At the very least, the Swordmaster wasn’t actually trying to cut me down with a real blade.

But that slight mercy didn’t make much difference to me.

After all, even if I got cut by a real sword, I could just rewind time to before the injury, so getting slashed was merely a matter of experiencing some pain. And Lucas’s sword, as sharp as one might expect from a sword of the crown prince, didn’t inflict pain immediately. My brain would release a rush of endorphins right after the slash, numbing the sensation.

As a result, whether I was struck by the Swordmaster’s blunt weapon or a real blade, the pain didn’t differ much. In fact, in a strange way, this blunt sword—without the numbing effect of endorphins—felt even more painful.

Additionally, getting hit still meant I had to rewind time.

Unlike Lucas, who would swing once, and after I dodged, it would end there, the Swordmaster’s strikes came in rapid succession, forcing me to rewind time over and over.

“Hm.”

After unleashing a series of five consecutive strikes, forcing me to rewind time at least a dozen times, the Swordmaster rested his sword on his shoulder, raising an eyebrow.

“Very strange.”

He muttered words I’d heard before.

“No talent whatsoever.”

“Talent…?”

Leo, listening from the side, echoed in shock.

Thwack!

“Gah!?”

The Swordmaster’s sword landed on Leo’s forehead, prompting a yelp.

“You’re my disciple, yet you can’t recognize whether someone has talent or not? This kid has no talent at all. Honestly, the way I see it, the only reason you’re dodging is sheer luck.”

He was absolutely correct. I was dodging on pure instinct.

I tried to make my movements elegant and precise, but the truth was, there was no method or discipline behind them—just random, instinctive movements without adherence to any particular style.

In that regard, the Swordmaster was far better at recognizing my flaws than Lucas. Lucas might be a more talented and powerful fighter, but he likely saw my movements as a sign of innate physical prowess.

…And that was probably why he’d resolved to cut me down in the first place.

“You, what are you—”

“S-sir!”

Seeing the Swordmaster refer to me as “you there,” Leo, standing awkwardly nearby, panicked.

“Hm? What is it?”

“Well… that is…”

Leo approached the Swordmaster, cupping a hand by his mouth to whisper something. He was likely explaining my identity. Specifically, the fact that I was a “princess of the Empire.”

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

But as soon as the Swordmaster heard that, he smacked Leo’s forehead again.

“Is the fact that she’s an imperial princess really that important? Have you even considered why I built this hut on this cliffside? It’s because I’m sick of statuses and politics. In this place, only skill in swordsmanship matters. So,”

Pointing his sword at me, the Swordmaster Frederick declared,

“Here, you’re no different from the lowest rank.”

Despite my appearance that couldn’t exactly conceal my femininity, he continued to address me as “you there.”

…Then again, calling me “you there” was probably his way of avoiding more offensive language. He was already a bit of an old-fashioned character, and being even more abrasive wouldn’t help his case.

Watching the Swordmaster call me “of the lowest rank” made Leo’s face turn pale, almost to the point of blue.

Honestly, I could let it slide. After all, I was here as a disciple. My teacher might not remember me, but technically, Leo and I were fellow disciples.

“I understand.”

So, maybe I could help out my fellow disciple with a little reminder.

“Oh-ho.”

The Swordmaster lifted one corner of his mouth in amusement.

“Well, alright. Since you made it all the way here without drawing your weapon, it seems you’re not here as an enemy. If it’s a story you’re after, I’ll listen.”

He gestured to an empty chair, inviting me to sit.

---

Sitting down, I candidly explained my reason for coming here.

Of course, I left out details about my ability or lineage—things I wasn’t ready to reveal. Someday, I might tell them, but for now, I focused on the urgent matters at hand.

“So, your stepbrother wants to cut off your head, and you want to find him?”

“Yes.”

“And you have something to discuss with him?”

“Yes.”

“And he’s likely stronger than I am?”

“That’s correct.”

“…Are you, by chance, suicidal?”

The Swordmaster asked, looking at me as if I’d lost my mind.

It wasn’t exactly a fair question coming from him.

At the mention of a swordsman stronger than himself, he’d looked intrigued, and he’d accepted me as a disciple simply because I’d offered to introduce him to Lucas. If anyone was taking these things lightly, it was him.

I didn’t actually laugh, though.

I could read the room.

“….”

As we sat in silence, Leo prepared tea for us, his expression rigid and serious.

I lifted the teacup to my lips, and for the first time in ages, winced purely at the taste, casting a sharp glance at Leo.

Leo, catching my eye, looked incredibly wronged.

The tea he’d prepared… seemed different from what I usually drank. On closer inspection, the color was pitch black, closer to herbal medicine than tea. Perhaps he’d brewed the herbs from the basket Frederick had thrown earlier.

“Is there any sugar?”

“Hah.”

When I brazenly asked, the Swordmaster let out an incredulous laugh.

“Are you serious? You want to put sugar in herbal medicine?”

“….”

On second thought, it probably wasn’t a great idea.

I silently set the teacup down.

Then, I addressed the Swordmaster.

“No, I don’t have a death wish. I simply have an urgent need to ask him something.”

I needed to hear why Lucas had chosen me. And if Lucas had been monitoring that facility from the beginning, then he might know how I ended up there—or, at the very least, he might know whether I had simply appeared there suddenly.

And perhaps he knew where Claire came from, too.

There were a lot of things I might not learn, but Lucas was the only person I could turn to for answers.

If things went wrong, I could just rewind time and pretend none of this had happened. That way, I wouldn’t have to die at Lucas’s hand. And while I was at it, I could erase the embarrassment of calling Jayden “dear brother.”

That overly proud face he’d made, introducing me to the commanders as his “little sister”… I’d rather that memory disappear.

“Hm.”

After hearing my story, the Swordmaster turned to glance at Leo.

Leo’s face was stiff with tension.

“But I’m curious. Why did you feel the need to seek me out to find this Lucas character?”

Turning back to me and leaning over the table slightly, the Swordmaster looked at me with unmistakable interest. More interest, even, than he’d shown upon hearing about my status.

“Because,”

I replied slowly, hoping to sway the Swordmaster with my answer.

“It’s certain that, before he tries to reach his final target, Lucas will seek you out as an intermediate goal.”

In the original story, the Swordmaster’s death happened far later.

I couldn’t be certain if Lucas was currently tracking me or not.

So, expecting him to appear before me within a few days was unrealistic.

But, at the very least, I could make it so that Lucas might appear “someday.”

If I heard that Lucas had shown up to challenge the Swordmaster, I could just rewind time to a few days prior and come here to meet Frederick.

And for that to work, it would be best if the Swordmaster Frederick left his reclusive mountain retreat and returned to the city. If he positioned himself openly, he’d be easier for Lucas to find.

Ideally, I could bring him near the capital.

“Oh-ho.”

Frederick smiled more wickedly than he had when I’d first entered the hut.

“So, he sees you as more of a ‘threat’ than me?”

“Yes.”

“How arrogant.”

“….”

Seeing the Swordmaster’s hand grip the hilt of his sword once more, I felt myself tense up.