Chapter 13: Hildegarde

Break time.

The workers smoked and chatted.

Leo was a bit away from them.

With a somewhat dejected expression, he leaned against the railing and smoked a cigarette.

Puff, puff.

The smoke that entered deep into his lungs billowed out into the air.

“What’s going on? That Leo guy is smoking.”

“He never came near us because he didn’t want to smell like smoke. Said his daughter hated the smell.”

“Something must’ve happened.”

William, Betty, and Nodis were seeing Leo smoke for the first time.

Leo was always positive and quick on his feet.

Even when things were tough, he got through it all with a smile.

Even when work doubled, he never so much as touched a cigarette.

What could have happened to him?

When the break ended, Leo came over.

“Something happen to you?”

“A bit, yeah.”

Leo answered briefly.

It meant he didn’t want to talk.

“I don’t know what it is, but if you hold it all in too long, it’ll eat you up inside. It’s good to care for your daughter, but you’ve got to look after your own life too.”

William, a father of three daughters, had picked up on Leo’s troubles.

“I know a good bar—wanna check it out?”

“You mean that ‘Wine Valley’ place or whatever?”

“That one’s not great for beginners. I’m talking about a place where you just drink in peace. It’s called ‘A Sip of Anguish.’ Great atmosphere. You should try it.”

“I’ll give it a try.”

“Ah, but not today. Don’t go today.”

William suddenly changed his mind.

“Some demonic beast was spotted prowling around.”

“A demonic beast?”

“It was in the paper—didn’t you see it? Anyway, don’t go out at night until it’s caught.”

He’d been too out of it to check the newspaper.

But Leo didn’t care.

As if I’d actually run into it.

When work ended, Leo didn’t go home.

Elizabeth would be at home.

He had no idea what to do, so he wandered aimlessly.

William had warned him not to go out at night, but it’s not like he’d suddenly run into a monster.

Besides, the streets were full of people just like Leo, ignoring the monster news.

In the city’s red-light district, women with their breasts exposed clung to passing pedestrians.

They rubbed their chests on them and licked their earlobes to tempt them.

The pedestrians pretended to resist, then groped the women’s chests and followed them into shops.

Leo wandered into that area in a daze.

It was a place he normally would never have gone to.

He only came because someone said ‘A Sip of Anguish’ was located here.

He didn’t know anymore.

He just wanted to drown in alcohol and atmosphere.

He didn’t want to think about anything.

The Aichenvalt red-light district resembled the Empire’s but was different.

It felt more explicit—perhaps a reaction to the conservative social norms, making the people chase after more pleasure and entertainment.

“Oh my~ Handsome oppa, want to come to my place?”

“Come here~ I’ll give you special service, oppa~ Okay?”

As he walked, prostitutes swarmed like hyenas, rubbing their large breasts on him and licking their lips.

Most men would’ve been riled up.

But Leo felt empty.

Even as the prostitutes expertly tried to seduce him, he just kept walking.

Seeing no reaction, they lost interest and moved on to other passersby.

***

[A Sip of Anguish]

Leo stopped in front of a bar.

Without thinking, he opened the door and stepped inside.

A warm yellow light and gentle darkness filled the space.

At round tables, patrons mingled with prostitutes.

Leo sat at the bartender’s counter.

“What can I get you?”

The bartender approached.

“The strongest thing you’ve got.”

“Understood.”

The bartender went to prepare the drink.

Leo glanced around the pleasure-soaked bar, then stared meaninglessly at the counter.

‘…Your Majesty, why did you entrust your daughter to me of all people?’

He thought of Elizabeth’s real father, who had passed away five years ago.

‘Was he watching this scene now?’

After a few minutes of staring blankly—

The bartender brought the drink.

Leo immediately downed it in one go.

“Whoa there. That’s not really meant to be—”

“One more.”

“A-Alright.”

The bartender gave Leo a look like he was staring at a strange man, then began mixing another drink.

It wasn’t until he had downed five strong shots that the alcohol finally hit him.

Even a Sword Master’s body was beginning to falter.

Leo didn’t care.

He just kept drinking.

He had run nonstop for five years.

All the fatigue he didn’t even realize had built up came crashing down today.

Leo started thinking about the future.

It had been five years—maybe the Empire’s spy network had loosened.

Maybe it was time for a new job.

Leo hadn’t just done construction work all these years.

He’d lived with a sense of purpose.

He studied stocks and made a decent profit.

He also explored the real estate market.

His goal was simple.

To become the owner of a small bookstore.

Books had always been his escape from childhood abuse.

They helped him forget the painful reality—precious things, really.

‘Where should he open it? What books should he carry?’

He was deep in such thoughts—

When he noticed the bar had gone quiet.

The laughter of prostitutes and the groans of men had stopped.

He turned around, wondering what happened—it was because of a new customer.

A guest had just entered, wearing a military uniform.

It was a sharp black uniform.

She wore a neatly placed officer’s cap askew, and instead of wearing the long officer’s coat, she draped it over her shoulders.

Golden epaulettes were attached to the coat.

Long black hair flowed out from beneath it.

Clomp, clomp.

Her military boots thudded on the floor, drawing everyone’s nervous gaze.

The sleeves of her coat fluttered.

Even if you’d done nothing wrong, you’d still get nervous around a military officer.

The soldier looked around, then sat at the bar three seats away from Leo.

“W-Welcome. What can I get you?”

“Your strongest drink, please.”

Strongest drink.

The bartender glanced at Leo, then began mixing a drink.

Leo shrugged and kept drinking.

Military officer or not, he was here to drink.

‘Why do people love alcohol?’

‘Maybe because it dulls the pain.’

Leo poured ten shots of strong liquor into his stomach.

Even the body of a Sword Master couldn’t take much more.

It was late, and he was thinking of leaving—

“When life’s hard for you too, huh?”

The military officer spoke from three seats away, looking straight ahead.

Her voice was soft yet firm.

She was staring at the bottles on the shelf.

With sharply defined features, her side profile was strikingly beautiful.

But her flushed cheeks showed she was completely drunk.

“Hard, you say?”

“That’s how you seem. No strength in your eyes, slumped shoulders, sighing a lot. I’m the same.”

“I see.”

“Would you like to hear my complaints?”

No

Before Leo could reply, she spoke.

Apparently, his answer didn’t matter.

“I’ve been with someone for a long time. A fellow officer from the academy—same branch.”

She held the rim of her glass with gloved fingers and swirled it.

The golden liquid swirled in sync with her golden eyes.

“Honestly, I don’t know what love is. I didn’t love him, but he asked me out, so I just said yes. He’s a decent guy. Heir to a knightly family that values honor and pride.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes, ever since we were kids, he—”

(Continued…)

In response to me, she smiled sweetly and bitterly as she took a drink.

“Well, it’s just one of those stories. You can guess the rest. Pathetic, right?”

“Actually, that’s good. You dodged a petty man.”

“I told you my story, so now it’s your turn.”

At that moment, the woman looked at me for the first time.

Under the dark hair that fell to her brows, melancholic but brilliant golden eyes stared at me.

“So that story wasn’t free, huh.”

“It came with a price. That price is your story.”

“It’s not exactly a cheerful tale, though.”

“As long as it’s more painful than mine. Then it’ll be comforting.”

“You’re quite heartless. It won’t be entertaining, you know.”

“That just makes me want to hear it even more.”

“Don’t be disappointed after hearing it.”

I told her my story, intoxicated by the mood.

After listening to my story, the woman nodded.

“You did well.”

“Did well?”

“You fought for honor and pride. Take care of yourself. You could fall apart if you’re not careful.”

“You sound like someone raising a kid. You sure know a lot.”

“When I was young, I wanted to learn swordsmanship, but my father was against it. When I didn’t give up, he beat me half to death.”

“Wow. Didn’t that make you angry at your parents?”

“I don’t know. But what I do know is that after taking that beating, my dream became even clearer. Iron gets stronger when it’s struck, doesn’t it?”

“What is it, your dream?”

“To become a knight.”

“A knight…”

Leo muttered as he drank.

The woman drank too.

The conversation stopped and silence fell.

The bar table bathed in warm lighting.

The faces of the drunken man and woman were flushed.

They had both suffered heartbreak in their own ways.

And they were adults.

So perhaps what came next was only natural.

“Would you like to date me?”

The golden-eyed woman glanced at me as she spoke.

“Date you?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Just because. Maybe it’s a little rebellion.”

“You’re not… married or anything?”

“I have a daughter.”

“…”

“She’s dead.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. I’ve already forgotten.”

“Then I suppose it doesn’t matter. Let’s date.”

‘Maybe because she’s a soldier, she’s incredibly bold.’

I drank without saying anything.

My head was spinning and my face felt hot.

Fate isn’t always something grand.

Like a leaf that happens to get caught on your coat, it can be something trivial.

I answered as I felt in the moment.

“Yeah, sure. Let’s do that.”

We left the pub.

***

The cold night air wrapped around my hot face.

The drunkenness faded a bit.

Only then could I properly see the woman.

She was tall.

I hadn’t noticed when she was sitting, but standing, she looked over 180 cm.

Her waist was short, her legs long.

She was like a dry winter beauty.

No emotion showed, but even that was charming.

Her eyes were sharp like an eagle’s, yet silent.

The golden irises added to that effect.

I looked down to her chest.

Her uniform couldn’t hide her prominent figure, but more notably, she had many medals pinned to it.

“You seem like a soldier. What’s your rank?”

“Major.”

She brushed the rank insignia on the shoulder of her coat.

“You look young. That’s impressive.”

“I turned 24 this year.”

So she was a noble after all.

Not too surprising.

It was common for young nobles to rise quickly in rank.

Even a lower noble could become a major in their early twenties with enough merit.

“You think I got my rank through nobility, don’t you?”

She immediately saw the meaning behind my gaze.

“I swear, I earned this position with my own skill.”

She rested her arm on the sword at her waist.

‘Did she become a major through swordsmanship?’

“Ah, I see.”

“You actually believe me?”

At that moment—

The entertainment district grew noisy.

Not far off, drunk people were causing a commotion.

‘Thugs?’

I tried to ignore it, but the ruckus grew too loud.

“A beast! A beast has appeared!”

“What the hell is that thing doing here?!”

They weren’t thugs.

People who had mistaken them for thugs were now fleeing in panic.

What emerged among the crowd was a massive cat.

Jet-black, bigger than a tiger, with claws and fangs.

It was a magical beast.

Magical beasts were rare.

Seeing one once or twice in your life was considered unlucky.

And especially in a city like this…

‘That old man was right.’

I clenched my fist, preparing to stir up mana.

I had to hide my identity, but if I didn’t step in, dozens would die.

Then—

“Step back.”

???

The woman pushed me behind her.

And calmly drew her sword.

Shiiing…

The pure white blade slid out.

A clear sound rang out.

“I’ll show you how I earned my rank.”

The sword sang.

A golden aura surged forth, enveloping the blade.

The dazzling light lit up the district.

The fleeing people and the beast all turned to look.

‘Is that mana?’

There are two types of people who use mana.

Those who form circles in their body to cast magic—mages.

…and—

“Swordmasters.”

“You’re not surprised?”

“Should I be?”

“Well, you will be in a moment.”

She smiled proudly and looked ahead.

The beast was there, crouched low and staring up at her.

It had stopped chasing others and now focused solely on her.

It instinctively knew she was the greatest threat.

Kyaaaargh!!

The beast leapt.

Its massive body moved lightly.

It swung its terrifying claws downward.

Swoosh—

She dodged with a light step.

The massive strike shattered the ground where she’d been.

Wind pressure surged.

Her long black hair fluttered.

In its midst, her golden eyes remained calm.

The beast’s forepaw slammed into the ground.

Snap.

She was already in front of it.

She brought her sword down.

Slash.

Kyaaaagh!

The beast’s right foreleg was severed.

It screamed and staggered back.

It moved swiftly, like a cat—but she was faster.

Like a shadow, she was suddenly right in front of it again.

Naturally, that meant the beast was within her strike range.

Another slash.

This time, her blade swept upward diagonally.

Slice— The beast’s remaining foreleg was cut.

Thud— The now four-legged beast collapsed.

It lost its mobility and tried to scramble away using its hind legs.

It had already lost the will to fight.

Only fear filled its monstrous eyes.

The golden-eyed woman stared at the beast like a patient eagle.

From the start, the beast was no match for her.

Golden aura flared from her sword.

She swung her sword through the air.

The aura condensed into a crescent and flew forward.

A sword wave.

It slashed the beast from mouth to anus.

Blood, shredded organs, and bone fragments sprayed in every direction.

The beast was, naturally, dead.

I stood there, speechless.

She turned to me with a relaxed expression.

Seeing my face, she smiled with satisfaction.

“I never told you my name. It’s Hildegarde.”

She sheathed her sword.

At that moment—

The beast, sliced like a sandwich, had its top half flop off like melted cheese.