Chapter 56
The overnight life of Yuriene and Ekinesia began that day. They took turns staying up all night, so they didn't have much time to face each other. It was just enough to eat breakfast and dinner together. But that short time was enough. They had many conversations.
Yuriene learned that Eki's younger brother, Lancelid, had a longing for knighthood, but he didn't have much talent in swordsmanship, so he was focusing on learning how to manage the territory with swordsmanship only at the level of culture. He also heard that Lancelid was subtly interested in commerce, trade, agriculture, and mining because it suited him well.
He also heard stories about Nicole from Eki. That Nicole was like a family to her, and that Eki had been very annoyed with Nicole when she was young.
Hearing the story that Eki's parents had a love marriage and were still on good terms, she blushed slightly, wondering what she was thinking.
Eki learned that Yuriene was quite close friends with Dietrich, and that Baron, the vice-captain of the royal guard, had been his lord.
She also heard that Dietrich was originally from a commoner background, and that he had entered the military academy with the support of a nobleman who valued his talent and received the nobleman's surname.
She also learned for the first time that Baron was a married man with a young daughter and wife.
And that Yuriene left the Imperial Family at the age of sixteen and started living in Ajenka, and that he lived in Ajenka almost alone until he was 18, the minimum age for entering the military academy.
However, he never mentioned that he was hated by his father or forced to make a choice by his brothers.
She also learned that Yuriene spent his time carving wood when he was free. If he just stared down at the valley's shelter all night without doing anything, he would inevitably get bored, and every time, Yuriene would pick up a small piece of wood and carve it with a dagger to make something.
Animal shapes like horses and rabbits, models of swords, shields, and armor, small trees and houses. Even though they were roughly carved, quite elaborate wood carvings were piling up.
Perhaps because it was just for passing the time, Yuriene didn't collect the carvings. When Eki took over from him and searched near the tree stump where he had been sitting, small pieces were often thrown away carelessly.
Whenever Eki watched over the shelter, she spent her time talking to the Demon Sword or looking at the carvings that Yuriene had made and discarded.
On the seventh day, she found a small sword with a familiar shape in the pile of carvings. No matter how she looked at it, the palm-sized sword was Rangiosa. It could be called a scaled-down model.
Eki fiddled with it for a long time. Seeing the Holy Sword Rangiosa naturally reminded her of Yuriene. He and Rangiosa were very similar.
This carving was too good to throw away. She eventually wrapped it in a handkerchief and took it with her. The Demon Sword, who was watching her, spoke sullenly.
[Hey, Master. Why do you treat only Yuriene strangely? You give him special treatment, and you give the sword he gave you special treatment, I don't understand.]
"Because he's a special person."
[What's so special about him? It's not like he's the only person you've killed, and he's not your family.]
Eki rested her chin on her hand and looked down, pondering. Should she tell the truth? Could the Demon Sword understand? When she was silent, Bardelgiosa urged her, whining.
[What is it? What is it? I'm really curious. My previous master didn't do that.]
"Didn't that person have anyone special?"
[He cherished his family a lot. There was no one like that other than his family.]
"……Do you know why people cherish their family?"
[Um, my previous master taught me... Humans are born from humans, so it's natural to cherish the person who gave birth to them or the people who were born from the same womb. But there are also humans who want to kill their families, right? There's a lot of murderous intent accumulated in me. So I don't really know. Do humans really cherish their families? Do they all cherish their families but also want to kill them?]
It was a difficult question to answer easily. Eki looked down at her right palm with a fresh feeling. The pattern hidden by the glove was so familiar that she could draw it with her eyes closed.
She had spent more than 9 years with Bardelgiosa, but she couldn't bring herself to like the Demon Sword. She wanted to throw it away if she could.
But she couldn't just hate it. Even when the Demon Sword was urging her to kill people, it was like an immature child.
She had heard that the ego of a Giosa was basically dormant. Unless it awakens, that ego will not awaken or experience anything.
Then Bardelgiosa, who had only awakened twice including her, might as well be a child.
She clenched her right hand and explained slowly.
"It's because humans are not simple. It depends on their personality, it depends on the environment they grew up in, it depends on their beliefs, and even the same person is not always the same. They can change completely depending on what happens to them, or their essence may not change at all no matter what happens..."
[Ugh, what is that, it's complicated! I don't understand! ]
The Demon Sword grumbled with a hint of annoyance. Eki smiled a little.
"You'll be able to understand someday."
[Tch, pie in the sky. My previous master said that too...]
"It's a difficult problem to explain in words. The only way is to experience it yourself."
[Hey, then, teach me that at least. Why do you treat someone who's not even family so specially?]
Eki's face turned red. She rested her chin on her hand and looked down at the shelter. She moved her lips several times, then answered in a small voice.
"Because I like that person. People I like become special even if they're not family."
[Because you like them? I don't know. Is that similar to feeling happy?]
"No, it's very different. You can become miserable because you like someone."
[What, that's weird! Why do you treat someone who makes you miserable specially?]
"That's hard to explain."
Eki shrugged, and the Demon Sword struggled for a long time as if trying to understand on its own. Then, it finally sighed as if it had given up on everything.
[Will I be able to understand this over time?]
"Maybe?"
She answered with a slight smile, and then she heard a rustling sound from behind. She could tell without looking back. Yuriene, who should be sleeping in the barracks, was approaching her.
"Lord? Why aren't you sleeping?"
"I couldn't fall asleep today for some reason. I must have taken too much of a nap."
He replied calmly and sat down on a rock next to the stump where she was sitting. Eki naturally accepted him sitting next to her. It was thanks to the fact that she had gotten used to talking a lot over the past week. It was a great improvement compared to the old days when she would get nervous and half out of her mind just by meeting him.
"The shelter?"
"It's still quiet."
"I see."
The conversation stopped there, but it wasn't awkward.
Eki looked up at the night sky. The stars were twinkling and the moon was round. It was the end of spring, so the air was just cool enough. It was a beautiful night.
She lowered her gaze from the sky and looked to the side. The light from the bonfire, which was lit in a position where it wouldn't be visible from the valley, flickered from behind.
Yuriene was looking down, half-submerged in darkness. He looked as calm as the night.
She fiddled with the Amethyst hanging on her waist. Then, she suddenly spoke.
"Lord."
Yuriene didn't answer, but just moved his head slightly. The darkness didn't hinder her vision, which could see as clearly as daytime even with just moonlight, but his expression wasn't visible because it was covered by his flowing hair. She asked impulsively.
"Would you like to spar now?"
Half of it was impulsive, but half of it wasn't. She had been thinking about sparring, and now was the perfect time. She couldn't ask to spar during a meal, and it was difficult to ask someone who had been watching the shelter all night to spar. So she hadn't been able to seize the opportunity for a week.
At her suggestion, Yuriene flinched and stiffened. As a result, his hair shook and his face was revealed. Sky-blue eyes widened beneath faintly trembling silver eyelashes. He stopped breathing, and his mouth opened slightly.
In that state, he didn't even blink for a while. The moonlight pooled on his disheveled hair.
And slowly, as if he couldn't believe it, he asked back.
"……Are you serious?"
That soft question felt like a cold blade piercing Eki's solar plexus. She didn't really intend to spar, but he was so shaken. It might be worse than lying. Should she say no now, refuse?
But she had to know. She wanted to know. The reason why he was interested in her. She couldn't move forward without it. She would just keep circling in place, getting excited while looking at him, doubting him, expecting things on her own, and then coming to her senses and denying it.
"Yes. If you're okay with it, Lord."
Answering while avoiding his eyes, Eki got up from the stump. She moved a few steps inside to a place where there was enough space to spar.
Yuriene didn't follow right away and sat there for a while. Then he got up and approached her. His steps were slightly unbalanced.
Eki waited patiently until he stood directly opposite her. He was empty-handed, but he could use the Holy Sword, so he didn't need a separate sword. Eki put one hand on the handle of Amethyst and opened her mouth.
"I."
Her voice cracked with tension. She coughed a few times. After barely clearing her voice, she spoke again.
"I will, attack first."
"……I understand."
"I'll start when you draw your sword."
"I will."
There was a bit of distance between them, and it was the middle of the night, but Eki could see him clearly. He had a dazed look on his face, as if he couldn't believe this moment.
He let his right hand hang down. Light spread out from the golden pattern on his palm, forming a white Holy Sword. He moved his right hand to grab the Holy Sword, but he dropped it.
"Ah."
Rangiosa was silently stuck in the ground. Yuriene, who had inadvertently groaned, washed his face with his left hand. Then he repeatedly clenched and opened his right hand, and then extended that hand towards the sword stuck in the ground. The hand he was reaching out was visibly trembling.
'Why……?'
The captain of the Azure Knights, trembling so much that he dropped his sword. Why was he trembling? Was he afraid? Was he happy? What emotion was making him so nervous? She couldn't know. She couldn't even guess. But one thing was certain.
'No matter what emotion he was expecting the sparring with, he will be disappointed after it's over.'
It felt like she had been hit in the head with ice water. He would be disappointed. Because she was going to lie with her sword from now on. She might end up hurting him. The thought made her eyes burn. Something welled up inside. Eki barely held it back.
'No, if I fight him with all my heart... I'll be found out.'
