The day after the grand event with Cecilia.
In my head, which had completely shaken off the alcohol, memories of last night suddenly crashed in like a tsunami.
"Ah... fuck."
Even as a transcendent being, the dizzying pain made my head spin.
But soon enough, the pain faded, leaving only the pleasure I'd felt from Cecilia yesterday echoing in my mind.
'...I even stripped naked and passed out.'
My bare body came into view.
Of course, I'm basically immune to most ailments, so no big deal... but Cecilia sleeping stark naked right beside me? That's another story.
"Catching a cold would be a disaster..."
I scooped her up in a princess carry and headed straight for the bedroom.
The door swung open, revealing the bedroom.
No matter how we looked right now, it was a space fundamentally befitting an elf—beautifully adorned with nothing but books and flowers.
And to think she'd decorated it like this in such a short time.
Just before she arrived, the room had only a bed and a desk.
—Swish.
I laid Cecilia on the bed and pulled the covers over her.
"Suuu— suuu—."
More comfortable now in a proper bed, she let out soft, sleepy breaths, utterly lost in slumber.
Her beauty aside, she looked incredibly cute like this.
A face so cute and alluring it could captivate any man.
The fact that my lower half was still reacting after going at it so hard last night plunged me into self-loathing, but I let out a deep sigh anyway.
'...Hoo. Not now.'
Much as I wanted to, taking advantage of her while she was out cold just didn't sit right with me.
To tamp down the lust boiling up against my will, I headed to the front yard and gripped my sword.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Cecilia finally stirred awake well past lunchtime.
'...He really had no intention of pouncing on me, huh.'
As I'd resolved before, I was gunning for a bed ending, not a bad one.
So naturally, I figured I'd make my move once we got a bit closer.
Never dreamed she'd turn the tables and jump me first.
"Master? We've got a visitor."
"Be right there."
I slid my sword back into its sheath.
A visitor, though?
It's been decades since I started holing up in this little house on the edge of the imperial capital.
Anyone still coming to see me?
—Creak.
I opened the door and stepped inside, where a middle-aged man with black hair and a touch of beard immediately caught my eye.
He screamed high nobility from head to toe.
But I already knew the guy.
Both of them were etched in my memories.
"...Well, now. What brings you to a retired old fart tucked away in the back?"
I frowned and plopped down on the chair facing the two.
After sipping the tea Cecilia offered, the man—who'd been holding his silence—finally spoke.
"Kaliyam. I came with a request."
"A request? Re-quest? Bergil, you asking me?"
"...Yes. A request."
I laid on the sarcasm thick, and for a split second, veins bulged on Bergil's scalp.
Well, duh. We'd spent years brawling nonstop—bowing his head must sting like hell.
"So, what plea brings the esteemed former Archmage of Extremes to humble himself?"
The moment I dropped the title, Cecilia—who'd been fixing breakfast way over there—shot a quick glance our way.
Yeah... even an elf couldn't not know the Empire's Seven Stars.
From outsiders' views, they were pure terror.
"Teach swordsmanship to my granddaughter."
Bergil squeezed his eyes shut and bowed his head low.
For him to go this far, it must be serious.
"...But telling the Archmage of Extremes' granddaughter to learn swordsmanship? What kind of nonsense is that?"
The Archmage of Extremes earned his star through magic.
And now he wants swordsmanship for his kin?
"Tell me about it. But get this—turns out the girl's got zero talent for magic."
"...That bad?"
"Yeah... that bad."
For Bergil to put it like that.
This was getting interesting.
"...So basically, take her as your disciple."
"That's the gist."
"Eh, sure. I've got about two years free."
"...You'll do it?"
"Why not?"
"N-No, I mean..."
Honestly, no reason to turn it down.
The story doesn't kick off for another two years or so, and I've got zilch to do till then.
Problems only crop up once it starts.
I'd planned to spend that time cozying up with Cecilia...
But that didn't pan out, and taking a disciple sounded kinda fun.
Plus, biggest perk: racking up a debt with Bergil, the former Archmage of Extremes.
Still active in politics, he'd bail me out of any mess.
Like an insurance policy.
"Oh, and you, living alone with an elf girl. What, found love late in life?"
"...What?"
The guy dropped all pretense of seriousness the second business wrapped, and I just sighed.
"Back in your Sword Saint days, you turned down every woman who came your way."
"...Did I?"
Well, yeah. The original owner of this body was a total lunatic.
A sword-obsessed maniac living and dying by the blade.
Swung it wildly just 'cause he loved it, ended up Sword Saint.
No proper master, just invented his own style willy-nilly.
Straight-up crazy bastard.
"Anyway, have fun with that girl over there. Time for me to check on my niece."
"...Yeah, yeah. Quit yapping and get lost."
Truth be told, I wanted to get all lovey-dovey with Cecilia too.
Just wasn't going my way.
"Heh... embarrassed, are we?"
In an instant, Bergil's body shimmered with blue particles.
The telltale sign of high-level teleport magic.
"See ya."
"Yeah."
—Flash!
A burst of blue light, and poof—the Bergil who'd just been chatting with me vanished.
House back to normal: just me and Cecilia.
"...Cecilia. Breakfast ready?"
"......"
"Cecilia?"
"...Master."
"Yeah?"
"You're... the Sword Saint?"
"Ah, yeah. Never mentioned it, huh."
I couldn't figure out why she was so shocked at first, but then it hit me—I'd never once said I was the Sword Saint.
Hell, I'd gone out of my way to hide it.
"Master's... really the Sword Saint?"
"Not denying it."
For a split second, raw fear flickered in Cecilia's eyes.
Exactly why I'd kept quiet.
Didn't want her scared of me.
In the Empire, the Seven Stars—including the Sword Saint—were hailed as heroes, but that was just inside the borders.
Outsiders saw them differently.
The Seven Stars.
Seven absolute powerhouses obeying the Emperor's command.
They symbolized the Empire's overwhelming might and prestige.
'No wonder the stares aren't friendly.'
Things improved under the previous emperor, but two reigns back, the Empire was deep in conquest wars.
Proclaiming world domination, they marched armies every which way, turning the continent into a blazing inferno.
And the Empire's Seven Stars, me included, shone brightest in those flames.
So to non-imperial folk, we were nightmares incarnate.
One erases a city with a spell, another butchers a village protector with a single blade.
Ruthless, unstoppable absolutes.
That's our rep abroad—and for Cecilia, raised in an elf clan after the Empire torched part of their World Tree, no different.
"...Scared?"
I turned to Cecilia, who'd gone quiet.
But unlike the fear from before, her eyes held no negativity now.
"Not scared?"
"...Huh?"
After ditching the Sword Saint title, the original owner had lived steeped in regret and guilt.
Having fully absorbed his memories and feelings, even I—as the soul inside—found her answer shocking.
"Not scared?"
"No. Why would I be? You're just you, Master."
Her voice was steady, no waver.
No lie there.
"Sure, I grew up hearing how terrifying the Seven Stars are. But so what? Wasn't me who saw it, and that was nearly a century ago. The only one I trust is you—the Master who cares for me and shows me such kindness."
Her words brimmed with unwavering faith in me.
Even with my dulled emotions and calculating heart, they hit deep.
"And... you forgave me, even after I drugged you and pounced. How could someone that kind have slaughtered millions? Right?"
She cocked her head with a smile.
Unlike her claim, Yuri Kaliyam had killed millions—no doubt about it—but I didn't correct her.
I simply smiled at Cecilia, whose boundless trust and affection for me were blooming, and gently stroked her hair.
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