“Uh… what did you say again?”
I asked, feeling a throbbing sensation in my head.
“I want you to teach me the sword.”
“Excuse me?”
No, seriously, what kind of thought process leads to such a request? I can’t understand. Besides.
“Lady Agnes, aren’t you already skilled with the sword?”
“Are you referring to the Fire Dragon’s Sword? Indeed, I could say I’ve mastered the Fire Dragon’s Sword. As you said, this alone might suffice in swordsmanship. But even so, I want to grow stronger.”
Wanting to grow stronger… If that’s truly her desire, her actions are reasonable. The Dragon King’s style becomes stronger with a wider array of swordsmanship techniques.
I understand her reasoning.
Alright, her mindset is admirable, her motives are clear, everything is good. But why does it have to be me teaching her?
I looked at her steadily.
“I know it’s shameless to ask for such a favor, but… I still ask.”
As I looked at her with a dubious expression, she slightly blushed and twirled her hair with her fingers while speaking.
Her gesture slightly stirred my heart, but the feeling quickly subsided.
If my second heart below was still alive, I might have agreed. But unfortunately, my other half is long dead, so that was out of the question.
I faced her with an unwavering expression and demeanor.
Then, Agnes seemed like she was about to say something, opening her lips.
But no words came out as she suddenly shook her head slightly and closed her mouth again.
She kept her mouth shut for a moment as if lost in thought, and then tried to speak again. But again, with an uneasy expression, she shut her mouth.
She repeated this—opening her mouth and closing it, then opening it again and closing it again.
Watching her made me utterly exasperated. Just pick one, will you?
If it’s a secret you can’t share, then don’t speak at all. Or just spill it already.
She wasn’t reading me, was she? Opening and closing her mouth repeatedly made me insanely curious about what she wanted to say—even when I hadn’t cared much initially.
Seriously, is she doing this on purpose? If so, congratulations, she’s succeeded. I’m now dying to know what she has to say!
After a few more rounds of this, she finally opened her mouth.
“Actually…”
Alright, let’s see what this is about!
I focused all my attention on her lips, determined not to miss a single word.
Finally, the words that escaped her lips were… extremely!
“The Wind Dragon’s Sword… was my father’s swordsmanship.”
Anticlimactic. For something that had built up so much expectation, the revelation was disappointingly ordinary.
So I replied indifferently.
“Your father?”
“Yes, my father could wield the swordsmanship of the three dragons, but he especially loved the Wind Dragon’s Sword. He said he loved the freedom imbued in its style.
So he always encouraged me to learn the Wind Dragon’s Sword. But I refused, saying I preferred the Fire Dragon’s Sword. I pursued power over freedom.”
“Oh, I see.”
An abrupt and curt reply slipped out of me.
How improper of me—it showed in my response. I should be careful.
Fortunately, Agnes didn’t point it out.
“That day was just like any other. My father encouraged me to inherit the Wind Dragon’s Sword, but I refused and left the castle to train with the Fire Dragon’s Sword. I shouldn’t have done that…!”
The day I left the castle, Draken came under a massive attack. That marked the beginning of Draken’s path to ruin.”
“Ruin…”
I think I’ve read about a kingdom of dragon-people in books before. I never thought I’d meet someone who lived through that event.
As curiosity mingled with unease, I sensed her story taking a darker turn.
A nation’s fall implies hardship for its people.
Sure enough, Agnes’s expression darkened slightly.
“My father died in battle, and the other dragon-people scattered. I was no exception.
Many years have passed since Draken’s fall.
With time, I’ve had many experiences—enough to fill several books if I wrote them all.”
How old is she? Though I knew better, the thought crossed my mind. Draken’s fall was, at a rough estimate, decades ago.
I should look up the timeline of Draken’s fall when I reach the North. Maybe it’ll reveal more about her.
For now, I listened as she continued her story.
“Having varied experiences was a good thing. They broadened my horizons and deepened my insight. But… the more unique experiences I had, the more I regretted one thing.
Not inheriting the Wind Dragon’s Sword as my father urged.
That regret weighed heavily on me.”
She spoke with a self-deprecating smile. When I didn’t respond, she carried on.
“Discovering new things was undoubtedly good, but it also came with drawbacks. The more I learned, the more my memories of Draken faded into obscurity.
With time, Draken’s traces within me began to vanish. Decades later, all that remains are the Fire Dragon’s Sword and the Magnolia Castle. These are the only remnants of Draken left to me.”
She spoke while lifting her sword and gazing along its blade with reverence, as if beholding something precious.
“And so, I desperately sought the Wind Dragon’s Sword. But the circumstances were not in my favor.
The number of active inheritors dwindled to a handful, and among them, the Wind Dragon’s inheritors had sided with the demons.
The others, like Lord Ares, were missing or remained neutral.
So, among those aligned with humanity, there were sadly no inheritors of the Wind Dragon’s Sword.”
That’s why she’s asking me for this favor.
And that’s why she doubted me. Excluding the neutrals, the Wind Dragon’s inheritors who sided with humanity were nowhere to be found.
“Since there was no inheritor of the Wind Dragon’s Sword aligned with humanity.”
At that moment, most of my doubts about her actions were resolved, even if not entirely clear.
She sheathed her sword and looked at me, saying:
“In such a situation where I could do nothing but sit idly, you appeared.
To be honest, when I saw you, I was reminded of my father. It was comforting. Even though you’re different, it felt like seeing my father again after a long time.
In that moment, everything I had forgotten came rushing back. My father’s laughter, his words, his voice—everything.”
She smiled softly, a warm and affectionate smile that seemed to radiate a gentle warmth.
“So, please, Ruina, the only thing that can help me remember my father now is the swordsmanship you use.”
She bowed her head to me.
“Ah… Lady Agnes?!”
Her sudden gesture made me stammer in surprise.
Agnes continued speaking.
“And one more thing—I want to pass on the Dragon King’s style to future generations. I want to gather all the scattered dragon sword techniques, document them, and let the children of the future know that Draken once existed.
For that, I absolutely need your help. Won’t you please assist me?”
She looked up at me, her eyes like a puppy gazing at its master.
My heart began to waver. Her story was filled with enough sorrowful elements to tug at anyone’s heartstrings, making it hard not to hesitate.
I thought deeply for a moment, glancing at Agnes, who was waiting nervously for my response.
And after a while, I finally opened my heavy lips.
“Well… I…”
The decision I made was this.
“Ruina, am I doing this right?”
Reina asked, looking up at me after striking down with a wooden sword. Her tiny hands tightly gripped the cloth-wrapped hilt.
“Yes, that’s correct. You’re doing very well. Just keep at it until I say to stop.”
I replied with a smile, not forgetting to sprinkle in some praise.
“Then will I become like Ruina?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll try my best!”
Her face lit up with determination as she made her vow.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
I smiled warmly and patted her head.
“Alright then, let’s begin.”
Leaving Reina, who was diligently practicing her swings, I headed to the center of the clearing to start the second lesson. Waiting there was a black-haired woman—Agnes.
I addressed her.
“Alright, let’s begin now.”
Yesterday, after much deliberation, I decided to accept her request.
The reasons for my decision were manifold, though being moved by her story wasn’t one of them.
The reason I agreed to teach her the Wind Dragon’s Sword was to deepen our bond.
Listening to her words yesterday, it became clear just how much affection she held for the swordsmanship I used. It also became apparent how desperate she was for the opportunity to learn it due to her circumstances.
What would happen if I provided her with the solution to her dilemma?
It’s the same reason as with Bliss. This time, too, it’s a strategic move to bring her closer and make her one of my allies.
Perhaps some might wonder what would happen if she became incredibly strong because of this.
I’ve already considered that.
The Dragon King’s style is inherently a swordsmanship where each person has talent for only one specific technique. The more you learn one style, the harder it becomes to master another.
In other words, it’s not something she can learn just because she wants to.
And more importantly, even if she does learn this swordsmanship, I don’t believe she would surpass me.
With that, I agreed to train her during free evenings, with Reina also accompanying us.
I turned to her and said:
“First, could you show me your swordsmanship?”
“My swordsmanship…?”
I nodded.
“Yes, I need to assess what level you’ve reached.”
“Understood.”
Agnes nodded in agreement, drawing her sword and closing her eyes.
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