Sword Demon Battle Ballad―― The One to Succeed Astrea

Translated by: @garmadoncar

Proofread by: @ShadowKoto

1

――Sword’s tip slicing through the wind, a glint of silver capered through the rays of the sun in a fierce waltz of light.

???: [――――]

With nary a word, the silent swordsman brandished steel, however, more eloquently than words ever could, the depth and accumulated repetition of that individual’s training spoke volumes.

Within the fighter’s swordsmanship, naught could be perceived as akin to a form founded in a school of training.

The sum of his swordsmanship was the crystallization of self-study, the pinnacle of a self-taught style―― in fact, having reached an existence crowned as the apex of the sword, it was a height befitting the term mastery.

Whilst it was a self-taught style, bereft of the sword techniques that had continued to be passed down, for what reason was it enacting a sword dance without any opponent to confront? ――That was because, therein laid the essence of form.

The “form” in swordsmanship was, in every sense of the word, something composed by conceptualizing a real battle. To ingrain oneself with a “form”, was tantamount to instilling oneself with the resolve and technique for a real battle.

Thus, if one could swing their sword with a prudence to always be conceptualizing combat, to always conduct themselves as if on a battlefield, then even without knowing any “form”, they would at least end up producing the same results as would one with a “form”.

Henceforth, imagining the phantoms of all the mighty foes he had faced until now, within the sword dance of the swordsman as he crossed blades with them head-on, was reflected all the thickness of his advancement, the same as what would be seen upon witnessing “form”.

For those who aspired to the martial arts, it was a sword dance that would likely reap benefits by mere observation.

Making a generous display of that, when the slice of his sword disarmed his imaginary opponent’s weapon, the swordsman halted the motion of his sword dance, and catching his breath, he wiped the sweat off his brow.

The sweat running down his forehead and cheeks, was evidence of just how earnestly the swordsman had enacted the dance of the blade―― then, the swordsman turned to face the one he had been displaying his whole-hearted sword dance to,

Swordsman: [Just now, was a reenactment of when I fought against a guy who had eight arms.]

???: [――Uu.]

Swordsman: [Though, given that the opponent couldn’t deliver any counters, it can’t be considered a perfect reenactment. But, if we ever end up fighting again, I’ll do it just like this time, without taking even a single hit.]

???: [――Aah…]

Swordsman: [After I catch my breath, we’ll move on to the next opponent. Next would be, that’s right… finally, the figure of the Sword Saint.]

Wanting to make a display, the swordsman―― Wilhelm, attempted to continue.

However, he was interrupted. By none other than the very Sword Saint in question.

???: [That’s more than enough, Wilhelm! What do you think you’re doing with Heinkel!?]

A shrill voice was raised, and receiving it unexpectedly, Wilhelm turned around.

Glaring with strict eyes at Wilhelm as he stood right in the center of the mansion’s yard, standing in a daunting pose with her hands on her hips, was the Sword Saint―― Theresia.

The focus of her ire was Wilhelm, and the focus of her words was the one present by Wilhelm’s side―― the couple’s child, Heinkel.

Wrapped up in a blanket, the infant had been laid within an inclined cradle upon a chair for the tea table. The reason for the cradle being inclined was simple; for if it were that way, it would make it easier to see. ――The sword dance.

And, why was a sword dance being displayed? That was because――,

Wilhelm: [It’d be best to get him accustomed to the sword early on, yeah? I’ve also made sure to place an order for a small sword that a baby can hold.]

Theresia: [You, big sword dummy Wilhelm――!!!]

Far louder than her initial shout, it resounded through the gardens of the Astrea Mansion.

As if to follow the voice of its mother scolding its father, the baby also began to cry loudly.

2

――The child Wilhelm and Theresia had eagerly awaited, Heinkel Astrea, was born.

Given that this was directly preceded by an emergency that shook the Kingdom of Lugunica, His Majesty Gionis, wishing to spread good tidings, had wanted to raise a grand celebration throughout the nation for the birth of the couple’s child, but they firmly refused him.

Of course, they were happy to be celebrated, but Heinkel was their own child―― first and foremost, they had wished to prioritize the blessing of his life with family alone.

With that reasoning, His Majesty Gionis gave up on holding a festival, and thus, Sword Demon and Sword Saint, the son of those two heroes―― Heinkel Astrea, was born into this world with ordinary celebrations.

Frankly, the journey leading up to Heinkel’s birth could by no means be called an easy one, but he had been doing well after birth, and without undergoing any congenital illness or loss, he was given the stamp of approval of a healthy body.

Thanks to that, they could hope for him to grow up without any anguish, but――,

Theresia: [No matter the case, you don’t just try to put a sword in the hands of a baby who’s not even one year old! You’re also forbidden from swinging your sword all about the air right next to his cradle!]

Wilhelm: [Wait, don’t just decide that all on your own. This is from my own experience, but when I was a brat, I always found myself wishing that I’d encountered the sword sooner. So, introducing him to the sword as soon as possible would be the quickest…]

Theresia: [Don’t use your own abnormalities as a reference! You aren’t normal, Wilhelm!]

Wilhelm: [You fell for such a man, and yet you say all those things!?]

As Wilhelm froze with his eyes wide open, Theresia’s cheeks flushed red as she refuted in complete desperation with, “Yes, that’s right, that’s absolutely right.”

It was a continuation of their argument in the yard from earlier. ――After Theresia did her best to soothe the crying Heinkel, they left him in Grimm’s care, ever-reliable as he was. Having had many younger siblings, Grimm was quite accustomed to looking after children; they were always being rescued by him and Carol.

Be that as it may, given that it was her own child, Theresia wished to be with Heinkel as much as possible. For that reason, this issue needed to be resolved.

Theresia: [You see, Wilhelm, people can’t live by the sword and the sword alone. Even if he is our child, I’ll need you to respect his wishes.]

Wilhelm: […I get what you’re trying to say. But, Heinkel will be the next Sword Saint. You should know that.]

Theresia: [Uh, that’s…]

Wilhelm: [Since the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint is a Divine Protection that gets passed on, Heinkel’s life will be entwined with the sword no matter what. And so, the best way for him to get involved would be to learn about it early on. Am I wrong?]

Wilhelm narrowed his long-slitted eyes as he made a direct argument, causing Theresia to falter.

Despite having proved his lack of common sense by displaying a sword dance to their child up close, and attempting to give his favourite sword to the zero-year-old baby, was it not unfair for him to say something that sounded so reasonable here?

――In reality, Wilhelm’s concern was not a matter of overthinking things.

Theresia: […After all, my brothers are all gone, and so is my father.]

As Wilhelm had said, the succession of the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint did not appear in individuals outside of House Astrea. And, Theresia had been bereaved of all her brothers, as well as her father, Bertol. Of course, there was likely a decent number of distant relatives related to the Astreas with diluted blood, but there was no past precedent of a Sword Saint emerging from those collateral families.

Ergo, the candidate to be the next Sword Saint would inevitably be Heinkel.

Theresia: […Even though Heinkel is so small, and so cute…]

Wilhelm: [I understand your feelings. I also think he’s cute. But, when he saw his own face reflected in the blade of this sword, he laughed. He has a natural talent for the sword.]

Theresia: […Wait. You put a sword that close to Heinkel’s face?]

Wilhelm: […Shit.]

Having slipped up in his intent to persuade her, Wilhelm’s cheeks stiffened up. With a glare that seemed to bore a hole through Wilhelm’s expression, Theresia recovered her emotions.

The things he had been saying were somewhat believable, but it all seemed a sophism for the purpose of placing a sword into the hands of a zero-year-old.

To begin with――,

Theresia: [The moment a person receives the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint, their ability as a swordfighter is elevated to the absolute limit. After all, I’m living proof! Even though I hadn’t held a sword even once up to that point, I completely trounced Thames-niisama despite him having always given it his all.]

Wilhelm: [Oi, don’t talk about your honorable elder brother like that… even if it’s true.]

Theresia recognized that she had indeed gone too far, and apologized to her brother in her heart.

Within the dream that Melinda’s Evil Eye had shown her, Thames had seen her off with a smile, but she imagined that even he would probably be hurt by what she had said just now, so she reflected a great deal.

To add on, as Theresia reflected so, Wilhelm continued, “Besides”,

Wilhelm: [Sure, you may be a precedent, but if we rely on that and don’t teach Heinkel anything about the sword at all, what then…? There’d be no guarantee of his safety until the Divine Protection is passed on.]

Theresia: [Wilhelm…]

Wilhelm: [A man of Astrea will invariably be faced with trial and tribulation. ――Those were your father’s words.]

The words Wilhelm added on were weightier than anything else for Theresia.

Theresia’s father, as the one who had named Heinkel, Bertol’s sword arm was of little avail, but as a matter of fact, he was a man more worthy of the name Astrea than any other.

With the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint inherited by his younger brother, the path to becoming the Sword Saint was thus closed to him, but this did not dishearten Bertol in the slightest, and he was always thinking about the future of the Astreas. He may have gotten a little overly involved in Theresia’s future, but that too was out of love.

There was the weight of the words her father left behind, and the duties that the Astreas must fulfill.

Theresia: […For the sake of the Kingdom, the Sword Saint must not cease to exist.]

Wilhelm: [That’s the important duty levied upon House Astrea. A duty that almost came to an end.]

Theresia: [――――]

To keep the peace of the Kingdom of Lugunica, the Sword Saint had the duty of swinging the sword. Hitherto, twice had Theresia prioritized her own circumstances, and turned her back on that duty.

The first was in the midst of the Demi-Human War, when she could not muster up the courage to fight and had lost her brothers.

The second was when she was defeated by Wilhelm, and deprived of her role as the Sword Saint.

Thus, she could not afford to go against it a third time by failing in her duty of passing the torch of Sword Saint to the next generation.

Theresia: […I’m sorry.]

Wilhelm: […Why are you apologizing.]

Theresia: [It’s inexcusable to my mother, to His Majesty Gionis, and to you, Wilhelm… If my body was still able to have more children, such concerns would――]

Not have been necessary; Theresia had intended on continuing so.

――Amidst a series of difficult circumstances, Heinkel Astrea had been born safely. For that in itself, it was difficult to feel anything other than joy. However, in exchange for that, Theresia’s body became incapable of having another child.

Garitch Fabless, currently the best healer in the entire Kingdom, made the diagnosis. Provided with that diagnosis, it was difficult for them to hope for any more children. It was a matter regarding her own body, so Theresia also generally understood it.

Hence, the potential to inherit the Divine Protection of the Sword Saint, remained in Heinkel alone.

And so, for narrowing down the options in her own child’s life, and simply for being unable to have any children other than Heinkel, Theresia attempted to apologize. ――But, she had been unable to do so.

Theresia: [――――]

After all, as if to cut off her would-be next words, Wilhelm had stolen her lips.

Wilhelm: [In your case, this way is far more effective than striking you.]

Theresia: [～～Hk.]

As Theresia widened his eyes at the sudden act, Wilhelm spoke thus after parting lips.

She blinked her blue eyes in surprise, and in fact, each and every one of Theresia’s various regrets and ruminations up until a moment prior were shaken away.

And then, before Theresia could regain her composure, WIlhelm mercilessly continued.

Wilhelm: [First of all, don’t you dare apologize about that. You gave birth to Heinkel, and made it out alright. For me, there’s no greater fruit of war. In this battle, you’ve achieved the highest rank of distinguished service.]

Theresia: [H-highest rank of distinguished service…]

Wilhelm: [Be grateful. Grimm was able to marry Carol thanks to that.]

Theresia: [Hooray, yippie… like I would ever say…]

Wilhelm: [I’ll say this once more. You won against that bastard Stride’s plottings.]

Pressing his finger against Theresia’s nose as she tried to continue to mumble, Wilhelm silenced her to an “Uh” and then crowned her so.

She had triumphed over Stride, the Destruction Wish. Even if she was told this, the ones who had defeated Stride were WIlhelm, Grimm, and the rest, so Theresia did not really feel like she had won――,

Wilhelm: [That bastard probably had no intention of letting Heinkel… of letting you give birth to the baby in your belly. Once he killed Heinkel, you would have no longer been able to bear any kids. That ought to have been what he was aiming to do.]

Theresia: [――――]

Wilhelm: [But, Heinkel was born. It was your total victory. He’s probably crying out in vexation from the pits of Hell.]

It was an excessive proclamation of victory, but by no means could it be called unreasonable. After all, Stride had actually placed a curse on Heinkel when he was still in Theresia’s womb.

Not only did he make Heinkel into a hostage, but he also applied further pain unto Theresia, so if he had indeed been planning to sever the future of the Kingdom, it would not have been strange. ――Only, considering the love Melinda bore Stride, she could not be sure if that was truly what he had intended to do.

And, there no longer remained any means in this world to ascertain that.

Wilhelm: [You think I don’t know that? That’s why, I’ve no choice but to believe it. And once I believe, I’ve no choice but to build up grounds so that it can be believed.]

Theresia: [Grounds, so that it can be believed? That means…]

Wilhelm: [It’s a given. ――The sword.]

As he suddenly brought his face close, Theresia readied herself for another kiss, but blinking her eyes at the words of Wilhelm that followed, she spilled out a sigh.

Theresia: […Ultimately, you return to that?]

Wilhelm: [Of course. From beginning to end, that’s what we’ve been talking about.]

Theresia: [Seriously now, you’re really straightforward, and I respect that about you.]

Half respect and half exasperation, with such feelings, Theresia drooped her shoulders, and Wilhelm shrugged his shoulders with a face as if to say he found that unexpected.

To be perfectly honest, she had quite a few reservations on the matter. The things Wilhelm was trying to do whilst thinking in a way only Wilhelm would were not wrong per se, but there were all kinds of problems with the way he was going about it.

Only, she also thought this. ――It made her happy how Wilhelm earnestly loved Heinkel, how he earnestly worried about his future, and how he earnestly was trying to protect him in a way he knew how.

Before this child was born, Wilhelm too must have been anxious. Even Theresia had been so, and thus Wilhelm must have been as well.

Would they really be able to become good parents? Would they really be able to protect their child well?

Cutting down such various apprehensions, Wilhelm was trying to be a father. For Theresia, there was nothing that made her happier.

Theresia: [Alright, understood. Even if we discuss this together, you and I won’t reach an agreement, Wilhelm… so, we’ll take a vote together with Mother, Carol, and Grimm-kun as well.]

Wilhelm: […Your mother ought to understand the duty of House Astrea.]

Theresia: [If that’s what you think, then feel free to openly insist on that to Carol and the rest.]

Wilhelm: [Wait… that’s it! Asking Heinkel himself should be the most fair. We’ll let Heinkel hold a sword, and if he laughs then we can go with my way of…]

Theresia: [Yeah, yeah, I won’t be hearing it. I’ve made up my mind!]

Wilhelm persisted without knowing when to give up, so Theresia turned her back towards him, and began to walk. Hastening to keep up by her side, Wilhelm did his best to mend things, but she had decided she would not listen to him.

Seeing how desperate WIlhelm was, Theresia thought this. ――He had said various plausible things to her, but Wilhelm’s true motive was undoubtedly the following:

He wished to share that which he loved with his son as soon as possible, unbearably so.

Wilhelm: [It’s not just that. The sword, it’s what brought the two of us together…]

Hearing Wilhelm’s excuses, Theresia deliberately picked up her pace. If she continued to listen to Wilhelm’s fervent pleas like this, it was quite possible that she might be moved.

After all, this senseless person who only thought about the sword, was intolerably dear to Theresia.

――In the end, this day’s quarrel concluded with a unanimous vote for Theresia.

Nonetheless, the obstinate Wilhelm would still attempt to familiarize Heinkel with the sword whenever he saw an opportunity after that, inciting the wrath of Theresia, Carol, and the others.

And, that would only continue without end until subsequent years, when Heinkel developed an awareness of his surroundings and became eager to swing the sword of his own accord, and Wilhelm began swinging swords together with him whilst wearing a triumphant look on his face.

《Fin》