Chapter 11

Van had repelled the monsters’ attack. After shaking off his pursuers and recovering his bag, he reached the point where Zeke had presumably fired his magic. There, an enormous number of monster corpses and the scent of death filled the area.

“You’re late, failure. I thought you had either run away or died.”

“…Don’t screw with me. I won’t run.”

Zeke leaned against the carriage. As usual, he wore a fearless smile and sneered at Van.

“Did you do this?”

It seemed to be after a battle, but Zeke’s clothes were not even disheveled. In contrast, Van was in a terrible state, covered in dust, mud, and monster blood. Since he had run all the way here under tension, he was out of breath.

“Who else do you think is here? —Delta Storm.”

“!?”

Van foresaw the activation of magic. In a panic, he jumped outside the spell’s range—toward the spot where the carriage was. When he turned around, a gloomy black storm was rising into the sky, shaving away the monster corpses and the ground.

The storm continued for a while. After the magic disappeared, the area around the carriage had become empty ground.

“This makes things a little better. …The smell of blood will not disappear, though.”

“W-what the hell are you doing all of a sudden!?”

Judging from Zeke’s words, he had probably intended to dispose of the monster corpses that were in the way. However, if Van had noticed even a little later, he would have met the same fate. Anger naturally welled up inside him.

“What is this, you… do you not know how to handle magic? How useless.”

“!? I can use magic too… a little. I’m a swordsman. Swordsmanship is my foundation.”

Zeke laughed mockingly at Van’s argument, which was close to a bluff.

“…What’s so funny? What do you mean? …Say it. I won’t know unless you tell me.”

“I was thinking how old-fashioned you are. Did the Sword Saint teach you nothing but the sword?”

Zeke continued to look down on Van as ever. His condescending eyes felt as if they were denying everything about Van.

“What do you intend to do if every sword hanging from you becomes unusable? Will you cry and scream that you cannot fight because you have no sword, and beg them to spare you? How amusing.”

“What did you say!?”

“If you have no sword, use magic. If magic is no good, use swordsmanship. If even that is impossible, use martial arts and magic tools. If you need to heal your body, use healing magic. I have built up my strength until now so that I can compensate for everything by myself. Compared to that, what are you?”

Zeke’s words were reasonable. It was true that Zeke could handle everything alone. If described another way, he had established enough combat styles to equal Van, Atri, and the other six combined.

“Do not get conceited. Your grandfather may be the Sword Saint, but you are nothing but trash. In addition, your father is a criminal. There is nothing special about you. …The Freak Trading Company has effectively dissolved. In other words, you are an unemployed failure. Good for you.”

“Y-you’re losing your noble status too, aren’t you!”

“And so what? I have any number of ways to earn money.”

An A-rank adventurer. At present, he was the only one in the royal capital, one of a kind. Zeke had not only ability but achievements as well.

“You can only swing a sword somewhat. Without status, you have no power either. You, with only half-baked strength, are no different from some common bandit. What value does someone like you have?”

“Who are you calling a bandit!? …A person’s value isn’t something someone else decides. I may be weak right now. But someday, I should be able to become strong!”

“You can do it with a sword. Someday you can become strong. …Are you an idiot? Can you do nothing but make excuses? —Well, fine.”

At the same time Zeke swung his arm, cold swords appeared and skewered a monster. The monster that had been approaching without making a sound died without even being able to scream. Van had failed to notice it.

“First, I will correct that spoiled way of thinking. —Protect this carriage from the monsters.”

“!? Damn it, when did we get surrounded by monsters…”

“They must instinctively understand. That you are the weak point.”

Van drew his sword. Thanks to Zeke’s previous magic, visibility had improved, and because the land was open, it was easier to fight. Conversely, that also meant he was an excellent target.

“If the carriage is completely destroyed, or if the supplies are reduced to trash, your special training in the Forest of Death ends. At that point, I will judge you useless and worthless, then abandon you.”

“You’re telling me to fight while protecting the carriage… against these monsters?”

“If you fall behind monsters, you are not worth discussing. —Now, show me how you struggle.”

Perhaps because he had no intention of fighting, Zeke covered himself in an ice wall. He showed the stance of a spectator, as if saying he would watch Van’s skill.

Van’s survival competition had only just begun.

A vast sealed space existed beneath Spirito.

The silver barrier that protected the royal capital and activated in times of emergency. Beneath the ground, where an important magic tool for the Kingdom of Diabalet had been installed, lay a sealed section that only those of royal blood were allowed to enter.

In that somewhat chilly, soundless place, Aktor of the ducal house and Ciel, his half-sister, had come.

“So this is the cornerstone of the royal capital’s defense…”

“Normally, you would not be permitted to enter. …But if you are to train sacred arts, this is the most suitable place.”

Perhaps it should be called a sanctuary, for sacred air always flowed through this place. The fact that both of them could feel it on their skin was proof that they possessed royal blood. Perhaps in response to this space filled with special mana, Aktor and Ciel’s silver hair shone faintly.

“You need to acquire power more advanced than what you have now. …If all that is needed is someone who can simply handle sacred arts, there are substitutes.”

By the king’s order, Ciel would go to the battle against Elzen and the others. Aktor did not know it, but the appointment had also been made from Alderic’s memories and experiences of the repeating world.

Honestly, from Ciel’s perspective, being suddenly told such a thing did not immediately feel real. It was true that she had felt something from Van and the others despite meeting them for the first time, but that was all. It was not something she could ignore, but thinking too much about what lay ahead would not solve anything. Now, she would focus on what was before her. She had come here to become stronger.

“I look forward to your guidance. I will become everyone’s hope.”

“…You really have changed.”

“?”

Aktor’s atmosphere, which had been stern, changed. Ciel tilted her head at the sudden shift.

“In the past, you were like a doll that had given up on everything. I will be honest… you were eerie. And an eyesore.”

The “past” Aktor spoke of referred to Ciel up until two years ago. Ciel herself understood well that he meant the time before she met Zeke.

“Despite supposedly possessing more power than anyone, you could not exercise it. You, whose hair was entirely dyed silver, were a mistress’s child. From the ducal house’s perspective, you were nothing but a god of misfortune.”

Ciel had been born between the current duke and a commoner. If she had only been the child of a mistress born from a momentary lapse in judgment, that might still have been fine, but fortunately or unfortunately, Ciel was someone who had fully inherited the silver.

It was said that the thickness of blood was proportional to hair color. The stronger one’s sacred arts, the more it appeared in the hair. For Ciel, who was entirely silver, living as an illegitimate child had not been permitted.

“…I cannot deny it. I understand now. My existence must have confused many people.”

Her mother, Ciel’s only ally, had passed away from illness. She had reliable subordinates in Golton and Stille, but when it came to the circumstances of the ducal house, it was difficult for them to get deeply involved.

Days of being expected of, being met with disappointment, and blaming herself. Just as Aktor said, Ciel had become like a doll that had lost its emotions.

“I said this briefly before, but—I do not think the decision back then was mistaken. It was a necessary sacrifice. Considering the ducal house and the country, it was the natural choice.”

What came to mind was her assignment to the provincial city of Apion. On the surface, it had been to save the residents suffering from an epidemic, but everyone had thought such a thing was impossible… Ciel included.

It had effectively been a death sentence.

“As a result, you are still alive. You are called the Silver Saintess and have established your position. But if even one thing had been different, you would not be here. …Do you resent me?”

“…Honestly, I was sad. We had little involvement, but we were still family—but…”

Ciel had had no choice but to give up on everything and accept death. A fake who could never become the real thing. She had cursed herself again and again, thinking she would have been better off never being born. It had been hard. Truly hard. Even so… Ciel had also found salvation.

“Because of what happened in Apion, I was led to that encounter. To me, it is an important memory.”

The ducal house, sacred arts, and silver hair had nothing to do with it. In a certain sense, he was equal and fair to everyone. If someone opposed him, he would crush them with all his might. The corrupt noble with the foulest mouth and the kindest heart. Because of that special encounter, Ciel had been able to become this strong.

“So I do not resent you, Aktor-nii-san. I still do not understand much about you, but little by little… I hope we can become siblings.”

“…………I see. Then I will not speak of this again.”

Ciel’s position had been painful, but Aktor’s position surely had not been easy either. As the next duke and as the head of the intelligence organization, he had probably been forced to make painful choices again and again. Now, she could understand that. In that sense, Aktor might also have been a victim. …That was precisely why she understood that, for Aktor as well, his encounter with that black-haired noble had been special. Somehow or another, he seemed to enjoy the time he spent with him.

“Even so………… I was surprised that he cast aside his position. If he had at least remained a noble, I would have had ways to deal with it.”

“?”

Aktor sighed while looking at Ciel, as if wondering what to do. From the contents of his words, she understood that it concerned him.

“Well, so be it. I do not think it will serve as atonement, but I will do what I can. …Should I speak to Father, or should I use his achievements until now as a weapon and petition the king…?”

Aktor muttered something under his breath. Perhaps because it was not a bad thing, he even looked like he was enjoying himself. Before getting deeply involved with him, she had only had a cold-hearted image of him, but Aktor was unexpectedly human.

“Oops… Forgive me. I went off track. —Shall we begin soon?”

“Yes, please.”

She would not let anyone die. She would acquire sacred arts powerful enough to overturn even unreasonable misfortune. There must not be sacrifices like Masfelt or the lords of Lagias.

Ciel had already decided that she would no longer run away.

A nose-stinging smell spread through the surroundings. Van could no longer tell whether it was monster blood or his own.

“Haa, haa… Is it over?”

Van was barely standing. If he relaxed even slightly, he felt as if he would lose consciousness. Both his body and his sword were in tatters.

“To be exhausted by this level. How pathetic.”

Unlike Van, Zeke was operating as usual. It was not because he had watched without fighting. Monsters had also swarmed Zeke, who had put up an ice wall, but perhaps because he found them annoying, he had instantly killed all of them. The difference between Van and Zeke right now was a simple difference in power. If Van felt as though that was being shown off to him, it was because of his inferiority complex.

“—Delta Storm.”

A black storm rose up and mowed down the monster corpses and trees. It was sudden magic, but Van did not even have the energy to complain.

As though he intended to play a territory-taking game, the cleared land had expanded even more than before. …What meaning did it have?

“!? C-cold… Is this a potion?”

A cool liquid flowed down from his head. When he looked, Zeke was roughly pouring a potion over him.

“What are you standing there stunned for? —I do not think you have the luxury of spare time.”

A roaring howl shook the earth. From the forest, an enormous number of monsters were surging toward them.

“You’re not even giving me time to rest!?”

“Of course. What awaits you is only life or death.”

Van threw away the sword whose blade had been crushed and drew a new one. There was a limit to the weapons he had brought, but if he held back and died, there would be no point.

Whether he liked it or not, Van was swallowed into a battle with no end in sight.