Chapter 72

"Kya-ha-ha! Abua!"

"Y-Yeah…."

I awkwardly laughed and held the girl, gritting my teeth and forcing a bright smile.

"What's got you so happy this morning?"

"Hehehe! Abua! Abua!"

Who would have thought that a sword could have the power to materialize into a human form?

I knew that the divine sword Calduras had the ability to manifest its self-awareness to be seen by someone, but for the sword itself to transform into a human form, becoming a massive blob of energy, was beyond comprehension.

Name: Hongdan

Status: Completed.

Form: A broad-bladed double-edged saber.

Length: 88 cm.

Width: 6 cm.

Contractor: Dave All Round

Completion: 100%

Details:

- Self-awareness has awakened.

- Due to some reason, the self-awareness awakened early, making it quite immature.

- Despite being made by a different person, it regards Dave All Round, who completed the finishing touches, as its parent.

- The self-awareness will grow gradually over time.

- Very cute, handle with care.

"…."

- It's not my will!

Perseurk shouted with a flushed face, and I silently nodded.

Honestly, I've been through all sorts of things and am proud of it.

I've survived being thrown into the wilderness with nothing but my bare hands, and I've survived countless battles where losing my head wouldn't have been surprising.

I've even used ancient curses to my advantage and laid the foundation for rapidly developing a fief.

But.

I never expected or experienced my created sword taking on a human form and regarding me as its parent.

"Hehe. Hehehe."

Holding the small girl in my arms, who was squirming with delight, I looked up to see Amy, who was panting.

"Haa… Haa… I'm sorry, Your Highness… Miss… Haa… She's… Haa… too active…."

It was clear that, despite her small size, she had the stamina of a divine sword.

She looked like a child, but inside her was a mass of energy accumulated over thousands of years.

"You've worked hard this morning…."

"No… no, it's fine."

Amy, who had been looking at me and Hongdan with a puzzled expression, quietly stepped back.

If even Amy, who rarely doubts me, reacted this way, others would be even more astonished.

Perhaps it was because of the actions of this red-haired girl, who was clinging to me and showing off.

Suddenly, I turned my head at a small tug on my sleeve and saw a blue-haired girl looking up at me with a subtle expression, reaching out her hand.

"Chungdan."

"Abua."

When did this one come in?

Her pronunciation was as awkward as Hongdan's.

Or, as twins, they looked almost identical except for their blue and red eyes and hair.

The only way to distinguish them was by their voices and feelings.

Still, because I made them, I could tell the subtle differences despite their identical appearances.

It felt like I had become a parent.

I suppressed a sigh that naturally wanted to escape and picked up Chungdan, who let out a giggle.

Hongdan, who was openly delighted, and Chungdan, who was blushing and clinging to me, made my heart race.

"Miss, your hair isn't fully done yet."

"Shiru!"

Amy, who saw the girls clinging to me and sticking out their tongues, made a face as if asking for help.

"Hongdan, you need to listen well."

Since she usually listens to me, she pouted and then quickly detached herself from me, holding Amy's hand tightly.

"Haa…."

Amy, who had been panting a moment ago, blushed and looked at a loss.

"Your Highness, the girls are so cute! Where did you bring them from?"

Thankfully, she didn't think I had given birth to them.

They were indeed born through my hands.

"Do you know anything about these girls?"

She quietly wiggled her fingers and hesitantly spoke.

"For now, only a few servants inside the castle know. Miss Hongdan is very active…."

It seems they were quiet all night but started running around as soon as morning came.

"Do they know they're related to me?"

"Um? Ah… Yes."

"Then it's settled. Keep this quiet until I sort things out in my head. Make sure everyone keeps their mouths shut."

She nodded quietly, even though she looked puzzled.

If these girls were ordinary children, I wouldn't be so troubled.

My stomach already felt queasy, and I forced a smile as I quietly said,

"Let them do whatever they want for now. Just don't let them go outside."

Amy, who seemed to be entrusted with the task, nodded excitedly.

* * *

"Alright, let's start with a check."

At my solemn words, the two little girls on the bed perked up with shining eyes.

"First, try this. It's called a cookie."

"Kookie?"

"Yes, a cookie. It's delicious. Do you want to try one?"

"Kya-ha!"

"Ow!"

I handed the small cookies I held to Hongdan and Chungdan, who sniffed them and then gleefully popped them into their mouths.

I don't know how a sword can eat, but it seems they can perform the act of eating.

Perseurk's information-gathering ability can provide fragmented information, but for detailed matters, I have to verify them myself.

-That swords can eat is surprising.

"They sleep and eat. I know they have emotions…."

The girls, who had been munching with their small mouths, now reached out to me with their hands.

"Hmm?"

"Abua…."

"Kookie."

They wanted more, it seemed.

Teaching these clueless little girls felt strange.

"No. Eating too many will rot your teeth."

"Uu…."

Hongdan openly showed disappointment, and Chungdan sent a sad look my way.

"Sniff… Sniff…."

They started to look up at me with teary eyes, their ultimate weapon.

"No."

"Uu…."

"No… No… No… Okay… Okay… Fine, I'll indulge you! Let's have one more."

Ah, this is already not going to be easy.

"Kya-ha!"

The girls, delighted, immediately clung to me and smiled.

"Damn…."

Of course, I couldn't help but make a sour face, which they couldn't see.

-If I spoil them, they'll get bad habits.

'They're swords, surely not.'

-From what I can see, these children are very much like actual children. How you raise them could shape their personalities.

"Hmm…."

-Pfft, isn't that funny? Depending on how you raise them, a holy sword could become a cursed sword.

Well, the standard for distinguishing a holy sword from a cursed sword is the human using it, not the sword itself.

Perseurk's words had a point.

"Then, let's check the most important thing."

There's nothing strange about them. If I leave them as they are, they could be mistaken for innocent children.

"Alright, Hongdan and Chungdan. Can you return to your original forms?"

They understand me well.

Their pronunciation is awkward, but I assumed it was because they had just materialized.

The two girls, who had been tilting their heads, suddenly hugged me as if they understood.

For a moment, I felt a warm, soft sensation and smiled.

Then, their bodies began to emit light and gradually became blurry, eventually transforming into two swords.

The cute red-haired Hongdan turned into a red sword, and the shy Chungdan turned into a blue sword.

Since their original form is a sword, they don't seem to have any resistance to transforming back.

"Hmm…."

After confirming their complete transformation, I lightly swung the swords.

Fortunately, it seems the sword's performance hasn't declined with the awakening of self-awareness.

In fact, the density of the power inside seems to have become even more concentrated.

The transformation was natural.

Like a child instinctively learning to crawl and roll over.

The girls transformed their forms quite familiarly, as if they could sense it instinctively.

"Alright. You can come back now."

As I held out a cookie, the girls, who had transformed back into small girls, reached out to me with excited faces.

"Abua!"

"Kookie… please…!"

They were trying to speak, forgetting their awkward pronunciation.

I couldn't hide my laughter as I handed them the cookies, and they started to crumble and eat them with serious expressions.

They were trying to savor them.

"I can't just leave them. I'll have to announce that I'm protecting them."

-They're not your daughters, but adopted daughters, right?

"Who's going to block my marriage?"

-Wasn't that your intention?

I clicked my tongue at Perseurk's question and looked at the girls.

If they were just any other children, I could pass them off as kids I'm protecting, but they are my first creations with self-awareness.

It's not bad to meet the expectations of the girls who regard me as their father.

Since they were born through my hands, I should take responsibility.

-Even royalty must be cautious about adoption.

"That's true."

If an unmarried man suddenly adopted two children of unknown lineage, it would cause a scandal.

From a tarnished image to ridiculous rumors, it would be a mess.

Especially in this country, where the nobles are overly nosy.

"Fine, let them gossip behind my back. I have enough to deal with without worrying about that."

Creating a fief, regaining my strength.

After spending nearly a thousand years in the corridor, I returned unexpectedly, and it's hard to find a clear purpose.

The only thing that comes to mind is the keyword 'living.'

I haven't lived long, combining my past and present lives.