A Swordsman and a Mage, Sworn Enemies, Accidentally Crossed a Line and Discovered Their Bodies Were Perfectly Compatible. - Chapter 20

Lately, every day has been so much fun.
That was Remietta Magnolia’s honest thought.
The empty days spent studying solely for praise had come to an end, and joyful days with Elvin now welcomed her.
Remietta had once been driven solely by her desire to surpass her younger sister, but that ambition had vanished without a trace.
The days she spent with Elvin were now everything to her.
He gave her the words she had always longed to hear.
He showed her that she wasn’t just an accessory to Lalael.
Having always been treated as an afterthought to her sister, Remietta finally felt truly acknowledged as an individual.

“Hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm,”

She hummed, changing into her favorite blue dress. It complemented her silver hair perfectly.
Lately, despite her young age, she had been paying close attention to her appearance, studying diligently to be considered cute.
Though she didn’t wear makeup, she always agonized over her outfits.
Today, after carefully combing her hair and confirming she looked perfect, she left her room with a spring in her step.

“What should I do with El today? Hmm, it’s rather noisy.”

As she walked through the spacious Magnolia Family mansion toward the entrance, she heard voices coming from the living room.
Curious, she approached and heard the shrill cries of a young girl.

“Eeeh! Why?! I wanna go, I wanna go!!”

Peeking inside, she found Lalael rolling around on the floor, throwing a tantrum.
Still quite young, Lalael seemed to be going through her “terrible twos,” as such scenes were common.

“But Lalael, you can’t go out for a while.”

“Why not, Papa?!”

The two fathers, heads of the Magnolia Family, were desperately trying to calm the rampaging Lalael.
But Lalael seemed to be paying no attention at all, continuing to thrash and roar.

“It’s too dangerous outside right now. You absolutely can’t leave.”

“That’s right. But Papa will fix everything soon. Until then, let’s be good and play in your room.”

“No! No!”

The parents were struggling to restrain Lalael, who was determined to go somewhere.
It was a rare sight, considering they usually granted Lalael’s every wish.

“…Hmm, I need to go see El.”

Remietta wondered if there was a reason for this, but she brushed it aside and walked past.
By now, Lalael, her parents, and everything about them had become utterly irrelevant to Remietta.

“Ah, right, Remietta too—”

Her father’s voice, as he suddenly remembered his daughter and began searching for her, didn’t reach Remietta, who had already left the mansion.

“Ah, El.”

“Hey, Remi.”

We met again today in our usual spot on the outskirts of the Royal Capital.
Lately, we’d grown even closer, now calling each other by nicknames, a sign of our deepening bond. The initial awkwardness between us had completely vanished, replaced by this comfortable familiarity.

“So, Lala was just rolling around and causing chaos.”

“Wow, sounds rough.”

Sitting in the meadow, we chatted about nothing in particular. It was simple, but that’s what made it so enjoyable. Even meaningless conversations with someone you like can be delightful.

“Did your dad tell you to stay inside, too, Remi?”

“You too, El?”

“Yeah. He said it’s probably fine, but to stick to crowded places since things are getting dicey.”

Our conversation shifted to the anxious adults around us.
Something was clearly going on, but the urgency seemed different between my father and Remietta’s father.
That’s a strange story, too.

“He was unusually talkative with Lala… but he didn’t say a word to me.”

“I see… Maybe a Demon Beast appeared?”

“That’s possible.”

Remietta’s eyes held a hint of sadness.
She must be feeling hurt that her parents won’t tell her what’s happening, even though something is clearly going on.
They told her younger sister not to leave the house, but said nothing to her. Do they think she’s too independent to worry about, or have they simply forgotten she’s there?
But Remietta clearly wants them to care.

“Should we investigate what’s going on?”

“Investigate?”

“Yeah. We’ll ask the adults what’s happening. Besides, this is probably the dangerous place Father warned us about.”

“You’re right.”

The outskirts of the Royal Capital were sparsely populated. Father had warned me to stay where there were people if I went out, and I should probably heed that advice.
Besides, there’s really nothing here. If we’re going to have fun, the Royal Capital is the place to be.

“Let’s head to the Royal Capital’s center. I heard a new shop just opened.”

“You just want to go there to play, don’t you?”

“Well, that’s part of it,” I admitted with a sheepish grin.
I gave her a sheepish grin as she narrowed her eyes in suspicion.
We were about to head off when—

“Ah, I’ve found you.”

A man suddenly appeared before us, blocking our path.

“…Huh?”

“…Who are you?”

The man, dressed in black, wore a sword at his hip. His posture and bearing suggested he was a swordsman.
Judging by his words, he must have come looking for me.
No, that wasn’t the impression I got.

“I hold no grudge against you, but I do against Magnolia. They were responsible for the Dragon Transformation Experiment, so I must teach them the pain of loss.”

“…………”

This wasn’t a conversation.
A terrible premonition gripped me, and I stepped forward to protect Remietta.

“Who are you? What do you want with my father?”

“Elvin, is that you? You’ve grown. Would you mind stepping aside?”

“I said, what do you want?!”

“I have no business with you. My business is with the girl behind you.”

The man said this, his gaze fixed on Remietta with a hideous grin.
My instincts screamed at me to be wary.

“Me…?”

“Yes. I want your life—”

The moment he spoke those words, I lunged forward, slashing at his heart.

“Hmph. As expected of the Reinbell heir. Your strikes are decisive.”

“Remi, run! He’s dangerous!”

“El!”

I didn’t know who this guy was, but I knew he was dangerous. I had to protect Remietta.
I swung my sword again and again, but the man parried each strike effortlessly.

“Exactly. It’s too dangerous for you to be here. Didn’t your parents warn you? …No, of course not! They’re still hesitating about how to handle this situation! It’s all about their petty pride and political games! They’re the ugly bastards who stole my Cassina!”

“Gah!”

The man, who had been merely defending, suddenly turned aggressive in his rage, sending me sprawling to the ground with a single blow.
I stood no chance.
I was just a kid, facing a seasoned swordsman.
This shouldn’t have turned into a fight.

“The royal family is trying to mediate, so why are you acting so foolishly?! Are swordsmen really that terrifying?! Ah, Cassina!!”

“W-what’s wrong with this guy?”

Mad. That was the only word to describe him.
His bloodshot eyes screamed something, but there was no sense of reason in them.

“El!!”

Ignoring the crazed man, Remietta rushed to my side as I collapsed.
But that was wrong.

“El, El!!”

“No, run!”

I had to protect her. Otherwise, Remi would die.
I had to get her away now, fight him myself. That was the only way.
But with a single strike, my body had stopped responding.

“You’re the last one. I’ve killed all the researchers. Now it’s your turn, Remietta.”

The man advanced.

“Why? Why are you doing this?!”

“Blame your father. That will torment him most.”

“Hmph! Even if I die, Father won’t grieve! He only cares about Lala! So just go away!”

“…Hmph. So that’s how it is.”

Remietta screamed in anguish at the man’s words.
She knew she wasn’t loved as much as her younger sister. That’s why she could scream so easily.
But no parent could truly hate their child, the man believed.

“So, does that mean Lala has to die too? I thought this would be the end, but Cassina’s resentment won’t be satisfied until it’s fully avenged.”

“—!”

Remietta’s words had only added another target—her own sister—to the list.

“Please, stop!”

“Impossible. Goodbye. Try to die with a suitably gruesome expression, it’ll help.”

As if enacting justice, the man raised his sword and mercilessly swung it down at Remietta.

“DAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!”

“Whoa there.”

At the last moment, I forced my body to move and deflected the sword hurtling toward Remietta.
Even that single block sent a numbing shock through my hand.
It was impossible to fight an adult’s sword. But if I didn’t, Remietta would die.
Suppressing my fear, I faced the man.

“I won’t let Remi die! I’m your opponent!”

“Wow. How heroic. Just like in the movies. But it’s pointless.”

If you interfere, I’ll kill you.
The man’s eyes said it clearly.
Even so, I couldn’t back down.
I took a deep breath, steeled my courage, and resolved to buy Remietta time to escape.
That’s what a cool swordsman would do.

“Run, Remi.”

“El…”

“Don’t let my efforts be in vain! Run!”

“—”

Remietta was a smart girl. She would definitely escape. Staying here would only put her at greater risk.
Running to alert the guards was the best course of action.
Remietta understood this. That’s why I felt relieved when I heard her footsteps receding.

“Now, you bastard! I’m your opponent!”

My opponent was a formidable foe, while I was still just a kid. It was a battle where even the possibility of a fair fight seemed doubtful.

“You’ll regret this. It won’t just be pain.”

“The greatest regret of my life was letting Remietta die!”

Having been born into the Reinebell Family, there would inevitably come a time when I had to wield my sword with my life on the line.
Without a doubt, this was that moment.
My first real battle, where life and death hung in the balance, was about to begin—a clash with Murderer Tein that I would never forget.
The battle was ignited by my first step forward.