Chapter 7

Sword Masters were beings closely in tune with nature. They pushed mana, nature’s gift, to its limits, and in turn created auras, weapons of mass destruction.

They were also always perceptive of nature. They could pick up on every slight tremor, whiff of energy, odd intention, or hint of malice. Ironically, their senses were so sharp that many Sword Masters eventually became numb to these feelings. Nothing actually posed a significant threat to them, so it wasn’t worth being alert at all times. I, too, had started to become numb to a lot of things after reaching a certain point of strength.

“I’ve come to escort you back, Your—”

“Young Master.”

So when an uninvited guest showed up at the cabin, I pretended to be asleep. I’d formed a habit of immersing my surroundings in mana while unconscious. Without such measures, sleeping in a forest full of beasts would have resulted in an unexpected mauling at some point and being torn limb from limb. The cloaking of mana guaranteed I would be alert if something even as small as a mouse moved near me.

“Ah, right. I’ve come to escort you back, ‘Young Master.’”

Naturally, I had awoken the moment a man with the skills of a Sword Expert set foot in the forest.

Is he here for Deedee? I tried to assess the situation using every sense except sight. The stranger, who hesitantly called Deedee “Young Master,” was fully armed but had no intention of attacking. Judging by the circumstances, he seemed to be a guard.

“Who is—”

“Quiet. Lower your voice.”

I’m already awake, though. It would’ve been awkward to open my eyes at this point. I waited, having decided that I would pretend to be asleep until they left.

“Your High—”

“Shh.”

“Young Master... Is this the person who wounded you?”

I heard the scraping of metal, like a sword being drawn from its sheath. As I was debating whether I should be on guard, Deedee firmly stopped the other man.

“Don’t do anything rash. They saved my life.”

His slender fingers wrapped around my hand. The warmth felt unfamiliar.

“I apologize,” the man said.

Deedee just stroked my hand without saying a word.

“Young Master, shouldn’t we be on our way now? They’re worried at the pal—” The man sounded impatient.

Deedee cut him off. “They’re worried at the mansion, are they?”

That’s strange. He seemed to be hiding something, but I was the only other one in the room. Does he know I’m awake and listening? If he thought I was asleep, he wouldn’t have tried to disguise their words. I debated whether I should just open my eyes, but I decided to keep them closed to avoid complicating the situation.

“Young Master!”

Deedee had now taken my hand with both of his. “Yes, I know,” he said slowly. He sounded dispirited.

Has he gotten attached to me already? It seemed like he was grateful that I had saved him even though he was initially so wary. I heard him shift the blanket to the side and stood up.

“Young Master, isn’t your shirt a bit... small?” the man asked. I suddenly remembered that Deedee had fallen asleep with my shirt on, unbuttoned.

A small chuckle echoed in the cabin. “Well, it belongs to a miniature person.”

Hey! I barely stopped myself from scowling. I’m actually on the taller side for my age. You’re just freakishly huge!

I felt a hand reach out and slowly stroke my head. I was a bit puzzled by the cautious but certain touch.

If he tries to take my mask off... I’d have to subdue both of them. Knowing that I’d be able to strike Deedee’s neck faster than he could remove my mask, I wasn’t nervous. I still hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

I don’t want to use force if necessary. Perhaps he’s grown on me. I had no desire to attack him if possible.

“Young Master...!”

“Shh.”

The stranger’s voice sounded odd. I could tell from listening to his movement that he was looking back and forth between me and Deedee. He seemed shocked, as if he couldn’t believe his eyes.

Deedee’s hand moved to my face. His fingers brushed over my eyelids, my masked nose, and my cheeks. Finally, he hovered over my lips. He seemed to be trying to memorize my face with his fingertips.

Is he trying to figure out who I am? Feeling his finger touch my lips, I felt something strange within me.

I shifted slightly as if I would wake up at any moment in the hopes that they would just leave already. Deedee flinched and slowly retracted his hand, but I felt him move around the chair. It seemed like he wasn’t yet ready to go.

“That looks pretty uncomfortable,” he mumbled.

Suddenly, firm arms wrapped behind my neck and knees. I was lifted up.

Deedee seemed to find this effortless. He clicked his tongue. “Lighter than you should be.”

Then I felt my back touch the hard mattress. Deedee took off my shoes and covered me with the blanket, which now smelled like vanilla just like him. He tucked my hair behind my ear.

“We’ll meet again soon,” I heard him whisper. “This is to say thanks. I’ll pay you back properly in the near future.”

Then something soft touched my forehead over my mask. Even though I didn’t care for physical touch, Deedee’s relaxed voice and gentle kiss shocked me.

“Young Master!”

“Let’s go.”

The guard sounded as surprised as I was, but Deedee’s footsteps were light and carefree. He laughed out loud as he opened the door of the cabin, leaving me frozen in place.

“Goodbye, Cass. Thank you for teaching me something new.”

***

I lay there for a long time after they disappeared. It wasn’t until the sun was fully in the sky that I managed to open my eyes and sit up. I leaned against the wall and slowly ran my hands over the bed, the light vanilla scent tickling my nose.

The kid from back then smelled like lemons. Old memories swirled in my head. Several years had passed, but the memory was as vivid as ever. I suddenly wondered what that boy, whom I had forgotten about for a while, was up to now.

The situation was similar back then. The boy had also doubted my intentions.

“Why did you save me? What do you want?”

It had been a rainy summer night. After finding the boy injured, I’d brought him to this same cabin and treated his wounds.

“There’s no way someone would do such a thing without a reason! Don’t lie to me! Cass...”

He had wanted someone he could trust again.

I wonder how he’s doing now. After he had recovered somewhat, he suddenly disappeared. I’d never seen him since. I didn’t expect anything in return, but I had hoped a little that he’d one day pay a visit so I knew he was all right.

Well, I guess no news is good news. I got up and made the bed, deciding he must be living so well that he didn’t have time to stop by.

Oh... And then I sighed at the emotions that were creeping in. I’ve become too soft.

Chuckling, I sat on the bed. This was why a taste of warmth was dangerous.

Because it sat in the shadow of a few giant trees, the cabin was dark even in the morning. The only light was a single beam of sunshine that streamed in through the window. The surroundings were perfectly silent, which only made the dim room seem lonelier.

I sank into the shadows and closed my eyes. An emotion—one that most people would describe as “loneliness”—washed over me.

How strange. It was natural for me to be alone. I had always thought that being around others was just a brief form of entertainment. But right now, I felt lonely.

***

“Cass!” My sister—my little doll—ran into my arms.

I placed the food I had brought from Helene on the floor and hugged her. The food had obviously grown cold and a small bloodstain had seeped into the paper bag. But I was sure it’d be fine once we heated it up.

“Aria!”

My sister looked up, slouching while holding on to my waist. “Why didn’t you come back last night?” she asked. “I was worried!”

She had every right to be. The day before I had promised I’d be back soon, only to return a day and a half later without warning her.

I gave her an awkward smile. “Sorry. Something urgent came up. Did you make yourself dinner? I’m sorry I wasn’t here to help.”

“Is that what you’re worried about right now?” Her gentle eyes narrowed sharply.

I nodded, noticing her glare. “Well, I want to make sure you eat, and there wasn’t much food at home.”

“Then what about you? Did you have something to eat last night?”

I shut my mouth. After leaving my meeting with El, I had been occupied with taking care of Deedee. I hadn’t had any more to eat.

“You’re always like this, Cass. You worry about me but don’t think of yourself. You say you love me and that I’m all you have, but you still hide so much from me.” Her tone was one of resignation rather than resentment or anger. It just made me feel worse.

I feel bad, but... I couldn’t tell her everything, not while knowing that it would only lead to more hurt and anguish. I just can’t tell her the truth. How was I supposed to explain I was working as a mercenary, treated like a dog while I ran around icy fields in search of beasts to slay for a little cash?

“I know you must have a reason. You wouldn’t hide something from me without one. And I know it must sound like I’m a little kid throwing a tantrum, but... I’m still worried about you.” She buried her face in my arms.

Oh, Aria. What do I do with you? I slowly stroked her hair.

“Cass! Please wake up! Cass...”

The day I’d returned from my first beast-slaying expedition, my sister had been horrified to find me collapsed in front of our house. My last memory of that day was Aria’s crying face.

“You must have a reason for not telling me. I won’t ask anymore.”

When I finally woke up a few days later and seemed reluctant to explain what had happened, she had promised to stop asking. It was too mature an action for her young age.

“I’m sorry there are so many things I can’t tell you.” While I wanted to assure her that it was all for her own good, I wasn’t so sure of that anymore. Was it really better to hide things from her when she was already hurting so much?

I shook my head. All I could do was change the subject. “I don’t have anything planned today. Should we go into town?”

Rubbing her reddened eyes, Aria smiled brightly as if to ease my mind. “Yeah, let’s go.”