TMOWM~56

Chapter 56

Hider took a deep breath and stared at the tip of his sword. It felt as though all his senses had flared open. This was it.

Even someone as lacking as Hider could feel it.

“Huup!”

He could sense the energy of his entire body gathering at his fingertips. Then, the power that had focused into his sword spread out again—like his entire body was being forged into a blade.

“That moment will come to you too, Hider. Give yourself over to your senses. Focus. That moment will never come again. If you miss it, you’ll lose everything.”

It was as if he could hear Tybern’s voice guiding him once more. What did Tybern even see in him, a scrawny boy, to believe in so much potential?

In that short span of time, Tybern had tried his hardest to teach Hider everything he could. Back then, Hider hadn’t understood it. But now… he did.

“This energy is delicate. It can make you the greatest knight—or destroy you. Offer up every channel in your body.”

Hider regulated his breathing.

He felt clear-headed. His body was light. According to Hilden, everything Rani had been feeding him would help immensely.

“They’re refined from very rare ingredients. Rani really went through a lot. You could say your current condition is the best it’s ever been. I have no idea how she even managed to get something like mermaid tears…”

Faces of those who had done their best for him flickered across his mind—people who hadn’t stopped smiling, even while trapped here.

He knew that their hopes were riding on his success.

He couldn’t fail.

For Rani, more than anyone, failure was not an option.

“Young Master, you can do this! Go become the greatest swordsman in the world! Fighting!”

Just how could someone be so reckless and so full of faith? She believed in him, an unproven boy, without a shred of doubt.

Maybe the strongest one was actually Rani. Hider still couldn’t even reach the shadow of her feet. She was still faster, stronger, and more elusive than he could ever hope to be.

“Even if you succeed, you still won’t catch up to her. That girl… she’s special in a way that defies explanation. And I don’t think she has any intention of hiding it.”

Hilden had been right. It wasn’t about catching up. He just wanted to follow behind her. As long as she stayed within his sight, that would be enough.

The day she had vanished right before his eyes had left a wound in him that still hadn’t healed.

He never wanted to feel that fear again. Even now, whenever Rani disappeared from sight, his heart would drop. But she always came back.

Waiting… he hated waiting.

“I’ll follow wherever you go.”

With that thought, Hider began to move his sword—slowly, deliberately, pouring all his will into it.

Resting her chin in her hand, she gazed out the window at Hider.

So it’s today.

The aura forming around his sword wasn’t normal. The sight filled her with such warmth that even her fatigue melted away. Wrapped in a blanket, she opened the window just a crack.

“Ugh, maybe I’ve overdone it lately…”

She still hadn’t recovered her self-healing skill—it was with Tybern.

[Name: Tybern Catieron
Status: Controlled by subconscious, in proximity to the Rotten World Tree’s roots. Not dead, but not quite alive either.]

Whatever that meant, it clearly didn’t imply he could come back any time soon.

Rotten World Tree? What the hell was that?

Was it part of the contamination?

She sniffled and fiddled with the status screen, but there was no further explanation.

The original work never explained the source of the contamination either. The monsters spawned from it were just plot devices to forge Hider into a hero.

Thanks to them, the once-commoner female lead could become the wife of a duke.

After saving the empire from an unexpected threat, Hider was quickly elevated as the successor to the late Tybern—a national hero.

“Sigh… Just what’s going on… You are coming back, right, Lord Tybern?”

She really missed him now. Rubbing her itchy nose, she leaned her head against the window frame.

Even though it was summer, chills ran through her. She definitely needed to rest today.

Still, she wanted to see this through.

The Del Trading Company was on the rise again. Strike while the iron is hot, as they say. She had been pushing herself lately to prepare their next big product.

This time, they were developing herbal pills designed to improve male vitality. Some things were the same in every world—what people wanted didn’t change.

Viscount Aros had assured her that it would sell like hotcakes. They had already captivated noblewomen, young ladies, and children. Now it was time to win over the men.

All the existing products on the market came with nasty side effects.

But the one they were developing? No side effects. Purely herbal. Safe for human use.

The “Bello Pill” was going to launch this very week. It was going to be a hit—she was sure of it.

“Just gonna watch this, then finally rest…”

Even so, her body felt heavy. She rubbed her nose again, turning her eyes to Hider.

What had started as slow movement was growing faster and faster. Each step he took seemed to blend with nature itself.

His movements flowed like water. His aura shimmered in a vibrant blue—like the color of the sky.

Like dawn cutting across the heavens.

She stared, entranced.

“So that’s what it looks like…”

She murmured, sniffling.

The description in the original novel hadn’t done it justice. The aura overwhelmed her—and lured her in at the same time.

It was like a moth to flame—beautiful, deadly, and impossible to look away from.

People in the manor stirred, only to quickly retreat in silence. They peeked outside, saw Hider surrounded by that aura, immersed in focus, and backed away.

This was a moment that must never be interrupted—the miraculous birth of a Sword Master.

She heard the sounds of quick footsteps behind her as Dania burst through the door.

“Rani…!”

“Yeah. I think it’s today.”

Dania nodded, visibly excited. Everyone in the manor was united in their hopes for Hider’s breakthrough.

She came over and leaned on the railing beside Rani. Then she fell silent, eyes fixed on the scene below.

“…He’s really doing it.”

Dania whispered.

“When that gate opens, Young Master Hider will shake the entire world. And our lives will change too, right?”

“Of course.”

Rani nodded. There was no need to crush Dania’s hope right now. Hider would be sent off to the battlefield as soon as he turned sixteen.

Tybern’s survival might change things slightly, but in the original work, all authority returned to the Duchess.

And House Catieron nearly collapsed under her control—until Hider came back and restored it.

“It’s so beautiful. Like the light of hope.”

In a way, it was.

The aura of a Sword Master had always been described as the light that lit up battlefields.

And Hider… would be the light that bloomed in despair.

The sun rose. Golden light cascaded over the earth as Hider performed his final movement.

A short, brilliant burst exploded at the end.

“Wow!”

Dania gasped beside her. He had done it.

The birth of the youngest Sword Master—we had witnessed it with our own eyes.

Ah, but why was her body getting weaker… at such an important moment?

“Rani, did you see that? You only see things like this once in a—Rani?!”

Dania’s voice grew distant.

Rani smiled faintly as the world blurred.

“Dania… I think I need to rest…”

“RANI!!”