Abel doubted his own eyes.
He even wondered if his mind had started breaking under the extreme stress of the moment.
So captivating was her appearance that it pierced straight into his heart.
The young knight’s skin was pale as snow.
Her armor and other gear were covered in the blood of magical beasts.
Standing alone against the horde of monsters, the knight Ise Ark was a sight to behold.
She showed not the slightest fear as she charged into the grotesque enemy ranks.
One of the Great Ogres wielded what was essentially a tree trunk like a club.
It swung it about with ease and, without hesitation, brought it crashing toward Ise.
A hit like that would render armor useless.
But the huge log cut only through empty air.
Ise nimbly leapt aside, dodging the blow, then swung her greatsword into the Great Ogre’s exposed thigh as it overextended.
Abel caught his breath at the flawless counterattack.
The monster’s thigh, with its muscles developed like solid rock, split wide open.
Blood sprayed.
A scream.
Abel quickly scanned his surroundings.
He jerked his head around, checking not only ahead but behind as well.
When things looked bad, the first thing to do was assess the situation.
He had to decide whether to run or fight.
—This is bad!
It’s too open with no place to hide.
We’re outnumbered, we could get surrounded…
There were far too many goblins.
And they were already closing the distance.
Just as Abel had feared, the goblins were moving with the clear intent to encircle them.
Getting surrounded was something he absolutely had to avoid.
In desperation, Abel forced the magic within him into a frenzied surge.
He used the second-rank mineral magic, “Earth and Stone Shaping and Hardening”.
First came “Earth and Stone Shaping”.
Suddenly, holes opened beneath the goblins’ feet.
Small holes that were just big enough for a goblin’s foot to slip into.
That was all he needed.
The moment a foot fell in, he filled the hole and hardened the soil.
It was a simple trick, but goblins who were careless about their footing fell for it easily.
Abel trapped them one after another, halting their movements.
“Abel! You—?!”
Ayla, beside him, was staring in shock.
“Mother! Right now, we need to kill the Great Ogre. Please assist Father.”
Ayla, quick to react as always, loosed arrow after arrow from her bow.
Not a single shot missed.
One arrow even struck the Great Ogre in the eye.
As it writhed in pain, Walter’s fireball exploded against it.
The monster’s chest which was like a wall of flesh burst open.
It looked like a fatal blow, but it stubbornly clung to life.
And it struck back.
It lunged into a body slam aimed at Walter.
A shield couldn’t block that.
In the nick of time, Walter dove to the side, then slipped in a precise counterthrust with his slender sword before retreating quickly.
That was when Ayla’s arrows ran out.
She drew the sword at her waist.
The gleam of the blade shone into view.
She sprinted toward a goblin whose legs weren’t trapped and slashed cleanly through.
It was a flawless, continuous stroke.
With the bare minimum of movement, she dealt a deadly blow.
The goblin’s carotid artery was severed, sending a spray of blood into the air.
Next, the knight Ise stepped in to finish the Great Ogre whose thigh she had already wounded.
She targeted its massive arm as it swung wildly. Her greatsword cleaved with bone-shattering force.
But the goblins were simply too many.
Whether out of confidence in their numbers or sheer savagery, they swarmed around Ise.
Yet every time she swung her blade in irritation, another goblin fell with a deadly wound.
Abel hesitated, unsure how best to assist her.
Walter’s fireball….he’d never seen it before, but he had a feeling he could reproduce it.
However, high-powered magic could just as easily catch nearby allies in its blast.
Gritting his teeth, Abel thought with bitter longing that a gun would be perfect right now.
—No… wait.
I can do it, can’t I?
He felt it might be possible if he made full use of the magic he knew.
The key was to limit the direction of the explosion…
First, the barrel.
He would use earth for that.
There was more than enough at his feet.
He shaped a hard, narrow tunnel at a slanted angle, packed it with countless pebbles, and planned to detonate a fireball at the far end.
An improvised cannon, so to speak.
The earth reshaped itself exactly according to his vision.
All that was left was to wait for the right moment, and when the enemy appeared before the muzzle, trigger the blast…
Just then, the Great Ogre stumbled forward and stopped right in front of the trap.
Its slowed movement from the severe injury to its leg was all the better.
Abel focused his magic deep into the tunnel.
He conjured a vivid image of explosions he had seen in his previous life.
Without hesitation, he spoke: “Fireball”. The magic activated instantly.
A blast of fire erupted from the ground.
The scattershot struck the Great Ogre who was already wounded by Ise from face to chest.
Its ugly face was pulverized like minced meat.
The blast seemed to lack full penetration, so it didn’t kill it outright, but the damage was severe.
Then the knight Ise fixed her gaze on Abel. Her gaze was sharp enough to pierce through him.
Their eyes met.
Her eyes were a deep red, like rubies.
They were so clear it was almost mystical.
There was none of the ferocity one might expect from such a brutal, violent battle.
Her expression was calm, refined, and covered in a quiet intensity.
Abel didn’t understand it himself, but he found the girl frightening.
Why did she inspire such fear? The answer came to him immediately.
The overwhelming difference in power.
The girl before him could kill him in an instant.
If she swung that greatsword, no matter where or how he tried to escape, his body would suffer a mortal wound.
And for some reason, he felt a faint trace of killing intent.
It wasn’t his imagination.
—What is she?
“H-Hey. What are you doing? Finish off the monster!”
At Abel’s words, Ise seemed to snap back to herself, rushed at the Great Ogre, and with a single swing of her greatsword, sent its head flying.
Such dazzling skill.
Walter too finished his fight soon after.
He had been striking at the Great Ogre’s neck, and one thrust must have been fatal.
Blood spurted in torrents, and the huge body collapsed to the ground.
It twitched.
Ayla ran up and split its skull.
It seemed the rule in battles against magical beasts was to always inflict a fatal wound and ensure the kill.
Walter and Ayla attacked the neck, heart, and skull repeatedly, almost obsessively.
The remaining goblins were like weeds being plucked.
Ise, in particular, was terrifying.
Wherever she passed, sprays of blood followed.
He could only watch in stunned silence.
—I don’t know a thing about swordsmanship, but I can tell the difference in class…
Abel suddenly thought of Fores.
When he ran over, he saw the metal armor dented.
Fores had taken a heavy blow to the chest.
He was coughing up blood painfully.
His lung might be ruptured.
His eyes were unfocused.
Abel knew instinctively that if left alone, Fores would die.
He quickly cut the leather straps fastening the armor and pulled it off.
Shoving his hand under the hemp shirt, he cast a healing spell.
Fores’s brown eyes widened in astonishment.
“A… Ah! No way. This is… healing magic?”
“That’s right, Mr. Fores. Can you breathe now?”
“You saved me! I feel better.”
Somehow, Fores managed to get to his feet.
He staggered toward Walter.
It didn’t seem like he needed any help.
Ayla retrieved a few arrows that had been lodged in bodies and nocked them again.
She shot at the backs of fleeing goblins, each arrow finding its mark.
Almost all of them had been slain.
The battle was coming to an end.
Abel felt relief well up from the depths of his heart.
—Ah… thank goodness. That was terrifying…
I never thought it would turn into such an intense fight.
I figured it’d be more like a small hunt.
Risking your life to save others is no joke.
Walter really is incredible.
…Wait, why am I even doing this?
Working myself to death once in my previous life was more than enough.
Lost in a daze and completely drained, he noticed someone nearby.
Looking up, he saw Ise.
Only then did Abel remember that he hadn’t actually confirmed her name.
“Are you the knight Ise Ark?”
“That’s right… and you are?”
It was no illusion.
She was unbelievably beautiful.
Her glossy jet-black hair flowed in thick, slightly wavy locks.
Her straight nose carried an air of nobility.
Her cheeks were softly rounded, sweet with youthful charm.
Her small lips were a delicate shade of pink.
Her eyes burned with the color of flame—
A strange light that seemed to draw him in.
“You have strange eyes.”
“Eh?”
“Eyes that trust nothing. Wariness. Perception. Ruthlessness. Desire… I don’t know what it is you want, but you’re after something….and with a persistence that knows no bounds.”
Abel froze.
—What is with this woman…?
She’s seen right through me.
I always thought reading people’s faces was my specialty.
Even in my previous life, I was usually right.
In prison, in the workplace—
The sly ones always looked sly,
The nasty ones had nasty faces.
Even the ones who seemed kind at first were dangerous.
Sooner or later, their true nature showed.
But now… she’s the one reading me.
I don’t like her.
“Are you really a child? How old are you?”
“I… I…”
What am I? What am I after?
There was no way to explain it.
All I knew was that I was a true loser, a father killer, someone with nothing…
“I’m… someone with nothing.”
Ise tilted her head slightly.
Then, for the first time, her expression shifted—
She smiled faintly.
“That’s an interesting answer. You’re like me.”
Just then, Ayla came running over with a bright smile.
“Abel, you did great!”
She swept Abel up into her arms, proud of his unexpected performance in the fierce battle.
Ayla turned to Ise.
“Oh, you must be Knight Ise. Is something the matter?”
“Forgive me for asking, but is this boy, or rather this child, your son?”
“That’s right! His name’s Abel. Amazing kid, isn’t he?”
Ayla’s face was brimming with pride.
“Yes… I thought he might be the child of a demon or a non-human.”
“Huh? Don’t say weird things.”
Ayla had noticed Ise’s eyes and hair.
Depending on the angle, her eyes looked almost red like rubies.
Beautiful, yes, but among humans, they carried a bad meaning.
They signified the blood of the demon race.
And her hair was black. Perfectly pure black hair was practically a symbol of the demon race.
“Knight Ise, isn’t it you who is the child of a demon?”
“That’s correct. My grandfather was half demon, so that blood runs in me as well.”
“I don’t discriminate against non-humans. But this is different. Abel is the child of me and Walter and we are both human.”
“……”
Ise said nothing.
Her well-shaped face betrayed no hint of emotion.
The cleanup of the bodies was left to the villagers.
The only unfortunate victims were the family of five who had been attacked before Ise arrived.
According to Ise, she had ended up fighting on the spot without moving to a more advantageous position because she had to protect those inside the attacked house.
Still, she claimed that even without Walter and the others’ support, she could have wiped out the monsters alone in the end.
Abel was taken aback, but he figured she was probably telling the truth.
Her performance in battle was sharp enough to make it believable.
Afterward, they searched the area around the village just in case.
Following the tracks of the goblins and the great ogre, they found a nest.
It was like a hollow carved into a cliff.
About ten young goblins lay asleep on beds of dead leaves.
They killed them all without mercy.
Goblins and great ogres are different species, but at times they form a sort of master-servant relationship. This seemed to be one of those cases.
The great ogre’s tracks, faint though they were, stretched from the northern mountains.
It was assumed to have come down from the mountain region.
Examining the bodies, they found that the adults were male and female, likely a mated pair, and the smaller ones were assumed to be their offspring.
From the tracks, they concluded there had been no more than three in total.
With the inspecting knight Fores Wood deeming this sufficient, the mission was declared complete.
The party left Fumu Village the next day.
Just before reaching Kaizan town, they parted ways with Knight Fores.
He said he needed to report quickly, but Abel could tell his attitude toward Ise had grown distant.
Toward Abel, on the other hand, he seemed warmer. Perhaps thanks to the healing magic.
He even said that, since he had no children of his own, he’d like to adopt Abel.
Abel thought to himself that he didn’t really get how knights worked.
Fores, who looked every bit the skilled warrior, had done nothing noteworthy in battle, while the young girl Ise was absurdly strong…
So he quietly asked Walter what the “demon race” was.
“The demon race is one of the non-human races. When someone has features as distinct as Knight Ise, it’s easy to identify them as a demon race. The traits show in hair and eye color. Hair is often perfectly jet black, or else glossy white, or pale blue. I’ve heard that red eyes are also common.”
“So Knight Ise is from the demon race?”
“Well… judging by her appearance, she does seem to have that blood… Count Highwand has many knights. I don’t know all of them. Honestly, since I’ve been stuck out in Tenana, I’m not very informed.”
“Isn’t the Empire a hard place for non-humans to live?”
“It is. But if they have permission, they can live here. Even so, there isn’t a single beastman among the knights or nobles. As for someone from the demon race… that’s rare. I’ve never heard of it before.”
Abel looked at Ise’s back as she rode ahead.
Since her figure was that of a young girl, she looked unusually small compared to the horse she rode.
“Hey, Abel. I’m a junior knight of the Empire, but… well, I’ll be honest, I don’t like the way people discriminate against non-humans just for being non-human. I hope you understand.”
“…Yes.”
When they arrived in Kaizan Town, it was already evening, so they ended up staying at Ise’s house.
It was a stark, bare home.
There wasn’t a single decorative item to be found.
Just a plain, worn chair and table.
Not even a single vase, nor any tapestries to brighten the walls.
Walter’s home, in contrast, was full of life and clearly a love nest he shared with Ayla.
But more than anything else, what stood out about Ise’s house was the complete absence of any sense of family.
It wasn’t about poverty; it was something different.
What kind of life had this girl named Ise led?
Abel found himself wondering, though he didn’t feel inclined to ask.
An old servant prepared their meal.
It wasn’t bad, but compared to Ayla’s cooking, the taste fell several notches short.
Ise spoke very little. And her most striking trait was that she never smiled.
She made Abel think of ice.
Even Walter seemed to feel somewhat ill at ease.
Eventually, he broke the silence with a question.
“What happened to your parents, Lady Ise?”
“My father and grandfather are fighting on the border against the Kingdom of the True King.”
“Ah, I see. So they’re part of the expeditionary force to the Central Plains. Forgive me. Being just a junior knight and living out in the rural village of Tenana, I’m not very well-informed on such matters.”
“It’s fine. I don’t mind.”
“In that case, do you know how the war is going?”
“From their letters, it seems the Kingdom of the True King is having members of the royal family form armies and sending them one after another to the front lines.”
“I’ve heard rumors of that.”
“Prince Yerling, Prince Rikimel, and their younger brother, Prince Gaiakeron. Even the princess who is still very young. Having the king’s own children on the front lines makes a huge difference to the soldiers’ morale.”
Walter rubbed his chin, looking thoughtful, before speaking.
“I’ve heard some pretty grim stories myself. War always comes with mercenaries, but it seems the mercenaries on their side are being led by a man named Dido Zuma, who’s committing all manner of atrocities, giving the Imperial Army a hard time. Burning entire towns without hesitation, killing the elderly, enslaving the young…
And apparently their princes aren’t just figureheads either. Prince Yerling may be young, but he’s cautious and strong, and even that child-like prince, Gaiakeron, is being pushed forward. Just how much more intense will this war get, I wonder?”
“The princes of the Kingdom of the True King… I’d love to fight them.”
Ise nonchalantly said something ominous.
“Is that so? Well, I want nothing to do with war. I’d rather see a ceasefire.”
“That would be impossible. My grandfather once said that, unlike the late emperor, His Majesty the current emperor wishes to destroy the Kingdom of the True King. And it seems the Kingdom itself also desires further war.”
Walter closed his eyes and shook his head.
“When there’s war, taxes go up, and with so many knights away at the front, we end up shorthanded for things like this monster hunt. If we’d cleared the forest of monsters beforehand, the village wouldn’t have been attacked. We should take the initiative.”
“That was my failing. This is my assigned territory.”
“No, Lady Ise…managing everything alone is impossible for you. The fault lies with the count.”
Ise fell silent and her face was expressionless.
The meal ended without them ever warming to each other.
Even Ayla who was normally cheerful and friendly didn’t say a single word.
That night, the three family members were shown to a guest room and slept side by side.
The bed reeked of mold.
From the state of the room, it was clear no guests had stayed there for a very long time.
Later that night, Abel wondered if Walter might try to bother Ayla, but the man showed no such behavior.
Good.
It would have been unbearable to watch them flirt in someone else’s home.
Perhaps because he was so tired, Abel fell asleep quickly despite the uncomfortable bed.
Morning came.
They began preparations for departure right away.
Abel felt relieved to be parting ways with Ise.
Having someone pry into the depths of your heart is never pleasant.
They would probably never meet again…
As he waited for his parents to finish packing, Ise appeared.
Her piercing red eyes locked onto Abel.
His chest tightened.
He turned his gaze away and looked down.
“Abel. I’ve never met anyone like you before. I’ll teach you swordsmanship. You’ll need it.”
—What is this girl talking about?
… I’m fine just living quietly in the countryside.
Living there with this pain in my chest. That’s the life I’ve been given.
The man at Abel’s core thought so.
“Heh. Like I’d ever learn anything from you. I hate being taught.”
“That’s a good attitude. In the end, you have to discover things for yourself. Probably.”
“Probably? So even you don’t know?”
“That’s right… I’ll tell you what I’m looking for. I’m searching for a heart.”
“A heart?”
“It seems I lack emotions… I only feel something like my life shining for an instant when I’m facing a formidable opponent. But you….you surprised me for the first time in a long while.”
“We’ll never meet again.”
Abel cut her off.
Just then Ayla and Walter came over, and after exchanging farewells, the family rode off.
Abel never once looked back, ignoring Ise’s gaze.
—A female knight searching for a heart, huh…
Back in Tenana Village, they ate a stew made from the great ugly ogre.
Apparently Ayla had brought back the meat.
It tasted much like beef.
Leave a Reply