Elze was inwardly distressed for several days after Shan's visit. Astin asked her what was going on, but she couldn't bring herself to explain.
She hadn't thought much about it before, but after Shan came, marriage with him started to feel real. And she realized that she had to spend her first night with Shan. When she wrote the prenuptial agreement, she even set detailed clauses about the number of times they would sleep together. But seeing it in writing and experiencing it in person was completely different.
Now that she think about it, she heard that the women of the capital's high society, married or single, couldn't wait to spend a night with Shan. Was it the same when he was on the battlefield? Elze suddenly felt strangely offended and frowned.
Thinking back to the battlefield, one bad memory after another came to mind. Some prostitutes followed the army, but basically, all the soldiers were sexually frustrated. So it was common for them to turn a blind eye to a pretty man among them.
Elze was always the prey. Everyone was anxious because they couldn't touch Elze. Of course, after the 'dinner leg incident', no one went near Elze, but she had her own set of worries in the beginning.
Because of that memory, Elze felt uncomfortable with sexual skinship. Even when she was in Korea, she was obsessed with swords, and the only contact she had with men was through kendo and fencing matches.
But when she thinks about Shan and doing things like that...
“Ugh, let me stop thinking about it.”
Elze shook her head briefly to shake off the thought. She had received a pleasant call today and was preparing to go out. She didn't want to ruin the excitement with memories of the past.
The news that made Elze excited was that the rapier and mangosh that she had previously commissioned were now complete.
Even though she was busy preparing for the wedding, she had to go and find it herself. The craftsman who had been entrusted with the making of it was eccentric and would not give the sword to just anyone. When she first entrusted it to him, he had a really bad temper. Elze shook her head for a moment, recalling her memory of going to see Master Harbin.
At that time, it was not long after she returned to the Baluar Empire. Elze, who was taking care of Astin who had fallen from her horse, was walking around the market next to Plaza Manua to buy medicine that the doctor had recommended. Then she took a wrong turn and ended up in the outskirts, where she happened to find a weapons shop.
She was about to throw away the old sword she had used on the battlefield and order a new one. Elze glanced at the swords on display and they all looked pretty good.
Elze opened the door and went inside. The jingling of the bell announced the arrival of a customer, but the old man sitting at the counter just sat on his chair with an indifferent expression.
However, Elze, who liked the sword she saw outside, decided to buy it here. Elze smiled brightly and started talking.
"Hello. Do you have a rapier and mangosh?"
And the owner of the weapons shop opened his mouth for the first time.
"A bitch with a rapier and mangosh?"
"..."
Elze's smiling face was cracked. She couldn't believe how this old man could suddenly start a fight when he had never seen her before. The old man stood up, wiping his butt. He was shorter than Elze, and he was fat and stocky. He had a messy gray beard and pulled out a long stick from under the counter. Then he threw it at Elze.
Elze, who had caught the stick thrown at her by chance, looked at the old man. Then the old man banged his hand on the counter and said.
"Swing it around."
Elze waved the stick up and down roughly, and the old man became angry.
"No, not like that! More properly!"
What the heck? Elze swung her stick again. This time she brought it down straight with a decent performance. But it didn't seem to satisfy the old man. He shouted.
"No! No more!!"
Elze sighed inwardly, straightened her posture, and thrust the stick forward as if she were handling a rapier. Then the old man slammed the counter with both hands and shouted.
"Do it right!!"
This old man really...
Elze clenched her teeth. And this time, she swung her 'sword'. It cut through the black air with its eyes flashing blue.
The first thing that struck her was the vibration. The heavy vibration made the swords hanging on the wall clank along with a whoosh sound.
Next came the wind. A gust of wind blew through the closed windows and doors, sweeping the narrow interior of the weapon shop.
The wind soon died down. Elze’s fluttering hair also slowly settled down. And the stick stopped exactly at the center of the old man’s forehead, a distance of a fingernail.
"..."
The old man was silent for a moment. His eyes were filled with a mixture of surprise and excitement, along with a faint fear. Elze felt a little regretful as she looked at the stiff old man. She had been too sincere to the eccentric old man.
"Excuse me... Are you okay?"
Elze lowered the stick and asked carefully, but the old man blurted out:
"Second."
"Yes?"
"The second one."
Elze blinked for a moment and then naturally asked the question she was most curious about in this situation.
"What's the first one?"
"Shan Cirxus."
"..."
The name that came as a surprise stabbed Elze in the back without a sound. Shan had stopped by here. Elze swallowed hard.
"But I didn't make that sword for him. He doesn't need it. No matter how famous the sword is, it becomes a cheap iron sword in his hands, and no matter how cheap the iron sword is, it becomes a famous sword."
At first, Elze couldn't understand what he was talking about. Anyway, it seemed like he was going to make a sword for her, but not for Shan. Elze nodded and pretended to understand.
The old man, unlike his initially indifferent face, smiled brightly and even hummed. He put the stick back under the counter and spoke in an excited voice.
"It'll take a while! Where should I contact you?"
"Count Targayel."
"Targayel?"
The old man paused for a moment.
"Targayel..."
He looked at Elze closely. Elze did not avoid the old man's gaze. Somehow she had a strange confidence that he would not tell her story to anyone else. That was why she was honest, and as expected, the old man was tight-lipped.
Elze paid the price on the spot and returned home. She later learned that he was a famous craftsman in the Baluar Empire and had even been given the title of Master. Elze waited for her new sword with a pounding heart.
And after almost a year, news finally arrived that the sword was completed.
"Hello."
The old shop had not changed, and the old man still had no manners of getting up and greeting customers. Elze walked quickly to the counter with flying steps.
“Are you here?”
Harbin waved at Elze while sitting down. Elze quickly ran to the counter and joined him. Harbin chuckled as he looked at Elze’s face, which was unable to hide her excitement.
“This is truly a masterpiece.”
Harbin took out a long bag from under the counter. Elze tilted her head at the sight of the bag made of light brown leather, and Harbin opened the bag. Elze’s eyes widened.
“As a lady, you should carry it elegantly. I asked someone I know to make a pretty bag for you. Of course, I included a belt so you can wear it around your waist.”
Inside the bag, there was a white silk lining, and on it, the rapier and the mangosh were placed side by side. The sharp scabbard was smooth and neat. Elze picked up the mangosh first with trembling hands.
Mangosh was wrapped tightly in her hand. When she pulled out the sword with a click, she saw a bluish blade. On the blade, Harbin’s name and the date of production were written in small letters.
Elze put down the mangosh with a pounding heart and examined the rapier. Looking at the slender and long rapier, Elze muttered with a face of rapture.
“It’s really... pretty...”
Harbin looked proud as he watched Elze, who was so happy that she didn’t know what to do. As he shrugged his shoulders and continued to explain and brag about this and that, a loud noise was heard outside the weapon shop. It was the sound of horses’ hooves and people talking.
Elze and Harbin turned toward the door at the same time. Harbin's weapons shop was located in a corner of an alley, so it wasn't noisy like this. Several men on horseback were reflected in the glass window beyond the display case. Strangely, a chill ran down her spine.
Just then a knock was heard.
“...”
Harbin looked at Elze. Elze packed her bag first. She had already paid the fee, so she just had to take her things. She didn't know for sure, but she felt like she had to run away.
The quick-witted Harbin opened the door behind the counter. There was another knock. And at the voice that accompanied it, Elze held her breath.
“Master Harbin.”
That was the voice of Shan Cirxus.
Elze wasn't the only one who was surprised to hear Shan's voice. Harbin was equally surprised. He spoke loudly, his voice clearly showing his confusion.
“Lord Corxus?”
Harbin quickly nodded to Elze as he walked around the counter and toward the door. It was a sign that she should hurry and go out the back door. Elze gave him a brief thank you gesture and ran out through the door he opened for her.
Beyond the back door was a blacksmith shop. The front was a shop, and the back seemed to be used as a blacksmith shop. Elze realized that she had not closed the back door tightly because she was in a hurry to leave. She could hear voices through the slightly open door.
“What brings you here?”
Harbin spoke to Shan politely and respectfully. That old man was acting cold to me! I was getting angry at the wrong place, but that wasn't important at the moment. Elze hurriedly looked for a side door leading outside.
"OMG..."
But people were standing beyond the side door. They had swords on their waists, and it was clear that they had come with Shan. Seeing the young men filling the alley, Elze couldn't go out and stamped her feet inside.
Inside the shop, the two people continued their conversation.
“I’m trying to order a new sword.”
“I told you, Lord Cirxus, that I cannot make a sword for you.”
"Ah."
Harbin flatly refused. However, it seemed that the request for a new sword was merely an excuse. Shan continued speaking without showing any particular regret at Harbin’s refusal.
“Have you made a sword recently?”
"There is."
“What kind of sword did you make?”
Harbin was silent for a moment at Shan's question. However, it was clear that he already knew everything. Harbin, who had been hesitating, eventually spoke honestly.
“...Rapier and Mangosh.”
Elze almost dropped the bag she was holding but managed to grab it again. Shan had obviously come just in time after hearing that Harbin was making rapiers and mangosh.
She could see the spider web gradually tightening. Her heart was about to burst. Elze looked around desperately, thinking she had to run away. However, no matter how much she looked, there were only two exits: the side door and the door leading to the store. Shan’s voice came again.
“Even if I ask you to tell me who you did business with, you won’t tell me.”
“...”
Shan continued to speak on his own, with Harbin standing in front of him without saying a word.
“It’s really hard to handle both a rapier and a mangosh. Many people use them these days, but no one uses them properly.”
He was walking around the weapon shop, his footsteps leisurely heard.
“As Master Harbin knows, that’s actually ridiculous swordsmanship. It’s impossible without monstrous skill and a sense of swordsmanship.”
The sound of footsteps that had been continuing suddenly stopped.
“Except for one person.”
Silence flowed. Harbin, who had kept his mouth shut until now, answered slowly.
“...I don’t really understand what you’re talking about.”
“Master Harbin must have heard his name too.”
Along with a low laugh, Elze could hear her name.
“Elze of the Elijah Mercenary Corps.”
“...”
“That’s just it. It doesn’t mean anything, so relax.”
Fortunately, Harbin didn't tell Elze's story until the end. Elze let out a sigh. She thought she would have to thank Harbin separately later. Shan didn't seem to be interested in the blacksmith shop. She was thinking that it would be a good idea to hide here and sneak out after Shan left.
“The back door is open.”
This bad guy...
It was Shan who shattered her dreams and hopes in less than 10 seconds after she thought of hiding.
Ah, I don't know.
Elze quickly counted the numbers, then threw the bag she was holding over her head. The bag flew into the air with a whoosh.
Elze moved before they could draw their swords and take their stances. Elze’s hand was the first to grab the nearest one by the collar. Then she struck the stern with the pommel on the end of her sword grip. He seemed to be wearing light leather armor underneath, but it was of little use as Elze’s brute strength brought the iron down.
“Ugh!”
Using that guy's scream as a signal, Elze jumped out. Holding the Mangosh in its scabbard, Elze attacked only the vital points such as the spleen, the back of the neck, and the lower abdomen. One by one, they fell exactly one by one.
Some tried to react late, but it was difficult to even draw a long sword in the narrow alley. Unlike Elze who moved quickly, they could not move properly.
In the blink of an eye, five men fell to the floor, and Elze lightly caught the bag that fell from the air.
“Phew...”
Elze, who caught her breath, used the man who had fallen to the ground as a stepping stone to jump up onto the high wall. Elze, who had climbed up onto the narrow wall, was the first to throw her bag and was about to jump back down over the wall herself. The side door opened with a crashing sound and a loud voice was heard.
“Elze!!”
It was Shan's voice. Elze stopped in her tracks. She had to keep running, but she couldn't move as if she was under a spell.
She felt eyes on her. She even had the illusion of her skin tingling as the eyes pierced her back. But Elze didn’t look back. Shan said to Elze, who didn’t look back.
“Why.”
She couldn't see his face, but she could tell Shan was angry just from hearing his voice. He asked in a growling tone.
“Why are you running away?”
Elze swallowed hard. She wanted to answer, but her voice was clearly different from the one that had been husky and worn out from the battlefield. Her voice was so clear that she could have opened her mouth once and Erzenes would have been angry. Shan continued talking while looking at Elze’s back, who couldn’t say anything.
“I thought of you as a close friend.”
Friend... At Shan’s words, Elze tightly clenched the hand holding the mangosh. The word friend shook Elze’s heart. She didn’t know Shan would think of her this much.
On the battlefield, Shan trusted no one. The only person he bowed to was Raymond, the Crown Prince and commander-in-chief. He was known for not placing anyone above him or on an equal footing, so the proud nobles kept their distance from him.
Of course, many followed Shan. The most important value on the battlefield was strength, and Shan was the one who stood at the top of it. Those who were captivated by Shan’s inhuman strength gathered like bees and worshipped him as if he were a God.
But no one could be called Shan's close friend. He was always buried in a crowd of people, but he was always alone. That was Shan.
But now, Shan is telling Elze that she is his close friend.
“If you think the same as me, at least...”
Shan was sincere. Elze was breathless. His sincerity weighed heavily on her heart.
“Don't lie to me.”
He asked Elze.
“Turn around right now and look at me.”
But in the end, Elze had no choice but to remain silent.
“..."
Shan let out a low laugh as he looked at Elze, who neither turned nor answered. Then he asked in a dejected tone.
“Is that your choice?”
There was a sense of betrayal in his desperate voice. It was heartbreaking. She wanted to put everything down and just tell him that she was Erzenes, the one who would soon marry him and become his wife.
But that couldn't be the case. This wasn't Elze's problem alone. It was a matter of the honor of the Targayel Counts and the survival of the Elijah mercenary company.
I'm sorry, Shan.
Elze whispered an apology to him in her heart and then ran away.
"...Ha."
Shan clenched his fists as he watched Elze’s back disappear beyond the wall. His hands shook slightly.
“Elze...”
His purple eyes gleamed fiercely.
“Your Highness. It is said that the priests of Ines have been traveling around the continent recently.”
Raymond kept signing the papers and asked the secretary who was reporting back.
“The priests of Ines? I have never heard of Ilwooz’s death.”
Ines was a religion believed in by most countries and was so widespread that the continent's calendar was called the Ines calendar.
The priests of Ines lived their entire lives in the sacred city of Inesian. They rarely left Inesian except to seek the next Great Ilwooz. So it was certainly strange that the priests of Ines were now appearing everywhere.
“Yes. I heard that other countries are also curious about this. I will find out more and report back to you in detail. And...”
But Ines wasn't important to the secretary right now. The secretary hesitated and couldn't continue speaking. He looked at Raymond's expression and handed him a document.
“This is a bill from the Elijah Mercenary Corps.”
"Ha?"
There were already so many places where money would be spent after the war...
Elze sighed heavily. And she hugged him for a long time without saying a word. In her tight embrace, Astin choked and shed tears.
Blood flowing from the wound and tears flowing from the eyes soaked Elze's clothes. But Elze didn't avoid them, even though they were wet. Instead, she just hugged Astin tighter.
Only after crying his eyes out for a long time was Astin able to calm down. Elze, who had been waiting for him until then, spoke in a calm voice.
"Astin, do what you want."
Astin was forced to become a Count and lead Targayel. He was driven out by the pressure and fled to the refuge of death. But Elze embraced it all.
"Targayel... I will take care of it."
Astin gaped.
"You said you wanted to study public administration for a long time. How about going to college?"
"But the tuition..."
Elze smiled in front of Astin, who was stammering about realistic issues.
"Your sister is a greater person than you think."
At that smile, Austin's heart raced. His eyes grew hot and his face flushed.
"Therefore..."
Elze said, winking playfully at Astin.
"As for Targayel, don't worry about it."
Astin eventually burst into tears again. He thought she was being ridiculous and that he should stop talking nonsense. But Elze was different.
For Astin, Elze was...a savior.
After that, Astin entered Aquis University and majored in public administration. Elze left for abroad to do business.
Astin suffered for a long time at the thought of leaving a heavy burden on his sister. However, whenever he heard the news from Elze, she encouraged him, saying that studying hard was the way to go for his sister.
Astin also gritted his teeth and worked hard to somehow get a scholarship. Although other nobles in Aquis University looked at him as a fallen noble and despised him, he didn't care. To Astin, it was more important to be a proud person in front of Elze. He didn't have time to look at such things.
Then, he heard the news of Elze's marriage. Along with that, he also heard the news that the imperial family would make war hero Shan Crixus the Count of Targayel.
Astin could not help but blame himself. It was because he had abandoned Targayel that all this had happened. Even if he had ten mouths, Astin had nothing to say to Elze.
“I’m sorry. Because of me...”
Astin couldn't even look Elze in the eye, but Elze slowly shook her head.
“No, Astin. It’s my choice too.”
“...”
To cheer up the depressed Astin, Elze deliberately cheerfully spoke to him.
“Did you practice escorting tomorrow?”
“Ugh...”
Astin took a deep breath. And forced himself to smile brightly. That was all he could do for Elze right now.
She hadn't thought much about it before, but after Shan came, marriage with him started to feel real. And she realized that she had to spend her first night with Shan. When she wrote the prenuptial agreement, she even set detailed clauses about the number of times they would sleep together. But seeing it in writing and experiencing it in person was completely different.
Now that she think about it, she heard that the women of the capital's high society, married or single, couldn't wait to spend a night with Shan. Was it the same when he was on the battlefield? Elze suddenly felt strangely offended and frowned.
Thinking back to the battlefield, one bad memory after another came to mind. Some prostitutes followed the army, but basically, all the soldiers were sexually frustrated. So it was common for them to turn a blind eye to a pretty man among them.
Elze was always the prey. Everyone was anxious because they couldn't touch Elze. Of course, after the 'dinner leg incident', no one went near Elze, but she had her own set of worries in the beginning.
Because of that memory, Elze felt uncomfortable with sexual skinship. Even when she was in Korea, she was obsessed with swords, and the only contact she had with men was through kendo and fencing matches.
But when she thinks about Shan and doing things like that...
“Ugh, let me stop thinking about it.”
Elze shook her head briefly to shake off the thought. She had received a pleasant call today and was preparing to go out. She didn't want to ruin the excitement with memories of the past.
The news that made Elze excited was that the rapier and mangosh that she had previously commissioned were now complete.
Even though she was busy preparing for the wedding, she had to go and find it herself. The craftsman who had been entrusted with the making of it was eccentric and would not give the sword to just anyone. When she first entrusted it to him, he had a really bad temper. Elze shook her head for a moment, recalling her memory of going to see Master Harbin.
At that time, it was not long after she returned to the Baluar Empire. Elze, who was taking care of Astin who had fallen from her horse, was walking around the market next to Plaza Manua to buy medicine that the doctor had recommended. Then she took a wrong turn and ended up in the outskirts, where she happened to find a weapons shop.
She was about to throw away the old sword she had used on the battlefield and order a new one. Elze glanced at the swords on display and they all looked pretty good.
Elze opened the door and went inside. The jingling of the bell announced the arrival of a customer, but the old man sitting at the counter just sat on his chair with an indifferent expression.
However, Elze, who liked the sword she saw outside, decided to buy it here. Elze smiled brightly and started talking.
"Hello. Do you have a rapier and mangosh?"
And the owner of the weapons shop opened his mouth for the first time.
"A bitch with a rapier and mangosh?"
"..."
Elze's smiling face was cracked. She couldn't believe how this old man could suddenly start a fight when he had never seen her before. The old man stood up, wiping his butt. He was shorter than Elze, and he was fat and stocky. He had a messy gray beard and pulled out a long stick from under the counter. Then he threw it at Elze.
Elze, who had caught the stick thrown at her by chance, looked at the old man. Then the old man banged his hand on the counter and said.
"Swing it around."
Elze waved the stick up and down roughly, and the old man became angry.
"No, not like that! More properly!"
What the heck? Elze swung her stick again. This time she brought it down straight with a decent performance. But it didn't seem to satisfy the old man. He shouted.
"No! No more!!"
Elze sighed inwardly, straightened her posture, and thrust the stick forward as if she were handling a rapier. Then the old man slammed the counter with both hands and shouted.
"Do it right!!"
This old man really...
Elze clenched her teeth. And this time, she swung her 'sword'. It cut through the black air with its eyes flashing blue.
The first thing that struck her was the vibration. The heavy vibration made the swords hanging on the wall clank along with a whoosh sound.
Next came the wind. A gust of wind blew through the closed windows and doors, sweeping the narrow interior of the weapon shop.
The wind soon died down. Elze’s fluttering hair also slowly settled down. And the stick stopped exactly at the center of the old man’s forehead, a distance of a fingernail.
"..."
The old man was silent for a moment. His eyes were filled with a mixture of surprise and excitement, along with a faint fear. Elze felt a little regretful as she looked at the stiff old man. She had been too sincere to the eccentric old man.
"Excuse me... Are you okay?"
Elze lowered the stick and asked carefully, but the old man blurted out:
"Second."
"Yes?"
"The second one."
Elze blinked for a moment and then naturally asked the question she was most curious about in this situation.
"What's the first one?"
"Shan Cirxus."
"..."
The name that came as a surprise stabbed Elze in the back without a sound. Shan had stopped by here. Elze swallowed hard.
"But I didn't make that sword for him. He doesn't need it. No matter how famous the sword is, it becomes a cheap iron sword in his hands, and no matter how cheap the iron sword is, it becomes a famous sword."
At first, Elze couldn't understand what he was talking about. Anyway, it seemed like he was going to make a sword for her, but not for Shan. Elze nodded and pretended to understand.
The old man, unlike his initially indifferent face, smiled brightly and even hummed. He put the stick back under the counter and spoke in an excited voice.
"It'll take a while! Where should I contact you?"
"Count Targayel."
"Targayel?"
The old man paused for a moment.
"Targayel..."
He looked at Elze closely. Elze did not avoid the old man's gaze. Somehow she had a strange confidence that he would not tell her story to anyone else. That was why she was honest, and as expected, the old man was tight-lipped.
Elze paid the price on the spot and returned home. She later learned that he was a famous craftsman in the Baluar Empire and had even been given the title of Master. Elze waited for her new sword with a pounding heart.
And after almost a year, news finally arrived that the sword was completed.
"Hello."
The old shop had not changed, and the old man still had no manners of getting up and greeting customers. Elze walked quickly to the counter with flying steps.
“Are you here?”
Harbin waved at Elze while sitting down. Elze quickly ran to the counter and joined him. Harbin chuckled as he looked at Elze’s face, which was unable to hide her excitement.
“This is truly a masterpiece.”
Harbin took out a long bag from under the counter. Elze tilted her head at the sight of the bag made of light brown leather, and Harbin opened the bag. Elze’s eyes widened.
“As a lady, you should carry it elegantly. I asked someone I know to make a pretty bag for you. Of course, I included a belt so you can wear it around your waist.”
Inside the bag, there was a white silk lining, and on it, the rapier and the mangosh were placed side by side. The sharp scabbard was smooth and neat. Elze picked up the mangosh first with trembling hands.
Mangosh was wrapped tightly in her hand. When she pulled out the sword with a click, she saw a bluish blade. On the blade, Harbin’s name and the date of production were written in small letters.
Elze put down the mangosh with a pounding heart and examined the rapier. Looking at the slender and long rapier, Elze muttered with a face of rapture.
“It’s really... pretty...”
Harbin looked proud as he watched Elze, who was so happy that she didn’t know what to do. As he shrugged his shoulders and continued to explain and brag about this and that, a loud noise was heard outside the weapon shop. It was the sound of horses’ hooves and people talking.
Elze and Harbin turned toward the door at the same time. Harbin's weapons shop was located in a corner of an alley, so it wasn't noisy like this. Several men on horseback were reflected in the glass window beyond the display case. Strangely, a chill ran down her spine.
Just then a knock was heard.
“...”
Harbin looked at Elze. Elze packed her bag first. She had already paid the fee, so she just had to take her things. She didn't know for sure, but she felt like she had to run away.
The quick-witted Harbin opened the door behind the counter. There was another knock. And at the voice that accompanied it, Elze held her breath.
“Master Harbin.”
That was the voice of Shan Cirxus.
Elze wasn't the only one who was surprised to hear Shan's voice. Harbin was equally surprised. He spoke loudly, his voice clearly showing his confusion.
“Lord Corxus?”
Harbin quickly nodded to Elze as he walked around the counter and toward the door. It was a sign that she should hurry and go out the back door. Elze gave him a brief thank you gesture and ran out through the door he opened for her.
Beyond the back door was a blacksmith shop. The front was a shop, and the back seemed to be used as a blacksmith shop. Elze realized that she had not closed the back door tightly because she was in a hurry to leave. She could hear voices through the slightly open door.
“What brings you here?”
Harbin spoke to Shan politely and respectfully. That old man was acting cold to me! I was getting angry at the wrong place, but that wasn't important at the moment. Elze hurriedly looked for a side door leading outside.
"OMG..."
But people were standing beyond the side door. They had swords on their waists, and it was clear that they had come with Shan. Seeing the young men filling the alley, Elze couldn't go out and stamped her feet inside.
Inside the shop, the two people continued their conversation.
“I’m trying to order a new sword.”
“I told you, Lord Cirxus, that I cannot make a sword for you.”
"Ah."
Harbin flatly refused. However, it seemed that the request for a new sword was merely an excuse. Shan continued speaking without showing any particular regret at Harbin’s refusal.
“Have you made a sword recently?”
"There is."
“What kind of sword did you make?”
Harbin was silent for a moment at Shan's question. However, it was clear that he already knew everything. Harbin, who had been hesitating, eventually spoke honestly.
“...Rapier and Mangosh.”
Elze almost dropped the bag she was holding but managed to grab it again. Shan had obviously come just in time after hearing that Harbin was making rapiers and mangosh.
She could see the spider web gradually tightening. Her heart was about to burst. Elze looked around desperately, thinking she had to run away. However, no matter how much she looked, there were only two exits: the side door and the door leading to the store. Shan’s voice came again.
“Even if I ask you to tell me who you did business with, you won’t tell me.”
“...”
Shan continued to speak on his own, with Harbin standing in front of him without saying a word.
“It’s really hard to handle both a rapier and a mangosh. Many people use them these days, but no one uses them properly.”
He was walking around the weapon shop, his footsteps leisurely heard.
“As Master Harbin knows, that’s actually ridiculous swordsmanship. It’s impossible without monstrous skill and a sense of swordsmanship.”
The sound of footsteps that had been continuing suddenly stopped.
“Except for one person.”
Silence flowed. Harbin, who had kept his mouth shut until now, answered slowly.
“...I don’t really understand what you’re talking about.”
“Master Harbin must have heard his name too.”
Along with a low laugh, Elze could hear her name.
“Elze of the Elijah Mercenary Corps.”
“...”
“That’s just it. It doesn’t mean anything, so relax.”
Fortunately, Harbin didn't tell Elze's story until the end. Elze let out a sigh. She thought she would have to thank Harbin separately later. Shan didn't seem to be interested in the blacksmith shop. She was thinking that it would be a good idea to hide here and sneak out after Shan left.
“The back door is open.”
This bad guy...
It was Shan who shattered her dreams and hopes in less than 10 seconds after she thought of hiding.
Ah, I don't know.
Elze took off the skirt she was wearing. Then, tight pants were revealed. Elze unbuttoned a couple of buttons on her blouse that was fastened all the way to her neck and took out a mangosh from her bag, being careful not to make a sound.
She cut off her skirt and made a long piece of cloth, then rolled up her hair. She then wrapped the long piece of cloth tightly like a hood to cover her face. She looked like a masked robber with only her eyes sticking out, but she had no choice but to cover her face. It was not the time to be concerned about fashion.
Elze, who had finished preparing everything in an instant, briefly considered whether to take out her rapier. However, she had to carry her bag anyway, and it seemed like a long rapier would be difficult to carry in the narrow alley, so she decided to just take the mangosh.
There was only one chance. Elze opened the side door quietly. The men leaning against the wall in the alleyway did not notice the side door opening silently and only noticed it when Elze suddenly stuck her head out.
One, two, three, four... five.
She cut off her skirt and made a long piece of cloth, then rolled up her hair. She then wrapped the long piece of cloth tightly like a hood to cover her face. She looked like a masked robber with only her eyes sticking out, but she had no choice but to cover her face. It was not the time to be concerned about fashion.
Elze, who had finished preparing everything in an instant, briefly considered whether to take out her rapier. However, she had to carry her bag anyway, and it seemed like a long rapier would be difficult to carry in the narrow alley, so she decided to just take the mangosh.
There was only one chance. Elze opened the side door quietly. The men leaning against the wall in the alleyway did not notice the side door opening silently and only noticed it when Elze suddenly stuck her head out.
One, two, three, four... five.
Elze quickly counted the numbers, then threw the bag she was holding over her head. The bag flew into the air with a whoosh.
Elze moved before they could draw their swords and take their stances. Elze’s hand was the first to grab the nearest one by the collar. Then she struck the stern with the pommel on the end of her sword grip. He seemed to be wearing light leather armor underneath, but it was of little use as Elze’s brute strength brought the iron down.
“Ugh!”
Using that guy's scream as a signal, Elze jumped out. Holding the Mangosh in its scabbard, Elze attacked only the vital points such as the spleen, the back of the neck, and the lower abdomen. One by one, they fell exactly one by one.
Some tried to react late, but it was difficult to even draw a long sword in the narrow alley. Unlike Elze who moved quickly, they could not move properly.
In the blink of an eye, five men fell to the floor, and Elze lightly caught the bag that fell from the air.
“Phew...”
Elze, who caught her breath, used the man who had fallen to the ground as a stepping stone to jump up onto the high wall. Elze, who had climbed up onto the narrow wall, was the first to throw her bag and was about to jump back down over the wall herself. The side door opened with a crashing sound and a loud voice was heard.
“Elze!!”
It was Shan's voice. Elze stopped in her tracks. She had to keep running, but she couldn't move as if she was under a spell.
She felt eyes on her. She even had the illusion of her skin tingling as the eyes pierced her back. But Elze didn’t look back. Shan said to Elze, who didn’t look back.
“Why.”
She couldn't see his face, but she could tell Shan was angry just from hearing his voice. He asked in a growling tone.
“Why are you running away?”
Elze swallowed hard. She wanted to answer, but her voice was clearly different from the one that had been husky and worn out from the battlefield. Her voice was so clear that she could have opened her mouth once and Erzenes would have been angry. Shan continued talking while looking at Elze’s back, who couldn’t say anything.
“I thought of you as a close friend.”
Friend... At Shan’s words, Elze tightly clenched the hand holding the mangosh. The word friend shook Elze’s heart. She didn’t know Shan would think of her this much.
On the battlefield, Shan trusted no one. The only person he bowed to was Raymond, the Crown Prince and commander-in-chief. He was known for not placing anyone above him or on an equal footing, so the proud nobles kept their distance from him.
Of course, many followed Shan. The most important value on the battlefield was strength, and Shan was the one who stood at the top of it. Those who were captivated by Shan’s inhuman strength gathered like bees and worshipped him as if he were a God.
But no one could be called Shan's close friend. He was always buried in a crowd of people, but he was always alone. That was Shan.
But now, Shan is telling Elze that she is his close friend.
“If you think the same as me, at least...”
Shan was sincere. Elze was breathless. His sincerity weighed heavily on her heart.
“Don't lie to me.”
He asked Elze.
“Turn around right now and look at me.”
But in the end, Elze had no choice but to remain silent.
“..."
Shan let out a low laugh as he looked at Elze, who neither turned nor answered. Then he asked in a dejected tone.
“Is that your choice?”
There was a sense of betrayal in his desperate voice. It was heartbreaking. She wanted to put everything down and just tell him that she was Erzenes, the one who would soon marry him and become his wife.
But that couldn't be the case. This wasn't Elze's problem alone. It was a matter of the honor of the Targayel Counts and the survival of the Elijah mercenary company.
I'm sorry, Shan.
Elze whispered an apology to him in her heart and then ran away.
"...Ha."
Shan clenched his fists as he watched Elze’s back disappear beyond the wall. His hands shook slightly.
“Elze...”
His purple eyes gleamed fiercely.
***
“Your Highness. It is said that the priests of Ines have been traveling around the continent recently.”
Raymond kept signing the papers and asked the secretary who was reporting back.
“The priests of Ines? I have never heard of Ilwooz’s death.”
Ines was a religion believed in by most countries and was so widespread that the continent's calendar was called the Ines calendar.
The priests of Ines lived their entire lives in the sacred city of Inesian. They rarely left Inesian except to seek the next Great Ilwooz. So it was certainly strange that the priests of Ines were now appearing everywhere.
“Yes. I heard that other countries are also curious about this. I will find out more and report back to you in detail. And...”
But Ines wasn't important to the secretary right now. The secretary hesitated and couldn't continue speaking. He looked at Raymond's expression and handed him a document.
“This is a bill from the Elijah Mercenary Corps.”
"Ha?"
There were already so many places where money would be spent after the war...
Raymond frowned. He took the bill with a deep sigh.
If it was just a simple payment to mercenaries, it would have been handled by the lower line. However, this was the bill of the Elijah mercenary group. Since their bills were different from other mercenaries in terms of the number of mercenaries, they were brought up to Raymond's line to settle.
“Ugh...”
Raymond's expression darkened as he looked at the bill. He put the quill pen in the pen holder and stared at the bill for a long time. To be exact, he was looking at the last number on the bill. Seeing Raymond's fierce expression, the secretary spoke carefully from the side.
“The payment is due at the end of this month... Please pay now...”
Elijah, a group of four mercenaries, was a mercenary group that Heglatan was eager to recruit.
The victory of the Baluar Empire in the Hundred Years' War was not simply due to the war hero Shan Cirxus alone. It was also possible because of the efforts of the Elijah Mercenaries. Thanks to the Elijah Mercenaries, Baluar was able to win numerous battles.
However, the human mind is inherently shallow, so after the war ended, the price paid to the Elijah mercenary group could not have been more precious.
The Elijah mercenary group was expensive and arrogant as they were skilled. They were a headache to Raymond in many ways throughout the war. They were always anxious because they threatened to go over to Heglatan if he tried to lower their price even a little. After the Shan-Elijah battle, they doubled the price they had been paying, and for a while, they faced the crisis of financial bankruptcy.
He even made an outrageous offer to give them a knighthood, but all Elijah wanted was money. Baluar had no choice but to pay the expensive price with tears in their eyes.
“What are they doing these days?”
The secretary answered Raymond's question hesitantly.
“They say they’re still active. It seems like they’re only taking on simple requests now that the war is over.”
“Inside Baluar?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Raymond, who had been staring blankly at the bill, asked casually as if it were a passing remark.
“If there is no mercenary group, then there is no reason to pay the price, right?”
"Yes?"
“It’s true.”
The secretary's face turned pale. He hurriedly tried to stop Raymond.
“But Your Highness, you must not stand against them.”
Raymond smiled neatly and said to the secretary.
“Just kidding.”
“...”
But the secretary knew that Raymond was not a man of few words. In front of the anxious secretary, Raymond picked up a quill pen. Then he dipped the nib in ink and signed the bill in large letters.
“While paying, make sure to keep track of their location.”
“...Yes, Your Highness.”
Raymond muttered as he looked at the bill he had just paid.
“I guess we’ll have to talk about Shan... after the wedding.”
Shan was quiet until the day before the wedding. He didn't even show his face in the Targayel mansion.
Elze, who had been worried that he would come to the mansion at any moment and grab her by the collar, felt even more anxious when Shan was quiet. The saying that there is calm before a storm kept coming to mind, and she was so anxious that she could die.
There was only one letter from Shan. It was a revised prenuptial agreement. She reviewed the revised agreement as she wanted, signed it, and sent it back. That was the end of all communication between Elze and Shan.
Meanwhile, the wedding preparations were progressing at a rapid pace. A week before the wedding, people from the palace came out to diligently sweep, clean, and decorate the Targayel mansion.
The minimally maintained garden was filled with splendid trees, precious stones, and beautiful flowers. Behind the dull, gray brick Targayel mansion, pure white tables and chairs were lined up for the outdoor wedding. All the tables and chairs were decorated with flowers and ribbons, and it was hard to get used to the suddenly splendid mansion.
The day before the wedding, Astin had some time to talk alone with Elze.
“Sister...”
Astin couldn't bring himself to continue speaking in front of Elze. After tomorrow, Astin would not be able to call Elze his sister in formal settings. Somehow, it felt like his sister had gone far away.
Astin hung his head low and quietly stroked his wrist. There was a faint scar drawn on his wrist.
It was a sign of the day that Astin's fate changed.
Astin was not born with a talent for swordsmanship. Astin, who had let down everyone's expectations from birth, had to live his entire life oppressed by his talent for swordsmanship. To make matters worse, his parents passed away, and seeing the Count's family fall apart overnight made Astin feel like it was all his fault.
Because I wasn't born with a talent for the sword... It's all because of me.
Guilt and pressure were mixed together and weighed down on Astin. In the end, Astin chose the most cowardly way to escape. That way was suicide.
Astin cut his wrists. However, the weak Astin was too weak to cut his wrists properly. Astin cried while bleeding. He couldn't even die properly, so he couldn't be this pitiful. Elze, who happened to be looking for Astin, saw the bleeding and shouted with a pale face.
"Astin!!"
Elze immediately checked Astin’s wrist. She confirmed that the cut wasn’t deep enough, and started with first aid. Then Elze slapped Astin’s cheek.
He looked at Elze, holding his cold cheek, and saw her eyes burning blue. Astin had never seen Elze so terribly angry. When Elze asked him why, Astin cried like a child and confessed his buried feelings.
"I can't do it. I'm too scared. I don't have talent with the sword, so I can't save my family, and I'm not qualified to do so."
He knew he shouldn't say that to Elze. He knew she was the one having a harder time right now than anyone else, but he couldn't stop his mouth from moving.
"I can't stand it... I want to throw away all the pretense and run away, I'm just a coward, but..."
Feeling terribly disillusioned with himself, Astin confessed everything.
"Sister, I want to die..."
If it was just a simple payment to mercenaries, it would have been handled by the lower line. However, this was the bill of the Elijah mercenary group. Since their bills were different from other mercenaries in terms of the number of mercenaries, they were brought up to Raymond's line to settle.
“Ugh...”
Raymond's expression darkened as he looked at the bill. He put the quill pen in the pen holder and stared at the bill for a long time. To be exact, he was looking at the last number on the bill. Seeing Raymond's fierce expression, the secretary spoke carefully from the side.
“The payment is due at the end of this month... Please pay now...”
Elijah, a group of four mercenaries, was a mercenary group that Heglatan was eager to recruit.
The victory of the Baluar Empire in the Hundred Years' War was not simply due to the war hero Shan Cirxus alone. It was also possible because of the efforts of the Elijah Mercenaries. Thanks to the Elijah Mercenaries, Baluar was able to win numerous battles.
However, the human mind is inherently shallow, so after the war ended, the price paid to the Elijah mercenary group could not have been more precious.
The Elijah mercenary group was expensive and arrogant as they were skilled. They were a headache to Raymond in many ways throughout the war. They were always anxious because they threatened to go over to Heglatan if he tried to lower their price even a little. After the Shan-Elijah battle, they doubled the price they had been paying, and for a while, they faced the crisis of financial bankruptcy.
He even made an outrageous offer to give them a knighthood, but all Elijah wanted was money. Baluar had no choice but to pay the expensive price with tears in their eyes.
“What are they doing these days?”
The secretary answered Raymond's question hesitantly.
“They say they’re still active. It seems like they’re only taking on simple requests now that the war is over.”
“Inside Baluar?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
Raymond, who had been staring blankly at the bill, asked casually as if it were a passing remark.
“If there is no mercenary group, then there is no reason to pay the price, right?”
"Yes?"
“It’s true.”
The secretary's face turned pale. He hurriedly tried to stop Raymond.
“But Your Highness, you must not stand against them.”
Raymond smiled neatly and said to the secretary.
“Just kidding.”
“...”
But the secretary knew that Raymond was not a man of few words. In front of the anxious secretary, Raymond picked up a quill pen. Then he dipped the nib in ink and signed the bill in large letters.
“While paying, make sure to keep track of their location.”
“...Yes, Your Highness.”
Raymond muttered as he looked at the bill he had just paid.
“I guess we’ll have to talk about Shan... after the wedding.”
***
Shan was quiet until the day before the wedding. He didn't even show his face in the Targayel mansion.
Elze, who had been worried that he would come to the mansion at any moment and grab her by the collar, felt even more anxious when Shan was quiet. The saying that there is calm before a storm kept coming to mind, and she was so anxious that she could die.
There was only one letter from Shan. It was a revised prenuptial agreement. She reviewed the revised agreement as she wanted, signed it, and sent it back. That was the end of all communication between Elze and Shan.
Meanwhile, the wedding preparations were progressing at a rapid pace. A week before the wedding, people from the palace came out to diligently sweep, clean, and decorate the Targayel mansion.
The minimally maintained garden was filled with splendid trees, precious stones, and beautiful flowers. Behind the dull, gray brick Targayel mansion, pure white tables and chairs were lined up for the outdoor wedding. All the tables and chairs were decorated with flowers and ribbons, and it was hard to get used to the suddenly splendid mansion.
The day before the wedding, Astin had some time to talk alone with Elze.
“Sister...”
Astin couldn't bring himself to continue speaking in front of Elze. After tomorrow, Astin would not be able to call Elze his sister in formal settings. Somehow, it felt like his sister had gone far away.
Astin hung his head low and quietly stroked his wrist. There was a faint scar drawn on his wrist.
It was a sign of the day that Astin's fate changed.
Astin was not born with a talent for swordsmanship. Astin, who had let down everyone's expectations from birth, had to live his entire life oppressed by his talent for swordsmanship. To make matters worse, his parents passed away, and seeing the Count's family fall apart overnight made Astin feel like it was all his fault.
Because I wasn't born with a talent for the sword... It's all because of me.
Guilt and pressure were mixed together and weighed down on Astin. In the end, Astin chose the most cowardly way to escape. That way was suicide.
Astin cut his wrists. However, the weak Astin was too weak to cut his wrists properly. Astin cried while bleeding. He couldn't even die properly, so he couldn't be this pitiful. Elze, who happened to be looking for Astin, saw the bleeding and shouted with a pale face.
"Astin!!"
Elze immediately checked Astin’s wrist. She confirmed that the cut wasn’t deep enough, and started with first aid. Then Elze slapped Astin’s cheek.
He looked at Elze, holding his cold cheek, and saw her eyes burning blue. Astin had never seen Elze so terribly angry. When Elze asked him why, Astin cried like a child and confessed his buried feelings.
"I can't do it. I'm too scared. I don't have talent with the sword, so I can't save my family, and I'm not qualified to do so."
He knew he shouldn't say that to Elze. He knew she was the one having a harder time right now than anyone else, but he couldn't stop his mouth from moving.
"I can't stand it... I want to throw away all the pretense and run away, I'm just a coward, but..."
Feeling terribly disillusioned with himself, Astin confessed everything.
"Sister, I want to die..."
Elze sighed heavily. And she hugged him for a long time without saying a word. In her tight embrace, Astin choked and shed tears.
Blood flowing from the wound and tears flowing from the eyes soaked Elze's clothes. But Elze didn't avoid them, even though they were wet. Instead, she just hugged Astin tighter.
Only after crying his eyes out for a long time was Astin able to calm down. Elze, who had been waiting for him until then, spoke in a calm voice.
"Astin, do what you want."
Astin was forced to become a Count and lead Targayel. He was driven out by the pressure and fled to the refuge of death. But Elze embraced it all.
"Targayel... I will take care of it."
Astin gaped.
"You said you wanted to study public administration for a long time. How about going to college?"
"But the tuition..."
Elze smiled in front of Astin, who was stammering about realistic issues.
"Your sister is a greater person than you think."
At that smile, Austin's heart raced. His eyes grew hot and his face flushed.
"Therefore..."
Elze said, winking playfully at Astin.
"As for Targayel, don't worry about it."
Astin eventually burst into tears again. He thought she was being ridiculous and that he should stop talking nonsense. But Elze was different.
For Astin, Elze was...a savior.
After that, Astin entered Aquis University and majored in public administration. Elze left for abroad to do business.
Astin suffered for a long time at the thought of leaving a heavy burden on his sister. However, whenever he heard the news from Elze, she encouraged him, saying that studying hard was the way to go for his sister.
Astin also gritted his teeth and worked hard to somehow get a scholarship. Although other nobles in Aquis University looked at him as a fallen noble and despised him, he didn't care. To Astin, it was more important to be a proud person in front of Elze. He didn't have time to look at such things.
Then, he heard the news of Elze's marriage. Along with that, he also heard the news that the imperial family would make war hero Shan Crixus the Count of Targayel.
Astin could not help but blame himself. It was because he had abandoned Targayel that all this had happened. Even if he had ten mouths, Astin had nothing to say to Elze.
“I’m sorry. Because of me...”
Astin couldn't even look Elze in the eye, but Elze slowly shook her head.
“No, Astin. It’s my choice too.”
“...”
To cheer up the depressed Astin, Elze deliberately cheerfully spoke to him.
“Did you practice escorting tomorrow?”
“Ugh...”
Astin took a deep breath. And forced himself to smile brightly. That was all he could do for Elze right now.
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