I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages.

“Lude, report.”

A young child standing before the sacred flame with eyes closed.

Windsor Knight Order’s magician, Lude, opened his eyes and spoke.

“Commander, this is strange.”

“What are you referring to precisely?”

Lude pointed at the flame with his finger.

“There’s nothing wrong.”

“That matches my thoughts.”

Duke Biaten, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, approached.

“There’s no change in the flame’s performance. It’s neither more nor less than before.”

“Sisilia is being too sensitive in the first place. Even I, as a magician, find it difficult to detect anything.”

Lude stood up, dusting off his bottom.

“It’s an extremely slight fluctuation. I can say with certainty that those who can detect this in our knight order can be counted on one hand.”

Cairon stared at the flame with an indifferent face.

Even he could barely detect the fluctuation with extreme concentration.

To give you an idea, it was only noticeable if you were already aware that it was ‘fluctuating.’

“That doesn’t mean Sisilia is wrong, though. This is clearly fluctuating. How did she notice this? She’s so adorable, I should pat her head.”

‘So Lude’s conclusion is the same.’

The kingdom’s greatest magician.

The knight order’s finest magic user was saying the same thing.

The probability of them being wrong was extremely low.

However…

“Yesterday, I spoke with that child.”

Something was bothering him.

It was like when he first saw Sisilia.

An intuition difficult to explain logically raised its head again.

“She believes the goddess’s power has weakened.”

“…!”

Biaten and Lude were slightly surprised.

Biaten seemed to be thinking about something, while Lude scrunched one eye and ruffled his hair.

“Hmm. I’d like to take Sisilia’s side, but that’s difficult, Commander.”

“Why is that?”

“The principle of the sacred flame is simple. It’s a barrier spell that reduces the casting range and limits the target to demons. The only difference is that its structure uses divine power instead of magical power.”

And looking into a structure with the same design blueprint wasn’t particularly difficult.

“The sacred flame exists perfectly. It’s in a state that doesn’t allow even the slightest gap, as always.”

“Duke Biaten, what are your thoughts?”

“While I have similar thoughts, I feel there might not be absolutely no possibility.”

Duke Biaten was a magician to his core.

He seeks truth and never ‘confirms’ anything.

He was different from magic users who fight with certainty by excluding low possibilities.

“The fluctuation visible to the naked eye is very minute. If the power has weakened, it would have weakened as minutely as that fluctuation.”

“Well, old man, I don’t think so. Though minute, it’s at a detectable level. If the power had weakened, we would definitely know.”

“What could be more foolish than evaluating the divine realm by human standards?”

“Hmph, I’m a magic user. My calling is to stop the gods’ dice games.”

The debate was fierce.

Neither of them knew how to bend their opinion.

However, the topic wasn’t ‘Has the goddess’s power weakened?’ but rather ‘Is it right to make confirmations?’

“…It would be better to keep the possibility in mind. We’ll maintain the current situation for now.”

“Commander. That’s a waste of manpower. It’s also a huge loss for the kingdom.”

Lude showed slight irritation when his side wasn’t taken.

“If this fluctuation somehow weakens the defensive barrier, the capital’s outskirts could be exposed to demon invasion.”

“Well, that won’t happen.”

Cairon’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

Edward was walking from not too far away.

“We thoroughly searched around the capital, but found no significant traces of demons.”

Edward stopped in front of Cairon.

“It would be right to lift the emergency situation. As it stands, there’s neither justification nor benefit.”

Cairon didn’t even look at Edward.

“…The decision to observe for the time being remains unchanged.”

Edward’s expression stiffened slightly.
However, he spoke again with a comfortable smile.

“Is it because of Sisilia?”

“……”

Cairon couldn’t answer.

“While I know Sisilia’s intelligence, she’s presented quite an unreasonable opinion this time.”

Quite irritating words, weren’t they?

Cairon finally turned to look at Edward.

“Shall we make a bet?”

“A bet, you say.”

“If Sisilia’s words are right, I win. If not, you win.”

“If it’s a bet, there must be stakes.”

“If I win, don’t interfere in any way with Sisilia taking the vice commander position.”

A slight crack appeared in Edward’s perfect smile.

“…You seem to think I would interfere with Sisilia.”

“Will you accept the bet?”

“Very well. However, if those are the conditions, I should stake the opposite situation if I win. If I win, don’t pass the vice commander position to Sisilia.”

Cairon answered without the slightest hesitation.

“So be it.”

Edward spoke with a subtly mocking expression.

“Commander, you sometimes seem to forget that she is only 16 years old. She is still a child. A young child who wants to throw tantrums rather than consider the greater good—”

***

Young Sisilia was standing in front of a mirror.

It was a black mirror that didn’t reflect on its surface.

The so-called ‘Mirror of Truth.’

Though it sounds like something out of a fairy tale, it was actually such a sacred artifact.

“I hope I’m qualified enough.”

This ‘Mirror of Truth’ boasts quite simple capabilities for a sacred artifact.

You just need to wear an accessory made of black sapphire and stand before the mirror to ask.

Then, the mirror tells you definitive ‘facts.’

“…Thank you, Leorik. I’ll help coordinate your date with the young lady next time.”

Sisilia expressed small gratitude while taking out the ‘pendant worth 1000 gold’ from her chest and putting it around her neck.

As she stared intently at the black mirror, its form gradually revealed itself.

The image of a girl with perfect beauty was reflected.

It was Sisilia herself.

“Mirror, mirror.”

Rather childlike words sprang from Sisilia’s usually indifferent lips.

The mirror resonated with a blue glow, brightly illuminating Sisilia’s beloved cabin.

“Please answer the questions I’m about to ask.”

As if in agreement, the expensive pendant reflected in the mirror floated up.

It was proof that the sacred artifact accepted the ‘Pendant of Ellasia’ as an offering.

‘Finally, I get to ask this.’

Sisilia was excited.

The Mirror of Truth answers anything.

However, it doesn’t tell the ‘future.’

This isn’t that kind of supernatural sacred artifact.

It only tells the present.

But an unconditional truth.

That’s why Sisilia couldn’t ask until now.

“The goddess.”

About the goddess, Saint Michelle.

“In the year 499, where Saint Michelle, the current goddess who presides over the dimension where Sisilia Windsor exists,”

Sisilia had guessed the official opening would be in a year because of the ‘Another World’ setting.

Michelle, who gave humans the power of ‘blessing’ to counter demons.

Her power weakens every 500 years.

She becomes unable to give ‘new blessings.’

That’s why humans look for a new breakthrough.

That breakthrough is summoning beings from ‘other worlds’ to this place.

While the weakened Michelle couldn’t bless humans of this world, she could bless ‘beings from other worlds.’

That’s how Another World begins as a game.

Then Sisilia had only one thing to ask.

“Is her power weaker than before in terms of dominion over this world?”

“……”

Her heart was as quiet as if it might never beat again.

As the mirror’s light wavered, she waited for the answer, forgetting even to breathe.

“Yes.”

The girl in the mirror answered as if it were an obvious fact.

“Without a doubt.”

“…!”

Sisilia opened her eyes wide and looked down at her neck area.

The pendant had disappeared.

The mirror had also returned to its previous black state.

The Mirror of Truth had spoken the truth.

Which means.

“Ya, yahoo.”

In one year, newbies are coming!

***

“Something feels weird.”

“Why?”

“Something… I’m suddenly becoming incredibly happy.”

“Y-you too? I’m feeling a bit like that too.”

Sisilia returned home while spreading happy vibes.

Though her expression remained indifferent, that is.

When she arrived at the mansion, Mary, wearing her maid uniform as usual, was bowing politely.

“We’ve been waiting for you, my lady.”

“Mm.”

“I’ll prepare your bath.”

“Mm-mm.”

‘…?’

Mary, a professional maid of 28 years, had a big question mark floating above her head.

Usually, she would get a response like ‘I’ll do it later,’ which she would then have to refuse.

But to say ‘mm’? And even twice at that.

‘Why does she seem in such a good mood today?’

However, her expression remained as emotionless as ever.

…Though she tended to cause major incidents exactly at times like these.

Mary spoke with an uneasy feeling.

“First, the master is calling for you.”

“Mm.”

Thump thump.

Sisilia was in an exceptionally, exceptionally good mood.

Today, even if someone took the strawberry she’d been saving for last, she could forgive them generously.

“I’m… sorry.”

“Pardon?”

“I wagered your future.”

Upon opening the door, Cairon’s serious voice made Sisilia tilt her head.

My future…?

Could he have arranged an engagement?

If so, Cairon would get to witness Sisilia’s runaway.

“I don’t have any desire to marry yet…”

“Marriage? What horrifying words are you speaking? Such a thing won’t happen even if I’m dead and buried.”

Cairon quickly became serious and denied it.

Sisilia, sighing with relief, thought for a moment and asked.

“Then, did you make a bet about me?”

“Yes.”

“With yourself…”

Cairon felt a bit wronged at being treated the same way.

“No, with Vice Commander Edward.”

“I see.”

Cairon hesitated slightly.
For the Commander of the Knight Order to make such a bet due to emotions… It was a bit embarrassing.

“It’s about what you said yesterday.”

“About the goddess’s power being weakened?”

She didn’t particularly mind if they didn’t believe her.

They would know for certain eventually anyway.

Just had to wait patiently.

“Yes. I made a bet about that.”

“What were the conditions?”

“I… wagered your vice commander position.”

“I see.”

Sisilia’s face seemed to ask ‘So what?’

“You’re not very surprised.”

“Because I’m going to win anyway-”

Pfft.

Cairon let out a small laugh.

“That’s just like you.”

“But you didn’t call me just to tell me this, did you?”

‘Actually, that was all I called you for.’

Cairon thought carefully.

Sisilia tended to stay upset for a long time once she got mad.

“I’ll give you a reward. Tell me what you want.”

“Allowance.”

“…Alright. If I win the bet, I’ll double your allowance.”

‘D-double!’

Sisilia gulped.

That was an incredible raise.

But one couldn’t become a great person by being satisfied with just this.

Sisilia aimed for something bigger.

“…Please also lift the allowance ban.”

“Hmm…”

“I’ll spend it wisely from now on.”

Cairon let out a contemplative sound.

‘Did I go too far?’

While Sisilia was feeling slightly nervous, Cairon nodded heavily.

“However, spend the money on meaningful thi…”

Cairon swallowed his words.

Then he sighed while looking at the empty space where Sisilia had already disappeared.

“She must have gone shopping for clothes.”

She was at that age, after all.