pretty?”

“It’s very tidy.”

“I almost feel like you have no girlish emotions left inside you, Little Ianna.”

Priscilla grumbled as she wandered off to somewhere before coming back with a large bag filled with makeup. She then stared lovingly at Ianna’s smooth forehead.

“I’m really glad your forehead’s all healed up. I almost want to kiss Little Arhad for giving you the medicine. But I’ll hold back for your sake, of course.”

“Do you still think there’s something going on between us? I’ve told you so many times now that…….”

“I’m going to dust off your hair with a sponge for a bit, Little Ianna.”

Ianna closed her mouth. The other tiny girl was definitely gutsy no matter how hard she thought about it. The way that the skinny girl —she barely had any fat on her— repeatedly cut Ianna off and did whatever she wanted was like a day-old pup trying to pounce on a tiger. That being said, she wasn’t just any ordinary puppy but a poisonous one…….

Priscilla pinned Ianna’s hair up after putting away her sponge and began applying makeup.

“You have really nice skin, Little Ianna. Most people have a lot of blemishes up close even if their skin looks clear from far away, you know? But your skin is really elastic and clean……maybe it’s because you exercise so much. I bet you wouldn’t even need to put on foundation on a daily basis. Oh wait, you don’t. But you will today!”

Priscilla stopped talking after that. This was the first time that Ianna had seen her concentrate so hard that she stopped talking altogether.

She applied a light layer of foundation that was a shade brighter than the tint of Ianna’s face with a soft powder puff. Then, she had Ianna close her eyes and drew on sharp eyebrows as carefully as if she was sculpting them.

She painted a faint splash of crimson above Ianna’s eyes, and brushed on a layer of pale pink eyeshadow with sparkles in it on her eyelids. Then, she applied sparkling coral eyeliner on the curve of Ianna’s double eyelid all the way to the bones surrounding her eyes, topped with a darker, scarlet color in the tight spaces between each eyelash all the way to the edges of her eyes. She curled up Ianna’s eyelashes with a heated needle and coated every single lash with a shiny liquid.

Priscilla continued applying all sorts of stuff on Ianna’s face. She tapped something on Ianna’s cheeks, and she also went over Ianna’s nose and forehead with a gentle brush.

Ianna kept her eyes closed and waited patiently for Priscilla to finish her makeup because she felt awkward. She had hardly put on makeup in either of her lives. She had put on makeup in her last life after debuting in high society and for three or four years after that because she had still been attending parties. But she had never touched makeup again after giving up on her life as a nobleman’s daughter and deciding to live only as a swordswoman.

She had been slathered with cheap foundation during the Black Fox’s slave auction, but that hardly counted as makeup. Therefore, this was her first time putting on her makeup since the last party she had attended during the earlier years of her past life.

Finally, Priscilla grabbed Ianna by the chin and applied a cherry-colored lipstick. Then, she laughed eerily with a glow in her face.

“I almost want to kiss your lips, you know?”

“…….”

“I’m sorry, Little Ianna. That was a joke. Don’t get angry,”

Priscilla apologized as the air around her began growing prickly. Then, she said,

“It’s done now. Do you want to open your eyes?”

Ianna opened her eyes and looked into the mirror before her. Her image in the mirror looked a cut sleeker and sharper than usual. Her eyebrows were drawn in dark slants, and her eyes, which were cattish to begin with, looked more poignant. Her curled lashes, which looked thicker now, gave off a fierce impression. The makeup around her eyes were reddish, and they made Ianna’s crimson colors stand out all the more. Her entire face seemed to glow radiantly, as if there was a light being shined upon it. The girl looking back at her in the mirror was strong, fierce, and beautiful.

“…….”

Her image in the mirror was very unfamiliar to her.

“Sob. You’re so pretty. You’re beautiful.”

Priscilla sniffled as she walked over to a corner of the room and brought back the clothes that had been layered over a mannequin.

“I’ll help you put on your dress now, Little Ianna.”

Ianna took off her gown, and, as she had expected, put on a pair of light ivory leggings. It was styled after the pants of a uniform, like the kind one would see with an equestrian outfit or a knight’s uniform. Ianna enjoyed wearing pants like this not only because they were comfortable but also because she was accustomed to wearing them. As she helped Ianna put on the dress she had prepared, Priscilla muttered,

“You won’t need to wear a corset because you already have a nice figure, Little Ianna. Your figure is already ideal. Which is why I made you a corset dress. I used silver buttons instead of string in the front to make it obvious that it wasn’t a real corset. I kind of looks a bit like a vest, doesn’t it? And the top part of the dress looks pretty similar to the clothes you usually wear, so you should be fairly familiar with the design, right?”

Ianna lifted up the hem of the dress. It was very novel and unique in form. This was her first time seeing a dress that was completely open in the front. The skirt came down from the sides and back of the corset portion. And it was made from a very peculiar material. It looked translucent from the front, and yet was an opaque crimson from the back.

“Isn’t this fabric pretty? I fell for it at first sight. It’s apparently magic.”

Ianna touched at her back because it felt exposed. There was nothing in between her shoulder blades. Priscilla winked impishly when Ianna silently demanded an explanation from her.

“Like a strong knight from the front, and like a seductive queen from the back! Oh, let me help you put on your mantle now.”

Priscilla draped a translucent coat over Ianna that reached down to her ankles. It was an altered overcoat. The top portion still looked like an overcoat, but the sleeves flowed abundantly and the lower portion, which came down to Ianna’s feet, overlapped with the skirt of her dress and made it look more voluptuous. At the same time, it partially covered the area where her corset and skirt met and caused for a special effect that made it seem like she was wearing a knight’s uniform that sprawled out to the sides.

Finally, Priscilla draped a large and shimmering veil over Ianna’s shoulders like a mantle.

It was a very unique design. From the front, it looked like Ianna was wearing a uniform under a long coat. From the back, however, it looked like she was wearing a deep-cut dress and a veil-like cape.

“Now, put on your shoes…… Just like that, and last is your hairpiece!”

Priscilla sprayed some rose oil on Ianna’s hair to give it more shine and luster before combing it a bit more with a round comb to make it more beautiful. She then applied some setting spray to keep Ianna’s hair in place before sprinkling a light touch of sparkling powder.

Finally, she trembled a little as she secured a hairpiece made from thin string and beads that she had spent an entire night making in Ianna’s hair. Then, as Ianna remained silent, Priscilla shot toward the showers like an arrow where Ianna’s sword was resting and pushed it into Ianna’s arms.

“And with this, we’re done.”

Priscilla plopped down as Ianna accepted her sword. She continued,

“I’m so happy right now I could die.”

Priscilla clamped her hands over her flushed cheeks.

“We need to name our presentation when we submit it to the fashion show. And I’ve had a name since I first laid eyes on you, Little Ianna…… It might be a little childish, but I couldn’t think of anything better.”

“What is it?”

“The Queen of Swords!”

Priscilla grasped Ianna’s hands. She was starry-eyed.

“My heart skipped a beat when I first saw you. I was wondering why some proud queen, whose looks were exactly to my taste, was in my room. And this outfit flashed across my mind every time I saw you touch your sword. It’s really perfect.”

Pricilla looked back at Ianna’s reflection in the mirror in a daze before suddenly jumping back up.

“You’re like a sword, Little Ianna. You have to bring you sword up on stage with you, okay? Hold your sword in one hand, and have the other one placed on the hilt! Do you want to practice it now?”

Ianna stood up and walked around the waiting room just as she was asked. Priscilla screamed about how perfect she was.

“Is walking up like this, spinning, and walking back all I have to do?”

“Yeah…… Oh, and just stand and pose for about three seconds before you spin around…….”

Ianna looked uncomfortable when Priscilla said she would need to pose. Why a pose? —it was unsightly. Priscilla floundered and quickly waved her hands.

“All you have to do is stand like you always do and survey the area. But what I’d really like you to do is to draw your sword. ……Is it okay if I ask you to do that?”

Ianna had never drawn her sword in front of people who posed her no danger before, but it wasn’t a difficult task at all. There were stars sparkling in Priscilla’s eyes. Ianna figured that Priscilla wasn’t asking for much, and that she might as well do as Priscilla wanted since she was already doing this anyway.

“All right.”

“Ah……hahaha…… You’re really the best, Little Ianna! And to think that you even made it to the quarterfinals……? I must be really lucky. Oh, but there’s just one more thing I’d like to ask you to do. Teehee.”

“Which is?”

“When you’re on the stage, can you act as high-handedly as you did when you made me cry that one time? I really thought I might die back then.”

“Well……if you want me to…….”

“Woohoo!”

Priscilla cheered when Ianna consented before checking the time and jumping up upon realizing that it was almost Ianna’s turn. She looked ecstatic as she turned back to Ianna.

“Alright, Little Ianna. Let’s go and absolutely murder the audience!”

~~*~~

As he’d heard, most of the people watching the fashion show were dressed up. Arhad hadn’t particularly wanted to fit into the crowd, but he also didn’t want to look too humble when he gave Ianna flowers. That being said, he didn’t intend on wearing something showy or eye-catching, and he didn’t like those sorts of clothes either.

And so, while he wasn’t wearing a formal suit, he was wearing an embroidered white shirt and black pants. It was on the plainer side, so he left the tower with his sword at his waist and a festive mask to avoid looking humble.

Arhad fit in well because a lot of people were wearing masks at the festival. His tall frame and sturdy balance caught several eyes, but people only thought, ‘He seems like he would be handsome,’ before turning away from him because they couldn’t see his face.

“Welcome.”

Arhad went to the Gardening Department building early. They were selling the flowers that the students had painstakingly raised. The Gardening Department always placed among the top five earners during the school festival because people bought flowers ahead of every show or exhibit. The Fashion Department’s fashion show and the Music Department’s concert, in particular, were always overflowing with the Gardening Department’s flowers. Which was probably why so many people had come to buy flowers for the fashion show today.

Arhad looked at the flowers that everyone else was buying. Then, he stared at the bouquets arranged on the storefront’s walls. The bouquets on display were expensive, as they were composed of not only flowers but also lace, beads, and even jewels.

Arhad had decided. He would have ordered an incredible bouquet from outside the Institution if he could have his way, but he held back because Ianna might feel burdened if he did that and he decided to get a bouquet from the Gardening Department, which was famous for their bouquets anyway, instead. But, no matter how hard he thought about it, he figured that it wouldn’t do unless it was absolutely the best of the very best because this was both his first gift to Ianna and the first gift that Ianna would receive from him. He couldn’t give her something that just anyone else off the streets had.

“What kind of flowers would you like?”

a female student asked him with a bit more kindness in her voice than usual. She couldn’t see Arhad’s face, but the handsome aura he gave off still made her heart skip a beat. Was he buying flowers for a girl? What kind of flowers did he want?

“Please make me the largest bouquet you’ve made for the festival so far, using roses as the main centerpiece surrounded by a variety of other types of flowers. And please decorated it abundantly, like the bouquets hanging along the wall…… Actually, please adorn it even more heavily. Don’t worry about the cost, and just make it the loveliest bouquet there is.”

“……I beg your pardon?”

The bouquets on the wall were expensive. Not only had they been made by the head of the Gardening Department, but they also used extremely pricy materials. Each bouquet was nearly thirty gold because of expensive beads, jewels, and lace that went into making them. And he wanted something fancier than even those?

Arhad pulled out a pouch from his pocket when the female student stared blankly back at him.

“Could you please make it for me? —I can pay you more if necessary. It’s for a lady who will be participating in the fashion show, and please make it crimson in theme.”

The female student warily opened up the pouch that she had accepted in the heat of the moment. Then, she nearly choked. The pouch was filled with shining golden coins.

‘H-how much is this?’

The female student balked when she picked up one of the coins to examine it. It wasn’t a one-gold coin, but a ten-gold coin. Then, she counted the number of coins in the bag. There were ten. She nearly fainted.

“Is it not enough?”

Arhad tried to pull yet another pouch out from his pocket as the female student froze on the spot.

“No, that’s not……wait, hold on, please just wait a minute. I’ll call our department head over real quick!”

The Gardening Department raised up a fuss about their extremely generous customer. Bouquets normally went for about fifty silver, so a hundred gold wasn’t only luxurious but was also more than enough to commission a masterpiece. And to think that he was still willing to spend more…….

The department head had gone through so much trouble putting together the decorative bouquets due to their budget. This was an opportunity. The Gardening Department head barked orders at her juniors and told them to procure all sorts of materials that they hadn’t been able to use before due to the costs.

Arhad drank tea in the waiting room that the Gardening Department had asked him to wait in. He spent about…two hours there? The Gardening Department head bought him his bouquet while still a bit flushed in the face.

“Thank you for this amazing opportunity. There are a hundred red roses in the center, surrounded by a harmonious arrangement of only the best flowers we grew here in our department. We only used the best and most expensive flowers we had in store. And we also used lace, beads……we only used the most expensive materials we had transported here without any concern over the costs. You wanted it to be crimson, so we used rubies as the decorative centerpiece and adorned it with an assortment of other crystals and pearls.”

The department head handed over the bouquet while asking Arhad if there was anything that he didn’t like and said that she would correct it immediately if there was. There wasn’t much time left until the fashion show began. And Arhad was pleased with the bouquet. The department head beamed when she learned that Arhad approved of her masterpiece.

“Thank you! But the jewels made it a bid expensive…… It was eighty-nine gold, so your change…….”

“You can keep it as a tip.”

“Gulp.”

Arhad left the gasping Gardening Department head behind as he slipped out of the department building. The incredible bouquet in his hands drew the people’s attention. One man, who had been purchasing a forty-silver bouquet, asked out of curiosity,

“Excuse me, but how much was that bouquet?”

“It was about……ninety gold…….”

“Cough.”

Arhad smiled gently as he imagined Ianna holding the bouquet. He hoped she would be happy to receive it.

He had never seen Ianna in a fluttering skirt other than her Institution uniform. This was one of the reasons why he wanted to see her at the fashion show, but he actually had another, bigger reason too.

Arhad had thought about getting her flowers as soon as he had heard that she would be modelling for the fashion show. Every model in the fashion show received at least one bouquet from an acquaintance. He wanted to be the one to give Ianna hers. He would not tolerate her holding flowers given to her by another.

And the most important part was the Ianna had no cause to refuse if he gave her the flowers to congratulate her for the fashion show. They weren’t on bad terms —they were on good terms, in fact—, so she would probably accept.

This was the first gift that Ianna would accept from him in his life. Giving her this gift had been the main reason why he had been so stubborn about seeing her at the fashion show. Arhad hid his flushed cheeks behind his mask. He was a little wistful that these were the best flowers he could get her.

The Fashion Department building was crowded because the fashion show was scheduled to begin soon. Arhad was wearing his mask, but he still turned heads because of the flashy and colorful bouquet he was holding.

“Goodness, who are those flowers for? Whomever it is, they’ll probably be really happy.”

“Look at those jewels on the bouquet. It’s crazy. It could probably even be used as a necklace. I wonder how much it cost?”

“I want to get one of those too…….”

“Who is that man?”

People were so embarrassed as they poured admiration, astonishment, and envy on Arhad’s bouquet that they wanted to hide their own behind their backs.

Arhad enjoyed the thought of giving Ianna the flowers as he entered the darkened audience seats. The front row was already filled. Any empty seats there were probably already taken. The back rows were empty, because people preferred to stand rather than sit at the back, so Arhad sat down on one of the vacant seats at the back. He could still see the stage just fine.

The fourth-years’ fashion show began. The Music Department, which the Fashion Department had requested help from, began playing music. The audience seats were dark, and all the lights were focused solely on the stage. Arhad took off his mask and threw it away because he no longer felt any need to wear it.

The models began showing up one after another. They walked down the stage in turns, held a simple pose when they reached the front of the stage, and walked back.

Cheers and applause broke out without reserve as the models walked out wearing clothes that were individually tailored for them. Only Arhad remained indifferent. He couldn’t have cared less about the others. Arhad leaned his face against his palm as he waited only for Ianna’s turn.

[Little Renaris’ “Isis.”]

Alkaline, the daughter of a viscount whom Renaris had praised so highly that her lips had practically been bursting, walked up to the stage. Her golden hair, which seemed to scatter under the light, and her pale and slender arms were more than enough to cement her status as a beauty. Many people in the audience whistled because she was so lovely, and a lot of people sighed in wonder.

The soft white fabric that enveloped her brought out Alkaline’s slender figure and created an image of purity. Priscilla had belittled her, but Renaris was skilled enough to be one of the Fashion Department’s top students.

Alkaline posed with her hand at her waist when she reached the front of the stage, and she walked back with a pleased look on her face when she heard the audience break into the loudest applause yet.

‘Renaris and I will win yet again. Hoho, here’s another thing I can brag about.’

She had won previously, and she was sure she would win again. But Alkaline startled and stumbled as she saw the next model waiting quietly for her turn as soon as she walked past the doors leading out from the stage.

[Little Priscilla’s “Queen of Swords.”]

“Queen of Swords?”

“What a playful title. I wonder what the model will look like?”

“Priscilla…… I feel like I’ve heard that name before……. Huh? Isn’t that the name of one of the best seamstresses in Roanne? She was a student?”

Click.

The light hit her feet first as she walked out from the darkness. People initially thought that she was wearing crimson heels. But metal ornaments traveled up from her high heels and wrapped around the crimson jewels around her knees like wings. Priscilla, who was commonly known as a genius at embroidery, had grafted decorative metal fastenings on the boots and had used the metal to make it look like crimson flames were blazing up from the crimson heels.

The skintight ivory leggings clung to the model’s legs and emphasized how long and shapely they were. People had thought that she had simply been wearing pants until then. And then, they heard the crimson cloth with lovely lace sweep across the floor and looked up at Ianna’s upper body only to gasp and hold their breath.

The top half of the dress looked like a simple corset dress. Someone wearing a corset dress didn’t need to wear a corset on the inside because they were already wearing one as a part of the dress itself.

But it wasn’t accurate to call what the model was wearing a corset dress. Corsets were made of thick fabric bound together by black string. But the black corset fit around the model’s slender waist and beneath her voluptuous breasts wasn’t bound tightly by string but simply adorned with six silver buttons, almost like a vest.

And the model had curves even still. The corset, which was actually not a corset, seemed to show off Ianna’s natural figure.

The sheer mesh shirt beneath the corset covered her neck and arms with a glossy sheen. Her back was fully exposed, saved for a little part around her arms. Her pointed shoulder blades and the slender line of her back, covered only by her taut skin, was beautifully curved even in the eyes of other women.

The long, translucent coat draped over her looked like a uniform coat from the front and like the skirt of a dress from the back. The veil trailing behind her seemed like both a knight’s cape and a queen’s nightdress. The design was more sensual than it would have been had she had more of her skin exposed.

There was a single large ruby brooch resting on a cravat at her throat and her gloves, which connected seamlessly with the sleeves of her sheer mesh shirt, were embroidered to look like fire just like her boots were. And in her hands, which seemed to be ablaze, was a single sword.

Was it because she was titled the “Queen of Swords”? The model was holding her sword in one hand and had other hand resting upon the hilt. She looked like a knight from the front and a charmingly beautiful lady from the back. Who was she? People clutched at their thumping hearts as they waited for her to step fully into the light.

And Ianna walked into the light soon enough.

“…….”

Arhad lifted his head from his hand. He observed her without so much as blinking. Everything else seemed to vanish from his unwavering golden eyes as he looked only at Ianna.

Ianna sparkled under the lights as if the light itself was giving her its blessings. The lovely and natural tresses of her hair were like a vivid blaze. People were enthralled because the reddish makeup on her proud and catty eyes suited her so well, and they were awed by the fierce light of her sleek red eyes. The taut line of her pursed lips displayed her stubbornness and pride well.

The people could not dare whistle or even applaud. The audience was deathly silent.

Was she a powerful knight, a beautiful queen, or a fiery blaze? Perhaps she was all three…….

The way she never staggered even in the slightest despite how high her heels were gave her an aura of danger and dignity that none could dare defy. The people found it hard to breathe, as if they were sitting before a high-ranking noble. Her lovely face, comprised of the slender lines of her chin and her sharp nose, made it obvious that she was a woman, but she also had an air about her that made her feel like a high-handed knight. She was like a blaze that was so hot that she seemed to burn everything around her.

Ianna, who was all of those things and more, overwhelmed her audience as she sparkled under the lighting artefacts on the stage.

Swish…….

Her blade began sliding out from its sheath as she walked toward the front of the stage. People could not help but grow nervous as her sword, not her specter, displayed her queenly regality. Then, as soon as she reached the very front of the stage, Ianna drew her blade in a round arc as it rang out as clear as a bird’s song. The blade glistened frighteningly under the lights. People sighed in relief without realizing what they were doing……when the sword was resheathed as if it was loath to leave its mistress’ side.

“…….”

Arhad watched her. He could not take his eyes off her. And, just then, Ianna’s gaze fell directly on him. She had recognized him even in the darkness. Ianna smiled at him ever so gently —did she know that Arhad was unable to take his eyes off her?

“……!”

Arhad’s face stiffened up for a moment before he flushed deeply red. Arhad covered his mouth as Ianna disappeared back behind the stage door.

Badump, badump…….

His heart sounded like it was about to burst out from his chest. Ianna had already walked out of view while scattering the light in her path, but he still continued to chase her afterimage with his eyes.

~~*~~

Part 4

Priscilla jumped into Ianna’s arms as soon as the latter walked through the door.

“Little Iannaaaaa! Thank you so, so much!”

“The mood was rather cold…… Are you sure this was all right?”

“Of course it was. You were the coolest and the prettiest model today. Oh, wait. I’m so happy I might go insane. Sob sob sob…… This is the first time in my life that I’ve been able to make the perfect clothes for the perfect model…….”

Tears and snot poured down from Priscilla’s face. Ianna pried the tiny girl off her, worried that Priscilla might regret it later if the dirty fluids got on her precious clothes.

“You’re so mean, Miss Priscilla…”

The model after Ianna had walked out in front of the deathly silent audience, and the student in charge of her grumbled. She continued,

“She’s the princess of the Swordsmanship Department, isn’t she? She’s the talk of the festival because she made it all the way to the quarterfinals —how did you even get in contact with her? The rumors painted her as someone who would absolutely never participate in events like this…….”

“It was fate!”

Priscilla forced herself to stop crying and turned up her reddened nose.

“I feel sorry for the people who used to say that no one could possibly pull off your clothes. Even I was wondering who was going to wear them…… You’re amazing.”

“Isn’t she pretty? Isn’t she cool?”

“Are you seriously asking? Who was it that said that your model was some farmer’s daughter from the countryside? Crazy bitch should get her mouth sewn shut. But anyway, I’m completely done for thanks to you, Miss. Did you see the audience? Jeez.”

The female student eyed the quiet stage with sorrow in her eyes.

“Am I done now?”

“Giggle, giggle. You just need to stand on the stage with me during the finale. That’s when they’ll be choosing the best-dressed model in the year. Hmph, harrumph. We’re definitely going to win. Sniffle.”

There were thirty students per year in the Fashion Department, and there was a winner in each year. On the awards ceremony on last day of the school festival, every costume was judged again regardless of whether it had won best dress for the year or not and ten costumes would be ranked —with one grand prize, two gold medals, three silver medals, and four bronze medals.

Things happened just as Priscilla had said they would. Everyone in the Fashion Department’s fourth year and their models gathered up on the large stage once the show was over, and Ianna and Priscilla won best dress.

“Kyaah!”

Priscilla jumped for joy and threw herself into Ianna’s arms.

“This…… This…….”

Renaris was flushing red as she held her hands in tight fists. Alkaline was crying next to her because her pride had been wounded. They only felt more defeated because they had always won best dress of their year prior to this.

The audience erupted in applause for Ianna without reserve. And so, the fourth-year fashion show was about to come to a close.

“Renaris!”

“Miss Alkaline!”

Two groups of girls crowded around Renaris and Alkaline while the audience began exiting one after another. One group was composed of Renaris’ friends, while the other was composed of noble ladies who were friends with Alkaline. They had prepared flowers because they had been so sure that Renaris and Alkaline would win, and they handed them the flowers in embarrassment as they tried to console the two girls who lost.

“I thought your dress was prettiest.”

“Yeah. If I’m being honest as a girl, I really wanted to wear the white dress you made for Lady Alkaline that really made her figure stand out.”

Renaris’ friends only consoled her because they could not speak out against Ianna, a nobleman’s daughter, but Alkaline and her friends had enough standing to insult Ianna openly.

“Isn’t that girl the daughter of the House Roberstein’s concubine? The daughter of the woman who liked to sleep around with men?”

“Ohh……so that’s why……hmph. No wonder. She probably inherited that pretty face and body of hers from her lowly mother.”

“You think her face is pretty? She’s so tanned that I could hardly tell.”

“I mean…… She looks like a snake. It’s scary.”

“……Those crazy bitches.”

Ianna, the person being insulted, wasn’t paying them any heed and was busy scanning the crowd in search of someone, but Priscilla was so angry she cursed. Then, she put the flowers she had received from her friends down on a table and walked up to the gossiping girls.

“Look here, what do you even know about Little Ianna to run your mouths about her like that?”

“Goodness, what have we here?”

“Huh? Isn’t she a commoner? How dare she…….”

“Look at them flocking together. A commoner and a half-blood.”

Priscilla quivered in fury. Then, one of the nobles sneered at her.

“The judges must be blind. How could they choose clothes like that……?”

“Look at her talk so big when she’s nothing at all. Do you want to get ostracized for the rest of your life?”

Priscilla glared. She could not endure the fact that her clothes and her muse, Ianna, were being insulted.

“As if I care about a bunch of squashes like……!”

“Let’s stop it there, shall we?”

Ianna covered Priscilla’s mouth. Priscilla struggled viciously, but she could not best Ianna in a contest of strength. Rumors in noble circles were terrifying things, and Ianna did not want Priscilla to ruin her future or be harassed because of her. Ianna continued,

“I will overlook the things you said just this once, so why don’t you stop and go about the rest of your day?”

The noble girls flinched before the aloof and high-handed air Ianna was giving off, but they purposefully huffed as if nothing was wrong. Then, they saw that Ianna’s hands were empty, unlike the many flowers that Alkaline and Renaris was holding in theirs, and sneered.

“To think that the best dress can’t even win herself a single flower…….”

Someone approached them from behind just then. People began looking behind them too. Ianna, who was in the middle of deciding what she wanted to do with them, looked up upon recognizing the familiar silhouette.

“But it’s only natural, I sup……kyaah!”

He brushed aside the girl in front of him as if in irritation. It wasn’t only one girl who squealed as she was shoved aside by his brute strength, but the entire group. The girl, who only just managed to keep herself from falling over, burned red as she screamed,

“What’s the matter with you?!”

“You rude little…!”

“Shut up and scram, you bunch of squashes.”

“W-what?”

The girls looked up as they flew into a rage but fell silent upon seeing the lovely and colorful bouquet, which could not even begin to be compared to the one’s they had brought, in his hands. Theirs had been relatively expensive too, but they were practically weeds before the bouquet he was holding.

“Stop gawking.”

Then, they raged again at the chill in his voice and looked up but initially flinched upon realizing that he was so tall they barely reached his shoulder, and they grew blank in a daze when their eyes moved further up to his face. He was staring at them in contempt, as if he was looking at revolting insects, but the girls didn’t notice. It was their first time seeing a man so handsome.

But their daze lasted for only but a moment as a bloodlust so sharp it seemed to cut their flesh enshrouded them.

“……!”

They froze —it was the first time in their lives that bloodlust had been directed at them. They couldn’t breathe. They broke out in goosebumps all over. His golden eyes were so apathetic that he could have been looking at dead corpses instead of living beings.

“Ah…… Ah…….”

They knew instinctively. That this man would kill them. They looked around for help as they trembled. But people were only looking around vacantly. Why, why wasn’t anyone helping them? Why didn’t they see what was going on?

“Gasp!”

The bloodlust that was strangling them drew back just before their eyes rolled back and they fainted. They huddled together like sickly creatures shivering from the cold. The man had looked away from them, feeling like they were no longer worth his notice. He didn’t want to waste precious time looking at the likes of them. And so, he looked back to where he had originally been looking.

“Kyaah— kyaah—!”

Priscilla clamped her hands over her mouth and jumped up in down in a thrill, more excitedly than she had been when she was angry —it was almost like she’d never been upset to begin with— as she stood behind Ianna. Ianna stared back at the man. He pushed his colorful bouquet toward her and grinned. Then, Ianna said,

“You’re quite harsh with your words.”

His actions had been rather harsh as well.

“……I only spoke the truth.”

Arhad extended his right hand toward her. Ianna tilted her head to the side. What was he doing while holding out the bouquet? Arhad smiled gently and bobbed his hand in place before Ianna finally realized that he was waiting for her to take his hand.

She took it, wondering what he was trying to do, and Arhad slowly bowed from the waist. His black hair tumbled down as he lowered his head, and his golden eyes hid away their light as he closed them.

Carefully, Arhad planted a kiss on the back of Ianna’s hand. Like a pauper kissing the feet of royalty, or like he was kissing a lover whom he valued above all else…… His careful yet deep, and light yet weighted kiss drew even more eyes on them. Ianna flinched momentarily, but she accepted his kiss with an air of indifference because she had received several from him already, whereas the people watching them flushed red.

Arhad straightened back up when his lips left the back of Ianna’s hand, and the giant bouquet rustled as he handed it to her.

“……Thank you.”

Ianna did not decline the flowers. It was the first bouquet she had ever received in her life. She had always refused the flowers that Harchen, her half-brother, had gifted her, and Harchen’s flowers only found their way to her vases because of Isphee, her nanny. Which was why she felt so awkward holding the flowers currently in her arms.

Arhad stared into Ianna before he abruptly said,

“You’re lovely.”

“Pardon?”

Ianna asked —she had been so engrossed in the first bouquet she had ever received in her life that she hadn’t heard him properly. Arhad was blushing faintly at the cheeks as he smiled gently. The intimidation he had given off while threatening the girls from earlier had already vanished like melted snow.

“You’re the loveliest there ever was.”

You’re lovely. ……You’re the loveliest there ever was. She was praised for her looks quite often, but it was usually while nobles like the girls from earlier were insulting her by associating with her mother. Which was why Ianna disliked being complimented about her appearance. She didn’t dislike compliments for her sword, because those were directed solely at her, but her mood soured so much when people spoke about her looks, even if they weren’t doing it out of ill intent, that she generally asked them to stop.

Ianna stole a glance at the quivering girls who still hadn’t returned to their senses yet. It was only natural that they were still trembling in terror, as Arhad had sincerely wanted to murder them when he had pointed his bloodlust at them. It was entirely possible that he would have beheaded them instead of merely pushing them aside if no one else was around. That was how chilling his bloodlust had been.

“…….”

Ianna pondered. Had there ever been a time that someone else had shut the mouths of the nobles who insulted her on her behalf?

No. Nor than there ever been anyone who had taken her side and treated those who insulted her like trash. Rather, she had never even had anyone by her side to begin with. The prince of Roanne had only taken her side for political reasons, and he could not afford to take only her side because he had to appease the rest of the nobility as well. She had hated and erased the fragile little girl, hurt by every little word, that she had once been because she was always alone had always had to fend for herself.

And yet, this man had bluntly called the nobles trash, had called them squashes, had told them to shut up, and had told them to stop gawking without any hesitation even though she wasn’t anyone important yet.

Arhad narrowed his eyes and smiled, as if he was asking her what was wrong, as Ianna continued to stare back at him. Arhad was someone who neither exaggerated nor spoke empty words, so his compliments were devoid of everything save for his genuine sincerity. His eyes were always looking to her, and his lips always spoke only his honest feelings.

Ianna hesitated for a moment and hugged the bouquet, the first of which she had ever received in her life, close to her chest.

“……Thank you.”

And she expressed thanks for the first sincere compliment she had ever accepted in her life about her appearance.

~~*~~

Whoaa—!

[Ianna wins!]

Ianna won her quarterfinals on the fifth day and exited the arena. Then, she found that an unexpected visitor had been waiting for her. She no longer held any strong negative feelings for him, but she still wasn’t exactly pleased to see him either.

Ianna kept her composure as she looked to the man who greeted her by bowing his head.

“What’s this?”

“I’m here to apologize.”

It was Travis. Herrace’s older brother who had stopped coming to the Institution after having his rage, his pride, and his competitive spirit utterly crushed beneath Ianna’s feet during the underclassmen’s swordsmanship competition.

Ianna crossed her arms and she stared at Travis, who was looking down. It didn’t look like Travis held any ill will toward her. But that didn’t mean that the conflict between them was fully resolved either.

“For what?”

“I’ve been coming out to see the swordsmanship tournament without my family knowing. I’m ashamed to admit that I’ve been making up excuses for myself the entire time I was away from the Institution. I told myself that maybe I just wasn’t in top condition that day, or maybe I just had terrible luck. But I’ve stopped thinking like that ever since I started watching the tournament.”

“…….”

“For insulting your skill…… For insulting your character by saying that you were having relations with the department head even though I knew that he wasn’t the type of person to do that…… I’d already known that I was in the wrong after my initial anger subsided back then, but I couldn’t bring myself to immediately apologize. I know it might be too late to ask for your forgiveness, but I still wanted to say I’m sorry.”

Travis bowed to her from his waist. His wasn’t only apologizing with his words, he was sincerely lowering himself before her. Ianna intoned and sighed. She no longer held any ill feelings for him, and neither did she think she needed to be narrowminded and keep their relationship sour because he was not only Herrace’s older brother but he was also being sincere in his apology. Then, Ianna said,

“I apologize as well……for venting some of my own anger on you during the swordsmanship competition. I was a bit on edge back then.”

She had cursed at him back then because she had thought that she needn’t dress up her words before him and because she had thought she needn’t care about his feelings, but she could understand him better now.

She had agonized and contemplated hard countless times before slamming her head against a tree so hard that her flesh had torn apart.

She had thought that Travis was the worst. But, even if he was, she too had been horrible for saying it out loud.

Ianna had disgracefully failed to acknowledge her defeat in her past life. She could not bear to acknowledge that she had been lacking, and she had pushed Arhad away and poured curses upon him when he was only trying to reach out to her. She had hurt him endlessly. Just like how Travis had hurt Herrace.

Just like Travis was the worst for failing to understand Herrace’s side of things, she too was the worst for failing to understand Arhad until the day she died.

She and Travis were very similar. They were both children of mistresses, they had both failed to be loved by their family, they had both built up their own positions through the sword, they had hated and feared the people who threatened everything they had built up, and, just like how the Arhad of the past whom Ianna could rival had vanished, Travis’ rival had collapsed on his own and had all but disappeared…….

Ianna wondered if she had hated Travis all the more because she had subconsciously realized how similar they were. Still, Travis wasn’t her no matter how like her he was.

“You broadened my perspective that day. I sat like a frog trapped in a well and thought that only Herrace could make me feel so defeated, but you made me realize that there were others in this world who are much more incredible than I. I……I wouldn’t have been able to grow if I had never learned this.”

He was right. Only Arhad stood above Ianna, but there were many other strong swordsmen standing above Travis…… And it wasn’t as if his rival Herrace had disappeared from the world altogether.

“I wanted to thank you. That’s all I had to say.”

“Do you still hate Herrace?”

Travis, who had been about to make his leave after bowing one last time, stopped in his tracks when Ianna asked.

“Feelings don’t change that easily. I suffered a lot when I was young because of him. I was always compared to him, and he not only caught up to me in just a short amount of time but he also beat me…… So yes, I still hate him.”

“You didn’t try?”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m asking you if you didn’t try hard during those long years. You don’t have any right to hate Herrace if you didn’t.”

She felt like the advice Absilot had given her could help Travis as well. Travis furrowed his brows.

“I don’t know what is it that you’re trying to get at, but I tried my best. I trained so hard that my body spasmed, and I wielded my sword for so long that my hands blistered and burst. Would you say that I didn’t try? I tried. I tried really hard.”

“Then, do you regret the time you spent trying? Do you think that it was all a pointless waste of time?”

“……No.”

Travis shook his head. Ianna silently chose her next words carefully. From here on, she would give him her own advice, not Absilot’s.

“I’ve never thought that you were any less talented than Herrace is. You and Herrace share similar talent.”

Travis startled.

“You aren’t weak. I’m being honest.”

Then, he looked to Ianna with shaken eyes. Her eyes remained steady. She was truly being sincere. He was the top of his year at just eighteen —he wasn’t any run-of-the-mill swordsman.

You couldn’t judge someone’s future by the talent they showed when they were young. Travis might have lost when they were younger, but, in Ianna’s eyes, both he and Herrace showed the same remarkable talent in the present.

And Herrace had wasted so much time and had grown weaker. While Travis had used the same amount of time to grow incomparably stronger. Wouldn’t that mean that they were at least equal or that Travis was stronger?

“The two of you were evenly matched. But Herrace couldn’t progress any further because of his illness, while you spent all those years working hard just to get ahead. Do you hate Herrace even still?”

“…….”

“I don’t intend to tell other people how they should feel. But, from a bystander’s point of view, I’d like to advise that you try seeing things from Herrace’s perspective at least once. Don’t focus solely on yourself.”

The way she had…….

“Herrace is kind and naïve. He acknowledges you as both his brother and as someone stronger than him, and he’s even fond of you. So, please don’t close your heart to him. ……You might regret it later if you suddenly find that you can’t undo the way you feel.”

Ianna passed Travis by as he froze in place.

“And, if Herrace does make a comeback by some stroke of luck, you should be happy that the rival you’ve worked so hard to beat is back, and you should stop wasting time torturing yourself like this.”

And so, Ianna left Travis behind. Travis looked back at her retreating figure with wavering eyes.

~~*~~

No one doubted Ianna’s skills anymore. The swordsmanship tournament was a much larger event than the underclassmen’s swordsmanship competition was, and no one could say that her skills had been exaggerated or that she had simply been lucky now that she had mercilessly defeated her upperclassmen and had advanced all the way to the semi-finals.

Comically enough, the Swordsmanship Department showered her not with envy or jealousy but with goodwill now that she had advanced so far. Why was that?

The truth was that most students did not care about who won the tournament. They were more concerned about ranking high rather than aiming to be victorious —an unrealistic goal considering that the Swordsmanship Department was filled with monsters. They didn’t care about who was champion so long as they themselves ranked relatively high.

People were fickle and grew jealous and hated the victor if victory had been within their grasp, but they never even considered it if victory was far beyond their reach. Instead, they were envious of, liked, wanted to be friends with, respected, and even wanted to follow after the victor…… They grew fond of the victor instead.

Most students in the Swordsmanship Department stopped being jealous of her entirely when Ianna, who was young, small, delicate, and pretty compared to the rest of them, demonstrated skill so incredible that it was beyond belief. They stopped regarding her as someone who was as human as they were.

Moreover, Ianna was not a commoner but a noble whom they had to wait on. And, after having watched over her for almost a year now, most agreed that she was cooler and far grander in character than any other noble.

They started growing fond of her, even though she hadn’t changed her attitude, now that their opinion of her had changed, and they wanted to get to know her better. They saw her as someone cold, lofty, pretty, and cute.

Ianna was acting as brusquely as she always had been, but it was like the scales had fallen from their eyes. They saw her not as a rotten woman but as a lovely young girl a full head shorter than themselves who walked around with a coy look on her face. Ianna was a slender and pretty girl who flitted about a throng of sweaty men, and she had become the princess of the Swordsmanship Department.

Those who had hated her were affected by the people around them and began disliking her less. Humans were social creatures, after all.

And the fashion show the other day had become famous. Ianna had attained somewhat of a goddess’ status, and the rumors that Arhad, who was regarded as the most handsome man in the Swordsmanship Department —no, in the entire Institution— had gifted her a bouquet worth eighty-nine gold had spread through the Swordsmanship Department like wildfire.

Swordsmanship students who were gossiping about the fashion show stole glances at Ianna’s pretty but clean —since she wasn’t wearing any makeup— face as she passed by.

‘How pretty was she that they’re calling her a goddess……?’

Clothes always became dirty after training, which was why Swordsmanship Department students cared little about attire. It was only natural that they didn’t care much about the fashion show.

But they took an interest when Ianna, the flower of their department, had supposedly turned into a goddess and had won best dress at the fourth-years’ fashion show. Swordsmanship Department students began whispering amongst themselves as they wondered if they should all attend the awards ceremony on the sixth day and bring her flowers. Ianna, who had no way of knowing what the others were thinking, frowned in the awkwardness of it all as she felt the subtle shift in the mood around her.

“Damn, to think that Taro’s father was the Mercenary King…… The very Mercenary King whom I barely had any intel on because he’d holed himself up in the desert for decades…… Jeez…….”

“I was so shocked I thought I’d get a heart attack.”

Eiji and Herrace expressed their surprise as soon as they met Ianna again. Taro stood beside them and scratched his head in embarrassment. Ianna tilted her head to the side.

“I guess you’ve already met him?”

“Yeah. I heard that you’d met him earlier, Little Ianna? We were introduced before heading over to the fashion show yesterday.”

“……You were there? I didn’t see even a shadow of any of you.”

They exchanged looks when Ianna asked and started grumbling,

“I’m pretty sure I was there. And I saw you looking like a goddess too.”

“Me too. You were beautiful. We bought you flowers.”

“You were real pretty. Yer the best.”

“But you never gave them to me……. Why didn’t you even say hello?”

Eiji shook his head at the absurdity of her question.

“How could we in that situation? Man, seriously…… How could Sir Arhad give you a bouquet like that? It really killed the mood of someone who went out of their way to buy you a bouquet that cost you one gold.”

“What about that bouquet? Though it did look a bit expensive…….”

Ianna didn’t understand. She had found a vase to put the flowers in when she got back to her dorm, and Priscilla had stared at it all day in rapture. Other female students had taken one look at it and begged her to tell them about it. Even Ianna could tell that the bouquet had been special with one glance, but she was perplexed because she wasn’t familiar with the market price of flowers or jewels. Eiji was dumbfounded as he asked,

“That only looked a bit expensive to you?”

“Was it not?”

“Do you not know how much that cost? The story’s pretty famous, you know? Eighty-nine gold. That’s enough to pay three whole years of tuition. You can eat the special menu item from Elona’s Paradise 890 times with that kind of money.”

“…….”

“Want me to continue? You could buy at least two hundred normal bouquets for the price of that one. It’s not a bouquet of flowers —it’s a bouquet of jewels. What a crazy thing to spend so much money on…… Wow…… What a way to dishearten us normal folk.”

Ianna immediately left for the tower and slammed open the door to Arhad’s room.

“Come on in.”

Arhad beamed when he saw her. Ianna, however, glared back at him and said,

“That bouquet…”

Arhad’s cheeks flushed a rosy red.

“Did you like it?”

“It was eighty-nine gold?”

So what? Arhad asked as if it really wasn’t worth noting.

“I never knew you had such wasteful spending habits. Do you……not understand the value of money? Are you stupid?”

Arhad closed the book he was reading when Ianna fumed.

“I know that eighty-nine gold is a lot. I know the value of goods and money best.”

“And yet you spent that much money on a bouquet?”

“It was for my first ever gift to you. You are worth only giving the very best to. I actually thought the bouquet might have been too cheap.”

Ianna was about to get angrier but stopped herself. Her ears were bright red. There was no way she could continue raging after he’d said that. She would only be devaluing herself if she continued raging. Ianna stomped over to the sofa and sighed as she sat down.

“……Never mind. There’s nothing that can be done about it now that I’ve already accepted it. Do you really have that much money?”

“I don’t lack it.”

Ianna grew dubious. Even nobles couldn’t spend eighty-nine gold so frivolously. Arhad may have spent so much because it was his first gift to her, but it also meant he just had that much money. Even though he was barely twenty-one.

Ianna stared at Arhad stoically before shaking her head. He probably either had a secret stash or he had been successful at investing. He was someone with the qualifications of an emperor. He had an amazing eye for current affairs.

“I don’t care how much money you have —please don’t do this ever again. I won’t accept it even if you do.”

“No.”

“…….”

Ianna looked to him in mute amazement, but Arhad stubbornly kept his eyes glued to his book. Ianna glared. Quietly, Arhad mumbled,

“No means no.”

“Sigh.”

Ianna sighed in exasperation as she closed her eyes. She slowly opened her eyes again a moment later and stared at Arhad, who was still reading. She felt like he had changed a lot. He used to shut up immediately and do as she asked if she censured him or grew angry…….

He would probably cave if she coerced him by saying that he’d never see her again, but she decided against it. How could she say that to him when he was doing things for her not because he needed to but because he wanted to?

Arhad had a tendency to give her things, but surely he knew where the line was. Ianna gave up on pressing the issue since there was a limit on what he could do for her because he was of the opposite sex, and he was acting only within those limits.

‘Besides, he’d be sad if I said that.’

Ianna stared at Arhad, who wore a slight smile of satisfaction on his lips because she had given up. She recalled how negatively he had acted when she had brushed him away and avoided him —it had actually been rather strange. Ianna didn’t want to see him be depressed anymore, nor did she want to see him look anxious or hurt.

……Besides, she wasn’t staying with him because he wanted her to anymore, but because she wanted it as well. And so, she didn’t want to say something that might cut their ties like he would never see her again.

~~*~~

Part 5

The semi-finals were held on the sixth day. The four competitors, who were the elite among the elite, gathered together. One of the finalists had already been determined. It was Ryan, who was under the spotlight as the head of the department and was being heavily scouted by the nobles. Then, the second semi-final to determine the second finalist was soon to begin.

“This way, Little Ianna.”

Deroder, the sixth year who was to be her opponent, looked back at Ianna nervously. He could tell now that he was facing her directly. Her fighting spirit was no joke. Which fool was it who had faced someone as powerful as her and had made excuses saying that he only lost because he let their guard down or because he was unlucky?

Ianna’s red eyes glistened beneath the sun like the sharp eyes of a savage beast stalking the night. She was as high-handed as she should be as a savage beast who blazed crimson like the sun itself. He felt like she would rip him apart if he gave her even the smallest of openings. Deroder grasped his sword tighter.

Ianna’s sword shook before his eyes. Then, she rushed in.

Clang!

“Kgh!”

Deroder blocked her sword as it came upon him like whip. It was an astonishing attack. She had hit him hard from a completely unexpected angle, like a tiger lunging suddenly from the grasses. He felt like she had taken him by surprise even though he had been prepared.

Lower-ranking students had dropped before her like flies at her first attack. But he could exchange blows with her now that he had blocked it.

Clang! Clang!

Deroder was one of the top five students in the Swordsmanship Department. There were things that only the truly skilled could see. Deroder’s eyes caught Ianna’s sword sneak toward him like a snake even as he kept his eyes on her. He had broken out in goosebumps.

Deroder tried to beat Ianna’s sword back. But the two swords adhered together as if they had been stuck. Meaning that Ianna was expertly controlling her strength so that she matched his perfectly as he pushed and pulled.

Eventually, Deroder used brute strength to beat Ianna’s sword back and crammed mana into his blade. His fortification eventually filled his sword to the brim. His eyes glistened. Ianna had a tight grip on her sword as she quickly pulled back.

Clash!

Clatter!

The fortification that he threw at her was broken apart as it was blocked by an even stronger one. Then, it shattered completely. It had broken apart before the fortification on Ianna’s sword.

Deroder laughed despondently as he licked his dry lips. He had been scouted into the Roanne royal guard before he had even graduated. He had much to learn from his senior knights, of course, but he would still be one of the knights protecting the royal family of Roanne, the strongest kingdom in the southern half of the continent.

So, where had this lovely little monster come from? Would he be able to protect the royal family if she bared her fangs at them?

Clang! Clang!

The fortification breaking off from their blades left scars on the arena ground. They exploded against the barrier that had been set up to keep the audience safe. The explosions were ferocious.

The barrier covered the entire arena, but the people in the front row ran away in fear as the fragmented fortifications clashed against it like they were intent on tearing the barrier apart.

Pooow!

Ianna kicked Deroder hard on the shin while he was focusing only on her sword.

“Ugh!”

Ianna approached him like an alluring temptress, and yet also like an assassin with a dagger in her bosom, the moment that Deroder’s concentration broke from the pain. An unfortified blade swung toward his neck as Deroder opened his eyes wide. Ianna narrowed her eyes sharply and poured power into her legs as she violently pushed her sword upward, and she swung her sword back down again when Deroder’s body flew into the air and began falling backward.

“Ack!”

Crash!

The flat of her blade, which had taken his breath away at it struck his throat, drew an arc as it slammed him down to the ground head first. She wouldn’t have needed to send him flying if she had used the edge of her sword —his head would have simply detached instead—, but things only ended as it would have had they been fighting using wooden swords instead because she had not.

Ianna threw her sword spinning in the air and caught it as she returned it to its sheath while Deroder coughed while being sprawled out on the ground.

[Ianna will advance to the finals!]

Whoaaaaa!

“Ugh…….”

Deroder was bleeding from under the chin even though Ianna had only hit him with the flat of her blade because the sharp edges had cut into him. He grabbed at his throbbing chin when he could finally breathe properly again. Ianna reached out toward him. Deroder laughed dejectedly as he took her small hand and trembled while getting back up.

“Thank you.”

“……Thank you. You’ve broadened my horizons. Go and beat Ryan’s ass too, Little Junior.”

Ryan walked up to Ianna while smiling as Deroder was being treated by the medics.

“I look forward to seeing you in the finals, Little Ianna. You’re really amazing, you know?”

Ryan extended a hand toward her. Ianna shook his hand without hesitation.

“To think that you’d kick him in the shins in the middle of that. This really is a real fight. I’ll have to be careful.”

The audience cheered as the two finalists who would face each other tomorrow shook hands. Ryan looked around with a mischievous look on his face.

“I’m in trouble. I can’t even beat Little Arhad in a sword fight —but you spar with him almost daily and you’ll even be arming yourself with fortification tomorrow……. Is Little Arhad not around?”

“……Why are you looking for him?”

“I was planning to give him a scolding for going to give you flowers after the fashion show despite having abstained from the tournament on the account of illness.”

Ianna was embarrassed.

“He was only there to congratulate me.”

“I jest. I’m sure he loves you more than he cares about being sick, right, Little Ianna?”

“…….”

“I was still joking —it’s a bit scary when you stiffen up like that. And besides, I know that Arhad isn’t actually sick. He has issues with controlling mana, but his body’s perfectly fine, right? And he’s only abstaining from the swordsmanship tournament because he doesn’t feel like competing. Jeez.”

Then, Ryan smiled wickedly.

“Can I get my hopes up today?”

“……For what?”

“Who can say? Well, I’ll be off first.”

Ryan headed out first while leaving only his pregnant words behind. Ianna looked puzzled for a moment before she followed him out.

Today was the sixth day of the fashion show. She had to go to the exhibition hall today, unlike two days ago. The entire Fashion Department would be showing off their clothes and models today, not just the sixth-years, and a lot more people would attend, so the Fashion Department rented out an exhibition hall that could fit the Institution’s entire student population for the event.

People turned their attentions to her as soon as Ianna stepped into the exhibition hall. The fact that she, who had advanced to the semi-finals, was here meant that the semi-finals were now over. Had that surprising young girl also made it to the finals? Some people stared at her in curiosity while others stared at her because they remembered how beautiful she had been two days ago.

The noble girls, however, had subtle malice in their eyes as they looked to her.

“How dare she……?”

“Who does she think she is……?”

Were rumors that noble girls had been mocked by a good-looking man because of her circulating? Or, perhaps it was some other nonsensical rumor?

Ianna smirked and ignored them as per usual and went to the waiting room that Priscilla had directed her to. Priscilla slammed open the door before Ianna could even knock.

“Little Ianna, did you make it to the finals?”

“Yes.”

“Woooooow! I knew it! Anyway, it doesn’t matter right now. Let’s turn you back into a queen again today!”

Priscilla dressed Ianna up the same way she had two days ago but put extra care into her makeup. She focused hard as she helped Ianna put on her clothes and carefully combed her hair. Ianna radiated under her touch. Tears poured out from Priscilla’s sparkling eyes.

“Today will be the best day of my life. You placed first, Little Ianna.”

“……Are you crying?”

“Sniff, it’s always the tears that come first.”

The hall was bursting at the seams with people. The sixth day of the fashion show was the most popular because you could see costumes from the past five days that you might have missed. The audience seats were completely filled. Everything was also dark, save for the stage.

[We will now begin the fashion show awards ceremony!]

Then, the show began. Models walked quickly because there were a lot of people who had to go up. Ianna, too, walked up in between models just as she had two days prior. A bunch of men cheered from one corner of the audience. Ianna paid the noisy crowd no heed because she was right about to head back behind the stage.

The emcee came back on stage with a sheet of paper after all the models had walked.

[Our professors, who also serve as our judges, have evaluated the contestants fairly. I will now begin announcing the bronze medalists.]

The emcee began announcing the winners one after another. The models and the student designers spilled tears as they all said a short piece. Then, at last.

[The grand prize goes to Little Priscilla’s “Queen of Swords”!]

“I knew it! Hurry, Little Ianna!”

But just before the people could burst out in applause and cheers as Priscilla dragged Ianna back on stage.

“I refuse to accept this!”

someone shouted. The people in the audience looked around in shock to see who it was. Then, as if they had prepared for it in advance, they began pouring out one after another —one, two, three…… It was human malice that oozed out from the darkness. They were on a witch hunt.

“She’s a lot of trouble. Models are supposed to show off their natural beauty, and she doesn’t have the right to win anything in this fashion show!”

Such sophistry. They were only there to spread around Ianna’s secrets. What? What’s going on? people began asking in curiosity. Then, they began running their mouths exposing Ianna’s past as if it was only a matter of course, began expressing the same exact doubts that Ianna had been under previously, and unveiled the faults in Ianna’s background and moral character without a moment’s hesitation.

One person spoke up first, then another chimed in, and then another. Even those who hadn’t been interested joined in on the conversation.

[E-everybody. Please settle down!]

The lights came on as the ruckus grew louder. But people didn’t stop talking even then. Rather, even those who hadn’t been running their mouths had started.

It was always the same exact repertoire, the same exact curses —it was really getting old. Ianna looked down at them with her arms crossed.

She had expected this to some extent. Rather, she had thought it had been strange that she had been applauded two days ago. And then, she understood. Now that she thought about it, not many people had known that she would be participating in the fashion show then.

The girls whom Arhad had insulted were probably somewhere within this mess. She recalled the furious glares that had flown at her that day. They were probably relieving themselves of the stress they had built up by squawking under the guise of anonymity in the crowd —it was practically dictated by fate. Before Ianna was a crowd of people the likes of whom she had encountered so many times before.

Ianna surveyed her surroundings as calmly as if she had nothing to do with it. Then, she tilted her head to the side. When had it been again? Indeed, it felt similar to that day. During the swordsmanship tournament when she had been nineteen in her past.

What can a girl even do? Ugh, jeez. They said she was a Roberstein, right? Wouldn’t that make her the daughter of the red-headed Roberstein mistress? Aha, she’s the girl born from that infamous affair! The mistress is the daughter of that bastard Horby, the loan shark who failed big time, right? Hmm? The dead-drop gorgeous woman who liked to sleep around with men? Snicker. Guess she takes after her mother’s body —her body’s practically a lethal weapon. Wanna see if we can strip her naked?

The curses and the accusations that had been showered upon her, just like the ones that were being thrown at her now……. They had died down after her sword had feasted on them. But this was the fashion show, not the swordsmanship tournament. She could not shut them up with her sword.

Ianna closed her eyes as if she was enjoying the show. The only thing that was different from back then was that they were also calling her morally depraved for having murdered her grandfather and having possibly murdered her own mother too, perhaps? Well, it was technically true. Ianna smiled as though she found it hilarious.

Are you trying to hurt me? Don’t be ridiculous. The likes of you lot can’t possibly hurt me. The weak little girl who got hurt by every word you said is long dead.

Ianna’s heart was a clear as still waters.

“Enough!”

Ianna’s composed mien immediately crumbled. The people stopped jabbering away when they heard the booming shout and looking around trying to see who had dared spoiled their fun. Then, they grew alarmed as they saw the blue figure walking slowly up the stage.

“That is enough of your insults toward my daughter. I will not tolerate any more. I will mark the next person to run their mouth as an enemy to House Roberstein!”

It was Ianna’s father, Count Cherno Roberstein. People shut their mouths as he, who represented one of the Five Founding Houses of Roanne, made his appearance.

‘This is wrong.’

Cherno had realized that something had long since gone terribly wrong as he watched Ianna keep quiet, as if she couldn’t have cared any less, as the high-ranking nobles who liked to gossip and the vulgar commoners insulted her.

Had he truly neglected his own blood and left her in this incredible pool of malice alone? Just because she was a child he had conceived with a woman whom he hadn’t loved……?

‘I just……I never realized that the insults were this horrible…….’

No, that was just an excuse. Cherno shook his head. Ianna had done nothing wrong. He was the one who had done wrong, so why was Ianna……?

Sarachè, whom the nobles pitied, was crying as she quivered because of how horrible it was as Cherno flushed red at fury directed at himself. She hadn’t been able to hold back her shock at how poorly Ianna was being treated, just like how Cherno hadn’t been able to stop himself either.

They, who had always lived while being surrounded by warmth in their manor, had known that Ianna was being scorned at by their servants behind their backs, but they had never dreamed in even their wildest imaginations that their disinterest and neglect would direct so much malice toward her. Which was why they had simply deluded themselves into thinking it wasn’t too bad. And they had been wrong.

No, that’s not the whole truth…… Sarachè thought as she covered her mouth.

‘We just pushed the entire situation on Ianna’s shoulders because we couldn’t be bothered to do anything about it ourselves……’

They were hypocrites.

Harchen, who had been watching the situation unfold alongside his parents, sighed as things stopped just before they had taken a turn for the worst.

The people had been rendered mute. They no longer had the right to run their mouths now that Cherno had yelled at them to stop. They had been deprived of the freedom to slander Ianna.

Cherno walked over without another word and handed Ianna a bouquet of flowers. Ianna didn’t accept them. She looked at it stiffly instead.

“……I am sorry for neglecting you inside all this.”

“……!”

“I’m truly sorry. It was all because I was foolish and petty.”

“Hah!”

Ianna scoffed and glared at him sharply in rejection and indignation.

“You’re sorry?”

Why only now? And for what? What are you sorry for? I understand you. Isn’t it only natural to hate the child who poisoned your beloved wife to death? It was only natural that you beat me, and it was only natural that you scorned me.

Even if I haven’t poisoned Sarachè to death, isn’t it still only natural to hate the child that was conceived against your will because of twisted love? You were like in both my past and present lives. And I have never hated or despised you for it. Because I understand.

……Which is why you have neither the need nor the right to beg for my forgiveness. You have no duty to make them shut up, nor do you have any right to give me flowers!

Are you pitying me right now? You? Pity me?

Fiery rage stormed up to Ianna’s throat.

“I don’t need……!”

“I won’t ask you to forgive me. And, considering what happened today……I don’t think I even have that right to begin with. So, don’t forgive me.”

It was only natural. She had absolutely decided to cut her ties with her bloodline both in the past and even now in the present. She did not have any affection to spare them.

Cherno climbed up the stage and pressed his bouquet into her arms as she quivered in fury with her hands clenched into fists. But, just as she grabbed it to throw it away.

“I’m sorry. Don’t forgive me.”

Cherno’s words made it hard for her to breathe.

“Let me congratulate you as a member of the audience today, and not as family. You are truly lovely.”

“Congratulations, Ianna.”

“You’re beautiful.”

Ianna’s family left her with an armful of flowers with bitter looks on their faces. It made Ianna dizzy to hear Cherno tell her not to forgive him.

Who do you think you are to tell me whom I should and shouldn’t forgive?

……Who do you think you are, who the hell do you think you are?!

But this was the first time Ianna had ever heard Cherno apologize. And his apology squeezed at her heart. Ianna’s face was frozen stiff as she looked down at the flowers in her hands.

The audience was as still as her face was. The emcee walked up awkwardly, having been pushed by the judges to begin the closing ceremony. And so, the fashion show’s awards ceremony ended in a complete mess.

“Little Ianna!”

Someone loudly called out her name. People screamed as they covered their ears. The voice was loud enough to echo across the entire hall. Ianna subconsciously turned to where the noise had come from only for something to be thrown at her. She caught it on instinct and looked down. It was more flowers.

Dozens, hundreds, of random bouquets were thrown at her after that and began piling up at her feet.

Then, someone stepped forward. People looked at him and were startled. He was the most elite member of the Swordsmanship Department —Ryan, the department head. Then, in a loud voice that was befitting of his title, he said so all could hear,

“I came here out of curiosity because I heard that the flower, no the queen of our department would be here. You’re as beautiful as I knew you would be. Congratulations, Little Ianna!”

“You’re really pretty!”

Nikata, who had dueled with her before, pushed through the crowd and stood beside Ryan as he playfully gave her two thumbs up. More Swordsmanship Department students began stepping forward one after another.

“You’re so pretty!”

“You’re breathtaking!”

“Congrats for advancing to the finals!”

“Let’s keep training hard!”

The Swordsmanship Department students, starting with Nikata, threw more flowers at her as they clamored about how pretty she was and how she was the best. The elite students, who all had swords strapped to their waists, applauded Ianna as they gave her their most sincere congratulations.

“Congratulations, Miss Ianna. You really are a cut different from the brutish men in the Swordsmanship Department! Do continue shining your brilliant light on our department moving forward.”

Even Professor Filliger, whom all the nobles revered as the former general of the royal knights, stepped forward to give Ianna flowers. The other professors, who liked Ianna because she always worked hard in class, applauded her as well. Priscilla, who had tears and snot running down her face even as she giggled, hugged Ianna tight.

“Little Ianna, sniff. You really are the Queen of Swords! I really do have great taste…….”

Clap, clap.

The Swordsmanship Department’s applause roared thunderously throughout the hall, and people began joining in one after another. Eventually, the applause turned into one colossal cheer. Ianna’s firm gaze, which hadn’t so much as wavered even as she was being insulted, began to shake.

“Here you go. I bought a bouquet worth two gold this time! Mine’s definitely the most expensive one you’ll get today! ……Damnit!”

“My most sincere congratulations, Little Ianna! You’re the best!”

“Yer so pretty! Ya really are!”

Her friends walked up to the stage. Eiji gave her a bouquet that was a cut more colorful than the others that were being thrown at her. He still cursed, however, after recalling the bouquet worth eighty-nine gold that Arhad had given her the other day. Taro and Herrace, too, offered her their sincere congratulations as they added their own flowers into the explosively growing pile.

“Congra……ugh, Sir Taro! Damnit! I……can’t breathe!”

Rikijen was here too. He looked like he had been dragged here, judging by how he was growing red in the face as his neck was caught between Taro’s arm and torso, but he too was holding a bouquet in his hands.

Rikijen groaned and touched his neck when Taro startled and let him go before straightening himself up and wiped his glasses. He modestly placed his bouquet on top of the pile and muttered,

“……I bet all my savings on you.”

“What?”

“You had the worst dividend rates, but I bet all the money I’ve made while slaving away at my part-time job on you winning the swordsmanship tournament. So please help me get back that money hundred-fold. I’d like to experience a life of luxury for once…….”

Rikijen, who normally didn’t smile often because he was practicing his diplomacy skills, smirked when Ianna stared back at him in mute amazement.

“I’m just saying that I’m trusting you to win. And congratulations for winning the fashion show too. You were beautiful even in my eyes.”

Rikijen uncharacteristically spilled his heart out.

“Hey, are you at work or something? And what about the fact that I bet money on Little Ianna too?”

“Little Ianna!”

“Lass.”

Mursi, with Finn in his arms, and Taro’s family pushed through the crowd and ran up to the stage. Taro’s gigantic family had brought an equally gigantic stack of flowers with them. Mursi panted as he gave Ianna his flowers as well.

“We were late because we had to push our way all the way from the back. But, congratulations!”

“Congratulations, Miss. You’re the prettiest in the whole world!”

“Congrats, Lil’ Ianna! Wanna marry me?”

“Ya stupid mass of muscles!”

Pow!

Absilot punched his eldest on the back of his head as the rest of Taro’s family heaped the flowers on Ianna. Finn, the adorable child that he was, carefully placed his own tiny bouquet at the very top of the pile.

Snap!

Boooom!

Just then, someone snapped their fingers and a spell exploded on the ceiling. People screamed when they were blinded by the resulting light.

“Kyaah!”

“W-what’s going on? Is it a terror attack?”

Sparkle, sparkle.

Something sparkly was falling down from the ceiling. They were beautiful flowers made from light. The flowers of light were falling on the stage with Ianna at their center. Giving shape to light wasn’t a high-leveled spell. People turned to see the mage who had snapped her fingers.

“Hoho. It’s a good thing I came to watch. I had a lot of fun…….”

The mage brushed back her purple hair with one hand. She smiled alluringly with a finger at her cheek when Ianna looked to her. It was Lalatua El Mardial, the Genius Mage.

“Little Ianna’s just gorgeous, isn’t she? This is just my preference……I mean, my congratulations. I held back from turning the entire audience into fireworks because it would have been too loud.”

Ianna was buried under a sea of flowers. More flowers of light fluttered down on her as she was covered in bouquets. Quietly, Ianna looked up to the falling flowers of light.

No one could deny that Ianna was beautiful as she was surrounded by flowers and light even if they were lying. People stared at her, bewitched

Ianna dropped her gaze back down. Her surroundings were overflowing with flowers and light.

……Why? Just why?

Her heart squeezed for a moment. She did not cry. But her heart still ached.

She remembered the young girl who had cried rivers while screaming silently from sorrow, from loneliness, when she was this age in the past.

The frail and fragile little girl who had only ever wanted someone’s interest and sincerity, no matter how insignificant……whose wounds had festered and festered, whose heart had bled out scarlet blood, who couldn’t be helped by purely medical means, whom Ianna had ended up killing and burying deep within the reaches of her heart because she could not bear to see the poor girl suffer any more.

……So why? Why? Why are you giving me flowers when I already gave up on everything and am living only for myself? Why are you congratulating me? Why are you applauding me, and why are you smiling for me? ……Why couldn’t you do this for her?

Is wanting to be loved something to be shunned for? Is not craving for love something to be applauded? Is crying tears of loneliness something to be punished for, and acting lofty to stave off loneliness something to be awarded?

Why are you giving me flowers when you were so cruel to that little girl? Ianna’s head was in a dizzying mess. Why? Just why?

“Little Ianna!”

Ianna returned to her senses when she heard Priscilla’s bubbly shout. Indeed. Ianna was that girl. The weak little girl had died, but she had been reborn as someone stronger. That girl was herself. And she was receiving flowers.

“…….”

Ianna knelt down and picked up a flower that had fallen out of its bouquet. She was receiving flowers as people congratulated her. As they smiled at her, praised her, and applauded her. It was something that little girl had always wanted.

Still, Ianna did not cry like the girl would have. Nor did she hurt even as she recalled the wounds the girl had suffered. After all, Ianna was no longer weak…….

Ianna quietly looked down at the flower.

“You’re lovely.”

But the current Ianna didn’t want the flowers.

“You’re the loveliest there ever was.”

The bouquet that Arhad had gifted her was all that she had ever needed.

“……Thank you.”

And so, Ianna offered the rest of the flowers to the little girl —to her younger self whom she had killed.

Ianna left soon afterward after saying that she wanted to rest. Her acquaintances saw her off and told her to rest well, knowing that she was probably still upset.

Ianna’s hands were clenched in tight fists. She wanted to drink.

“Ianna.”

Ianna stopped in her tracks. It was Arhad. He had been waiting for her at the entrance to the tower.

“I knew you’d come here.”

“You weren’t at the fashion show today?”

“I was.”

Ianna furrowed her brows.

“Did you throw flowers at me too?”

“I didn’t, since I didn’t want to become just another anonymous member of the crowd……. Should I have? I’m sorry.”

“No.”

Ianna was relieved to learn that he had not thrown flowers at her today.

“I brought you some wine instead.”

Arhad smirked and shook the bottle and two wineglasses he was holding in his hands. He continued,

“It’s the strong and expensive kind.”

“Did you read my mind? I came here in search of someone to drink with.”

Ianna and Arhad continued along the path and climbed up to the roof of the building that had the best view of the Institution. There was a cool breeze in the air, perhaps because it was nighttime. Ianna took a deep sigh. She felt a little better when she took in some of the chilly air.

“It’s nice out.”

Ianna plopped down on the roof. Arhad sat down next to her. He passed her a glass and poured her some wine.

Ianna stared down at the Institution sprawling out before her as she sipped on her wine. The Institution lit up the darkness because the festival was still going on.

But the school festival would be over tomorrow. It was about to come to a close. Most other events were already over, but the swordsmanship tournament, the most popular event, would continue into tomorrow and wrap up with the festival. There would be a night market held tomorrow that was prepared not by the students but by the Institution headquarters. It was scheduled to open late in the afternoon after both the swordsmanship tournament and the closing ceremony were over.

Ianna continued to drink without a word as she looked to the scenery. Arhad, too, drank in silence.

“What was he playing at?”

Ianna suddenly spat out. She continued,

“He doesn’t want me to forgive him? What did he mean when he said that?”

“He meant exactly what he said. It was an apology.”

Arhad understood exactly what Ianna wanted to say even as she fumbled over her words incoherently, and he had heard her clearly because he was focusing on every word she said.

“How am I supposed to take that? I understood him, and there is no place for forgiveness between us. Why is he apologizing when he hasn’t done anything wrong?”

Ianna downed the rest of her half-empty glass in once go. Arhad filled it up again when she held her glass out to him.

“I overheard something that might help lessen what’s weighing on your heart.”

“What did you hear?”

“I heard you entered into a certain contract with House Roberstein?”

The edges of Arhad’s lips curled up like he was having fun, and Ianna raised an eyebrow.

“How did you find out about that?”

“I was standing behind House Roberstein today. I overheard the head of the house and his wife talking.”

“…….”

“The head knew about your contract. I might add that he has a special talent for figuring out how certain things had come to pass and understanding how people might have thought or felt in those situations.”

Arhad was right. Cherno had grown suspicious of Lebony once and had uncovered her secret designs by investigating his doubts.

“He already knows that you’ve completely cast aside your house in your heart. Or, that’s at least how he answered when his wife asked him what to do. Was he wrong?”

“……No, he’s right.”

“He learned that you’re incredibly skilled after watching you compete in the swordsmanship tournament. And he’s realized that you plan on completely cutting away from high society because you decided to attend the Institution instead of the nobles’ Academy. It was easy for him to infer that you intend on being completely independent from your household. So he probably said what he did and apologized because he finally realized his mistakes. He told you not to forgive him. He was telling you not to forgive him and walk your own path. If you asked him to rip up the contract and disown you immediately, he’d probably comply. And he probably wanted to shut the mouths of every noble who insulted you today. If he wanted to keep the nobles from running their mouths, then the best way to accomplish that was to apologize to you publicly.”

Arhad smiled when Ianna fell silent. He continued,

“Well, that’s what I made of their conversation, at least.”

“So you were eavesdropping on their conversation like a coward?”

“I was standing behind him because I planned to murder him if he didn’t step up.”

“…….”

“I was going to kill him if he abandoned you in that situation and failed to realize what he’s done.”

Arhad was being sincere. Ianna scratched at her neck in mute amazement.

“So you were planning to murder a nobleman. Like an assassin.”

“He hurt you.”

Ianna closed her mouth and looked to Arhad.

“I am not hurt. I understood why he hated me and why he neglected me, and I was able to endure it.”

“You’re lying.”

“What would I be lying about?”

“I see I was talking too highly about him earlier.”

Arhad pulled Ianna closer and looked back into the anger in her red eyes. His clear golden ones drew closer to her, as if they were trying to pierce through her heart. He continued,

“He is selfish. He never understood you. He had to remain oblivious to what he’s done, while you had to protect your pride by understanding him, by claiming that you didn’t need to forgive him, and by pretending that you were never hurt by him. And you were planning to cut your ties with House Roberstein by hiding how hurt you were —you were going to pretend that you never had a relationship or shared any emotions with them. But then he suddenly and selfishly noticed his wrongdoings only now after all this time, and he selfishly resolved the turmoil in his own heart by apologizing to you and telling you not to forgive him.”

“…….”

“And that’s why you’re so angry. Am I wrong?”

Ianna’s eyes shook. She turned her head and breathed out a ragged sigh. Her heart was thumping furiously, as if his words had hit home. Arhad pulled at Ianna’s arm. Then, he pulled her into an embrace as she lost her balance. She could still see the Institution from over his shoulder. The brilliant lights grew hazy and stung her eyes.

Arhad stopped talking after that. Fire seemed to spread from Ianna’s heart as he held her so tight she couldn’t escape.

She suddenly wanted to spit something out.

‘What is it that I want to say right now? Am I drunk?’

Ianna breathed raggedly as she buried her increasingly heated forehead into Arhad’s shoulder.

“Who does he think he is that he’s talking to me about forgiveness? Why is he apologizing all of a sudden like he’s suddenly decided to be kind? I understood him, and there really weren’t any feelings between us. I just wanted to cut our ties, so why did he apologize……?”

Her heart throbbed painfully. Ianna had never once sought their love in this life. She could vouch for that. But the weak girl from her past whom Ianna had killed and forced herself to bury continued to cry out in her heart against the injustice of it all. The girl’s cries tormented her.

“……No, I’m sure I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hate him. It’s a lie to say I wasn’t hurt at all. I see I can’t refute you because you’re right —I buried my wounds and I just wanted to cut my ties with them.”

“I know.”

“Yes. You’re right.”

Ianna was still being held tightly in Arhad’s embrace as she reached up and clutched at the clothes on his back like she was clinging to him. Like a child clinging to an adult.

“I never did anything wrong.”

“You didn’t.”

“I didn’t do anything wrong…….”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Then why did I have to be treated like that? I only wanted their love and attention because I was a child……. So what did I do that was so wrong? What did I do?”

“They were selfish and foolish adults who couldn’t see reason. They were pieces of shit, and it was their fault. You did nothing wrong.”

Ianna clutched at Arhad’s clothes more tightly.

“I hate them for making me murder my younger self. If there’s one thing in my life that I regret, it’s that I had once craved for their love. Why did I do that? Why did I do something as vile as that? Why did I have to get so hurt?! I hate feeling remorseful because it’s a dreadful feeling. It’s dreadful, and I never want to feel it again!”

Arhad pressed Ianna, who was quivering with rage, deeper into his arms. She continued,

“So why is he apologizing to me now after all this time? I don’t want it! I never needed his apology, so why did he have to go and apologize like he’s rubbing it in my face?”

Ianna closed her eyes shut because she was so furious that she thought it might actually drive her insane. She wanted to destroy something on impulse. She probably would have rampaged and broken everything in her line of sight had Arhad not been holding her so tight that she couldn’t even budge.

As he rubbed her across the back, Arhad said,

“Wounds will fester and rot little by little if you hide them away without treating them. And you need to reconcile all the wrongs that were committed against you. They’ll remain with you for the rest of your life if you cut your ties before that.”

Arhad was right. Ianna had simply killed her younger self and buried her. She was acting so wretchedly right now because the injustice and misery she had suffered back then still remained inside her. She was being held by Arhad and spitting everything out as if she had gone back in time even though it had already been decades ago.

“You needed his apology. Whether you forgive him or not is something you can decide later. And, you understood him? You weren’t hurt? Are you supposed to be some kind of saint? Why would you need to understand him……?”

Arhad took her side, but then he started scolding her. Tears began welling up in Ianna’s eyes. Only her eyes peered out from above Arhad’s shoulder, and her vision was growing blurry. The tears spilled over when she blinked.

Arhad squeezed so tight Ianna found it difficult to breathe when he felt one, then two, drops of water fall onto his shoulder. Ianna’s countenance crumbled like a child who was on the brink of bursting into tears. Her tears moistened her cheeks. Her body was quivering restlessly.

“Stop trying to bury your wounds. They apologized, and it’s time for you to shed your childhood now. Not to forgive them, but for your own sake.”

Ianna eventually started crying. The hurt from her past was mixed into the tears that spilled from her eyes. Arhad’s words were washing away the wounds she had so desperately hid away.

Just how many times had she cried in front of this man now? It was unsightly. But, funnily enough, his strong embrace comforted her so much as she cried.

“Sigh…….”

Her tears stopped after a while, and she finally had the leeway to look inside her heart now that she had settled down. She felt so mellow that she was actually surprised. But then again, she had always been one to keep her composure. She took in the sparkling scenery from the other side of Arhad’s shoulder with her reddened eyes.

She decided to accept Cherno’s apology. She decided to forgive him too, even though Cherno had told her not to. She did not want to keep them in her heart just because she couldn’t forgive them. She would rather forgive and forget than not forgive them and have to remember them forever.

Now, she could truly say that she no longer needed them as targets of her hatred or even as her family. She did not feel that they were worth wasting her feelings over. She was sure she wouldn’t feel anything anymore even if she saw them again. She had completely cast them away with the tears she had shed.

She would have probably failed to acknowledge, much less accept, Cherno’s apology and continue to suffer in her fury had she agonized about it alone. She knew she had only been able to resolve things so easily because Arhad was here with her. Because he had been at her side and had embraced her wounds for what they were.

Ianna felt like someone absolute had hugged the child that she had once been. She felt like that little girl had finally been rewarded. She was strong enough to be able to protect herself now and she didn’t need a protector, but she had found a reliable protector in Arhad and she knew she could trust her heart to him and find rest in him.

“…….”

Was that why? The man who had embraced her began to fill the empty spaces left behind as the wounds of her heart and her furious hatred of the people who had hurt her were washed away.

What she had wanted so badly when she had been younger…….

Ianna closed her eyes. Then, she buried her face in Arhad’s shoulder. And she hugged him back.

Arhad.

My king, who will always take my side no matter what, who will always long for me, who will always smile at me with only sincerity —there is only one like you in the entire world.

~~*~~

Part 6

The seventh day.

Ryan, who stood opposite Ianna on the arena, smiled boldly.

“Oh jeez. I’m going to lose face as the department head if I lose. Can’t you go easy on me, Little Ianna?”

Ianna stared back at him. He was being as amicable and cheerful as ever. He had been good to her since the very beginning, and she was actually rather fond of him. He had even seized the situation and stepped forward and given her flowers yesterday even though it must have been quite awkward for him.

Moreover, he was the Swordsmanship Department’s head, meaning that he was skilled enough to be the top of the entire department. There were probably a lot of nobles —royals, even— who had sent him letters of invitation.

Where would he go after graduating?

“Do you truly want me to?”

“I’m only joking, of course. But my plan to win the tournament for three years straight will fall apart if I lose……so I’ll still be giving it my all.”

The light in his eyes, which was normally always kind, strong, and trustworthy, suddenly grew cold. Ianna readied her sword in response.

[The final match of the swordsmanship tournament will now begin!]

“Mr. Ryan, Miss Ianna. Prepare yourselves.”

Professor Filliger was the referee. He was pleased to see how incredibly skilled his students were. The two students facing off against each other in the finals were two of his favorites.

He would be happy if Ryan, his star pupil whom he had taught diligently ever since Ryan’s first year when he had still been young and immature, won, and he would also be happy if Ianna, who radiated such intensity that even the dauntless Filliger’s heart thumped and had beat back the contempt that had been showered upon her with unyielding effort, won.

Filliger raised his hands. Then, he brought them down swiftly as silence resounded across the arena.

Claaang!

Two fortifications clashed as soon as the match began. Ryan had sent his fortification flying as soon as their match had started. Ianna would have been bisected had she not blocked it. Ryan had done so despite that they weren’t on a battlefield and despite that people normally didn’t start with attacks as strong early into a match because there was a chance the other party could die.

But it was his fortification, not Ianna, that had been rent in two. Ianna had readied herself, having seen through Ryan’s movements, and had simply decided to shatter his fortification.

Ryan’s face was wrought was tension. He was an earnest student. He always prepared for the worst, and he always strove to do his best from the get go while always assuming that his opponent was stronger than him. His earnestness was what made him one the very best. And it had been Arhad, his junior of two years, who had helped his swordplay grow stronger.

Becoming Arhad’s sparring partner had been a stroke of luck, and their sparring was what had set Ryan’s swordplay a cut above that of his peers’.

Arhad might not have been able to control mana, but his swordplay was second to none in the Swordsmanship Department. Ryan had never once drawn out Arhad’s full strength in the four years they had known each other. After all, Arhad had always defeated him without so much as forming a single bead of sweat.

And yet, that very same Arhad sparred against Ianna in earnest. She was one amazing lady who constantly shattered Ryan’s dear junior’s composure.

Watching Arhad and Ianna spar had always made him think that they lived in their own world that no ordinary person could enter. Their skills were simply that strong.

And so, he had attacked with all his might from the very start because he knew that Ianna was not only Arhad’s equal in swordplay but was also highly adept at controlling mana to boot. And Ianna had blocked his attack as if it had been nothing. She had starting running swiftly across the arena, and she was already brandishing her sword before his eyes just as the sound of her footsteps reached his ears.

Swiiish!

Ianna wielded her sword in her right hand as she brought it upwards in a fierce diagonal line. Ryan evaded it by throwing his body backward, which was well and all, but he then had no choice but to quickly roll across the ground. He could not let his guard down just because he had avoided her blade, as the fact that she could use fortification meant that there were an infinite number of variables she could use at her disposal. A semi-circular fortification had come flying at him just as Ianna had swung her sword.

And she wasn’t even done yet. Ianna swung her sword down at him so powerfully she could have meant to kill him while he was still regaining his balance. Ryan immediately rolled away again and straightened himself out, but her sword came crossways at him yet again, seizing on the slightest of openings. Ryan blocked her attack by holding his sword up vertically.

Ianna’s attacks never seemed to end. She thrust, rent, and swung……. Her sword was like the claws of a cat toying with a mouse.

She was so lithe that the angles of her attacks were like no other’s. Sometimes, her attacks came at such bizarre angles that he couldn’t help but wonder if she was actually wielding a whip instead. Those who could not adjust to her attacks were helpless before them. Ryan, however, calmly blocked her every attack one at a time.

Even Ianna could not help that she had to use just a little bit more power on attacks she launched at sharper angles. Ryan spotted one such attack and his eyes glistened. Then, he beat back against her sword with his full might.

Clang!

Ianna’s sword seem to fall from her right hand. Ryan brightened up when he thought that his sword had pushed away hers.

Ianna, however, spun around half a circle and grabbed her sword with her left hand as if it was only natural. Then, she spun again and cut deeply into Ryan’s cheek as the smile was wiped off his face.

Ryan was alarmed out of his wits as Ianna attached him from a completely unexpected direction. And the match had been decided in his brief moment of surprise. He looked down at the blade pointed at his throat before touching his stinging cheek. It was bleeding profusely.

Ianna preferred lighter swords, but she could use any sword no matter how heavy without a problem if she set her heart to it. She normally held her sword in one hand, but she occasionally graced a two-handed style too. And, while she preferred to hold her sword in her right hand most of the time, she was actually ambidextrous.

Ryan sighed as he felt the blood drip down his face.

“Were you only pretending to have dropped your sword?”

“Yes.”

“Phew. I’ve lost.”

Ryan failed to hide how wistful he was, but he ultimately broke out into a smile and extended his hand to her first. Ianna grinned back as she grabbed his hand. The trumpet roared as it announced the match’s conclusion.

[And now the swordsmanship tournament has come to a close! The victor is Miss Ianna, a first-year! Congratulations!]

Thunderous applause roared for the finale of the swordsmanship tournament. Its sound was the sincere praise the audience granted Ianna for proving her genuine skill.

Sixteen. She was still at the age to be dreaming. Most girls her age experienced their first love, did laundry, and practiced clumsy embroidery. Ianna, however, had become the hottest topic in all of Theodore for the unique aura her good looks gave her and for being an amazing swordswoman who had seized her victory at the swordsmanship tournament. She started gaining secret admirers everywhere as the new rumors were further amplified by the old.

Thus, the swordsmanship tournament had concluded. And the final auction was soon to take place.

~~*~~

“I like her.”

There was a handsome young man sitting in the audience with silver hair so brilliant it seemed to shatter the sunlight and silver eyes to match. He had been looking bored earlier as he watched the tournament, but he straightened up immediately and his eyes seemed to glow when the crimson-haired girl he was interested in took the stage.

The seats around him were vacant. The only people around him were his knights standing guard at his back and sides. On their chests were the silver eagles that symbolized the Roanne royal family.

People stared at him with awe and reverence before paling when his knights glared back at them before quickly turning around —with a small shriek.

The young man’s eyes were fixed on Ianna, who was shining brightly beneath the sun. His knights looked to him with a strange light in their eyes. They knew that he had a strong greed for talent. He had come to see the swordsmanship tournament every single day, and he had participated actively in the Political Science and Accounting Departments’ public debates. And yet, he had been fixated so strongly on one girl during the tournament this year that it struck his knights as odd.

“Hmmm…”

He stared at Ianna persistently. He had even gone to see the fashion show in secret, while wearing a robe, yesterday because he had heard that Ianna would be participating in it. And he had watched as she was scorned by the masses.

Any normal girl would have run outside in tears. But Ianna had simply crossed her arms and stared down calmly at those who were insulting her as if her heart was made of steel. And the events that had played out shortly thereafter were some of the most famous happenings in the Institution’s history.

The rain of flowers. The shower of light. Ianna had been so beautiful that the young man had been mesmerized. And it wasn’t because of her feminine looks —she was simply beautiful in the plainest sense of the word. She, who was adored by the Swordsmanship Department, had truly become the Queen of Swords that day. Everyone had been bewitched when she had picked up a single flower and had closed her eyes as if in tribute under the pile of bouquets and the falling flowers of light.

The young man had ordered his attendant to look into the girl’s background. He had learned that the girl had lived an incredibly turbulent life. He learned that she was the illegitimate daughter of House Roberstein, that her mother had gone missing, and that she had murdered her own grandfather. She had then been accepted into the Valgenta Institution. She had amazing looks, she was intelligent enough to earn top grades in her year, and she had remained stouthearted even as the masses stood against her. She had won the underclassmen’s swordsmanship competition with the body of a sixteen-year-old girl, and now she had even won the swordsmanship tournament…….

He had truly taken a liking to her. He liked her a lot. What did he need to do to bring that girl under his banner? He had never failed to have anything he truly wanted. But he knew that it would be no simple feat to get that girl.

The young man stared holes at the girl as he watched her chat with Ryan, and he muttered,

“I really do like her.”

~~*~~

It was the final Swordsmanship Department auction!

It was also the final event scheduled for the school festival. The school festival would officially be over after the auction concluded, but there would still be a few more events at the night market run by the Institution headquarters as an after-festival of sorts.

Those up for auction today were the top elites of the Swordsmanship Department. Which was why many high-ranking nobles had come to see it. High-ranking nobles did not always participate in the school festival —they generally sent their proxies in their stead—, but they had squeezed in the time to enjoy the festivities from their busy schedules because today was not only the day of the swordsmanship tournament finals but also the highlight of the event, “Serving You as Our Master for a Day!”

“Frederick, you said that I would meet the girl you told me about here? This is an auction of sorts, I take it?”

The man walking into the small assembly hall was one such noble.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

“The Swordsmanship Department has gotten better. There was a lot of stress on maintaining your honor even back in my day.”

“Oh, if it isn’t Your Excellency the Marquis of Chaipan?”

“Why, it’s been a while, Vicount Zeberos.”

People turned to look when they heard Marquis Chaipan’s name.

Mariquis Gellonian Chaipan. He was the protector of the area north of the capital where the Allacamorah Forest was, and he was the king’s sword who eliminated any enemy who dared set their sights on the capital. He was a graduate of the Swordsmanship Department who had attended the Institution despite having been a count’s heir because he had been disgusted by the fabrications of the nobility.

He had been the top of his year every year and had won the swordsmanship tournament for six years consecutively, and he had become a count after he graduating as the department head of the Swordsmanship Department. He had been a righteous noble even during his school years, and many outstanding Swordsmanship Department graduates had been influenced by him and had come under his banner. He had formed his Knights of Exatium with them, and had risen from the rank of count to the rank of marquis for his achievements in battle.

The knight standing beside him, Frederick Holt, was one of his Knights of Exatium and also his faithful right-hand man. Frederick had led the extermination party back when mysterious minotaurs had been running amok in the Allacamorah Forest. And he remembered how he had traveled with Mursi and Ianna back then.

Frederick maintained contact with Mursi, and he never failed to ask about news regarding Ianna. As he’d suspected, Ianna, who had beaten out her many powerful rivals to emerge as victor, was someone special.

Frederick had informed the marquis about Ianna’s crimson fortification, her connections to a mage of remarkable talent, the sacrifice she had shown as she broke her arms to save a child, and her pitiful background. Marquis Chaipan had been highly interested in her, and he had even come all the way to the capital, something he hardly ever did, just to see her. And he had been extraordinarily pleased after watching the swordsmanship tournament.

“What an entertaining young lady. She’ll be someone big one day. I’d like to forge a relationship with her……. But an auction? Should I place a bid on her under the guise of sponsoring the Swordsmanship Department?”

People filled the small assembly hall, and it was soon time for the auction to begin.

[Hello, ladies and gentlemen,]

greeted the third-year Swordsmanship Department student who was acting as the emcee.

[Today is the last day of “Serving You as Our Master for a Day!” Thank you so much for all the support you’ve given us these past seven days. We’re so happy for the interest you’ve shown in our department. Half of the money we’ve raised during our auction will be donated to charity, while the other half will be used to help fund our department, so please make sure to show us a lot of support today too!]

Clap clap clap.

The emcee began the auction without further ado once the clapping began dying down. Students were auctioned off one after another. High-ranking nobles only joined in on the second half of the auction because of the rule in which each bidder could only successfully bid on one student per day, so they waited until students whose specs or introduction they liked took the stage before bidding in good cheer.

Every student auctioned today was sold at an average of fifty gold. Finally, it was time for the tournament’s finalist and champion to go up for auction.

[And now, is Department Head Ryan, who is ever our leader! He’s been at the top of his year for six years straight, and he’s been the reigning champion of the swordsmanship tournament for the last two years. All of us underclassmen respect and trust our department head.]

“Hello. I’m Ryan.”

Ianna, who had been looking bored as she waited in the waiting room, scowled heavily when Ryan was sold off at eighty gold —a hefty sum. Who spent eighty gold just to be with someone for a day? —and it wasn’t even a full day!

But then again, there was also a certain weirdo who had spent even more on that on a bunch of flowers, so there were probably people who were willing to spend eighty gold on someone talented too. It was still a better use of money than the flowers were, no matter how hard she thought about it.

[And now, the person we’ve all been waiting for. We’ll now begin the final auction! Little Ianna, please come up on stage!]

Ianna sighed as she heeded the sonorous voice’s call and walked up on stage.

[She’s the only woman in our department, our flower, and our queen! The beautiful Little Ianna, who’s just sixteen years-old!]

Ianna frowned even heavier when she heard him call her a queen as she dragged her feet. There had been more than a few people who had addressed her as such even today. What were they playing at? It had taken strenuous effort on her part to keep herself from cutting each and every one of them down.

The audience suddenly burst out in cheers when she stepped out. But their eyes weren’t drawn to Ianna, but to something behind her.

[Isn’t she beautiful?]

Ianna looked behind her in disinterest before she only just barely managed to keep herself from grabbing her senior emcee by the collar and flinging him off stage. Projected on top of the wide curtain was an image of her from the fashion show. The picture was only up for a moment, but Ianna’s ears flushed red with embarrassment and she clenched her hands in tight fists.

[Little Ianna was admitted to the Institution at just sixteen —the youngest one can be before they can even apply. She never lost her nerve even as she was always surrounded by burly men, and she absolutely put us in our place. And she’s also adored by all our professors, including Professor Filliger, because of how hard she always trains. She won the underclassmen’s swordsmanship competition, and she was the top student among the first-years last semester. As you all saw up on screen just now, she was awarded fourth-years’ best dress and the grand prize at the fashion show. And she won the swordsmanship tournament today too! She’s still a fresh new first-year, but isn’t she amazing?]

People dropped their jaws. She truly was amazing. Most first-years were hardly worth mentioning. But Ianna’s abundant accolades were absolutely overflowing.

[Hi, Little Ianna. How did you feel after winning the tournament today?]

Did she really have to answer? —she really didn’t want to. Ianna realized that she had little other choice when her senior winked at her earnestly as if he was begging for her assistance.

“Yes. Well……. I’m happy to have won.”

[Can I ask you what your hobbies are?]

“I like to train with my sword.”

The emcee was rendered speechless by her unhesitant reply.

[Goodness. Is there anything else?]

“Maintaining my sword?”

[……And anything besides that?]

“I enjoy working out.”

[Anything else……?]

“Watching other people fight.”

The emcee hadn’t been expecting Ianna to say something like ‘shopping for clothes’ or ‘embroidery’ because she was Ianna, but she was still worse than the other men. At this rate, the person who successfully bid on her wouldn’t have anything to talk to her about.

[As expected of our Queen of Swords. You really aren’t interested in much else. Is there anything you like doing that doesn’t have to do with a sword?]

“……Chess, I suppose. I also enjoy eating good food.”

It was only then that Ianna realized that the emcee had been fishing for an answer that didn’t relate to swordplay.

[I see! What kinds of foods do you like?]

“If I had to choose, I suppose I like seafood, which is difficult to find in Roanne because the entire kingdom is inland, and good wine.”

[Any foods you don’t like?]

“I’ll eat just about anything. I’m not that picky about what I eat.”

[I see. Most women avoid greasy foods because they’re worried about maintaining their figure —do you get concerned about things like that too, Little Ianna?]

“No, it’s pointless.”

Did she mean that her figure was that good even though she did nothing to maintain it? The emcee eyed her figure before he could stop himself and coughed awkwardly.

[Do you have a sword you treasure, Little Ianna?]

“No, I don’t. A sword is magnificent just for being a sword —I don’t care much about the particulars.”

[Do you have a type, by any chance?]

“…….”

The audience, who had been oohing and aahing at Ianna’s each and every response, suddenly grew silent. Ianna furrowed her brows. A type? Was he trying to ask her if she had a guy she liked?

Ianna stared at the emcee. He blinked back desperately, pleading her to just say something —anything— with his eyes when she didn’t answer. She turned the gears in her head frantically but couldn’t really come up with anything about ideal types and whatnot in particular because she wasn’t very interested in romantic relationships to begin with. And so, Ianna starting talking about the characteristics of the man whom she was currently most interested in.

“Someone who’s stronger and taller than me……I suppose? Someone who will always take my side no matter what.”

The emcee stopped asking playful questions after that, and Ianna was able to respond to the rest without too much displeasure.

[Do you have anything you want to say to those who are about to bid on you?]

“Can I be frank?”

[Of course!]

“Please don’t waste your money. I’d be happy if someone bought me for just five gold.”

[…….]

Ianna really did have a way with her words. Some of the audience cheered, thinking that she was only joking, but the emcee, who knew that Ianna wasn’t one to lie, had an awkward look on his face.

[……Now, now. Let’s begin the auction! We’ll start at one gold!]

“Two gold.”

“Three gold.”

No one called out for silvers. Her bidding price only increased by the gold.

“Oh?”

Marquis Chaipan, who had been watching over the situation, smiled in amusement as her price kept rising. He had been planning to flex a few muscles because Frederick had suggested that the nobles wouldn’t be interested in her because they disparaged her humble origins, but it looked like that wasn’t the case.

Or, perhaps the nobles had stopped hating on her so much after Count Roberstein had publicly called Ianna his daughter and had openly declared that he would not tolerate any insults to her.

To be completely honest, it was laughable to think that anyone would insult her now that she had not only demonstrated remarkable talent but was also officially acknowledged by House Roberstein.

If the second place had been worth eighty gold, then how much would Ianna, the champion, be worth? Under or over a hundred gold? Marquis Chaipan decided to wait and observe for the moment.

“Twenty gold.”

“Twenty-five gold.”

“Forty gold.”

Ianna scowled. Her price was rising much faster than she had anticipated. She had said five gold earlier, but she had been expected her bid to settle at around forty gold, which was slightly higher than the department average. Cherno might have openly declared that he would not tolerate any insults to her, but she did not think that the nobles who had been sneering at her and insulting her until just recently would be shameless enough to bid on her.

‘Oh, but they were shameless to begin with, I suppose.’

In any case, she would end up owing Mursi a lot of money at this rate. What did they even want to talk with her about? Were they going to insult her again after successfully bidding on her? She would prefer not to have to talk to anyone one-on-one, but she could keep up a light conversation if she had to. But to think that people would go through so much trouble for just a few short hours.

Perhaps everyone had lost their minds because the event was called an ‘auction’.

“Forty-five gold.”

“Forty-six gold.”

Her bidding price, which had been increasing at rates of five gold until then, suddenly slowed down. She looked to the man who had just called the most recent price. It was Mursi.

Ianna saw Mursi wave at her. Finn, whom he was holding up in his arms, waved at her too. She could see that the nobles were sneering at him for being a penny-pinching commoner. It made Ianna feel a little guilty. Mursi had promised to buy her at the lowest price possible so that she wouldn’t be saddled with too large an economic burden.

Even when his pockets were big enough to let the entire caravan eat whatever they wanted at a famous restaurant during their expedition south…….

Mursi smiled and nodded back when Ianna smiled at him apologetically and entrusted herself in his care. And so, her price increased little by little until it neared a hundred gold. Even Ianna’s, who’s expression hardly ever changed, fair complexion had paled by then.

But it was Mursi who called out the last bid —perhaps because even the nobles were reluctant to spend in the three digits. Ianna quietly begged it to stop there.

“I’d like to buy Little Ianna. One hundred gold!”

People flinched when the bidding price suddenly jumped up. Ianna opened her eyes wide upon seeing the familiar face.

Lalatua, the Princess of Mardial, was waving her hand high with a bright smile on her face. Ianna grit her teeth. Why is she……?! She can just come over for tea if she wants to talk. Ianna felt sick to the stomach as her bidding price entered the three digits. Mursi placed a hand on his forehead awkwardly as he called for 101 gold. And then…

“Two hundred gold.”

Someone called two hundred gold. People gasped. It was a huge increase. It would be difficult to call for a smaller increment now. Ninety-nine gold had a different ring to it than did a hundred gold. The price had been so high it was difficult to raise it by even one more gold, so which crazy bastard had increased it by a hundred?

“Ack?”

“Your Highness?!”

People looked around to see who had called out two hundred gold only to drop their jaws. His silvery appearance and his personal knights surrounding him made it obvious who he was.

It was Schneider Lezè Roanne, the most powerful prince of the Kingdom of Roanne, the most powerful country in the southern half of the continent, who’s greed was famous for burning hot like erupting lava and who always got what he wanted.

“Oh my…….”

Lalatua scowled at Schneider, who had a rather composed look on his face.

“It’s been a while, Princess Lalatua. Have you been well?”

Lalatua furrowed her brows.

“Could you please stop pretending to know me? I dislike the greasy tone of your voice. And besides, Prince Schneider? Why are you trying to bid on Little Ianna? Don’t you already have a lovely fiancé?”

“I could ask you the same thing, Princess. Are you planning on using the lovely lady as your test subject?”

“Two hundred fifty gold. I simply want Little Ianna to myself because I like her. It’s in my nature to be possessive over what I consider to be mine.”

“Three hundred gold. I didn’t know you had such a side to you, Princess. But I’m sure you’ve made the poor lady embarrassed now. Why don’t you just keep yourself entertained by playing with the green lifeforms you love playing with so much?”

“You dare?”

……What in the world? Ianna hung her mouth ajar without realizing what she was doing. Her eyes were shaking.

“Be my knight. I will elevate you to a station where none may ever ignore you again.”

His silver hair was so very familiar to her. So were his silver eyes and his frame. A long time had passed now, but there was no way she could ever forget. It was Schneider Lezè Roanne, who had owned over half her life……. Her liege, whom she had once offered her life to. She could not help that she had nearly bowed to him as soon as their eyes had met.

But she hadn’t.

The prince had been the one and only person to acknowledge her and need her back then. No, that was simply what she had thought. There had actually been another whom she could have chosen. Isn’t that so, Arhad……?

But her heart, which had been so surprised upon seeing such an important figure from her past, wouldn’t stop thumping. She had first met Prince Schneider only after she had won the swordsmanship tournament she had competed in when she was twenty-two. To think that she would meet him again here. And yet, once again, he was the one trying to reach out to her. Ianna stared at him.

The other nobles kept deathly silent as the two royals squabbled. Mursi, however, carefully raised his hand.

“……Three hundred gold.”

His voice was timid. Lalatua and Schneider stopped to stare at him. Mursi laughed awkwardly. He was a little embarrassed, but he had no choice if he wanted to buy her at the lowest bid possible. Ianna had never expected her bidding price to ever reach anything near 300 gold. But, while Ianna had claimed that she could be auctioned off for rather cheap, Mursi, on the other hand, had predicted that winning the auction would be quite a difficult feat.

‘I knew she’d be expensive……but still, three hundred gold?’

He wanted to remain on good terms with Ianna. But her bidding price was something else. Mursi, who was worried that she might be overwhelmed, shot a glance at her. Her face was frozen solid.

‘Is it still okay?’

Mursi figured it should be, since Ianna was still looking at him without signaling to him otherwise. Mursi was a successful and affluent merchant. To be honest, he could have simply given her that much money out of goodwill. Not only was she Finn’s savior, but he didn’t mind investing in a lot of money on someone who would definitely be an important figure in the future.

Lalatua and Schneider stopped squabbling and stared at Mursi. Mursi broke out in a cold sweat as they turned to him with disbelief and displeasure in their eyes and seemed to ask, “What’s your deal?”

“Little Ianna is someone incredible who is more than worth the investment……. And I’d like to let my son spend the festival with her, because he likes her so much.”

“I really love Miss Ianna!”

Finn nodded furiously. Unfortunately, however, people continued to stare at Mursi ruthlessly, trying to see what he was scheming on the inside as they wondered if poor Ianna would end up being split into three —Mursi was rather disconcerted. He was indeed rich and people knew that he was rather fond of her, but was it really natural for him to spend not merely dozens but hundreds of gold on her just for that? It was difficult to believe.

“Four hundred gold.”

The atmosphere froze over as the prince continued raising the price. The most powerful man of the Roanne royal family, who enjoyed a life of wealth and luxury, wanted Ianna.

Lalatua’s pretty brows began to crumble. But she still called out a higher bid anyway out of pride.

“Four hundred fifty gold.”

“Five hundred gold.”

Mursi looked to Ianna again as she stood frozen on the stage. Her face was like a sheet of ice.

‘What to do…’

Mursi called out the next bid, in any case.

“Five hundred……and one gold.”

“Six hundred gold.”

“……Six hundred one gold.”

Schneider grinned.

“Look now, you’re the owner of the Paella Company, no? Aren’t you being a little too stingy with your bids for someone as successful a merchant as you? Seven hundred gold.”

Lalatua raged, but she then sighed and pressed at her brows with her finger.

“……I give up. Forgive me for having to abandon you because I’m poor, Little Ianna. Ugh, this is humiliating.”

And so, Lalatua gave up.

“Seven hundred one gold.”

“Are you planning to drain the royal treasury? Eight hundred gold.”

The coffers of the prince of Roanne, one of the wealthiest nations in the world, was nothing to scoff at. The blood drained from Mursi’s face. The prince was practically declaring that he would win Ianna no matter how much it cost him. He was also basically telling Mursi to give up already. Mursi could continue if he wanted to……but his relations with the royal family could worsen if he kept opposing he prince like this.

Mursi’s eyes met Ianna’s as he hesitated. Ianna quietly nodded at him. She was telling him to stop throwing money at her. Mursi, who had been about to raise his hand, brought it back down.

“I-is there nothing higher than Eight hundred gold?”

No one answered. The emcee quivered as he continued,

“T-t-then, the bid…….”

“One thousand gold.”

One voice rang through the quiet assembly hall like thunder. The prince’s mood froze over solid. One thousand gold! Which crazy bastard had placed that bid?!

The people turned to look at the man who had bid for a thousand gold.

‘Is he seriously daring to oppose me right now?’

Schneider’s crooked gaze turned to the man as well.

The small assembly hall had two floors. There was a man standing on the second floor. The people stared at him from every direction as they tried to figure out who he was. He was wearing a black robe and a festival mask, however, so they could not identify him. A chilling silence filled the air.

“Continue the auction. Or am I the highest bidder?”

The golden eyes peering out from behind his mask were oozing with bloodlust.

~~*~~

Part 7

“Has the prince lost his mind? What’s he showing off his money for?”

Eiji muttered in agitation as he toyed with the mask he had bought earlier today during the festival. No one overheard his lèse-majesté because everyone was so focused on the stage.

What was the prince even thinking? —he wasn’t even trying to invest in her, he was spending 800 gold just to be with her for a few hours.

“…….”

Craaack.

He heard a strange sound coming from beside him just then. Eiji had a foreboding feeling. Now that he thought about it, sitting next to him was a man who was crazy about Ianna beyond all imagination, though Eiji hadn’t the foggiest idea why.

Carefully, Eiji turned to look at Arhad. The bannister was dented. It was made of metal, and yet the part that Arhad had been holding had been crushed in his hands. Arhad was holding onto the bannister so tightly that Eiji was afraid the dented portions might break off entirely. The veins popping out from the back of his hands proved just how badly the situation had provoked his rage.

……Damned bastard.

Arhad had known this would happen. This was exactly why he had disliked the idea of Ianna drawing attention to herself in the swordsmanship tournament. Schneider was enthusiastic about gathering talented personnel beneath him, and he had never once failed to attend the Institution festival. There was no way that he would have failed to take an interest in Ianna, who was not only his fellow countryman but also a genius among geniuses.

But Arhad did not have the right to stop Ianna as she burned brightly in her intention to win the tournament. Besides, he had decided to refrain to participating in the auction himself because Ianna had said that she would buy herself through the Paella Company’s owner. He wanted to respect her wishes. But he had still come to attend the auction anyway because he couldn’t help but feel nervous, and now things had turned to this.

Ianna……. He wanted to hide her away where none could ever lay their eyes on her and where she herself could not look to any other if only he could. He wanted to slaughter everyone else who discovered her light and savor it by himself. But he would never be able to possess her light in its entirety if he did that.

Arhad’s heart was moved constantly as of late as Ianna smiled at him often, as she conversed with him, as she sought him out first, and as she found rest in him where she had found it in no other.

He recalled how Ianna had cried in his arms the other day.

It was hot. It burned, but it was pleasant. So please, stay by my side forever.

The heat had been so pleasant he wouldn’t have cared even if it burned him alive. He was holding a living Ianna in his arms. She had been shedding tears as she poured her heart out to him while leaning against him. The woman, the very same woman who had always been so cold to him, had been so warm. And she had hugged him back.

Arhad saw the way that Ianna’s eyes wavered as she looked back at Schneider Lezè Roanne so clearly that it hurt. He saw the past Ianna in her. A dreadful thirst settled in Arhad’s throat as he recalled how he had lost the initiative in Ianna’s last life and she had worked blindly yet stubbornly under Schneider throughout her entire life. Arhad’s heart thumped furiously with anxiety.

Last time, what if what happened last time repeats itself? What will I do then? He grew dizzy as his vision shook. His traumatic anxiety seized his entire being.

Don’t go. Don’t leave me.

Arhad’s unfocused gaze fell on Schneider. How dare you……how dare you want Ianna again when I’ve only just barely managed to hold her in my grasp?

Snaaap.

The bannister fell apart as did his rationality. Arhad stared at his hands now that he wasn’t holding onto anything he could destroy before turning to Eiji.

“Hand it over.”

“Pardon?”

Arhad took EIji’s mask and stood up. Then, he put on his voice-altering ring. Eiji looked to Arhad in bewilderment as the latter’s eyes glistened with a bloody light. Arhad’s eyes, which were generally calm and subdued, were burning so hotly with rage that he might burn the target of his rage to death.

The emcee, who had been looking around to make sure that no one else would bid any higher, opened his eyes wide when he saw Arhad raise his hand.

“One thousand gold.”

Eiji reeled and immediately began gibbering nonsense when he heard the words that had promptly left Arhad’s lips.

“E-excuse me? Calm down. He’s the prince we’re about to ally with, you know? He’s only going to be spending a day with Little Ianna……it’s not like he can do anything bad to her! I know you’re practically bathing in money, but this isn’t right. What are you playing at?”

Arhad threw a glance and Eiji and quietly said,

“Shut your mouth.”

Then, he turned back around. Gods, he’s completely lost it. Eiji clutched at his forehead. One look at Arhad’s eyes was enough to tell him that Arhad wasn’t in his right mind. Arhad’s eyes were so unfocused that Eiji wondered if he had lost all ability to reason.

Schneider furrowed his brows and straightened out his posture.

“……One thousand one hundred gold.”

“One thousand five hundred gold.”

“Two thousand gold.”

“Three thousand gold.”

[W-wait…… Hold on a moment please! Both of you, please calm down…….]

Schneider snorted.

“What’s this now? Good sir, are you sure you can be responsible for the numbers you’re calling out?”

In a voice dripping heavily with bloodlust, Arhad replied,

“Of course.”

“But why? There’s no need for you to be so on edge. I’ve simply taken an interest in the young lady’s skills. I only wish to speak with her.”

But Arhad could not tolerate even the slightest of interest that Schneider had for Ianna. He glared at the prince coldly as the latter waved his hand.

“I refuse to allow anyone to place that woman beneath them.”

People gasped. The robed man’s words had been incredibly curt. And to one of the most powerful men in Roanne no less!

“Oh……? Do you mean to suggest that it’s all right for you to take the young lady around, then? Even as you look down on me?”

Arhad bared his teeth as he laughed savagely.

“Whom she decides to follow is her choice.”

“…….”

“But if someone must have her today, it will be me.”

He was practically saying that none may touch her. Schneider’s pride was wounded.

“Even if it costs you the astronomical sum of three thousand gold?”

Arhad responded to Schneider’s wintry question as if it meant nothing to him at all.

“Three thousand gold is nothing.”

Schneider crossed his legs and sneered.

“You must be rich, then? You at least have enough to easily spend that much money just to spend one evening with one girl.”

“Is three thousand gold not a cheap price to pay?”

“…….”

People covered their mouths upon hearing Arhad’s reply. Who is the world was he? The Institution students watching were dumbfounded but still continued to enjoy the show anyway as the mysterious man not only stood up to but even mocked one of the most prominent princes on the continent just to buy Ianna.

“D-damn.”

“What the…? What’s the heck is going on?”

Schneider sneered as Arhad’s chilling but firm words filled the assembly hall.

“Very well, it appears that you aren’t lying. You must be a foreign prince, I take it, considering how rudely you’re talking down to me? Let us see how far we can take this, in any event. I suppose I will end up making an outrageously expensive donation to the Swordsmanship Department.”

The bidding price continued to rise with no end in sight. 20,000 gold, 30,000 gold……. It eventually reached the astronomical figure of 100,000 gold. Even the sneer on Schneider’s face began to stiffen as the bidding price only grew higher. 300,000 gold, 400,000 gold……500,000 gold. Schneider raised his hands.

“Now I’m curious. Are you sure you can even pay that much? Very well, I will stop here. But I will unmask you and have your head in front of the entire audience for the crime of deceiving me if you can’t pay.”

Schneider was looking at him with a sharp light in his eyes, but Arhad smiled in the satisfaction of having successfully bid on Ianna. He jumped down from the second floor.

The emcee lost his mind.

500,000 gold? What is the…? How much even is that?

“E-excuse me, Sir……. Y-you have to pay the full price by today…….”

Arhad, who had cast a quick glance at the emcee, grinned. He pulled out a gently glowing piece of paper from his pocket and began scribbling on it with a fountain pen.

“This is a blank check backed by the Roanne royal family’s Suranat Bank. The funds can be transferred instantly, so make sure you get it done.”

Arhad handed his check to the emcee. But, just as the emcee was about to receive it with his trembling hands.

Snatch!

Ianna, who had climbed down from the stage at some point, snatched the check away. Even Arhad hadn’t been able to respond because it had been so sudden. Ianna ripped the check to pieces. I-it’s 500,000 gold… The people’s blank stares fell on the shredded pieces of paper that had once been worth 500,000 gold as they fluttered down to the ground.

“What are you even doing right now?”

“…….”

Her face was like a sheet of ice. Ianna wasn’t only angry, she was absolutely seething. The people were bewildered. She was addressing the man like she knew him. Did she?

“Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind?”

“Of course I’m not.”

“No, you are. You’re not thinking straight. You’re out of your mind!”

The emcee flinched when her gaze, burning hot with rage, fell on him.

“Cancel his bid,”

Ianna said in a strained voice that suggested she was moments away from exploding. It felt like she was about to murder someone. She continued,

“You shouldn’t be acting like this. Just apologize and take back your……ack!”

Arhad, however, had filled out yet another check while Ianna had been threatening the emcee, threw the check at the emcee, grabbed Ianna by the wrist, and pulled so hard that she lost her balance. Then, he kicked open the assembly hall doors and stormed out. The assembly hall was covered in a heavy silence.

“Stop!”

Ianna directed her fury at Arhad for dragging her outside as she shouted at him. But Arhad didn’t stop. Ianna tried to hold her ground, but he was so freakishly strong that she simply ended up being dragged around miserably again.

Ianna finally shook off Arhad’s hand using literally every ounce of strength in her body when they had reached a building that was far away from the small assembly hall the auction had been held in.

“Take off your mask and look at me.”

Her voice was filled to the brim with a rage that she was only just managing to hold back. Arhad turned around and stared back at her before taking off his mask.

Smaaack!

Arhad’s face whipped to the side as Ianna slapped him as hard as she could.

“…….”

His lips burst open and began bleeding. Arhad wiped the blood away with the back of his hand without a word. Ianna glared at him.

“I’d really like to hit you again, but I’ll refrain.”

Arhad looked down as he massaged his reddened cheek and began laughing like a maniac upon looking up to look Ianna in the eyes and seeing just how furious she was. He looked very pleased with himself.

What is he playing at? Ianna was so dumbfounded from the absurdity of it all that she actually wanted to go berserk on a literal rampage of rage. She held back, however, and raised her eyebrows as she glared at Arhad instead.

“Do you know what I want to call you right now?”

“What?”

“A crazy bastard!”

“Haha!”

Arhad laughed when Ianna cursed at him. It only made her angrier still.

“You’ve clearly lost your mind. I never knew you were the type of man to mess up this badly when you get worked up! Go back and rescind your bid immediately! What are you even doing?!”

“I don’t want to.”

Ianna grabbed Arhad by the collar when he refused and brought his face down closer to her. She was dripping in bloodlust as she said,

“Is 500,000 gold just a game to you? Take back your bid.”

“Do you wish to see the prince behead me for the crime of deceiving royalty?”

It was clear that Arhad had no intention of going back on his word. Ianna wanted to faint on the spot. This was the first time in her life that she found things so absurd, that she was so furious, that she actually wanted to pass out.

“You know that’s not what I meant! You’re insane……!”

Ianna shoved Arhad away. She clutched at her forehead as she failed to spit out everything she wanted to say. Arhad stopped wiping away at his lips now that his wound had stopped bleeding. His cheeks were a bloodied mess. He looked ridiculous as, with genuine curiosity, he asked Ianna,

“Why are you angry?”

“Are you asking that because you seriously don’t know?”

“I don’t know. You can just consider it as a donation to the Swordsmanship Department, which you’ll be attending for another five years. 500,000 gold is more than enough to upgrade all the facilities you’ll be using.”

“Is 500,000 gold worth so little to you that you can throw it around like it’s free?”

“I’m not sorry to see it go. I’m not saying that I don’t know how much that money’s worth. But I’m quite satisfied right now.”

Ianna’s face flushed red with rage as he watched.

“Sure. Are you that happy with yourself for having bought me against my wishes?”

Ianna was truly angry. He was ‘quite satisfied’? About what? For buying her with that ridiculous sum of money against her wishes and owning her for a few short hours?

This wasn’t what she had wanted. She had won the swordsmanship tournament. She had realized that she wanted to be with Arhad. She had decided to ask Prince Schneider if she could meet with him at a later time because there was something else that she wanted to do today.

Her heart could not be bought with money. She felt like her heart had been downgraded into the measly sum of 500,000 gold because Arhad had bought her with money.

The expression on Arhad’s face grew puzzled, as if he had no idea what she was talking about.

“……Buy you?”

“I will go earn that money back at once. Don’t follow me. You really won’t see me ever again if you do,”

Ianna warned as she tried to make her leave. Arhad’s face contorted. He grabbed Ianna by the arm. Ianna tried to shake him off but could not best him in a contest of strength. Arhad shoved her against a wall and held her firmly in place by the arm so she couldn’t escape as he stared down at her. Ianna, who had already been irritated by the fact that she had been overpowered by him so many times, grew angrier still and glared back.

“What’s the meaning of this? Are you looking for a fight? Let go of my arm.”

“It’s because you were saying something preposterous.”

“……I was saying something preposterous?”

“Yes, and I was so astonished to hear you say it that I’m about to get angry. Listen close. I never bought you —I spent that money to keep you from being bought.”

Arhad had a cold look on his face. It was like he was using a thick layer of ice to hide something beneath. He continued,

“I had hoped you wouldn’t appear in the auction at all when I first heard about it, and I was delighted to hear that you were planning to buy yourself. I figured that, by buying yourself, you were planning to confront the auction head-on without avoiding it. I never intended to buy you. I know it’s not a way for me to truly have you.”

The fury in Ianna’s eyes faltered for a moment. He had never intended to buy her?

“But…….”

Arhad grabbed Ianna’s other arm as well, as if one wasn’t enough.

“But the prince of Roanne tried to buy you. You gave up on buying yourself when he began raising the bidding price like crazy.”

“…….”

“It’s not possible to buy you with money. So it wouldn’t matter even if someone tried……that’s probably what you thought, but I……I…”

Arhad grabbed her arms tighter. His composure, which he was using to hide the piecing glow of his emotions, melted away completely. And his inner feelings drew to the surface like fire. He continued,

“I hated it so much it drove me insane. The fact that you would stand beneath the prince, even if for but a few short hours, even if it wasn’t for real……!”

Melted into the flames were his jealousy and envy toward Schneider, his hatred and detest, his anxiety and his possessive desire, and……his rabid obsession over one single being. Ianna couldn’t name every emotion she saw, but she flinched when she perceived his sudden change. He was just like the Arhad who had waited for her in the rain that day.

“The fact that you would belong to another, even if it wasn’t for real, was so offensive to me that I couldn’t stand it.”

Arhad, who had uttered his true feelings as if he had been chewing at the words closed his eyes in an attempt to pacify himself before opening them again. Then, he continued,

“Prince Schneider has a tendency to do everything in his power to get what he wants. There won’t be an end to it once you’ve caught his eye. And yet you want me to watch you stand beneath a man like him even if it’s only for a day?”

Arhad’s repulsion, which he had failed to pacify despite his efforts, were conveyed to Ianna in its entirety.

“I can’t stand that. I won’t tolerate it. I’d rather die.”

This was the first time that Ianna had seen Arhad hate something so dreadfully. She looked at him, who was so furious that he didn’t know what to do with himself, and realized that he was more fixated on her now than he had been in her past.

‘I wonder why?’

It was probably because she had never given him the chance to even hint at his feelings back then. Unlike now, when he was the person closest to her, Ianna had chosen a liege other than Arhad who had also wanted her in the past, and she had only seen Arhad as an enemy who had shown up after the fact. He had never even had the chance to express his distaste. He had been the enemy emperor, and he had not even had the right to protest to her that he hated her liege.

But Ianna had no liege yet in this life. Which was why Arhad had taken the initiative and was depriving others of their chance to get closer to her as he waited patiently by her side until the day he could finally have her. It was like he was trying to make her completely his.

Ianna realized this, and her heart settled down a little because Arhad had been so upfront about his feelings.

“And that’s why I willingly paid 500,000 gold today just to make sure that you would never, ever stand beneath him.”

The edges of his mouth curled up as he fiercely continued,

“I would have bought you already if you could be bought with money. Or, perhaps I was wrong? Would you sell yourself for money? If so, then tell me. How much do I need to give you?”

“Enough with the sarcasm.”

Arhad was still upset, but Ianna, whose anger had been like a fiery blaze until now, sounded a cut calmer now. She continued,

“But 500,000 gold was still too much. How could you spend your money so recklessly like that?”

“It was only because the prince was stubborn until the very end. And I’m always willing to spend at least that much if it has to do with you. I’d even be happy to spend more.”

Ianna sighed.

“500,000 gold……. Who knows what happened after you dragged me out of the auction……? And you threw your check at the prince before we left too, so it’s not like you’ll be able to get it back…….”

“I don’t care.”

“I do. I know you’re rich, but still, how could you just spend 500,000 gold like that —are you out of your mind?”

“Do you really hate the fact I spent 500,000 gold that much? Then fine. I just thought of a good idea. Why don’t we say that I bought you as your proxy in the Paella Company’s owner’s place? Wouldn’t that resolve everything? You bought yourself, and all I did was play your proxy. So all you have to do is pay me back 500,000 gold.”

Arhad defiantly closed in on Ianna’s face. His golden eyes stopped just short of her own. Ianna held her gaze without evading him. Arhad continued,

“So pay me back that money by working.”

“……Um, uh… Hey. Sorry for interrupting you two, but…”

Ianna and Arhad looked up when they heard a sudden voice coming from beside them. It was Eiji. He squirmed in discomfort for a moment before continuing,

“Well…… Little Ianna, Sir Arhad. Go and find Professor Filliger later. Prince Schneider was going on about how he’d start a manhunt to find the criminal if the check was fake and he called over a representative of the Suranat Bank to confirm it was real, and it turns out it was. Isn’t that a relief?”

“…….”

“A-ahem. Anyway, Professor Filliger said that the department couldn’t accept the check because we can’t leave behind such a negative precedent when the event might be repeated in the years to come and first times are important and all……and he said that it was the Swordsmanship Department’s fault for not setting an upper limit on how much someone could bid. He decided that a hundred gold was the cap. Prince Schneider grew angry and argued that the Swordsmanship Department should accept the full sum, but Marquis Chaipan, a graduate of the department, and Professor Filliger, who was once the general of the royal guard, said that it would reflect poorly on both the students and Little Ianna and ultimately persuaded him otherwise. They’ll be keeping the 500,000-check safe, so they want you to come and pick it up. Well, you’re free to continue whatever you were doing now!”

Eiji quickly spelled out everything he had to say and promptly made himself scarce.

“…….”

What were they supposed to continue? A fight? Ianna stared at where Eiji had disappeared off to before turning back to Arhad when she felt his grip on her arms relax.

“…….”

It looked like Arhad had returned to his senses and had organized his emotions to some extent. He then proceeded to slam his head against the wall because the fact that he had exploded and had said everything he was bottling up inside gave him a headache. Ianna carefully slipped out from between Arhad and the wall. But she didn’t stop him. While Arhad continued banging his head against the wall, Ianna gingerly said,

“I’ll pay you back the one hundred gold soon.”

“…….”

Arhad turned his head and sighed upon seeing how refreshed Ianna looked.

“……Sure. Work it back from me today.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Ianna asked back, unable to comprehend what he was getting at, as Arhad removed his forehead from the wall and turned to her.

“I’m telling you to work for the one hundred gold you owe me.”

“What work are you referring to?”

“I’d like you to accompany me to the night market today. I want to go and eat good food, but I’d be too lonely to walk into a restaurant alone.”

“Oh.”

Ianna opened her eyes wide.

“And I need someone to tell me what they think when I’m trying to decide whether I should buy something or not. I also need someone to talk to……oh yes, and I’ll need someone to help me carry the things I buy as well. I’m filthy rich, so I can afford to pay my employees a handsome wage and even throw them an extra tip —you should be able to earn back a hundred gold quickly enough.”

Ianna smirked because he was being ridiculous. It was funny to her how much effort he was putting into writing off her debt while simultaneously trying to keep her close.

“Will you work?”

“……I will.”

Arhad beamed when Ianna agreed. He put his mask back on. He couldn’t let himself be seen now that he had opposed the prince outright.

Ianna saw Arhad’s swollen cheeks and his torn lips just before he put the mask on. She stared quietly at the wound hidden behind his mask before she turned away.

Arhad stepped out first, and Ianna followed behind him. He turned back and gestured her to walk beside him when he realized that Ianna was walking behind him. Ianna did not turn him down and caught up to him with a few quick steps. The sun had already begun setting. They walked side by side under the sunset. Night was already closing in on them.

The stars sprinkling the indigo sky shone down on the Institution. The beautiful fireworks, which were shooting up endlessly from somewhere on the Institution grounds, brightened the sky alongside them. The Institution was as bright as day even though the dark of night had befallen the rest of the capital. Countless lanterns shaped like flowers and stars hung down from the ropes that had been attached to the rooftops like lights falling down to the earth from the heavens above. The colorful lanterns hung from the trees as well and lit up the entire campus vividly. It was much more effective to use an illumination artefact as lights, but the school had used lanterns instead to keep the night market atmospherically dim.

“Now, now! Try some delicious buttercorn!”

“There are sweet and tasty chicken skewers too!”

“Please buy some flowers!”

“Try some fruit juice if you’re thirsty. We’ll make it for you fresh!”

Tonight was the only night that the Institution headquarters opened up the entire campus to the public. Merchants had picked out good spots for temporary shops ahead of the crowd and touted their goods for business. They were selling snacks and souvenirs. Students, who had successfully completed the school festival, and guests alike enjoyed their time boisterously meandering through the stores under the bright and cheery mood.

Ianna and Arhad walked around while buying and eating things. They ate noodles fried with lamb and vegetables, roasted potatoes, chicken skewers slathered with sweet sauce…….

In the midst of all that, Arhad dragged Ianna over to eat whenever he spotted any seafood. Ianna had said that she would pay for her own food, but Arhad had stubbornly insisted that an employee shouldn’t protest against her employer’s wishes and that it was only natural for an employer to feed his employee as he paid for everything. Ianna couldn’t understand why he was throwing money at her like it was free, so, as they walked down the path together, she asked him,

“500,000 gold……. It’s a good thing that nothing happened, but where did you even get that money to begin with? You weren’t about to dip into Camastros’ funds, were you?”

“No, never. It was from my personal assets. It had nothing to do with Camastros.”

“Where does your money come from?”

Ianna shrugged when Arhad looked at her instead of replying. She continued,

“You don’t need to tell me if it’s a secret.”

“Will you believe me if I tell you?”

Ianna invited him to continue when she heard his pregnant reply.

“The Golden Demon.”

Ianna’s ears twitched when he uttered a term from the Holy Age out of nowhere. What did it matter if the Demon had been rich?

“It’s in the ancient demon’s name. Eternity, rarity, and beauty……gold implies all of these things. There’s a reason why gold is called the metal of greed. No one hates having gold, and that was true of those who lived in the Holy Age as well. The Demon, in particular, loved things that shone a yellowy gold like sunlight and collected it obsessively whenever possible,”

Arhad said in a normal tone as if he was talking about nothing out of the ordinary. He continued,

“And I happen to know where the Demon’s treasure trove is.”

“Then…”

“Yes, I found a sizeable mountain of gold when I got there.”

Ianna was rendered speechless.

“Please stop joking with me.”

“All right.”

“……Were you being serious?”

“Weren’t you the one who suggested I was joking? What do you want me to say?”

“Please just tell me the truth.”

Arhad smirked.

“It’s true. The Demon’s treasure trove exists somewhere hidden in the Lotso Mountains. I took some of the gold I found there.”

Did that mean that the Demon’s fragments held information like that too? Ianna paled.

“In that case, does your wealth stem from the gold that you brought back?”

“In a sense, I suppose. I used that gold as capital to invest in businesses or companies that I thought would grow big from all throughout the continent, so I’ve played a hand in every large company that exists out there. I’m using multiple identities to hold the majority of the shares in a lot of them. And I own one of them completely.”

Things only grew grander and grander is scale. Ianna felt herself starting to lose her sense of money.

“I earn an astronomical sum every month even without touching the rest of the gold from the Demon’s treasures. And I keep that money in multiple places, and not just in the Suranat Bank, the Kingdom of Roanne’s national bank.”

Ianna could not hide her surprise. To think that there had been such an extensive undercurrent when Arhad had dealt the southern half of the continent a hefty blow and had upturned the era in the flames of war. His had ridiculous economic power, and his influence reached far and wide…….

“That’s amazing.”

“Which is why I said that 500,000 gold was nothing to me. And buying snacks for us like this is nothing to me too. So don’t feel burdened and just tell me if there’s anything you want to eat or buy. Are you thirsty? Do you want try that?”

Ianna looked between the store selling fresh fruit juice and Arhad in turns. The man who had said that 500,000 gold was nothing to him was asking her if she wanted some cutesy strawberry juice worth ten copper.

“Am I really working right now?”

“You are. You’re entertaining me,”

Arhad said as he smiled. Ianna stared back at him before nodding back.

Arhad, who had understood her nod as her reply to his question about the strawberry juice left to go buy some. Ianna sat down on a bench and looked up at the sky, at the clock tower ticking away from afar. The day was already almost over.

The night market would continue late into the night, and the lanterns wouldn’t extinguish until just before dawn broke. The fireworks bursting endlessly in the skies, however, were scheduled to stop when the school festival officially ended at midnight.

Boom— Boom—

Ianna looked away from the sky, embroidered by the bright fireworks, and looked around —and her eyes glistened when she found something. She got up from the bench and return shortly thereafter. Then, she walked up to a nearby fountain and rinsed her mouth clean. Arhad found her soon enough and joined her at the fountain.

“They were out of strawberries.”

“That’s all right.”

“I see you were washing up —are you done eating?”

“I’m rather full.”

Arhad walked up to her when she expressed her intent to stop eating and took of his mask, which he had kept on unless he was eating. He washed the sweat off his face and rinsed his mouth clean. Ianna stared at him as he did.

They walked up a hill that was a little way from the night market to digest and for a breath of fresh air. The hill was quite far from the market, and people were returning home now that the fireworks embroidering the skies were reaching their finale. Arhad took off his stuffy mask and robes.

Pewww…….

The fireworks stopped coming. It was midnight. Arhad stopped walking and turned to Ianna.

“The day’s over. You’ve finishing paying back your one hundred gold and you don’t owe me anything anymore. I almost want to give you a tip, though, if I had things my way.”

“Is that so? I don’t need the tip, and I suppose our contract for a hundred gold’s worth of work is over now. Could you please sit here for a moment?”

“……?”

Arhad was puzzled by Ianna’s sudden request, but he did as she asked nevertheless. The autumn wind rustled through the grasses on the hill.

“This isn’t because I was working for you.”

Ianna carefully brought out the things she had bought earlier from her pockets. She continued,

“One of the street vendors was selling first-aid kits. So I went ahead and bought some ointment, bandages, and a sac with temporary cooling magic cast on it.”

“…….”

“I’m sure this is incomparable to the medicine you gave me before, but still.”

Ianna crouched down in front of Arhad and opened the bottle of ointment. She looked at his swollen cheek and torn lips, which looked much better now than it had looked immediately after she had hit him. The wound she had left on the man whose appearance was normally tidy had been weighing constantly on her mind. As she squeezed out some ointment on her thumb and brought it to the edge of his lips, Ianna said,

“I’m sorry. But why did you simply stand there and take it when I hit you because I misunderstood your intentions?”

“……Because I thought I did something bad enough that it deserved your ire. Though, I wouldn’t mind getting slapped as many times as I need to if it meant I could have you treat me like this again.”

He didn’t mind spending 500,000 gold, it would help the Swordsmanship Department upgrade its facilities —despite everything he had said, it looked like Arhad had predicted that Ianna would grow angry with him. Ianna applied a bandage on his wound. Arhad observed her each and every movement.

“And what exactly is this bad thing that you’re referring to?”

“……I spent 500,000 gold when you had already told me not to spend money so recklessly, and then I dragged you outside against your wishes.”

Ianna pressed the magical cooling sac against his cheek. Arhad closed his eyes as he took in the cool sensation.

“Why do you think I was angry?”

“Because, on top of everything else, you misunderstood and thought that I was trying to buy you with money,”

Arhad obediently replied.

“So you knew.”

Ianna kept her mouth closed as she pressed the sac against Arhad’s cheek for a while.

“I’m sorry,”

Arhad apologized cautiously as he wondered if Ianna still held a grudge against him. Ianna removed the sac once the cooling spell had run out. She put the first-aid kit away and stood up, and Arhad, looking blissful for some reason, followed suit.

Ianna looked to the Institution, which was as bright as day, as she stood still inside the breeze blowing atop the hill. Her lips moved ever so slightly as a dignified light entered her eyes.

“I was not angry at Prince Schneider for trying to buy me with money. And yet, I was angry at you when I misunderstood and thought that you were trying to do the same.”

Arhad looked back at her nervously because he didn’t know what she was trying to say. Ianna continued looking down at the vibrant Institution as she stood in the chilly breeze blowing across the center of the hill. She continued,

“Why do you think I was only angry at you?”

“…….”

Ianna closed her mouth before speaking up again.

“You needn’t to be so anxious anymore. I’ve already long since made up my mind…….”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.”

Ianna turned away from the bright Institution and looked Arhad in the eyes. She took a good look at him. What was he so nervous about? The pale and rigid line of his cheeks felt alien to her.

You aren’t him.

So why are you so anxious? You haven’t been rejected by me yet.

And that was why it was odd. It was so odd. Ianna brushed back her disheveled hair as she watched Arhad touch at his throat in stifling anxiety.

And yet, even if I’m contradicting myself, you are him as well.

Your hands looked so lonely every time you reached out in your persistent want of me. You were probably anxious. I never answered you properly because I was worrying over him.

“The reason why I wanted to win the swordsmanship tournament was because I wanted to prove my worth.”

She had wanted to grow more confident in herself after winning the tournament so she could tell Arhad what she had decided. She wouldn’t have changed her mind even if Prince Schneider had been successful in his bid for her because her heart could not be bought with money. She had felt denounced and like her resolve had been traded for gold when Arhad had successfully bid on her first before she could say her resolve out loud.

“……Prove your worth?”

“It wasn’t exactly to my tastes because my victory in the tournament was limited only to the Swordsmanship Department, but……I believe I’ve proven my worth at least a little.”

And, so that he would stop being so anxious, Ianna affirmed,

“I will aid you even if you do not buy me with gold.”

She saw how Arhad visibly stiffened up for a moment. Her lips curled into a smile against her will because she found him so funny. Ianna reached out and stopped his hand from seemingly choking himself in an unseemly manner.

“I will stand by your side until the day I die. I will walk into the future together with you.”

Ianna felt the hand she was holding fiercely grab her back.

“You’re saying…….”

She could feel how quickly his heart was beating through his fingers. Ianna’s heart was beating just as fast.

Indeed. There had always been someone who had taken her side, someone who had needed her, someone who had wanted her desperately. And she hadn’t been able to understand that in the past.

She even thought, comically enough, that perhaps everyone else had turned away from her because Arhad had already been set aside for her since the day she was born.

Ianna had been so exhausted in the loneliness and rejection she had suffered in the past that she had only been able to care about herself. Her heart ached for her past self, who had been in so much pain that she hadn’t had the leeway to look around her.

She had started to feel this way at some point. She had been ignoring these feelings because it was unseemly and it hurt her pride, because she hated the fact that she thought herself a fool, and because she hadn’t wanted to admit it, but she ultimately did acknowledge them.

……Ianna pitied her past self.

But today, she would quietly brush those feelings aside. Things would change now, after all.

“This is what I mean.”

Ianna brought his hand up and slowly bent from her waist. Arhad’s heart thumped furiously when her lips touched the back of his hand. Ianna closed her eyes as he reacted like he had been branded by something burning hot.

“Arhad, I offer to you my life and my sword.”

It was her steadfast and unchanging promise.

“So please, show me the future that you seek.”

— “School Festival” End