Daybreak Rondo

by Yuri Kitayama

  Aria was pleased to see the rare sight of her master’s surprise and was smiling along softly. Chloe was also watching Liselotte’s expression as though she was witnessing a rare sight.

  Liselotte noticed their gazes and cleared her throat in embarrassment. “...That is... most fortunate indeed.”

  “Then I shall begin the repairs immediately. However, repairs of the metal roofing will be impossible to perform here, so may I ask for your permission to cut it off?”

  “Cut it... off?” Rio’s question made Liselotte tilt her head curiously.

  “The dent is blocking entry into the carriage and the weight of the steel may cause burden for the carriage itself. I believe it’d be better to lighten the weight, but if it is an issue I can figure something else out...”

  “No, no, that won’t be a problem...” Liselotte said, confused. While she understood his intention, she couldn’t figure out how he could perform such a task.

  “Then, please stand back,” Rio said, immediately beginning his work. Drawing the sword at his waist out of its sheath, he approached the overturned carriage.

  “?!”

  A flash. The steel roofing was cleanly sheared off from the body of the carriage, as though it had been sliced like paper. Liselotte and her attendants widened their eyes at the sight.

  However, the steel plate was too large to cut down all at once, so Rio repeatedly changed locations and swung his sword with skill. Once the steel had been completely detached from the carriage, Liselotte somehow managed to voice her thoughts. “...Your skill is truly impressive.”

  “It’s all thanks to this sword,” Rio answered, holding the dwarf-made sword out to show them.

  “You were controlling the wind with that sword in the battle earlier... That’s an enchanted sword, right? And one of an ancient artifact class...” Liselotte asked hesitantly.

  Enchanted swords were broadly defined as swords with sorcery embedded within them, but the precise definition referred to it being ancient sorcery — sorcery that couldn’t be reproduced using modern sorcery. Most people used the word in the narrower sense, but that didn’t mean the broader sense of the word wasn’t used.

  The abilities of Rio’s sword allowed him to cross swords with a minotaur head-on and fire a finishing blow in the form of a wind blast on par with higher class magic. It clearly deviated from what could be made with modern sorcery in the Strahl region. Thus, Liselotte suspected Rio’s sword was an enchanted sword in the narrower meaning of the term.

  However, enchanted swords of an ancient artifact class weren’t exactly an item in common circulation, and even if one was on the market, it wouldn’t be a price a commoner could afford. Even Liselotte only had a few to her name — one of which she had equipped on her confidant, Aria.

  “A close friend bestowed it upon me. I have been using it carefully,” Rio revealed partially, nodding without hesitation. He wanted Liselotte to misunderstand the strength he had shown in the earlier fight and attribute it all to the sword. While Rio’s sword did have sorcery within it, its true effect was to take the user’s spirit arts and wrap it around the sword. Incidentally, that effect also increased the power of the spirit arts.

  Rio had no intention of spreading the knowledge of spirit arts throughout Strahl, so it was more convenient for him to let others believe that he had been fighting with the abilities of the enchanted sword instead.

  “Oh my, is that so...” Liselotte’s eyes widened.

  At the very least, that means he’s someone who can be entrusted with that sword. What a mysterious person. But he’s personable, skilled, and he did save us. It would be rude to pry too deeply into him. I hope we can establish some kind of friendly relationship, though... she thought.

  “All that’s left is to reattach the wheels and turn the carriage back up, then perform a final check for any other problems. It is not something you need trouble yourself with, Lady Liselotte, if you wish to return to directing others. They seem to be awaiting your orders over there.” Rio looked at the road behind them as he spoke to Liselotte. At the end of his gaze were several curious attendants watching them.

  When Liselotte noticed the attendants gazing at them from afar, she sighed quietly. “...Then I shall take my leave. I will leave my attendant Aria here, so please inform her if you need any assistance. Let’s go, Chloe.”

  “Y-Yes, ma’am!” Chloe responded in a fluster, following after Liselotte. Just before they left, she shot an interested look at Rio.

  “I’m leaving the rest to you, Aria. If you need any more hands, don’t hesitate to ask.” Liselotte winked a discreet wink at Aria with those words before she left. It was most likely an order to analyze Rio while the two of them were alone.

  Aria understood her master’s intent with just a look. She nodded respectfully. “...Leave it to me.”

  ◇　◇　◇

  “What are you girls loafing around for?” Once Liselotte and Chloe returned to the main road, Liselotte sighed tiredly as she addressed the attendants gathered there. Cosette took a step forward on behalf of the rest.

  “We were waiting for your next orders, Lady Liselotte. The knights said they’ll be watching our surroundings and gathering the enchanted gems, and we finished healing the wounded people and horses. We’ve also finished collecting the scattered belongings,” she replied with a grin.

  “I see,” Liselotte replied, a sigh mixed into her voice. They had completed all the duties they were to do, she couldn’t really find fault with them. Then, a different attendant — Natalie — stepped forth.

  “Also, regarding the disposal of the great sword stuck in the road, the knights said they would handle that after the collection of enchanted gems... As it seems we lack the hands to move it ourselves.” Natalie glanced at the corner of the road as she gave her additional report. There, the minotaur’s stone great sword was stabbed into the ground. It was roughly three meters in diameter.

  “Right, we have to deal with that, too...” Liselotte recalled the earlier fight as she looked up the stone sword in a daze. In contrast, the attendant girls’ gazes were all drawn to the side forest where Rio was repairing the carriage.

  “Umm, that really was an impressive fight earlier. Did you manage to find out anything about him?” Natalie asked hesitantly, looking at Rio. Even someone as serious as her couldn’t help but feel curious about him.

  “That’s right! Who exactly is that ridiculously strong and handsome young man?” Cosette asked, brimming with curiosity. The other attendant girls also listened intently.

  “...Apparently, Chloe’s acquaintance,” Liselotte said nonchalantly.

  “Eh?!” Chloe hadn’t been expecting the sudden spotlight and flinched.

  “Hey, that’s not fair, Chloe. Don’t hog him all to yourself. Introduce us later,” Cosette replied, immediately closing in on Chloe, who just shook her head in a fluster.

  “N-No! By acquaintance, he just stayed at my family’s inn for a single night in the past, it’s not like we’re close enough for me to be introducing anyone!” Chloe shook her head in a fluster.

  “Aww, really? I think that’s more than enough of an excuse to get close to him, though. Do you have any stories from back then? I want to hear more,” Cosette pressed, hounding Chloe for more details.

  “That’s enough, Cosette. You’re bothering Chloe,” Natalie chided her with an exasperated look.

  “Honestly, this is why you don’t have a single lover, you know?” Cosette sighed.

  “Wha — I don’t want to hear that from you! It’s not a matter of the more the merrier, you know?!” Natalie complained with a red face.

  “Okay, enough of that. No one wants to hear you two bicker all day again.” Liselotte put a stop to the two of them tiredly.

  “Ahaha.” The other attendant girls laughed in amusement. Cosette and Natalie exchanged a look before pouting in slight embarrassment.

  Meanwhile, Chloe’s attention was pulled toward Rio as he repaired the carriage in t
he woods. Her face seemed a little saddened, which made Liselotte notice her gloomy mood. “What’s wrong, Chloe?” she asked immediately.

  “Ah, no, it’s nothing, my lady.” Chloe shook her head awkwardly.

  “I know. You used to like him... am I right?” Cosette questioned with a teasing grin.

  “Y-You’re wrong! That’s not what it is! And anyway, he doesn’t seem to remember me...” Chloe objected in a fluster, shoulders slumping dejectedly.

  Her words seemed to trigger even greater curiosity within Cosette. “Hmm... It looks like you’ll have to tell us more about what happened.”

  “Before that, you girls will distribute drinking water to the knights retrieving the enchanted gems. Then, do one more check for any more fragmented rubble scattered around the area,” Liselotte said, putting a stop to the chatter.

  “Okay, Grace’s group will prepare the water for the knights! That means I’m free to assist Sir Haruto if needed!” Cosette replied energetically, looking in Rio’s direction as she offered her help.

  Liselotte shook her head with a smile. “Absolutely not. You’ll only be in the way if you go. Now, get to work!”

  ◇　◇　◇

  Meanwhile, Rio was repairing the carriage with very skilled hands. Since he didn’t need any help at the moment, Aria simply watched him work from the side.

  “...You really are most proficient at this,” she said, the tone of her voice revealing her complete awe.

  “I learned simple carpentry skills during my travels around various places,” Rio replied as he reattached a wheel to the body of the carriage.

  “That’s wonderful. You also showed incredible sword skills in the fight earlier.”

  “I’m just blessed with a brilliant weapon.”

  “You jest. While it is true your enchanted sword is impressive in itself, what I witnessed of the sword user were skills above that. That amount of ability is not something that can be achieved so easily. You must have done some substantial training, no?” Aria asked.

  “Thank you very much. I have made sure to keep up my training without fail ever since I was young. I saw that you have excellent skills yourself, Aria.”

  “Thank you for the kind words. I was scouted by my lady for my sword skills. Oh, do excuse me... I must be distracting you from your work with this conversation,” Aria apologized with a strained smile.

  Rio shook his head softly. “No, it makes for a nice change of pace. I do not mind continuing, if you are so inclined.” Just like how Aria and Liselotte were interested in Rio, Rio was also curious about Liselotte and Celia’s old friend, Aria. He wanted to talk to her while they were alone.

  “Of course, it would be my pleasure,” Aria agreed readily.

  “...Then, may I ask you something regarding what you said before?”

  Aria nodded. “Sure.”

  “Have you been working for Lady Liselotte for a while?”

  “You could say that. I believe it’s been about five years since I officially started working for her.” Aria replied as she reflected on the past.

  “Five years ago... That was before Amande went through its huge growth advancement, right?”

  “Yes. It was shortly before my master took on her position as Amande’s governor, right as the Ricca Guild was being established. Although we actually became acquainted before that.”

  Rio paused in his work for a moment and smiled pleasantly at her. “Then it sounds like you really are Lady Liselotte’s most trusted confidant.”

  “I would like to think that,” Aria said, a somewhat uneasy smile on her face. “Speaking of which, Sir Haruto, you mentioned that you visited Amande several years ago. Perhaps we have passed by each other before,” she said with a smile.

  “That’s possible. I only stayed for a single night, but when I visited again recently I was shocked to see how much the city had developed in only a few years.” Rio replied, resuming his work.

  “It’s an honor to hear that. Ever since being appointed as governor, my master has been putting her all into the development of the city.”

  “I’ve traveled through many places, but I do believe Amande is amazing. It has been such a pleasant place to visit, that I find myself stopping by more frequently as of late.”

  “Oh, is that so? If my lady were to hear that, she would be most pleased.” Aria bowed happily to Rio.

  “Then please, do inform her. I have especially been in the care of the Ricca Guild for all my shopping,” Rio said with a grin.

  At that, Aria smiled. “I will make sure to let her know,” she replied in her melodic voice. “On that note, if I may ask purely out of my own curiosity... have you been traveling for a long time, Sir Haruto? From what I can see, you still seem to be in your mid to late teens.”

  Rio thought for a brief moment before deciding to mix truth and falsehood in his answer. “...Yes, I’ve been traveling from the age of eleven. I am sixteen right now, so that would make my journey roughly five years long. I believe the first time I visited Amande was around four years ago.” Now that he had encountered Flora and the others unexpectedly, he added some fake points into his timeline, just in case.

  “From such a young age... I also became an adventurer at a young age, but I was a few years older than that. Actually, at the age of eleven, you wouldn’t be able to register as an adventurer, would you?” Aria asked, eyes widening slightly. The Adventurer’s Guild had a general rule that one had to be at the age of twelve or above to register as an adventurer.

  “Yes. Or rather, I still haven’t registered as an adventurer even now. It wasn’t something particularly necessary for me to travel around various kingdoms. That is why my main source of income was from liquidating the enchanted gems dropped by monsters I defeated along the way in the name of training,” Rio explained, revealing the fact he wasn’t an adventurer.

  The adventurer guild was an international organization established by consignment of each kingdom. The original goal of the establishment was to force those unfit for working in regular society into the short-staffed national defense, putting them indirectly under the management of the kingdom and making them do labor effectively.

  However, the international organization was in name only. While the organization headquarters formally did exist, its management was conducted by independent branches in each kingdom. The reason for this was each kingdom needed to dispatch their own official to supervise the branch operations, which made it impossible to cross national barriers.

  Furthermore, becoming an adventurer required registration at either the branch office or main headquarters, each with their own advantages and disadvantages. For example, joining a branch office meant restrictions against working under other branches (in this regard, joining the headquarters meant ability to move freely between branches).

  “...True, while joining a guild as an adventurer does grant benefits from the organization, it also means that your actions may also become restricted. I’ve heard of people who dislike that and choose not to become adventurers, too,” Aria said eloquently.

  Who is he? What is he traveling for? The mysteries keep growing deeper with him, she thought at the same time.

  “That should do it. I’m going to move the carriage back upright now, so please stand back a little.” Rio said, having reattached the wheel successfully.

  “That must be difficult to do alone. Allow me to help,” Aria offered.

  Rio shook his head. “No, the physical body enhancement of this sword is enough for me to manage alone.”

  “All the more for me to help. I have also been entrusted with an enchanted sword from my master, so please leave it to me,” Aria said, refusing to back down. After being left here with the purpose of assisting, she didn’t feel it was right to leave everything to Rio.

  “I’ll be fine, so please continue to be on guard of our surroundings,” Rio said, holding his right hand out and placating Aria from taking action.

  “However...” Aria paused on her feet
. The knights have already been doing that for a while now... she thought regretfully. She knew that Rio had to be more than aware that the knights were patrolling the area. That was why Aria thought he was probably offering her an excuse to take a break.

  After that, Rio held his sword in his left hand and swung it in a show of drawing out the sword’s power — when he was actually using his own spirit arts to strengthen his body.

  “Up we go.” Rio immediately dropped the sword and used both hands to grip the carriage firmly, lifting it easily.

  Aria’s eyes widened faintly. “...Splendid,” she complimented. The attendants and knights nearby on the road were also taken aback, their gazes stolen by the sight of Rio lifting the carriage.

  “All I did it was lift it up. It’s the enchanted sword’s doing.” Rio said to Aria, implying their reactions were over the top.

  “No, maintaining the enhancement after releasing the sword requires advanced control of your magic essence. And yet, you are doing that so easily.”

  When continuous sorcery like physical body enhancement was activated via magic artifact, it was generally quite difficult to maintain that sorcery after releasing the artifact. On top of that, the types of artifacts that required essence manipulation to activate the sorcery rather than a verbal spell chant tended to fluctuate erratically in performance. That characteristic was especially notable in ancient artifact class enchanted swords with high level sorcery embedded within. If the user’s control of magic essence was lacking, they wouldn’t be able to bring out the full potential of the artifact — in some cases failing to even activate the sorcery.

  While Aria could perform the same stunt as Rio now, when she first received the enchanted sword from Liselotte, she had to go through rigorous training to be able to use it fully. At the very least, she couldn’t do it at Rio’s age. It was proof that Rio had that high of a control over his magic essence, or so Aria had judged.