I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

49 – 049. Wind of Change (5)

“Alright! Frey, open wide, ahh. aaang!”

A bright smile turns towards me.

Midway through our cozy meal, Ariel has picked up a piece of meat and is offering it to me.

“……Munch.”

There wasn’t really a reason to refuse. The moment I swallowed the meat she offered,

*Crrrunch*…

A strange, grating sound echoed from right beside me.

I glanced over to see Maria, with her elegant posture, cutting into her meat.

The shocking part…mana was flowing through the knife she held. The knife sliced across the surface of her plate, yet there wasn’t a single scratch left on it. It was swordsmanship of the extreme, expressed through a knife.

“Wo, whoaaa!”

“Seneenn! Amazing!”

“……”

The wonder of imbuing a knife, no bigger than a middle finger, with mana.

The two kids, who had been watching the scene, burst into exclamations. At some point, the kids had started calling Maria ‘Seneenn’.

A Maria who had lost her emotions and two kids. A truly peculiar combination, but for some reason, the kids seemed to really like Maria.

“Leon, Mary. You shouldn’t make loud noises while eating.”

“Yes! I understand!”

“Uung! I’ll eat quietly too!”

No, but wasn’t it *you*, Maria, who just made the noise?

Those words almost rose to the tip of my tongue. But I refrained from saying them out loud. I didn’t want to stir up trouble in this peaceful meal setting.

Anyway.

The names of the children I brought from that small village below the Storm Plateau were Leon and Mary.

Leon, the older brother, possessed the power to sense other people’s ‘traits’, as I expected.

Ah, for reference, the ‘crystal ball’ was just a medium for activating powers. Apparently, you could use your abilities with just a normal bead lying around on the ground.

And Mary, the younger sister, was a girl who hadn’t yet awakened her trait. Maybe it’s because she’s still young, but she was always clinging to her brother’s back, a very cute child.

“It would be good to start packing soon. Oh, well, it’s not like we have much to call baggage in the first place.”

I decided that I would take the two children.

Raising kids is inherently difficult. But…the two orphans were different from ordinary children. It was like they’d learned about the ways of the world a bit too early, you could say.

Plus, Crown Prince Friedrich had promised to send attendants to look after the two of them.

“Uung….Frey, are you really, really leaving for the Imperial Capital?”

Ariel, still chewing on her meat, gazed at me with worried eyes.

Just yesterday, Ariel officially relinquished her title as a mage of the Magic Tower. Her new affiliation was obvious.

The Papal See, bastion of faith. Which meant the new title of ‘Saintess’ now belonged to her.

Therefore.

“Right. I can’t just spend all my time here.”

I made the decision. I would leave the Papal See in the very near future.

The Crown Prince, who promised to find me a mansion in the capital and send people, kept his word. Not even a few days had passed, and news had already arrived.

“So, you’re finally leaving…”

Ariel murmured quietly, her face full of disappointment.

It was a clear display of her desire to be with me. But the current me couldn’t indulge her whims.

‘Because, there are still so many things I need to find.’

The best example is the sword I possess.

I acknowledge that ‘Blitzhardt’, the treasured sword that shows immense power in hunting demonkin, is an item with outstanding abilities.

However, considering the near future, obtaining a sword with a ‘Legend’ grade or higher was preferable. Those were, quite literally, end-game items. They transcended the limitations of a weapon, amplifying the user’s abilities in rare ways.

Well, for example…

Excalibur, Balmung, Durendal, Laevatein, things like that.

Besides those, legendary grade weapons existed in the Eastern Continent, but it was too early for that yet. It was better to deal with the hidden pieces in the Western Continent first and then move on.

“Don’t be too sad. Ariel, did you think you’d never see me again?”

“No way! I want to follow Frey right away…”

Her face, slightly tearful, turned towards me. I couldn’t help but smile, though it was inappropriate for the situation.

‘She really is good at heart.’

There was no need to hear an explanation. The reason why Ariel was reluctant to move with me right now was obvious.

‘Just her worrying about being a burden.’

Saintess, Ariel…

She was a truly unique being right now. A mage by origin who couldn’t use magic, she followed the path of a priest but also couldn’t use divine magic.

She was, in short, an ambiguous existence. But that was a problem that time would solve. She, the main character of a “brilliant-but-short-lived” story, would surely master divine magic soon enough.

“Or.”

“…?”

“You could leave the Papal See and follow me.”

Her eyes widened as she looked at me.

The complex emotions of Ariel, the owner of those eyes, were reflected on her face. It was as if an intense internal struggle was playing out in her mind.

“Me, really…?”

“If you want to. Your dream is to be a priest, isn’t it? I can’t, in good conscience, tell you to abandon your dream and come with me.”

“Uh-huh… right, my dream.”

Ariel gave a bitter smile, nodded, and resumed eating.

Her worries seemed incredibly deep.

Or… maybe it was the sense of responsibility as the ‘Saint’ that was pressing down on her.

After that, I silently moved my fork, lost in thought.

‘The Imperial Seal, the Plum Blossom Sanctuary.’

According to the magic mail sent by the Crown Prince, the Emperor had surprisingly granted permission to hand over the ‘Plum Blossom Sanctuary’.

The words I had tossed out, more in a ‘might as well try’ manner, had actually come to this. It was an incident that showed just how much fear the Imperial Family had for demonic beings.

And on top of that.

The Crown Prince had said he’d go to the mansion first and prepare to welcome its new owner.

…Honestly, he was a man who was strangely, devotedly, kind.

* * *

A day passed. And early in the morning, a carriage sent by the Imperial Family arrived.

The carriage, with the grand Imperial symbol emblazoned on it, was so massive it could be called a moving building.

“You are truly leaving.”

Pope Sullivan told me, his eyes filled with a deep sense of regret.

“Yes. There’s still a wide world to see and experience.”

“Yes, that’s also true. Anyway…”

Sullivan nodded, then glanced around cautiously.

Word had already spread that I was leaving, it seemed, as a cloud of priests and holy knights had gathered around the carriage.

“The girl doesn’t seem to be here.”

“……”

The person the Pope was referring to was obvious.

The Saint, Ariel. That girl… it was like she couldn’t bear to see me leaving, she wasn’t even there to see me off. It felt like she was intentionally avoiding me.

“Perhaps she isn’t ready to face it yet.”

“Hmm… I understand. The girl genuinely liked you.”

The Pope, his expression bitter, murmured in a low voice.

Ariel’s affection for me was something that even the Pope, and not the person involved, had noticed. It was thanks to Ariel’s nature of being clumsy at hiding her own emotions.

“By the way, isn’t the Archduchess around?”

“Ah. Lady Maria left early this morning. She said she had urgent family matters to attend to.”

“Hmm. I see.”

Indeed, Maria had already departed the Papal State.

……Come to think of it, even the Pope doesn’t know she’s gone. How on earth did she get out of here?

“I won’t hold back one who departs. But remember this. You are… our glory, our very symbol.”

“Yes. I will keep that in mind.”

“Be careful on your journey. You have two dear children.”

“Thank you for your concern. I will be on my way now.”

With a bow, I boarded the carriage.

Immediately, the sound of my children’s giggling reached my ears from inside.

“Hyung! It’s so comfy in here!”

“Hehe, lying down makes me sleepy.”

“We’re about to leave, so everyone try to get some sleep. It’ll take several days to reach the Imperial Capital.”

“Yeeeah—!”

Leaving the children’s energetic response behind, I turned my head to look outside the carriage.

Everyone from the Papal State had faces full of regret. They didn’t try to stop me from leaving, but their disappointment was palpable, dripping off them, you might say.

‘……It’s a bit of a shame I didn’t get to say goodbye to Ariel.’

If I leave now, I don’t know when I’ll be able to see her again. If my guess is right, it might be at least a year, or maybe even longer before we see each other’s faces.

“We’re departing!”

The coachman, or rather, the knight, shouted loudly and immediately cracked the whip.

Why is it a knight, not a regular coachman, driving the carriage?

I have no idea either. The one driving the carriage sent by the Crown Prince was a young knight, so perhaps he’s meant to serve as both coachman and escort.

Clop clop!

And so, the carriage moved forward. Farewell to the Papal State, where I briefly stayed. Time has passed quite a bit, so I need to pick up the pace when securing the hidden pieces.

‘The Western border… I might be able to obtain some pretty decent weapons.’

Closing my eyes, I sorted through my thoughts while enjoying the cool northern summer breeze.

‘……Demonkind, is it.’

I muttered to myself.

No. Don’t be impatient.

My growth rate already far exceeds what’s considered outstanding. Sure, moving fast isn’t bad, but rushing without looking around increases the chance of messing things up.

Buzzing, murmuring—!

“……?”

Just as the carriage was about to slowly pass through the main gate of the Papal Palace, I heard a chorus of voices.

“L-Lady Saint?!”

…Saint?

Among the murmuring, someone’s shout rang clear.

“Please, stop the carriage for a moment.”

“Ah! Understood!”

Screech—!

The moment the carriage stopped, I quickly slipped out.

“Ariel?”

Then, an astonishing sight greeted me. In the distance, squeezing her way through the buildings of the Papal Palace, I saw Ariel.

On her back was a huge backpack. It was so stuffed, it looked ridiculous, bigger than her own frame.

“Hehehe… Frey. I’m a little late.”

“What in the…?”

*What were you thinking?* I was about to ask, but stopped myself.

Her face was brimming with such vibrant energy. It conveyed her thoughts to me, without needing a single explanation.

“Me. I’m gonna quit being a saint too.”

“……You’re, giving up your dream?”

Ariel was barefoot, laden with her belongings.

And her clothes. They weren’t what the Papal Palace provided, but rather a worn-out Helios uniform.

“Lady Saint…?”

“What are you thinking?”

…Why is this happening?

Snap, standing before the crowd, it felt like an incredibly bright light was shining on Ariel.

“Because, I like Frey.”

“……”

“Because I don’t want to be separated, ever. Being a Saint, being a priest, those dreams are less important than being with Frey.”

Her voice slowly getting louder, Ariel squeezed her eyes shut and said softly.

“So…”

Ariel, lips pressed tight, glanced at the Pope.

“I… I don’t want to be a Saintess. I’m sorry everyone, Pope, Goddess.”

Ariel, a large backpack slung on her shoulder, began to walk. Her steps toward the carriage were faltering, almost pitiful. It didn’t seem like she’d fully recovered her strength yet.

*Thud!*

Her unsteady steps finally gave way, and she fell face-first onto the pristine white brick. The overly heavy backpack had sent her tumbling sideways.

*Tadat dak!*

My legs, which had been frozen in place, watching the scene, suddenly moved. The mana coursing through my body exploded from my legs in a flash.

*Thwack*, I grabbed her, pulling her up, offering support, my gaze fixed on Ariel.

“So, you’ve made your decision.”

“Mhm.”

Ariel… spoke with a faint smile.

“I know Frey’s going down a hard path.”

“You really…”

“That’s why I’m going to help you. I don’t want to fall behind, I don’t want to be separated.”

Ariel, face buried against my chest, murmured softly.

She, whose dream since childhood had been to be a priest…

Was abandoning the path of a priest, the path of a Saintess, just so she could be with me.

“Hah.”

A deep sigh escaped my lips. But unlike the long exhale, a smile bloomed across my face.

…Right.

This too, is an unexpected gust of change.