Chapter 12: An Ordinary Morning

Kaang—

Metal clashes against metal, the crisp sound slicing through the air several times.

An intense exchange unfolds within a short span, each momentary strike containing the heavens, the earth.

The extended blade cleaves the air, and even the moment it’s withdrawn creates a new gust that reaches the opponent.

Who are these individuals, who polish their fangs with steel, seeking to transcend the human form?

What is the appearance of those who attach wings as tools, attempting to take flight through their own bodies?

The one swiftly switching offense and defense with a longsword is a woman with straight red hair.

Moving rapidly, her yellow eyes glittering, she counters each of the opponent’s attacks.

The one leisurely holding the advantage with a greatsword is an old woman with white hair.

Despite her aged face, there’s no sign of being pushed back; rather, she remains relaxed, showing only minimal movements.

A shallow glance might predict the winner, but a deeper look could confirm it—

Kaang—!

“—Ut.”

—In reality, the outcome of the spar was predetermined.

The young woman’s stance breaks, her hand rising high along with the longsword, while the old woman’s greatsword aims for her neck.

A clear conclusion, yet perhaps an expected one; the woman, showing no surprise, merely chuckles softly—

“…Ugh, I really can’t beat you. Is the day I win ever going to come?”

—and voicing the same complaint as always, she simply sheathed her sword.

“What nonsense are you spouting against a worn-out old hag? Stop whining and swing your sword some more before resting.”

Seeing the woman, the old woman clicks her tongue, then swings the massive greatsword once around and plants it in the ground.

It was a light, fluid motion, impossible to attribute to an old woman seemingly closer to death than life.

“Old hag? That’s not something someone who can still easily beat active knights should say.”

The woman, Sonia, grumbles at the old woman, Oksana.

Indeed, as the woman said, Oksana was far from ordinary.

Currently serving as a general instructor and the physician to the Grand Duchess Weiss, in the past, she was the Knight Commander who also mentored the previous Grand Duke Weiss.

“The past is just the past. Now, I’m just an old woman in the back room.”

“…So, calling Master an old woman in the back room itself is—”

“Shut your mouth and train. It’s the day, how long are you going to just stand there flapping your gums?”

“Tch. Yes, yes.”

Oksana spoke firmly to Sonia, who kept nitpicking her words.

Oksana surmised that the reason this usually compliant kid was so talkative today was likely because of the day itself.

Yes, today would be a very unusual day for Sonia.

Usually, she sparred only with opponents of her level or Oksana herself—but today, she would be sparring with someone far below her level.

Finding herself watching her patient and disciple spar, Oksana could only feel bewildered.

She had heard from other disciples that the Grand Duchess would be taking the Knight Examination, but she hadn’t known Sonia would be the opponent.

“Uh, what if I misjudge my strength and leave even a small scratch on the young lady’s body…”

However, just as the nobles hadn’t decided carelessly, Sonia was indeed a suitable opponent for the Grand Duchess’s examination.

Pursuing elegant and swift swordsmanship rather than destructive power, she was at the level of an average knight—neither overwhelmingly strong nor particularly weak.

To conduct the examination without injuring the Grand Duchess, and to ensure fairness to avoid future complaints, Sonia was a good choice as an opponent.

“And if, not her body, but her face gets scratched… I, I’d be instantly executed on the spot, right? I surely wouldn’t even get a grave, and my corpse would be torn to shreds, right??”

“…The Grand Duchess isn’t like that. Just do as you normally do, and nothing will happen. Stop worrying needlessly.”

Although she was currently spewing nonsense, eyes rolling with nervousness and worry, it was certainly true.

“Ahhh, but she’s nobility!! Sh-She hasn’t even held a sword before!!! How am I supposed to swing a sword at someone like that without any nervousness at all?!???”

Though she was currently trembling and shrieking, it was certainly true.

“J-Just one mistake, and my reputation, no, my life, no, even my burial after death will be ruined, branded as a traitor—”

…Though she was rambling on about the worst possible scenarios she might face, it was certainly tru—hmm, it was certainly true.

Thwack—!

“Or maybe I won’t even rest peacefully before dy— Ow!! Ah, that hurts!”

Unable to listen any longer to the lengthy stream of negativity, Oksana sighed and rapped Sonia on the head.

Since it was directed at a knight, not an ordinary person, even the sturdy Sonia clutched her head and stumbled.

“…Enough with the nonsense, you wench. And, I told you. There’s no way the Grand Duchess will get hurt because you misjudged your strength.”

“…I heard you. But that doesn’t make sense. How can I not control my strength against such a frail person?”

Sonia rubs her head, still wearing an expression of incomprehension.

“Just know that for now. Anyway, you’ll realize it soon enough, even if you don’t want to.”

Perhaps if she explained that the Grand Duchess suffered from Grace, it would be easy to make Sonia recall these words later.

However, Grace wasn’t a common illness and thus not well-known, and above all, the Grand Duchess had personally requested secrecy, so Oksana had no choice but to keep quiet about that part.

Therefore, simply giving Sonia advice, even in a simplified form, was the right thing to do.

Oksana had met two individuals with Grace in her lifetime, including the Grand Duchess, and through the other one, she had learned keenly what Grace truly meant.

It’s unknown whether those with Grace are talented, or if they are talented because they have Grace.

But what is certain is that this talent is not something to be casually dismissed or judged.

In her younger days, even younger than youth, the brilliant talent she had glimpsed, albeit briefly, for a short time.

That unreachable talent, seemingly capable of touching the heavens, or perhaps fracturing the heavens and embedding them within oneself.

Once upon a time, it was so distant that Oksana herself had earnestly wished to suffer from Grace.

Those afflicted with Grace were individuals incomparable even to her, who had reached the pinnacle with the sword, leaving her still gazing in awe.

…However, the moment it all began to feel horrifying.

The moment she started focusing not on ‘Grace’ but on the ‘suffering person’ in those afflicted with Grace.

Must have been due to the young Oksana, who had to witness with her own eyes how cruelly the one chosen by God, the one favored by God, died.

“Tsk.”

Memories still lingering as trauma flood her mind.

The scene is still vivid, which might also be the reason she’s complying with the request of the Grand Duchess, with whom she has no connection.

“…What’s wrong now?”

“It’s not because of you, so just calm down. Being so nervous, won’t you just make more mistakes you wouldn’t normally make, like you said?”

Sonia, though grumbling, seemed to have relaxed somewhat, correcting her posture and continuing her practice.

Perhaps because she had been recalling the distant past until moments ago, or perhaps because the reason she accepted Sonia as her final disciple was related to that in the first first place, Oksana couldn’t help but drift into reminiscence once more.

The Grand Duchess also suffers from Grace.

Even if her talent doesn’t lie in the ‘sword’, it surely wouldn’t be at a level Sonia could possibly reach.

Whatever the result, Sonia would despair.

Oksana herself had experienced the same.

Once upon a time, intoxicated by such brightly shining talent, ignoring the person wielding the talent, she lived despairing in terrible jealousy.

“…Sonia.”

“…Uh, yes?”

Therefore, though it might be a sentiment most adults hold.

Wishing someone doesn’t walk the same path as oneself is a natural feeling for an adult watching a child.

“…If anything happens, I’ll take full responsibility, so don’t worry too much. From the time I took you as my disciple, I never intended to raise you just moderately.”

Particularly today, she just yearned for Sonia to remain as she was.

Just finding joy in learning, hoping she wouldn’t stake her life on reaching high places.

“…Heh, you call yourself an old woman in the back room, but you seem like an old woman capable of manipulating the Grand Ducal family?”

Intoxicated by the bright flame, jealous of the brilliant star, even if one runs towards it, the outcome isn’t good—proven already through herself.

Thwack—!

“Ow! Why did you hit me again!”

“Even when I speak nicely, where do you find fault? Tsk, finish up and rest well.”

Whether flame or star, ultimately, they only burn themselves to emit light.

Those with Grace are simply born to burn themselves out much faster.

Those ordinary people running towards it burn up, unable to withstand the heat, while those born fated to burn simply die painfully day by day—a tragedy.

Perhaps, the reason Oksana found it hard to see the Grand Duchess smile was predetermined as such.

Seeing the subject of tragedy smiling, smiling to reassure someone else—once was enough.

…If only she wouldn’t endure, maybe she could at least heal.

With that frail body, that young body, why does she try to shoulder so many things?

Oksana glanced once towards the direction where the sun was rising, where the Grand Duchess would be, then quietly turned her head back.

Something that doesn’t burn and break—the sun alone should suffice, no need to see overlaps.

Someone who brightly illuminated their surroundings like the sun and then disappeared—she had experienced that tiresomely often already.

A smile pretending to be okay when not okay—it remained etched so strongly in her mind that she didn’t want to see it anymore.

…Therefore, Grand Duchess. Eleonora.

This old woman, who won’t last much longer, inwardly pleads.

Please, learn to give up instead.

***

Kkadeudeuk—

“Please, kkeok, kkuk, save…”

“Mhm, right. That’s where it starts. Good, better than the third one.”

‘Total of four this time?’

‘Last time was five, before that two… I don’t quite understand the criteria for how they arrange the personnel.’

‘Isn’t the basis of forming teams usually to make the number of members in each team similar?’

‘What on earth is the standard? Skill… doesn’t seem particularly impressive, though.’

‘No, wait, since they entered my room, I shouldn’t judge by skill.’

‘While I can’t be certain the physician would end up in a similar state as this guy, she’d surely provide some level of frustration.’

‘Thinking of it that way, is this group somewhere between elite and top elite this time?’

‘Still, they lasted longer than the previous five, so it’s correct to rate their skill higher than that.’

‘However, this alone doesn’t allow for a clear estimation of skill, making it difficult to gauge the overall standard.’

‘Hmm, not knowing the exact scale makes prediction impossible—certainly seems to diminish the fun.’

“Kkeuk, knowing, kkeoheuk, as much as…”

“Yes, yes. And after that?”

‘Not that I particularly want to know right now.’

‘Anyway, the sun was starting to brighten, so from now on, I should focus more on the exam than these things.’

‘Actually, having stayed up all night like this, the word ‘focus’ itself has become incorrect, but anyway.’

“Everything, geureuk, tell—”

“…Aha, what a shame.”

Kwadeuk—!!

“That wasn’t it.”

…Hmm, just when I made a resolution, trying to break it.

In my position of needing to focus on the exam, I don’t particularly want to hear more of this guy’s story.

He seemed to be trying to say something, but it likely wasn’t important anyway.

It would be best to temporarily push these guys’ stories down the priority list.

Yes, a reasonable choice to focus on the exam.

After roughly kicking aside the assassin whose existence was slowly fading, I closed the window they had opened to enter.

The cold wind that had been blowing in until moments ago cleared my head, completely dispelling the grogginess despite spending the night without sleep.

Expressing gratitude for this would be a socially good judgment, but since they’re already dead, there’s no benefit for me.

So, deciding to just let it go, I confirmed only until the corpse completely vanished.

Wiping my dirtied cane and standing in the room, I see the sun slowly rising outside the window.

If the assassins had been a bit more logical, it might have been amusing, but unfortunately, they just broke easily, leaving me in a bad mood.

Good relationships invariably start from conversation and understanding; how can they lack even that much patience?

Though I’ve struggled through human relationships without empathy until now, even I tend to feel uncomfortable about aspects like this.

Haa, whether it’s my brother or the physician, the important people are all displeasing, so the only relationship I might properly and truthfully form would likely be with this faction—

Knock, knock—

…Aha?

Hmm, right, right.

Come to think of it, was this the fourth time?

The ‘forgiveness’ improperly received and the ‘apology’ improperly given—

“…Come in, Mary.”

‘Alright, let’s ask Mary after the exam.’

‘If that’s the case, there will be quite a lot to do after the exam is over.’

‘Only truly bothersome things remain around me.’

…But well. What can be done?

To live while giving up everything, right now, I needed to grasp many things tightly.

Putting the forgotten smile back on, I watched Mary enter.

It was an utterly ordinary morning, the day of the Knight Examination.