The Arena's recovery room.

Experienced healers and priests from several religious orders were stationed here. Wounded fighters received the finest care to keep them alive.

A small boy lay in a bed on one side of the room. Before him stood a girl with tousled black hair.

The fighter known as The Black Bride.

The recent duel had cost her undefeated title, leaving her with a single loss on her record. Yet she was not weighed down by defeat. If anything, her face was alight with excitement.

'The legend was true.'

The legend passed down in her hometown spoke of a paradise one could ascend to as an immortal once one's swordsmanship reached the heavens. That paradise truly existed. There was one reason she was so certain.

The old man she had seen with her own eyes.

He was undoubtedly an immortal from the legends.

["Seolyun, they say that once your swordsmanship reaches the heavens, you can ascend as an immortal and depart for paradise. There, the people you cherished will be waiting for you, and sweet happiness will abound."]

A legend handed down in her hometown on the fringes of the eastern continent.

If a being like him was not an immortal, then what could possibly be the immortal described in the legend? Seolyun still could not forget that wondrous encounter.

Recalling it, she gazed intently at the boy lying before her—Liam the Little Gladiator.

'If I stay with this boy, perhaps I'll meet that immortal again.'

Seolyun stroked the cheek of the boy, who lay as though asleep.

Of course, the immortal was not her sole reason for deciding to follow Liam the Little Gladiator. In her eyes, the boy himself was special: the sword he wielded, the way his whole air changed as though his soul had been replaced, his heart, as firm as steel despite his being only a sword beginner...

However she looked at it, staying with him would benefit her. Far more, at least, than remaining in this steel city's repulsive Arena.

"Tsk. Young love."

"Damn it. Why do I only get these dark-looking bastards visiting me...?"

"Fuck!"

Well, the other fighters in the recovery room had no way of knowing her circumstances.

* * *

The Black Bride, the fighter who had crossed blades with me and fought as though she meant to kill me only a short while ago.

I could not make sense of what the girl, who had introduced herself as Seolyun, was saying. I had barely awakened, still half asleep, and she was telling me she wanted to stay with me. What on earth was going on?

'Am I still dreaming?'

My first thought was, 'Is she making fun of me?'

But Seolyun's expression was far too earnest. However suspiciously I scrutinized her, I could find no trace of a lie on her face.

If that was an act, she would long since have found success as the leading actress of a troupe touring the Free City, rather than as a gladiator.

"What do you mean when you say you want to stay with me?"

"Exactly what I said. I want to accompany you wherever you go, and see, hear, and feel everything about you."

Those words left plenty of room for misunderstanding.

Indeed, the other fighters in the recovery room muttered things like "Fuck!" and "Fucking bullshit." Ignoring them, Seolyun looked straight at me and said,

"That will help me fulfill my dream."

"... What is this dream of yours?"

I asked out of genuine curiosity.

She hesitated briefly at my question, then gave a short answer.

"To reach the end of the sword."

It was an unexpected answer. And it made even less sense.

Her talent shone brighter than mine, she had reached a higher level than I had, and whatever the official result, she had overwhelmed me throughout our duel. How had she arrived at the conclusion that I could help her?

Fortunately, someone else answered my unspoken question.

「That girl saw me.」

It was Liam.

「Among women from the East, there are a rare few with a keen sensitivity to souls. She appears to be one of those who inherited such blood.」

「She sensed my presence when you lost consciousness, and the instant she recognized my greatness, she was captivated by me.」

His eyes gleamed with triumph.

「In my day, those who took up the sword would become my followers merely from seeing my back. Young descendant, consider it an honor to be descended from me. Of course, my superiority extended beyond swordsmanship to my looks and character, so there was never any shortage of women—」

"... Ah, yes."

I cut him off as he once again piled on needless remarks. In any event, thanks to Liam, I now understood why this girl named Seolyun wanted to accompany me.

「You weren't thinking she'd fallen for your looks, were you?」

"..."

「Ho ho. What woman would like a pretty face like yours? Women prefer dignified, rugged men like me, you know.」

To be honest, the thought had crossed my mind, just a little, so I could not immediately argue back.

Damn it. I was a teenage boy too.

A boy in the prime of youth, whose heart could flutter and whose imagination could stray in suggestive directions when a beautiful girl his age said something like that.

As I was thinking that, Liam spoke.

「Well, such thoughts are only natural at your age, young descendant.」

"..."

「It might have been nice for you to enjoy an innocent love with such a lovely girl. Better than living as you do now, consumed by the sword, your terrible past, and bloodstained vengeance.」

As though he had never been joking, Liam wore a somewhat bitter expression.

「Sometimes, I feel sorry for you.」

Honestly, sometimes—very occasionally—I thought about it too.

What if I had done as the butler and my nanny had told me? As Mother had urged in her final moments, what if I had truly forgotten everything and simply left it all behind? What if I had abandoned the Caravan name and enjoyed the youth appropriate to my age?

Because I was human too.

A human who sometimes grew tired, and sometimes questioned himself.

But.

「But what can you do?」

It was already too late to turn back.

「Once you've taken that first step, you cannot stop.」

Having begun, I had to see it through.

Even if death awaited at the end, I would keep running.

「Do not think as a boy. Assess the value of Seolyun the swordswoman as Arhan, heir to the Caravans and an avenger.」

「Do what you do best, young descendant. Be suspicious.」

I closed my eyes for a moment, then opened them.

And began to question everything.

* * *

Swordsmen from the East were rare. So were geniuses of the sword.

Most importantly, people who would show me goodwill with such a clear purpose were rare as well.

What Seolyun wanted was to accompany me so she could see the end of the sword. It was safe to say I would need to invest almost no time or effort in her. And what would I gain in return? More than I had expected.

'A friendly, skilled swordswoman at a higher level than me. A genius capable of creative flashes at any moment.'

Because she wanted something from me, she would be a dependable ally. She might also become a new resident who would help protect my village.

In other words, considered rationally, her proposal offered me nothing but benefits. Rewards would come pouring in without any risk for me to shoulder.

Logically, this was an opportunity.

But one thing troubled me.

'We're still a young man and woman. What if we fall for each other?'

I did not know what sort of relationship Seolyun and I might develop.

And among the warnings swordmaster Carlos had given me was, "Do not have children." I knew that was no empty warning.

The moment I started a family and had children, he would somehow discover it. Then the monster hailed as the strongest swordmaster in history and the continent's greatest sword would come to my village to extinguish the Caravan line entirely.

Just as he had come without warning that day and destroyed everything I had.

I would have to fight Carlos someday, but not yet. I still needed a great deal of time.

I could not do it when I was unable to defeat even a sword walker.

With those worries in mind, I spoke to Seolyun.

"This may sound strange, but please hear me out without misunderstanding."

"Okay."

"My circumstances are complicated, so I cannot enter into a romantic relationship with a woman. I know that wasn't what you meant, but we are a young man and woman, aren't we? If we travel together and end up falling for each other..."

"Ah, so you have your reasons. I think that's a perfectly understandable concern."

Seolyun listened seriously. Then she nodded and answered.

"But you don't need to worry."

Her answer was every bit as serious as the attention she had given me.

"You're not my type. That will never happen."

With an utterly earnest expression, she added more than was necessary.

"I like men who are taller than me, muscular, and a little fierce-looking. Like that immortal I saw with you..."

"..."

"Sorry, but romantically speaking, I can't stand men like you. Pretty, delicate-boned men who look like they might break if you gave them a tap are a bit..."

As she went on, the fighters in the recovery room broke into smiles. Liam, floating behind her, smiled too.

For some reason, anger flared inside me.

"... Ah, yes."

And that was how a genius swordswoman from the East named Seolyun became my traveling companion.

* * *

Once most of my injuries had healed, I left the recovery room and prepared to return to the village. I had achieved my goal, so there was no reason to remain in Perma.

"Hmm."

Though my stay had been brief, I had grown accustomed to the city's noisy atmosphere before I knew it. Its people were always bustling about, leading busy lives. Its heated air was the complete opposite of the place I called home.

Upon advancing to Silver Medal, I received my rightful payment for the matches I had fought. With the money the receptionist paid out, I bought food to eat back in the village and basic equipment I would need going forward.

Light chain mail and gloves to protect my body, and boots to protect my ankles.

I chose mostly lightweight equipment to wear, since my fighting style leaned in that direction.

Most of the money went toward blades.

I commissioned a new Needle, a little slimmer and sharper, and spent the remaining money on four daggers to use as I had Fang.

Their prices were similar to those of the blades sold in the small town near our village, but the quality was far better. The steel city's reputation was no empty boast.

「Let's improve your skills so you can buy something made by dwarves the next time we come.」

My new equipment gave me a sense of reassurance.

With iron gear strapped about my body, the fact that I had embarked on the way of the sword felt all the more real. A day later, I met Seolyun in the square, boarded a carriage with her, and set off.

Her entire luggage consisted of a single bundle.

"I've never had much to carry. I think a sword and enough food for the day are all you need."

"What will you do when the food runs out?"

"Gather edible plants or hunt in the forest. There are plenty of mountains where I come from, so I'm good at that sort of thing."

I knew little about the East, so that was something new to me.

We talked about other trivial things in the rattling carriage too. It had been quite some time since I had spoken to someone my own age, and I enjoyed it more than I had expected.

Unlike my journey here, I now had someone with me as the hours in the carriage passed.

"Our village has hardly anyone in it, and it's out in the middle of nowhere, but it's quite a nice place to live."

For the most part, I went on about how wonderful our village was.

Unlike the journey out, this time we reached our destination in just four days. It was probably because we had taken a more expensive carriage than the one from the small town.

When we arrived, Seolyun's reaction was somewhat lukewarm.

"Uh, hmm. There really isn't anything here."

"..."

"It does look like a nice place to live, though. Hmm. Uh."

Her face plainly said, "I didn't realize it would be this rural." Damn it. Even a girl from a country on the fringes of the East had that first impression.

"It will get better."

As I voiced that resolve, Petel came from the distance to greet us.

"Young lord, you've returned at last."

Petel's condition had worsened markedly since my departure. Now anyone could see he was ill. His face and body were noticeably thinner, and merely walking seemed to leave him short of breath.

"I look quite ill, don't I? Ha ha."

"... No."

"Come now. I can feel it myself—that I haven't much time left."

Petel smiled bitterly as he spoke.

Perhaps unwilling to let the mood sink, he offered a joke.

"With your handsome looks, I suppose it's no surprise you've brought back a lovely young lady. You make a fine pair."

"We're not like that."

"...?"

Well, the problem was that unlike Petel, Seolyun had no social skills whatsoever.

Seeing his embarrassed face, I somehow felt apologetic myself.

Petel explained what had happened in the village during my absence. As he spoke, he broke into hacking coughs, bringing up blood. It was painful to watch.

"Nothing much happened here. Unwelcome visitors came by now and then, but most left without a fuss as soon as they saw me."

Unlike me, Petel looked every inch a knight.

A warning from a seasoned knight would have carried quite a different weight from a threat made by a small young noble. As promised, he had protected the village admirably.

He told me everything, down to the smallest details. The more I heard, the more I felt he was someone I desperately wanted to keep in the village. It made me regret all the more how little time he had left.

「He would have made a fine administrator, even if he hadn't been a knight.」

I agreed.

At any rate, while I unpacked and listened, something interesting came up.

"Ah, I nearly forgot. There was one thing that concerned me. I've been so unwell lately that I sometimes forget important matters."

"What was it?"

"One of the unwelcome visitors was rather unusual. He wouldn't back down even when I threatened him. He drew his sword and charged at me, so I had no choice but to kill him."

Oh dear.

Apparently, one of those visitors had been exceptionally stupid.

Sword walkers and knights might be a dime a dozen across the continent, but out here in the sticks, they were terrifying monsters.

But the more I heard, the less I could dismiss it.

"As he was dying, he said this: 'You'll regret killing me. Surrender the village while you still can, before our brotherhood descends on this place and burns it down...'"

"Brotherhood?"

"Yes. It seems he belonged to some sort of group."

Petel nodded as he answered.

"This harsh Iron Kingdom has always been full of outlaws and mountain bandits, hasn't it? I suspect they're a band of thieves with a reputation in this area."

A band of thieves.

The instant those words came up, Liam spoke.

「Young descendant, this is an opportunity.」

An opportunity?

I whispered softly enough that Petel would not hear.

"An opportunity for what?"

「To digest the blade you recently ate more quickly.」

Liam gave a knowing smile.

「Something has come up that will make excellent training.」

"...?"

「Young descendant, draw out the memories of that dagger's former owner, the assassin, and wipe out the bandits alone, without anyone's help. You must accept neither that knight's aid nor that of the girl you've brought home as a new neighbor.」

My eyes widened involuntarily at his words.

Wipe out a band of thieves? Alone?

That was absurd.

How could we know what they had, or who might be among them?

The assignment Master had given me this time was far too reckless. But his next words silenced me immediately.

「If you accomplish this alone, you will be able to create a 'path,' however faint it may be.」

"...!"

「Not a mere imitation, incomplete and riddled with flaws, but a truly credible 'path' of your own.」

What that meant was clear.

"... Then I must do it."

If I could accomplish this, I would draw closer to becoming a sword walker.

In other words, to the realm of the superhuman.