I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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“Is that friend Kashia?”

The woman who put down the bag in her hand observed me with an intrigued expression.

With a severe-looking mouth and chilly eyes that resembled Kashia’s, she wore a black prosthetic on her left arm. It seemed to move by magic, given the aura of mana emanating from it.

Above all, the most striking feature was her body visible beneath the short-sleeved black shirt.

Her physique was built with solid muscles that even the clothing could not conceal—proof that she wasn’t lying about being a blacksmith.

Her intact right arm was covered in scars, a mosaic of marks created from handling metal.

The embodiment of a life full of experiences commanded my respect.

‘Kashia’s mother… I think her name was Enok.’

While I was watching her, Kashia sprang up anxiously, blocking the gap between me and the woman.

“She’s not a friend; she’s the training officer of the Knights Order. She came to visit.”

“Oh, then… Ah! Right, it’s the face I saw at the Swordsmanship Tournament. Are you by any chance Lady Mir?”

Enok’s eyes, initially narrowed, widened in surprise and delight as she looked at me. I nodded and extended my hand for a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. I’m here because of the Kashmir Crisis.”

“I’m Enok. I apologize for not being able to offer you a proper welcome, given your distinguished presence.”

“It’s okay. I came unannounced. I’m here as Kashia’s companion today, so don’t worry about it.”

Even while we were greeting each other, Enok continued to observe me curiously.

Her sparkling green eyes brimmed with curiosity and vibrancy. Though her appearance was identical to Kashia’s, the essence within seemed disproportionately different.

“I didn’t expect Kashia to have friends. I thought she was getting isolated because she’s so prickly…”

“Mother.”

Kashia hurriedly stopped Enok, who was unflinchingly critiquing her.

Having always seen her resemble a scrapper more than a human, I found this glimpse of her humanity fascinating.

“There are many who admire Lord Kashia. She’s a knight recognized by everyone, so you need not worry.”

Both Kashia and Enok turned to look at me simultaneously. Kashia had the expression of “me?” while Enok looked incredulously at “her?” I felt a prick of conscience but maintained a stoic expression.

‘It’s not a complete lie.’

Among those I’d met, many had a favorable view of Kashia, and even those who distanced themselves due to her personality acknowledged her skills.

“It seems you say such reassuring things out of goodwill, but… it would indeed be wonderful if that were true.”

A soft smile bloomed on Enok’s wrinkled lips. Despite her easy words, she must’ve been genuinely worried about Kashia’s social life.

“Enough with the nonsense… I’ll escort the training officer out.”

Kashia, her face flushed red, stood up from her seat.

“…Ah.”

And then she stumbled heavily.

“Kashia!”

I hurriedly got up to catch Kashia as she faltered.

‘So hot.’

Setting my hand upon her warm, feverish skin caused me to stiffen.

I had been unaware because of her calm demeanor. Kashia was not in a state to be up and about; she needed to lie down and rest immediately.

“You should go inside.”

“But I should see you off…”

“I will wait until I see Lord Kashia enter. I’ll help her inside.”

With Kashia leaning on me, she let out a quiet sound of distress in response to my firm words. It seemed she lacked the strength to rebut me due to her worsening condition.

“Kashia’s room is that way. I’ll assist you.”

Enok, whose expression had become serious, pointed to a room. I nodded and led Kashia toward it.

Clunk!

Inside the room, the bare essentials were all that remained. There wasn’t a single decorative piece, and only books related to swordsmanship filled the shelves. The tidy room appeared nearly devoid of personal touches, reflecting Kashia’s nature.

Carefully, I laid Kashia onto the bed. She stared at me with slightly dazed eyes, taking shallow breaths.

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Kashia closed her eyes tightly and then opened them to gaze at the ceiling. Her blue eyes, tangled with many thoughts, looked complicated.

“…Do you not remember me?”

Her delicate voice, slightly strained, tickled my ears. I hesitated to leave and turned my gaze back to her.

“I have never forgotten you, even once.”

Her blue eyes deepened with emotion.

At that moment, the assumption I had of having a connection to Kashia from the past was undeniably confirmed.

Turning away, Kashia shifted her back to me.

“Now, please go back.”

Her firm voice was unmistakably a dismissal.

I had no intention to linger beside a sick person, so I stood up without question.

“Today—”

Just when I was about to leave the room with a complicated heart, Kashia’s voice held me back. I turned to look, but she was still facing away.

“Thank you.”

In that single sentence, I felt an overwhelming sense of long-standing contemplation, shyness, and sincere gratitude, prompting a faint smile from me.

“I came because I wanted to be here. Have sweet dreams.”

Tap. I closed the door.

As I walked down the corridor, covered with soft rugs, I entered the living room, where Enok was waiting, seated at the table. Upon meeting my gaze, she smiled warmly.

“Lady Mir. If you have a moment, may I ask for a brief conversation?”

Two steaming cups were placed on the table. Given the bitter aroma, they appeared to be green tea.

“Sure.”

I had to return before dinner, but the sun had not yet set, so I readily accepted and sat across from Enok.

A comfortable silence lingered between us. In the relaxed atmosphere, I took a sip of the green tea. The tea was brewed just right, with great taste and aroma.

“I didn’t expect to meet you like this, but now that we’ve met, I wanted to say thank you.”

I lifted my gaze to meet Enok’s. Her green eyes shone softly.

“Thank you for saving Kashia.”

“ What?”

Caught off guard by her unexpected words, my eyes widened. Enok leisurely sipped her tea.

“It seems you do not remember. Well, that’s understandable. It’s the saviors who remember their rescued, not the other way around.”

Tap.

The cup landed on the table. Enok began her story slowly.

“In the past, I took Kashia with me to a region bordering the North. It was when I was working as a blacksmith. I needed to go directly to obtain steel from that area, but I couldn’t leave young Kashia behind…”

Enok’s gaze dulled. I felt the shimmers of déjà vu taking a clearer shape.

“The first few days were fine, but as the work dragged on, poor Kashia got bored and wandered off into the woods.”

“Oh, no way…”

In an instant, a memory flashed in my mind, making my eyes widen.

“Yes. At that time, Mir, you helped Kashia.”

‘Thank you, thank you…’

Recalling the young face so similar to Kashia, my mouth fell open in disbelief.

In fact, there had been more than one person I had rescued in that manner, so I could not clearly remember that event. Yet, a vague image of someone’s face floated to the surface.

“It seems you’ve rescued so many people that it’s hard for you to remember them all.”

Looking at me, stunned in thought as I retraced my memories, Enok smiled softly.

“You’ve lived quite a remarkable life.”

Her warm words briefly choked me up, but soon gave way to a questioning thought.

“Are you sure…?”

I fell into a deep contemplation. Despite recalling that event, I hadn’t connected that child to Kashia.

‘I want to become someone like Lady Mir. Will you support me?’

“Isn’t your personality too different now?”

The timid, unsure girl who expressed her wishes was a far cry from the sharp-tongued Kashia of today.

“Haha! That is indeed plausible. The difference between the Kashia back then and the Kashia now is monumental.”

I exchanged knowing glances with the laughter of Enok. She sighed deeply, propping her chin on her palm. The black prosthetic gleamed beneath her angular jaw.

“Something happened that significantly changed her personality afterward.”

Her deep green eyes took on a bittersweet hue, much like the green tea.

“I was commissioned by a noble to make a sword… and ended up creating a defective product, losing one arm to the wrath of an infuriated nobleman.”

Watching the blankly moving motions of Enok, my voice faltered.

“So that’s how Sir Kashia…”

“Yes. Since then, she has held disdain for nobles.”

Enok chuckled wryly.

“It was my fault. I messed up the rare Godric Steel they provided me with.”

“Godric Steel is nearly impossible to process to begin with!”

My voice rose involuntarily from pent-up anger. I bit down to avoid unleashing curses.

Godric Steel boasts immense durability but is rare enough to be traded at exorbitant prices.

However, it is fraught with the critical risk of rendering itself useless upon even the smallest mistake during tempering, making it nearly impossible to work with. There might be only one blacksmith capable of handling Godric Steel per century, which is why most of it was used unprocessed as an alchemical material.

‘Just the fact that it was entrusted to you is already terrible… but to cut off an arm for failure? That’s the peak of absurdity.’

An arm is a blacksmith’s life. I couldn’t even begin to comprehend the sentiments of Enok, who had lost hers.

“I was deeply troubled back then, but now I’ve adjusted. Thanks to the prosthetic, I can do other work. However, that incident has left such a deep scar on Kashia that her personality deviated. Hearing you, Mir, has eased my worries considerably.”

I found myself unable to respond due to the heaviness weighing down my thoughts. An old tale is effortlessly bitter and cumbersome, pulling one deep into reflection.

“……I went to watch the final round of the Swordsmanship Tournament with Kashia last time. You were there too. Even then, you were rescuing someone.”

Enok brushed her right hand over her prosthetic.

“That time you first revealed your identity… Kashia burst into tears. It was the first time I saw her cry, except when she was very little. After that incident, she set a ridiculous goal of smashing nobles, but she was shocked to discover you were one whom she had always revered.”

In that moment, all the pieces of the puzzle regarding Kashia fell into place.

I was at a loss for words before finally managing to speak.

“……I’m sorry.”

“What are you talking about? Mir, you are someone we could never thank enough.”

While I was engulfed in a peculiar guilt over being a noble, Enok sharply cut through my thoughts. Her gaze radiated warmth like the sun of spring.

“Mir is Kashia’s benefactor, and Kashia’s benefactor is my benefactor.”

Time may have dulled vigor and vivacity, but wisdom and experience blossomed in the smile that arose in its place. Enok gave a slight bow.

“I may have reached the end of my lifespan as a blacksmith, but the skills and knowledge I possessed back then remain with me. If you ever require a blacksmith’s insight or any other assistance, I will do my utmost to help, so please come visit anytime.”

Blinking for a moment, I soon broke into a bright smile.

“Yes. Let’s do that.”

It seemed I wouldn’t have to worry about inquiries or problems related to swords in the future.