The more precious someone was, the fewer secrets remained.
However, everyone had at least one side they wished to keep hidden.
The reasons varied, but wasn’t it usually because they didn’t want their current relationship to change?
Secrets ranged from trivial matters to fatal ones.
But in Rain’s case, things were a little different.
She rarely used her sword.
Even though swordsmanship was her greatest strength, she had never shown it to her beloved son outside of training.
“Mom…?”
Jade murmured blankly.
The gentle and warm expression Rain always carried had vanished without a trace.
Instead, she now radiated the presence of a predator starved for battle.
Even after living with her for over ten years, Jade had never seen this side of her.
Because Rain was a mother full of love.
In front of her child, she had always tried to be the ideal, perfect mother.
“The moment our swords met, I knew you were skilled. Show me more… You can come at me seriously…”
She had probably meant for this test to simply drive away an unwelcome guest.
But without realizing it, Rain had begun to enjoy herself.
She had held back for decades.
Mundane training alone was no longer enough to suppress the instincts she had been stifling.
As if ready to start a real match at any moment, Rain raised her sword.
But—
“That won’t do. You have to keep your promise.”
I took a step back as I spoke.
“Promise…?”
“If I pushed you out of the circle, I won. That was the deal.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Rain seem to realize that she was still in the middle of a test.
“I passed, didn’t I?”
I gestured behind me with my thumb.
Rain, who should have been standing within the circle, had moved far beyond its boundaries.
“So I lost…”
As the tension drained from her body, her sharp gaze returned to its usual calm.
“If you take me as your disciple, we can spar as much as you want. That’s my goal, after all.”
I had no intention of sitting through boring lessons.
Life was all about real battle.
When one clashed with strong opponents in battle, strength naturally became ingrained in the body.
That was the secret behind how I had been able to achieve decent results despite my clumsy swordsmanship.
“About that… You’ve already reached a high level. I’m not sure you even need me to teach you.”
“This isn’t enough. I need to go higher.”
“How high?”
“The peak.”
Rain met Jade’s eyes.
It seemed she thought we were both saying something absurd.
“Are you serious?”
“Mhmm.”
“I can’t guarantee it’s possible. I can’t even say for certain that I stand at the peak myself.”
Rain looked troubled.
“That’s modest of you, considering you’re the strongest swordswoman on the continent.”
“That was a hundred years ago. I don’t know if it’s still true.”
“I think you’re still the same.”
I had traveled the world and met countless swordsmen, and I could guarantee it.
If it came down to pure swordsmanship, Rain was undeniably unmatched.
Even Louis wouldn’t be able to surpass her.
“Why are you so determined to become stronger?”
To drag my former comrades down with me.
But saying that out loud would have sounded pathetic.
“The current Heroes are too unreliable. I may be retired, but there’s no harm in being prepared, right?”
I picked up Shadow Fang, which I had tossed onto the ground.
“For now, my goal is to wield this freely.”
I held it out to Rain, gesturing for her to try it.
“I’ve heard the rumors, but… this really is incredible.”
When it came to swords, there was no one more knowledgeable than her.
She examined Shadow Fang from different angles and her eyes were gleaming with curiosity.
“This magic sword’s performance scales with the user’s capabilities. I still haven’t managed to draw out its full potential.”
The true essence of the pitch-black sword wasn’t in its ability to absorb magic.
A sword was, by nature, meant for cutting.
Only when that power could be fully converted into offense could one truly claim to have mastered it.
“Do you think you can improve by learning from me? I’ve never taken on a disciple before…”
“You don’t have to overthink it. Just spar with me. That’s all I need.”
“Just sparring?”
“I enjoy real combat, just like Jade does.”
After going through countless regressions, I had a rough idea of what needed to be done.
I could even determine my own training methods.
“Alright. You did bring my son back to me… I suppose I owe you at least that much.”
Rain’s lips twitched slightly.
She seemed eager. Probably excited at the chance to wield her sword freely again after so long.
A win-win situation for both of us.
“Starting today, I’ll consider you my master. I’m counting on you.”
“The feeling’s mutual, disciple.”
Rain and I clasped hands.
***
“I heard you used to be a thief, but your swordsmanship is far from ordinary!”
Near a valley where a waterfall crashed down in torrents.
Rain charged at me, wielding a rapier in one hand.
“A thief has to be good at everything if they want to make a living.”
Her blade sliced through the air in a smooth arc.
I intercepted it with Shadow Fang, and she responded with a smirk.
She looked genuinely thrilled. Like she was finally free to wield her sword without restraint after decades.
“Ahaha! Think you can block this one too?”
Rain wore a manic grin as she relentlessly unleashed a barrage of attacks.
Even as she pressed forward without pause, she constantly altered her attack patterns, making it nearly impossible to predict her next move.
Amidst the fierce exchange of dozens of blows, Rain suddenly zigzagged, slipping behind me.
“Kh…!”
I barely managed to turn and deflect her strike, but my body staggered violently.
Before I could regain my balance, her rapier was already flying toward me once more.
I couldn’t block it.
I had held my ground so far, but the small differences had accumulated, and now, I had no way to prevent a decisive blow.
But—
Clang!
Shadow Fang deflected the rapier.
It was a strike executed with a sudden burst of mana, maximizing my speed in an instant.
A signature technique of thieves.
“Urgh…! You actually blocked that!?”
Rain leaped backward, putting distance between us.
I steadied my breathing and lowered my sword.
There was a reason she was called the Sword Saintess.
Even when I had fought thirty hobgoblins at once, I never needed to use that technique.
Rain sheathed her rapier.
“That’s enough for today.”
The sparring match had come to an end.
As if a switch had been flipped, she returned to her usual gentle demeanor.
The way she had fought like a possessed demon just moments ago now felt like an illusion.
I could never get used to that contrast.
***
I ended up staying at Rain’s cabin for about half a month.
During the day, we sparred. In my free time, I analyzed our fights, tended to the small vegetable garden, and enjoyed a peaceful routine.
“You don’t have to rush. You’re already strong enough.”
Rain suddenly approached me as I was resting.
“Your movements are full of unnecessary actions. You compensate with your speed, which is a strength of thieves, but your swordsmanship itself is still incomplete.”
“You’re not wrong, but I am improving.”
“Is that so…?”
Although my master had praised me, I found it hard to accept.
In the first test, I had managed to take Rain down by catching her off guard.
But after that, I couldn’t land a single effective hit.
I had to focus entirely on defense just to keep up.
“I’ve met many people, but I’ve never seen eyes like yours.”
Rain spoke with a meaningful expression.
“What kind of eyes?”
“Eyes that have crossed countless battlefields. You’re in a hurry. I suppose you have your reasons. It makes me curious about the life you’ve lived.”
Her emerald-green eyes rested gently on me.
She was once a war god who ruled an era.
It seemed as if she could see something within me.
“It’s not a story worth hearing.”
“Is it something you can’t talk about?”
“Not exactly, but it’s better if you don’t know.”
It was such a long and complicated story that I wouldn’t even know where to begin.
And I had no desire to dig up my dark past.
Some things, like the future or regression, were best left unknown.
“I just wish I could wield the magic sword better.”
As I changed the subject, Rain stared intently at Shadow Fang.
“That reminds me of something I’d forgotten.”
“What is it?”
“I have a dwarf friend. The magic sword is already excellent on its own, but I remember him saying it could be even better if tamed.”
“Tamed?”
It wasn’t an animal. How could a sword be tamed?
That was something I had never heard of before.
“I don’t know the details myself. It’d be faster to ask him directly.”
“Where does he live?”
“In a nearby city, I think…? It’s been twenty years since I last saw him, so I’ll have to jog my memory.”
“Are you sure he’s even still alive?”
It had been twenty years since their last meeting; that was a bit much, wasn’t it?
Were they really even friends?
“It’ll be fine. Dwarves are a long-lived race in their own way. He’s probably a grandpa by now, though.”
“Somehow, that doesn’t sound very reassuring.”
“It-It’s fine! If he were dead, I would’ve gotten an invitation to his funeral… probably.”
“Why do you sound so unsure?”
“I only meant to take a short break, but, well… it sort of dragged on.”
So elves really did perceive time differently from humans.
It was just as she said.
“Let me know when you remember. I’d like to go see him.”
There was nothing to lose, after all.
***
“Wow, my staff looks brand new!”
At Fran’s magical tool shop, a customer who had requested a repair a few days ago let out a voice of admiration upon seeing their item.
When it was first entrusted to the shop, the staff had been worn down in several places, with cracks along its surface. Now, it was flawlessly clean, as if freshly made.
“I applied Orbis oil to the surface so it’ll last longer. But you should still give it some maintenance at least once a year.”
“Got it! I’ll come back next year then!”
The customer walked out of the shop while hugging their newly polished staff.
“Ah, take car—”
Fran had tried to bid them farewell, but before she could finish, they were already gone.
She stood quietly behind the counter, staring at the closed door.
“Well, look at you! Acting all diligent these days. You’re even giving customers a proper send-off!”
Levasthan, who was standing nearby chuckled.
“I’m just doing what I should be doing.”
“You never used to bother with that. You’re still hung up on what that little thief said, aren’t you?”
“Ugh….”
He hit the nail on the head.
Up until now, Fran had been an undeniably lousy shopkeeper.
Even if business was going well, Theo had pointed out that she still needed to follow the basics.
Since then, she had decided to at least remember to greet her customers properly.
She always missed the timing like this because of her timid nature.
“What a strange guy. He went around acting all high and mighty as a hero, and now he’s leaving the party?”
Fran also found it odd.
Up until last year, Theo had spoken as if becoming a hero was his destiny.
Even if there had been conflicts with his comrades, the sudden shift in attitude was too drastic.
“Just leave him be. If that’s what he wants, let him do as he pleases.”
“Master, you’re way too soft. You should at least mock him a little! When else will you get the chance?”
“What’s the point of teasing him?”
“It’s fun!”
Levasthan shouted excitedly.
That staff of hers had always been fond of mischief.
Though it sometimes caused trouble, Fran found it quite helpful that it spoke on her behalf.
Their personalities were complete opposites, which, in a way, made them a good match.
“By the way, Master, when are you going to sell that ring?”
Fran lowered her gaze.
A ring hung from the necklace she was wearing.
It was a magical tool she had received from Theo.
“You don’t just sell gifts on a whim.”
“He said it wards off curses, didn’t he? It’s a useless trinket.”
“It also helps relieve fatigue a little.”
“That thief probably just made that up. I can’t believe you actually buy into that superstition. You’re surprisingly gullible, Master.”
Fran placed the ring in her palm and examined the gemstone.
She could see the mana inside flickering faintly.
“What would a staff know?”
“Ugh! What do you think you’re doing?!”
A cloth suddenly covered Levasthan’s head.
It kept shouting in protest, but Fran ignored it and stepped out from behind the counter to start dusting the display shelves.
It was just another ordinary day.
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