Chapter III: The Swordswoman Yulithia
“—Gah!”
Someone tugged at my collar, and I let out a strange yelp.
When I woke up, I was in a hospital room bathed in moonlight. The silver-white moon of this other world is enormous and bright, so the moonlight streaming in can serve as illumination at night. Though it’s not bright enough to read by, it’s sufficient for me to grasp what’s happening around me.
“…Master?”
With sleepy eyes, I looked to the side and saw my master clinging tightly to my arm.
No—she was latched on and wouldn’t let go.
She was trembling.
“What’s wrong…?”
“—Don’t…”
It seemed like she was saying something.
I leaned toward her and gently listened—
“—Don’t go somewhere else, don’t go somewhere else, don’t leave me behind, don’t leave me alone, don’t go away again, please, please, please, please—”
“……”
Understanding the situation, I straightened up and let out a deep sigh that seemed to sink into the ceiling. Sigh, it’s happening again?
She had a terrible dream—it might sound childish to put it that way, but simply put, it’s psychological trauma. The scenes from when I nearly died suddenly flash back at night, and aside from clinging to me like this, there’s no good way to deal with it.
Even though I’m the one who’s injured, I think sleeping together every night is a bit overprotective.
In the end, this is the most important reason why I have to do as my master says.
“………”
Ah, damn it, my stomach hurts—but I can’t say that.
Because, no matter what, in this matter—
I definitely feel responsible.
I don’t think I did anything wrong. In that situation, only I, with my half-baked knowledge of the original work, could defeat the Life-Taker. It had to be me. To protect everyone while on the brink of death, I had to be prepared to sacrifice my life, literally.
There was no other way.
But—but,
(I really need to reflect on the thought that ‘it doesn’t matter if I die’…)
I’m a reincarnated person who has already died once and knows this is the world of a manga. Because I’m an ‘alien’ who shouldn’t have existed in the first place, when someone had to be prepared, I felt it should be me, so I readily threw away my life.
Even though it’s the same ‘risking one’s life,’ recklessly sacrificing oneself out of self-abandonment is entirely different from understanding its weight and facing reality head-on.
That must be where I went wrong.
My master knew that I was sacrificing myself with such thoughts—that’s why she’s so upset.
Really, how stupid.
I need to snap out of it. Did I think I was a god just because I realized this is the world of a manga and remembered some original knowledge? Was I viewing things from a god’s perspective?
Even if I’m a reincarnated person, even if I have knowledge of the original work, even if I’m someone who shouldn’t have existed, here and now, I am ‘Volka.’
Just an ordinary person in this world, a human named ‘Volka’—I need to engrave that deep in my soul.
Otherwise, I have no right to say, ‘I want my companions to bounce back.’
“……”
I sighed. I lay back down and gently pulled my master’s small head toward my chest.
At least let the sound of my heartbeat reach her.
“Good morning, Senpai…”
Early the next morning, before the sun had risen, I felt a draft and thought the door had opened. I realized someone had quietly slipped into my hospital room.
One of the skills I’ve learned since reincarnating into this world is the ability to ‘sense people’s presence even while asleep.’
This ability is crucial—one might say it’s a must-have skill for adventurers. In this fantasy world, much like other fantasy works, the primary means of transportation are horses, walking, or ships. Whether during daily adventures or fulfilling guild requests, it’s not uncommon to have to camp out when you can’t reach your destination in a day.
That means there’s always the risk of being targeted by monsters or ‘evildoers’—the general term for ‘villains’ in this world—while sleeping.
If there’s a mage who can use barrier magic or enough spare money to buy barrier stones, that’s another story. But most parties take turns keeping watch overnight. Even then, it’s somewhat careless to sleep soundly without any vigilance, even if your companions are on guard.
It’s fine if companions are keeping watch, but when acting alone, if you don’t have this skill, you can’t sleep well at night. You could say it’s an occupational hazard for adventurers.
I naturally acquired this skill while training with my grandfather, who taught me swordsmanship during my childhood. Sensing a person’s presence and leaping up immediately—I didn’t think I’d develop such manga-like reflexes, but now I’m also a resident of another world. In other words, the potential abilities of humans in a fantasy world aren’t bound by the common sense of Earthlings.
“Senpai… it’s morning…”
The intruder stood by my bedside and gently whispered.
Ah, it’s my junior swordswoman, Yulithia. Since it’s not an suspicious person, there’s no need to leap up; I lingered in a half-asleep, half-awake state, lazing in bed a bit.
“………”
What’s going on? I feel like Yulithia is staring at me intently.
“…Such a large scar…”
She seems to be looking at the wound on my right eye. After all, I have an exaggerated scar from my forehead to my cheek that you’d only see in a manga. For the youngest member of our group, there’s probably nothing more heartbreaking to see—
“Senpai, please don’t be reckless like last time. I won’t let you do such a thing ever again. From now on, leave everything to me; rely on me. I’ll become stronger, work hard to support you so that you won’t have to do anything—whether you’re awake or asleep, everything in your daily life, everything, okay? No matter what it is, we’ll always, always—”
That was terrifying. Muttering like a ghost at my bedside made me shiver.
I opened my eyes.
“Ah—g-good morning, Senpai. Did I wake you?”
Standing there was the usual Yulithia, flashing a cute, flustered smile. Hmm, I must have misheard. I thought she said something that made my stomach hurt…
Oh well.
“Good morning, Yulithia.”
“Yes, good morning!”
About the youngest genius swordswoman in our party, Yulithia.
To be honest, my impression of her in the original work is very poor. Of course, that doesn’t mean I dislike her. It’s just that in that total annihilation ending, her fate was particularly… uh…
How nice it would be if I could forget. Just because she was a one-off background character who appeared and exited in a single chapter, does that make it okay to do such terrible things to her? That author is really twisted…
I truly feel that fighting desperately back then was worth it. That this child can now live and smile like this—just that alone makes me feel that sacrificing my right eye and left leg was worthwhile.
Setting aside the original work, let me describe my understanding.
First, her age—she’s four years younger than me, thirteen years old, which would be just starting middle school in my previous life—the youngest in our party. In this world, many children work or take up arms, but even so, adventurers as young as she is are still rare.
She’s a girl who fits the description of ‘delicate and lovely.’ Her soft, medium-length hair is a pale cherry blossom color, almost white, neatly cascading over her shoulders. Her gentle, pink eyes and the floral hair accessories near her temples gracefully highlight her pure and captivating impression.
Her attire, based on white and accented with red and pink, is rather elegant for an adventurer’s light armor—perhaps it’s more fitting to describe her as a noble lady. In fact, she’s from the royal capital, and her family is quite distinguished. In our party, she’s undoubtedly the most well-bred young lady.
From her appearance, you can imagine her personality is very gentle and quiet. She’s polite like a refined young lady, speaks to everyone in formal language, and is a bit shy with people she meets for the first time. She’s taller than our master, who looks like a complete little girl, but still petite. Aside from the single-edged curved sword at her waist, just like mine, she doesn’t look like an adventurer at all. At first glance, anyone would think that such an innocent child couldn’t possibly wield a sword and fight monsters.
But don’t underestimate her—she’s a sword prodigy who would overshadow even ordinary knights. Although she calls me ‘Senpai’ and admires me greatly, to be honest, when I was her age, she was much stronger than I was.
“Ms. Liselotte, please wake up; it’s already morning.”
“Mm…”
Despite being the youngest, Yulithia has become the eldest sister or even mother figure in our party. After all, my communication skills are lacking, our master is a little girl, and our heavy warrior Atori is completely helpless outside of combat—Yulithia is the most reliable.
Our master clung tightly to my arm, sleeping soundly. Yulithia gently waking her up was an elegant sight, not at all like a thirteen-year-old.
“Nngh… Huh? Is it morning already…?”
“Yes, good morning. Please get up.”
“No.”
“Don’t be difficult. Come on, even Senpai is already up…”
“Ugh—”
“Ms. Liselotte… sigh…”
Hmm… where did our master’s leadership aura go…? She’s usually like this when she just wakes up. If we call her usual great and proud self ‘Master Mode,’ then this must be ‘Little Girl Mode.’
But it’s great that she could sleep well without being troubled by nightmares afterward. Yulithia and I helped our master sit up on the bed. She still only mumbled “Ah—” and “Ugh—,” reluctantly leaning against my arm.
…Is our master really older than me? Could it be “I’m Liselotte Aruty, seven years old!”? How did she travel alone before meeting me…
“Senpai, here you go.”
“Ah, thank you.”
Yulithia handed me a warm towel from a basin. She must have asked the sisters to prepare it. Having the youngest person be so reliable makes us older ones feel inadequate…
Since I lost my eye and leg, Yulithia has been selflessly offering me all kinds of support. Every morning, she comes to check on me like this. If I need anything, she’ll get it immediately. Not only does she prepare meals, but she even offered to help me wipe my body at night—of course, I respectfully declined that last offer out of male pride.
And it’s not just for me; she’s also been caring for both our master and Atori. Before my injury, I was also the one taking care of everyone. In short, she’s been working hard, including on my behalf, so I can recuperate without worries and do nothing.
Don’t you feel ashamed letting the youngest girl do so much? Honestly, I feel very sorry…
I need to quickly get used to living with one leg and at least be able to take care of myself.
“I’ll leave breakfast here. Please eat together after Ms. Liselotte gets up.”
“Alright.”
“And, um… is there anything you need me to do today? Anything at all; I won’t let Senpai experience any inconvenience…!”
“Well… there’s nothing for now. I need to gradually get used to this body.”
I don’t think I said anything strange, but Yulithia visibly looked disappointed.
“Ugh… am I unreliable…?”
“No, quite the opposite—you’re so reliable that I’m about to leave everything to you.”
“…It’s okay if you leave e-everything to me, you know?”
No, that’s not okay. Having a thirteen-year-old take care of me completely—that would be a criminal case in my previous life.
“Really, it’s fine; don’t worry about me.”
“—No.”
“Don’t—”
“I care a lot. Isn’t it natural? You pushed yourself so hard, nearly died, and ended up like this… I absolutely won’t leave you alone. You can’t push yourself anymore; I won’t allow it. I’m not angry, okay? I’m just worried about you. If something happens next time, I feel like you might really disappear. I really don’t want that to happen… So, to prevent a repeat, we’ve decided to protect you. I’ll become stronger, much, much stronger. I’ll work hard so I can shoulder everything for you.
—So, is there anything you need me to do?”
“…Ah… Well…”
“Is there anything you need me to do?”
“Yuli…”
“Is there anything you need me to do?”
Are you an NPC that loops infinitely unless I choose the correct option?
Ms. Yulithia, your mouth is smiling, but your eyes aren’t at all. That smile doesn’t look like a smile. Enduring the churning in my stomach, I said,
“Then… could you please pour me some water? And for Master as well—a bit more would be better.”
“Ah… I’m sorry, I didn’t even notice…! I’ll get it right away.”
As soon as I asked, the unsettling aura around her instantly dissipated. I watched her happily leave and then sighed deeply, facing the floor.
“…Guess I’d better work hard on rehabilitation.”
This won’t do. If I continue being unable to manage my daily life like this, I’ll just add unnecessary emotional burdens on them, just like Master a few days ago. Whether it’s a wheelchair or a prosthetic, I need to reintegrate into society quickly and handle my own affairs.
Perhaps because I recall the hopelessly bad ending of the original work, I sincerely hope now that all my companions can have a happy future. Even though it’s a dark fantasy where lives are as fleeting as feathers, it’s a story centered around adventurers and knights fighting monsters, and the towns are generally depicted as people living peaceful lives.
If one day they meet someone wonderful and grasp ordinary happiness—if I could see that scene, I’d be deeply moved.
I’m currently asking the church to prepare a prosthetic limb for me; I wonder what level of technology prosthetics have in another world.
If it’s a magical device that allows me to walk easily once installed, the future would be brighter.
After that, Master, having awakened from her ‘Little Girl Mode,’ put on her masterly demeanor and said, “I’ll stay by Volka’s side; leave it to me!” Finally convincing Yulithia to back down.
Well, it was a success.
“Then I’ll be hunting monsters nearby until noon. I’ll earn good money, including on Senpai’s behalf, so don’t worry.”
“Ugh.”
A man lying idle in bed while the youngest girl goes out to earn money…
Oh, my stomach. My poor stomach.
To Yulithia, her encounter with the swordsman named Volka was destiny.
It’s not an exaggeration; meeting him changed Yulithia’s life. Because she met him, Yulithia could love the sword once again, break free from her family’s constraints, ignore her parents’ words, and take a step forward by her own will.
Since Senpai disliked being called ‘Master,’ she settled for calling him ‘Senpai.’
To Yulithia, this man Volka was an irreplaceable mentor not just in swordsmanship but also in life.
Yulithia was born into a fairly prestigious family, one that had produced excellent knights who joined the royal capital’s knight order multiple times.
She was gentle and timid by nature, not suited to be a knight, but the talents of her ancestors were certainly etched into her blood, and she loved the sword so much that nothing else caught her eye. The first toy her parents gave her was a blunt wooden training sword, and her teacher in swordsmanship was a family servant—a retired knight from several years prior.
Yulithia had two older brothers.
Her eldest brother was brave and passionate despite his young age, and her second brother was smart and strict. Unlike the timid Yulithia, the two were natural-born knight material. She remembered how her brothers enthusiastically trained every day, bearing their parents’ expectations.
On one hand, there were the two brothers dreaming of becoming first-class knights, directly receiving strict training from their parents.
On the other hand, there was Yulithia, who might not even become a knight in the future, learning swordsmanship that was more like play from an old servant.
It was easy for anyone to see which side the goddess of the sword would favor.
But one day, out of mutual curiosity, Yulithia and her brothers sparred.
The result was that Yulithia utterly defeated both brothers.
At that time, Yulithia was simply desperately trying not to disappoint her brothers. She couldn’t even remember how she fought.
According to the servant who watched—the brothers initially took on a guiding role, but after a few minutes, they were evenly matched. A few minutes later, she turned the tables, and in the end—it couldn’t even be called ‘training.’
The brothers’ swordsmanship, movements, footwork—Yulithia beautifully mimicked them after seeing them once and completely made them her own after a second glance.
Yulithia was undoubtedly a genius.
For her brothers, it was unbearably humiliating, as if their very existence had been denied. This was only natural. They, who trained rigorously every day, had lost to a frail girl who treated the sword as a plaything. Their accumulated efforts were cruelly trampled by the word ‘talent.’
It was enough for the two brothers to come to hate Yulithia.
They stopped talking to her. Even so, Yulithia desperately tried to speak to them, but their responses were clicks of the tongue and fists. When their parents learned of Yulithia’s talent, they scolded the brothers, saying, “Why are you two so useless?” and lavished praise on Yulithia, saying, “As expected of our child.”—After their parents fell asleep late at night, the brothers grabbed Yulithia by the hair, threw her, and kicked her back countless times.
Yulithia cried and apologized, and looking down at her were two pairs of eyes twisted by hatred and jealousy.
“You stole our sword skills, stole our efforts. You’re a thief who can’t do anything without stealing from others”—insults and contemptuous words were incessant.
Her drastically changed daily life soon eroded Yulithia’s heart.
She could no longer hold a sword. She wanted to wield it, but the moment she gripped the hilt, her chest tightened, her breathing became erratic, and the pain from being kicked by her brothers resurfaced. She felt as if they were glaring at her with those hateful eyes from somewhere.
A small mercy was that Yulithia was soon to attend school.
She told her parents she hadn’t been practicing the sword lately because she was suddenly interested in magic. She refused her parents’ recommendation to attend the same knight training school as her brothers and chose to live in a dormitory at a magic school in a city near the royal capital.
Because if she took the same path as her brothers, it was clear she would be treated even worse.
“—I want to learn something other than the sword.”
She lied. Her parents were somewhat disappointed.
“Well, that’s fine. But with your talent, becoming a Holy Knight one day isn’t just a dream.”
A Holy Knight—the strongest title in this country, unmatched in strength among knights, capable of using magic on par with sages.
Her parents had never said such words to her brothers even once.
What is talent?
Hated by her brothers, lying to her parents, unable to hold the sword she loved most, leaving home as if running away—
Is that talent?
But in hindsight, Yulithia felt it was truly fortunate that she left home when she did.
The event that changed her life happened in her second year at the magic school when she turned nine. That day, Yulithia inexplicably felt the urge to swing a sword early in the morning, so she took a training wooden sword in one hand and went to a secluded clearing.
Despite the excessive treatment she received from her brothers, Yulithia couldn’t completely give up the sword. While living in the school’s dormitory, she occasionally felt like picking up the sword as she did today. At such times, she always came to this clearing to relieve her frustrations with a bit of practice.
Since leaving home, she was virtually estranged from her brothers, which allowed her mental state to recover enough to hold a sword to some extent. But if she held it too long, past memories would flash back, so she really only trained for a short while.
However, that day, there was someone else in the clearing that usually had no children.
A boy about the same age as her brothers, with gray hair.
Yulithia sighed softly. She had finally found a place where she could quietly swing her sword without worrying about others’ eyes. But she hadn’t put up a sign claiming this as her territory, so being concerned because someone else got there first was her issue.
She decided to give up for today—listlessly, she gazed blankly at the boy.
(…Ah, this person also likes swords—)
She noticed that the boy was practicing swordsmanship, just like her. Holding the scabbard at his left waist directly with his left hand, he took a shallow stance with the sword sheathed. In front of him, to his left and right, were simple targets made with earth magic. He was probably training his speed in cutting down the three earth targets, Yulithia thought.
“……”
At the same time, she felt a bit envious. This person was up early in the morning to train, and there were hardly any people on the streets yet. He must really love the sword. Loving the sword so much that he could practice freely in his favorite place—just that made her envious.
Because Yulithia could no longer do something so natural.
“……Sigh…”
It would be nice if she could think, ‘Since I’m here, I’ll train too.’ When she swung her sword under others’ gaze, she felt as if her brothers were glaring at her from somewhere. Moreover, she might subconsciously steal the boy’s sword techniques. If that happened, next time he would surely look at her with contempt and scorn.
Yulithia sighed again and was about to turn and leave. She averted her eyes from the boy, who was slowly sheathing his sword as if performing a ritual, and from the scattered targets on the ground—
“—Huh?”
She stopped. Wait, what did that person just do?
All three targets had been cut down. She couldn’t understand what had happened. When did the boy draw his sword, and how did he cut the targets? She hadn’t even grasped the moment he drew his sword; before she knew it, he was already beginning to sheathe it.
Although Yulithia had been lost in thought, she had never taken her eyes off the boy.
“Huh? Huh…?”
Could it be that she had just witnessed something incredible?
Holding a stance with the sword still sheathed and drawing it to cut at a speed beyond sight—it was a sword technique she had never seen or heard of before. Yulithia had learned to draw the sword from its scabbard and then take a stance from the family servant, so she thought that was only natural. Her father and brothers did the same; everyone took that stance when practicing.
She had never thought there could be a stance without drawing the sword. More importantly, although she had been a bit distracted, she couldn’t visually comprehend his sword technique—
“…Hmm?”
“Ah—”
The boy noticed Yulithia standing there dumbfounded.
Only then did Yulithia snap back to reality, simultaneously freezing up. She was already shy by nature, and at that time, she was particularly bad at dealing with males around her brothers’ age. If someone looked about the same age as her brothers, it would remind her of the violence and contempt she had suffered before, causing her body to tense up.
The boy glanced at the wooden sword in Yulithia’s hand.
“Ah… Is this place your practice spot?”
“…Uh, um, that…”
If it were her usual self, she might have shouted, “It’s nothing, sorry!” and dashed away.
But.
But at that moment, more than running away,
“Ju-just now…”
She couldn’t suppress her curiosity. Was it really okay to run away in fear after seeing an unprecedented sword technique? If she ran away now, she might never meet this boy again—
She looked up.
Even though she was now afraid of holding a sword.
“—Could you please show me what you just did one more time…!”
Her desire to keep loving the sword still gave her a push.
The boy’s name was Volka. At just thirteen, he was already active as an adventurer and had just checked into an inn in this city yesterday.
A thirteen-year-old adventurer was surprising enough, but what Yulithia found even more unbelievable was—
“—’Iaido’?”
“Uh, that’s what I call it…”
“Could it be that you created it yourself, Mr. Volka?”
“Well… I’m not sure. I’ve never seen anyone else use it, so I guess you could say that…?”
That lightning-fast sword technique—’Iaido’—had no other practitioners besides Volka. In other words, it was a sword art he had created and perfected himself.
In this country, there are several mainstream sword schools, and the founders of each school have left an indelible mark in history as ‘Sword Saints.’ Just from the fact that he ‘created an unprecedented new sword technique,’ the boy before her had achieved a feat equal to that of a Sword Saint. Yulithia was deeply moved, her eyes sparkling.
“A-amazing. You might go down in history…!”
“…Please don’t. I’m just an ordinary swordsman who likes to practice.”
Volka genuinely seemed uncomfortable. Although Yulithia hadn’t interacted with him for long, she sensed that he, like herself, didn’t like standing out in front of others. His way of speaking was restrained, and he wasn’t very talkative—the complete opposite of her brothers, who were arrogant and overly confident.
Moreover, he had no interest in fame or praise; he simply loved the sword.
Though she knew it might be rude, she felt a kinship with Volka because of their similarities. Perhaps because of this, after a few minutes, her initial anxiety and nervousness gradually dissipated, and she became completely absorbed in discussing swordsmanship.
“I see… Indeed, with a curved sword, you can draw it smoothly with the movement of your arm.”
“Yes, it’s quite difficult with a straight sword.”
Volka’s sword was a slender, single-edged curved sword, quite rare in this country. Yulithia, being from a knightly family, had only been exposed to traditional straight swords. Just having the chance to witness Volka’s sword made her delighted.
Later, Yulithia asked Volka to demonstrate his skill once more. Volka used magic to recreate three targets and again focused, taking the ‘unsheathed stance.’
A tranquil posture like gazing over a calm water surface—at the same time, Yulithia felt an aura like flickering flames, her skin tingling slightly. Determined not to miss it this time, she swallowed nervously and stared intently. She analyzed the flow of power, noted the position of his center of gravity, and tried to predict the imminent future from his gaze and breathing.
He moved.
“—!”
Yulithia barely caught glimpses of fine flashes slicing through.
By the time she realized it, Volka was already beginning to sheathe his sword. The blade slid silently and slowly into the scabbard, and at the moment the small sound of the sword fully sheathing echoed—the three earth targets were once again cut into pieces and fell to the ground.
It was as if the targets themselves only realized they had been cut after the sound of the sword being sheathed.
(—Amazing. So… so beautiful.)
Yulithia stood there as if spellbound. It was the first time she had been so moved by watching someone’s swordsmanship. She realized that the sword techniques she had learned so far were really just child’s play.
There was no need to compare them to the swords of her brothers lingering in her memory; it was meaningless.
She felt immense respect for the boy before her.
“Mr. Volka… how much training have you done…?”
“Well… I guess there were times when I felt like I might die.”
Hearing Volka’s slightly bitter smile as he answered, Yulithia wasn’t surprised. Indeed, it would take that much effort; rather, without such training, it would be impossible to reach such heights at just thirteen.
At that point, her future course was clear.
“Please! Make me your disciple!”
She bowed deeply, her head almost touching the ground.
An intense desire surged within her—she wanted to be like him.
She felt exhilarated.
“…Mr. Volka, may I give it a try?”
“Hmm? Sure…”
—At that moment, Yulithia was undoubtedly captivated by Volka’s swordsmanship, unable to extricate herself.
Before the image of Volka’s technique faded from her mind, Yulithia adopted a stance in the empty air. She stepped back with her left foot about two paces, lowered her right side to hide the sword at her waist, shifted her weight slightly backward, gently bent her knees, and imagined her feet rooting into the ground.
Yulithia’s wooden sword had no scabbard, and the blade wasn’t curved. What she was doing now was mere imitation. But having witnessed such an unprecedented and brilliant sword technique, she couldn’t suppress the urge to try it herself.
Seeing Yulithia suddenly take a stance, Volka was momentarily puzzled but soon found it amusing, curling his lips into a slight smile as he decided to watch quietly. Let’s see how far you can go after just seeing it twice—he seemed to harbor such expectations as he observed.
Yulithia felt no pressure; she was equally excited, as if she’d returned to a time when all she did, awake or asleep, was practice swordsmanship. It felt like she was having a wonderful dream. The haunting images of her brothers, which had tormented her until now, didn’t even flash through her mind.
She took a deep breath, sharpened her senses—and swung her sword.
“Hah—!”
She unleashed Body Enhancement in an instant, slashing horizontally to the right and retracting to the left. The entire motion took less than a second—a fleeting flash of the blade.
But with just that one strike, Yulithia physically grasped the endless refinement Volka had accumulated over time. Yulithia, who once mastered her brothers’ sword techniques after watching them twice, found herself far inferior to Volka with this strike. This sword art wasn’t something that could be mimicked after just two or three observations.
The gap is immense—that was the situation.
Yet she felt an incredible exhilaration. It might have been the most joyful moment she’d ever experienced while wielding a sword. Mr. Volka, you’re truly amazing—she wanted to praise him like that.
“…What? Wait, could you really do that just by watching? No way…”
“—Ah.”
The blood drained from Yulithia’s excited mind in an instant.
Her blissful dream ended. She recalled Volka’s dumbfounded words and his incredulous gaze.
It was the same expression her brothers had when sparring with her.
“—No, that’s not… um, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to steal your sword technique…”
—Ah, that’s right. Why did she imitate Volka’s swordsmanship? She knew full well that it was the last thing she should do.
She’d been so overjoyed discussing swordsmanship with Volka that she’d lost herself. Yulithia had once again tried to despicably snatch away someone else’s hard-earned sword skills, to steal the fruits of their relentless effort.
“I’m sorry, that’s not it, I’m sorry, p-please forgive me…!”
Her heart began to pound unpleasantly. Her breathing grew rapid, and her mind was about to be swallowed by darkness. From the depths of that darkness resurfaced the hateful gazes of her brothers and their contemptuous words toward her.
—You stole our sword skills.
—You stole our hard work.
—You’re a thief who can’t do anything without stealing from others!
If this person were to direct the same hatred and disdain at her—if the one person she finally wanted to genuinely respect ended up despising and rejecting her, turning everything to nothing—
Just thinking about it made her tears well up. She felt utterly frustrated. She couldn’t take it anymore. Why wasn’t she even allowed to like what she wanted to like? Why wouldn’t the gods grant her the simple wish of loving the sword?
If she had to endure such painful experiences, she’d rather have been born without any talent at all—
“W-What’s wrong? Why are you apologizing?”
“—Huh?”
But.
Volka was different from her brothers. Not only was he not angry, he seemed somewhat flustered.
“Did I, uh, make a face that gave you the wrong idea? Ah—no, that’s just how I look; I’m not in a bad mood. Please don’t mind it…”
For some reason, it was Volka who was desperately explaining himself. Yulithia’s mind couldn’t keep up with the situation.
“B-Because… I stole your sword technique…”
“Um…? Ah, you mean so-called ‘stealing’… Hmm?”
She didn’t think she’d said anything strange, but somehow her meaning wasn’t getting through to Volka.
“…Ah, anyway, anyway, you’re interested in my Iaido, right?”
“Y-Yes…”
Suddenly, Volka firmly grasped Yulithia’s shoulders with both hands.
“I’ve been wanting to meet someone like you.”
“Yah?!”
Steam seemed to rise from Yulithia’s head. At that time, she was only nine years old—a girl who still dreamed appropriate to her age. In a way, perhaps it was fortunate; the dark shadows of her brothers completely vanished as the swordsman she genuinely respected suddenly expressed enthusiasm toward her.
Thanks to that, she couldn’t process anything Volka excitedly said afterward: “Iaido is great—cool and beautiful, full of romance. It’s a bit challenging, but if you’re interested, please give it a try.”
“H-Hwaa, hwaa waa waa waa…”
“Ah—s-sorry.”
Only when Yulithia’s eyes began to glaze over did Volka realize.
“I-I got a bit carried away. Sorry, I couldn’t help getting excited. My sword style is always ridiculed as ‘just for show’ or ‘only good for flashy moves’…”
“…”
At this point, Yulithia gradually understood the situation. She calmed down and timidly asked:
“…You’re… not angry?”
“? Not at all.”
Volka nodded firmly.
“Rather, I’m super impressed. For you to do this much after just watching briefly, I can’t afford to lag behind.”
Yulithia asked again:
“C-Can I… wield the sword?”
“Hmm…? Do you even need to ask? Though I’m not very confident, and I’m not sure if I can teach you well.”
Volka gently extended his hand toward Yulithia.
“If you don’t mind, would you like to practice swords with me a bit more?”
“…!!”
—Ah, how much salvation did those words bring to Yulithia? How happy did they make her?
Volka didn’t despise her talent like her brothers did, nor did he place suffocating expectations on her like her parents. He simply saw Yulithia before him as a girl who loved the sword.
It’s okay for you to love the sword just like that—she seemed to hear Volka saying.
How could she not adore him for that?
“…M-Mr. Volka!”
“What’s wrong?”
Holding back tears that were about to overflow, Yulithia called his name with all her might.
She didn’t want this happiness to end. Tomorrow, the day after—at least while Volka remained in this city—she wanted to learn swordsmanship from him every day. Even if the day came when he would inevitably leave, she still imagined how wonderful it would be if she could stay by his side and keep loving the sword.
Having left home—or rather, having suppressed her feelings even before leaving—Yulithia’s emotions were completely unleashed, plunging her into a state of losing control.
To reiterate, Yulithia was only nine years old at the time—a girl who still dreamed as one her age should. A prince on a white horse suddenly appeared before her and saved her—if such a storybook encounter truly happened, it was understandable that she couldn’t control her feelings.
As a result, when considering what words Yulithia chose to convey her feelings—
“Um, uh, I-I, I’ve f-f-fallen in love with you!!”
“…What?”
“…Huh? Ah—”
Volka’s reaction was entirely reasonable. It was utterly embarrassing. No matter how you thought about it, what she should have said was “fallen in love with your sword,” not “with you.”
But that couldn’t be helped.
Because thanks to this encounter, Yulithia’s gray world was once again painted with vibrant colors.
“…Hmm.”
Recalling some past events, Yulithia slowly shook her head, exhaled deeply, and flicked off the bits of monster blood clinging to her blade.
A little distance from the small town of Lude where they were currently staying, beyond the streets, there was a medium-sized forest. Yulithia was undertaking a simple monster extermination quest to earn money for Volka, who was recuperating at the church.
The monsters she’d slain had already been reduced to loot and vanished.
That made thirty-six.
She had defeated more than enough, but Yulithia’s expression remained gloomy.
“…I still can’t reach it at all.”
Her right hand gripping the sword was filled with a melancholic strength. No matter how Yulithia swung, the blade would always get stained with the blood of the slain monsters. It was much better than before, but it still got bloody.
Most people might wonder what’s so strange about that. It’s normal for the blood of slain monsters to splatter onto the sword.
But Volka’s sword was different.
Volka never let blood stain his blade. Even after slaying hundreds or thousands of monsters, that beautiful blade was never tainted by red or black. His lightning-fast swordsmanship didn’t even allow others to perceive the moment the blade left the scabbard. Only those who persistently and straightforwardly pursued this craft could reach such an endpoint on the path of the sword.
She exhaled absentmindedly this time.
“Ha… Senpai is truly amazing. Senpai, Senpai, Senpai, Senpai—”
In her mind, she replayed the moment when Volka vanquished the Life-Taker before her eyes. A swordsman who discarded everything to unleash an astonishing technique that seemed capable of slicing even light itself. Even Yulithia, praised as a prodigy, couldn’t hope to match it—it was beyond the limit.
Just imagining it made her entire body gradually dominated by ecstasy. She even felt a floating sense of happiness and satisfaction. Ever since she first saw Volka, Yulithia had always been a captive of his sword. She even felt that she was born to meet this person.
Therefore.
“——…”
The ecstasy throughout her body quickly vanished, transforming into heavy regret and guilt.
The image of Volka missing his right eye and left leg.
“…It’s all my fault.”
Liselotte blamed herself, thinking it was because she accepted that quest. But no, Liselotte had done nothing wrong. The guild had officially recognized that the labyrinth had been thoroughly conquered. No one in the world could have predicted that a true boss would lurk in the deepest hidden transfer trap.
So the one truly at fault was Yulithia, who triggered the transfer trap.
“If only I hadn’t made that mistake—”
They wouldn’t have encountered the Life-Taker. If they hadn’t met that monster, Volka wouldn’t have lost an eye and a leg. At just seventeen, he possessed swordsmanship on par with a Holy Knight and would one day reach uncharted realms, engraving an immortal name in history.
But that future was already shattered.
She heard from Liselotte—that Volka hadn’t expected to survive that battle; he fought with the resolve to die.
Even if he miraculously survived, a swordsman who lost his pivot foot was as good as dead.
Yulithia’s foolish failure had robbed the future of the most respected swordsman in her life.
This fact filled Yulithia’s heart with darkness.
“I have to become stronger… much stronger.”
In that battle, Yulithia couldn’t do anything. She was struck down by the Life-Taker, her body cowering from pain and fear, unable to stand. All she could do was lie on the ground and watch Volka fight to the death.
She was too weak—in swordsmanship and in spirit—so weak it was shameful, laughable.
As Volka’s only swordsmanship disciple, she felt immense regret.
So she had to become stronger.
She had to get as close as possible to Volka’s sword, to inherit it, to prove that his sword was still here. If Yulithia, his only disciple, didn’t carry it on, Iaido would disappear from this world forever.
Moreover, she had to atone.
For the future.
For what Volka could have accomplished.
She had to protect the person she admired.
To prevent him from being hurt again.
To prevent anyone else from taking him away.
—If Volka just entrusted everything to Yulithia, that would be enough.
“That way, I can protect everything about Senpai, right—?”
No one answered.
In the forest some distance from the town, the sunlight filtered through the lush branches couldn’t reach Yulithia’s eyes.
“…Where did Ms. Atori go?”
“If we kill every last monster, Volka will be safe when we return”—saying such things, the maid warrior had wandered off. Yulithia was searching for her, walking with lifeless eyes.
If Volka were present, he’d probably roll his eyes from stomach pain, twitching nonstop.
The boy was running frantically. He regretted his arrogance—he shouldn’t have overestimated his abilities and ventured out alone.
This was a common mistake among talented adventurers with promising futures. After receiving guidance from seasoned adventurers and smoothly completing quests every day, one day they suddenly felt something was missing: “Maybe I can handle things on my own?” Always being told, “You’re still young,” “You’re still a newbie,” unable to realize the adventures they imagined, they began to tire of such days.
The boy was one such novice who failed.
“I’m fine on my own. Stop treating me like a kid. I’ll make you acknowledge my strength”—with such bravado, he accepted a quest alone despite the guild’s objections. It wasn’t anything special—just a simple job of exterminating a certain number of monsters near the town. The guild regularly issued such quests to maintain public order; no dangerous monsters would appear, and no one was troubled by it.
It was a quest akin to training for novice adventurers.
He couldn’t stand the fact that even taking on such a quest alone made people frown.
Everyone said he had “talent” and that they “looked forward to his future.”
But inside, they must be laughing at him, thinking he’s just a brat, a wet-behind-the-ears rookie.
The strongest monsters appearing near the town were at most demon wolves or goblins. He had already defeated several such monsters without ever struggling; he truly believed he could easily win alone.
And this was the result.
The hunter had become the hunted—the boy was pathetically fleeing from just three goblins.
It started off perfectly. Upon spotting three goblins in the forest near the town, the boy charged in and splendidly cut down one of them.
Everything after that was unexpected. The remaining two goblins, seeing their comrade slain, immediately spread out, keeping their distance from the boy on both sides. At this point, the boy grew a bit anxious; he had never experienced being flanked by monsters before, always having fought in a party.
If he had come with a party, his companions could have handled the other monsters.
But being solo meant just that—he was alone, armed only with a sword in his right hand. Only now did the boy gradually realize how unsettling that was for combat.
A stone suddenly struck the back of his head, and he noticed there were two more goblins hiding in the bushes.
The protective spell inscribed on his light armor activated, so he wasn’t bleeding, but the unexpected impact and pain easily threw the boy into panic.
His defenses were full of holes. The goblins on both sides attacked simultaneously; though he resisted desperately and managed to slay one more, his right arm was lightly slashed by a dagger—probably looted from some passerby.
When his dominant hand went numb and he couldn’t grip his sword, he realized the dagger was poisoned.
He hadn’t trained to wield a sword with his left hand; the only option left for the boy was to flee.
“Damn it, why… why?!”
He couldn’t understand why he had to run. His opponents were weak monsters he’d never struggled against when fighting in a party; he couldn’t comprehend why he was losing so easily when fighting alone. Yet even a hotheaded youth could barely grasp that he was now facing a desperate crisis.
Am I really going to be killed by these guys here, dying without accomplishing anything—
The worst imaginable thoughts crawled up his spine, as if they were about to choke him.
A girl.
“—?!”
Just now, he brushed past a girl. Reflexively wanting to stop, the moment he tried, his overstressed nerves snapped, and he stumbled and fell.
No time to groan in pain. He got up and looked back—sure enough, there was a girl. So focused on escaping, he hadn’t noticed her at all before passing her.
The girl also turned to look at him, showing a surprised expression. For some reason, she seemed to have just noticed him as well.
“Huh—are… are you okay?”
“Ah, wha—”
She was a very petite girl.
She looked younger than him.
He was too flustered, or perhaps his throat was dry; he couldn’t make a sound. This was bad—really bad. He didn’t know why a girl was in a place like this, but it was clear the pursuing goblins would soon target her instead.
“R-Run, hurry!”
“?”
By the time he forced out his voice, it was too late.
All he could do was stare blankly.
Don’t die on me, boy…! It’s just a mere fatal wound…!
Poor kid, he didn’t do anything wrong. Sure, there’s a difference in rank, but who am I to deny his feelings of wanting to team up with a girl he cares about?
What the boy should resent are those scoundrels from Yulithia’s past who gave her countless unpleasant memories.
“Hey, Volka, do you want another one? I’ll go buy one more, and we can eat together.”
“Sorry, Master, just a moment.”
For now, let’s set aside Master, who seems stuck in her little-girl mode.
“Ah… um, it’s not your fault. She’s had many bad experiences in the past due to annoying pestering.”
“…!”
I tried to smooth things over for the boy, but for some reason, he glared at me as if I were his mortal enemy. Is this my fault?
The boy clenched his fists, trembling nonstop.
“So you really are… with this man…”
“Eh… y-yes.”
“Vol—ka—!”
“Mmgh!”
Just as Yulithia was about to answer, Master, feeling ignored and displeased, angrily shoved the candied apple into my mouth. What are you doing all of a sudden?!
“Don’t bother with someone like him; talk to me! Alright, let’s go buy another one!”
“Mmff mmff mm mm mmff mm mmff”
“I-I really cherish… uh, um… ahh”
“Don’t think you’ve won just because of this——!”
Then, while my attention was diverted by Master, the boy ran off after leaving behind a textbook line.
Silence.
Uh, just now, Yulithia… well, anyway, she successfully rejected the boy’s invitation. He probably expected that she might refuse if she already had a party, but he still took a heavy blow… Perhaps this means his feelings for Yulithia are genuine.
“Hmm? It seems he’s willing to give up. Well then, Senpai, shall we go?”
“…Mmgh.”
As if the troublesome matter had ended, Yulithia began pushing the wheelchair again.
Hang in there, boy. Right now, Yulithia sees you as nothing more than a complete stranger. If you want to earn her recognition, don’t just talk—take action. The only path is to become stronger through straightforward determination. Let your sword speak for your strength.
“Yulithia.”
“What is it?”
“If you find someone you like… it’s okay to team up with him. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“Hehe, Senpai, really, there’s no such person.”
Is it necessary to be so absolute? If that boy heard this, he’d probably cry his heart out.
Hmm, I understand her wariness toward strangers, but she’s still a thirteen-year-old girl. I think it’d be better for her to interact more with people her own age—
“—Senpai.”
It happened all of a sudden.
Right by my ear, so close I could hear her breathing. Yulithia leaned in as if she wanted to hold me tightly with her petite arms.
“I will always stay by your side.
—Is that okay, Senpai?”
It was the usual Yulithia. The same gentle voice as always, just as cute, just as caring, just like always—
“…I-is that so…?”
“Yes.”
But, why?
My spine was so cold I couldn’t even turn to look back.
