A Swordsman and a Mage, Sworn Enemies, Accidentally Crossed a Line and Discovered Their Bodies Were Perfectly Compatible. - Chapter 14

Two weeks had passed since the battle with Lalael.
During that time, nothing particularly noteworthy had occurred. Remietta and I continued our secret relationship as usual, and I spent my days working toward a better future, just like always.
The only thing that bothered me was the Mages’ constant commotion, which made me a little uneasy.
While the situation remained unchanged, the people had certainly changed.

“Ah… Elvin-san.”

“Yo, Lalael. Long time no see.”

One afternoon, as I was walking purposefully through the academy, I suddenly ran into Lalael by the roadside.
We hadn’t seen each other since that day, but Yurio and Remietta had reported that her attitude had changed considerably.
Her eyes were wet with fear as she looked at me, and she took a step back as if to flee.
However, she didn’t bolt immediately, likely because she didn’t want to provoke my anger.

“U-um… h-hello.”

“Ah. You’ve become quite docile, haven’t you?”

“…I’m sorry.”

The fear of death seemed to have changed Lalael considerably. The sense of omnipotence—the belief that everything would go her way—had vanished, leaving behind a Lalael as meek as a borrowed cat.
Remietta had clearly educated her well; there was no trace of arrogance left.

“Are you treating your sister well?”

“O-of course. I am.”

“Good. Keep living your life, valuing others. If you ever think about doing anything bad…”

“H-hic! I understand! I’ll do my best!”

With just a hint of threat, Lalael screamed and fled in terror.
Judging by her reaction, there shouldn’t be any further problems. All that remained was to leave everything to Remietta.

“Now then. I shouldn’t be wasting time on this. I need to get to the library.”

Staring at Lalael’s retreating back, I remembered my original plan and hurried toward the academy library.

◇

The Alrain National Academy Library boasted an extensive collection of books and was housed in a massive building.
It was said that if you wanted to know something, you should come here, and I had come seeking knowledge myself.

“Hmm, modern crime cases… this way, I guess.”

My goal was to find information about the worst murder case in the kingdom’s history.
I wanted to learn about the series of events that had irrevocably shattered the fragile reconciliation between the Swordsman and the Mage, despite the royal family’s efforts to mediate.
As I scanned the book covers, searching for my target—

“…Oh?”

“Oops.”

I bumped into Remietta, who was looking up at the bookshelves.

“Hey, Remietta! What brings you here?”

“Just looking for a book to read. Perfect timing—can you grab that one for me?”

With that, Remietta pointed to a book on the top shelf of the bookshelf.
Being quite short, even when she stretched on tiptoe, her fingertips barely reached. Finding her hopping up and down a bit cute, I reached up and grabbed the book for her.

“Hmm, Official Records of the Tein Kassina Incident…”

“Yes. Thank you.”

“What a coincidence. I was looking for this too.”

“You too?”

“Yeah…”

The Tein Kassina Incident. It was the worst serial murder case in the kingdom’s history, occurring about ten years ago.
This incident, in which Remietta nearly lost her life, was unavoidable when discussing the improvement of relations between Swordsmen and Mages.

“What’s wrong? Isn’t this traumatic for you?”

“Yes, well… but I need to confront it.”

“Did something happen?”

“…Probably the same reason as you.”

Remietta confessed, looking slightly embarrassed.
In other words, Remietta also wished to improve relations between swordsmen and mages. Her motive was likely…

“I see. Then shall we watch it together?”

“What if someone sees us?”

“There’s a private study room. We’ll be safe there.”

“Understood. …Just because it’s a private room doesn’t mean you can get any ideas.”

“I know, I know.”

Surely not in the library… Well, I wouldn’t. Definitely not.
Sneaking around to avoid being seen, we made our way to the study room in the library.

◇

The Tein Kassina Incident refers to the series of murders of mages committed by Tein Elrein, a swordsman.
Just as the royal family was finally making progress in improving relations between swordsmen and mages, this incident occurred, known for its profound darkness.
As the worst incident ever caused by a Swordsman, initial blame naturally fell on the Swordsmen.
My father once told me that the Reinebell Family, which oversees the Swordsmen, found itself on a bed of needles during that time.
But now, those accusatory eyes had vanished. The incident was no longer a case of the Swordsmen being unilaterally condemned.
The reason for this shift was the existence of a Mage named Cassina.
The theory emerged that Tein had been brainwashed by Cassina into committing the crime. As the investigation progressed, this explanation gained traction.
Records of intimate exchanges between the two surfaced, plunging the situation into chaos.
“The Swordsmen are to blame!” “No, the Mages are!” The two factions hurled insults at each other, shattering the fragile reconciliation they had been on the verge of achieving.
Now, there was no hope of reconciliation. That was the grim reality.
To break this deadlock, I sought deeper information.

“…Hmm. Well, most of this is stuff I already knew.”

“Indeed.”

With a thud, we closed the official records and sighed.
Remietta, perched on my lap, shook her head.

“No progress.”

“It’s tough. Resolving the conflict stemming from the Tein Cassina incident is crucial.”

“Agreed… It’s become hopelessly tangled.”

“…Hmm.”

I’d been working tirelessly to improve relations between Swordsmen and Mages, but the lingering animosity from the Tein Cassina incident couldn’t be ignored. That’s why I started investigating again, leading me here.
But this deeply entrenched conflict seemed far from easy to resolve.
As I stroked Remietta’s hair, I pondered.

“…Please don’t pat my head so much.”

“Do you not like it?”

“…It messes up my hair. Save it for next night.”

“Understood.”

If she asked me to stop, I had to. I wrapped my arm around Remietta’s waist, savoring her warmth.

“I’ll definitely find a way.”

“…You’re so motivated. Honestly, you’re too obsessed with me.”

“What about you?”

“Hmph… It’s nothing. Just a little.”

“Do you like me?”

“Uh… Just a little. Just a little bit.”

Though I couldn’t see her face, I could sense Remietta’s cheeks flushing crimson as she spoke.
Lately, I’ve been able to be much more honest with her. That’s all thanks to Remietta, who responds to my every move.
There’s no way I’ll ever let Remietta go. I’ll make her mine, no matter what. With that resolve, I buried my face in her shoulder.

◇

Lalael Magnolia felt strangely refreshed.
A feeling she had never experienced before bloomed in her chest, making her realize for the first time that life could be enjoyable.
All of this was likely because Elvin had completely shattered her arrogance.
Of course, Lalael cried. She wept tears of terror and humiliation, tears that flowed endlessly.
The one who stayed by her side through it all was her sister, Remietta. It was Remietta’s warmth that finally stopped Lalael’s tears.
Remietta’s warmth filled Lalael’s heart.
For so long, Lalael had desperately tried to fill an emptiness that could never be satisfied, living selfishly in pursuit of fulfillment. But she finally realized that happiness wasn’t to be found there.
Cherishing the people closest to her—that was true happiness.
Lalael learned this for the first time when she sobbed in her sister’s arms.
From that moment on, her parched heart vanished completely.
With her arrogance gone, Lalael found herself surrounded by many people. She cherished the connections Remietta had forged, and her heart grew fuller with each passing day.
That’s why she felt so clear and bright now.

“Is it this way?”

Lalael skipped through the Royal Capital, her heart as bright as the sunny day, heading toward her destination.

“Sister’s birthday… I wonder if she’ll like it.”

Lalael was headed to one of the Royal Capital’s most famous general stores. She had come all the way from the Academy to buy a birthday gift for Remietta, whose birthday was approaching.
Come to think of it, this was the first time she had ever given her sister a gift. She knew she had always coveted Remietta’s things, taking them for herself. The thought now pained her deeply, which was likely why she had decided to give her a gift.
She wasn’t sure what Remietta would like, but she was confident her sister would appreciate anything. Remietta was that kind of wonderful sister.
Following the directions given by the Academy’s female students, Lalael veered off the Royal Capital’s main street.
Recently, it was “Enhanced Security Month,” so many Mages were patrolling the streets, making it relatively safe for a young girl to walk alone.
As Lalael walked through this unfamiliar place for the first time—
–GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!
A sudden, ferocious, beast-like roar pierced the air.

“W-what was that?”

The people around her seemed equally bewildered, their faces etched with confusion.
This was the Royal Capital. There shouldn’t be any wild beasts here.
Amid the chaos, Lalael looked up at the sky as if searching for an answer, her eyes widening in shock.
–GROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAR!!!

“H-hieee—”

A Dragon soared overhead.
The aura of the Dragon, renowned as the strongest creature, was so palpable that Lalael and the citizens of the Royal Capital screamed in terror.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!?!?”

“It’s a Dragon! A Dragon has appeared!!”

“Call the guards!”

Though the Dragon merely passed overhead without attacking, the panic among the people showed no signs of abating.
Lalael also turned and fled in the opposite direction from the Dragon.
Guards scrambled to gather, but Lalael’s terror only intensified, as if the surrounding panic were contagious.
The appearance of the absolute apex predator instinctively reminded her that she was nothing more than a frog in a well.
She ducked into a nearby alley to hide from the Dragon—

“Ah—”

Lalael suddenly stopped.

“Hello…”

A man in a black robe had materialized before her.
His face was hidden beneath a deep hood, but a sword-like object hung at his waist.
This alone would have marked him as suspicious, but the man was staring down at Lalael with an unnerving intensity.

“…Who are you? What do you want, mister?”

“I came to see you.”

“…”

The moment he spoke, Lalael’s eyes widened and she stumbled back several steps, preparing to cast Magic.
A suspicious figure appeared.
Lalael considered shouting for help, but the surrounding area was already in chaos due to the dragon’s emergence. Dealing with the situation herself would likely be faster than waiting for assistance.
Even if the man was suspicious, he posed little threat compared to the dragon. Despite having her nose broken, Lalael’s strength remained undiminished, and she was confident in her abilities.

“If you’re planning anything, I’ll stop you.”

“Harsh. But you’re still just a child. You know nothing of real combat.”

While listening to the man’s words, Lalael remained vigilant. If he didn’t leave soon, she’d paralyze him with Thunder Magic and hand him over to the guards.
The moment she thought this, her legs gave way.

“…?”

Lalael didn’t immediately realize what had happened.
She only understood the danger when her strength failed and she collapsed to her knees.

“Dragons are poisonous. Do you believe that?”

“Ghk…”

“Real combat doesn’t start with a ready, set, go. There are no rules like in a duel. If that kid’s really a hero… then they’d either be keeping their distance—or coming in to kill right away.”

Lalael’s consciousness was hazy, and she couldn’t fully grasp the man’s words.
All she vaguely understood was that she was in dire danger.
She had probably gotten too close to the man. She had been complacent, thinking she only needed to maintain a distance beyond the reach of his sword. Her preconceived notions about swordsmen had blinded her to other possibilities.
This was likely the reason Lalael had lost to Elvin.
Lalael knew nothing of real combat. She had merely basked in a lukewarm world, pretending to be the strongest.

“Now then, let’s go. We can’t rely too much on Cassina’s diversion. Any longer and those incompetent Mages will start arriving.”

As she felt herself being carried, Lalael’s consciousness rapidly faded into darkness.
In her final moments, she thought she heard the cry of a Dragon.