The Sword Master’s Son-in-Law

– Reconciliation

The Count Messiah’s family head chamber.

Within it, two souls resided.

Asia Messiah and Andrew Messiah.

A father-daughter discourse unfolded.

Count Messiah, with a gentle cadence, inquired of Asia,

“Do you comprehend the reason for this summons?”

Asia pondered for a moment,

before a dawning of comprehension filled her mind.

A tremor of unease settled within her.

‘Could it be… that my nocturnal visit to that man’s abode has reached my father’s ears?’

If so, this summoning was for recrimination,

or perhaps, rebuke.

Asia, her voice trembling, queried,

“…For what reason have you called me?”

“I called you because I wish to pose again a question I asked you a month prior.”

Asia realized that his reasons were different from what she had imagined.

She sighed inwardly, a wave of relief washing over her.

‘But… a question from a month ago?’

A month past.

Asia carefully retraced her steps to recall the question her father had posed.

Finally, the prior inquiry crystallized in her memory.

‘Asia, what are your thoughts on this man, Arthas?’

That was the only query.

The timing aligned as well.

‘But why now, so suddenly…? Ah, it must be because the exam is over.’

The exam concluded, and now he sought again to plumb the depths of her heart.

Asia revisited her own words from that time.

‘I do not know. But he is not a bad person.’

That was her response to the question then.

Asia echoed her sentiment again.

“I do not know well. But he is not a bad person.”

The same reply as before,

yet the emotion laced within it was different.

Where once there was ambiguity, now certainty resided.

Arthas, the disciple of her grandfather.

He was not a bad person.

The Asia he saw, seemingly so cold, was merely his ease; he wasn’t one to look down on others.

‘There must have been a reason for the wholesale slaughter on their first meeting.’

He didn’t seem like the type to rely solely on strength, disregarding all morality.

Surely, there was a reason.

If the opportunity arose, she wanted to ask him, even later, the reason he did such a thing.

The reason he had no choice but to kill them all.

To Asia’s answer, Count Messiah nodded.

“You still don’t know…”

Asia’s response, the same as before.

But Count Messiah noticed that even the nuance of her answer had shifted.

“Then, truthfully, what are your thoughts on the betrothal…?”

At the word “betrothal,” Asia was slightly flustered.

‘He’s not a bad person.’

Almost her ideal.

A man who lacked for nothing.

As a prospective spouse, he was perfect.

If there was a problem, it was his status.

Only his status.

‘A betrothal with someone like that…’

Even though it was a false relationship, she imagined that falsehood becoming truth.

‘It might be… nice?’

Without realizing it, Asia had imagined it being alright.

Her cheeks flushed a natural rose color.

Seeing this, Count Messiah’s fists clenched.

“She, she doesn’t seem to think it’s so bad…!”

Hearing Count Messiah’s words, Asia hurried to rattle off excuses.

“Ah, no! My answer is the same as before. We should wait and see until after the coming-of-age ceremony.”

Asia blurted out the words quickly.

‘The relationship between that man and me is, from the start, a false one.’

Even if she thought it was alright, that man would eventually leave.

In the first place, she didn’t even know what he thought of her.

With that in mind, Asia refused.

But—.

To this, Count Messiah thought.

‘Asia doesn’t seem to dislike it as much as she lets on…’

Count Messiah felt a headache beginning to bloom.

‘I vowed to approve unconditionally if it was a man Asia truly wanted, not a political match…’

It dawned on him that he simply disliked any man who would take his daughter.

*

I sprawled in my room, basking in the leisure.

The exams were done.

Now there was nothing to do.

At least, not until the next test came down.

“Hmm… come to think of it…”

I remembered something I’d forgotten until now.

I rummaged hurriedly through the drawers in my room.

And…

“Here it is.”

I found a small bundle.

Opening it, I found a stone that radiated a faint blue light.

Mana stone.

It didn’t look like the ordinary stone I had seen at first.

Perhaps the time for pretending to be just a rock was over.

It glowed a vibrant blue, like any proper mana stone should.

“I should probably sell this.”

I could probably sell it for a decent price in the Messiah County.

But…

“Could I get more money if I sold it somewhere more… commercially developed?”

Of course, I had no intention of going to the kingdom’s capital, or even another country.

Just the wealthiest place in the South…

“Perhaps the Pastel Margraviate…”

I wondered if I could get more than it was actually worth.

I was lost in thought when…

“What… what did you just say?”

My bedroom door was open, though I hadn’t noticed, and Asia stood in the doorway.

“Huh?”

“What did you just say…?”

“Just now?”

What *did* I say… Ah!

“I think I mentioned the Pastel Margraviate. Why do you ask, Lady Asia…?”

I was a little flustered by Asia’s almost angry demeanor.

*‘Why is she acting like this all of a sudden? Is the Pastel Margraviate some kind of forbidden subject here?’*

Two families that shared dominion of the South.

Was that why they were at odds?

“What is your relationship to the Pastel Margraviate?”

“I have no relationship whatsoever.”

“Then why are you even talking about the Pastel Margraviate!”

“Well…”

It wasn’t something to hide.

In the first place, if I could get Asia’s help, I intended to.

“In the matter of selling Mana Stones, that is.”

“I was simply suggesting Pastel Marquisate might be a good place to sell them.”

With that, I showed her the Mana Stone as proof.

Asia’s eyes swept over the stone once.

Only then did she seem to cast her suspicion aside.

“Forgive me. I was being oversensitive. It was unlikely, to begin with, that my grandfather’s disciple would be involved with the Pastel Marquisate.”

“Ah ha ha, indeed…”

There must be a reason Asia was so agitated.

But I decided not to press the matter.

I wasn’t all that curious,

and the expression on Asia’s face when she mentioned the Pastel Marquisate was rather unsettling.

“So, I was wondering, could I perhaps ask for a little help?”

“Help?”

“Yes. Well, since going to the Pastel Marquisate to sell Mana Stones isn’t something you’re particularly thrilled about, I was thinking of selling them here first.”

“Hmm… That’s a good idea. And you would have definitely lost out had you sold them there.”

Lost out?

Why would I lose out?

The Pastel Marquisate is a merchant family.

Wouldn’t they be knowledgeable about prices?

“Aren’t they a merchant family? Wouldn’t they offer a fair price?”

“…They *became* a successful merchant family, the Pastel Marquisate. And do you think a successful merchant would ever agree to a deal that loses them money?”

“I suppose not.”

“It would undoubtedly be a transaction where you alone would suffer. You’d be better off selling them here, using my name. At least you wouldn’t lose out.”

Oh, I see.

That certainly made sense.

They probably became a Marquisate by devouring the very livers and galls of others.

Thinking about it that way, the Pastel Marquisate seemed like a rather ruthless family.

‘So that’s why Asia dislikes them, because they’re so ruthless.’

Asia rarely showed that she disliked anyone.

So, the Pastel Marquisate, whom Asia detested, must certainly be villains.

“I would offer to guide you myself, but…”

Asia was being kind enough to offer her assistance, but…

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be possible…”

That would be a disastrous move.

“I suspected as much.”

Count Messiah’s eyes would be burning with suspicion…

Only a madman would do something like that.

“Then, I’ll assign someone to accompany you.”

“I would be very grateful if you would.”

And I spoke one more desire aloud.

“If possible, I’d like this guide to know a thing or two about swords.”

“Why is that?”

“I intend to buy a sword with the money I made from the magic stones.”

“Ah….”

Asia already knew that my mana was… unusual.

So she showed a look of understanding at my words.

“I suppose you no longer have the White Blossom Sword, either.”

That was so.

The White Blossom Sword, which I’d handed over to Asia.

That sword would have returned to the old man by now.

From the start, I’d given it to her to use as proof, telling her to return it immediately once I was verified.

“Understood. Then, I will assign you a suitable person.”

.

.

.

And the next day dawned.

The plaza of the County.

There, I waited for the guide Asia was sending.

“Hmm, is it better to buy a sword, or commission a custom one?”

I pondered for a moment.

I pondered, but no real answer emerged.

If there was a well-made sword available, I’d buy it, and if not, I would just commission one.

“Come to think of it…”

I remembered a certain blacksmith.

A dwarven blacksmith who said he would make a sword, as long as I brought him the materials.

‘Even if I could acquire the materials, it’d be impossible.’

The old man lived near there.

Unless I could go there alone, it was impossible.

It would be troublesome if I got tailed, even by accident.

“More importantly… this guide is a bit late, isn’t he?”

Not long after I thought that…

‘Someone I know,’

The guide arrived.

And I realized that the guide was someone I was already acquainted with.

Teddy of the Silver Purity Knights.

For some reason, a man who didn’t seem to take kindly to me.

“By order of Lady Asia, I will be your guide.”

“I appreciate your help.”

And so began an awkward, and strangely nuanced companionship with a man who clearly disliked me.