TYND 04

Chapter 04

“That must be the sword.”

At first glance, it looked extremely ordinary—yet some called it a demonic sword, and others praised it as a sacred blade.

The sword said to twist space and stop everything its blade touched was, contrary to rumor, shockingly crude in appearance.

No—crude wasn’t enough. It was plain to the point of being dull. The pommel had no decoration, and the guard looked as though someone had lazily welded iron scraps together. It looked even cheaper than the standard-issue military swords the kingdom’s soldiers carried.

Is that really the demonic sword?

A fake?

Lucy briefly doubted it, but quickly shook her head.

That couldn’t be.

As its name suggested, that sword was said to drive anyone other than its rightful owner insane—or kill them with a curse. And no soldier would ever leave their sword behind; it was as good as leaving their life behind. There was no way it was fake.

Then that meant… that sword really was—

“—Dawn.”

That unimpressive sword was Dawn, and the man standing before her was truly Walter Heiberg.

A tense, indescribable feeling tightened her grip. Images of the past, long buried beneath reality, rippled through her mind.

In her previous life, and the one before that, Walter Heiberg had been a renowned general across the entire continent.

His undefeated prowess, his noble character, and his sacred sense of duty—there was no one to compare him to. With a man like that sitting as Parnassus’s Grand General, it was only natural that the Empire struggled to swallow Parnassus whole.

That was why the Crown Prince used Lucy.

—Walter Heiberg. Isn’t there any way to use that damned general?

He had tried to use her as a hostage to negotiate, only to betray Walter at the critical moment. Or else use Lucy as a spy to invade Parnassus.

If Walter Heiberg hadn’t existed, the Crown Prince would’ve had no need to use Lucy at all—conquering Parnassus would have been simple.

“Walter Heiberg…”

When she had been loyal to her homeland, he’d seemed like a hero.
When she had acted as the Crown Prince’s spy, he’d seemed like a damnable enemy.

But after living through life after life, her feelings had dulled. Whether she revered or despised him, it had changed nothing about her fate.

Yet now that she was seeing him in person, her mouth filled with bitterness. She had heard so many stories about him that her ears nearly bled—yet this was the first time she had ever seen the real man.

A living, breathing Walter.
Walter, carrying the sword spoken of only in rumors.
Walter, hero of the kingdom.

…and in this life, the man who would become her loyal steed.

“Haa.”

The moment that hopeful thought crossed her mind, she sighed without realizing it.

Lucy closed her eyes briefly and steadied her breathing.

She had expected to meet him eventually after entering the academy—but not this soon.

Was this good luck? Or bad?

Pressing her chin into her palm, she listened to his voice. Low and deep, yet neither gloomy nor rough, it suited the firm tone unique to soldiers unusually well.

“…For that reason, Pomnos is not only important as a functioning city but also as a strategic point. I recommend all of you visit someday if the opportunity arises.”

Though his expression remained stoic, Walter answered questions smoothly.

Before anyone realized it, an hour had passed. Walter straightened and announced he would take one final question.

A cadet who had been staring at him with admiration hesitantly raised his hand. Walter nodded, and the cadet glanced around nervously before speaking.

“I heard you currently have a Lycan as your adjutant, sir. Rumors say you’ve always been close to other races…”

“That’s not particularly true. If a soldier excels, I evaluate them based on ability, not race. So?”

The cadet swallowed and lowered his voice further.

“But the reason you were promoted from brigadier general to Grand General was because you killed the Lycan leader and ended the rebellion. What about the Lycans under your command? Weren’t they affected?”

Walter let out a wry smile instead of answering. Lucy, on the other hand, frowned without thinking.

It was a malicious question disguised as innocent curiosity. But Walter had probably heard it many times.

To those who viewed the world purely for entertainment, Walter was less a heroic general and more a contradiction who commanded Lycans yet killed their leader.

She disliked the way such a tragic incident was being treated as gossip. Staring directly at the back of the cadet’s head, Lucy answered in Walter’s place.

“Talkishin—the one who led the rebellion—was a criminal long before he was a Lycan.”

Walter and the cadet turned their heads toward her. Lucy continued unfazed.

“He pretended to be the Lycans’ hero, but behind the scenes, he hoarded essential goods to raise prices. Because of his monopoly on Illusion Grass, more Lycans began to lose control and rampage. He stirred up the disgruntled ones and started the rebellion.”

“I know that, but—”

“Race has nothing to do with it. The man was a villain. The Lycans under the Grand General criticized him—they didn’t defend him.”

“…But are you sure? You don’t really know their true feelings. Even if they didn’t show it, some soldiers must have resented the general’s decision. That’s why I was trying to offer comfort—”

“Comfort? Isn’t it more likely you were trying to bait him by bringing up racism?”

The cadet stuttered, eyes darting around. Realizing no one was supporting him, he flushed red and quickly nodded.

“O-of course! I only meant to say it must have been hard for him!”

No one believed that. Even he didn’t seem to care about defending the lie, muttering something about unnecessary interference as he sank back into his seat.

Awkward silence swept the classroom. Maybe she shouldn’t have stepped in. She’d acted confidently, but now she had no idea how to fix the atmosphere.

“An interesting perspective.”

The one who saved her was Walter.

“I appreciate the concern, but I simply did what needed to be done. There was no need for consolation. Besides, all the soldiers under me understood the criminal’s actions, so they were not shaken.”

His gentle voice dispelled the tension. Walter toyed with the tip of the sword at his hip with an unreadable expression.

“And your statement is slightly incorrect. Once you join the army, your essence is that of a soldier who must protect the kingdom—nothing more, nothing less.”

He briefly met Lucy’s eyes as he stepped down from the platform and approached. Hands clasped behind his back, he stood straight and imposing.

“The Parnassus army, unlike other nations, does not discriminate by origin or race. Lycans who are unwelcome elsewhere and the Laphi who cannot survive outside the northern winds all serve here as soldiers. Do you know why?”

“Because… His Majesty wishes for a world without discrimination?”

Someone answered hesitantly. Walter nodded slightly.

“That is part of it. But the main reason is that once enlisted, a soldier is reborn. Soldiers transcend race. Soldiers must oppose anything that threatens the kingdom—whether that be humans, Lycans, or the Laphi who soar through the skies. Likewise, anyone who contributes to the kingdom’s growth deserves equal protection.”

Walter exhaled slowly and glanced toward the window, as if gauging the time. Based on the shadows outside, the break period had likely already begun.

“Reflect a bit more on what the essence of a soldier is. I trust that answers your question. This concludes the lecture.”

With disappointed murmurs behind him, Walter stepped off the platform. He headed toward the door—then paused and turned back.

The moment their black eyes met, Lucy jerked her head away. Surely he wasn’t looking at her, right? She began to rise from her seat—

“Cadet Arsinoe. I would like to request a brief meeting with you. Do you have time?”