Chapter 46
Of course, it wasn’t an easy task.
Weapons crafted by the blacksmiths of the Holy See were renowned for their exceptional quality.
That was only natural—after all, these weapons were forged using secret techniques honed over thousands of years by master blacksmiths.
But I knew a craftsman even greater than them.
The dwarves.
Dwarves were born with an innate ability to work with metal.
Even if others forged the same sword, in the hands of a dwarf, it was as if the weapon were blessed by the gods—flawless, perfect.
Even the pieces they considered failures were regarded as priceless treasures by others and often sold for exorbitant prices.
They were the finest blacksmiths, the most perfect of artists—but not a race one could easily encounter.
They were extremely rare, and most of them lived under the protection of powerful dragons, leaving little reason for them to interact with humans.
Occasionally, some dwarves broke away from their dragon protectors and lived in hiding, but they were difficult to find.
‘Of course, I know where they are.’
In the past, under Regan’s orders, I searched tirelessly for them.
If we could bring them into the fold, we’d not only make an enormous fortune, but also raise the quality of our equipment by two or three levels.
Regan had every reason to go mad with ambition.
I spent Regan’s money lavishly and finally succeeded in discovering their location, but events escalated so quickly afterward that I never got the chance to report it.
And then I died.
Now, I had no obligation to inform Regan—this information was mine to use.
Just then, I heard news that Swell was heading out on a monster subjugation mission near a village where the dwarves lived.
“You want to join the subjugation?”
The Duke raised an eyebrow when Ariel announced her intention to accompany Swell.
He didn’t seem entirely pleased.
“I heard that heirs usually join subjugation missions from a young age.”
“True.”
Thankfully, he gave his permission easily enough.
But then he asked again.
“Is it really necessary for you to go?”
“Pardon?”
“I mean, you’re still young. There’s no need to start joining dangerous missions so soon, is there?”
Normally, Ariel would’ve backed down the moment the Duke raised an eyebrow.
But their recent conversation had given her a bit of courage.
More importantly, joining this subjugation mission was the only way to meet the dwarves and potentially contribute to the family.
“I heard you also started joining subjugation missions at my age, Father.”
“That was because the world was in chaos back then.”
Still, she figured it wouldn’t be wise to be too stubborn about it when he clearly didn’t approve.
They had only just reconciled; she didn’t want to argue again so soon.
“…If you’d rather I didn’t, I won’t go.”
Ariel watched him closely as she said it.
The Duke didn’t look pleased.
“…No, I’ve thought it over. It’s probably a good idea. This is the age heirs usually begin joining these missions.”
He picked up Swell’s submitted subjugation plan.
It was a familiar location, and didn’t appear especially dangerous.
He drafted a command to double the number of participating knights and then said,
“Promise me one thing.”
“What is it?”
“If a monster stronger than you appears, don’t try to save anyone—just run.”
“But I’m a noble…”
Wouldn’t running away and leaving others behind look awful?
“What does that matter? If you die, nothing else matters.”
Ariel nodded solemnly.
It was Ariel’s first trip without the Duke, accompanied only by knights.
Riding on horseback, she carefully observed the knights around her.
Their gazes were sharp, their faces grim.
‘…Do they still disapprove of me?’
She had thought that winning the martial arts tournament might have changed their impression of her.
But the knights still looked at her with wary, unfamiliar eyes.
‘Well… I have kept my distance from them all this time.’
Aside from finding the dwarves, Ariel now had a second goal for this trip:
To get along with the knights.
In the past, she hadn’t cared if they looked at her strangely.
She had no plans to stay at the Duke’s house forever. As long as they didn’t get in her way, it didn’t matter to her.
But now, things were different.
‘The Duke said I could call him Father.’
The House of Clasta was now her home.
That thought made her smile without realizing it.
‘Sure, if my secret is discovered, I’ll have to leave… but no. I need to stop thinking that way.’
Ariel shook her head, casting away those ominous thoughts.
‘I need to get along with the knights.’
If she were to become the next head of House Clasta, she would need their trust.
Meanwhile, the knights were whispering among themselves.
“Is something wrong? She looked so serious just now, but now she’s smiling.”
“Maybe horseback riding is hard for her. She always rode in a carriage before.”
“Ah, crap. I didn’t even think of that.”
“Still, I didn’t expect her to come with us this time. Do you think we’ll get to see her use a sword up close?”
The knights exchanged excited glances.
“That would be amazing. I still can’t sleep when I remember the martial arts tournament.”
“Right? She won all five matches on her own. I actually clapped when she pulled out a token at the finish line.”
“Those other knights from the rival families looked like they’d seen a ghost. Ugh, I should’ve mocked them harder.”
“Sigh… I want to spar with her at least once. Swell said none of us could beat her.”
“She’s only been training for a year… And with the Duke not around, maybe I could ask for a match?”
“Sure, if you want Swell to kill you, go ahead.”
They glanced at Swell, who was riding beside Ariel with eyes like daggers.
His expression clearly said, ‘Anyone who bothers the young lady will die by my hand.’
If Ariel had been more sociable and friendly with the knights, Swell might not have been so strict.
But Ariel had always trained silently, never showing the slightest interest in the knights.
Though the knights were fond of her, they didn’t want to cause her any trouble.
And so, the two sides rode on, each harboring their own thoughts.
When evening fell and they arrived at an inn, Swell made an announcement.
“We’ll stay here tonight. After dinner, everyone is to assemble behind the mountain at 8 p.m. That is all.”
“Yes, sir!”
The knights quickly headed to the dining hall.
“Young lady, what would you like for dinner? If you have any preferences, I’ll let the chef know.”
Swell asked politely.
“Anything’s fine. But Swell, what’s the assembly for? Is something going on?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just training.”
“Training?”
“Yes. Even during travel, if we don’t keep training, our swords will rust. It might be exhausting, but the only way to improve is to keep grinding.”
“I see.”
Ariel paused, then asked,
“Can I join too?”
Behind the inn, on the mountain.
Night had fallen. Cold winter winds blew, but the knights were swinging their swords with more strength than usual.
“Hah!”
“Hyaah!”
They were being watched by Ariel, who stood beside Swell.
‘Why is the young lady here?’
‘Did something happen?’
‘Is she observing us as commander? Or is this a security issue?’
Despite their swirling thoughts, Ariel merely watched with an unreadable expression.
Every time those cat-like red eyes landed on someone, they became self-conscious.
Then, without warning, Ariel approached one of the knights.
“Swing your sword.”
“Y-Yes?”
Breda, the knight, swung his sword as instructed.
“Hm.”
Ariel nodded as if she understood something.
Her unreadable expression made Breda nervous.
“Relax your left arm a bit more.”
“L-Like this?”
“No, more. Keep your waist steady. Let your left arm fall lightly, like it’s dropping.”
Breda followed her instructions and swung again.
Then, he turned to her in disbelief.
‘…I’m using so much less strength.’
Though the force behind the swing was unchanged, it now took much less effort.
Ariel, satisfied, nodded.
“Yes, that’s better.”
And with that, she walked off toward another knight.
Breda stood there, stunned, staring at her retreating back.
Then Swell barked at him, and he resumed swinging his sword—this time with a face glowing with joy.
As soon as break time began, the knights flocked to Breda.
“Hey, hey! What was that? Why did the young lady talk to you?”
“S-She corrected my sword form.”
Breda clutched his sword with reverent awe.
“What?”
“She’s a genius! A true prodigy! She just glanced at my stance and immediately fixed it!”
“She corrected it?”
“I’m using way less strength now! It’s like she instantly knew what form suited me. And the power of my strikes is still the same!”
“Seriously? Isn’t that the kind of thing only someone like the Duke could do?”
“Exactly! That’s what makes her incredible!”
The other knights looked at Breda with envy.
As fellow swordsmen, they knew just how precious a moment like that was.
“Why only Breda…”
“Damn. I’m jealous…”
Then, one of the knights suddenly jumped up.
“I’m going to ask the young lady to look at my sword too!”
“What?!”
Before anyone could stop him, he ran straight to Ariel, who was sitting on a bench, resting.
Swell glared menacingly, but the knight, now too fired up, didn’t notice.
“Young lady! Please look at my sword too!”
“…Huh?”
Surprised, Ariel blinked her sharp eyes wide.
“I heard you helped Breda with his form! Please take a look at mine too!”
He looked at her with a pounding heart.
‘What if she ignores me?’
Swell’s death stare beside him was terrifying enough to jolt him back to his senses.
He began to question his sanity—what was he doing?
But then Ariel nodded calmly.
“Sure. I’ll take a look.”
And with that simple response, the floodgates opened.
The knights, one after another, rushed toward Ariel.
