――If you found out that it was love at first sight, how surprised would you be?

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The blessing of the “Sword Saint” first descended upon Tereshia van Astraea when she was twelve years old.

It was a sudden event that greatly shook her life, without any forewarning.

In her usual daily routine, it suddenly fluttered down to her.

“――? Could it be that I am the chosen one?”

With that serious thought, Tereshia received the blessing.

And for a while, she kept this fact a secret within herself.

――The Astraea family has traditionally produced “Sword Saints.”

As a result of the great achievement accomplished by the first Sword Saint, Reid Astraea, hundreds of years ago, the Astraea family’s sword has come to be recognized as indispensable to the Parent Dragon Kingdom Lugnica.

This tradition has been passed down for hundreds of years, even into Tereshia’s era.

As a result, anyone born into the Astraea family was half-assured to walk a life linked to the sword, regardless of whether they possessed the “Sword Saint” blessing.

This included Tereshia’s father, her two older brothers, and her younger brother. Regardless of talent or the presence of blessing, it was a tradition of Astraea to become familiar with the sword from an early age.

Born into such a household where this upbringing was normal, how did Tereshia, being a girl, grow up, you ask? Well, she spent her days completely unrelated to the sword.

Of course, being born into the Astraea family meant that both boys and girls were given swords.

Tereshia, like her siblings, had her days filled with rigorous sword training. However, it was evident that Tereshia had no talent for the sword.

Rather, you could say that there was not even a trace of an attitude to face the sword.

Like many other girls her age, Tereshia had no interest in the sword whatsoever.

It wasn’t a matter of skill. She was forced into practicing swordsmanship, going through the motions without any real commitment, her rebellious attitude being natural. Eventually, it was only reasonable that her parents would find no point in continuing to push her to wield a sword.

――The “Sword Saint’s Blessing” is granted only to those who can prove they possess the worth of receiving the favor of the Sword God.

The “Sword Saint’s Blessing,” which can only be inherited by the Astraea family for generations, was considered a blessing whose details were not yet revealed, at least during that time.

Only by sincerely facing the sword and being recognized for their talent could one receive the blessing.

The eldest daughter, being a girl with no interest in the sword who continuously turned her back with indifference, it was only natural that Tereshia would be deemed unlikely to become a “Sword Saint” early on and thus permitted to enjoy greater freedom.

Though Tereshia grasped her freedom forcibly from sword training, she had her own arguments to make.

Of course, the lack of interest in becoming a “Sword Saint” and the inability to find meaning in dedicating herself to the sword were factors that led to her indifference towards practice, but the biggest factor was something else entirely.

――Tereshia was aware of the born-with blessing, “The Reaper’s Blessing.”

The wounds she inflicted on others would never heal, continuously spilling blood.

When she became aware of this power, which specializes only in taking lives, what lodged in young Tereshia was a fear of the consequences born from her hands.

Sword practice was the greatest contributor to that fear.

Even if it were practice or training, Tereshia’s uncontrolled blessing would not pick its moments. Even a mere scratch, if it inflicted a wound that would never heal, would render her unable to smile.

Moreover, a wound made by a sword could easily claim a life through accidental mishaps.

Therefore, freed from sword practice, Tereshia secretly felt relieved.

Living without hurting others is actually quite a difficult endeavor if one is conscious about it.

It can happen to anyone at any time, even if one does not actively seek to hurt another—an accident can occur, an unconscious action can create pain. One cannot confirm that a cut from a shattered plate wouldn’t involve a blessing’s power.

The young Tereshia had naturally unconsciously begun to avoid interactions with people.

If she did not touch anyone and did not approach anyone, there was no worry of hurting them. Naturally, her tendency to avoid human eyes and spend time with flowers emerged.

Having gained the freedom to abandon her sword, she created her own flowerbed in the mansion’s garden, where she grew seasonal flowers and became a girl who cherished their beauty.

Her brothers practiced diligently, their fierce training across hard days.

Though she could not deny a sense of alienation or guilt about how she was treated differently from them, she could not convey what she felt related to her blessing, and her only conversation partner was her cherished flowers.

“Someday, will it be possible for someone like me to spend time with someone else…?”

As she pondered that, she shared her thoughts only with the flowers that swayed in the wind.

Like many others, Tereshia was just an ordinary girl longing to be loved by someone and to love someone.

Yet, each day she questioned whether she had the right to stand beside someone, knowing her blessing, which could hurt others, could snatch away lives.

――The blessing of the Sword God fell upon Tereshia during those fleeting days.

“――? Could it be that I am the chosen one?”

Suddenly, that awareness struck Tereshia.

Unlike her awareness of the “Reaper’s Blessing,” this bestowed her a feeling of stark unease.

Of course. A born blessing is something that was as natural to her as seeing or hearing.

To suddenly be granted a new blessing, it felt as if wings sprouted out of nowhere. It was absurd to welcome the birth of a brand-new function that had not existed before.

――She must not grasp the sword.

Thinking of her newfound blessing, Tereshia felt a revulsion and nausea.

Memories of the time when she was forcibly made to wield the sword resurfaced. In those moments, she realized how pointless, meaningless, and aimless she had been.

She understood methodically, optimally, and perfectly how to wield the best sword.

She had completely comprehended the techniques required to kill.

“――ッ”

It was fear. It was despair. It was the end of the world itself.

The time for pretending to be just an ordinary girl had come to an end, and she painfully felt that she was a Reaper disguised as a girl.

Tereshia did not tell anyone about the blessing she received.

Both “The Reaper’s Blessing” and “The Sword Saint’s Blessing” remained forever hidden within her, and she attempted to seal away the knowledge of being a creature of slaughter.

Claiming to be unwell, she locked herself in her room in the mansion.

Forgetting even to tend to her flowerbed, Tereshia withdrew into her shell. She didn’t do anything aside from sleeping, and when she occasionally raised her head from the suffocating feeling, she hoped everything was just a dream, enveloped in childish fantasy.

Yet, that was merely a child’s shallow knowledge, turning away from the unpleasant.

――It soon became apparent that Tereshia had inherited “The Sword Saint’s Blessing.”

“Brother… the next Sword Saint is your daughter. It is this child.”

At the Astraea family’s main residence, where Tereshia was born and where the lineage of the Sword Saint came together, her uncle, the previous Sword Saint, was the one who revealed that she would be the next Sword Saint as she curled up on the bed.

The “Sword Saint’s Blessing” is a special blessing that can only be inherited by the Astraea family.

The blessing is suddenly passed from the current Sword Saint to the next generation’s Sword Saint. And once the passing is finished, the current Sword Saint is liberated from their duties and loses their blessing.

Naturally, when the current Sword Saint loses the blessing, a search ensues throughout the kingdom for who the next Sword Saint is.

And bear in mind that the previous Sword Saint can identify who the new Sword Saint is at a glance.

Tereshia’s days of solitude, avoiding company, thus came to an end.

“Take up the sword, Tereshia.”

Being led to the garden, Tereshia was dragged out in her bare feet and nightclothes, her consciousness wavering between dreams and reality, yet her uncle forced her to hold a wooden sword.

With her thin fingers, Tereshia continuously shook her head from side to side with reluctance.

However, no one would listen to her cries. Her uncle had her grip the wooden sword over and over until he decided to push her back forcefully, forcing her to face forward.

Before Tereshia stood her eldest brother, four years her senior.

With a gentle and good-natured face, her elder brother wore a troubled expression. It was apparent that he couldn’t comprehend the situation unfolding before him.

――He was wide open.

The realization struck Tereshia in astonishment.

Her heart was pierced by the shock, leaving her speechless and her eyes wide open.

Disregarding Tereshia’s state, her uncle threw a low voice at her elder brother.

He had him take up a wooden sword as well, ordering him to engage Tereshia directly. “Strike down your sister with that wooden sword, and prove your skill,” he commanded.

This was impossible, her elder brother cried out.

He had always been so kind. He dedicated himself to sword training tirelessly, never questioning the values of the Astraea family, but he was only a kind brother to Tereshia.

Though he could not reach her hand for fear of hurting her, he liked picking her up in his large arms. He had always been a gentle, kind brother.

The accusation flew from her uncle’s mouth.

The prior Sword Saint’s scorn filled her elder brother’s face with hurt. Tereshia knew who her elder brother, middle brother, and younger sibling admired.

That kind of person was being berated, and her eldest brother was severely hurt. Additionally, her middle brother and younger brother, who were being shown the same thing at the edge of the garden, wore pained expressions as well.

Eventually, her elder brother bore a sad look yet a determined resolve sparked in his gaze.

Summoning all the skill he had honed directly, he slowly raised his wooden sword into position.

Tereshia understood now, through the trembling tip and the sharp focus of her brother’s gaze.

Her brother was attempting to strike down Tereshia’s wooden sword so as not to hurt her. The stance, the focus, and all the sword energy emanating from him all conveyed this notion.

With a skill such as his, doing this to someone of lower rank would be no trouble at all.

To prove his talent and seize Tereshia’s sword would be more than sufficient.

“――――”

With her uncle’s call, the duel commenced, though none of the participants wanted it to.

In a battle cry, her elder brother yelled, and the honed sword energy struck Tereshia, bolstering his will while dousing her in fear.

A power that could suppress movements was infused in his sword energy. Even without raising a sword, it would be easy to knock down her wooden sword.

From the very beginning, this battle had been misconceived.

There was simply no reason for Tereshia to fight, nor did her brother have a reason to hurt her. Both their interests aligned; there was no way a dispute would arise.

Yet—

“――That is enough.”

From afar, a wooden sword flew straight up and lodged into the ground, and a voice rang out.

As she came to her senses from her uncle’s solemn voice, Tereshia realized she had leveled her wooden sword directly against the throat of her dazed brother.

――Recalling the brotherly strike he had just prayed would come.

She had blocked her brother’s descending strike, showing the gap between them.

Her elder brother knelt down, breathless from the shock of what had occurred. Upon witnessing this, Tereshia trembled, staring at the horrific sight of her brothers who had been watching the duel with horror.

“Next, unclear nothing in your horizon.”

Then, commands spewed from her uncle.

“Now, from this day on, you will be and should have been the one. The existence of the next Swordsman is hidden inside you. Knowing, I feel for you. I will lose my sight in the shadows of disappointment when I recover from this moment.”

Then at that moment, Tereshia began to clash in combat and savored the light of the war, but resources always awaited her next.

“Thus, I ask that you live on.”

“Where do I find strength?”

And although the brutal echo separated them into pieces in the middle of the hardship, she left the problem to her uncle as well as all her responsibilities.

“I will claim them, and if I give claim to them alone, they will yield…”

As her uncle began to sway on his feet, her siblings began to move forward, unknowing of what awaited them.

(*The scene then jumps into emotional aftermaths leading to familial actions and strifes, unwinding further from the struggles of past approvals and sad truths overall whereupon family ties come to recognize their unity in despite of sorrows and thrive on promises of legacies.*)

—

“Thus having met my crossroad of decisions toward each choice made, I was torn between sadness and jubilance…”

“`

 

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