"Miss Nina, you've got a letter."
It was summer when a letter arrived for "Sword King" Nina Farion.
The Sword Sanctum, blanketed in perpetual snow, was always cold, but that day was warm and pleasant, like a spring day.
Gal Farion, the Sword God and master of the dojo, declared mid-morning, "Training on a day like this is idiotic. Do whatever you want today," and took a nap.
"A letter?"
Nina, ever diligent, had been earnestly going through her drills, but she stopped at the mention of a letter.
"I... zo... ah!"
Sweating profusely, Nina took the letter from the deliveryman, and her face broke into a smile.
On the back of the envelope bearing the Water God style's crest was a name that brought back fond memories.
Isolte Kruel.
A few years ago, she'd trained alongside Nina— the Water God style's top swordswoman.
She should have been working as a swordsmanship instructor in the Kingdom of
The two were friends, but they'd grown distant since Nina left the Sword Sanctum.
Receiving a letter like this was rare.
"Um..."
Nina tore open the envelope with delight and pulled out the stationery inside.
However, her expression clouded the instant she saw the dense rows of text covering the page.
"What does it say?"
Nina couldn't read.
She could manage names of people she knew, but she hadn't reached the level where she could read lengthy prose.
At the Sword Sanctum, that had never been a problem.
(Maybe someone can read it to me.)
Born and raised at the Sword Sanctum, Nina was illiterate.
But among those living in the dojo, some had received proper education.
Surely someone could read.
Nina headed to the back courtyard.
There, several disciples were enjoying the lovely sunshine and chatting idly.
Under normal circumstances, Nina would have been the one to bark at them for slacking off.
And so, they scrambled to their feet, ready with excuses— But today was a rare day where the Sword God himself had expressly granted them leave.
Nina said nothing to them, simply holding up the letter and asking if anyone could read it.
They exchanged glances, and one of them raised a hand.
Nina handed the letter to the one who said he could manage "if it's in common tongue" and had him read it aloud.
The contents were straightforward.
Events of the past few years, and recent updates.
Raider's death, and the trials of running a dojo.
Frequent clashes with Ghylaine in her capacity as swordsmanship instructor.
Nina listened with a warm smile.
She could picture the earnest, fastidious Isolte making an irritated face at Ghylaine's blunt remarks.
And then, at the final line, her expression turned serious.
"Her Majesty Ariel's coronation ceremony will be held soon.
The month surrounding the coronation will be a kingdom-wide celebration.
To coincide with it, I would be delighted if you could come visit."
Upon hearing this, Nina resolved on the spot to travel to the Kingdom of Asura.
There was nothing to deliberate over.
Instant decision, instant action— that was the Way of the Sword God.
When you want to go, you go.
--- The main boulevard of Ars, the capital of the Kingdom of Asura, was packed with people.
Step sideways and you'd bump into someone. You couldn't see more than a few meters ahead.
The density was like the third day of a certain summer festival.
People from all over the world had converged on Ars ahead of the coronation.
Peasants who'd come from the countryside hoping to catch even a glimpse of the ruler of the world's most powerful nation.
Nobles dispatched as goodwill ambassadors from foreign countries to deliver congratulatory speeches.
Wandering swordsmen who'd come hoping to stumble upon a good employment opportunity.
Adventurers who'd predicted a demand for manpower and arrived seeking easy, well-paying jobs.
Bounty hunters hiding in plain sight, using the crowd as cover from their pursuers.
Wherever people gathered, there were opportunities for profit— and merchants who'd shown up to peddle dubious wares.
And so on...
Every conceivable race from the Central Continent was converging on this kingdom.
On top of that, today the White Knight Order of Asura was holding a parade.
Townspeople had flocked to the main boulevard hoping to catch a glimpse of their beloved knights in all their splendor.
"Whoa..."
Amid the chaos, Nina craned her neck in every direction as she made her way toward the city center.
This was the biggest crowd she'd ever experienced in her life.
She'd thought she'd been to reasonably busy towns before, but the sheer mass of humanity before her now was beyond anything she could have imagined.
"Hey, watch where you're going!"
"W-What... you bumped into me first... huh?"
By the time she realized she was being picked a fight with, the man had already vanished into the crowd.
That was a first, too.
She was the Sword King, after all. With her sharp instincts, she knew exactly who had shouted and which direction he'd gone.
But the man had simply thrown out his insult and walked away.
He probably hadn't even seen her face.
(In the city, is that kind of backtalk basically a greeting...?)
At the Sword Sanctum, anyone who spoke to her like that would be sent to the healers in an instant...
In the city, perhaps you weren't supposed to take an insult as a provocation.
"Hey there, hey there, pretty lady! Care to take a look?"
"P-pretty... me?"
As she wandered aimlessly, she was suddenly flagged down by a merchant-looking fellow.
He appeared to be selling something from a small shop nearby.
"That's right, that's right. I've never seen such a beautiful lady... By the way, miss, this looks like your first time in the capital?"
"Yes, but how could you tell?"
"Huh? One look and it's obvious. The way you're flailing around in this crowd is dead giveaway that you're from out of town..."
Upon hearing that she'd been unconsciously acting like a country bumpkin, Nina blushed.
She'd thought she visited the city often enough.
But to a true city person, the places Nina considered urban were still the sticks.
"What a crowd. So everyone's here for the coronation?"
"Well, sure, that's part of it, but today there's also the knight parade, so everyone's gathered on this main boulevard."
"Is that so..."
"There were signs all over town. 'To see the parade, use the main boulevard. Anyone with no business there, take the Saalten Street behind us'..."
"Sorry, but I can't rea—"
"Oh, I see, I see. If you don't need to see the parade, you can get to Saalten Street through the back of my shop. Feel free to pass through, why don't you?"
"Is that okay? But there's a toll..."
"It's free of charge... Ah, right. If you can't read, you should pick up one of our products. It's a picture book with a doll included, and it comes with a reading guide at the back. Very popular, you know..."
"I don't have money to buy a book..."
"No worries, no worries. Our books are way cheaper than the usual ones. Two Asura large copper coins... No, let's call it fate— I'll let it go for one large copper coin and eight copper coins. What do you say?"
Before she knew it, Nina found herself on a less crowded side street, holding a picture book and a doll.
Her purse was exactly 1.8 large copper coins lighter.
It was the result of being interrupted before she could finish speaking and being hit with a rapid-fire sales pitch.
It felt like she'd been scammed, but she didn't feel bad about it.
The breakneck pace reminded her of when the Sword God Gal Farion had drilled her in training.
Still, 1.8 large copper coins.
It might be cheap for a book, but considering Nina's finances, it was a significant amount.
But the man had given her directions, and the Sword King couldn't simply take that for nothing.
(Well, I suppose this works...)
Thinking this, Nina walked on.
Saalten Street ran about two meters below the main boulevard.
It was somewhat damp, with plenty of tunnels— a true back alley for the locals. But the path was wide, and as the merchant had said, it was much less crowded than the main road.
"Much less crowded" was relative— it was still teeming with people— But the flow of people heading toward the city center was perfectly separated from those heading outward, so Nina was able to resume her journey smoothly.
(With this, I should be able to reach Isolte's dojo by evening.)
One point eight large copper coins wasn't bad as an information fee.
With that thought, Nina looked at the doll and picture book in her hands.
It was a doll of a demon race wielding a spear, and the same character was depicted on the book's cover.
Presumably, the protagonist.
Rarely enough, it was a Spell族— a member of the Spell race.
She didn't know what kind of story it was, but as a warrior, Nina had once thought about fighting a Spell race warrior.
According to her friend
Eris was a mad dog— a killing machine so fierce that even demons averted their gaze and stepped aside.
Hearing Eris speak proudly about the Spell race had piqued her interest.
(And if this book really can help me study like the merchant said, maybe studying between training sessions wouldn't be so bad.)
As she walked on with these thoughts, a cheer erupted from the direction of the main boulevard.
It seemed the parade had started.
Seeing the commotion sparked a bit of interest.
She'd meant to head straight to Isolte's place first, but couldn't she detour to the boulevard and watch for a bit on the way?
"Huh?"
Just as she thought this, something caught the corner of her eye.
A red-haired woman she'd seen somewhere before.
"Eris?"
What was she doing here?
Nina tracked the red-haired woman with her eyes.
And sure enough, there she was.
A red head bobbing above the boulevard, which sat two meters higher.
It was her back, but Nina recognized the bearing instantly.
No mistake.
It was Eris.
"Eris—"
Without understanding why she was here, Nina was about to call out with a heart full of nostalgia, but her words caught in her throat.
"Look, Lucy! Can you see?"
"I can see! It's all sparkly!"
Because Eris had suddenly hoisted a young girl onto her shoulders.
"Eris, I wanted to carry her..."
"No way. You'd just be licking Lucy's thighs, wouldn't you? Like you did to me yesterday!"
"How rude! I would never do that to my own daughter!"
"We'll see!"
"I mean, I do want to lick them, I love her that much, but still..."
The conversation was between Eris and the man standing beside her.
Nina recognized him.
The man who'd given her a complex— the Demon King Badi Gardi.
The magician who'd defeated him in a single blow.
Recently regarded as the "Right Arm of the Dragon God," a man spotted in various locations.
"..."
Nina was somewhat shaken.
She knew Eris had gone to Rudeus.
She knew Eris had gone to him to fight the Dragon God
After that, Eris hadn't sent any letters, so Nina had assumed she was dead. But she'd heard through the grapevine that Eris had appeared alongside Rudeus in the Kingdom of Asura.
Since Rudeus had become the "Right Arm of the Dragon God," Nina had simply assumed Eris had also fallen under the Dragon God's banner.
She'd figured Eris had grown stronger, of course.
Stronger than before, she'd thought.
But the Eris she saw now was nothing like what Nina had imagined.
She was bantering and laughing with a man.
Was the girl on her shoulders her daughter?
Nina had never even considered the possibility that Eris might have gotten married and had children.
That Eris— that beast— that mad dog— becoming like this...
Coming to watch the parade as a happy couple, flirting with each other...
"...I'll go see Isolte."
Nina decided this and looked away from Eris.
Despite having finally reached the Sword King rank and thinking she'd caught up to Eris, she was overwhelmed by a crushing sense of defeat.
Incidentally, what Nina couldn't see from her position was that
--- After that, Nina made her way to Isolte's dojo.
The sweat-smelling dojo, free of any frivolous atmosphere, soothed Nina's heart.
After greeting Isolte, she was introduced to the students.
Every last one of them had that earnest, unpretentious air that came from a complete absence of romantic or carnal interests.
(As I thought, this is how swordsmen should be...)
After receiving a tour of the dojo, Nina was taken by Isolte to visit her residence.
The plan was for Nina to stay at Isolte's house during her time in the capital.
There happened to be an extra room.
It had once been the room where Water God Raider lived, but it was completely tidied up.
More than thinking about Raider, Nina was relieved to find that Isolte had no romantic entanglements.
A Water Emperor, swordsmanship instructor, and knight— She must have suitors.
Even Eris was married with children, so it wouldn't be unusual for someone as refined and elegant as Isolte to have a partner.
She might come home to find Isolte introducing a husband and children.
It was precisely because she'd expected this that she felt relieved.
"Miss Nina, there's actually a small gathering after the parade today. I know you must be tired from your long journey, but would you be able to attend? I really want to introduce the Sword King to various people."
Nina had just set down her luggage and settled in with a sigh of relief when Isolte made this proposal.
"Sure, that's fine."
Nina agreed readily.
She didn't know what this "small gathering" was, but she had no plans for the evening.
She could do sightseeing starting tomorrow.
That was what she'd been thinking.
And within an hour, she regretted that answer.
Of course, there were developments between the answer and the regret.
The first thing she thought was, "Something's off."
That was when Isolte led her to a massive mansion near the royal castle, and she stood before it.
Wait, for a "small gathering," this place is not small at all.
The second thing she thought was, "I've been tricked."
That was when she was led to a lavish room, told to choose a fancy dress, and half-forced into it by a team of maids.
This is definitely some kind of noble's party.
And the third thought was, "I shouldn't have come."
Why had she agreed so easily?
Why had she tagged along without a second thought?
Why had she changed clothes without resisting?
The usual Nina would have put up a fight somewhere and fled the scene.
The reason she hadn't was because things were different from the usual.
This wasn't a battle with swords.
Dressed in an unfamiliar dress, wearing shoes that were hard to walk in, her sword confiscated— Her waist felt bare, her footing unsteady.
In that state, Nina was led by Isolte and introduced to the people at the party.
That was when she felt a slight sense of relief.
Not everyone she was introduced to was a person of high rank.
While there were plenty of nobles, there were also knights of common birth and young aces from foreign countries' magical corps— people from worlds Nina could understand.
Among them were people who, like Nina, had been deceived into coming and looked just as bewildered.
Knowing she wasn't alone brought a measure of comfort.
Once she'd calmed down, Nina remembered she was the Sword King.
She could size up her opponents and gauge whether she could win.
Knowing that those around her were mostly small fry gave her room to relax.
With that peace of mind, the next thing Nina thought was, "I'm hungry."
She was a foodie, through and through.
Come to think of it, she hadn't eaten anything since noon.
The swordsmen of the Way of the Sword God were all voracious eaters.
Other than when they holed up in the forest for days on end during training, they never skipped a meal.
So it was only natural that her eyes were drawn to the colorful dishes at the party.
And it was only natural that she'd eaten and drunk heartily, without caring who was watching, and the result was frequent trips to the bathroom.
She made it to the restroom following a maid's directions, but afterward, while struggling to adjust her clothes, the maid disappeared, and she got lost in the mansion's labyrinthine corridors, unable to find her way back to the party hall.
All of it, entirely understandable.
(Ugh, this is throwing me off...)
Wandering through the dim corridor in a daze, Nina sighed inwardly.
Ever since arriving in the Kingdom of Asura, she'd been completely overwhelmed by the atmosphere of every room she entered, unable to regain her composure.
She'd believed that becoming the Sword King put her on a world-class level, and that confidence had been shattered to smithereens.
"I used to be able to act without thinking so much..."
Was it because she'd become the Sword King and taken on a student?
Or was it because she'd gotten to know Eris and been influenced by her personality?
Unlike in the past, she could no longer act without considering the consequences.
She believed she'd grown stronger as a swordsman to make up for that, though...
"Oh right, I forgot to tell Isolte about Eris."
If Eris was in the city, maybe the three of them could spar together again.
But the instant she thought this, the scene she'd witnessed that afternoon flashed through her mind, and she shook her head vigorously to dispel it.
(That wasn't the Eris I knew anymore...)
Whatever. She needed to get back to the party hall quickly.
Then she'd find someone to wrap things up and head home.
The atmosphere was uncomfortable, but the Kingdom of Asura had plenty of sightseeing spots.
She could have Isolte show her around... and on days Isolte was busy, she could explore on her own.
The town was like a festival— there had to be fun things to discover.
She could even visit a Way of the Sword God dojo in the city.
(Alright... hmm?)
As Nina resolved to start fresh, a room with light leaking from it caught her eye.
The door was small— it couldn't be the party hall.
But someone who knew the layout had to be around.
She could ask them for directions.
Somewhat relieved, Nina approached the door...
"—Her Majesty Ariel wouldn't want that matter exposed either, would she?"
Hearing a voice that was an unmistakable threat, she stopped dead.
(Ariel... Her Majesty?)
Even someone as rural as Nina knew there was only one person in this kingdom addressed that way.
Ariel Anemoi Asura.
A charismatic queen who'd returned like a comet and claimed the throne, despite having been exiled to the Kingdom of Ra-noa for nearly a decade.
The entire festival atmosphere in the capital of Ars existed for her and her alone— that was hardly an exaggeration.
"...That matter? What are you referring to?"
"You don't remember?"
Nina crept closer to the door on silent feet.
And she peered through the crack.
(...!)
Inside were a man and a woman.
A blonde woman sitting in a chair, and a bright brown-haired man.
She recognized the face of the man standing beside the woman.
"I have too many ideas to narrow it down..."
"That would be—"
Rudeus Greyrat.
He wore a slimy, unpleasant smile— completely different from the one he'd directed at Eris that afternoon— as he brought his face close to Ariel's cheek.
Nina's immediate thought: (He's making a sexual advance on her!)
Rudeus Greyrat had two wives besides Eris.
She vaguely remembered hearing rumors that he was a lecherous man.
She'd also heard, during her travels, that he'd played a major behind-the-scenes role in Ariel's rise to the throne.
If he'd become Orsted's subordinate, he'd probably supported Ariel as a pawn of the Dragon God.
And now, he was probably trying to leverage something from that time to have his way with Ariel.
(I'll cut him down.)
Nina decided this instantly.
She didn't know what Ariel was being blackmailed with.
She didn't know how strong Rudeus was.
She didn't even have a sword.
But none of that mattered— Nina had resolved to cut down the man before her.
There was nothing to deliberate over.
Isolte served under Ariel.
If a friend's boss was being extorted, there should be no hesitation.
Though, the more recent version of Nina might have paused to think.
These past few hours had built up stress in her as well.
But the next instant— A murderous aura swelled up behind her.
"!"
She spun around in alarm.
Standing there was a demoness in a blood-red dress.
"Eris?!"
She wasn't surprised to see her, exactly.
Eris had been with Rudeus.
Rudeus was here.
So it made perfect sense for Eris to be in this mansion.
"Nina...?"
Eris's face flickered with suspicion for a moment, then hardened.
"Who exactly are you directing that murderous intent at?"
This is bad, Nina thought.
Eris in this state couldn't be stopped.
If they fought, Rudeus in the room would notice.
Two on one— and even if Eris didn't have a sword, if she and the magician cornered her...
"Huh? Eris, you're back?"
By the time Nina thought this, it was already too late.
The door behind her opened, and Rudeus poked his head out.
In that instant, Nina understood she couldn't win.
And yet, charging in like a wild beast was the Way of the Sword God.
Nina channeled her power into her dantian and her legs— "Now then, Rudeus-sama, it's about time we headed back.
We've kept our guests waiting."
Looking at Ariel's composed face beside Rudeus, Nina's strength drained away.
She wasn't asking for help. She didn't look cornered.
Something was off, Nina sensed. She'd had that same feeling several times over the past few hours.
"...You were being threatened, weren't you?"
"...?"
Ariel tilted her head, looking down at the now-crouching Nina.
Nina and Ariel had never met before.
But Ariel, reading Nina's stance and expression, Eris's expression, and their conversation, instantly grasped what had happened.
"No, I was the one asking a favor of Rudeus-sama, and he turned me down.
I was really keen on the request, so I tried poking at one of his weak points...
And he countered me beautifully.
You only heard the latter half, assumed I was being threatened, and came to rescue me?"
Nina's eyes spun as she nodded vigorously.
Ariel gently took her arm and helped her rise slowly.
"Thank you. We haven't been properly introduced. I'm Ariel Anemoi Asura, the next queen of the Kingdom of Asura."
"Eh, ah, what?"
She'd come face to face with the next queen of Asura, and Ariel had introduced herself first.
Nina couldn't process this fast enough, and in a panic, looked toward Eris.
Eris had a displeased look but let out a sigh and threw Nina a lifeline.
"That's Nina."
"A friend of yours, Lady Eris?"
"That's right. Sword Saint Nina Farion. We trained together at the Sword Sanctum."
She doesn't know why Eris was here, Eris added.
"She's already a Sword King! Same as you!"
"...Is that so? Congratulations."
Eris's curt response left Nina speechless.
She felt as if she'd been showing off her Sword King rank for no reason.
She'd only been correcting a misunderstanding.
"I see, Nina-sama. Tonight's party is co-hosted by Rudeus-sama and me. We'll have a chance to talk more later. For now, please relax and enjoy yourself."
"A-ah, yes..."
Ariel smiled warmly and walked off down the corridor with Rudeus.
Nina watched them go and let out a sigh.
Today really was nothing but things going off the rails.
"So why are you here?"
Turning slowly, Nina was addressed by Eris, who had lingered behind.
The crimson dress and her red hair pulled up in an updo suited her perfectly.
The necklace and earrings completed the look— she really did seem like a proper noble's daughter.
"...Eris... that dress looks great on you."
"Heh heh, of course it does! Rudeus picked it out for me!"
The way Eris puffed out her chest with pride was so different from the beast of before that Nina could hardly believe they were the same person.
But then Nina thought: (Eris, you haven't changed that much.)
And that, perhaps, had been the trigger.
"So... listen, Eris. Isolte, you see..."
Nina sighed and launched into her complaints to Eris.
--- In the end, Nina never quite understood the purpose of that party.
Afterward, when she returned to the party hall with Eris, Rudeus came over and— "The Dragon God Orsted is on your side! Sign with us now and we'll include laundry detergent! Don't worry, there are absolutely no upfront costs. All we need is for you to build up your strength over the next eighty years and lend it to the Dragon God Orsted when he starts a war. That's all! Do that, and for the next hundred years, the Orsted Corporation will have your back! Please, we're counting on your vote!"
He said something incomprehensible like that, and Nina just nodded along.
Rudeus appeared to be gathering allies.
If the earlier incident had been a misunderstanding, Nina had no objection to lending her strength to a man who was, after all, Eris's husband.
But she had no idea how or where to lend that strength.
He'd told her a war would happen in eighty years and wanted her to lend Orsted her power at that time, to build up strength for that moment— but it didn't really register.
The others present seemed just as bewildered as Nina.
But in the end, everyone agreed.
There was probably no one there who could refuse when asked personally by Ariel.
After the party— At Eris's suggestion, Nina decided to stay at the mansion where the party was held.
Isolte was staying too.
Apparently, this mansion had been gifted to Rudeus by Ariel, and they were free to use it as they pleased, Eris explained proudly.
That night, the three of them talked for the first time in ages.
Eris talked endlessly about Rudeus as always, while Isolte grumbled that she wanted to find someone too.
Sitting face to face and chatting with the two of them felt like stepping back into the past, wonderfully nostalgic.
The topics had shifted somewhat from the old days, but they were no less enjoyable.
Just having this time together made the trip to the capital worthwhile.
And by the next day, those strange pangs of jealousy and defeat had faded, and Nina had found herself again.
--- Until Ariel's coronation ceremony concluded successfully, Nina thoroughly enjoyed the capital of Ars.
Sightseeing spots, crowds, dojos— She visited everywhere she'd planned to go.
She wasn't alone.
Isolte couldn't join on many days due to work, but for some reason, Eris tagged along constantly.
At first, Nina wondered why.
Because every time Eris opened her mouth, she talked about nothing but Rudeus.
Nina often thought she should just go hang out with Rudeus then.
But being together for so long, Nina came to understand Eris's reasoning.
It seemed Eris wanted Nina to accept Rudeus's recruitment.
Eris was no great speaker, and her words were hard to follow, but her earnest, heartfelt sincerity moved Nina's heart.
Enough to make her reconsider Rudeus's pitch— something she'd previously dismissed as incomprehensible.
--- After the coronation ended, Nina returned to the Sword Sanctum.
On the journey home, she thought about it all.
The war in eighty years, and the fact that she'd agreed to side with Orsted's camp.
The happy-looking Eris, the bright Eris, the lively Eris.
Rudeus at her side.
She ran these thoughts through her mind as she rode.
She didn't reach a conclusion, of course.
But upon seeing the person waiting to welcome her at the Sword Sanctum, something clicked into place.
The one greeting her was her cousin.
A young man who had followed in her footsteps to become a Sword Saint, and who was now about to become a Sword King himself— Ginoh Blitz.
Looking at him, Nina said exactly the words that came to her mind.
She didn't hesitate.
Because instant decision, instant action was the motto of the Way of the Sword God.
"Hey, Ginoh. Want to get married?"
And so, a couple was born at the Sword Sanctum— but that is yet another story.