Ch.336111. Why Do We Have a Dad…(2)

“You don’t have a father either?”

“…..”

Iriel’s expression stiffens with discomfort.

“Either?”

Does that mean she’s in the same situation?

Swish, swish!

Eileen was whittling wood with a dull knife, casually chatting about various topics to pass the time.

During the conversation, when a relatable subject came up and Iriel nodded in agreement… she ended up hearing such words.

Despite saying something so personal, Eileen just cast a friendly glance her way.

Swish, swish!

She skillfully shapes the wood.

Holding the elongated piece at an angle, she shaves it down, and the hard wooden flesh falls away in flakes like fish scales.

“Hmm.”

After getting the basic shape right, she begins polishing the rough areas with a stone from who knows where.

“You seem familiar with this kind of work?”

Iriel asks.

“When you don’t have tools, local sourcing is the basics, right?”

What would take hours for an amateur, she completed in just ten minutes.

She finally finished crafting a wooden staff that fit perfectly in her hand.

“Ha!”

Watching her skillfully spin the staff using her hands, arms, torso, neck, and even legs like an acrobat…

“Ah, right.”

As if remembering something, she sat back down and used the wood scraps to start a fire, then began slowly charring the wooden staff.

“What’s that process for?”

“Not entirely sure. Just heard it makes the wood harder.”

Eileen carefully examined the finished staff, feeling for any imperfections.

She stood it up, kicked it, and even struck it hard against a tree.

Her blue eyes sparkled vividly as she concentrated, appearing carefree yet focused.

The sea was pitch black, and the sky was darkened as if covered with burnt ash, looking ready to burst into tears.

“The wind here is still strange.”

The oddly stagnant air structure was truly remarkable.

Occasionally, it felt as if the air was trapped, unable to escape, rather than sea breezes blowing in.

Would you believe it if I said the wind poured down from the sky rather than blowing horizontally?

Similarly, the sight of dust rising diagonally from the ground toward the sky was truly bizarre.

“…Where were we in our conversation?”

“About not having a father?”

“…..”

Iriel cleared her throat awkwardly.

It wasn’t so much embarrassment as discomfort, though she couldn’t say she felt much of anything about it.

She wasn’t sure if Eileen felt the same, but for Iriel, the concept of a father was something incredibly distant.

Despite her mother’s one-sided praise of him, Iriel had developed considerable resentment.

“…My teacher said my father was a man without shame.”

“That Be-something guy? You know about your father?”

“Yes. There were complicated circumstances, we crossed swords, I received help from him… he was both an enemy and a benefactor. It’s complicated.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Eileen snorted.

“An enemy is an enemy, and a benefactor is a benefactor.”

“Can’t an enemy become a benefactor?”

“No way! If someone’s your enemy, you’d kill them, so how could they become a benefactor?”

It was an extreme view, but in a way, it made logical sense.

“…..”

For some reason, Iriel felt that wasn’t quite right.

“Since I’ve been fed and helped by you, I should help you too, but really? Is a demon actually sealed here?”

“…Yes. That’s what I was told.”

This Venus person is apparently a demon hunter.

He used to call himself a knight, but he said that wasn’t quite right.

…What does that even mean?

“My uncle? Someone like an uncle called himself a swordsman.”

“Swordsman?”

“One who wields a sword. One who swings a sword. Hence, swordsman.”

She said this while handling a staff herself.

Eileen wrapped the end with cloth and leather from somewhere.

She stood up briskly.

“Alright. Let me test you. Come at me.”

“…Will that be okay?”

Her exposed lower body had a firmness that seemed unusual for a woman.

Rather than being thick… it was like a horse’s legs—sleek yet somehow sensual.

Full of vitality, life.

In fact, Eileen herself gave off that impression strongly.

Vivacious.

Uninhibited yet not unlikable.

…Somehow, Iriel found her gaze drawn to her without realizing it.

The two stood barefoot on a wide sandy beach, having passed through a wooded clearing.

Eileen held her wooden staff horizontally, tucked under her arms against her back.

In contrast, Iriel took a proper stance, left foot slightly forward, holding her wooden sword raised with both hands.

“Moving forward directly is the privilege of the strong. Techniques are like special privileges invented by those who lack the strength to train their bodies firmly and steadfastly.”

So which are you?

“…..”

It’s fine to lack skill.

It’s okay to have dull senses.

If you have strength that surpasses technique.

Physical ability, the whirlwind-like sequence of movements arising from practiced posture.

And what completes it is nothing other than fundamentals, basic physical training, and mastery of their application.

To Eileen, Iriel seemed to have those basics firmly in place.

…However.

‘Her aptitude for the sword…’

More precisely.

“Hyah!”

…her talent or knack for combat seemed lacking.

The opposite of Eileen herself.

Which made it all the more apparent.

Eileen avoided Iriel’s straightforward downward strike by merely tilting her upper body slightly.

And that wasn’t all.

With just a single spin of her body as she passed by.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

The staff attached to her back struck Iriel’s unguarded back like a tail.

“Taking the offensive means becoming vulnerable to defense. You sacrifice one thing to gain an advantage. Conversely, if you don’t gain that advantage? You’re just exposing your weakness. That’s how life is, right? You can’t chew and swallow at the same time. Teeth and throat aren’t connected.”

“…..”

Though it might seem crude, each of her statements contained profound wisdom.

“I heard it from my senior, but I guess it’s pretty accurate?”

“Senior?”

“Sometimes I call him uncle or mister. It changes. It’s troublesome.”

She could be flippant one moment, then suddenly use old-fashioned expressions.

Her multifaceted personality made her seem new every day.

Moreover.

Despite possessing such skill, she never boasted or acted superior.

Like a hunter who hunts to survive, wondering what’s so impressive about it.

To her, that level of skill seemed as natural as breathing.

Why would a bird boast about flying in the sky?

…Though there might be rare exceptions.

“Heh!”

Even she couldn’t hold out long in a match against Venus.

Still, she wasn’t just passively taking hits.

“You know, blocking mana or disrupting its flow is really unfair, right?”

“…For someone complaining, you’re handling it well. Girl.”

“I know because I’ve experienced it many times.”

Experienced it?

Venus asked in an indifferent tone.

“It’s not a skill or arcane knowledge just anyone can handle, so where have you experienced this?”

And to survive after experiencing it?

Of course, it’s possible, but…

“My uncle often showed me when he was teaching me lessons, saying it was one of many scenarios I might face. He said I should be prepared for people who use such techniques outside.”

“…..”

Venus swept back his long hair and snorted.

“I’m very curious about who that might be.”

Watching their confrontation—a training session disguised as practice—Iriel couldn’t help but feel her confidence plummeting.

Then Venus spoke to Iriel:

“That girl is an exceptional being, so there’s no need to feel inadequate watching her.”

“Exceptional being?”

“In your country, that girl would probably rank among the strongest in her age group.”

Then Venus gazed into the distance.

“The same would be true on the mainland.”

“Is her skill that impressive?”

“Technique, responsiveness, temperament, perseverance. Fighting spirit. She lacks nothing.”

Beyond natural talent, she had systematic training as well.

Such people are usually… unbeatable.

Unless you’re exceptionally extraordinary yourself.

“Her manners and speech are unrefined, so she’s not from a noble family… but she must be something equivalent.”

“…..”

Several weeks passed.

After completing preparations for the ritual he had been preparing for, Venus set out to deal with the demon sealed on the island.

“Fortunately, her presence will somewhat mitigate the crisis you face. Whether that’s good fortune or misfortune.”

“…What do you mean?”

“Trials make you stronger, but if trials are eased, it means you become weaker. I, and others like me, have all pursued strength by overcoming death. She is no exception.”

“…..”

She.

Probably referring to Iriel’s mother.

Beautiful, incredibly strong, and wise, but…

Somehow twisted and severely distorted…

“At this rate, you won’t be able to satisfy her.”

“…I know.”

But.

“I don’t think there’s only one way.”

Wherever you go, just head toward the royal path.

“Honor and glory are like distant stars to me, like grains of sand I cannot grasp in my hand.”

Or like seawater.

Vast, wide, and infinitely expansive.

Yet not a handful can be grasped… something like that.

“Don’t get lost in sentimentality. It doesn’t help at all.”

“…..”

At Venus’s rebuke, Iriel nodded, holding her breath.

And then.

As the demon’s seal weakened, countless minions summoned by the demon began flooding the island.

“This is insane.”

Eileen, caught up in this situation.

She had heard about it verbally, but experiencing it was another matter entirely.

Still, she was promised compensation, so taking some comfort in that…

She began efficiently disposing of monsters and demon minions in human form like a true grim reaper.

She wielded her ordinary wooden staff like a club or spear, smashing heads and piercing hearts.

Not content with that, she stomped on fallen enemies’ upper bodies, crushing ribs, hearts, and lungs along with muscle.

She brought down the staff to shatter bones and knees, then swung her shin at the face of a flailing opponent, severing its neck like an axe.

“…..”

While Iriel barely managed to face one or two at the risk of her life.

Eileen was one-sidedly slaughtering dozens.

But even she seemed like she might struggle when a winged beast the size of a house descended.

“Ah, damn it!”

When Eileen cursed in frustration, a stream of pure white flame erupted from her body, instantly reducing the beast to ashes. At that moment, Iriel realized.

As Venus had said, she was…

A remarkable person whom ordinary people couldn’t even dream of challenging.

Iriel sincerely acknowledged it then.

That perhaps in his entire lifetime, no matter how hard he tried, he would never glimpse the land or sky where she stood.

Iriel had to forcibly endure the bitter fragments of emotion that welled up inside.

****

The sea breeze began to blow.

Wind laden with salt that had been felt only sporadically before.

But as if this had been normal all along, when the sea breeze properly swept across the island, it felt as if the entire body was permeated with saltiness.

“Can we leave this place now?”

“…Yes. Probably.”

The air currents had changed.

Iriel was secretly relieved.

Probably thanks to Venus, her teacher, successfully defeating the demon.

She had heard that part of the space on this island was separated to seal the demon.

…So it was strange.

How and why Eileen had drifted to this island.

Normally, it should have been impossible for anyone to enter.

“Once we leave, will you search for your sibling first?”

“Of course. Both of them.”

“…?”

Both of them?

“Oh, didn’t I mention? I was heading to that island country to see my sibling when this happened.”

“I did hear about that. The sibling you got separated from while on the ship.”

“That sibling and the other sibling are different?”

“…?”

She often skipped important details when speaking, as her emotions or enthusiasm got ahead of her words.

Just like now.

“But if they were on the same ship, your sibling must have fallen into the sea too… I hope they were rescued safely.”

“Rescued? That one?”

Eileen laughed softly at those words.

“Even without a ship, that kid could swim anywhere, so it doesn’t matter.”

“…?”

“Oh, didn’t I tell you? I learned various things to protect myself, but for that kid… getting stronger was the goal itself, so they trained even more intensely than me.”

“…?”

Eileen herself already possessed strength beyond common sense, yet she spoke of a younger brother like this?

“From what you’re saying, it sounds like someone even you couldn’t challenge.”

“I only win because I’m the older sister. I’ve never beaten that kid in terms of skill.”

“…?”

“That’s what natural talent means. I’ll introduce you sometime if there’s a chance.”

No, you shouldn’t say such things!

What little ambition and aspiration Iriel had plummeted completely.

The world is vast, and monsters are plentiful.

Once upon a time, Iriel was called a genius by those around her, but indeed, the world is wide.

After spending a few days reflecting on this, a massive warship approached the island, causing Eileen to make a fuss when she spotted it.

“What’s that? Is it related to you?”

“…..”

Iriel silently nodded.

By then, Venus had already prepared his belongings and was carrying a travel bag.

“What? You didn’t say anything to me!”

“Do you even have luggage to pack?”

Venus sneered at the flustered Eileen.

Grumbling, she hastily gathered what few possessions she had.

Meanwhile, Iriel, who had prepared some items in advance for such a situation, had somehow changed into neat attire.

She even wore a hat, which added to her dignified appearance.

“So you really are from a wealthy family?”

“I never denied it.”

“But you never told me either!”

“Well… I thought you’d find out soon enough. It seemed inappropriate to explain it verbally.”

More accurately, she might have been afraid or uncomfortable about how Eileen would react when she found out, what preconceptions or prejudices she might hold.

And so.

Since the warship itself couldn’t dock at the island, a small boat was lowered with several people aboard, approaching the island.

Eventually, several individuals in military uniforms disembarked onto the shore, not minding their wet boots as they waded through the seawater to reach Venus, Iriel, and Eileen.

A middle-aged man with reddish-brown mustache frowned at Venus first, then turned to Iriel. He placed his fist against his chest, showing the back of his hand covered in a pitch-black glove, and removed his military cap in respect.

“I stand before the great and majestic guardian bloodline of Holy Lutania!”

Huh?

Eileen stared blankly at the scene, silently demanding an explanation with her eyes.

Iriel ignored this for the moment.

He responded to the salute with a solemn nod.

“Thank you for coming to meet me personally, Lord Lyuemir.”

“Congratulations on completing your national service.”

What are they talking about?

As Eileen tilted her head in confusion, Venus quietly snorted.

The behavior of these high-born folks, now as ever… tsk!

After boarding the transport vessel, the group was escorted to the warship.

Quarters were arranged, and only at mealtime did Iriel, Eileen, and Venus meet again.

“…So you’re actually a prince of that island country?”

“It seems so.”

“What do you mean ‘it seems so’…?”

“To be precise, I am a superficial proxy.”

“A superficial proxy?”

“I volunteer for the difficult tasks on behalf of my older brother.”

And all the achievements I accomplish.

“Belong to my brother.”

“…What’s that about?”

It was incomprehensible to Eileen.

“Hmph.”

Venus, seemingly knowing something about it, maintained a displeased silence.

Inside the gently rocking flagship.

For a while, only the sounds of cutlery and food being chewed, broken, and split in mouths could be heard endlessly.