Chapter 1
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Chapter 1
Prologue Ⅰ.
Strictly speaking, Agenka Military Academy hardly deserved the name "school." No lectures or classes were held. Nor were there any training sessions.
Of course, there were no instructors or teachers either. All the cadets received were lodging, meals, and the status of being a cadet.
"But that status carries tremendous weight. Candidates for squires of the Changtian Knights, no less. It's only natural that so many applicants flock here."
The Junior Administrator muttered while gazing out the window of the academy's administrative office. The Senior Administrator, seated at her desk reviewing a mountain of application documents, furrowed her brow.
"Where did that come from all of a sudden?"
"Oh, I was just thinking—it's rather gratifying to be affiliated with the Changtian Knights, even if only as an administrator."
"How dull."
Agenka, the city where Agenka Military Academy was located, was governed by the Changtian Knights and belonged to no nation. This was because the Changtian Knights transcended national boundaries.
"I wonder how many of them will actually become Changtian knights?"
"Not a single one might emerge."
"Surely not."
"You can't become a formal Changtian knight unless you're a Master. And becoming a Master isn't easy, is it?"
"...Aren't all knights Masters?"
"Look at you, saying scary things. You're from Agenka, aren't you? Have you lived here your whole life?"
"Yes. Why?"
"The Changtian Knights having every single member be a Master—that's what's unusual. Why do you think they're called the strongest for nothing?"
"So other knight orders accept people as knights even if they're not Masters?"
"There aren't even that many Masters in other countries to begin with. But here? Regular knights channel mana through their swords and scatter it around like Masters, and above them are even Gigas owners...."
"Wait, what's that?"
The Junior Administrator interrupted her senior's explanation with a bewildered tone. The Senior Administrator, who had been in the middle of her explanation, scowled.
"You little brat, were you even listening to me?"
"S-Senior, look at that person."
The Junior Administrator fumbled and pointed outside. A commotion could be heard stirring from beyond the window. The Senior Administrator, who had been about to scold her, eventually approached the window at the sound of the disturbance.
"What's going on? ...What is that?"
As she peered outside and her mouth fell open, the Junior Administrator standing beside her asked.
"Senior, how many years have you been working here?"
"Seven years...."
"...Have you ever seen an applicant like that in all that time?"
"Is that even possible?"
"I don't think so...."
"I've seen all manner of applicants, but this is a first for me."
All eyes had converged on a single woman.
Not because she was a woman—though men outnumbered them, there were plenty of female applicants, and the Changtian Knights had female knights as well.
Was it her beauty? She was beautiful, certainly. Perhaps barely twenty years old.
Her skin was milk-white, her hair a pale pink—half twisted up, half cascading down—and her large eyes, which lent her a youthful appearance, gleamed like ripe grapes in shades of violet. Her full, delicate lips blushed like flower petals. She was so exquisitely refined and fragile that touching her seemed as though it would leave pollen on one's fingertips.
Yet even such beauty was not the source of the commotion. With thousands of applicants gathered here, there were several women more striking in appearance.
The reason she commanded such attention was her attire.
White lace gloves. A dress complete with petticoat. High-heeled women's shoes. Earrings. A necklace. A brooch. Subtle makeup. Ribbons, ruffles, frills, and jewels.
It was the sort of ensemble one would expect at a tea party among noble ladies—not at the Training Grounds where aspiring knights gathered.
"She must have lost her mind...."
The Junior Administrator's muttered words captured the sentiment of everyone observing her. The Senior Administrator replied in an equally bewildered tone.
"Indeed. Whoever's daughter she is, she's not merely thoughtless—she's lost all sense entirely."
"She does understand this is a place where sword skills are tested, doesn't she?"
"It would be better if she didn't. Geniuses from across the continent are here, giving their all in the Agenka Military Academy entrance examination. If she came dressed like that knowing full well...."
"Do you think she's ever even held a sword?"
"The most likely scenario is that she's some young lady who's read nothing but romance novels and ran away from home. A sword? I'll wager she drops it the moment she draws it. One silver."
"I can't take that bet! I'd lose the same way!"
"Then bet on dropping it while swinging."
"Swing with those arms? She couldn't even lift it with one hand!"
A sword was a formidable weapon. Unless it was a lightweight rapier, an untrained woman would struggle not merely to wield it, but even to lift it with a single hand.
"What is the matter?"
A cool, low voice drifted from behind the chattering pair. Recognizing it, the Senior Administrator spun around in alarm and saluted.
"Commander! We greet you!"
"Commander? The, the Commander?"
In Agenka, there was only one person called "Commander"—the Commander of the Changtian Knights.
Since the Changtian Knights operated on a strict merit-based system, being their Commander was tantamount to being the greatest knight.
The Junior Administrator, having only recently joined the administrative staff and never met the Commander before, examined the man with an expression of shock.
He appeared as delicate as a flower made of glass. His long silver hair was loosely bound and draped over one shoulder, his eyes a clear sky-blue. His face seemed more that of a poet than a knight.
Yet beneath his uniform lay a body honed to absolute perfection. And there was his presence—his aura. No matter how beautiful, a sword remains a sword. That sharp, cold sensation inherent to an instrument forged for cutting and piercing emanated from him as well. It was the mark of one who had lived a life perpetually bound to steel.
This man was Yurien de Harden Kirie—the youngest Master ever, the youngest Commander of the Changtian Knights, and the wielder of the Holy Sword Langiosa. Undoubtedly, he would become the subject of epic poems sung by wandering bards in ages to come.
The Junior Administrator swallowed involuntarily.
"Ah, it's nothing of importance, sir."
"I heard mention of a wager."
"That is...."
The Junior Administrator faltered, unable to respond properly, beads of sweat forming on her brow. The Senior Administrator squeezed her eyes shut and offered an explanation.
"There is an unusual applicant among those taking the test, and we were merely making light conversation about it!"
"Unusual, you say?"
Yurien raised his eyebrows slightly. The administrators quickly retreated and pointed toward the window.
"Over there.... If you look, you'll see immediately."
Yurien de Harden Kirie approached the window and peered outside, his eyes narrowing. He quickly spotted a woman with pink hair among the applicants.
I recognized her at once. I knew her. There was no way I couldn't. Even if she'd been wrapped in a burlap sack, I would have known her.
My eyes widened and wavered. My hand gripping the window frame tensed unconsciously. Countless memories flooded my mind, and my stomach churned. Yet I didn't let my inner turmoil show on my face. None of the administrators beside me noticed my disturbance.
The Senior Administrator let out a sigh.
"I never expected to see an applicant in a dress at the Agenka Military Academy entrance examination."
"...An applicant?"
Yurien reacted as if he'd heard something strange.
"Yes. What does she think the Military Academy is.... She seems to be a thoughtless young lady."
The Senior Administrator thought the Commander's surprise was a natural reaction. An applicant in heels and a dress—it was certainly exasperating. Blinded by this prejudice, she failed to notice the subtle nuance in Yurien's question.
The Junior Administrator, however, caught it. Something about his tone was odd. The Commander's words didn't sound like "how dare she be an applicant" but rather "she can't possibly be merely an applicant." Had she misheard? While she tilted her head in confusion, Yurien returned with an expressionless face.
"Do you think she'll fail?"
"What? Well.... No, wouldn't she?"
Meanwhile, the woman in the dress seemed to have come up for the preliminary round. She walked forward holding an unadorned longsword that clashed starkly with her appearance.
The preliminary test was simple: cleave a log with a sword.
The log was harder than one might expect, and cleaving it in a single stroke with a sword rather than an axe required both technique and strength. A seasoned knight could gauge an opponent's level at a glance from the stance, the cut surface, and the speed.
Outside the window, the woman stood before the log and drew her sword. Yurien didn't take his eyes off her as she raised the blade. He whispered as if to himself.
"If it were me, I'd bet on her passing the test at the top."
The woman swung her sword. The flowing sleeves fluttered in the air. Her feet in heels and her slender arms didn't waver at all. The log split cleanly in half. Even the administrators who knew little could see it was a flawless motion.
Silence filled the Training Grounds. Only after the sword slid into its sheath with a soft sound did the examiner come to his senses. He mechanically checked the cut surface of the log, then announced hesitantly.
"E-Echinacea Loaz, preliminary round passed!"
Yurien turned away without watching further. There was no need to see more. She would pass the remaining tests with ease. He gave an order to the administrators.
"Bring me her application."
"Yes? What?"
The administrator, whose mind had been elsewhere at this unexpected turn, startled. Yurien gestured with his chin.
"That applicant's application form."
"Ah, yes, understood. Please wait a moment."
The two administrators hurriedly rummaged through the pile of documents. Moments later, a single sheet landed in Yurien's hand. He quickly scanned it on the spot.
―Echinacea Loaz, female, 20 years old, from the Kirie Empire, eldest daughter of the Loaz Count Family.
Echinacea was the name of a pink flower. She had likely been given this name because of her uncommon hair color. It was a fitting name. The kind one couldn't forget after hearing it once.
"Echinacea...."
Yurien savored the name quietly. A name I'd never heard before. A name I'd desperately wanted to know. I knew her, but I hadn't known her name.
In the "future" I knew, she was not a cadet. But this time, she would become one.
"Things have changed."
"Sir?"
"It's nothing. Then, carry on."
Yurien returned the application to the administrators and left the administrative office.
* * *
At the same moment, Echinacea Loaz ignored the flood of stares and left the preliminary examination grounds.
She glanced down at her right palm. Beneath the ornate glove lay a black mark that must never be revealed.
[You're thinking of abandoning me again, aren't you? Heartless master.]
With no one around to hear, the voice resonated directly within her mind—a whisper emanating from the pattern etched upon her right palm, speaking soul to soul. Echinacea's lips curved into a bitter smile.
"Of course. Why else would I have come all this way? To be rid of you, naturally."
[And yet you learned how to turn back time because of me!]
"If not for you, I would never have needed such a thing in the first place."
[Come on, let it go. It's all erased now anyway, isn't it? The past is gone—don't dwell on what's been wiped away, hmm?]
"Shut your mouth, you cursed demon blade."
Echinacea's voice, delicate and refined, delivered the words with a viciousness that seemed utterly at odds with its tone. She ignored the demon blade's continued muttering in her mind and made her way toward the first examination hall.
The hall was not far. Those who had passed the preliminary rounds were already gathered there. Echinacea Loaz paused at the entrance, drawing a deep breath while her right hand clenched tightly—as though she wished to hide the pattern inscribed upon it.
Now it begins.
She intended to become a full-fledged knight of the Changtian Knights. She would stand out, yet avoid suspicion. She would inevitably set a record for the fastest ascension to knighthood, but she must not appear abnormal—only a 'ordinary' prodigy, nothing more.
She had to maintain that facade while pursuing her true goal. Most importantly, she could never entangle herself with that noble commander of the order—regardless of how much she yearned to see him. This second life, hard-won as it was, could not be squandered on sentiment.
'Even if Yurien were to remember by some miracle... I look so different now.'
Echinacea glanced down at her elaborate attire. There was purpose behind the dress and adornments.
Echinacea Loaz was living her second life.
At thirty-five, she had rewound time fifteen years. She had erased the past she wished forgotten, rewritten with her own hands. This second chance at twenty had not been a gift freely given. It was a miracle she had seized for herself.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org