episode_0121

Cecil Astria. The mentor of the hero Yuria and the teacher responsible for the training of the entire hero’s party.

To Arina, she had always worn a cold expression, though she would occasionally grow flustered when approached. But now, she had become someone who held far greater meaning than that.

The first among her past acquaintances to believe in and stand up for her. A woman she surely would have fallen for, had her own gender not changed. Somewhere within Riel Frost, who had been comforted and lifted back up by her, might have still existed.

“Even you…! That bastard laid his hands on you?”

Her fists clenched so tightly her bones creaked, her teeth gritted hard enough to draw blood.

She should have considered the possibility the moment she heard the news of her disappearance in the kingdom. Even if there had been no concrete basis for suspicion, had she merely entertained the thought, she wouldn’t have arrived so leisurely.

The Porter’s ability didn’t grant him complete control over women with just a single assault. The fact that she was still resisting him now was proof enough.

Which meant, until she arrived, Cecil had endured it—over and over—

The mere thought made her nauseous, so Arina forcibly scattered the images in her mind.

“I won’t forgive him. That bastard… I’ll kill him. No, that’s too lenient now. I’ll make him regret ever being born.”

It wasn’t too late yet. As long as no resentment had festered between them, their relationship could still remain untainted. Surely, it could.

“So don’t resent me too much for hitting you hard, Cecil.”

The first move in a battle between the strong is always a probe. But when the opponent is Cecil Astria, the Sword Saint of the era, she had no choice but to get serious.

“[Eternal Snowfall].”

The pre-cast spell activated, and another blizzard raged across the frozen ground. Where the storm, fiercer than before, passed, nothing remained.

“Tch.”

Arina clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes. Cecil, who had already drawn her sword, had circled behind her, evading the spell’s range.

To anyone, but especially to Arina, Swordmaster Cecil Astria was an opponent she’d rather not fight—whether as a friend or an enemy.

Her blinding speed allowed her to evade even Arina’s wide-area magic, making it difficult to land a hit in the first place.

“Cecil! Are you really going to fight me? Did you grow so fond of that bastard that I no longer matter? As long as you can have his attention, you don’t care if we kill each other?”

“…I just want you to go back. That man told me to keep you here, but I have no intention of going that far. So please, Riel. Just this once, won’t you listen to my request?”

“Don’t make me laugh… You’re just deluding yourself into thinking you’re happy under his hypnosis.”

From Arina’s perspective, Cecil didn’t seem completely under the Porter’s control yet. That’s why she was refusing his orders and trying to negotiate. But happiness forced through manipulation could never be real.

She adjusted her stance.

Steeled her resolve.

Teacher and student, friend and someone dear. The two were about to clash for the first time.

“Noona!”

How many times had she told him not to call her that? Cecil furrowed her brows at the voice of the boy who seemed to ignore her words entirely.

But you can’t spit on a smiling face. When she turned around, the boy was beaming at her with a bright, cheerful smile, making it awkward to scold him.

“I’ve told you repeatedly to call me ‘Teacher,’ Student Riel.”

“But I only have one master. And the age gap between us isn’t even that big.”

“What does age have to do with it? The one who learns is the student, the one who teaches is the teacher. It’s only natural for a seeker of knowledge to address their instructor as such.”

At the time, even Cecil herself acknowledged she was a rigid person with no social skills or charm.

But back then, she hadn’t realized it. She had spent her life honing nothing but her sword, never making friends or lovers, to the point where she didn’t even recognize her own loneliness.

Beneath her curt responses and refusal to avoid conversation lay an unconscious, underlying psychology.

“Since it’s not class time, I’ll let it slide. So, what do you need? You didn’t come all the way outside the castle just by coincidence, did you?”

“Nope. It was a coincidence. If I had to give a reason, I guess I got ditched by my so-called ‘comrades’ who said they needed some ‘girl time,’ so I had free time and ran into you?”

Now that she thought about it, she remembered overhearing the girls talking when he had left during training earlier.

So today was that day.

“I see. If you have no other business, I’ll be on my way. You should head back to the castle and rest quietly for today.”

“Wait!”

Riel hastily blocked her path as she turned to leave, stopping her in her tracks.

“What is it?”

“Spend a little more time with me. I’m bored all by myself today.”

“As I said earlier, I’m not your friend, I’m your—”

“But it’s not a training day, right? Then you’re not my teacher, so calling you ‘Noona’ shouldn’t be a problem, no?”

The smug grin he flashed after turning her own words against her was downright infuriating.

But she couldn’t think of a rebuttal, so Cecil nodded reluctantly.

“…Yes. I suppose so.”

At this point, Cecil wondered if it would’ve been better if she had been the one to keep him occupied.

If he foolishly chased after his comrades now, all their carefully laid plans would be ruined.

It was clear he hadn’t noticed anything.

“Fine. I don’t have anything scheduled today either. I can spare a little time.”

Riel blinked in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected her to agree so easily.

“Huh, really? You don’t have plans with friends or a lover?”

“No. I don’t even see the point of having such things in the first place.”

“Plans?”

“Friends and lovers, I mean. Even if I spend my whole life honing my sword, I’ll never reach its limits. How could I become an outstanding knight if I waste time and energy on such trivial things?”

“But you still left the training grounds today.”

“Today is my once-a-month rest day for muscle recovery. Rest is part of training.”

She even plans things like that?

Riel’s expression turned slightly dumbfounded. He considered himself a workaholic, but she was on another level—even taking a mandatory day off every week.

I guess this is what it takes to become the youngest Swordmaster.

“I see… Still, doesn’t it get lonely on days like this? Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to spend time with?”

“I don’t need it. Lovers, or whatever—I don’t even like men in the first place.”

“Huh? Wait, does that mean you’re into—”

“That’s not what I meant!”

Cecil’s face flushed red as she snapped, drawing the attention of passersby. She coughed awkwardly and glared at the boy.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

“No, but given the flow of the conversation, it was a natural assumption.”

“What I meant was the general attitude of men.”

“Attitude?”

Cecil lowered her voice as Riel tilted his head in confusion.

“Right now, I hold a position as the kingdom’s greatest swordsman—one no one can deny. But do you think the path here was smooth?”

Of course not. Though their fields differed, Riel, who had also reached the pinnacle of his craft, could empathize.

The envy and sabotage from all sides. The vultures waiting for the slightest misstep to drag you down.

What had it been like for Cecil? Unlike him, she was a rare woman in a knightly order dominated by men.

“Men always see women as beneath them. Beings to protect, beautiful ornaments to decorate their lives, medals to prove their success. What do you think they did when they realized a woman—someone they saw as nothing more than an object of desire—was far superior to them?”

At first, an overwhelming number of challengers poured in. She had to duel at least ten times a day to keep up.

When they realized they couldn’t win with the sword, the petty mockery began.

Some proposed marriage just to make her lay down her sword. Others accused her of cheating in duels and protested to her family.

There were even attempts to drug her, all under the guise of “wanting” her.

“I killed the last one with my own hands.”

“Good. Scum like that doesn’t deserve to live.”

“Anyway, when I say I don’t like men, that’s what I mean. Women aren’t much different. Even after becoming Swordmaster and rising to the rank of the royal knights’ captain, people still cared more about my appearance than my skill.”

“Hmm…”

Riel stayed silent. He couldn’t deny her beauty, but he also had his own guilty conscience.

He didn’t think he was wrong, but he didn’t have the courage to argue the point in front of Cecil.

“Isn’t it futile? A lifetime of effort and achievement, overshadowed by nothing more than the face I inherited from my parents.”

“I’m a man, so I can’t say I understand a woman’s life… Maybe it’s different.”

Experience told him half-baked comfort or advice wouldn’t help. If it were that simple, she wouldn’t have struggled with it for so long.

“But as a fellow genius blessed with both skill and looks, I can at least empathize with your plight.”

With a confident grin, Riel formed a V-sign with his fingers. Cecil quickly turned her head away.

“Pfft.”

Despite her efforts to hide it, a laugh escaped her lips, brushing past Riel’s ears. He pouted.

“What’s so funny?”

“Nothing. It’s just impressive how easily you say such things. Aren’t you embarrassed?”

“Why should I be? It’s the truth. Or do you see any flaws in my skills or face?”

“Your skills are flawless. But your face… Could use a bit more masculinity. From a distance, I’d mistake you for a flat-chested girl—”

“Where the hell do you see that?!”

The moment his insecurity was poked, Riel exploded without hesitation.

He glared at his reflection in a nearby window, checking for any signs of femininity.

“No matter how I look at it, I don’t see—”

“Just kidding. I heard you hate being called that. ‘Pretty boy’ would be more accurate.”

“Then don’t say it if you know.”

“As an apology, let me treat you to a meal. Shall we go?”

Unbeknownst to them, the sun had begun to set, painting the sky in hues of red.

“I only meant to have a meal, but it’s gotten quite late.”

“Life never goes according to plan, right?”

Riel tried to play it off with a smirk, but Cecil paused thoughtfully before replying.

“I think you planned this from the start.”

“Still, it was fun, wasn’t it?”

“…It was. Spending time with someone else isn’t as bad as I thought.”

Cecil glanced up at the sky, then rummaged through her pocket before pulling out a small box, about the size of her palm, and handing it to him.

“What’s this?”

“A gift. A token of thanks for making today enjoyable.”

She practically shoved it into his hands before quickly saying her goodbyes.

“Well then, I’ll be going. Thank you for today.”

“Huh? Let’s at least eat dinner first. My treat this time.”

Cecil decided to tell him the truth—not as his teacher, nor as a stranger, but as a friend.

“You still haven’t noticed, have you? Your friends are probably waiting for you. Go on inside.”

“Noticed what?”

Left alone, Riel pondered for a moment before finally remembering what he had forgotten.

“Oh… Today’s my birthday.”

“In the end, I never used the incense. Why?”

No answer came. The woman who had gifted him the fountain pen he still used today was already collapsed on the ground.

Was this really something the Porter had ordered?

“If she’s been resisting ‘Dark Moon’ for this long, the hypnosis should’ve worn off by now.”

Not that it mattered anymore. The outcome was already decided.

Arina placed a hand on Cecil’s unconscious body.

“…?”

Her expression hardened instantly. Ian, who had finished cleaning up the area, noticed and asked,

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. No traces of hypnosis. No remnants of divine energy either.”