“Knight, Knight! Can I try out the Super Super Strong Sword?”
“I’m busy right now, so I can’t watch. Get permission from the young master.”
“Okay!”
“Mister, Mister! Can we test the Super Super Strong Sword on the field?”
“Go to the mountain behind to avoid hurting anyone.”
“Okay!”
With this, I should have all the permissions, right?
I should be able to swing the Super Super Strong Sword, right?
Charlotte giggled and hugged the Super Super Strong Sword as she ran to the quiet back mountain.
“Wow…”
Swish, the sword slid out from the makeshift leather scabbard.
As the wide, black blade was revealed, Charlotte couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Ugh!”
The Super Super Strong Sword was heavy.
It was extremely heavy.
Even though she had lifted much larger swords, the Super Super Strong Sword felt at least twice as heavy as those.
Other swords felt so light that it was like holding nothing at all.
But with the Super Super Strong Sword, she finally felt like she was holding something heavy.
“It’s bigger than the knight’s sword!”
She could tell just by lifting it.
The Super Super Strong Sword was definitely bigger than Knight Sylvia’s long sword!
Feeling a subtle sense of superiority, Charlotte raised the sword high.
Alright. She already practiced a lot with the wooden sword.
At first, the knight was always sullen.
But as time went by, didn’t she start praising her more and more for her good form?
‘Uh, hmm. You’re doing well. Handling mana is actually more important, but… hmm… you’re doing well. Yeah.’
That strict Knight Sylvia praised her!
It’s clear that her skills have improved a lot!
Mana handling? Was it? She still had not figured out what to do.
Mana is what magicians use, and shouldn’t swordsmen just swing their swords?
Kaboom like Knight Sylvia! It seems like you have to be a magician to use it, but…
She really likes swords.
Charlotte closed her eyes and tightly gripped the handle that smelled of wood.
And just as she was about to swing her favorite downward slash…
“Huh? Something, something is being sucked out…!”
Charlotte’s face turned pale.
That old man did call this a Demon Sword.
Could it be that, like in the fairy tales, this Demon Sword is sucking away her life force?
The sensation of something being drained felt really like her life force was being taken.
Charlotte trembled with a sense of crisis.
But she couldn’t stop here.
If a girl with guts has drawn her sword, she should swing it no matter what!
“Wait a minute. The name. The name!?”
Rumble.
The ground started to shake.
The sword trembled violently as if it was about to explode, and Charlotte’s brain worked at full capacity.
Just like Knight Sylvia’s Kaboom, she wanted something cool too!
The first technique fitting the grandeur of the Super Super Strong Sword!
A final blow sacrificing her lifespan for this evil Demon Sword!
Since it’s a downward slash, like thunder…
“Rumbling Thunder!!!”
Bang!
The sword drew an arc as it was swung.
With an ear-deafening roar and dust rising like mist, Charlotte’s vision was completely obscured.
Her strength drained from her body, and Charlotte collapsed on the spot.
Gradually, the dust settled.
What entered Charlotte’s view was the empty sky.
“Huh?”
Empty sky?
That’s strange.
This was supposed to be the back mountain.
Straining to turn her head, the entire scene came into view.
“Wow…”
The mountain was split.
In half. Cleanly.
Aslan’s eyes widened as he arrived, panting heavily.
Following behind, Sylvia’s mouth hung open.
“I-I’m sorry Mister…”
“What did you do?”
“The mountain… I accidentally split it in half…”
“Sylvia. Retrieve the sword immediately. Now!”
Aslan’s angry shout echoed.
Sylvia ran over, retrieved the Super Super Strong Sword, and sheathed it.
It was a sword that had split a mountain in one strike.
Fearing it might explode, Sylvia’s hands trembled as she sheathed the sword.
However, there was no ominous sign from the Super Super Strong Sword.
It was just an ordinary sword.
It contained a lot of residual mana, but it was simply a heavy greatsword.
As Sylvia looked puzzled, Aslan sighed and knelt in front of Charlotte.
‘Mana exhaustion…’
Charlotte’s muscles convulsed, and her pulse was irregular.
Most tellingly, her eyes flickered.
These were unmistakable signs of mana exhaustion, even to someone who couldn’t sense mana.
“Mister…”
“Don’t talk. It must be very hard for you. Just focus on breathing and recovering.”
“Mister, I’m sorry…”
“…?”
Charlotte panted heavily and bit her lip.
Seeing an expression on her face that he’d never seen before—usually always cheerful and bright—left Aslan rather unsettled.
Had something happened?
“I think… this might be the end…”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have no strength left in my body…”
“It seems that way.”
“But it’s the end… and I don’t know what to say… hehehe…”
Charlotte forced a smile.
Aslan frowned, utterly confused.
What was this fool talking about all of a sudden?
“Explain so I can understand.”
“Julia… she’s actually a kind girl despite how she acts… so please don’t hate her too much, Mister… And Yuri… I wanted to see him too… Oh no, Yuri might think I died because of Mister…”
“…?”
“I guess I’ll have to leave convincing Yuri to Julia… Yeah. It can’t be helped… hehe. It’s my mistake, Mister. I didn’t realize the Super Super Strong Sword would drain my life force… I should have let go earlier, but I foolishly held on…”
“Charlotte. You didn’t have your life force drained…”
“I don’t have much time left… Thank you, Mister… And wasn’t my Rumbling Thunder awesome…”
Swish.
After leaving behind a faint line, Charlotte closed her eyes.
Charlotte relaxing peacefully, as if she had found her comfortable rest.
He held Charlotte in his arms.
Aslan stood still for a moment, then finally spoke.
“What nonsense is this?”
It’s just mana exhaustion.
What is she even talking about?
Is she dreaming about food or something?
Aslan sighed, looking at the peacefully sleeping Charlotte, who was licking her lips.
***
After moving the sleeping Charlotte to her bedroom.
I returned to the scene of the incident with Sylvia.
She had really cut the mountain cleanly in half.
Seeing the direction of the cut, I was alarmed, but fortunately, the strike’s power had decreased right after splitting the mountain.
There was no damage to the imperial capital.
We were very close to a beheading.
“Have you ever seen anything like this, Sylvia?”
“No. I’ve never witnessed such powerful magic firsthand. There are stories about magicians who can theoretically wipe out entire cities, but…”
So it’s not impossible, but it’s not common either.
If magic powerful enough to split mountains were common, that would be a problem in itself.
Sylvia briefly examined the ground and closed her eyes.
“Judging by the residual mana… the amount of mana projected is about 30 times my total reserve. This might not even be magic.”
“Huh…”
I was speechless.
Just releasing a quarter of Sylvia’s mana had caused an explosion that seemed to shake the heavens and the earth.
So, the strike that split the mountain had the power of 120 Kabooms, or 30 Sylvias.
Looking at it now, Sylvia, you’re actually quite weak, aren’t you?
I thought she was in the position of a secret powerhouse hiding her strength, but it turns out that’s not the case.
Maybe she should just hide her strength forever.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Sylvia, how about quitting being a knight and becoming my secretary?”
“Why are you suddenly making such a suggestion?”
“You seem a bit washed up now.”
“What…! I am very useful, young master. I may not use such flashy magic, but with enough mana, destroying a building or two is no problem. I also excel in delicate tasks.”
“Got it.”
“In close combat, no one can match me. In situations where constant movement is required, using mana is limited, but I can subdue anyone. Except for Sword Masters, I can face anyone. Truly, young master.”
“I said I got it. Calm down, Sylvia.”
“So please… don’t ask me to put down my sword… Even if I become a sl*ve to the Vermont family, I cannot put down my sword…”
It was just a joke.
Before I knew it, Sylvia was kneeling before me, head bowed.
I could hear the occasional sound of her swallowing back tears.
‘Does she have a reason she can’t put down her sword?’
I don’t know her circumstances.
I’ve only played up to Chapter 1.
But I’m not foolish enough to crush the will of one of the few good characters in this game.
“You’re worrying over nothing. You will wield your sword for me for your entire life. I’ll make sure to use you to your full potential, so keep that in mind.”
“Yes!”
[Sylvia’s affection has increased by 3.]
Sylvia lifted her head and smiled broadly.
[The evil god ‘Kali’ claps in admiration.]
Sylvia and Kali both being moved at the same moment.
This is rare…
Sylvia quickly regained her energy, standing up energetically beside me.
Seeing the tear stains on her face, I gave her a gentle signal by tapping her cheek.
She tilted her head, then with an ‘Ah!’ sound, she wiped my cheek instead.
Stupid girl… Thanks to her, my face was now smeared with dirt.
“Your pay is cut by 50%.”
“What, why!?”
“Anyway, what should we do about this? We can’t exactly restore a split mountain. Wait a minute.”
As I rubbed my temples in frustration, a brilliant idea struck me.
‘Is it necessary to restore it?’
The Vermont territory was often considered rural because of the rugged mountain range between it and the capital.
To get to the Vermont territory from the capital, one had to take a long detour around the mountains.
But now, that rugged mountain range had just been split in half.
“We can just build a road there. A direct road to the capital.”
“Ah!?”
It was until yesterday that the Vermont Territory was a frontier region.
.
.
.
“Mmm, mmm… Sorry, everyone… Hi…”
“How long are you planning to sleep?”
“Huh? Julia!? Wh-why are you here too?”
Charlotte gasped, her eyes wide.
This is strange. she was supposed to be dead, right?
Facing Julia, who was stifling her laughter, Charlotte was bewildered.
Julia, after laughing heartily and wiping away tears, finally calmed down.
“Oh. She really thought she was dying.”
“Huh?”
“You idiot. You just had mana exhaustion. You’ve never used mana before, so you wouldn’t know what mana exhaustion feels like. I’ve experienced it 18 hours before you, so I know it well.”
“Mana exhaustion…?”
Mana exhaustion.
So her life force wasn’t being drained?
Is she not dead?
Wasn’t this heaven?
As Charlotte, feeling strength returning to her body after a good sleep, realized this…
“Aaaaah!!!”
She felt an intense wave of embarrassment and buried her face in her pillow.
Ugh! How am I ever going to face Mister again!!!
