I Was a Sword When I Reincarnated (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter 5.1

Aside: Kiara

I THOUGHT WE WERE out of the frying pan, but we were immediately plunged into fire. Fran had lost control of her sword, and it was so powerful that we may as well have allowed Urslars to continue to rage.

If anything, this was worse. As crazy as Urslars was, he knew enough to make good combat decisions. Decisions that, for example, wouldn’t bring the whole dungeon down on top of us. That was the only thing keeping us alive. That, and the fact the Godsword couldn’t show its true power in this tight space.

This sword showed no such restraint. It could cast five grand spells at the same time, it used a Sword King Art, it could fly, it could change shape, and now it had the strength of Mad Ogre Form to boot. That last thing alone would have made it the finest enchanted sword in the world.

“And I doubt that’s all I can do,” I muttered to myself.

It may as well have been a Godsword. The steel wolf threw out powerful black mana, shot through with streaks of wicked red. I understood why Mea froze on the spot and whispered the Demon Wolf’s name. She wasn’t far off the mark. This thing was more powerful than any direwolf I’d ever encountered.

Grooooooaar!

The shockwaves coming off it were so powerful that I had trouble keeping a grip on my sword. I was exhausted, and I had no way of launching a reprisal. Still, I couldn’t give up just yet. The wolf wasn’t my only opponent.

“You look ready to throw down, old lady,” said the Fiend.

“I’m just buying some time for the children.”

I didn’t want to humor him, but I was afraid of what would happen if I didn’t. There was no other way out of this room. I just needed to hold them off. I drew my sword and put myself between the Fiend and the doorway.

“You want to die?” he asked.

“Eh, I don’t have much time left anyway. Might as well use what I’ve got for something useful, don’t you think? Flashing Thunderclap!”

“Ku ha ha! I love a duel to the death, even with a weakling like you!”

Gaoooooo!

And so our battle began, and we all turned on each other.

Theraclede really did seem to be enjoying himself. Good. I could take advantage of that to buy more time. As long as I didn’t collapse.

“But how long can I last…?” I wondered.

I had just recovered from an illness and I hadn’t stopped fighting since last night. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, I couldn’t keep this up for long. If only I could somehow kill them both with a single attack…

Grrr…

“Let’s see…”

But there was nothing I could do. Theraclede had survived the wrath of a Godsword, and I didn’t even know how to begin to kill an animated metal wolf. Whichever way you cut it, the odds were against me. So, what now?

“Haa…!”

“You’ve got great moves for an old lady!”

Groooooar!

I had no choice but to attack Theraclede, but it meant turning my back on the wolf. I barely avoided the wolf’s attacks while locking Theraclede down with my lightning and my sword.

Sweat trickled down my back. How could a wolf use its tail like a whip?! If I wasn’t Awakened, it would have taken my legs off. As it was, the attack struck Theraclede instead, just as I’d planned. I could feel the Malice leaking from the flesh wound. Whatever had happened to that sword, it still had Fiend Crusher on it.

“This can work,” I muttered.

It had to. It was the only shot I had. I still had no idea how to deal with the wolf, but I’d have to cross that bridge when I got to it.

“Don’t think I’ll fall for that cheap shot again,” Theraclede growled.

“No? Well, we’ll see about that.”

I jumped away, putting everything into speed and evasion. My brain spun frantically, reading Theraclede’s movements and trying to keep an eye on the wolf while I baited them into each other. Both of them were focusing their attacks on me now, but what of it? I didn’t make it this far in life by giving in to despair. And besides, the situation wasn’t hopeless yet.

I managed to dodge all of the wolf’s attacks, but Theraclede wasn’t finding it so easy.

“Tch!”

After suffering enough damage, he jumped away to catch his footing. But I wasn’t about to let him get away. I chased him down with the full speed of a Black Sky Tiger, with the metal wolf hot on my heels.

“You old bitch!”

Grooooar!

“Mwa ha ha ha!” I laughed. “Come now, Fiend! What happened to your confidence?”

I danced through the pain, pushing my body to its limits. Each step cost me a minute of my life. I was as fast as Theraclede, but I was weaker than him and had no way to regenerate. I was no match for the wolf. I shouldn’t even be on my feet, but there were a few things keeping me in the fight for now.

First, Theraclede was humoring me. He lived for the thrill of the fight and was still fooling around. Next, the wolf was fast, but it lacked the control to be truly agile. It was even somewhat clumsy. But the most significant reason I was still fighting was my experience. My enemies were naturally powerful, even excessively so, but they relied too much on their instincts and lacked the wisdom to know when to strike.

My experience meant that I could read their movements. I could see when they were going to attack. All I had to do was adapt to it. Granted, that took every ounce of my agility and attention, but it was also keeping me alive.

“Yaaaargh! Just die already, you hag!” Theraclede growled.

Graaaaargh!

“Hmph…”

I was almost spent, but neither of them showed even the slightest sign of exhaustion. It was frustrating, but I couldn’t let up now. If I did, I’d be dead in a second. Such was my current circumstance.

“Huff huff…”

“Breaking a sweat, old lady?” Theraclede asked.

“It’s hard work holding myself back for you young folks,” I teased.

If I could make him angry, I could keep his attention on me for long enough for the others to escape. I dug deep, forcing the last of my mana down into my legs, my lungs, my failing heart. My body was at breaking point, but I couldn’t let it fall.

As I struggled to stand upright, the wolf was falling apart.

Gaaaaah!

It howled in pain and slumped to the ground. It wasn’t that it slipped or lost its balance. Rather, its metallic body simply crumbled into sand.

What was happening to it?

Theraclede and I both jumped away from it to watch. The creature was barely even a wolf at this point. Most of its body had disintegrated, leaving only a few fragments of metal.

It continued disintegrating, faster and faster, until only Fran’s sword lay in its place. There were cracks all over its blade. The red-and-black aura around it had melted away, and its Godsword-like power was a distant memory. There was no trace of mana coming out of it at all. It was probably dead.

One down, one more to go. But as I turned back to Theraclede, he rolled his eyes and lowered his guard.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Uh, this is boring. The sword’s done for, and you’re about to kick the bucket. Might as well go find those lively little—”

“I’m not dead yet, dammit!”

“Oooh, I stand corrected. But you’re slower than you were, old lady.”

Of course I was slower! I was in excruciating pain and my legs weren’t working like they were meant to. I barely had any life left in me, but I couldn’t let this bastard through. Never mind the future of the Black Cats or the whole of the Beastman Nation—Fran’s life was at risk! We may not be related by blood, but I would not let this bastard hurt my granddaughter!

…?

“Huh?” I looked around. “Who was that?”

Kiara…

A voice. Telepathy? But who was it coming from?

Who are you? I asked.

I’m Teacher. This is…the first time we’ve talked. But I know a lot about you. More than you know about me.

How? I asked. Where are you?

Right in front of you. See that sword? That’s me.

What?!

An Intelligent Weapon?! That would explain how Mad Ogre Form could make a sword go crazy like that. I never thought I’d meet a legendary weapon, let alone when I was at death’s door.

Thank you for speaking to me telepathically. I’m too tired to move my lips.

Kiara, you need to turn off Flashing Thunderclap right now or…

No. The second I turn it off, he’ll cut me to pieces.

But you’ll die if you don’t!

That’s fine by me, I said. As long as I can hold him off.

But you’ll break Fran’s heart! the sword begged.

But I was going to die, and what a relief that I wouldn’t be leaving Fran on her own.

I wasn’t worried for Mea. She had Quina and that impudent brat, Rigdith, who’d somehow become a loving father.

But Fran? The other Black Cats would never be good company for her. I’d thought my death would condemn her to solitude. It was good to know I was leaving her with a friend. I may only just have started speaking to this sword, but I could already tell it cared for her. Fran wouldn’t be alone. She wouldn’t have to shoulder her burdens all by herself.

I could die without a care in the world.

Been a fighter all my life. Won’t you give me the dignity of a fighter’s death? I asked.

Kiara…

Please.

All right, the sword agreed. Then we’ll have to use what’s left of your life to beat Theraclede.

Heh. Sounds splendid. What’s the plan?

First of all…

I could barely move. There were so many cracks in my blade, and I didn’t have enough energy to regenerate them. I couldn’t use Telekinesis either, but at least the fog had finally lifted from my mind. Enough that I could assess the situation.

I had faint memories of what happened. I remembered taking Mad Ogre Form from Urslars and firing off multiple Kanna Kamuys. I’d transmogrified myself and used Unleash Potential. I’d fought better than I ever had. Despite driving you crazy, Mad Ogre Form retained all your combat sense.

After that, everything got a little hazy. I cut up Theraclede and then…what? I think I unleashed a great amount of power. Something inside me had urged me to transform into a wolf, but that same something had fought for control of my body the whole time I was in that form. It made it difficult to control.

The next thing I knew, my blade was broken and I was lying on the floor. I must have spent too much time in Unleash Potential and completely wrecked my durability. Somehow, the damage freed me from Mad Ogre Form. Now I had less than a hundred points of durability left, and so little mana that I couldn’t even regenerate. That wasn’t a problem in itself, but Kiara was still fighting Theraclede, and she wasn’t looking good. She’d been in Flashing Thunderclap for too long and was getting close to death. I tried to warn her with telepathy, but…

Gaah!

Pain rushed up my blade. I couldn’t understand it. It wasn’t a physical pain, but I must have pushed myself beyond my limits. I must be in more trouble than I thought, but this was no time to hesitate. Pain or not, I had to contact Kiara. But when she responded, it sounded like she had already made up her mind.

Been a fighter all my life. Won’t you give me the dignity of a fighter’s death?

Kiara…

Please, she said.

There was no way I could make her turn off that skill, and even if I could, it would be an insult to her.

All right. Then we’ll have to use what’s left of your life to beat Theraclede.

Heh. Sounds splendid, Kiara said. What’s the plan?

First of all, pick me up. But don’t equip me. If anyone who isn’t Fran tries to equip me, a great curse falls on them.

I tried to move closer to her, but I was a wreck. Telekinesis just wouldn’t work. Even if I forced myself to move, I didn’t have enough to attack Theraclede. I’d probably break before I even got off the ground. That’s why I needed Kiara’s kelp. If she could get me to Theraclede, I could use the last of my energy to strike.

Wait for an opening, I said. Then throw me right at him.

That’s it? she asked.

Yeah.

Got it!

I couldn’t use any of my powers, and Kiara was half-dead. This was our only chance.

Let’s do this!

Kiara was still fighting, but she managed to snatch me up off the ground. Immediately, Theraclede took a step back. He’d already tasted the Fiend Crusher on my blade.

“You sure about that, old lady? I doubt a busted sword with no mana will help you now.”

It was a fair point, but Kiara only laughed in response to his taunting. It was the only thing that she had enough strength for. She gathered the last of her energy and charged toward him.

“Haaa!”

“Hah!” Theraclede laughed. “I didn’t think you could still move!”

He’d underestimated her. Powerful Fiends like him could barely feel pain, and he seemed to have bottomless energy. His race defied classification. He could probably recover some strength through his crystal, even with depleted Malice. He was in no danger here. This fight was just a game, but that was his one weakness. We could exploit it.

“Black Lightning Strike!”

“What…?!”

Wow!

That was so good that even Theraclede was surprised. Kiara staggered toward him, swinging wildly. She looked desperate, but it was a feint. As Theraclede casually raised his sword to block, she switched behind him with Black Lightning Strike. He was so shocked that it took him a moment turn around, and by then, it was too late. She’d already thrown me right at him.

Now it’s your turn! she told me.

Aaaaaaaaah!

I used the last of my strength to Transmogrify. I pictured myself as a thousand vicious needles, but in the end, all I could muster was ten of various shapes and sizes. It wasn’t even enough to pierce Theraclede’s skin. Still, I did my best to snarl around his legs.

Damn it! I needed more power! Thinner! Sharper! Stab him dead!

In the end, I only managed to pin down his right leg.

But I’m not letting go!

“Aaargh! This damned sword again?! Wait, what was that voice?”

Eeeergh…! Aaaaargh!

I screamed at him telepathically. Everything hurt so much that I couldn’t stop myself, but it didn’t matter. Nothing did. I wasn’t about to let this chance slip by. I had to finish this! I forced myself to transmogrify further.

Are you all right? Kiara asked.

Urgh…I’m…fine…

You don’t sound fine!

I said I’m fine!

Keeping up telepathic communication was getting hard.

“Get off me, you piece of scrap!” Theraclede roared.

Gah!

He reached down and grabbed hold of me, wrenching me this way and that to try and pull me away.

Aaaaaargh!

“Let go of me, you bastard!”

Not happening!

Kiara stood motionless and stared as Theraclede struggled and screamed. I couldn’t let him go. If I let him go, all of this was for nothing.

But then, someone entered the room.

“Teacher! Kiara!”

Fran?! Why are you…?!

“I heard you screaming,” Fran shouted. “I couldn’t leave you! Or Kiara!”

“Teacher!” Kiara yelled. “Keep him occupied!”

What?

I’m going to use my trump card, she explained. It will take a lot of my life energy, but that hardly matters now.

No! But that would mean you…!

I know this old body best, said Kiara. I have less than a week left anyway. At least allow me a warrior’s death. I want to die in a blaze of glory.

Kiara stomped her feet. Her eyes were hazy and unfocused, but full of determination.

You know what sets us apart from the animals? Kiara asked. Our passion. We’re full of it to bursting.

Watch your right flank, I warned her. He’s coming.

Hah! You’re a good man. Or sword. Whatever you are, take care of Fran for me.

Black lightning crackled down Kiara’s sword as she swung at Theraclede. Her pupils narrowed to feline slits, and her white hair turned completely black. Power surged through her, but I could feel her life force draining away, but I couldn’t stop it. All I could do was hold Theraclede in place.

“Haaaaa! Black Lightning God Claw!”

Blades of shadowy lightning burst from her hands. But it wasn’t simply a convergence of energy like Mea’s Golden Flame of Annihilation. Her black blade had a divine energy. The mana was completely different from anything I’d seen her use before.

It wasn’t like her sword was covered with Malice, spreading fear and dread. The black lightning looked sacred. All I could do was stare at her in awe.

Theraclede sensed the danger and tried to wrench himself away.

“What are you doing…?!”

“Yaaaah!”

Kiara lunged for him, but her swing was slightly misjudged. Her legs were giving out underneath her. I had to do something. I pushed outward with the last of my Telekinesis, correcting the path of her attack.

That did it. Theraclede had expected the attack to miss, so Kiara took his left arm clean off.

“Gyaaaa!”

He screamed and struggled, but it was useless. Theraclede’s Malice dropped like a stone, and that wasn’t all.

“Wh-why can’t I heal?!”

He stared at the stump of his left arm, but it refused to regenerate. The bleeding stump was sanctified. Clean of Malice. Kiara’s Black Lightning God Claw hurt him more than even Fiend Crusher Revelation ever could.

“Aah…”

Satisfied with her work, Kiara collapsed. I tried desperately to heal her, but I didn’t have anything left. All I could do was lie there like a useless lump of metal while Fran stood horror-struck.

“Teacher! Kiara!”

Never mind me!

“Guoooooo!”

Theraclede glared at us, but his hatred had lost its bite.

“What was that?!” he demanded. “That divine element… I guess the stories about beastmen being descendants of the Godbeast are true after all. You win this round, but I’ll be back. Tell that old hag that she beat me fair and square! Aaaargh!”

And with that, he ran away. Good thing too. If he’d have fought for his life, I doubt Fran could have held him off.

Kiara? I asked.

She wasn’t moving.

Teacher…we did it…

Yes, but at what cost…?

A good one, said Kiara. I got the chance to use all the powers of a Black Sky Tiger. It was one hell of a fight to die for.

A blaze of glory, I said. Just like you wanted.

Heh heh. Thank you. Best compliment I’ve ever had…

Fran rushed to her side.

“Kiara! Kiara!”

“Hello, Fran…”

“Hang in there. I’ll heal you!”

“Save your mana, sweetheart…”

Fran ignored her, pelting Kiara with Greater Heals, but it was too late. She was beyond healing, and there was no bringing back the dead. It was a miracle that she could even talk.

“We only spent…a short while together,” Kiara croaked. “But I loved…every moment…”

“Kiara!”

“You are…like a granddaughter…to me…”

“Please…don’t…”

“Don’t waste your time…on something stupid…like revenge.”

“I-I won’t.”

“Get stronger…but get kinder too. Live with passion…be free…”

She sighed and the last of her life leaked out. Her body went limp, and her eyes drifted peacefully closed.

“Kiara?”

“…”

“Kiara!” Fran shouted.

But Kiara remained silent. There was a peaceful smile on her lips, as the greatest hero of the Black Cat Tribe went to the great beyond in the arms of her adopted granddaughter.

“Urrgh… aaaah…”

Tears poured down Fran’s face and dripped down onto Kiara’s clothes.

Fran buried her face in Kiara’s bosom like a child and cried.

“Waaaaaah!”

Fran pulled Kiara’s body against her. Her heart was torn to pieces. I’d never seen her like this before. I couldn’t shed tears, but the pain was still there. I would have liked to spend more time with Kiara, and now I never would.

“Arf…”

“Urgh…”

Jet sat down next to Fran and whined. He didn’t try to lick away her tears, but he lent her his warmth, looking as downcast as the rest of us. He must have grown much closer to Kiara while we weren’t looking. As we grieved, the others came back into the room, and they’d brought a mysterious woman with them.

Who was this person? I couldn’t Identify her, even if I wanted to. The others must have come back for Fran. They scanned the room, and the blood drained from their faces as they saw Kiara lying on the ground.

“Master Kiara!”

“Madam Kiara!”

Mea and Mianoa immediately rushed to her side. Mea was always fiery, but I had never seen Mianoa look so flustered before. Gwendartha was still shouldering an unconscious Urslars, but he and Quina looked equally shocked. As soon as they saw Fran and Kiara, they all knew what had happened. They could only watch as Fran desperately tried to heal the old Black Cat and then resigned herself to tears.

“Fran…”

“Mea…”

“Did you talk to Master Kiara?” Mea said quietly.

Tears were still streaming down Fran’s face.

“Master liked you,” Mea said. “She never had her own family, but I think that’s how she thought of you. Did she say anything?”

“She said…to be kinder…to live with passion. Be free.”

Mea smiled sadly. “That’s just like her.”

Mea probably wanted to start bawling on the spot, and the others must feel the same. Gwendartha rubbed his reddened eyes and Quina bit her lip.

“Be free, Master Kiara,” said Mea. “You never got much of that in life, thanks to my rotten grandfather.”

That’s right. The previous Beast King was the one who turned Kiara into a slave. I’d forgotten that he was Mea’s grandfather.

“She looks so peaceful now,” Mianoa whispered through her tears.

She’d been Kiara’s personal attendant for so long that they were almost family themselves. Mea rubbed her bloodshot eyes and got up, letting the maid do her work one final time. Fran, realizing that she wasn’t the only one feeling sorrow over Kiara’s death, stood to join her.

“Thank you,” said Mianoa.

She knelt down beside Kiara, took a clean white handkerchief, and wiped the dirt off her face.

“Madam Kiara…I always loved it when you smiled…”

Kiara was smiling with full satisfaction. She probably couldn’t feel anything after unleashing her final attack. She couldn’t see Theraclede and couldn’t see how her attack missed, or how I had to correct it.

Even so, she knew that she had done it. That Fran was safe. That smile of hers seemed indestructible.

If I were in her place, could I have done the same? I didn’t think so. I’d probably fight for my life and cry desperately for Fran.

Kiara’s life had been a long one, filled with good and bad. She had friends to fight beside and drink with, she’d won great victories, she’d suffered hardships, and that didn’t even scratch the surface of it all. She’d lived a life too full for a thirty-something punk like me to eulogize her.

With everything she’d done, was it any wonder that she went out with a smile?

I couldn’t have done it. Not yet. But even in death, Kiara inspired me. I wanted to live a life like that and leave this world with a smile. And for that to happen, I needed to figure out how to fix myself. And yet, try as I might, I couldn’t get my broken pieces back together. Every time I tried, the pain almost tore me apart.

Argh…!

What was wrong with me? I couldn’t even get Self-Repair to work.

That was when the mysterious woman approached me, as everyone else was gathered around Kiara. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a flowing white robe, but her eyes were sharp. Almost mean. It felt like she was angry for being left behind. Her figure was slender but toned. She wasn’t an ordinary woman.

She inspected me carefully, her right eye peeking out from behind her bangs. Should I do something? I guess she wasn’t an enemy, but I needed to stop her from equipping me, if only for her own good. As much as I wanted to respect Fran’s grief, this could become a problem.

Urgh…Fran…

Hm…?

This woman…

I could barely talk. Without the rush of battle to dull the pain, I was fading fast. Fran happened to look at me and the woman and knew that I had something to tell her. She rubbed her eyes and came toward me, picking me up before the woman could.

Teacher…are you okay?

Yeah…

I mean, I wasn’t sure if that was true, but what else could I tell her? I couldn’t even regenerate mana. Would the Godsmith be able to fix me? They’d better. I couldn’t do a thing in this state, and Fran had just lost someone important. I needed to be there to support her!

“Umm…”

Although she was only getting her own property, Fran knew that it was rude to grab me when this woman was looking at me. She started talking to the woman but hesitated. If anything, the woman was staring at her too.

“You the sword’s owner?”

“Hm.”

The woman’s voice was absolutely calm.

This lady really didn’t seem to be in a good mood, but at least she didn’t interrupt the others while they were crying.

“I see,” she said. “Show it to me?”

Teacher? Fran asked.

How should I handle this? We still didn’t know who she was, but if we refused, she might get even angrier. And I didn’t want to interrupt Mea and the others while they were grieving. Did I still have Fake Identity at this point?

“It’s all right,” Mea said.

From the tone of her voice, it sounded like she respected this woman. As though they were familiar with each other, at least.

“Lady Alistaire means no harm. She takes care of Lind from time to time.”

And Lind was a verified Godsword… Mea must really trust this woman if she trusted her with him.

Should I? Fran asked.

Go ahead.

It would be rude to refuse now. And if this woman could run maintenance on a Godsword, then she must be quite the smith. Although that still didn’t explain what she was doing here.

“Hm.”Fran held me out in front of her.

“Thanks.”

The woman’s stoic demeanor really fitted the image of a blacksmith. Alistaire looked me over, paying special attention to my pommel and blade guard.

“This design must be…” She shook her head. “But the shape of the guard…do you mind if I take a closer look?”

“Hm.”

“Excuse me, then. Parsesight!”

Mana gathered in Alistaire’s eyes, powerful enough to light up the darkness. She studied me again and, this time, she couldn’t hide her surprise.

“That’s…quite the user restriction. And there’s…a divine seal on it? Did the gods actually…? Wh-who made this absurd sword? A godsmith?”

“What’s wrong?” Fran asked.

“I cannot say it out loud yet,” said Alistaire.

Judging by her reaction, she had some kind of identification ability. She could see my skills and stats, and had probably figured out I was an Intelligent Weapon too.

“Either way,” she said, “its mana circuits are a mess and will likely stay that way unless it gets fixed up.”

Fran blinked. “Wh-what should I do?”

“Hang on. I’m going to touch you, all right?”

“Hm.”

That was definitely directed at me. She knew what I was.

Alistaire reached out and touched my hilt with her slender fingers. Almost immediately, mana flowed into my body. It was a warm, comfortable sensation. Like getting a good round of maintenance.

Ahhhh…

It felt like my wounds were closing up. Like she was healing me, right to my core. Even so, Self-Repair still didn’t engage. The damage must be much worse than I thought. At least we could trust this Alistaire woman. I couldn’t help myself now. I was always weak to the gentle touch of a woman.

Teacher? Fran asked.

I’m fine.

It didn’t even hurt so much to use telepathy anymore. Alistaire must have done something to me. Who was she?

“I’ve applied some emergency repairs,” she said. “It won’t get worse, as long as you don’t push it, but absolutely no fighting until it’s been fully repaired.”

“So…you can fix it?” Fran asked.

“Of course. Never met a sword I couldn’t fix.”

“Really?”

“Really,” said Alistaire. “It’ll be fine.”

“Thank the gods!”

Fran sighed with relief and hugged my hilt. Tears trickled down her face. She’d already lost Kiara, and now I was badly damaged. She’d probably been thinking the worst. She must have realized how much of a state I was in, even if I didn’t.

Sorry for scaring you, Fran.

It’s all right. I’m just glad you’re going to make it.

I still couldn’t use Telekinesis, so I kept apologizing. It was the only thing I could do.

“Lady Alistaire,” said Mea. “Will you repair the sword for Fran?”

“Of course. Although it depends on whether this girl agrees to it or not.”

Mea nodded. “You should let her, Fran. An opportunity like this doesn’t come along every day.”

Despite her own grief, Mea was still looking out for me and Fran. Her compassion truly marked her as royalty.

Should we let her? Fran asked.

Yeah, we should…

I was already feeling a lot better. Whoever this Alistaire was, she was good. And Mea was vouching for her, too.

“Hm. Please fix it.”

“My pleasure,” said Alistaire. She turned her attention on Mea. “So what will you do now?”

“Well…”

Mea looked down at Kiara’s body. She was the one who’d brought us all together, and now she was gone. Mianoa was exhausted, Quina was just a maid, and Gwendartha still had so much to learn. We could ask Urslars to lead us when he woke up, but right now he was no use, and Fran definitely wasn’t the one to lead our party. Mea was the only one who could pull us all together, and she knew it. She rubbed her swollen eyes and lifted her chin.

“First,” she said, “we’ll make sure the dungeon master is actually dead. Then we’ll destroy its core.”

“Are you sure?” Quina asked. “This is quite a strategic dungeon.”

Mea nodded. “A dungeon spread out over two countries is nothing but trouble. If we leave it, wars will be fought over it forever.”

Both countries would want control over it, and the fact that this dungeon had already been used in the war would only make things worse. Unless both parties could work out how to share the dungeon, more war was inevitable. Relations between Basharl and the Beastman Nation would only deteriorate when they found out what happened here. Mea was right. We had to destroy it.

“I know I should think of ways to use it for the good of our country,” Mea said. “But…”

“No, my lady,” said Quina. “I completely agree.”

Knowing Rigdith, he’d probably agree too. I could imagine him saying something like “Screw it, let’s blow it up. It’s just gonna give me headaches.” In any case, Mea was set on this course of action now. There was no hesitation in her eyes.

“Quina and I will see to it,” said Mea. “Lady Alistaire, will you lead everyone else out of the dungeon?”

“After seeing this sword you’ve introduced me to? Sure. I’ll take care of them until we’re out. You don’t mind if we head on to my mansion from there?”

“Not at all,” said Mea. “We’ll see you there if we take too long.”

“And then what?” Alistaire asked.

“While Fran goes with you to repair her sword, I’ll take the others back to Green Goat, and then on to the front,” said Mea. “We’re still fighting a war. That is…if that’s okay with you, Fran?”

“Hm…”

Fran nodded reluctantly. I could feel how badly she wanted to fight alongside Mea, but she also knew I’d be useless without these repairs.

I’m sorry, Fran.

It’s okay. You’re more important.

“Right, then,” said Alistaire. “What about this hulking Ogrekin? Should I take him with me?”

It sounded like she knew Urslars. She wasn’t close, but she was close enough to be familiar. Mea thought about it for a moment and then bowed her head.

“Please.”

“Very well, then.”

Alistaire took Urslars from Gwendartha and threw him easily over her shoulders. It seemed impossible. Just how strong was this woman?!

“We need to leave,” Mea said. “But we should give Master Kiara a proper burial. If not now, then when all this has settled down, right?”

“Yes…”

“Fran,” said Mianoa. “Could you take care of her for us?”

“Of course.”

Fran took Kiara’s body and stored it inside her Pocket Dimension. It made me a little uneasy, seeing her remains treated like any other object, but no one else seemed troubled.

I guess the people of this world lived with death every day. The average corpse might turn into an undead if left alone, after all. They also believed that the soul departed at death, so it was natural for them to pay less attention to the body.

We prepared to leave the dungeon after that, and Fran led the way to the exit with Jet at her side. We were exhausted, and I expected it to take a while, but the lack of monsters made the journey much easier.

I took the opportunity to do some diagnostics along the way. I was still Skill Sharing with Fran, so that was a spot of sunlight in the fog. But my mana reserves were completely shot and that was a real worry. Fran was our only source of mana. We’d have to be careful.

As we reached the halfway point, the dungeon began to shake. I guess Mea and Quina had succeeded in destroying the core. They caught up with us just as we reached the exit and confirmed that it was done. The dungeon master was already dead when they reached him. All that was left now was an empty underground complex.

“I guess it’s goodbye for now,” said Mea, looking a little sad.

“Hm.” Fran nodded reluctantly.

They had already lost Kiara. Now they had to leave each other.

“We’ve been through a lot together,” said Mea. “I’ll see you again soon.”

Fran nodded. “Good luck…”

“Thank you.”

Mea and the others were headed to the front line. The Beastman Kingdom was still at war with Basharl. They didn’t know what awaited them, but it couldn’t be worse than what we’d just faced. Basharl had to retreat. If they didn’t, Kiara’s death would’ve been for naught. Mea seemed to understand that.

“We shall pray for Teacher’s quick recovery. I hope you don’t mind taking care of Master Kiara a little while longer. We will hold a funeral for her as soon as we can.”

“You got it.”

They were close enough that they could hug each other, but they shook hands instead—each giving words of encouragement as they looked sternly into each other’s eyes.

“I’ll be seeing you.”

“Hm!”

Mea’s small shoulders carried the weight of being both a princess and a disciple of Kiara’s. Regardless, she smiled regally as they let go of each other.

Mea got into the carriage, and Fran watched as it faded into the distance.

We’ll see her again soon.

“Hm.”