Chapter 48: I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages

Vacation (1)

After reporting to Edward, Cecilia immediately went to report to Kairon.

She left out the parts concerning the Demon King — that was Edward’s domain.

With Cecilia returning safe and sound, Kairon visibly looked relieved.

“Mission perfectly accomplished, and no casualties either.”

Following his relief, praise came next. Kairon was genuinely proud of Cecilia.

“Since you kept your promise, I should keep mine as well. Tell me what you want.”

Cecilia answered immediately.

“Allowance, please.”

“Alright. You worked hard this time, so I’ll give you a generous 100 gold.”

(Approximately 100 million won in Korean currency.)

As if he’d anticipated this, Kairon took a coin pouch from a drawer and handed it to her.

Cecilia gasped with joy and clutched the pouch tightly to her chest.

“Spend it wisely.”

“Yes!”

“And try to buy clothes in moderation.”

“Yes!”

Seeing Cecilia smiling so brightly, Kairon let out a soft chuckle.

‘At times like this, she’s just like any other kid her age.’

…A side of her he wished he could see more often.

“Is there anything else you want?”

Kairon asked, secretly hoping for something like:

— Honestly, during this mission, I realized just how lacking my swordsmanship is. I'd like to learn more. Please teach me!

or

— I think I lack leadership. I want to become a better commander who can lead troops. Could you tutor me?

Yes, Kairon was the kind of father who was always a bit too eager.

“I’d like to request a vacation.”

“…Vacation?”

It wasn’t the answer he was expecting, so he was slightly disappointed.

Still, it was unexpected enough that he asked again.

“You even know what that is?”

“…According to the laws of the Lianen Kingdom, knights are legally entitled to 40 days of rest per year.”

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

Kairon shook his head.

“You haven’t asked for a single day off in the past 10 years.”

“Even I want to rest sometimes.”

Cecilia replied, avoiding eye contact.

Kairon’s eyebrow twitched slightly.

She’s plotting something again.

But...

“Rest is also an important virtue for a knight. Do what you ‘want’ for the time being. I’ll give you a week.”

Hwaaa—

Cecilia’s eyes sparkled as she looked up at him.

“Th-Then…”

As she began to fidget and twist shyly, Kairon nodded with a pleased feeling.

He had resolved to grant most of her requests today.

“…Can I have a little more pocket money?”

“?”

Wasn’t 100 gold enough?

By any reasonable standard?

“…What exactly are you trying to buy?”

Kairon frowned and glared suspiciously.

If she intended to spend over 100 gold on clothes, he was prepared to take the rest back.

Cecilia may have been a nearly perfect daughter, but her taste for luxury was problematic.

If not curbed in youth, her extravagant spending habits could spiral out of control later on.

“I want to buy some things for the new knights.”

“…Gifts?”

“Yes. They’ve only just been appointed and already went on such a big mission. It must’ve been tough.”

‘She’s already old enough to think of things like that?’

Kairon was deeply moved.

“Truly admirable. Rewarding subordinates who fought hard is the proper mindset of a high-ranking knight.”

In that spirit, Kairon picked up a pen and scribbled something on a piece of paper.

After personally signing it, he handed it to Cecilia.

“...Can’t you just give it to me from your own wallet?”

But Cecilia had a somewhat uneasy look on her face.

Kairon narrowed his eyes. It was obvious what she was thinking.

“Commending your subordinates is clearly something that should be covered by the Order’s budget.”

Budgets were not the Commander’s duty — they were the Vice-Commander’s.

All expenses of the Windsor Order had to go through Edward’s approval.

The Commander only made the requests. Cecilia likely knew she wasn’t confident in getting much out of Edward.

‘I should start training her to deal with Edward. Gotta prepare for the day I retire.’

Though Kairon had his own reasons, Cecilia kept sulking.

‘I’ve worked so hard. Can’t he just give it to me already? He’s got tons of money anyway...’ was written all over her face.

“Then I’ll just deduct it from your allowance.”

“Ah, no! Please don’t.”

“Then go ask Edward. He’ll probably approve that much.”

Cecilia hesitated and dragged her feet toward the door.

Kairon sighed, and Cecilia kept glancing at him while leaving the Commander’s office.

'She's still acting so spoiled...'

Kairon was feeling hopeless about the future. But then, Cecilia peeked out timidly from the door crack—

“Seriously, can’t you just—?”

“You want your allowance revoked?!”

Only after hearing Kairon's roar did Cecilia finally head toward the Vice-Commander’s office.

“No.”

Edward shut her down without so much as blinking.

“Go back.”

“I must firmly protest this unreasonable treatment. This is injustice.”

“Cecilia.”

Edward smiled brightly as he closed the documents.

“I heard you returned all the unused supplies from the last dungeon expedition. So where exactly did the allocated budget go? You didn’t embezzle it or anything, did yo—”

Cecilia bolted out of the room with her tail between her legs.

Yup. The Vice Commander was definitely an evil villain.

***

Still, Cecilia was full of spirit.

She still had a fortune of 100 gold in her pocket, and more importantly...

‘Today is my date with Betty! I’m gonna spoil her rotten.’

Because she had plans with Beatrice.

She was going to introduce her to a delicious dessert shop and even buy her some clothes.

After waiting in the square for a bit, a familiar voice rang out.

“Cecilia!”

Spotting Beatrice running toward her from afar, Cecilia quickly checked her outfit.

Today’s look concept: Younger Sister Out for a Short Walk™!

She paired an ivory sweatshirt with shorts — comfy yet irresistibly cute.

The oversized sleeves that hid half her hands and the loosely tied, poking-out drawstring of the shorts were key touches.

She completed the look with a subtle but clearly expensive little necklace for a minimalist statement.

Undoubtedly, she was the hippest trendsetter in the Middle Ages.

“You came a bit early.”

“Yeah. You’re in casual clothes today.”

“Yup!”

Beatrice twirled in place, clearly thrilled by the rare outing.

It was just a simple dress, but... somehow it felt like Cecilia was getting emotionally punched in the gut.

‘Still, today’s demand is on my side.’

Confident in her fashion game, Cecilia didn’t lose heart.

As she stared subtly at Beatrice, the girl reacted like a vending machine.

“Cecilia, you look so cute too!”

“Yeah. I know.”

“……”

Beatrice gave an awkward smile.

“I’ve been meaning to say this, but your clothes are really unique, Cecilia. Not just the design, but the material looks really high-quality too!”

Beatrice was a young lady from a noble family.

Fashion sense was practically a required etiquette for noble girls.

Because of that, Cecilia — who normally only got bland reactions from her fellow knights — could now bask in Beatrice’s refined, high-born compliments.

This was the pinnacle of mi-mi (美美), beauty recognizing beauty.

“As expected of the capital. By the way, how much would something like that cost?”

That one question made Cecilia’s eyes sparkle.

In other words…

— How much?

What she was wearing today was the so-called “Cecilia Ivory Jogger Short Set: Sister Out for a Walk Ver” (sold separately).

And it was surprisingly difficult to craft.

Given that this was a medieval world without developed textile technology, even developing the synthetic fibers required over 20 different types of magic.

The tailoring process was no joke either, so she had to call in a tailor who happened to be a knight blessed with a tailoring grace.

—It was a blatant abuse of authority.

Mass production? Don’t even dream about it.

Therefore, it was a bit pricey.

“About 100 gold?”

“Eh?”

Beatrice, who had just been thinking “maybe I should get one too,” froze in place.

“…Are you wearing a mansion?”

“Nah. The necklace is expensive. That alone costs about 80 gold.”

“T-That tiny necklace?!”

Beatrice’s voice shot up in disbelief.

As nearby people started turning their heads, she hurriedly covered her own mouth.

“Yup. It’s made of Amantatium.”

“……?”

“It sparkles, so it’s pretty.”

‘A-Ah… It must be an artifact. It has to be.’

Beatrice forced herself to accept that, muttering as if in prayer.

“So just the outfit itself costs 20 gold, huh… That’s more than the price of a house.”

Cecilia tilted her head innocently.

“You can buy a house for 20 gold?”

“……In our estate, you could buy one for 10.”

“In the royal capital, 20 gold wouldn’t even buy you a small shack.”

“…!”

“Probably not even a doghouse.”

“……!”

Beatrice, the country noble’s daughter, was emotionally wounded.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes...”

‘Still… she’s adorable. Like a doll come to life.’

Beatrice barely managed to resist the urge to pat her and began shopping with Cecilia.

And within just 5 minutes, she learned a vital truth:

“Haha! It’s been a while since such a distinguished customer visited us. I had a feeling the Sword Princess might drop by, so I’ve been saving this precious product only for you! Behold, the Cat Hairpin Artifact! When worn, it boosts cuteness by a whopping 10 points! I'll give it to you for only 4 gold!” (About 4 million Korean won)

‘That’s utter nonsense! There’s no such artifact! This is a total scam!’

“Wow! I’ll take two!”

This person... has a serious problem with money.

***

After many twists and turns, Cecilia and Beatrice finally made it to a dessert shop—one of the few places where they wouldn’t get scammed.

Beatrice slumped into her seat, feeling more exhausted than she had after clearing the dungeon.

‘I can’t leave her alone for a second. Letting Cecilia loose in the shopping district should be considered a serious crime.’

First, she almost got dragged off by someone who was obviously a slave trader. People often failed to recognize Cecilia in casual clothes since her aura was so different.

Then she nearly invest her entire fortune on a guy selling suspicious rocks.

Despite supposedly living in the capital all her life, Cecilia seemed to have even less common sense than Beatrice, who’d only lived there for 2 years.

In Theresia, if you’re too naive, they’ll strip you of everything but your underwear!

“The strawberry parfait here is the best in the world.”

“R-Really? I’ve never been here before, but…”

“Yup yup. Let’s get one and share it.”

Still, seeing Cecilia so happy made all the hardship melt away.

Beatrice smiled fondly at Cecilia, who was practically sticking her face into the menu.

Then Cecilia suddenly lifted her head and blinked.

“Oh, right. I forgot.”

She rummaged through her pocket and handed over a cat-shaped hairpin.

It was possibly the hairpin that she was almost scammed into buying earlier. Beatrice looked confused, and Cecilia simply handed it over.

“Here. It’s a gift.”

“……!”

For reference, that hairpin costs 8 silver coin. (about 800k Korean won)

It actually did have some high-end craftsmanship, so it was expensive for a hairpin.

Beatrice accepted it in a daze.

“So… that’s why you bought two?”

“Yup.”

Cecilia nodded with her usual blank expression.

Beatrice was so touched that tears streamed down her face.

“I-I’ll treasure it as a family heirloom for life…!”

“No. You have to take it to your grave.”

Beatrice’s tears instantly retreated.

Still, the gesture had clearly moved her. She carefully pinned it to her hair.

“It suits you.”

“Th-Thank you.”

Beatrice bowed her head. She wanted to give Cecilia something in return.

But what could she give her? Surely Cecilia already had everything she could want…

‘There’s only one way I can repay her.’

With strength.

Truthfully, it was something she’d been thinking about earnestly since yesterday.

But how?

If wanting to grow stronger was enough, everyone would be a Sword Sovereign by now.

‘There’s only one answer. Cecilia has to teach me.’

Even if it was shameless, Beatrice had to ask.

Putting aside her embarrassment, Beatrice was desperate enough.

“Um… Cecilia.”

Cecilia, happy at the thought of eating something tasty, looked up curiously with a tilt of her head.

Beatrice took a deep breath and said nervously,

“…I want to become stronger.”

“Okay. And?”

“I-I know it’s asking a lot, but… would you teach me swordsmanship?”

In that moment—

The atmosphere changed.

Beatrice instinctively held her breath.

Swordsmanship.

The second Cecilia heard that word, the smile on her face vanished without a trace.

Her silver eyes glinted coldly. Her gaze turned icy, devoid of all emotion.

And deep within that gaze, something stirred.

The scent of blood.

Madness.

And then, in an instant, it was gone.

Cecilia smiled again, as if nothing had happened, and nodded cheerfully.

“Okay. I’d love to.”

Beatrice hiccupped.

She had the overwhelming feeling that she had just touched on something she definitely shouldn’t have.

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