SOTBW - 154

“Yes, Najane does use sword energy, but she hasn’t been recognized as a Sword Master.”

“...Are you saying my mentor just left that knight alone?”

Taylor, whenever he discovered a promising candidate to become a great swordsman, would take them on as his disciple, regardless of their background or family. Although Rachel was the only one among his disciples to have manifested sword energy, if Taylor had known about Najane, he would never have simply let her be.

Najane was already a swordsman capable of using sword energy. If Taylor had known her, he would have tested her abilities and either acknowledged her as a Sword Master or taken her under his wing to help her improve further.

Rachel’s expression grew unreadable at the unexpected news.

She wanted to meet Najane. She was more curious about who this woman, Najane, was than about Maximón’s current situation.

But hearing Daniel’s words left her not just disappointed but outright angry. To be able to use sword energy but not become a Sword Master?

Rachel’s gaze grew cold, and Daniel, noticing the change, spoke up to explain what he knew.

“Dame Elderkerth is aware of Najane’s skills, but even he doesn’t know much about whether she’s recognized as a Sword Master.”

“Why not?”

“...Pardon?”

“Why couldn’t she become a Sword Master, despite using sword energy?”

Rachel’s voice was filled with both disappointment and envy.

Daniel awkwardly smiled, looking confused.

“Well, I’m not sure if Najane was unable to become a Sword Master or simply chose not to.”

Daniel felt uncomfortable as the conversation veered off course. He thought that if Rachel was asking about Najane, it must be related to Maximón. But instead, Rachel was fixated on whether Najane was a Sword Master or not.

What was even more puzzling was that Rachel seemed shocked by the fact that Najane wasn’t a Sword Master. Rachel, who had been on the verge of becoming a Sword Master before succumbing to an incurable illness and giving up her sword, might have felt some bitterness or jealousy toward Najane’s abilities. If Rachel had shown any sign of envy or disdain, Daniel would have understood it.

But she hadn’t.

Rachel seemed genuinely upset upon hearing that Najane hadn’t become a Sword Master.

“Um, miss, should I have the maids bring in some dessert?” Popin asked, trying to break the tension. Rachel nodded, finally relaxing her expression. The atmosphere, which had nearly frozen, eased.

The maids, waiting in the hallway, brought in cakes. Daniel poked at his cake with a fork for a moment before quietly asking,

“By the way, I’m starting to wonder what exactly you called me here for. You’re not asking about Romsoa, are you?”

“Of course not.”

Rachel smiled, but it was a mocking smile, as if to say she didn’t care at all about Romsoa.

“Perhaps you don’t remember what I said earlier?”

“You’ve said so many things, I’m not sure which one you mean…”

“It’s a waste of time.”

Daniel muttered, “Ah.”

“The reason I invited you, my lord, is exactly that. I’m stuck here in this backwater, dealing with those foolish bandits who’ve taken over the fortress. It’s incredibly frustrating.”

There were too few soldiers in Elbision to deal with the bandits. Rachel, lamenting her current condition, wished that if only she were in better health, she could easily defeat those bandits in a day. Now, she had to wait for reinforcements from Noctis, which was due to arrive.

Now that Daniel and the soldiers had arrived in Elbision, there was no reason for Rachel to delay any further. However, Daniel, thinking Rachel was simply urging him to deal with the bandits swiftly, responded with a slightly sulking expression.

“I’m doing my best to eliminate them as quickly as possible, but depending on whether we prioritize saving soldiers or resolving the situation as fast as we can, the strategy will be completely different. Right now, I can’t say anything definitively, so it’s hard to make promises.”

“You don’t need to worry about it.”

Rachel smiled arrogantly.

Her confident smile made Daniel blink in surprise.

“I’ll lend you my strength so that we can resolve this within a day.”

“Your strength?”

Daniel was momentarily shocked, wondering if the Rochelle family had developed some special gunpowder, but his expression quickly hardened.

“...You’re not suggesting you’ll use sword energy, are you?”

Daniel asked in a tone of shock. Rachel didn’t deny it. Daniel’s expression twisted.

“I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.”

“What?”

Rachel’s face scrunched up at the unexpected response. After wiping his mouth, Daniel stood up from his chair. Popin looked back and forth between Rachel and Daniel with a confused expression.

Daniel pushed his chair back and stared at Rachel.

“I’m not affiliated with the Rochelle family, so I don’t know how much your health has improved. But I do know that you’ve given up on becoming a Sword Master because of your poor health. I can’t accept your help. Let’s pretend I didn’t hear your earlier offer.”

“Lord Luamars, do you think I’m weak?”

“Of course not.”

Daniel denied it, but Rachel gripped the armrests tightly and clenched her teeth. She hated being looked down upon or pitied.

Then Daniel, wanting to clear up the misunderstanding, approached her. Popin tensed up, watching Daniel’s approach. Daniel ignored Rachel’s anger and smiled gently.

“I sometimes hear from my comrades that you might have lost your mind while fighting Serith, but I never thought the great Rachel Rochelle could be considered weak.”

His words, though not overtly emotional, were sincere. Rachel knew he wasn’t lying, and the hostility in her expression gradually subsided.

Daniel gently took Rachel’s blood-soaked hand. Rachel, like a feisty cat, quickly pulled her hand away. The thick, sticky liquid was unmistakably blood. Daniel gave a wry smile.

“But it’s clear that you’re someone who deserves protection. Everyone would agree with me on that.”

“I will destroy the fortress, regardless of your opinion.”

Rachel stopped using honorifics and spoke coldly.

“You might see the rising sun tomorrow, but I won’t. Without holy water, I won’t even be able to see the sun set today. You have no idea how suffocating and painful it is for me to stay here in Elbision.”

Daniel was about to tell her not to do anything reckless but sighed deeply. If she were the type to listen to advice, she wouldn’t have left her domain and come all the way to Elbision in her current condition...

Suddenly, Daniel remembered something Taylor had once told him. If Rachel and Maximón were left together for more than ten minutes, they would inevitably fight.

Both of them had a competitive nature that wouldn’t let them lose easily. If their argument didn’t end in words, they would fight with wooden swords until one of them bled. The most surprising part was that the victories were almost evenly matched.

He had been shocked when he first heard that. Rachel had actually defeated Maximón Elgort.

Daniel looked at Rachel with a troubled expression.

“What if using sword energy makes things worse?”

“That’s something I’ll have to handle, not you.”

“It’s not just that. If you, Rachel, use sword energy and are consumed by pain afterward, I’ll be plagued with guilt even worse than that.”

Daniel didn’t want Rachel’s condition to worsen. If Rachel, who was almost on the level of a Sword Master, helped with the suppression, the bandits could be defeated in half a day, and fewer soldiers would be lost.

But if they took the easy route, the pain Rachel would have to bear on her own afterward was far too great.

“Lord Luamars.”

At that moment, Rachel called Daniel in a calmer voice than ever before. Daniel, realizing that both she and Popin were looking at him, knelt on one knee to make them more comfortable.

Popin flinched when he saw Daniel lowering himself into a kneeling position. Daniel was a member of the Luamars Duke family. No matter how prestigious the Rochelle Marquis family was, they couldn’t compare to the Duke family.

Flustered, Popin hurriedly looked around. But Rachel wasn’t surprised at all. Instead, she smiled as if she actually liked this side of Daniel.

“Everyone faces unwanted choices at times. I’m prepared to respect whatever choice anyone makes, but Lord Luamars, you must choose the option that involves accepting my help.”

“And why is that?”

“Because you came to Elbision as a commander. As a commander who must quickly suppress the bandits, stabilize the area, and return to Noctis, it’s best to suppress your personal feelings and make a choice that benefits everyone.”

Rachel was cold and logical. Daniel couldn’t say anything more. It was only now that he began to understand why Taylor had been so saddened by Rachel’s incurable illness.

If Rachel had been healthy, she would have definitely become the captain of the guard, surpassing Maximón. Rachel was more than capable.

Instead of agreeing to Rachel’s opinion, Daniel lowered his gaze. Rachel, understanding his intent immediately, calmly gave him an order.

“By noon the day after tomorrow, gather soldiers around the bandits’ fortress. We’ve wasted enough time; it’s about time we head to Noctis.”

________________________________________

When the sun was high in the sky, Najane woke up. The space next to her was empty. It had been a long time since she had slept alone without Maximón.

Najane pushed her disheveled hair behind her ear and looked at the still-burning fireplace. Had she fallen asleep with the firewood stacked up? As she was about to get out of bed, she paused and tilted her head, watching the flickering flames.

She had returned from the clinic, bathed, and immediately fallen asleep. After crying in Amelia’s arms, she had been emotionally drained and could only think of getting some rest. She hadn’t even gone near the fireplace.

Could it be that the maids had lit the fire while cleaning up the bathwater? But the maids, afraid of Maximón, never entered the bedroom without Didina.

Najane looked at the charred firewood. Since moving into the house, she hadn’t paid much attention to the fireplace.

It had always been Maximón’s job to keep the room warm. He would always make sure to put thick logs in the fireplace, ensuring the room didn’t get cold.

Whenever Najane woke up, she would always see a small amount of firewood left, nearly burnt out. He knew exactly when she woke up, and while she slept, he made sure to leave enough firewood to prevent the cold. So, perhaps those logs...

Najane stared at the soon-to-die flames before quietly stepping out of the room barefoot. She opened the door carefully, and the first thing she saw was the empty table, which was unusual.

The maids usually set the table while Maximón and Najane were asleep and quickly left, but the absence of food on the table meant that someone inconvenient was in the house, preventing the maids from setting up the meal.

As she pushed the door open further, she saw long legs sticking out from behind the sofa armrest. It was obvious whose legs they were without needing to say.

Najane carefully stepped on the cold floor and approached the sofa. Next to it were armor pieces discarded carelessly, and military boots, which were caked in thick, dark blue blood, sticking to the mud.

She crouched beside the sofa and looked down at the sleeping Maximón. He had fallen asleep with his gloves clenched tightly in his hands, and his appearance looked somewhat pitiable.

She reached out to gently stroke his cold forehead, temples, and cheek. As her fingers touched him, Maximón opened his eyes. He stared at Najane for a moment before sitting up and tapping the sofa, as if telling her to sit next to him.

Najane, fixing her messy hair with one hand, sat down on the sofa. Maximón didn’t sit but instead laid his head on her lap. With one arm around her waist, he took a deep breath, slowly exhaling.

Maximón’s breath had a cold scent to it. Najane gently fiddled with his flattened hair and asked,

“Why did you sleep here?”

“...I was worried you’d wake up.”

“If you secretly kissed me and ran away, I wouldn’t have known...”

Najane muttered with a hint of frustration, and Maximón chuckled softly.

“I’ll have to try that next time.”