“This is what I created by grinding down raw materials I happened to find on a volcanic island years ago. If I had to say who exactly made this sword… I suppose I would have to say nature.”
“Nature?”
“Yes. I found those materials in a place where no human had ever set foot. Back then, it felt as if the volcanic island was presenting this blade as a gift to me, a mere visitor.”
“I see.”
Dien nodded at his words. Beside him, Shilona could not pull her gaze away from the aura radiating from the blade.
“I will craft a handle that suits this blade. You will see once you use it, but if divine artifacts truly exist, this sword is likely one of them. I have already confirmed that its strength is incomparable to any conventional sword.”
“Yes… I can feel that it is truly extraordinary.”
Dien murmured softly at Lorentz’s words. Even without the explanation, the blade gave off a mysterious atmosphere, appearing like a divine relic at a single glance.
“Is it really alright for me to have a sword like this? I worry you are giving such a precious item to a novice swordsman…”
“Hahaha! A sword is only a sword if it is swung! If it is never swung, it is nothing more than a decoration! Besides, from what I can see, Young Lord Dien is going to become a magnificent swordsman.”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Your swordsmanship teacher there. Despite her young age, she seems to have reached a considerable level…”
Lorentz shifted his gaze from Dien to Shilona. His eyes were filled with certainty as he looked at her.
As an Intermediate Knight, Lorentz could instinctively sense her level just by the way she walked. Shilona, however, remained silent despite his heavy, scrutinizing gaze.
“It is only natural for a great swordsman to emerge from under a great teacher. Furthermore, I hope this sword is used by a righteous swordsman rather than just a talented one.”
“Ah… then I must devote myself even more to becoming the kind of swordsman you expect, Master Lorentz.”
“You are already more than good enough. Hahaha.”
Perhaps it was the keen eye of a master craftsman. Although it felt ironic that Lorentz would so easily hand over a blade he called a divine artifact, Dien looked at the sword without overthinking it.
“May I touch it once?”
“Hahaha! It belongs to you now, so why ask for permission? I will finish the handle and scabbard by tomorrow and send them to the House of Portran.”
“I do not know how to thank you…”
As Dien spoke, he grasped the blade. The moment he touched it, a vibration traveled through his hand. A faint sound, like a string being tuned, reached Dien’s ears.
‘Indeed.’
One could tell a magnificent blade simply by the small resonance it produced. It was much like how the sound of a high-end guitar distinguished itself from a regular one.
“Thank you. How much should I pay for this?”
“Hahaha! Did I not tell you? This is my repayment! Honestly, I feel relieved. I was always worried about who would be a fitting owner for this sword. My only wish is that you develop the skills to match it, Young Lord. That is the only way this sword will truly become famous.”
“Yes. I will work hard.”
Dien bowed deeply to Lorentz and stepped out of Pathos Smithy. He could not stop smiling.
“Are you that happy?”
“Of course! This is my very first sword!”
“You should handle it with care.”
“I will. By the way, Shilona, what did you think of that sword?”
Since she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off the blade, Dien was curious about her impression.
“I would have to swing it to be sure, but it is certainly out of the ordinary.”
“Your words make me look forward to it even more.”
Dien and Shilona shared a casual conversation as they headed toward the House of Portran. As they approached, they spotted someone lingering in front of the main gate.
It was a woman wearing a hood, peeking through a gap in the gate. Strands of blonde hair peeked out from the side of her hood.
“Who is that?”
“She is my guest, Shilona.”
Dien held out a hand to stop Shilona as she moved toward the woman. With a slight smile, he approached her.
“My Lady, are you looking for something?”
“Oh my!”
Dien whispered softly from behind her. The woman spun around in shock. Just as Dien had expected, it was Dorothy, the daughter of Persian Cherbil.
“Ah! Um. The garden was so beautiful… that I was just passing by… yes…”
Dorothy’s face turned bright red in an instant.
“I see you stopped by while you were passing through.”
Dien looked at her with a puzzled expression as she fidgeted nervously.
“I’ll head inside first,” Shilona said, looking back and forth between Dien and Dorothy with an indifferent gaze.
“Right, go on ahead.”
Watching her leave, Dorothy’s eyes widened.
‘Who is that?’
Shilona had long legs and a curved figure. Her appearance radiated a sense of maturity that Dorothy herself lacked, causing Dorothy to stare at her intensely for no reason.
She looked older than Dien, yet they seemed close enough to walk together. She didn’t look like a maid, either…
Dorothy was incredibly bothered by Shilona, but she forced herself to look away and turned back to Dien.
“Where were you going?” Dien asked, taking a step closer.
A gentle breeze rustled Dien’s hair, and his deep red locks made his face appear even brighter.
“Just… to the market…”
As their eyes met, Dorothy’s face turned as red as Dien’s hair. Her eyes finally began to take in his sturdy build, which contrasted with his youthful face—something she hadn’t noticed before.
His well-balanced physique made Dien look even more handsome, and Dorothy’s heart began to pound violently.
“I didn’t know a Lady would go to the market herself! Wow! Do you know how to cook too?”
“A little… what? No… I’m… very good at it.”
“That’s wonderful!”
Dorothy’s voice grew quieter and quieter. She kept fiddling with her poor hands, unable to meet Dien’s eyes, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground.
“Are you feeling unwell somewhere?”
“No… I’m not.”
Dien looked at Dorothy with concern. He wondered if her voice was trembling because of the cold wind.
“If it is because of the cold, perhaps we should go inside—”
“No! Ah, no…”
She shouted before Dien could finish his sentence. Startled by how loud her own voice was, she spoke again in a whisper.
“Um… I have something to say to you, Young Lord…”
Since Dorothy’s voice kept trailing off, Dien leaned in closer to hear her. However, the closer he got, the more Dorothy’s pupils seemed to lose their way.
“Please, speak freely, My Lady.”
“It’s just that… I’m not really… such a cold person. When we first met… I was too…”
“My Lady, I apologize, but I can’t hear you very well.”
“I mean… back then… at the concert hall… I was worried I acted too arrogantly toward you!”
Dorothy’s voice rose slightly. She had been dwelling on how coldly she had behaved the day they first met at the concert hall.
At the time, she had been so preoccupied with her thoughts about the street musician that she hadn’t even properly accepted the greeting from Dien, who was her partner and the musician himself.
Thinking back on her behavior that day, Dorothy deeply regretted how blunt she had been.
“Oh, not at all! It’s fine. Please don’t worry about it!”
“I was worried you might have misunderstood me…”
“Hahaha. No! I didn’t mind at all.”
Dien waved his hands dismissively. Where had the confident girl he saw at the concert hall gone? Dien was vaguely aware that there were talks of a marriage arrangement between them. Because of that, he felt a bit embarrassed as well.
Suppressing his awkwardness, Dien continued the conversation, though he couldn’t help a clumsy laugh from escaping.
Just then.
“My Lady! Here you are.”
Dorothy’s maid approached them.
“Oh… were you looking for me?”
“Yes! I waited for so long and got worried when you didn’t return. The sun is setting soon, so let us head back to the House of Cherbil.”
“Hm? Um…..”
The maid, not realizing that the man Dorothy was talking to was Dien—the subject of the marriage talks—urged her to leave. Dorothy scowled at the maid, making sure Dien didn’t see.
The maid only looked confused by Dorothy’s expression.
“It was a pleasure to see you again, Lady Dorothy.”
Sensing the mood, Dien gave a short bow. Dorothy let out a silent sigh as she watched him. She was clearly disappointed that her conversation with Dien was ending.
“Yes… me too.”
“Let us go.”
Unaware of Dorothy’s feelings, Dien bid her farewell and turned around. Just then, as if suddenly remembering something, Dorothy urgently called out to him again.
“Excuse me! Young Lord Dien!”
Dien, who already had his hand on the gate, turned back in surprise at her loud voice.
“By any chance… the person who was with you earlier. Is she your lover?”
Dorothy spoke while thinking of Shilona. She knew for certain she wouldn’t be able to sleep tonight if she didn’t know the nature of their relationship.
Having gathered courage from somewhere she didn’t know she possessed, Dorothy squeezed her eyes shut and waited for his answer.
Dien replied with a puzzled look on his face.
“No, Shilona is my swordsmanship teacher.”
“Swordsmanship teacher… I see!”
Having heard his answer, Dorothy hid her face, which looked ready to explode, and began to bolt down the street.
“Wait for me! My Lady! Why are you running!”
The maid hurriedly chased after her.
Dorothy was out of breath, but her eyes were curved into a happy smile.
‘She was just his swordsmanship teacher!’
“My Lady!”
Dorothy did not stop even when the maid called.
‘Hehe.’
Her embarrassment was fleeting. She spread her arms wide, feeling happy as she replayed Dien’s final words in her mind.
***
A small change occurred in Dien’s academy life. Not only was the fact that he was the street musician from Central Plaza shocking, but many students began to take an interest in him after he won the thesis award.
Furthermore, rumors about Dien began to spread through the Royal Castle. Rumors stated that he was an outstanding noble even recognized by the aides. Consequently, many students lingered near his classroom just to catch a glimpse of his face.
Dien, who had no idea why this was happening, was simply bewildered.
‘What is this?’
Dien looked around in confusion at his desk, which was piled high with beautifully wrapped gifts from unknown sources.
Sure enough, he could feel the gazes of several young ladies fixed upon him.
“Thank you.”
When Dien offered a greeting to the ladies he made eye contact with, the noble girls quickly turned their heads away and looked elsewhere.
‘What’s going on?’
The area outside the classroom was noisier than usual. He could feel many eyes watching him through the windows, and the attention felt overwhelming.
*Clatter!*
As Dien was setting down some of the packaged snacks from his seat, the classroom door swung open with a loud bang.
“Are you Dien Portran?”
Three unidentified ladies were marching toward him.