Chapter 162: Academy Heroine's Right Diagonal Back Seat
Chapter 162: Lucifer(1)
A high mountain ridge, so elevated that one might touch the clouds if one reached out.
At the edge of a cliff, in a small cabin built on this lofty height, lived a man.
This man, who had abandoned his name, family, and everything else, possessed only a single sword.
Thus, he was nothing more than just another swordsman.
---
The man’s daily routine was fixed.
He would wake up early in the morning and swing his sword in front of the cliff at the mountain's peak.
Whenever he felt hungry, he would gather some food from the surroundings, fill his belly, and then resume swinging his sword.
He repeated this until late into the night, then fell asleep.
Every day was a repetition of this.
And the man believed that his life would continue this way forever.
“...A girl?”
If it weren't for the figure that suddenly appeared before him one day while he was swinging his sword as usual.
Lost in thought, he was mindlessly swinging his sword when he sensed a gaze, halted his movements, and turned around.
Standing there was a girl with black hair and dark eyes that were as black as her hair, dressed in ragged clothes.
There was no way a girl could have climbed up to such a high mountain peak, a place even strong men would struggle to reach, all by herself.
Wondering if she was some kind of monster or a demon he'd only heard of in stories, the man briefly contemplated whether he should cut her down. But then, he turned his attention away from the girl.
To him, the only thing that mattered was his sword, and everything else was inconsequential.
Thinking that if left alone, she would eventually disappear, he turned his focus back to his sword and continued swinging it.
However, contrary to his expectations, the girl did not disappear.
She simply stood there, staring at him intently.
Even as the sun that hung high in the sky sank and day turned to night, she continued to stare.
“...Sigh.”
I thought I had abandoned everything except the sword, yet I still haven’t rid myself of unnecessary things.
Sighing as he scolded himself, the man eventually stopped swinging his sword and approached the girl to ask.
“...Where are your parents, and why are you here alone?”
But even at his question, the girl remained silent, simply looking up at the man who approached her, her expression unreadable.
“...Are you mute?”
Seeing the girl blink but not respond to his words, the man realized she couldn't understand him.
Does it matter? The man mumbled to himself and then lifted the girl in his arms, carried her into his cabin, and laid her on the floor.
He tossed her a crude blanket made from poorly stitched animal hides and, lying down in a corner of the cabin himself, murmured.
“...I'll take you to the village at the foot of the mountain once morning comes, so stay here for the night. It's cold, so make sure to cover yourself with that blanket.”
Though, you probably don’t understand a word I’m saying.
With that, the man turned his back on the girl, who continued to stare at him, and tried to sleep.
---
The next morning, when the man woke up, he found himself in a state of confusion.
“Ah, you’re awake.”
“...Weren’t you mute?”
The girl, who had seemed unable to understand him yesterday, was now speaking naturally, as if nothing had happened.
And when the man asked why she wasn’t mute anymore, the girl pointed to a corner of the cabin and answered.
“If you mean speech, I learned it from looking at those. Is there anything strange about the way I’m speaking?”
The man looked toward where the girl was pointing.
In that corner were stacks of books containing stories of swordsmen renowned for their great skill.
He had read those books himself, but none of them contained material useful for learning to speak, so he thought the girl was playing some sort of trick on him.
He considered pointing out her oddly mature speech pattern, which resembled his own, but since he’d only be seeing the girl today, he brushed it off and asked casually.
“Alright. Anyway, it's good that you can speak. What’s your name?”
“Name? I don’t have one.”
“...What about family? Where were you born and raised?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I have those either.”
The girl had only learned to understand speech; she didn’t know her name or family.
Wasn’t this just the same as her being mute?
The man sighed and muttered toward the girl.
“Sigh, never mind. More importantly, the sun will rise soon, so I’ll take you down to the village.”
“Huh? I don’t really mind staying here.”
“...It’s not about you, it’s about me. With someone like you around, I can’t concentrate on my training. Besides, this isn’t a place where a child like you can live. The terrain is harsh, and the only food here is this kind of stuff with no nutritional value. To grow up strong, you need to eat something else. But before we descend the mountain, you should at least eat something, so go ahead and have that.”
What made her think it was okay to stay here? Shaking his head in disbelief, the man threw her some dried plant roots he had foraged and stored, and the girl, chewing on them, grimaced.
“...I suppose this might be an issue. This is harsh. It’s difficult to live off of things like this.”
Seeing the girl mutter with a severe expression, the man chuckled.
Even he, who had grown accustomed to it, found the bitterness unbearable; it must be even worse for a child like her.
The man, carrying the now silent girl on his back, descended the mountain path that took even his quick feet more than half a day to traverse. Upon reaching the foothills where the village came into view, he set the girl down and offered some advice.
“If you go to that village and tell them you're an orphan, you might get by begging for food. If you’re lucky, someone might even take you in. Just make sure not to follow any strange people and end up in trouble.”
“Don’t worry. That won’t happen.”
“Yeah, you seem bold enough, so I’m not too concerned. I’m heading back now. Stay healthy.”
“Mm, then I’ll see you again next time.”
With a parting remark about seeing him again, the girl cheerfully skipped off toward the village, and the man turned away, his expression neutral.
He had vowed to abandon the secular world.
If it weren’t for that girl, he would never have come down the mountain.
So, they would never meet again.
Having said his goodbyes, the man climbed back up the mountain to swing his sword as he always did.
---
Just a few days later,
“How have you been?”
“...”
The man’s expression turned incredulous as the girl reappeared before him while he was swinging his sword.
“...I went to the trouble of sending you to the village, and here you are back again. What are you doing here?”
“Hm? Didn’t I say I’d see you again? I’m pretty sure I said that.”
“...I remember, but that’s not the point. Why did you climb all the way back up here to this hard-to-reach place? Sigh, I don’t know how you managed to get back up, but go back down.”
When the man said this, the girl tilted her head and responded.
“Go back? What are you talking about? I plan to live here from now on.”
“...Live? Here?”
“Yes, I quite like it here. I suppose we’ll be neighbors. I look forward to our time together.”
With a confident expression, the girl’s words made the man frown as if he had a headache.
“...By whose permission? I never said you could stay in my place. Besides, I have things to do. I don’t have time to take care of a kid like you.”
“Oh, don’t worry about that. I have no intention of freeloading in your home. I learned a lot of things in the village, including how to take care of myself. So there’s no need for you to concern yourself with me.”
Despite the girl’s self-assured declaration, the man couldn’t help but scowl.
Even if she said there was no need for concern, what could a young child possibly do alone at the mountain's peak?
It was certain she’d be asking for his help before a day had passed.
But the man, who was already annoyed that this bold child had returned to bother him after he had already extended his kindness once, had no intention of offering any more help this time.
Forcing himself to look away from the girl, the man replied coldly.
“...Do as you please. But don’t expect my help, no matter what happens.”
“So, that means it’s okay for me to stay here.”
“...Do whatever you want.”
With those words, the man turned his back on the grinning girl and climbed to the mountain's peak to immerse himself in his usual training.
When he returned to the area near his cabin as the sun set, he was left speechless by the sight before him.
“...What the hell is this?”
“You’re back. Finished swinging your sword, I see. What do you think? Not a bad-looking house, right?”
Next to his own crude cabin, there was a newly built one that, by all appearances, looked far better constructed than his own.
As the girl emerged from the new cabin, the man asked, still unable to believe what he was seeing.
“...Did you build this?”
“Yes. I learned how to build houses in the village. It’s not perfect since it was put together in a hurry, but... well, it’s not bad, right? Oh, and would you like to try this?”
Dazed, the man accepted something that looked like a plant root offered by the girl.
He wondered what it was at first, but seeing the girl chew on the same thing as she told him to try it, he took a bite himself.
Upon tasting it, the man’s eyes widened.
The flavor was unexpectedly decent—no, it was actually just plain good.
Seeing the man’s reaction, the girl watched with a satisfied smile.
“I also learned about edible plants in the village. The dried roots you gave me last time may be edible, but they’re not exactly palatable. I’ve been practicing cooking too, but since I haven’t made proper cooking tools yet, think of this as a temporary housewarming gift. Next time, I’ll serve you something more impressive.”
The man nodded reluctantly at the girl’s words.
That day, he sensed something.
The girl who had never seemed ordinary from the start...
The girl who had come to live with him was not someone he needed to worry about or look after.
---
One week.
“Before you head up to train, would you care to have breakfast with me? I just finished making some cooking utensils yesterday and whipped up a little meal.”
“...No need. You go ahead and eat.”
“Hm, that’s too bad. I made enough for two. Such a waste to throw away something this delicious.”
“...Sigh, fine. I’ll eat before I go.”
Two weeks.
“Look at this. I made some clothes from the deer hide I caught in a trap recently. How are they? I learned how to tan leather, though I never thought I’d find it so useful. Here, put it on. It’s been getting pretty chilly lately, so you should keep warm.”
“...I told you I don’t need these.”
“You won’t wear it? I made it tailored to your size, so it’s not like I can wear it. What a waste. Days of effort have gone to waste.”
“...Fine, I’ll wear it. Give it here.”
One month.
“I found a rather rare herb while I was out yesterday. I picked it, but it’s a medicine for men and a poison for women. It seems a shame to waste it, but I can’t eat it either. I wonder if there’s anyone around who could use it.”
“...Fine, I get it.”
“Heh, perfect.”
“...”
As time passed, the man’s life on the mountain ridge, once solely devoted to his sword, began to change.
Eating, sleeping, and clothing oneself—things essential for a person’s survival.
His environment, which barely met the minimum requirements, was essentially a kind of self-imposed hardship.
Yet with one more person added, it transformed so much that he could hardly believe how much more comfortable life had become.
But as time went on, the girl’s presence increasingly became an ordinary part of his daily life.
As she had promised from the start, the girl never did anything to annoy the man. Instead, she created an environment that allowed him to focus solely on his sword training.
Even when she occasionally accompanied him to the mountain peak to watch him swing his sword, he no longer found her presence uncomfortable.
Then one day, the girl asked.
“Is that fun?”
“...What are you talking about?”
“Swinging your sword. You never miss a day, even when I tell you to take a break. You do it every day, so I’m wondering how much fun it must be.”
The man replied to her question.
“...I don’t do it because it’s fun. It’s just the only reason I’m alive.”
“...The only reason you’re alive.”
The girl stared at the man for a moment, seeming to contemplate something before she cautiously asked him.
“...The way you talk about it makes me curious. Would you teach me how to wield a sword?”
Hearing those words, the man’s expression hardened.
He never cared much about what the girl did, but the one thing he considered sacred and untouchable was his sword.
“...A sword is a weapon that harms others. It’s not something to take lightly.”
“...I wasn’t joking around when I asked.”
Even with the girl’s sincere words, the man’s resolve didn’t waver.
He had seen the girl’s kindness during their time together.
Pretending otherwise, she always showed consideration for him, and he didn’t want someone like her to wield a weapon meant to harm others.
However, seeing the girl’s disappointed expression for the first time, the man reluctantly handed her a wooden sword he had carved the next day.
“If you really want to learn from me, take this wooden sword and cut that boulder over there.”
“...With this? That boulder? That’s impossible.”
“If you put your will into it, there’s nothing a swordsman cannot cut. This is a test to see if you can do it. If you manage to, I’ll teach you the sword.”
“...If you don’t want to teach me, you could just say so.”
Seeing the girl accept the wooden sword, the man felt a slight pang of guilt, but he steeled himself.
As the girl had said, it was an unreasonable demand.
Unless she was a swordsman who had reached an incredibly high level—the kind the man himself had only dreamed of reaching—no beginner could cut a rock, especially not with a wooden sword.
He thought the girl knew it was impossible, and she would eventually give up.
Turning his gaze away from the girl, who stood with the sword staring incredulously at the boulder, the man resumed his training, swinging his sword.
Swords were alluring but could ruin a person’s life.
The man hoped the girl would not follow the same path he had.
---
However, the next morning...
“Hey, come out here for a moment.”
When the man stepped out of his cabin early in the morning at the girl’s call, he couldn’t help but let out a stunned laugh at the sight before him.
“...Ha.”
The cold morning air touching his skin told him this wasn’t a dream.
The boulder he had told the girl to cut yesterday.
It was cleanly sliced in two, an unbelievable sight.
“You remember our promise, right?”
With the neatly split boulder behind her, the girl smiled arrogantly, and the man could only nod in acknowledgment.
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It's a really cool side story; I wouldn't mind if it got a spin-off.
ReplyDeleteNow how does Lucy become a sword?
ReplyDeleteWhy does the descriptor sound like the previous arrogance
ReplyDelete