Part 2 Chapter 52

Part 2 – Episode 52

In an instant, the man’s hand shot out and grabbed me by the throat.

He’d probably expected me to collapse right there, but there was no way my sturdy body was going to lose to some mere magic swordsman’s grip. I drove a fist into his solar plexus and knocked this now staggering man to the ground. When I placed the tip of my sword against his throat, his struggling became somewhat more subdued.

“Ah, hot!”

Fwoom!

A warm burst of heat rose above the blind girl’s head.

Startled by the sudden warmth, she shrank back, then looked around in confusion before letting out a small gasp.

“Waaah.”

The boy sprinted over, panting, and fussed over her anxiously.

“Sister! Are you okay? What did that bastard do to— you little—! Are you stupid!? We warned you over and over not to come out!”

“Look! See this? My clothes are all fluffy and dry now! It’s been raining so much lately that no matter how often I dried them, they always stayed damp…”

“W-waaaah—!”

What a mess.

The little girl who had boldly stood in front of me rushed over to the blind girl and threw herself into her arms.

“Sister… I thought you were going to die… waaah!”

“It’s alright. I’m fine. Are you two okay?”

“WAAAAAH!”

So noisy.

There’s an old saying that even a king or a high lord can’t make a child stop crying; only a clown can. This is because children love tricks and little wonders. So I used the secret art of Ironing once again.

“Gyaaah!”

Fwoom.

The now-fluffy-and-dry boy and girl stared blankly at each other.

“…Hic.”

There. They finally didn’t look quite so grubby anymore.

I nodded in satisfaction.

“When you become a truly great swordsman, you can even iron clothes with your eyes closed.”

“Hic.”

The blind girl listened quietly for a moment before asking,

“Could it be… that you’re the one who warmed and dried my siblings’ clothes?”

“That’s right. I used to be a maid, so I’m good at ironing.”

“Wow! My older sister was a maid too! She left for a big city, and we haven’t seen her in a long time… In that case, would it be possible to ask you to do some of our other clothes too?”

At that, the boy stepped in front of her with a horrified expression.

“Sister, are you out of your mind!? You can’t see, so you don’t know what that bad guy is doing right now! He’s holding a sword to hyung’s throat! Hyung’s life is in danger!”

“What? But… his voice doesn’t sound threatening at all…”

“Wah… hic! S-scary! I’m s-so scared!”

That was when it happened.

The man, who had been lying still all this time, suddenly grabbed my blade with his bare hand and forcibly snapped it in two.

I quickly jumped back before the blood-soaked broken blade could pierce through my ankle.

“Bro!”

“Big brother!”

The man rose to his feet, shook his head once, and gave an order.

“Go. Now.”

“B-bro…”

The boy and girl stood there sniffling, completely at a loss. Then, when the man shouted at them again, they finally ran—carrying the blind girl on their back—as they disappeared into the forest.

The sight brought back memories I didn’t particularly enjoy recalling.

Something that had happened here four years ago.

A memory that remained as vivid to me as if it had happened only a few weeks ago.

“Run.”

“I-I’m sorry! I…”

“Shut up and run, now—!”

If that boy were still alive.

If he had survived and remained here all this time…

I stared at the forest path where they had vanished before asking the man,

“Those kids—are they survivors from the garbage hill? If they are, do you know another survivor–”

“Hey.”

Ptoo.

The man spat out the blood pooling in his mouth and made a demand.

“Leave them alone. They’re just orphans barely scraping by. There’s nothing to gain from killing them, and even if you let them live, they’ve got nowhere to report you to. If you want to see this through, do it with me. Yeah?”

“Are you telling me not to iron their clothes, too?”

“Ha. Are you actually insane…?”

“You find me funny, don’t you? I find this situation pretty funny too. Makes me wonder how much nerve one must possess to try to kill me out of nowhere, then turn around and beg me to spare his kids.”

“……”

“Is there anyone else around here about your age?”

The man’s eyes narrowed.

“What do you mean?”

“He should be an adult by now. Talented with a sword, blond hair, blue eyes. Strong-willed. Lived on the garbage hill…”

“That’s enough with the stupid description. You think there’s only one person like that around here?”

Maybe he had a point.

For now, I shoved the broken blade back into its sheath. As I stepped closer, the man’s guard sharpened even further.

I lifted the sheath.

“You.”

Tap.

I lightly bonked him on the head with the tip.

The man’s already-frigid gaze turned even colder.

“Don’t go around attacking people at random. That’s how you pick up bad habit—”

Ah.

With a single sharp flick of his hand, my sword spun through the air three or four times before flying away.

What a heedless brat. This is exactly what’s wrong with kids these days…

“Where are you from?”

You throw away my precious temporary sword and then ask where I’m from? Seriously, kids these days…

“Somewhere.”

“Quit the games. I’ve never struggled this much against someone my age. Who are you?”

“I suppose you should be grateful your first defeat was at my hands.”

Tap. Tap.

I brushed the ash and black rainwater off my sheath and stood up.

Hm.

For some reason, it felt as though the land in that direction was calling to me.

Could that place be my Calepa?

“You’re undoubtedly skilled—no one can deny that—but you need to sort things out with your sword. A blade meant for killing instead of protecting won’t last long. Keep this big brother’s advice in your heart.”

I turned my back and retraced the path I had come from.

I could feel a fierce gaze on my back, yes, hostile enough that it wouldn’t have been surprising if he charged at me at any moment.

But the man didn’t attack.

He simply remained where he was, waiting for me to leave the forest.

—I have to protect it.

The sword of a Sword Demon always ends up pointed at the heart of someone they love.

If it were up to me, I’d have liked to give him a few more words of advice. But his wariness was so strong that anything I said would probably only make him dislike me more.

I found myself curious about where the boy and girls lived and how they managed to survive, but looking into it would likely only anger him as well.

Judging by that murderous atmosphere of his, there didn’t seem to be many normal people wandering around these parts.

‘Maybe I should stop by again the next time I’m in the area.’

That blind girl.

If she learned from me, she could probably finish her housework much more efficiently.

Returning with Rue to the area near the cliff, I checked the back of my hand, which had been aching faintly the whole time.

‘…What?’

Had the wound always been this small?

My eyes weren’t mistaken.

The cut left by the ice was healing—very slowly, but unmistakably and steadily.

‘I didn’t use the power of Blooming.’

No way.

‘Was my guess right? Can I maintain balance in the land I Bloomed in?’

Ah. This was absolutely worth researching.

If I could find a Calepa of my own…

‘It would ease Rue’s worries. I could use much more aggressive tactics against bastards like Rein. And above all—’

A severed arm growing back into a new arm!

What could possibly be more magical than that?

Drawing my sword again, I took a deep breath and drove the broken fragment of the blade into the back of my hand.

And then—

“Daisy.”

“Wait a second, Rue. I think my Calepa is somewhere nearby.”

“Of course it is. I’m right here.”

“Not that, idiot. I’m talking about my place for balance.”

That seemed to pique even Rue’s interest. He quickly walked over and examined the back of my hand, wet with rainwater and blood.

“See? It’s slow, but it’s definitely clotting. The wound’s healing even though I haven’t used any power.”

“Hmm. It does seem to be healing, but… maybe our Daisy is just bad at controlling her power.”

I leaned in and whispered into his ear.

“The fact that you keep looking so good to me today means my internal balance is perfectly fine.”

At that, Rue’s eyes widened, and he covered his mouth as a shy laugh escaped him.

“Oh, you! That’s embarrassing!”

Thump, thump.

The fists hitting my chest were heavier than those of most men.

Sorry, Rue. I’m still not used to jokes like that.

“How large do you think the range of my Calepa is?”

“Not small. Based on my experience, I’d guess around a three-kilometer radius.”

“Should we keep going this way?”

“It’ll be useful later if we know the approximate area where it applies.”

We continued south.

Fortunately, the rain didn’t get any heavier.

Unless I was imagining it, the wound on the back of my hand was healing faster and faster. It seemed that the longer I remained on land where the balance was maintained, the stronger the effect became.

As time passed a little longer, I felt a clear change in my breathing, my head cleared, and my five senses were surrounded by a refreshing scent.

Around that time.

An empty land could be seen over a wooded tree.

A world of scenery that is completely different from the forest that is full of life behind your back.

It was the land of death.

—

Hi guys, sorry that the updates for part 2 until now have been kind of slow. I’ve been busy irl but since finals just ended I do have some time so I’m hoping to keep updates more consistent. It would be helpful if I had easier access to the raws but for now I have to rely on the rental tickets to access the chapter, so if anyone has the raws, please hmu! I would also like to thank Calli and Nana for the ko-fis. It really helps a lot as a broke student 🙂 thank you.