Camping (2)

After finishing their conversation, Javier went upstream of the valley, saying he would catch some delicious fish.

Ian returned to the campsite nestled amongst the rocks.

When he arrived, most of the other Heavenly Sword knights were gone.

At the campsite, only Yuria and a single Heavenly Sword knight guarding her remained.

When Ian asked the knight where everyone had gone, she replied that some had gone to feed the horses or to gather herbs.

She then said she would also patrol the area for security, asked Ian to watch over Yuria, and left the campsite.

In the end, only Ian and Yuria were left at the campsite.

“……”

Yuria sat quietly, resting Dellen’s corpse—wrapped tightly in a robe—against her body.

Her eyes were closed, but it didn’t seem like she was sleeping.

—Ssshhh…

At that moment, Yuria slowly opened her eyes.

Her crimson pupils met Ian’s gaze.

“Ian.”

Though her eyelids were still tinged red, there was no trace of tears left in her voice.

“Can I sit next to you, just for a moment?”

“I’ll come to you.”

“No, I’ll come to you.”

Yuria carefully laid Dellen’s body on the ground and stood up.

Then, with quiet steps, she walked over and sat down heavily beside Ian.

“I wanted to properly thank you once again… You. Really, thank you.”

“……”

“If it hadn’t been for you, honestly, I’d have died at least ten times over. I’m alive thanks to you. And the fact you gave me time to say my final farewell to my nanny… truly, thank you.”

“……”

When Ian turned to look at her, Yuria was gazing at him with calm eyes.

Embarrassed, Ian averted his gaze and parted his lips.

He had just heard similar words from Javier moments ago.

How was one supposed to react at times like this?

“I… I only did what I was supposed to do.”

He felt there must be a better answer than that.

But this was the only reply that came to mind, and he hated it.

“You call that something you ‘just had to do’?”

—Thunk!

Yuria bumped her shoulder against Ian’s while seated.

“Don’t play coy. How is this something you just had to do? You know that’s not true.”

Biting her lower lip, Yuria continued,

“You’re… just a guest. You had no obligation to come rescue me, yet you…”

Yuria recalled Ian’s appearance while fighting Dellen.

Diving through a flurry of petal-like blades threatening to slice him apart.

Taking Dellen’s ‘Heavenly Flow: Four Forms’ attacks head-on with his own body.

That was almost enough to split Ian’s body in two.

Yuria closed her eyes and let out a trembling sigh.

“There was no reason for you to risk your life for me.”

And yet, Ian was still here.

By her side. Guarding her.

Why? For what possible reason?

“Let’s be honest with each other, Ian Greysel.”

Yuria’s gaze turned serious.

“Why did you save me?”

“……”

“You had no personal reason or official duty. Why?”

He’d blocked blades with his own body to save her.

“……”

Why did he save her?

Ian scratched the tip of his nose, searching for an answer.

The reason was simple.

Because he loved Yuria.

‘Uh, ugh…!’

But there was no way he could say that now.

Even just thinking it made his insides squirm.

If he blurted that out now, he’d seem like an utter madman.

Even if they were closest in their past lives,

In this life, they’d only met a handful of times at most.

To say to someone he barely knew in this life that he loved her—enough to risk his life?

There’s no way Yuria would believe that.

She’d think he was a pervert, a scammer, a hypocrite, or just plain crazy.

“Ssshh…”

So Ian found himself at a loss for words.

He did have a clear reason for saving Yuria, but it was something he could never say.

And making up another reason—his mind just wouldn’t cooperate.

Surely there was a plausible excuse somewhere…

“……”

No.

Yuria hated lies.

Even if they were necessary.

Ian didn’t want to do something that Yuria hated, if he could avoid it.

“I won’t tell you.”

“… What…?”

“It’s a secret… That’s all.”

So Ian gave a non-answer.

She probably wouldn’t like it, but that was better than lying.

“Hah…?”

Yuria looked utterly dumbfounded.

“This might sound shameless coming from me, but… do you realize how suspicious you seem right now?”

“I can’t help it. I really can’t say.”

“So you do have a reason?”

“… Yes.”

“……”

Yuria exhaled deeply.

“Ian. I’m grateful you saved me. … But I have no idea with what intentions you did it.”

This was an important matter.

Even the people who kidnapped Yuria weren’t trying to kill her at first.

That puppet master, Rudeus, was even cackling about turning Yuria into his own doll.

Yuria’s enemies weren’t always trying to kill her.

Some wanted to exploit her for their own evil purposes.

‘That puppet master… he was definitely trying to make me into a Genesis-exclusive golem.’

Genesis was a divine weapon handleable only by the chosen.

To freely manipulate the body of someone capable of wielding the Holy Sword, Yuria, they needed to turn her into a mindless doll.

But when things went wrong, he immediately abandoned that plan and tried to kill her.

‘There’s no guarantee Ian isn’t just like them.’

Ian, too, could be after her authorities and only kept her alive for that reason.

The True Heavenly Blood running through Yuria’s veins could make even ordinary bones as hard as adamantium, and her skin as tough as a dragon’s.

Maybe the purpose was to keep her alive just to harvest that blood.

If Yuria died, the True Heavenly Blood would just be buried.

And the Heavenly Energy within her could transform even the worst mana circuit into its supreme form.

Maybe someone wanted to extract that Heavenly Energy.

There were plenty of other things to exploit from leaving her alive.

Perhaps the aim was to use her natural brilliance with the sword to uncover martial arts secrets.

Or maybe, like Rudeus, to turn her into a puppet and use her as a Genesis-wielding combat machine.

Unless Ian himself voiced his intent, there was no way for suspicions like these to be cleared.

Just like how her own nanny, Dellen, had her first brother Theo Hisperion working behind her—

How could she know, trust, or exclude the possibility of someone being behind Ian too?

“……”

Yuria looked at Ian.

Why had Ian saved her?

“Ian.”

She spoke on, knowing it was probably pointless.

“Then, can you at least answer this one thing?”

Even if it was meaningless to ask,

Maybe, just maybe,

She could find some reason to trust Ian.

“What is it you want from me?”

If he wanted Heavenly Energy, she could give some.

If he wanted her True Heavenly Blood, she could part with that too.

But she didn’t want to be betrayed in the back any longer. She was tired of lies and betrayal.

“……”

Ian thought for a moment at Yuria’s question.

What did he want?

‘… Another hard question.’

There was nothing he wanted from Yuria.

No—

There was one thing,

He realized.

He just wanted Yuria to be happy.

That was all.

But how could he say that now?

“Is this a secret too?”

But if he kept refusing to answer, unnecessary suspicion would only pile up.

And if enough suspicion accumulated, it would turn to misunderstanding, distrust, and eventually, even enmity.

Being estranged from Yuria like that?

That was something Ian couldn’t bear.

“I do want something.”

So Ian chose to answer this one.

“Yeah. Go on.”

“Miss Yuria…”

“Mm.”

“I hope you become much stronger.”

“…?”

“So that even if something like this happens again, you’d be able to overcome it alone, without the help of someone like me. As soon as possible, I hope you reach Grandmaster beyond Swordmaster… ideally, become even stronger than the current Heavenly Sword Family Lord…”

“Ah, wait, hold on a second!”

Yuria gaped.

“Aren’t you being a little too vague and wishy-washy!?”

“I’m serious.”

“T-then could you swear on that with a Mana Oath?”

A Mana Oath.

An oath sworn on one’s dantian and heart—if broken, the offender’s heart and dantian would be twisted, losing all the power they had ever accumulated.

“Of course, if that will serve as proof.”

“… Then… do it.”

Yuria took a Mana Oath scroll from her inner coat pocket.

Ian blinked in surprise.

“… How did you have that right now?”

“Direct descendants of Hisperion always carry a few.”

… Really?

He’d lived at Hisperion for over ten years in his previous life, yet never knew this.

“Well. All right.”

But it didn’t matter.

If she wanted proof, he’d give it.

Ian took the Mana Oath scroll, placed it over his heart, and summoned his aura.

“The content of the oath: Sincerely wishing that Miss Yuria becomes stronger.”

—Wooooong!

The Mana Oath scroll shimmered with an increasing blue glow.

“W-wait, just a second!”

As Ian actually prepared to swear the Mana Oath, Yuria snatched the scroll from his hands in a panic.

“What are you doing! That’s dangerous!”

A Mana Oath was a restriction inscribed on one’s vital points. The moment you broke your oath, your heart and dantian would twist, causing terrible pain and robbing you of all your strength.

And people’s thoughts could change at any time, regardless of how sincere they might be now.

Even if Ian meant it now, if he ever changed in the future, his dantian could be ruined.

He could even become a cripple, or die.

Making a Mana Oath on something so changeable was near madness.

“That’s the only way to prove it.”

“Haa… All right. I’ll trust you.”

Yuria waved her hand in surrender.

“……”

Ian gently took Yuria’s hand.

“… W-what, what is it?”

“You have an injury.”

Only now did he notice the wound on Yuria’s hand.

He’d assumed the blood on her was Dellen’s, but it was coming from her palm.

It hadn’t even stopped bleeding yet.

“… It’s nothing. It’ll heal if I leave it.”

“No. If you leave it, you’ll get an itchy scar later.”

The wound was fairly dirty.

Even though Yuria had a special body, leaving this alone would definitely leave a scar.

“I’ll treat it right away, so hold still.”

“……”

Yuria didn’t refuse or resist.

She still didn’t fully trust Ian, but she was more curious as to what he would do.

“I’ll disinfect it first. It’ll sting.”

—Dribble, dribble!

At that instant, a jet of black liquid squirted from Ian’s fingertip.

It was disinfectant, brought forth with the Authority of Projection.

“Hngh!”

As the disinfectant forced dirt and mud from the wound, Yuria twisted and grimaced.

“It really hurts!”

“Hang in there. It’ll be over quickly.”

“……”

As Ian said, the pain soon vanished.

As soon as the disinfection was done, Ian projected a top-grade potion to heal her wound.

“……”

Yuria flexed and opened her now-perfectly-healed hand, and spoke.

“You… you know your words and actions don’t match at all, right?”

“… Excuse me?”

“You’re so secretive about why you saved me, yet you don’t hide this unusual ability at all.”

The treatment had been flawlessly effective.

Yuria marveled at her perfectly-healed palm.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to hide abilities like this instead?”

Keeping an ability like this concealed could give rise to suspicions among Hisperion’s people.

And he could’ve easily lied about his motivations.

But Ian didn’t hide his abilities, nor did he cover his intentions with lies.

From the miraculous healing of his deadly wounds taken from Dellen’s Heavenly Flow: 4th form, to instant-cast, chantless magic, to fearsome swordsmanship, even stealing Flostilla and skillfully using Sword Spirit Release.

Ian had shown all his gifts to Yuria without reserve, replied with “no comment” instead of lying about his motivations, and had even been willing to immediately carry out a Mana Oath to prove his innocence.

“… I really don’t understand you.”

Ian—just what kind of person are you?

Maybe I’ll figure it out if I see you often from now on.

At least, he didn’t seem to be an enemy.

She had no proof, but she had a strong feeling.

“And I should pay you back properly.”

She still didn’t know what Ian was really thinking, but the fact remained—he’d saved her life.

“Ian. I’ll ask just one last thing—this time, answer properly.”

—Whap!

Yuria slung her arm over Ian’s shoulders.

“Is there something you want me to do for you?”

Ian blinked at Yuria.

Her ruby-like eyes stared at him unwaveringly.

“Whatever it is, just say it. No matter how far-fetched, it’s fine. Even if it takes time to grant, I’ll make it happen—as long as you ask, I’ll be sure to do it.”

Of course.

He saved her life.

What couldn’t she do in exchange for that?

“It’s a debt of life, after all.”

“… Is really anything okay?”

“Yeah. Anything. Whatever.”

“Really? Even if it’s childish, crude, or rude?”

“W-what!”

Yuria’s arm slipped from his shoulder like a startled rabbit.

“Wh-what the—! What are you thinking!? J-just say it, already!”

“There is something I want Yuria to do for me.”

“W-what is it…?”

Yuria swallowed hard.

Ian looked at her, then slowly opened his mouth.

“I…”

————-= Clacky’s Corner ————-=

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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