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Alice Vert, the eldest daughter of Duke Vert.

She has been wielding a sword from a very young age, following her father, the Duke’s command, to take on the role of a guardian of peace on the continent.

From the moment of her birth, she was compelled to pursue this goal in life, but Alice never complained.

As the legitimate second daughter of the Vert family, she considered it natural to uphold the family’s legacy.

The burdensome and difficult tasks were enough for her and her brother, Aschel, to handle, and they didn’t need anything more.

For the younger siblings below, simply enjoying freedom from the constraints of the family was satisfying enough.

Her sentiment remained unchanged even at this point of graduating from the academy.

But what’s this?

The youngest, whom she hadn’t seen in a year, suddenly decides to take on the responsibility of continuing the family line.

What could have prompted this sudden decision from the young and inexperienced one?

Alice pondered.

Far from wielding a sword, the child had shown no interest in martial arts at all, as if still unaware of the world.

Though noble-hearted, this was truly an unwanted turn of events.

To burden such arduous and difficult tasks onto this delicate younger sibling, which sister in the world could possibly condone such a thing?

Honestly, she herself knew that the current situation was not right.

A seven-year age gap and a sword duel with her younger brother; anyone hearing about it would surely question what on earth the older sister was doing.

But studying the ways of the world was always necessary.

Alice wanted Cyan to feel the weight of the family’s expectations.

If Cyan were to feel overwhelming helplessness due to the overwhelming difference in skill, it might lead to a significant change of heart.

Although she felt somewhat sorry, she believed that after somehow soothing her brother’s feelings, they could still move past it.

At least until the first blow was futilely blocked.

“…!”

She had no intention of prolonging it.

From the moment it began, she aimed directly for the throat, ready to settle the match.

Her thrust was like the flow of water, smooth and natural.

It was a very basic and simple movement, but depending on the skill of the fencer, it could lead to a variety of situations.

Moreover, since mastering this move, Alice had never missed her mark, boasting of its perfection.

But she was blocked.

And it was quite anticlimactic.

In that unexpected moment, she found herself momentarily dazed.

Had this child really blocked her sword?

And with such precision, hitting the exact spot she aimed for without a single inch of error?

Moreover, Cyan’s sword wasn’t even a broadsword; it was a rapier, which meant he had to anticipate where Alice would strike and then assume a defensive stance.

Cyan seemed equally bewildered.

Judging by his expression, it seemed like he had sensed a momentary threat and instinctively blocked it.

Alice stepped back and created some distance between them.

“Well, you’ve got quite the intuition, Cyan.”

Cyan remained silent, wearing a helpless expression on his face.

He certainly had remarkable reflexes.

But then again, without them, he wouldn’t stand a chance against Cranz.

Alice quickly regained her composure and prepared for her next attack.

– Clang

Her next target was not Cyan’s neck but his sword.

Alice believed that by using momentum and leverage, she could overwhelm Cyan, who still lacked experience, causing him to lose his grip on the sword.

This was a common weakness among those, including her past self, who were inexperienced in swordsmanship.

– Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Her sword swept precisely in four directions: up, down, left, and right.

The crimson gleam of their clashing blades adorned the chilly night sky.

Yet, despite a bead of sweat trickling down Cyan’s face, his sword remained firmly against Elise’s.

– Huh?

He had blocked it.

Her sincere strike had been thwarted so anticlimactically.

Though he seemed breathless, as if he had exerted all her energy, what mattered was that Cyan had blocked it.

Not only had he not lost his grip on his sword, but he hadn’t even flinched.

In terms of sheer strength, Cyan at the age of 10 couldn’t match Alice, who was 17.

If even one sword strike had landed properly, Cyan should have been unable to withstand it and dropped his sword. Yet, he endured it?

To be precise, he didn’t endure it but dodged it.

Alice felt the reversal of strength in their four sword strikes in total.

That means when their swords clashed, Cyan managed to evade all the incoming force.

‘What’s with this kid?’

Alice couldn’t help but feel genuinely bewildered.

Whether by chance or talent, Cyan managed to block two sincere strikes.

Her sword, once hailed as that of a Child of God, was blocked by a mere 10-year-old kid…

A part of her heart was trembling.

Beyond astonishment, it became a matter of pride.

The desire for mastery, long suppressed, now emerged alongside a newfound desire to subdue him.

Silently withdrawing her sword, Alice once again distanced herself.

At the same time, a blue aura sparkled from her sword.

***

When was the last time I had been so out of breath in a one-on-one fight?

It’s been almost 10 years since the encounter with the continent’s top sword, ‘Resimus’.

I don’t know how my sister sees it, but right now, I’m meticulously controlling my strength, deep and precise.

With the four consecutive strikes following the initial thrust, I’m not going to lie, there were more than ten opportunities to counterattack.

To aim the sword at your neck?

If I had aimed for it, I could have done it long ago.

Even now, if I set my mind to it, I could parry and aim the sword in one move.

But I can’t bring myself to do it, so I’m suppressing all my instincts and enduring.

If I focus on deflecting, I might last about three minutes…

What is she trying to do now?

A blue aura flashed from her sword.

She’s manifesting mana.

The moment I saw that light, I thought:

Is she trying to kill me?

This isn’t about maintaining the family; it’s about cutting off its roots.

“Is this also a trial, sister?”

I cautiously tried to speak to her, but she didn’t respond. She was in a state of intense concentration, transferring mana accumulated within her body to her sword.

But does she really need to go to such lengths?

As far as I remember, my sister’s current magic grade is at least 6th tier. Compared to her peers of the same age in the academy, she’s several tiers higher.

For such an elite among elites to be trying to use mana against a mere 10-year-old kid, it seems her pride is deeply wounded by the fact that her attacks were blocked.

As time passed, her aura became more mesmerizing with shades of ocean blue.

Anyway, given the situation, there’s only one thing I can do.

For the first time since the start of the duel, I withdrew my sword not forward but backward. Then, quietly, I extended the hand on the opposite side without holding the sword towards her aura.

A brief light flashed from the sword and then disappeared as if nothing had happened.

I too had transferred magic to the sword.

The moment the transfer was confirmed, without hesitation, I charged forward. Her sword was already fully prepared.

Just swinging like that would send my body flying a hundred paces away. Of course, that wouldn’t happen, assuming both scenarios I envisioned played out entirely.

-Clang!

My sister’s sword finally slashed diagonally, and simultaneously, a blue aura surged out.

I, too, slightly twisted my sword to meet hers.

“That’s enough!”

At that moment, along with a familiar male voice, a silver longsword appeared in the air.

The sword blocked between me and my sister, swiftly absorbing her aura.

A pure white armor adorned with golden stripes.

This was not the armament typical guards of the mansion would have.

“You’ve crossed the line, Miss. No matter who you are, I cannot allow this to go further,” said the man.

“You, are you Eulken…?”

The one who stopped my sister was none other than Eulken.

Even she seemed quite surprised by the intervention of a senior knight.

“Using mana against a ten-year-old, regardless of who they are? You could have caused serious trouble!”

My sister glanced back and forth between the sword and my face for a moment.

Soon, her cheeks flushed red.

She realized what she had done.

“W-what’s going on? I’m really sorry, Cyan! I must have lost my mind for a moment!”

In no time, she dropped the sword and hugged me tightly, expressing extreme remorse.

Fortunately, Eulken intervened and sorted out the situation, otherwise it could have been quite a complicated scenario.

I hastily dissipated all the mana I had channeled into the sword.

Neither my sister nor Eulken noticed a thing.

What I cast was a 7th-grade spell called
, a mental magic that implants false illusions into all living beings in contact with the affected target.

If my sister’s sword had touched mine, she would have experienced severe confusion, unable to discern my location.

She might have perceived a dance happening in a distant place, and I would naturally observe, waiting until time passed.

My sister, who was hugging me, looked back at Eulken and asked again, “But aren’t you Father’s guardian knight? Why are you here?”

“I was carrying out the Duke’s orders to guard Cyan for the time being. It was a discreet arrangement, so I couldn’t inform Cyan about it. I apologize.”

“I’m okay, Eulken.”

I knew that Eulken was there right after my father left for the frontlines.

If one didn’t notice such a rigid and dignified demeanor, that would be odd.

Frankly, I kept waiting, wondering when he would step in. But perhaps hesitated because he was dealing with none other than Alice, my sister.

“Let’s end the duel here for now. Could you please step aside for a moment?” My sister asked Eulken politely, continuing to use formal language.

With a brief nod, Eulken vanished from his spot.

“Sigh…”

My sister let out a deep sigh, her emotions a mix of complexity.

“Who taught you swordsmanship?”

“No one. Who here would teach me swordsmanship?”

“Well, I’m not entirely clueless about your situation…”

My sister, although the dignified second daughter of the family, was born from a concubine.

In the past, when Father was at the front lines, there was a deeply respected lady in waiting, and Alice was born from their affair.

So she’s also a bastard child like me. That’s why she’s been particularly protective of me.

Despite the social disadvantage, she covered that with her talent.

No one dared to disrespect her within the household, not even Madame Margaret.

“But you’re more perceptive than I thought. Why else would I try to use magic?”

“If it weren’t for Eulken, I might have ended up worse off.”

My sister chuckled and scratched her cheek. “Guess I didn’t show the best side of being a sister, huh? Instead of cheering you on, I almost got in your way…”

“Knowing now is good enough.”

My sister clenched her fist momentarily, then lowered it, speaking calmly again.

“Are you really sincere about continuing the family legacy?”

I nodded in response.

“Yeah, you probably have your own reasons for saying that. But it won’t be easy. Everything depends entirely on you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

I smiled and replied. All the future ahead of me would be determined by the the cause and effect I have set in motion.

In that future that will unfold, my sister’s well-being will also be included.

In her previous life, my sister died in battle with the demons three years from now.

As the chosen one and the next head of the Vert lineage, her death was incredibly futile, but I know the secret of her death.

My sister didn’t die at the hands of demons, but from the hands of a fellow human.

And it was someone very close to her…

What the one who returned to the past can change is not just their own future.

Whatever happens over the next three years, I will definitely prevent my sister’s death.

My sister was endlessly patting my head with a bright smile on her face.