A Swordsman and a Mage, Sworn Enemies, Accidentally Crossed a Line and Discovered Their Bodies Were Perfectly Compatible. - Chapter 18

Ten years ago, in the Alrein Kingdom…
The outskirts of the Royal Capital remained undeveloped, a desolate place where wildflowers bloomed.
It was actually a hidden tourist spot, but because it was hidden, no one ever came.
This was also my training ground.
As the second son of the Reinebell Family, I had trained relentlessly since childhood to keep up with my exceptionally talented elder brother. I longed for a training ground that was mine alone.
I kept it a secret from my family. I wanted to surprise them with my sudden strength.
And that’s how I found this place.
Since no one ever came here, I could practice my swordsmanship as much as I wanted without disturbing anyone.
By training hard here, I would become a man who surpassed my Big Brother.
That was my childhood resolve—the innocent ambition I held when I was around six years old, when all I did was swing my sword.
As I continued this routine, a turning point arrived one day.
It was an ordinary day, and my training ground was as deserted as usual.
But this time, there was someone already there.
A girl with neatly trimmed silver hair that fell to her shoulders and large, crimson eyes sat in the field, reading a thick book spread across her lap.
She looked to be about my age, but I didn’t recognize her.

“…………”

“…………Hmm?”

As I stood there, dumbfounded, the girl seemed to notice my gaze. She looked up and tilted her head.

“Who are you?”

“Hey, that’s my line.”

That was our first encounter.
A precious memory I had lost.

“Who are you? This is where I train.”

“…Is that so?”

“Answer me already! Seriously.”

I approached the girl and peered at the book spread across her lap.
It was filled with complex characters I couldn’t understand. I had no idea what it said.

“…Are you a Mage?”

“…Yeah.”

“I’m a Swordsman. My dad always said Mages are nothing but trouble.”

“Swordsmen are even worse.”

“What did you say?!”

“Hmph.”

The beginning was probably the worst it could have been.
A tit-for-tat exchange. Even as children, we argued like Swordsmen and Mages, just as our parents had taught us.
If my opponent hadn’t been a girl, it would have escalated into a fistfight.
That day, we didn’t exchange another word. She read her book, and I practiced my sword swings.
I never wanted to see her again.

◇

“…You’re here again? This is my spot, so go away.”

“You’re the one who should leave. I like it here.”

“No way.”

The next day, she was still there.
Once again, she had brought her thick book and was sitting in the field, reading.
I peered over her shoulder again, but still couldn’t understand a word.

“What’s the point of reading that stuff? If you want to read, do it at home.”

“…Reading helps me grow. There’s no place for me at home.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

The girl was probably far smarter than her age suggested.
As someone who only knew how to swing a sword, I couldn’t understand it, but I felt deeply humiliated by her mockery.

“Hey… what’s your name?”

“Why should I tell you?”

“Just tell me your name. I’m Elvin Reinbell.”

“…Reinbell.”

“Heh. You know, I’m a noble. I’m important!”

“…I know you as Reinbell the Scum.”

“Huh?”

The girl gave me a scornful look and shook her head with a sigh.

“I’m Remietta Magnolia. From the noble lineage of mages.”

“What’s that? You’re just a useless Magnolia.”

“What did you say?!”

Remietta threw down her book and stood up, furious at my words.
Reinbell and Magnolia. For generations, the Reinebell Family and the Magnolia Family had been bitter rivals, their swordsmen and mages vying for dominance.
Even we, as children, were no exception. We carried the hatred taught by our parents without understanding its meaning, engaging in empty exchanges of insults.
Yet we believed it was justice.

“You! Take it back!”

“What are you talking about, idiot?”

Finally, our conflict escalated beyond words, and we resorted to physical violence.
We grappled, rolling around in the field.

“You’re the one who should take it back! We’re the greatest Swordsmen!”

“We’re the most noble Mages!”

We hurled insults until we were breathless, wrestling until we collapsed from exhaustion in the field.
Even then, as long as our mouths could move, we continued to quarrel.

“I hate you!”

“I hate you even more!”

With those final words, we parted ways.
We never intended to see each other again.

◇

“Ugh.”

“Ah.”

The next day, Remietta was there again.

“Why are you here?”

“I’m the one who should be asking that.”

“This is my spot.”

“It’s mine,”

Neither of us budged an inch.
If either of us gave ground, it would feel like running away. That’s probably why she came here again, to start another fight.
I started thinking about what I’d say next, but quickly stopped myself.
Rehashing that argument felt exhausting, so I decided to ignore her.
Swinging my sword in practice would be far more productive.

“…………”

“…………”

“…………What are you staring at?”

But Remietta’s gaze bothered me, and I interrupted my training.
Today, she wasn’t holding a book. She stood there awkwardly, watching me practice.

“Where’s your book?”

“I don’t have it. My sister wanted it.”

“…What’s that supposed to mean?”

I couldn’t possibly train while being stared at like this, so I sheathed my sword.

“Your sister reads, too? All you mages are such stiff weirdos.”

“…I don’t read them. She wanted it because it’s mine. That’s all.”

“What kind of logic is that? If you’re not going to read it, just say no.”

“Father would scold me.”

“…………?”

I raised an eyebrow at that.
If I’d begged my big brother for a book I wouldn’t even read, he’d have knocked me flat, and that would be the end of it.
But Remietta was different.

“Everyone only cares about Lala…”

Remietta hugged her knees, burying her face against them. Her eyes were filled with sorrow.
Seeing that look, I couldn’t bring myself to argue anymore. Instead, a wave of pity washed over me.

“What happened?”

“…………”

Remietta didn’t answer.
Instead, tears began to spill from her crimson eyes.

“H-hey—”

“It’s nothing.”

I stared, dumbfounded, at her tears as Remietta wiped them away, as if trying to hide them.
A woman’s tears were so unfair. Just a single drop had completely changed the atmosphere.

“…You said you didn’t belong at home. Something bad happened?”

“…………”

“I’m not going to make fun of you or anything. I’m not some kid.”

“…………Is that so?”

Remietta closed her eyes.

“Everyone only looks at Lala.”

“Your sister?”

“Yes. They all say she’s amazing, a genius. …Even though I’m working hard too.”

Her hands tightened around her knees, and her lips pressed into a thin line, as if trying to suppress the words.
In that moment, I saw the deep, profound sorrow within Remietta.

“I read books and studied so much. I studied so hard. But everyone only cares about Lala. No matter what I do, they never praise me.”

“…Remietta.”

“—”

Tears she thought she’d suppressed spilled over, and she hastily wiped them away with her sleeve.
But the tears continued to fall, soaking Remietta’s clothes.

“…Here.”

“… What’s this?”

“A hand towel. I haven’t used it today, so you can have it.”

“…………”

Remietta silently accepted the towel and used it to wipe her tears.

“Thank you… very much.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

I sat down next to Remietta and gazed silently up at the sky.
I didn’t particularly want to do anything, but I felt like I had to.

“Being able to read… that’s amazing,”

“Wh-what’s with you? Out of nowhere?”

“I can’t read. It gives me a headache.”

“Maybe you’re just stupid?”

“Maybe. That’s why it’s amazing.”

“…”

Remietta gasped softly.
I hadn’t meant to say anything, but seeing her tears made me feel like I had to.
I glanced sideways, already regretting it, and saw Remietta looking at me with flushed cheeks.

“…Have you stopped crying?”

“N-Not really. I wasn’t even—”

“I told you I wouldn’t make fun of you.”

“Ugh… Th-thank you.”

Remietta murmured, her voice barely audible.
She was supposed to be an annoying girl, but seeing her like this made me think she was kind of cute.

“Well, you know… maybe you could teach me how to read books sometime?”

“…I don’t have any books anymore. They were taken away.”

“I’ll bring some. If I sneak into my dad’s library, there’s bound to be something.”

“…Then… okay.”

Remietta finally smiled, her face lighting up.
Her smile was so dazzling that I felt a little embarrassed myself.

“See you tomorrow.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

With those words, we parted for the day.