“Wait over there,” a disgruntled soldier ordered. “Rhoslyn will be here soon.”

I nodded and wanted to thank him, but he was already gone. So I sat on a wooden chair and waited.

Still uncertain of my new orders, I had remembered the sword maiden’s offer. If we had problems, we may come and find her in the guards’ barracks. And now I took her up on that offer. So I visited the city’s barracks, made of stone and not an askew barn, introduced myself as Vinetar, and was made to sit in the entrance area.

Hence I waited there, ignoring the partly compassionate, partly dismissive gazes. They were understandable. I really was out of place here with my damaged leather armor and dirty linen clothing. Nothing that would win a contest with their equipment. And so they looked down on me for my equipment, while my annoyed self looked down on them for their level.

“You are one of the Vinetars,” a voice sounded from my side. And the sword maiden entered the room through a door in the back. “Your name was...”

“Aki,” I immediately responded. “My name is Aki.”

“Ah! Aki,” she exclaimed, grabbing my hand. “Come with me!”

And she dragged me behind her, not waiting for any answer. Through small corridors and reinforced doors, before we arrived in a courtyard, framed by high stone walls and neat buildings. This should be their training ground.

“Uhm...,” I approached her after my confusion had died down. “What are we doing here?”

“Just wait here,” she answered, racing into one of the single-story bungalows, returning with two practice swords. “You can take this one.”

“But why... ?”

“The report states you slew multiple leprechauns. So you are a powerful warrior.” She laughed. Not like an unattainable sword maiden, but more reminiscent of a playful girl. “The other guards are boring and avoid me. Keep me entertained, instead.”

And with another laugh, she assumed a standard attacking stance. One so simple, even us recruits had learned it during the last weeks. In response, I mirrored her movement, lifting my sword over my head. She nodded, a slight smile on her face, and attacked me, only to be met by my blade.

A clash.

And she had to take a step backwards, separating our swords.

But even though I won through sheer strength, her aptitude for swords far outclassed my own. Her sword’s trajectory was near perfect, and her movements were like dancing steps. Still rough around the edges, but her unique fighting style shone through. This was beyond a doubt the foundation for the beautiful dance I had seen so many times in the game.

A laugh escaped my lips. This was what I had wanted all that time.

And so our dance continued for half an hour before she stopped.

“Hmm... this isn’t it,” she murmured to herself, changing her grip multiple times. “You are holding back.”

“I don’t,” I answered. And I really didn’t hold back. Yeah, some people would say it was better to let the girl win, but I wanted to impress her. So I had given it my all during our training.

“You are,” she insisted, pouting like a small child. “There’s no way something like this was enough to kill those leprechauns. Not a single one would fall. So you are holding back.”

“This is all I can do.” I laughed in exasperation. “The rest was pure strength with no skill.”

“Then show me that!”

“That’s a terrible idea. I can’t control the force,” I warned her. “So it’s nothing for a training fight.”

“Try me,” she growled in anger, changing her pose to an unknown one. “Or do you think I’m nothing but a mascot? A mass of flesh to arouse the men?”

“Okay.” I sighed. I wanted to impress her and made her angry, instead. Magnificent job me. “But I’ll only attack your sword.”

She nodded, focusing her eyes on my sword. And I activated my skill. Another impact, but this time I didn’t feel any resistance. Instead, she used her sword’s momentum to rotate and attack from the other side, hitting my arm. Yep, that would leave a blue mark.

“Only so-so,” she commented with a wide smile, rotating her shoulders to mitigate the aftermath. “Enough for a leprechaun, but you are wide open afterwards. That arm is now mine.”

I laughed, somewhere between anger and enjoyment. And attacked once more.

For the next minutes, I activated my skill consecutively, attacking not only her sword but also her arms and legs, inflicting no damage at all. I was stronger and had more endurance, but my aptitude and experience fell short by a long shot. Even my game knowledge didn’t help me as I she was already dead in the storyline. Our display was difference between someone forcing it and a genuine talent.

But my stiff onslaught also drained her stamina, forcing her chest into hurried motions. Her steps became forced, she dodged swings instead of accepting them, and sweat gathered all over her body, easing her grip. She definitely was the more talented fighter, but the difference between our levels determined the winner.

And so it was her sword that landed on the sandy ground.

“Your win.” Rhoslyn laughed, collected her sword, and ran towards a well on the other side of the courtyard. She drew a bucket full of chilly water and poured it over her head. Summer was near, but the temperature still made her jump and scream in excitement. Once more her movements were more like a playing child and less like a soldier.

“So what did you want to talk about,” she asked, propping herself against the wall. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warm sunrays on her face. “I guess you are dissatisfied with your orders?”

“How?”

“It’s easy. There are only three reasons men would come to me.” She counted with her fingers. “One, they want to woo me with some present. Two, they want to enjoy my skin against theirs. Three, they have a problem and hope my influence will solve it. And for you, it’s number three.”

“Maybe it’s number one,” I responded, showing her the necklace I had in my pocket. “Perhaps I wanted to gift you this piece of fine jewelry?”

“No, you didn’t. You looked like father when my mother wasn’t in the mood.” She laughed, flashing another smile. “Your face betrayed your real feelings. So what did you want to discuss?”

I returned her smile, stored the necklace in my pocket, and recounted my orders.

“Hmm... that’s a problem,” she commented. “But Master Bernier is right. We don’t have the men to protect all the villages.”

“But there has to be something we can do,” I responded. “Something better than protecting a mine?”

“Something better?” She looked at me. “But isn’t that an important job as well?”

“But... but didn’t you say it yourself? That we should defend humanity and protect everyone? If so, how could we abandon them? What if they don’t flee in time? This is... wrong.”

“It isn’t right, but it also isn’t wrong.” She smiled at me. Not a child, but an experienced commander. “Even if we defend humanity, we can’t defend everyone. We have to look at the bigger picture and decide what’s best. So yes, we could send soldiers to every village and warn them. But what happens afterwards?”

Silence. I only waited for her answer.

“People will starve. And famished people spell problems. So we can’t evacuate the villages.” She shook her head, downcast. “And there are too many villages so we can’t send our soldiers. Their groups would be too small, easily losing against any hostile force. Even if you don’t guard the mine, but return to the villages. Would a group of recruits change the outcome?”

“Even if there were twenty of you, it wouldn’t be enough. So the villagers are on their own.” She looked at me, her open gaze communicating her honesty. “Our strongest fighting force is the group of mercenaries our Freiherr enlisted. But they will leave the city, if this spring runs dry. So if the mine falls, the mercenaries leave. And if the mine falls, Gladford falls next. Giving you this duty displays their high opinion of you. And while defending the villages is the right thing to do, defending the mine is the wise thing to do.”

Her words made sense to me. Or would have if she spoke for herself. Her clear eyes, her voice full of conviction, no trace of dishonesty. She meant what she told me. But somewhere in my mind Fabien’s words resounded. Was Freiherr Houdin really protecting the city? Or was it just another display where metal was worth more than the blood of the farmers and the weak?

“Then... what should I do?”

“Wait here.” Rhoslyn left me and entered the building at the back.

So even the sword maiden had no answer for me. The girl who aspired to save humanity, who would stand alone against a flood of enemies, still gave up in the ugly face of reality. Then what should I do?

“Here, for you,” the returning girl said and pushed something into my arms. “You won against me. Your price!”

I examined it. Two leather bracers, roughly my size. Something I needed for sure, but why? I asked her with my gaze.

“The remains of someone who couldn’t slay leprechauns. A father of two who died defending a greedy merchant. A comrade left us to protect someone who ran as soon as the danger became palpable. It was a noble sacrifice, but not the right thing to do. May these protect you during your slaughter.”

I bowed in gratitude.

“And as for your question,” she continued. “A killing sword may also be a life-saving sword. That was the first thing my father taught me about swords. Not the poses, not the strikes, but this one sentence. A sword can be used for both the right reasons and the wise reasons, to achieve cruel goals and to judge cruel persons, to defend the innocent and to stab your comrade in the back. Everything with the same sword. Your sword can waver and become lifeless or cut a path for others. But when the sun sinks behind the horizon, you must sheath your sword and live with your decisions. So what I want to say is...”

She looked at me and smiled. Like a mischievous child who played a prank.

“That answer is yours to find.”