Chapter 3: I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages

Cecilia the Sword Princess

"Commander, what are you going to do with that child?"

On that day when a series of events occurred.

Knight Commander Kairon carefully laid Cecilia down in a corner of the quarters and headed to his office.

"What do you think?"

"I'm against it. What kind of 6-year-old causes such a ruckus to join the knighthood? She's clearly not in her right mind."

Cold judgment, subordinate's advice, objective situation assessment.

Kairon was a knight who valued such things.

But for this matter alone, somehow his heart was telling him.

Intuition. He felt guided by some intuition he was experiencing for the first time in his life.

"She sought out the knighthood as soon as she realized her Blessing."

"And not just any, but the strongest knighthood in the world."

"She's a perceptive child."

"Get her a uniform."

Kairon stopped his reverie and returned to the present.

When he opened his eyes, the office that looked not much different from 10 years ago came into view.

But there was one striking difference from 10 years ago.

It was the girl right in front of him, just starting to lose her baby fat.

It was Cecilia.

"It's already been 10 years since you joined this Knight Order."

Kairon's low, firm voice broke the silence of the office. The girl—no, now a skilled knight—Cecilia, sitting across the desk, raised her head.

Her silver hair flowed softly, and her neat knight's uniform accentuated her mature appearance.

'Time really flies.'

To conclude, Kairon did not regret his decision back then.

Not for a single moment in those 10 years.

Rather, if there was one decision in his life he considered the best, it might have been that one.

Cecilia had achieved many great feats. The concerns about her character turned out to be unfounded.

In the past, she had single-handedly collapsed enemy lines to rescue an isolated comrade.

At the mere age of 9, no less.

An upright knight who understood the value of comrades. She was the ideal knight Kairon had always wanted.

"You've now become a knight who can stand on your own."

Cecilia seriously pondered why this stoic knight commander, who seemed like he wouldn't bleed even if stabbed, was saying such things.

Soon, guessing the reason, her expression hardened slightly.

"It's still cold outside."

"...?"

"No matter how much of a rent-free tenant I am, I think it's not right to kick me out so suddenly."

"......"

"The provision of room and board stipulated in the contract is still valid."

Kairon suppressed his bewilderment.

Though he had lived a life of restraint, he found his composure cracking more often since becoming Cecilia's guardian.

"...I'm not kicking you out."

"That's a relief."

Cecilia returned to her listless expression and sipped the green tea in front of her.

Kairon sighed once before recalling memories of the past again.

"You've always been like this. You'd suddenly show up, turn the Order into chaos, then calmly demand room and board. Did you know you'd be accepted?"

"I was cute and strong. It just naturally happended."

While most people would have taken issue with the 'cute and strong' part, but-

"That's true."

Kairon was quite the doting guardian.

Ten years. That's how long he had been raising Cecilia.

By now, he regarded her almost like his own daughter.

Kairon gently stroked the rim of his teacup and smiled softly.

"It's amazing. That naive little girl has now become revered by people as the Sword Princess."

Sword Princess.

A title given to one whose swordsmanship is like a work of art.

Currently, it was a title that referred to Cecilia.

In the Lianen Kingdom, it was a unique title held by her alone.

"...Why am I called the Sword Princess? I don't use particularly flashy sword techniques."

"Do you dislike the title Sword Princess?"

"No. I like it. But... I don't understand. I just wield my sword practically."

Cecilia tilted her head innocently, genuinely puzzled.

Kairon chuckled and took a sip of tea. Probably Cecilia was the only one in the world who didn't understand this.

"It's not just about sword techniques. The person wielding the sword is important too."

A silver-haired girl slaughtering demons at the forefront of the battlefield.

Anyone who saw her even once would have their heart stolen.

Noble and beautiful. That's why she was the Sword Princess. No other description was necessary.

"Right now, in this Knight Order—no, in this kingdom, you're the only one with the title of Sword Princess. Aren't you proud?"

"Rather than proud... It makes me sigh. Because it's still far from the next rank up."

The titles for sword-wielding knights are broadly divided into five categories.

Sword Demon, Sword Emperor, Sword Sovereign, Sword Saint, Sword God.

Sword Princess was a term derived from 'Sword Demon'.

Cecilia still had four walls to overcome.

However, Kairon wasn't particularly worried.

After all, most knights die without even attaining the title of Sword Demon in their lifetime.

"You'll be fine. You have been, and you will be."

'Cecilia will surely grow stronger. At this rate, she might even aim for the rank of Sword Sovereign in her prime.'

However, there was one point of concern.

Kairon slowly brought his tea to his lips. His unwavering hand revealed the traces of someone who had weathered time and weight.

"I'm going to retire soon."

He announced as he set down his teacup.

Even Cecilia, who rarely showed emotion, seemed surprised by this, her pupils dilating slightly.

"Already?"

"What do you mean, already? I was already at an age where it wouldn't have been strange to retire when I first met you."

Currently, Kairon was 93 years old.

For a knight, it was well past his prime.

"You haven't even lived half your life yet."

But for a Sword Sovereign, it was somewhat early.

Usually, those who reach the level of Sword Sovereign live close to 200 years.

"The Windsor Knight Order values generational change. It's about time to pass the torch to the next generation."

Cecilia stood up abruptly with a face full of discontent. She rose so roughly that the green tea she was drinking spilled, staining her pure white uniform.

Cecilia was someone who wouldn't even blink if a major city disappeared before her eyes.

Kairon was quite surprised to see such a reaction from Cecilia, who rarely showed emotional changes.

Though his surprise only amounted to a slight raise of his eyebrow.

"I don't want you to."

"...Cecilia."

He hadn't expected her to show such a strong reaction to the news of his retirement.

Kairon felt a bit touched.

"I haven't saved enough money to buy a mansion in the royal capital yet."

"......"

Kairon's face turned ashen in an instant.

"Do you know how expensive mansions are these days..."

"Cecilia."

"Yes."

"Don't expect any allowance for a while."

"I'm sorry."

Cecilia sat back down demurely.

Sighing for who knows how many times, Kairon spoke.

"Even if I retire, it doesn't mean I'll leave the royal capital right away. I still have about 20 years."

A Sword Sovereign had the strength equivalent to an entire army corps.

Being such high-level personnel, they are assigned as commanders of major fortresses.

The Lianen Kingdom had one in each of the four cardinal directions.

"...Then why don't you retire in 20 years?"

"No. If I do that, I won't be able to help you in case of emergency."

"Was what you said earlier about me being all grown up a lie?"

"You can handle your own share. But, it's different when it comes to being the vice-commander."

Cecilia wondered if she had misheard this unfamiliar term.

"...Me, as vice-commander?"

"Yes. If I retire, the position of knight commander will pass to the current vice-commander. And for the vacant vice-commander position, I'm going to recommend you."

Cecilia blinked at this unexpected news of rapid promotion.

"Don't make that face like you don't understand. There are few in the Knight Order stronger than you. Even those who are will soon have to retire due to age."

And—

This was the part Kairon was worried about.

"You must know too, Edward. That man is dangerous."

Vice-Commander, Edward Windsor.

Of royal descent, he is also outstanding in ability.

Having just reached the rank of Sword Sovereign, there's talk that he might even reach the rank of Sword Saint.

But the problem was his temperament.

He held extremely dangerous ideologies.

-Report: Subject / Edward Windsor / Used regular soldiers without Blessings as bait for operations / Resulted in victory without casualties for the Windsor Knight Order, but devastating losses for regular soldiers / Battle evaluation deemed extremely inhumane / When questioned, he reacted by saying he didn't understand the current knighthood's policy.

He is destructive, violent, and contemptuous.

"As long as I'm here, he won't reveal his ambitions, but once I'm gone, he'll likely try to seize control of the Knight Order first. Cecilia. You need to build your strength in the meantime. Both your own power and your influence within the knighthood."

If he had his way, Kairon would like to pass the position of knight commander to Cecilia.

Cecilia was an upright and pure-hearted child who could use her powerful Blessing properly.

She was also very strong.

However, it was impossible to ignore someone who might reach the level of Sword Saint and pass the knight commander position directly to Cecilia.

In fact, even the vice-commander position was too early considering her age.

'But if I don't give her at least the vice-commander position, she'll be devoured.'

Kairon looked at Cecilia with cold eyes.

Cecilia also became serious, reading the sincerity in his gaze.

"So, don't think about refusing..."

"Yes. I believe I'm qualified."

"...You accept it so readily, as if you've been waiting for this."

Seeing Cecilia's nonchalant expression anew, Kairon thought that perhaps he didn't need to worry too much.

***

Creak-

Cecilia closed the office door and glanced sideways.

'Did I fool him well?'

It didn't seem like he had noticed, but still.

'I can't let him find out that I've been smurfing and camping the Sword Princess title.'

That's right.

For quite some time, Cecilia had been hiding her true level.

The reason was simple.

'When the newbies who're coming soon arrive, Sword Princess sounds like a cooler NPC title.'

Because the name was pretty.

Sword Princess.

Isn't it just the kind of cool title that suits the current customization trend?

She absolutely must not get caught!

If Kairon finds out, he'll mercilessly give her some lame title.

"Ah."

Cecilia noticed the green stains on her abdomen and skirt hem.

It was from the green tea she had spilled earlier when she was surprised by Kairon's retirement announcement.

'I should change clothes.'

Unexpected news of promotion.

But Cecilia hoped that Kairon wouldn't retire for a long time.

Originally, a parachute hire who got in through connections rather than skills has an easier time in the company.

Besides, there's no sadder existence than a parachute without a string.

"Look over there, it's the Sword Princess."

"Really... isn't it amazing that she's reached that position at such a young age?"

"It's ridiculous. Legendary. She came in at 6 and has survived until now."

"Survived isn't the word. Did you hear the rumor that she single-handedly collapsed the demons' main force on the southern front?"

"That must be an exaggeration. Even if she is the Sword Princess, alone?"

"People who saw it said it was an unbelievable speed. They said she didn't even seem human."

Cecilia passed by the Knights' quarters, hearing people whispering.

Even though they were talking about her, Cecilia maintained her usual indifferent expression.

Actually, that wasn't true.

The corners of her mouth were tilted slightly upwards by about 1mm.

'Compliments... they always make me feel good.'

Feeling happy today too, Cecilia entered her dressing room.

The Windsor Knights was an extremely male-dominated profession, so having this spacious dressing room all to herself was a special privilege just for her.

Swish-

Cecilia changed into a fresh, fluffy new uniform and stood in front of the mirror.

The position of her knee-high socks seemed slightly off, so she straightened them with a stern face, then patted her skirt to smooth out the wrinkles.

"Hmm... I should trim my bangs a bit more when I get off work."

After a moment of checking her appearance with a blank expression, Cecilia nodded solemnly a couple of times, as if satisfied.

Perfect. That was the motto Cecilia pursued.

A perfectionist, a beautiful girl NPC called the Sword Princess.

It couldn't be more newbie-friendly than this.

"Newbies. I can't wait to see you soon."

Yum, yum. Cecilia smacked her lips and turned her head at the unusual surge of mana.

Ding-ding-ding-!

Soon after, the alarm bell rang, signaling a monster invasion.

"I don't wanna go to work."

Cecilia slumped her shoulders and lazily picked up a sword next to the coat rack, trudging along.

However, as soon as she left the dressing room, Cecilia was running earnestly.

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