“I would prefer it if you never stepped foot into the outside world.”
Toma Rhapsody recalled the words his father had once told him.
“I know this place is far too boring for you. Not a single one of the instructors here knows how to swing a blade with any real conviction. They are the type who would rather choose death than leave a single scratch on you, aren’t they?”
“……”
“So, you must always be terribly sleepy. You must feel as though there is no joy in life. You might even feel the urge to go outside. I understand all of it. But… even so, I wish for you to spend your entire life here.”
Standing before a beach that sparkled like a jewel, his father had continued.
“In this harsh world, the unexpected always has a way of happening.”
“Are you saying I’ll die the moment I step outside?”
Toma Rhapsody had found it difficult to understand his father’s concerns back then.
Toma was a powerful swordsman who had no rivals among his peers. He was a respected Sword Runner with three pairs of wings. Furthermore, the Spiral Sword technique he had inherited was a superior art that allowed him to face swordsmen of even higher realms.
Toma believed the time when he needed protection had long since passed. Objectively speaking, he was right. What other Sword Runner in the world lived under such extreme protection? His current life was more suited for a noble lady of radiant beauty or a princess suffering from an incurable disease.
“That might not be the case.”
It wasn’t just a thought born of youthful arrogance.
It was an objective truth. In fact, several of the Rhapsody family’s vassals had suggested that Toma needed to go out, gain experience, and broaden his horizons. They warned that if he stayed like this, he would grow up like a flower in a greenhouse, forever hidden in the shadow of the Family Head. They feared he would become a nuisance who couldn’t do anything on his own.
Toma Rhapsody agreed with them. He needed experience. He needed time to see the wider world and hone his skills.
“Then why…?”
Besides, if things continued like this, it felt as though a terrible drowsiness would completely overtake and swallow him. Lately, Toma had been spending more than half the day asleep. Even when he woke up, it felt as if he were still dreaming. He had reached a point where he couldn’t even properly taste the delicacies he was served. There was no joy in his life.
Toma Rhapsody wanted to escape the family’s shadow.
He hoped to find the spark of life out there.
“Because one never knows what might happen in this vast world.”
But his father would not budge.
It was ridiculous. It wasn’t as if he was asking to join a war; he just wanted to experience the world. What was there to worry about? His father shouldn’t have been worrying about Toma; he should have been worrying about the people who would find themselves at the tip of Toma’s blade.
“My son, I absolutely do not want to lose you.”
“…….”
“You are certainly a fine swordsman. And you will grow into an even finer one. But the world does not operate on such simple logic. Whether one is a Sword Runner or a Sword Walker , or what sword art they’ve inherited… none of that matters. In this vast continent, there are those who disregard such things as if they were nothing.”
Toma Rhapsody had dismissed his father’s concerns as excessive. He thought his father was obsessed because his affection was too great. At the time, Toma was driven half by the fear of being trapped for life and half by a typical adolescent rebellious streak. Longing to see the world, Toma eventually heard about the Infinite Duel that was to be held soon—a fight where identities were hidden and skill was the only thing that mattered. To Toma, that duel seemed like the perfect way to prove to his father that he was a fully-fledged swordsman.
Furthermore, the Infinite Duel was mostly a competition for gladiators from Sword Walker backgrounds. It was said that even the strongest among them would only be at the level of a Sword Runner . It was obvious that there wouldn’t be any truly great talents among the participating Sword Runners . Any famous or skilled Sword Runner would already hold a key position in a prestigious knight order or possess great wealth; they had no reason to participate in a match for commoners. And so, Toma Rhapsody came to the Infinite Duel .
Watching from the second match, the War Duel , Toma felt his assumptions were correct. The fighters drawing attention were, at best, Sword Runners with a single pair of wings. Even the Valkyrie who put on a decent performance looked like nothing more than a third-rate hack playing tricks in Toma’s eyes. The only thing worth watching was the final duel.
The fight between the swordswoman using mysterious techniques and the fighter called the Sword Demon , who wore a tattered helmet. But even the duel the audience went wild for was dull in Toma’s eyes. He couldn’t understand why they were so enthusiastic over something so mediocre. Thus, Toma Rhapsody was certain he would easily win the final Infinite Duel .
However….
.
.
.
“ Gasp …!”
Toma Rhapsody opened his eyes, gasping for air.
When he regained consciousness, he was inside the Arena ’s recovery room. Waking up on a worn-out cot, Toma panted as he looked around. There were no other patients in the room. Sitting up, Toma looked down at his arms. They were still attached. His legs? They were there too. But his pounding heart still wouldn’t calm down.
Are my limbs really still attached?
He checked again and again. It was because of his final memory. The fighter who had shaken him from his drowsiness—the bizarre sword that strange bastard had swung. An attack that felt heavy, as if he were swinging a mountain rather than a blade. The horrific sensation of every bone and muscle in his body being crushed was still vivid. It felt as though not just his body, but his very soul was being shattered. Moreover, the flames that had enveloped him every time their swords clashed… He couldn’t forget those flames that burned as if to swallow everything whole. His wings, his pride, the Spiral Sword , the Path that stretched through his body like veins, and his Mana Heart —everything that made Toma Rhapsody a swordsman had vanished helplessly before those flames.
As if he had become a trivial existence before the vast world….
“Are you awake?”
As Toma caught his breath, a man walked slowly toward him. He was someone Toma knew very well.
“I was very worried, Young Master.”
“……How did you know I was here?”
“Thankfully, the Arena officials contacted me first.”
The butler of the Rhapsody family, Joseph.
The familiar old man who always watched over Toma like a shadow was there. Joseph held out a cup of warm milk, just as he always did at the Rhapsody mansion. Toma took the milk and took a sip. The temperature was perfect.
“I was truly shocked this time. To run away without a word and even participate in an Infinite Duel where commoners gather.”
“…….”
Joseph watched Toma as he drank the milk in silence. Seeing Toma’s dejected face, Joseph refrained from further nagging and instead asked, “So, did you enjoy yourself?”
“A little.”
“If you only enjoyed it a little, does that mean there was no point in coming here?”
“No, that’s not it.”
“Then?”
Joseph sat down beside Toma and listened quietly to his story.
“I was scared. It was dangerous, too. If that old man hadn’t stepped in, I might have died.”
“That would have been a disaster.”
“Yeah. But that guy who almost killed me… he was a Sword Walker . He used a strange technique at the end, but he was definitely a Sword Walker without wings….”
Toma Rhapsody chattered like a child in front of Joseph. Joseph nodded with his eyes closed as he listened. Then, Joseph spoke.
“It seems it was a meaningful deviation.”
“Yeah. Father was right. The world is a place where you never know what will happen, and everything I have could have vanished in an instant.”
“So, will you never come out again?”
“No.”
Toma Rhapsody gave a wide grin.
“It’s scary, but that’s why I didn’t feel sleepy.”
“…….”
“I’m definitely coming out again next time. By then, that guy who brought me to my knees will be even stronger. I want to try and win without losing next time. If I train with my sword while thinking of that moment… I don’t think I’ll be sleepy. At least until I fight him again.”
Watching Toma, Joseph smiled along with him.
“You’ve become an adult.”
“I’m still in a position to be scolded by Father, though. He’ll go ballistic when he hears about this. He might lock me up for over ten years.”
“No, it will be fine.”
“What do you mean, it’ll be fine?”
Joseph spoke as he took the empty milk cup from Toma.
“I came here alone, anticipating your worry. If we return now, the Family Head won’t know a thing. At most, he’ll think you went on a secret picnic.”
“Joseph….”
“Now then, if you’ve recovered, let us go. Let’s keep this brief deviation a secret between the two of us.”
Toma Rhapsody beamed at Joseph’s words.
The butler had been with him since the moment he was born. The bond between Joseph and Toma was stronger than that of a mere servant and employer. In a sense, Joseph was like an uncle and a second father to Toma.
“I knew I could count on you, Joseph.”
Toma Rhapsody laughed as he pushed his heavy body up.
It was a shame it was over, but this, too, had been enjoyable enough.
He could see the end of the duel another time.
It wouldn’t be like this then.
Yes, it’ll be different next time….
And so, one boy moved forward, holding another boy in his heart, painting a romantic picture of the future.
However.
“You’re leaving in quite a hurry.”
The world is not as romantic as a boy might think.
“……Young Master, get back.”
“Joseph? Why—”
“Hurry—!”
“Hmm.”
Never.
“You are well over eighteen years old, aren’t you?”
* * *
The Infinite Duel ended, and the winner was announced.
However, I couldn’t stand on the podium, nor could I receive the glorious applause. It was because of the side effects of that damn Lantern .
“F-Fuck.”
Immediately after the duel ended, I felt my body collapse and I blacked out. By the time I regained consciousness, most of the formal ceremonies were already over. Seol-yoon told me in the recovery room that the closing ceremony of the Infinite Duel had been quite grand. And on top of that…
“The gladiator Sword Demon , who didn’t appear until the very end, is being seen as incredibly bold. To instantly cast aside the chance for glorious applause and the spotlight from the residents of Steel City—he’s being called the most manly fighter ever seen. By kicking away the chance to spread his fame across the continent beyond the Iron Kingdom, ironically, the Sword Demon has become even more famous… or so they say.”
“Did no one mention that I couldn’t go out because I was busy lying down and resting?”
“The Arena planners would never say something like that. It looks like they’re planning to turn you into some kind of hero from the War Era or a protagonist of a chivalric novel. Even the Valkyrie stepped up and shouted about how ‘as expected of the Sword Demon ,’ and the gathered Orcs even started a riot, claiming that based on his actions, the Sword Demon must be an Orc, not a human.”
“……It’s a damn good thing I was lying down.”
It sounded like a complete madhouse. If I had been there, I would have lost my mind. If those Orcs had kept shouting and blathering that ‘Liam the Sword Demon is an Orc!’, I might have snapped and slaughtered three or four of them in the stands. Even then, those green lumps probably would have applauded and said, ‘How very Orc-like!’ Fuck.
“It feels like everything passed by in an instant.”
「Indeed, you’ve managed to pull through somehow.」
Anyway, the storm-like Infinite Duel had finally come to an end. My physical condition was a mess, but I had firmly grasped the clue to growth I felt at the end.
‘The flame.’
The clue to the wings.
With that alone, the original purpose of participating in the Infinite Duel had been successfully achieved. Now, I just had to slowly reach that achievement based on that clue. I lay on the bed in the recovery room, quietly replaying the final battle in my head. Just doing that was helpful. The wings that had sprouted from me for a moment, the mysterious flame that allowed me to face the descendant of Rhapsody —an overwhelming powerhouse—and the Caravan Sword that swung from my fingertips….
There was too much to organize in my head.
“They said to visit the Arena once you’ve recovered enough. Since you’re the final winner of the Infinite Duel , you have to collect your prize.”
“Understood. I hope it’s something expensive.”
“Don’t get your hopes up. They’ll probably try to pay you off with things like fame or honor.”
Seol-yoon said that as she slowly stood up.
It seemed she was being considerate and letting me rest. She added one more thing before leaving.
“Oh, by the way, the caretaker of the Hall of Fame said he wanted to talk to you.”
“Tom?”
“Yeah. I heard that once the Infinite Duel is over, he’s going to your mansion with you. He said he’d teach you how to maintain the weapons you took from the Hall of Fame ….”
Ah.
“He even used a vacation he hadn’t touched for decades just for you. He said he’s worried that a wonderful young master who loves historical weapons might maintain them poorly.”
I had completely forgotten.
“Fuck.”
The task that the past me had left for the future me had finally blown up.
‘……I can’t exactly vomit them back up, can I?’
Those weapons. They were all inside my stomach.
“Anyway, just focus on recovering for now. They said you don’t have any serious injuries, but you have no energy left in your body. It might be because you overexerted yourself. Rest easy.”
“……Yes.”
Seol-yoon, who had reminded me of a terrifying memory I’d forgotten, left just like that. How could she tell me to rest easy after saying something like that? My head was already throbbing as I lay on the bed. I wanted to fall asleep forever in this silence. Dammit.
And then.
“Have you been resting well?”
Another person appeared to shake my peace of mind.
“You kept your promise splendidly. To break the sword of a lazy idler with that insignificant blade of yours… it was a fun sight I haven’t seen in a long time. Truly, a very fun sight.”
The Iron Prince.
Ian Chervil.
“Since you’ve entertained me, I’ve come to give you the reward I promised.”
An uninvited guest had arrived.
“You won’t be disappointed. Not at all.”
