Standing at the edge of the cliff, I gazed out over the familiar mountain scenery.

“It’s unusually noisy today.”

The atmosphere reminded me of the old days.  
Not that long ago, really—just a year or two.

“Don’t you think?”

“You’re just as rude as ever, I see.”

“Why should I be polite to an uninvited guest?”

*Shiiing.*

The silver blade slipped out of its sheath.  
It was an old, worn sword, its blade covered in fine cracks, but it still carried a chilling aura.

“Or were you hoping for a polite welcome like this?”

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind, but if it helps you calm down…”

“Tch.”

I clicked my tongue and slid the sword back into its sheath.

“What do you want? Did you come to mourn belatedly out of guilt? Or maybe you just came to check if I’m really dead?”

“Don’t be so harsh. I’m stuck as an old man in the back room because of the wounds he left on me.”

“Old man in the back room, my foot.”

Sure, he might be wounded, but that treacherous snake would never quietly stay in the background.  
Under the pretense of recuperation, he was likely lurking in the shadows of the Empire, pulling strings.

“I received a report. One of the apostles came by and told me that a girl named Kana is living on this mountain.”

“Heh.”

A report, huh…?

“So? Are you here to fight?”

“Don’t try to provoke me. You and I both know that’s not possible.”

I turned my body, which had been precariously balanced on the edge of the cliff, and looked back.  
Sitting in a chair in the small clearing in front of the cabin was a man in his twenties, with a tidy and calm demeanor.

“To be honest, I don’t want you dead; I’d prefer you joined the Empire. We’re always in need of talented individuals. How about it? Even if you won’t be Emperor, you could live like a duke. What do you say?”

“Not interested.”

“You were never particularly patriotic toward Grasis anyway.”

The man tapped the crude chair with the cane he was holding.

“Isn’t it better to live in luxury in the Empire rather than like this?”

“I’ll consider it if you let me plant a sword in your heart.”

“Hm, maybe living in the mountains isn’t so bad after all.”

The air is clean, and the view is nice.  
The man grinned, trying to lighten the mood. I frowned and responded sharply.

“Quit messing around and get to the point. I’m barely holding back the urge to stab your disgusting face right now.”

If I could, I would’ve already done it. But even if I wanted to, I couldn’t.  
This is why dealing with wizards is always such a nuisance.

“You’re as violent as ever. That’s swordsmen for you.”

“It’s funny— I was just thinking the same thing about wizards.”

The man clicked his tongue and slammed his cane into the ground.  
In an instant, mana surged and formed a complex pattern.  
It was the **Oath of Existence**—a magical contract wizards use to stake their very being.

“I have a favor to ask. If you agree, I’ll protect this place you’re so attached to.”

“Protect it? You?”

“Even after showing you the Oath of Existence, you still doubt me?”

“I’d trust a dimensional beast before I trust you.”

“Fine. I’ll create a barrier here so that no one can enter without your permission. The protection will last until I die. How does that sound?”

“…”

He was such a schemer that I couldn’t rule out the possibility of him trying to pull some trick, even with an Oath of Existence.  
But with such detailed conditions, maybe I could trust him for now.

“What exactly do you want from me?”

“It won’t be anything bad for you. Just hear me out.”

The man remained relaxed, no matter how disapprovingly I crossed my arms and glared at him.

“As I mentioned earlier, one of the apostles came to report on you. Because of that, things have gotten a bit complicated.”

He continued, unfazed.

“As you know, your reputation is infamous. When Grasis fell and you vanished, no one could track you down…”

“They didn’t fail to find me; they just didn’t want to die trying.”

“…Ahem! There are still plenty of people who remember you. Plenty of people who hold grudges, too.”

“I’m sure. I still remember what you did as well.”

“Would you let me finish? Anyway, thanks to that report, one of the Empire’s knight orders has set out on a mission.”

“…To find me? That’s strange. Anyone who saw me on the battlefield wouldn’t be so foolish.”

“They aren’t refusing; they simply can’t. They’re either dead or crippled.”

The man smirked, throwing my own words back at me.

“And just as you thought, these knights aren’t war veterans. It’s a new order made up of young, ambitious soldiers. They set out under the pretext of hunting monsters, but it seems their real goal is capturing you.”

“From your perspective, I’m a monster, so I guess that’s not wrong. You were always calling me a monster, after all.”

“You don’t know much Arkish, but you sure understand that?”

“I’ve heard it enough times.”

How could I not, when they were always calling me a monster?  
I heard it so often it’s ingrained in my mind.

When learning another language, curses are often the first thing you pick up.

“So, what are you here for? To warn me? To tell me to be careful? Or are you asking me to spare them?”

“No, it’s the opposite.”

The man stood up, leaning on his cane.  
When he straightened his previously slouched back, his shadow stretched out long, like a snake.

“The sword is meant to be wielded by its master. A sword that acts on its own isn’t needed in the Empire.”

“Hmph.”

I tilted my head slightly.

“Can’t you handle that yourself?”

“As I said, I’m just an old man in the back room. If I recklessly use my power and get caught, it’ll be troublesome.”

“As laughable as your excuse is, let’s say that’s true. This Oath seems way too one-sided in my favor.”

“Consider it my way of showing respect to a worthy rival. I don’t want the death of someone I consider an equal to be dishonorable. But don’t underestimate them; even a sword that’s gone rogue can still be sharp.”

“A sword is just a sword, no matter how sharp it is.”

“So, do we have a deal?”

“Hmmm…”

I deliberately drew out my response.  
Was there something strange about the situation? Absolutely.  
In fact, everything about this was suspicious.

But even with those suspicions, the Oath he offered seemed useful to me.  
If this had been before, I would’ve refused without hesitation, but now…  
Now I had something I wanted to learn.

Leaving Garid’s grave unattended bothered me, and even though I hated that snake, he was still a master mage.  
At least I wouldn’t have to worry about the grave being desecrated.  
The timing was too convenient, though, and that alone made me suspicious.

After a moment of hesitation, I slowly nodded.

“Alright.”

“Good. Now, give me your hand for the Oath… Not that hand.”

“You’re such a pain.”

I pulled back my right hand, which wore a ring, and extended my left.

“I swear the Oath.”

With a simple incantation, the floating magic circle dissolved back into mana.  
The mana slowly wrapped around me, glowing as it absorbed into my hand.  
For a spell that could ruin someone’s life, its effect was surprisingly mild.

As the mana fully disappeared, the man pretended to wipe away non-existent sweat.

“Whew, it’s done. As you know, I’ve already set up the barrier, so you can rest easy.”

“If you’re done, then get lost already.”

“You’re as impatient as ever. I was planning to leave anyway. I trust you’ll handle this well, Kana.”

“…Don’t call me by my name.”

“Then what should I call you? The Red Reaper? Death’s Raven? Or maybe just Kana…”

*Shing!*

The blade struck swiftly, tearing the man’s form into shreds.  
Before he could finish his sentence, his body scattered into mana and vanished.

…If only it had been the real him.  
Of course, if it had been, that treacherous snake wouldn’t have dared to stand in front of me.  
Still, it was frustrating.

He always knew how to get under my skin.

“I don’t know what you’re plotting…”

‘He found out through a report,’ huh?  
With the Empire’s intelligence network and that crafty snake’s abilities, they probably already knew my location.

And then he made an Oath that causes him no harm but only benefits me.  
On top of that, he’s sending the knights to come after me.

That snake claimed ignorance, but there’s no way he didn’t know.  
In fact, the knight expedition itself might’ve been orchestrated by him.

Everything about this reeks of suspicion…

“…But I’ll play along for now.”

I was planning to come down from the mountain anyway.  
I thought I’d finally escape the endless cycle of war, but it seems a peaceful life isn’t in my fate.

Standing in front of **Crimson Aegis**, I ran my hand along the

 hilt.  
The familiar feel of the handle seemed to call out to me, as if asking to be used.

It was a sword I had crafted with a rare dragon orb, forged after begging the prideful dwarves.  
The name, **Crimson Aegis**, was given with the sole purpose of protecting Grasis.

Calling a sword ‘Aegis,’ which means shield…  
It was such a contradictory name, yet also something Garid would’ve done, so it made me laugh at the time.

After Garid’s death, the sword became mine, but…

“I’m not worthy of using this sword.”

That snake had said it—I didn’t have any real patriotism for Grasis.  
He was right. I had no lingering attachment to the fallen kingdom.  
What bothered me was failing to protect Garid’s legacy.

I hadn’t been able to protect what I should’ve, so how could I wield a sword meant for that purpose?

With my eyes closed, I felt the warmth of the sword for a moment before forcing myself to let go, even though my hand was reluctant to part with it.  
It’s fine, though. I had another sword to use.

As I glanced down at the old sword in my hand, I realized I’d never given it a name.  
Then again, I hadn’t expected to use it for this long.  
I thought it would break down eventually, but it had lasted.

Suddenly, a good name came to mind, and I decided to give the sword its proper title.

“From now on, your name is Swatter.”

A sword worthy of being treasured…  
I bet the blacksmith who made this sword would be overjoyed to hear it got a name.  
Yeah, he definitely would be.