The Sword Master’s Son-in-Law

– A Second Outing (3)

A Leisurely Hour.

Lily turned, intending to seek out Arthas.

But—

“If you’re looking for Master Arthas, he’s gone out on an excursion with our young lady.”

Melia, whom she encountered at the inn, relayed this.

Lily felt a prickle of anger at those words.

*‘Leaving me behind? Why?’*

And a touch of disappointment, too.

The two of them, an excursion alone.

They hadn’t seemed like *that* kind of pair.

“Haa… where could they have gone?”

She searched all the usual places where a man and woman might go.

But— she couldn’t find them.

Just when she was about to give up the search.

“Could it be…?”

A certain place suddenly came to mind.

A place frequented by many lovers.

Breezy Lake.

But—

“They’re not *that* kind of couple… right?”

Even at a glance, one could tell.

That Asia and Arthas weren’t involved romantically.

They didn’t seem to harbor feelings for each other.

That’s why Lily had been feeling somewhat relieved.

Still, with a ‘just in case… really just in case’ feeling, she headed to Breezy Lake.

And there—

‘…’

Lily saw it.

Asia, her face flushed a bright red.

And Arthas, looking much the same as always, but with a subtle smile playing on his lips.

“Hmm…?”

Lily felt a strange itching in the region of her heart.

An irritating feeling, perhaps.

For a moment, Lily tilted her head, puzzled.

Then, she understood the true nature of this feeling.

“Could it be… am I jealous?”

Lily had forgotten what jealousy even felt like.

And no wonder.

Since childhood, Lily hadn’t believed in gods.

But as she grew older, she gradually came to believe.

After all, the whole world seemed to revolve around her.

If this isn’t God’s blessing, then what is it?

It had been a full decade since Lily had felt the sting of jealousy, a feeling she knew all too well.

An emotion that dredged up memories of her childhood as a street urchin.

The envy she felt for children her age, walking hand-in-hand with their families, content.

Those memories crept back, insidious and unwanted.

Lily hastily calmed herself.

“No. The one who laughs last, laughs best.”

Nothing was set in stone between them.

She refused to lose Arthas.

That’s what Lily thought.

“I’ll be the one laughing in the end, definitely.”

Clenching her jaw, Lily forced a smile.

And yet-.

A faint crimson glow flickered in Lily’s eyes.

*

Should one say that the embarrassing moment was brief?

Before I knew it, we had reached the other side of the lake.

I disembarked the boat first, before Asia.

Then, I extended my hand to her.

“Take my hand.”

And yet-.

Perhaps Asia was still dwelling on what had happened on the boat just moments ago.

She hesitated slightly before taking my offered hand.

But she took it, eventually, and stepped off the boat.

Asia brushed the dust from her dress and then spoke to me.

“Now… what shall we do?”

“Pardon?”

Asia seemed to be somewhere else entirely at the moment.

She’d planned everything, and yet she was asking me?

“That would be for the Lady Asia to…”

“Ah… that’s right.”

By the way-.

“Would you mind letting go of my hand now?”

“Ah…!”

Asia was still holding my hand.

At my words, Asia released my hand, and seemed almost regretful.

Why was that?

Asia’s reaction struck me as endearing.

‘Do I… like Asia?’

Well, if I had to classify it as good or bad, it would be good.

But whether this was something…romantic, I still had to ponder.

Asia spoke quickly, as if to defuse the moment.

“We should probably get going now.”

“Yes.”

I began to walk, following Asia who took the lead.

.

.

.

“Oh, let’s part ways here for today.”

Those were Asia’s words upon returning to the city.

After the boat ride.

After that, we simply walked.

We walked through forest paths, walked across plains.

Before I knew it, we had arrived.

The next itinerary.

It seemed she hadn’t prepared anything else.

Perhaps all Asia had planned was the theatre and the boat ride.

“Then, I suppose we shall.”

Asia asked, tracing patterns on the ground with the tip of her shoe.

“But, how was today?”

Asia’s manner seemed almost evasive.

In Asia’s eyes, as she asked how it was, I could glimpse a strange anticipation.

“It was fun.”

For a moment, Asia’s expression stiffened.

“Fun, you say…? What…didn’t you feel anything else?”

I immediately understood what Asia was trying to say.

Anything else.

She was clearly referring to how I felt about her actions towards me.

‘I was surprised by the suddenness of it.’

And for some reason, Count Messiah, who would likely be furious, also came to mind.

But why was it…

That I wanted to tease Asia a little?

“What do you mean?”

“…It’s nothing.”

Asia sighed.

If I listened carefully, I could hear her muttering something.

“A man so oblivious…”

Just like that, I had become an oblivious man.

‘And here I was, priding myself on being perceptive…’

Did Asia truly…,

No, not really.

To assert something like that feels, well, a little awkward.

And rather uncool, too.

Enough with the joking. Time to offer my honest impression.

“I was a little nervous.”

Nervousness.

Yes, that was it. Nervous.

I’d never experienced anything like this in my past life.

Or in this one, either.

“Really? You were?”

“Indeed.”

A truth unblemished by any lie.

Only then did a crescent moon bloom on Asia’s lips.

As if afflicted by a manic swing, she shifted so quickly between sour and sweet.

Seeing Asia like that, a smile spread across my own face without my consent.

“Let’s go back, shall we?”

“Yes, let’s.”

And so Asia entered the inn.

I had errands to run, so I told Asia to go on ahead.

“Oh, that’s right!”

Asia, halfway inside the inn, turned her head.

And offered a radiant smile.

“From now on, don’t call me ‘Lady Asia’. Just call me Asia, okay?”

“Pardon?”

It was a sudden request.

No, more of an order than a request.

But the orders weren’t finished there.

“And… please don’t use honorifics with me either… like Lily doesn’t.”

“Yes, I underst… uh, right. I understand.”

I almost used the polite form out of habit, quickly correcting myself.

It was something that had felt a little stilted, if I was honest.

Continuously speaking formally to someone four years younger than me.

“Then… I too, will call you Arthurs Oppa… no, I don’t want to overlap with Lily. Arthurs-ssi, that’s what I will call you!”

That word ‘Oppa’ certainly did bring Lily to mind.

So she would call me ‘Arthurs-ssi’.

It was better than ‘nim’, which she’d been using lately, but still… why was it?

It was a strangely embarrassing way to be addressed.

‘Well, maybe it’s because I never had to navigate social niceties in my past life… Could it be that?’

And with that, Asia delivered her piece and darted quickly inside the inn.

And I…

“Alright, time it is.”

Thinking of the promise made beforehand, I hastily moved towards the appointed place.

.

.

.

“You’ve come?”

The training grounds of the Red Flame Mercenaries.

There, Commander Lodeailer greeted me alone.

“Thank you for humoring my request.”

“Bah, it’s nothing. You’re Lily’s man, so I have to grant you a favor like this. And…”

Commander Lodeailer’s expression hardened momentarily.

“As long as it’s not some reckless sparring session like that madman, the Sword Saint, is fond of, I’m always open to it.”

“Ahem! I’m needlessly sorry then.”

I had revealed to Commander Lodeailer long ago that my teacher was the Sword Saint.

Hence, the apology.

Commander Lodeailer responded to my apology as if I was talking nonsense.

“Why are *you* sorry? The problem is that Sword Saint is mad. From what I see, he was already crazy when he was young, he’s probably even more insane now that he’s older.”

Without realizing it, I found myself nodding.

In response, Commander Lodeailer cracked a smile.

“That Sword Saint’s truly fortunate, though. To take on a talent like you as a disciple.”

“You flatter me.”

“For talent like yours, excessive modesty is actually poison.”

It was something I had heard somewhere before.

“Let’s begin right away.”

“I thank you once again.”

A duel with Commander Lodeailer.

This was something I requested.

Because I was currently facing a wall.

‘In order to ascend to Sword Master, I must overcome this wall.’

My current level was Supreme Aura Knight.

A state right before reaching Sword Master.

However-.

‘It’s already been over half a year, stuck in the same place.’

There was no sign of ascending to Sword Master.

Frankly, right now I should be wishing for advice for myself, rather than giving advice to Asia.

Facing the wall, the old geezer had once said this to me.

‘If you wish to ascend to Sword Master, it would be good to spar with others besides me and accumulate experience. I did the same, after all.’

So I decided not to miss this opportunity.

A rare chance to spar with a Sword Master.

“Before we begin, I’m once again grateful for the consideration you’ve shown me.”

Lord Ailer’s Captain hands were empty of a sword.

Mine too.

This was Lord Ailer’s consideration for a fair match, knowing my peculiar mana made wielding one impossible.

A duel without blades.

“Well, isn’t there a saying? The hand becomes the sword, the sword the hand.”

Lord Ailer spoke of reaching a level where a sword wasn’t necessary.

Certainly, such a saying existed.

However, even so, wielding a sword or not made a world of difference.

‘If possible, I should forge a sword in the Hooreun Kingdom and request another duel.’

For now, unarmed combat was the best I could do.

And so, I raised both fists.

And drew mana from my dantian.

The mana enveloping my hands slowly shifted, transforming into aura.

Seeing the aura swirling around my fists, a sense of wonder touched me.

‘Even the unique mana that seemed to shatter anything it touched… it has no effect on my hands.’

Truly a curious thing.

Lord Ailer likely knew, but I would still offer a warning.

“…You would be wise to unleash your Swordmaster’s aura at once.”

If it was just aura against aura, I had the advantage.

My mana was that special.

Thus, this was a warning for a just contest.

“Unnecessary to say.”

Lord Ailer.

A golden aura, brimming with power, enveloped his hands.

A blinding radiance.

Of course, it paled in comparison to the old codger’s, but it was undoubtedly a Swordmaster’s aura, fully realized.

I steeled myself and cried out.

“Then, let us begin!”

Having spoken those words, I charged straight towards Lord Ailer.