Chapter 25: Even if there is nothing beyond that

Translated by Hikaru

Edited by Mel

For Elysia, her father, Gaul, was the most respected person in the world. The Knights of Orthodox, where most of the knights are talented and hardworking, her father held the prestigious position of Commander.

Elysia might not really realize it, but it seemed that her father was a powerful person who was said to be the greatest commander of all time, and some people called him by the disturbing nickname of “Sword Demon”. Even though the world called him a demon, he was a warm father in front of his family. He had a strong sense of justice and devotion to his sword – more than anyone else. Longing for such a father, Elysia began to wield a sword from an early age.

“Does Elysia want to be a knight like Dad in the future.”

When Elysia was five years old, her father suddenly asked her as she trained with a child’s sword.

“Yup!”

“Really. Then, let me tell you the most important thing for a knight. “

Seeing her father’s serious expression, Elysia stopped waving her sword and listened to him.

“Live straight.”

“…straight?”

“Yeah. You have to live straight toward what you believe in. If you do, your sword will be straight. A knight’s sword must be straight. You can’t protect people with a twisted sword, and most importantly, you can’t make people believe in you.” Then he patted Elysia’s head.

“Live a straight life, wield a straight sword, and become a trustworthy person.”

The next day, people were informed that the Knights of Orthodox was going to participate in the War of Heroes and Demons. Naturally, her father had to participate in the battle. Since then, her father rarely returned home. There were only about ten days in a year that she could spend with her father. Even so, the words that her father had taught her on that day were firmly imprinted into her mind. She thought it was a very noble way to live. She was convinced that her father was a man who truly deserved respect. As his daughter, she was very proud of his strength and wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Although the Great War dragged on and she did not see her father for a long time, Elysia did not feel lonely. If she had time to be depressed or sad, she concentrated on her sword. When Elysia celebrated her tenth birthday alone, she used her saved allowance to buy an adult sword, and spent her days wielding it. Eventually, the war entered its final phase. A party of heroes stepped into the Demon King’s territory. In a few more days, the war would be over. She would be able to see her father in a few more days. When she met her father again, she thought she would show him how much she had grown ― just then…

She heard that her father had been killed in the war.

Her father, who had served as a leader of the Hero Party in the retreat to escape, had died an honorable death. She cried. At the same time, she thought, “This is just like my father.” Her father had lived a straight life to the end. However ― one day, a squire from House Telgande came to see her. Her father had never returned home, but he had been back to the house of Duke Telgande several times as part of his duties as a knight. The squire had come to Elysia to deliver some of her father’s belongings.

“Oh, uh, Miss Elysia. Actually, I’d like to talk to you about something…”

What the squire told her was an unbelievable story. There was a locked room in the house of the Telgande family. It seemed that her father and Robert Telgande were arguing there. In addition, the words “embezzlement” and “silence” were mixed in among the words that were flying around.

She felt cold, her whole body being overwhelmed by anger. But still, there was no proof. So Elysia decided to talk to the people involved in The Knights of Orthodox. Fortunately or unfortunately, as the daughter of the leader, Elysia had many acquaintances in the Knights of Orthodox. They probably only saw Elysia asking about her father’s death, as just a girl who was grieving for her father. Therefore, they casually leaked information.

During the retreat battle, Robert unexpectedly hired mercenaries to work beside her father. It was done without notice, causing the knights to be confused. Moreover, as soon as her father died, the mercenaries fled from the front line, deviating greatly from the planned route. Robert determined that this was an act of betrayal and had the Knights of Orthodox punish them. There was too much discomfort in the sequence of events. The knights seemed to have the same idea, but unlike Elysia, they didn’t know that Robert was suspected of corruption, so they hadn’t yet begun to wonder about Robert himself. Elysia was convinced – her father’s death was Robert’s fault.

Her father, who had lived such a straightforward life, was killed in the end by a twisted human. This fact changed something in Elysia.

“Live straight.”

Her father’s words came back to her. She would never forget that memorable lesson. Even if her father’s life ended on a twisted blade, she’d not let what he taught her go to waste. Elysia lived a straight life. She just kept going straight towards her goal. She did not break her promise to her father. All for the purpose of killing Robert. Elysia lived a straightforward life.

◆

The morning of the joint exercise, Elysia woke up from a dream of the past.

“Dad…wait for me. I’ll get it all done today.”

After washing her face and changing into her uniform, Elysia picked up her sword that was propped against the wall of her room. She had always taken good care of her sword, but today she took extra care. She didn’t want it to lose its sharpness when the time came. In fact, she would like to boil it, roast it, and kill it after tormenting it for a long time, but the knights would probably rush in if she took that long. So she aimed for a quick death. She would cut the man’s head off his body in an instant. After putting the sword on her waist, she headed to the school. There she ran into her homeroom teacher, Sylphia-sensei.

“Good morning, Elysia. I’ll be working with the committee today.”

“Yes.”

While wearing a smile, Elysia began her work for the committee. Most of the work was menial. Along with the other committee members, she escorted the knights to the school and then watched students closely to make sure they didn’t interfere with the exercises.

“Ms. Elysia, go give these to the people over there.”

About an hour had passed since the joint exercise started. A second-year member of the committee handed her a box of drinks.

“Understood.”

Elysia nodded obediently and handed the drinks to the knights. Elysia smiled friendly at the knights’ gratitude, saying “It’s my job,” while stealing glances at her target.

Robert Telgande.

A man who killed her father to fatten his own pockets.

She couldn’t forgive that man. If it were true, she would like to cut his throat right now. However―

…guards are in the way.

There were always two guards standing by Robert’s side. It was strange that the current head of the Duke’s family was Kreis, but his younger brother Robert, is the one who is so concerned about his personal security. It would be hard to use him as a diplomatic card – whether you kill him or kidnap him. Elysia guessed that he must have made a lot of enemies in the process of filling his pockets.

Tweight is at…

Remembering what happened the other day, Elysia looked for Tweight. There were countless students gathered around, and it was difficult to find Tweight among them.

What will she do if Tweight becomes her enemy?

A great deal of anxiety swirled in her chest.

From the time he entered school until now, Elysia had been calmly observing Tweight. It all started when she teamed up with Tweight in the entrance exam. When she witnessed the outrageous sniping, Elysia vaguely imagined a future where Tweight would stand in front of her. Maybe she couldn’t win. If Tweight showed up now, her revenge plan would be ruined.

…Don’t rush. It’s not the real deal yet.

Since she was nominated to be a member of the joint exercise committee, Elysia has been planning her revenge. That’s why she’d been absent for a while now – she needed time to think. After much deliberation, Elysia created two plans for her revenge. One was now. In the middle of the joint exercises. If Robert were to leave his guards, she planned to kill him then, but there was no sign of that. If that’s the case―

―The game is at night

The work of the executive committee continues even after the joint exercise is over. At night, the committee members were going to help carry the equipment used in order to reduce the burden on the knights. At that time, the equipment brought by the regular Orthodox knights would be taken to the base of the King’s Guard next to the royal castle.

Robert Telgande would be attending a banquet at the royal castle today. Even Robert couldn’t afford to have an armed escort inside the castle. In other words, the aim was at night. That’s when Robert enters the royal castle. Of course. You can’t commit murder in a royal castle and not get caught, but it did not matter. Elysia’s goal was revenge.

She guess this is what Tweight called “catastrophic revenge”. But even though she knew this, her desire for revenge would not fade. Even if there was nothing beyond that, this hatred would never stop.

◆

After the exercise was over, Elysia carried the Knights of Orthodox equipment to the base of the Knights of the King’s Guard and immediately put her plan into action. As soon as she put the equipment into storage, she grabbed her sword that she had hidden earlier. She could have borrowed the swords of the Knights of Orthodox that were all over the place, but she couldn’t bear to use the swords of those who respected her father for her own revenge.

Now she was close to Robert. Her plan was to somehow break into the royal castle and kill Robert there, but maybe she could kill him before that.

The ideal time is now. At this moment.

The moment when Robert headed for the royal castle. This was the moment when the greatest gap could be created. With her hand on the scabbard of her sword, Elysia looked for Robert’s figure.

There he is.

Robert was heading to the royal castle alone, away from the men of the Knights of Orthodox. The area around the castle was heavily guarded. She guessed that’s why he felt at ease. However, no matter how many eyes were watching, it’s impossible to respond to a sudden attack. Without an escort, Robert did not go to the royal castle alone.

…What?

For some reason, Robert stopped in front of the royal castle and followed the deserted road beside it. She had heard that there was a beautiful garden near the royal castle. Especially at night, when the moonlight illuminates the garden, it was so beautiful that it seemed out of this world. But, but, oh no, you’re going now? Without an escort? At this time of night, when it is completely dark? All by yourself?

No way.

No way―

―Can kill him?

I can kill. I can kill him.

Kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill, kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill!!!

Now, now, now, now, now, now!

Do it! Kill him! Don’t let him get away!

Get closer! Come closer! Come on! Don’t let him get away!!

Stay calm! No! No! I don’t have to calm down anymore!!

Cut off his head! Cut it off!! Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, get the sword first!

That’s right, slay with it, slash slash slash!!

Kill, kill! Kill him! !! !!

Let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, let’s go, go! !! !! !! !! !!

Die ―――――――――――――――――― !! !!

“Ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! ! ! !”

Killed.

She definitely killed him.

Robert’s head was chopped off by her and it dropped cleanly and swiftly. She felt great, and couldn’t stop laughing.

She threw her blood-soaked sword into the garden and continued running aimlessly. Her body was burning so much that the night breeze could not cool it down. Passersby looked at her suspiciously as she ran with a crazy smile on her face. Ignoring their gazes, Elysia just ran through the stone pavement.

“―What the hell!”

Elysia stopped and shouted when her strength ran out and she could no longer run anymore.

“That guy, Tweight! What do you mean I can’t survive this?! I’m alive, am I not still alive!”

Breathing on her shoulder, Elysia looked backwards. None of the knights were following her.

My smile slowly spilled over and my head slowly regained its composure. My heart was beating fast. She knew she was more excited than she had ever been.

But ― it’s strange.

Why doesn’t anyone follow me? Nobody has noticed Robert’s death yet?

―What should I do?

What should I do from now on? Run away? Go where? Hide? For how long?

She lived for this day. She never thought about the future from here onward. What should she do? Where should she go from now on?

“… Let’s go back.”

Let’s go back to the school. Maybe that was where she belonged now. She should be proud of myself. After all, she had already done what she had to do. It wouldn’t hurt or be a problem if she got caught now.

Elysia returned to the Builders Academy dormitory and laid her body down on the bed. She couldn’t sleep at all that day, probably due to excitement.