Ch.241EP.54 – The Knight Hate Messy Affairs (4)

In the history of the Ophen family, renowned for their swordsmanship, Felinshia was undoubtedly the greatest swordsman.

She achieved numerous military accomplishments on countless battlefields, was granted the title of Sword Master by the God of War, and became the pride of Pendragon, with her name known even in foreign countries.

Given that there were very few female knights recorded in history, Felinshia was clearly the most prominent figure among all female knights on the continent.

She personally demonstrated that even as a woman, one could become an excellent knight and proved that one could become a truly great existence.

Historians were already certain that her name would be remembered as a legendary female knight for thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of years to come.

As the first female Aura user in history and a great swordsman.

…But despite being such a great swordswoman.

“Did you know? I was once called ‘the disgrace of the Ophen family’ and ‘the most talentless and inferior swordswoman.'”

“I know, I read the fairy tale.”

“Hoho, how was I portrayed there?”

“…As a foolish female knight.”

“Foolish, is it… Hoho, that’s quite a sanitized expression, considering I was also called names like ‘a wretch worse than a goblin.'”

“Which bastard…”

“Ah, calm down, it’s all in the past. Besides, at that time, it wasn’t entirely an incorrect nickname.”

…Because she truly was a swordswoman less useful than a goblin.

“……”

That was her self-deprecating remark, and Ihan remained silent, choosing not to respond unnecessarily.

From experience, he knew that the right answer now was not to offer comfort or pretend to understand, but to simply listen quietly.

Sure enough.

“Hoho, thank you. For listening to an old woman’s ramblings.”

Grateful that he was listening to her story, Felinshia laughed softly, and Ihan shrugged as if it were nothing.

“I’m just listening, nothing to be thankful for. Besides, as a fan of the fairy tale, I find your old stories quite interesting.”

“…Can we please stop talking about the fairy tale?”

“Let’s talk more instead. Since I’ve heard this much, let me hear the rest.”

“…My, I can’t tell if you’re earnest or just playful…”

Felinshia shook her head in disbelief at his response.

But still…

“Very well, indulge this old woman’s ramblings today, hoho.”

She seemed pleased to have someone who would seriously listen to her conversation.

* * *

…Eighty years ago, Felinshia de Ophen was a swordswoman who was not only treated coldly but even despised within the Ophen family.

In Volume 1 of <The Female Knight Series>, it was lightly described as her having faced hardships and loneliness, but this was beyond sanitized—it was beautified. The treatment she received was truly harsh.

“At that time, the Ophen family was facing a crisis. Due to frequent wars, the economy deteriorated, the merchant guild operated by the Ophen family collapsed, disciples turned their backs, and various misfortunes piled up, bringing the family to the brink of collapse. And in such a situation, a direct descendant with no talent for swordsmanship was born.”

The Ophen family was one of the few families in the south where the head of the family could be either male or female.

Thus, Felinshia, born as an only daughter, was destined to become the family head, and the family hoped that she would be a promising swordswoman, even if her personality was a bit rough.

Of course, there was no worry.

No one with the Ophen bloodline had ever lacked talent for swordsmanship.

But then…

– She’s still at that level?

– Wh-what? After five years of holding a sword, she still performs basic swordsmanship like that… Ha! I’m speechless.

– …Could she not be his real daughter?

Disappointment beyond betrayal.

Bewilderment beyond misunderstanding and suspicion.

Anger beyond despair.

The elders of the Ophen family truly said everything they shouldn’t have.

That’s how terrible Felinshia’s talent was.

Eventually, rumors spread that she wasn’t of Ophen blood, and suspicions arose that her mother had been unfaithful.

…Fortunately, the family head at that time wasn’t paranoid or foolish enough to believe such talk, so he severely punished those who spread such rumors.

– Felinshia.

– Yes, Father.

– …Do nothing.

– ……

– I’m giving up my expectations for you. How can you still be at that level of swordsmanship at fifteen… Sigh! I must either try to have more children or look for a successor from the branch family.

– ……

– …Tsk!

Even her own father had such great disappointment in her that his feelings toward her were not good.

Honestly, from her perspective, it was an unfair situation.

After all, she didn’t choose to be talentless, and just because she lacked talent in swordsmanship, her family and others treated her poorly and despised her.

…However, this was also unavoidable given the times.

“Back then, ‘talent’ was everything. The previous king valued talented individuals regardless of their status, and even if someone was from a noble family, they would never be employed if they lacked talent. Because of this, many families hoped their children would have excellent talents, and if they were incompetent, they openly showed their disappointment.”

“What? Such things actually happened?”

“That’s how that era was. Our family was relatively decent. At least they didn’t starve or kill me for lacking talent.”

“R-really? There were places that went that far?”

“In the case of some extremists. Well, those extremists happened to get caught by the previous king, which led to a bloodbath in the kingdom.”

“……”

“It’s not something to blame the previous king for. Even the king probably never dreamed that civilized nobles would commit such barbaric acts.”

“…Ha.”

…Thus, during Felinshia’s youth, it was considered natural to be mistreated for being incompetent, and especially for a child of a martial family, lacking talent in martial arts was deemed worthy of criticism.

Because of this, many young noble sons and daughters took their own lives out of disappointment in themselves.

The funny thing is that nobles often evaluated such actions as ‘noble-like’ or ‘understanding honor.’

Apparently, it was more noble and honorable to die than to tarnish the family’s honor?

It was nothing short of idiotic, or rather, moronic nonsense, but…

“Among the family elders, there was one who seriously advised me to commit suicide.”

“…What happened to that bastard?”

“Later, when I became an Aura user, he committed suicide on his own. I heard he left a pathetic suicide note admitting his wrongdoing… Well, I’ve forgotten even his name, as I lived without caring about such a person.”

“He got off easy.”

“Hoho! Thank you for getting angry on my behalf.”

“No, I mean he really got off easy. If he were in front of me, I would have tortured him continuously without letting him die.”

“…My child, I must never become your enemy.”

Countless malice attacked Felinshia, and it would be no exaggeration to say that she lived in an environment that was not just harsh but hellish from a young age.

Perhaps others would not have endured such a family environment at all and would have committed suicide as those who babbled about preserving noble family honor by dying did.

“…But I didn’t really mind being insulted.”

“……”

“Don’t look at me like that. I don’t particularly enjoy being insulted!”

“…I didn’t say anything.”

“Your eyes said it! Really…”

She did not give up on life despite countless insults and a hellish environment.

The reason?

Well, it wasn’t anything special…

“-I loved swords too much. Almost to the point of adoration.”

Felinshia de Ophen.

An incompetent who was judged to have been abandoned by the sword.

The most talentless swordswoman and failure in history.

Yet, ironically, she loved swords.

It was an ironic situation.

If she was disrespected by family and acquaintances for lacking talent with the sword, it would have been natural to hate swords.

It’s normal to dislike anything that doesn’t yield results no matter how hard you try, but Felinshia defied this common sense, simply loving swords and pursuing them.

Every day, she never stopped the act of swinging her sword.

At the age of twenty-three.

When most noble ladies would naturally be married, she still hadn’t even dated, let alone married, and suddenly departed for the battlefield.

To perfect her own swordsmanship that she had dreamed of all her life.

Everyone was certain she would be the first to die on the battlefield.

How could someone with such little talent survive?

And,

– It’s, it’s Felinshia!!

– Run away! She’s the demon of the battlefield…!

…It took less than two years for their expectations to be overturned.

Felinshia clearly had no talent for swords, but she was a person who didn’t know the meaning of giving up.

She remained perfectly fine with swords despite being neglected and despised by her family for over decades.

In other words, she was a woman with mental strength stronger than anyone else’s, and she had a courage that would not yield in any situation.

Well, war wasn’t something you could survive with courage alone, but she had a ‘talent’ that even she didn’t know about.

– You’re Felinshia, I presume? I’ve observed your bravery well. I would like to have someone like you as a comrade.

– At least you’re not a coward.

– Ah, do you know a youngster named Baltar? I heard he’ll be joining our unit. They say his talent is recognized by the God of War, so he might be worth looking forward to.

‘Strong luck,’ she was a lucky person.

She became acquainted with young heroes of the future who had not yet made their names, and they became reliable comrades who supported her recklessness.

Thanks to these reliable comrades, she continued to survive through tens, no, tens of thousands of life-and-death situations, and at some point, she became strong.

No matter how talentless one might be, if you train with a sword while crossing the line between life and death more than ten thousand times, you can’t help but become strong even if you don’t want to.

By around her 40s, she stood tall as a renowned knight and powerful figure in the south.

By this point, she had achieved enough accomplishments and fame to return to her family in glory, but she did not return to her family.

Instead, what she chose was.

“I thought there would be no growth if I went back to the family. What could make someone talentless like me stronger was ultimately harsh trials and pain, the fierce battlefield, or the hardships of nature. I knew it was reckless, but I was convinced that such trials would make my sword even sharper.”

So she went beyond the south to the continent.

She went everywhere—the east, west, and north, except for the central region.

She experienced many things.

Nearly died at sea.

Nearly died in the mountains.

Nearly died in forests and volcanoes.

Nearly died due to magical beasts, cold, and natural disasters.

Yet she survived.

And at this time, her adventure partner and future husband evaluated Felinshia like this:

– Your survival luck is insanely good.

– Even I find myself amazing sometimes.

Felinshia, the woman who wouldn’t die even if killed.

From this time, the continent began to call her ‘Immortal Felinshia.’

If she had traveled the continent a little longer, she would have created even more legends, but she had to return home unintentionally.

The reason?

“I had a child.”

Her adventure ended with the fruition of love with her husband.

But even after returning, people wouldn’t leave her alone.

After all, she had become a great female knight who had created legends across the continent, someone even the royal family couldn’t treat carelessly.

And so.

– From today, I shall call you <Sword Master>. This will be a singular title that only you, Lady Felinshia, can use, and it is the royal family’s promise that even royalty cannot treat you carelessly.

Receiving recognition from the great holy king who was praised as a god in human form, she enjoyed a second prime in her 50s.

At this time, she originally thought about abandoning the Ophen family name and asking the God of War to establish a new family, but…

– …I’m sorry.

– ……

– I know this one apology cannot repay everything. I know it doesn’t negate your painful years. …Nevertheless, I beg and kneel before you. I can give you everything I have. So please, save our family.

– …Father.

A father kneels before his daughter, apologizes, and speaks formally.

Seeing her father choose to submit to someone far greater than himself, not as a daughter but as a superior, Felinshia had to feel many emotions at that time.

It would be a lie to say there was no resentment, and it would also be a lie to say there was no hatred for the family retainers.

After all, they were the ones who made her childhood a hell, even if she had the sword to endure it.

– …Our names will be erased from the Noble Council.

– !!?

…After such words, she finally returned to her family.

“Are you a pushover?”

“Huh?”

“No, why did you go back? You should have just lived independently and well.”

“…Do you not know what it means for nobles to have their names erased from the Noble Council?”

“What does it mean?”

“It means losing all honor and authority. It means being erased from history. When they impose a punishment more severe than death on themselves, if I only harbor resentment, I become the lesser woman.”

“Damn it, what’s wrong with being a little lesser? This is why I can’t stand nobles, tsk tsk.”

“Ah, no, this is truly severe, why are you criticizing me……”

…A-anyway, Felinshia, who finally returned to her family, inherited the family and enjoyed absolute power.

Who could possibly oppose her, a hero who had made a name for herself on the continent without anyone’s help?

In this situation, her strong luck, which had only been demonstrated on battlefields and adventures, shone once again.

– A genius, a genius…!

The fact that her son, Iliad, was an incredible genius.

Iliad possessed such remarkable talent that one might wonder if there had ever been such a genius in the history of the Ophen family, and when her five-year-old son mastered all basic swordsmanship in just three months, the family was in an uproar.

Saying he would surpass Felinshia.

She too was amazed and acknowledged it.

She was certain this child would definitely become the best.

– My son will be greater than me, for sure!

A child so loved by the sword.

He will surely become a great swordsman!

Because he overflowed with talent that she lacked.

Living up to these expectations, Iliad made a name for himself as a swordsman who found it difficult to find an equal in his teens, and Felinshia…

– You could lead the family better than I could.

– Mother?

– You are a more remarkable child than I am, so you’ll be fine.

…announced her retirement.

* * *

“Wait, how old was the child when you handed over the position of family head?”

“……”

“Teens? No, exactly how old was he?”

“…Fi…teen.”

“What?”

“…Fifteen.”

“……”

“…Don’t look at me like that.”

“……”

Ihan felt a sharp pain at the back of his head.