Thung.

Tuuung!

As I expected, the Empire didn’t send reinforcements.

No matter how populous the Empire is, they wouldn't want to see their precious knights ground into dust. It’s only natural. Knights don’t just grow from seeds when you plant them and water them. They’re valuable.

On the other hand, killing me would only boost morale at best... but when you weigh the risks and rewards, doesn’t it seem like the return is far too low?

Sssweeaaak!

Thung!

Or maybe, like I thought before, the ones who came last time were simply caught up in the treacherous schemes of the snake.

Now that I’ve handled the purge for them, they don’t have a reason to waste any more unnecessary resources.

Whatever the case, it seems like the snake, along with the Empire’s main faction, doesn’t want to clash with me.

I mean, even if I am a master swordsman, I have no faction or backers. What would they gain by provoking me?

From that perspective, it makes sense that the snake would want to set aside any grudges and try to pull me into the Empire’s fold.

Though, regardless of how reasonable that sounds, it’s not a possibility.

Tuuuuung!

“...”

“...”

“...”

I picked up the sword I had set down beside me.

It was the successor to the legendary sword fly swatter I bought during my last trip to the village.

I forgot to bring it along when the Empire attacked, so I didn’t get to use it then. Since that day, there hadn’t been any need for it… until now.

Ah, this cool, weighty sensation…

Thung!

Once again, the sound of something heavy being struck echoed out.

What do they call this again? Noise between floors? But there aren’t any floors here. Let’s just call it noise.

“K-Kana…”

Just as I resolved to eliminate the source of the noise, a hand clung to me.

“...Let go.”

The hand belonged to Journey, who had practically made this mountain her home by now.

Every morning, Journey would climb up the mountain to find me. After we ate a light breakfast—usually food she brought—she would either practice swordsmanship or study Granik until lunch.

After having lunch together, we would repeat the routine until dusk, when she’d descend the mountain before nightfall. And the next day, the cycle would begin again.

Journey, who had started out fumbling through books written in Granik, now firmly grasped my hand.

“I’ll handle it.”

Her skills in Granik had improved remarkably, thanks to her daily studying and asking me questions about things she didn’t understand. Compared to a few weeks ago, her progress was astounding.

Though she still seemed awkward, she had moved past just speaking in individual words and could now form full sentences. Even her pronunciation had smoothed out.

“...”

But the changes in Journey weren’t the only shift in my daily routine.

Despite visiting every day, she used to be too afraid of me to approach easily. However, ever since the Empire attacked, the distance between us had closed rapidly.

Now, she would casually pat my head or approach me warmly to start conversations.

Holding my hand like this? That would’ve been unthinkable before.

At first, I was so flustered that I missed the chance to stop her, and now, it feels too awkward to refuse. Besides, it’d be pretty heartless to treat someone who brings me food every day so coldly…

It’s not like she has any ill intentions, so I’ve half-given up and just let her be.

Surely she doesn’t really see me as a child, does she?

…Well, technically, I’m not an adult by this world’s standards, but still.

“There, there, good girl.”

“...”

Journey gently guided me back to my seat.

After seating me, she stood up and walked toward the barrier.

“Lady Yuki… our Kana is very upset. ...No, that’s not right.”

Journey glanced back at me, then spoke again.

“Isn’t it exhausting to keep doing that?”

“Training is supposed to be exhausting.”

“What kind of training involves hitting a barrier all day long? I barely stopped Kana from coming over with a sword, so just stop for today. ...And don’t be happy about that!”

“...Tch.”

The woman Journey was speaking to, Yuki, a.k.a. the chick with the big sword, grumbled as she reluctantly put her sword away.

I don’t know how she plans to break a barrier set by a Master Mage without even being able to properly control her mana.

Of course, there’s no way Yuki knows that, but shouldn’t she just give up after pounding at it for a while?

Even though I know she can’t break it, the intermittent noise still grates on my nerves.

It’s been about a week since I met Yuki, and she’s been hammering away at the barrier for most of that time.

At first, she didn’t behave this way.

Back then, I let her inside the barrier, so she had no reason to knock.

But after letting her in, she started pestering me constantly, swinging her big sword around.

I could tolerate it once or twice, but when she kept coming back no matter how many times I knocked her down, I finally had to chase her off by killing her.

Since then, I haven’t let her back inside, and that’s when she started swinging her sword at the barrier.

…I can’t understand her thought process.

Can anyone in their right mind declare they’re going to break down someone’s door in front of the homeowner?

“Instead of doing that, maybe you should change your approach, Lady Yuki?”

“...Approach?”

“You could bring her food, like I do… What? No, I’m not a kidnapper! It’s called building rapport!”

“If I give her food, will she fight me?”

“I don’t think Kana would get kidnapped by someone like me, even if she tried. But would it make things better? I can’t say for sure. Kana is very blunt, after all, but it couldn’t hurt, right?”

“Hmm…”

As they continued their conversation, Yuki glanced over at me, and our eyes met.

We stared at each other for a moment before we both quickly looked away.

“What do children usually like?”

“It depends on the kid, but toys, dolls, or snacks are always popular.”

“Toys, dolls, snacks…”

“She seems to like gardening, so maybe you could bring her gardening tools or flowers.”

“Gardening tools, flowers… Thank you.”

“If you’re grateful, then stop hitting the barrier. Honestly, it’s been driving me crazy too…”

Looks like their conversation is wrapping up.

But why does it feel like they didn’t actually solve anything?

I tilted my head in confusion.

Thung.

Tuuung!

As I expected, the Empire didn’t send reinforcements.

No matter how populous the Empire is, they wouldn't want to see their precious knights ground into dust. It’s only natural. Knights don’t just grow from seeds when you plant them and water them. They’re valuable.

On the other hand, killing me would only boost morale at best... but when you weigh the risks and rewards, doesn’t it seem like the return is far too low?

Sssweeaaak!

Thung!

Or maybe, like I thought before, the ones who came last time were simply caught up in the treacherous schemes of the snake.

Now that I’ve handled the purge for them, they don’t have a reason to waste any more unnecessary resources.

Whatever the case, it seems like the snake, along with the Empire’s main faction, doesn’t want to clash with me.

I mean, even if I am a master swordsman, I have no faction or backers. What would they gain by provoking me?

From that perspective, it makes sense that the snake would want to set aside any grudges and try to pull me into the Empire’s fold.

Though, regardless of how reasonable that sounds, it’s not a possibility.

Tuuuuung!

“...”

“...”

“...”

I picked up the sword I had set down beside me.

It was the successor to the legendary sword fly swatter I bought during my last trip to the village.

I forgot to bring it along when the Empire attacked, so I didn’t get to use it then. Since that day, there hadn’t been any need for it… until now.

Ah, this cool, weighty sensation…

Thung!

Once again, the sound of something heavy being struck echoed out.

What do they call this again? Noise between floors? But there aren’t any floors here. Let’s just call it noise.

“K-Kana…”

Just as I resolved to eliminate the source of the noise, a hand clung to me.

“...Let go.”

The hand belonged to Journey, who had practically made this mountain her home by now.

Every morning, Journey would climb up the mountain to find me. After we ate a light breakfast—usually food she brought—she would either practice swordsmanship or study Granik until lunch.

After having lunch together, we would repeat the routine until dusk, when she’d descend the mountain before nightfall. And the next day, the cycle would begin again.

Journey, who had started out fumbling through books written in Granik, now firmly grasped my hand.

“I’ll handle it.”

Her skills in Granik had improved remarkably, thanks to her daily studying and asking me questions about things she didn’t understand. Compared to a few weeks ago, her progress was astounding.

Though she still seemed awkward, she had moved past just speaking in individual words and could now form full sentences. Even her pronunciation had smoothed out.

“...”

But the changes in Journey weren’t the only shift in my daily routine.

Despite visiting every day, she used to be too afraid of me to approach easily. However, ever since the Empire attacked, the distance between us had closed rapidly.

Now, she would casually pat my head or approach me warmly to start conversations.

Holding my hand like this? That would’ve been unthinkable before.

At first, I was so flustered that I missed the chance to stop her, and now, it feels too awkward to refuse. Besides, it’d be pretty heartless to treat someone who brings me food every day so coldly…

It’s not like she has any ill intentions, so I’ve half-given up and just let her be.

Surely she doesn’t really see me as a child, does she?

…Well, technically, I’m not an adult by this world’s standards, but still.

“There, there, good girl.”

“...”

Journey gently guided me back to my seat.

After seating me, she stood up and walked toward the barrier.

“Lady Yuki… our Kana is very upset. ...No, that’s not right.”

Journey glanced back at me, then spoke again.

“Isn’t it exhausting to keep doing that?”

“Training is supposed to be exhausting.”

“What kind of training involves hitting a barrier all day long? I barely stopped Kana from coming over with a sword, so just stop for today. ...And don’t be happy about that!”

“...Tch.”

The woman Journey was speaking to, Yuki, a.k.a. the chick with the big sword, grumbled as she reluctantly put her sword away.

I don’t know how she plans to break a barrier set by a Master Mage without even being able to properly control her mana.

Of course, there’s no way Yuki knows that, but shouldn’t she just give up after pounding at it for a while?

Even though I know she can’t break it, the intermittent noise still grates on my nerves.

It’s been about a week since I met Yuki, and she’s been hammering away at the barrier for most of that time.

At first, she didn’t behave this way.

Back then, I let her inside the barrier, so she had no reason to knock.

But after letting her in, she started pestering me constantly, swinging her big sword around.

I could tolerate it once or twice, but when she kept coming back no matter how many times I knocked her down, I finally had to chase her off by killing her.

Since then, I haven’t let her back inside, and that’s when she started swinging her sword at the barrier.

…I can’t understand her thought process.

Can anyone in their right mind declare they’re going to break down someone’s door in front of the homeowner?

“Instead of doing that, maybe you should change your approach, Lady Yuki?”

“...Approach?”

“You could bring her food, like I do… What? No, I’m not a kidnapper! It’s called building rapport!”

“If I give her food, will she fight me?”

“I don’t think Kana would get kidnapped by someone like me, even if she tried. But would it make things better? I can’t say for sure. Kana is very blunt, after all, but it couldn’t hurt, right?”

“Hmm…”

As they continued their conversation, Yuki glanced over at me, and our eyes met.

We stared at each other for a moment before we both quickly looked away.

“What do children usually like?”

“It depends on the kid, but toys, dolls, or snacks are always popular.”

“Toys, dolls, snacks…”

“She seems to like gardening, so maybe you could bring her gardening tools or flowers.”

“Gardening tools, flowers… Thank you.”

“If you’re grateful, then stop hitting the barrier. Honestly, it’s been driving me crazy too…”

Looks like their conversation is wrapping up.

But why does it feel like they didn’t actually solve anything?

I tilted my head in confusion.

____________

 

A morning like any other.

I opened the barrier to let Journey in, and just as I was about to stop Yuki, who was following closely behind her...

Suddenly.

"Here, it’s a bribe."

Yuki suddenly reached out and handed me something.

"...?"

A black... box?

What Yuki held out was a small box with a red ribbon tied on top. I stared at it with suspicion, and Yuki shook her hand again, as if asking why I wasn’t taking it.

"...She says it’s a gift."

Journey, watching us, explained to me.

"A gift to apologize for bothering you. She says she's sorry."

"That can't be right."

Even with the explanation, I found it hard to believe.

The Yuki I knew was a crazy chick who would swing her huge sword even with a blade at her throat, not some well-behaved, apologetic chick.

I narrowed my eyes at her, and Journey, noticing my gaze, quietly avoided eye contact.

Suspicious…

Still, there didn’t seem to be any hostility, so I might as well see what this is.

Click.

"...!"

The moment I opened the lid, a strong sweet scent hit my nose.

The smell was so intense that I wondered how they’d managed to keep it sealed. The seductive aroma was so tempting that I swallowed involuntarily.

"It’s chocolate. Do you want to try it?"

"U-uh... no..."

The glossy black color drew me in, holding my attention.

It must taste amazing. A smell like this couldn’t belong to something that doesn’t taste good.

But if I eat it...

I glanced at Yuki.

"What’s the matter? It’s delicious."

I bet it is.

I know it is…

Chomp.

Without responding to Journey, I kept staring at the chocolate, and she took one piece from the box.

My eyes followed her hand.

"Ahhh~"

"..."

...This girl really is treating me like a child.

Just as I was about to snap at her, a sweet flavor suddenly filled my mouth.

"...!"

"Good girl."

...Ah, I unconsciously ate it...!

But it was too late to regret it. The chocolate Yuki had brought was just too sweet.

...And too delicious...

It was incredibly sweet, but not sticky. The way it wrapped around my tongue was simply divine.

As I closed my eyes to savor the soft sweetness, the chocolate melted away in an instant.

"Ah..."

As the lingering sweetness left me wanting more, Journey chuckled softly.

"There’s more, you know."

At those words, Yuki pulled out another box from somewhere.

It was the exact same as the first one.

I nodded.

"...Come in."

I hate being bothered, but if they’re a guest, that’s different.

They showed sincerity, so I’ll let it slide.

...And it’s definitely not because of the chocolate.

 

"So easy."

"Too easy."

Watching Kana happily hug the box of chocolates as she walked inside, Journey couldn’t help but smile. At the same time, she felt a bit deflated.

"If I’d known this, I would’ve brought chocolate from the start."

Would we have gotten closer sooner?

It was hard not to think that.

'The food I brought was plenty delicious, though... Maybe it just didn’t suit her childlike tastes.'

But then again, her reaction to spicy food had been strange too.

Unable to figure it out, Journey shook her head. Still, seeing Kana happy made it all worth it.

Even though Kana hadn’t smiled, her usually rigid face had visibly softened, which was a huge victory in itself.

The chocolates were quite expensive, but since Journey hadn’t paid for them—Yuki had—she enjoyed the moment guilt-free.

In a way, it was a win-win. Yuki got what she wanted, and Journey got the result she hoped for.

"This is what they call a win-win situation."

"...Win-win?"

Yuki gave Journey a sideways glance at her sudden comment, then shrugged and stepped into the now fully opened barrier.

"Wait, Kana, hold on! I’m not inside yet!"

Journey, left behind and grinning to herself, quickly followed the other two inside the barrier, which then closed behind them.

It was a slightly different start to the day than usual, but it was peaceful in its own way.