The girl swung the sword.
It was an ordinary swing that was neither fast nor seemed to evoke any special realization.
However, the rock that was in the path of the girl’s sword naturally split in half, as if it were meant to be that way.
The man watching the scene instinctively felt it.
Whatever was in front of her, be it a rock or something else, would be sliced by the girl’s sword.
The man, who was utterly bewildered by this inexplicable phenomenon, asked the girl.
“How did you do that?”
“You mean this? Well, I just thought that if you want to learn the sword, you should cut the rock, so I thought I wanted to cut the rock, and eventually, I could do it. I’m not really sure myself.”
The man, momentarily silenced by the girl’s innocent eyes staring at him as if something was wrong, understood that there were those born with unusual abilities.
There were indeed people with powers not possessed by ordinary folk, like manipulating fire or water effortlessly.
However, the girl’s ability was on a different level altogether.
Just by swinging it casually, she could cut through anything in front of her.
He suspected she was not an ordinary person from the beginning, but…
“Are you really some kind of monster?”
The girl frowned and muttered, clearly displeased with the question.
“…Calling me a monster is a bit harsh for a lady. At least, um… let’s say witch instead.”
It seemed the term ‘monster’ disturbed her quite a bit, and the man nodded awkwardly.
Then the girl smirked at him and set down her sword, looking at her own hands while muttering.
“Well, it seems that way. I’ve seen a few things, so I’ve already realized I’m not normal.”
After mumbling that, the girl glanced slyly at the man and asked.
“I suppose you’re hesitant to spend time with someone whose identity you don’t know? If you dislike it, I’ll just leave. Surely there’s somewhere I’d fit in even if it’s just once.”
The girl’s voice was casual as if she would really leave if the man told her to.
However, the man saw it.
The slight disappointment on the girl’s face as she gauged his reaction.
Seeing that, the man answered her.
“…Honestly, I don’t really care whether you’re a witch or a monster, so you don’t have to go.”
The girl’s eyes widened.
“…Really? You don’t mind?”
“It’s nothing special. Didn’t I promise you? I’d teach you the sword if you cut the rock. If you leave now, I won’t be able to teach you, so that’s not happening. At least, I’m not the kind of scoundrel who breaks promises.”
For the man, the sword was the only thing of importance.
Breaking a promise meant denying himself.
Denying oneself dulled the sword he held in his heart.
Therefore, it didn’t matter to him what the girl was.
He simply answered that way so his sword wouldn’t become dull.
“…Is that so.”
He definitely didn’t answer that to prevent the girl from looking disappointed.
The man thought that while awkwardly turning his gaze away from the girl’s beaming smile.
*
From that day forward, whenever the man went up to the mountaintop to swing his sword, the girl began swinging hers next to him.
“Couldn’t you not use that ability? The ability to cut everything is, of course, a fantastic weapon, but relying on it won’t help you grow as a swordsman.”
“I know that much. I won’t use that ability while learning from you, so don’t worry.”
As long as it didn’t interfere with her training, the man taught the girl the sword.
Every time he saw her swinging the sword, he felt anew.
“You’re a genius.”
“Hmm, really?”
“Yeah. I was called a genius back in my childhood too, but not as much as you.”
If he taught one, she’d grasp ten.
Such was what they called a genius, and the girl was precisely that.
However, the man was not particularly surprised by her talent.
He knew there were monsters in the world who could grasp hundreds or thousands merely by learning one.
In truth, the man initially thought the girl was part of that group.
Just from watching the man swing the sword, she reached a level capable of slicing a rock with a wooden sword—a truly unfathomable talent.
To him, it was less surprising that she had an ability to cut everything, and marveling at her ability seemed foolish when he had witnessed powers that transcended reason.
However, if there was one part where the man overestimated the girl…
“You always smile whenever I teach you the sword.”
“Well, that’s because it’s fun.”
The girl seemed to genuinely enjoy learning the sword.
There’s a saying that the criminal cannot beat a genius, and a genius cannot beat one who enjoys themselves.
Training is tough enough.
No matter how much talent one possesses, sticking with something difficult consistently is by no means easy.
Yet the girl surely went through that training, which should have been difficult for her young body, diligently and without slacking, every time wearing a joyful expression.
At least, from the perspective of teaching the sword, it was delightful to see the learner in that state.
“I’m glad you enjoy learning the sword.”
When the man said so, the girl flashed a mysterious smile and looked at him intently.
“The reason I’m enjoying myself isn’t that… Well, it’s fine. Just know that.”
The man, unable to understand her words, merely blinked in confusion.
*
One day, while swinging swords together at the mountaintop like any other day, the girl said to the man.
“By the way, I’ve been making alcohol from different fruits around here. How about a drink tonight?”
“Alcohol… oh, you mischievous little brat.”
“Ahaha, it’s more like a weak drink rather than alcohol, almost like a beverage. We keep swinging swords every time, so isn’t it alright to have this bit of fun every now and then? Right?”
The girl was being surprisingly charming as she pleaded, causing the man to sigh while falling into contemplation.
Regardless of her not being an ordinary person, she was still a child.
How long must she have been bored, following him around in such an entertainment-less place, training with swords all the time?
The man’s heart softened for a moment as he succumbed to the girl’s pleading gaze and reluctantly nodded.
With a grin, the girl seemed to have achieved a victory, while the man sighed internally, realizing he had been too soft on her lately.
That night, after training, a drinking party unfolded on the makeshift platform the girl had set up in front of their cabin.
As she had said, the fruit liquor had almost no alcohol content.
Yet perhaps it was because it had been a while since he’d had any, or due to the atmosphere that intoxicated him.
As he stole a glance at the man whose face had faintly reddened, the girl took a sip and said.
“…Honestly, the reason I suggested we drink is that I wanted to talk with you. It’s been quite a while since we started spending time together, yet I feel like I don’t know anything about you. I didn’t ask before because you seem to shy away from it, but I do want to know more about you. So, wouldn’t you share just a bit of your story with me?”
“…You probably wouldn’t find the story of a guy like me entertaining.”
“…I want to know. What kind of life you’ve lived, why you won’t tell me your name, and why you end up living in a place like this—those things.”
The man fell into silence at her words.
It was true that he had deliberately avoided discussing himself with the girl.
After all, it wasn’t exactly a story worth telling.
But perhaps influenced by the alcohol, or moved by the girl’s gaze upon him, he pondered for a moment and slowly opened his mouth.
“…I was about five years old when I first picked up a sword. I was the child of a well-known martial arts family, so I had the opportunity to learn from a young age. To be honest, I didn’t take the sword seriously at first. I just picked it up because everyone in my family did. Then, one day, I read the story of a swordsman from the past in the family library. It was about a man who reached the position of the world’s strongest with just one sword. Looking back, it might have been a childish dream, but after reading that, I developed a dream. To become stronger than anyone else, just like the man in the story. It was at that moment that my earnest pursuit of swordsmanship began.”
“…”
“At first, it was just a childish goal, but as I continued training, just like every swordsman, I became serious about reaching an even higher realm, the strongest swordsman. Coincidentally, I also had a certain talent. Everyone around me praised me as the genius of the family. So I genuinely believed that one day I would be able to become that.”
For a moment, as he recalled the past, the man said with a wry smile.
“Really, it was an adorably arrogant thought.”
His throat dry, the man poured the remaining liquid from his cup and continued his story.
“When I turned the age of my coming of age, I became confident in my abilities and wanted to prove my sword. At that time, I heard news that a renowned strong fighter would be near. Being at a fiery age, upon hearing that, I rushed to challenge him. Not just for a match to learn a technique, but a duel to the death to compete our strengths. I was confident I would win, and even if I lost my life, I wouldn’t regret it. If I couldn’t cut, I would be cut. That’s how a swordsman’s life is.”
“Well, being alive now means you won, right?”
At the girl’s words, the man shook his head vigorously.
“No, I lost. And in a way that was utterly humiliating. It was then that I first understood how strong a person could really be. I didn’t realize I was just a frog in a well.”
The mention of defeat startled the girl, and she examined the man’s body.
Even though he had lost in a duel to the death, he was still standing there breathing.
Was it possible that the one who defeated him had spared his life but had taken something else as a price?
However, after a brief inspection, confirming that there was nothing wrong with the man’s body, the girl sighed in relief and muttered.
“…Still, at least you survived.”
“…Survived, huh.”
Hearing her words, the man muttered with a sigh.
“…In fact, it might have been better if I had died that day.”
It was then that she understood.
It wasn’t his body that was injured, but his heart.
Beside the tightly shut-mouthed girl, the man continued speaking with a sorrowful gaze.
“After losing in the duel to the death, while waiting for my end, the one who defeated me told me. I was too weak to be worth killing. After leaving those words behind, he left. At that moment, I felt like my entire existence had been negated. All the swordsmanship I had diligently trained for, my pride as a swordsman, all of it. Had I died then, I wouldn’t have ended up in such a pitiful state.”
After a brief sigh, the man looked up at the sky.
“…You asked why I ended up living in such a place?”
The girl nodded silently, and the man smiled bitterly as he looked up at the mountaintop, where he always swung his sword.
The highest place in the area, the place closest to the sky.
“To be honest, I came here to die. Since I’d never reached the highest position while alive, I wanted to die at the highest point. Rather than living with such miserable feelings, I’d rather take my own life.”
“…”
“Yet as I stood at the mountaintop, ready to throw myself off, I found I had some lingering attachment. The sword shown to me by the one who defeated me kept haunting me. At least, before I died, I wanted to swing such a sword at least once. So I abandoned my name and family and decided to live only as a swordsman, to continue this life. To at least tread into a higher realm, even if just a little… That’s the story of the man you were curious about. So, has your curiosity been sated a bit?”
The man had a vibe that seemed like he would vanish at any moment, prompting the girl to unknowingly grab the hem of his clothing.
Her trembling hand still clutching the fabric, the girl looked at the man.
“…Do you still think about dying now? Is it really true that the only regret you have about life is swinging the sword?”
Please, don’t leave me behind.
With her eyes speaking those words, the girl, trembling while clutching the hem of his clothing, looked up at the man.
He smiled wryly at the unexpectedly intense feeling that struck him.
He thought he would have no regrets about anything in this world besides the sword.
Chuckling lightly, the man gently patted the girl’s head and replied.
“Didn’t I promise? I would teach you the sword. At least until you become a proper swordsman, I won’t think about dying, so don’t worry too much.”
“…You really promised?”
“Yeah. You know well, don’t you? I’m a person who keeps my promises.”
As the girl heard that, she seemed relieved and stopped trembling.
However, her hand still clutched the hem of the man’s clothing.
Clutching onto it, the girl leaned her head gently against his arm and asked.
“…If I were to fulfill the dreams you couldn’t achieve, would you be happy?”
“…You mean becoming stronger than anyone else? No way. Dreams should be about what you truly desire, not for someone else.”
“It’s not that I want it for you. I’m doing this because I want to. Just as you said, now I’m a swordsman. It’s natural for me to have goals of becoming the strongest swordsman.”
“…You certainly have talent, but at that level, it’s going to be quite a while before it happens.”
The girl, leaning against his arm, smiled at him and murmured.
“Hehe, if I swing my sword together with you until you grow old and die, how could I not achieve that? So, you should live a long time to see me reach the pinnacle.”
At her words, the man smiled subtly and raised his cup.
“Well, if that’s truly what you want, then do as you please.”
That late night, the moon reflected in the cup began to wane.
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