Swish-.
I swung my sword horizontally, slicing at Galasvind thigh.
Even though I put all my strength into cutting through, her body was more formidable than I expected.
Instead of severing flesh, I only managed to scratch the surface of her skin.
"Your body is like steel."
Galasvind smiled and wiped the wound with her palm.
"Because I'm a monster."
Thanks to inheriting the blood of Brunhilde, aura didn't affect her. Not only that, she absorbed the enemy's mana and converted it into her own strength. The only option was to compete with pure swordsmanship.
Galasvind untied her hair ribbon and used it to bind her thigh.
Snap.
"...You're not ordinary either. Are you of Strange blood?"
"Yes, my name is Verdin, the youngest son of Lois de Strange."
"Why are you looking for Lady Brunhilde, a child of the Swordsmanship House?"
"I need her."
"Who needs her?"
"I do."
"...You?"
She tilted her head, looking incredulous.
"Don't you already have a Guardian Spirit? Why then-"
"There's no time to explain. The only thing I can tell you now is that if you hand over Brunhilde, I'll spare your life."
"Ha? You think just because you can swing a sword a bit, you can be so arrogant."
"So you expect me to be humble?"
"...Indeed."
The conversation ended there.
After that, we exchanged countless blows.
Her punches, booming like bullets, and my sword, slicing through the air like a dance, created a beautiful symphony.
"Not bad, young knight of Strange."
"This is no time to be complacent."
Clang!
Galasvind caught my sword with her fist. Her body, harder than steel, was more robust than any knight's shield.
"Hang in there, Lady Galasvind! If it comes to it, we'll fight together!"
One of the ogres raised his voice. The other ogres followed suit.
"Hey, don't spout nonsense. Didn't she tell us not to interfere?"
"Yeah! And there's no way Lady Galasvind would lose to a human like that!"
They all predicted Galasvind victory.
There wasn't even a hint of unease in their eyes, as if they were watching a battle with a predetermined outcome.
'Fools.'
She would never win against me.
The battle would end soon unless they helped her now. This fight between her and me wasn't about who was tougher but a duel to take each other's life.
Clang!
Compared to her exceptional physique, her martial skills were regrettably subpar.
Had she received proper training, she might have aimed for the pinnacle.
Clang!
I twisted the blade in front of her and swung it upward.
Slash!
It narrowly missed her nose. I didn't stop and immediately pushed off the ground.
Swoosh.
The ensuing sword strike marked the end of this duel. The toughness of her body didn't matter.
The fact that aura and mana didn't work on her also had little impact on the outcome.
Within me now was someone who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship in the past.
"Finish it, my disciple."
A thrust aimed at her throat, so fast she couldn't react. Even if she blocked it, the shock would transmit internally.
Crunch!
The blade struck Galasvind throat precisely.
It didn't pierce her thick neck but the internal damage was certain.
Her distorted expression in that brief moment revealed the pain.
"Ugh."
Galasvind took a step back.
I saw the necklace fall to the ground from the previous strike. At its end, a peculiar stone vibrated with a mysterious light.
'That's it.'
One of the ogres roared.
"Impossible!"
Other ogres also shouted.
- Roar!
I didn't give them any chance. I kept swinging my sword, cutting her body all over.
With dozens of bleeding wounds on her arms and legs, the victory had tilted firmly in my favor.
Thud.
Galasvind fell to one knee. I pointed my sword at her neck and spoke.
"If you hand over Brunhilde now, I'll spare you."
She spat at me.
"Get lost."
"You want to die. Let's end this."
"..."
"Any last words?"
"None. Kill me."
She slowly scanned the surroundings, then bit her lip and hung her head.
I thought she'd counterattack to protect her pride, but to end this so simply.
"Good job, Galasvind."
I raised my sword for the final blow. Just as I was about to strike her neck.
"Stop!!"
Someone shouted.
It was a very frail child's voice.
Everyone's eyes turned to the source. I also looked and saw a boy about my age holding a club, panting heavily.
"...A child?"
Galasvind frowned deeply and staggered, grabbing my trouser leg.
"Ignore him. Roks! Didn't I tell you to never come out of the hut!"
His emerald eyes and curved nose were identical to Galasvind. Clearly, he was her child.
"Is that your kid?"
"I told you to ignore him."
'Hmm, if he's Galasvind offspring, he must have talent, and being young, he could be easily molded...'
I hadn't heard anything about this boy from Edward either. There are many things in this life I don't know.
"Mo-Mother, that's not it-"
"Shut up and go back to the hut! Now!!"
"Y-Yes!"
An ogre ran over, grabbed Roks by the scruff, and lifted him onto his shoulder, running off.
"Young master! Now is the time to escape."
"But...!"
"Close your eyes and shut your mouth, young master!"
After confirming Roks' face again, I slowly withdrew the sword aimed at Galasvind neck.
I struck Galasvind's head, knocking her unconscious.
After that, I instructed the surrounding ogres to take care of her and then left the scene. Of course, I took the necklace containing Brunhild, which was hanging around Galasvind's neck.
'By the way.'
The bloodline of Brunhild hasn't ended yet. Moreover, there was another existence I wasn't aware of: an emerald-eyed child, presumably Galasvind's offspring, who also carried the blood of the godly Brunhild.
Siegfried leaned in close, his brows furrowed deeply.
"So, you're saying you want to include Galasvind's son in your party?"
"Yes."
"Are you out of your mind? Do you think anyone would join forces with someone who razed their village and tried to kill their mother?"
"You just have to make them do it."
"How?"
I slowly waved Galasvind's necklace in the air above the table.
"We'll show them the power of Strange."
"The power of Strange?"
"Yes, if we threaten to burn down the entire forest with our army, they'll have no choice but to comply with my request."
"That's insane! That forest is part of your territory."
I shook my head firmly.
"That's right. But who would suffer the most if the forest burns?"
"...The monsters, I suppose?"
"Exactly."
"Wait a minute. Do you really think that would work? That woman earlier cut down her companions and didn't seem to care about her own life."
"It doesn't matter. What they want to protect is not the fortress but the forest itself."
"The forest?"
"Yes, the forest."
Siegfried tilted his head, puzzled.
"What do you mean?"
"Master, think carefully. What are the ogres' nicknames? And why do they exist?"
"The Guardians of the Forest. They were born to protect the forest."
"That's right. Ogres exist to protect the forest."
"Ogres, fine. But why does Galasvind want to protect the forest?"
The answer is simple.
The key to reaching the top of the tower is in this forest. Siegfried knows that. Or at least, he should.
If he truly had Brunhild as his Guardian Spirit, he would know the reason she became a Guardian Spirit and her ultimate goal.
I deliberately played dumb.
"I don't know either."
It was an answer that a five-year-old might give.
"Dammit."
"...Master, I've been thinking. Aren't your words too harsh for a child?"
"A child? Haha—now you're saying ridiculous things. Hey, kid, are you just a child?!"
"Of course."
"You're a knight."
"A knight?"
"Yes, what kind of child practices swordsmanship with a seven-star knight, cuts off the arms of assassins and mages, and faces the leader of the ogre fortress?"
When he listed my current achievements, it did seem unreasonable.
I've been trying to hide my power as much as possible, but it's so overwhelming that I can't fully control it.
But it's okay.
These issues can be resolved with a single sentence.
"Because I'm Strange."
It was a clean and perfect answer.
Siegfried nodded in agreement.
"Indeed, if you inherited my blood, you should at least be capable of this much."
He even seemed satisfied.
"But what will you do about not bringing Brunhild back?"
I placed Galasvind's necklace on the map.
"Who says I didn't bring her back?"
"What?"
"She's right here."
Siegfried looked around.
"Where?"
"Here."
"Are you messing with me? This kid—"
"I'm not joking. Look, she's right here."
I raised my eyebrows while looking at the map. Following my gaze, Siegfried checked the necklace and then clapped his hands in surprise.
"Are you saying Brunhild is inside this necklace?"
"Yes."
"Really?"
"If you don't believe me, check the crystal on the necklace. You'll feel the magic."
From a distance, it looked like a stone with a mysterious color, but if you focused a bit, you'd see it was a crystal.
A crystal containing a very strong magic, where Brunhild's Guardian Spirit resided.
"Where did you get this?"
"It was hanging around Galasvind's neck."
"Around Galasvind's neck?"
"Yes. I pretended to cut her throat while severing the necklace string, and I picked it up secretly when the child appeared."
Siegfried looked at the crystal for a long time, lost in thought, then shook his head and muttered.
"But... do you really have to work with her? Aren't you considering any other Guardian Spirits?"
"Yes."
"If you want, I can introduce you to other good Guardian Spirits—"
"No need."
"Okay, right. You wouldn't listen to me anyway. But, my dear apprentice, there's one thing you should definitely know."
"What is it?"
"The truth is, Brunhild..."
"Yes."
Siegfried hesitated, looking worried, then sighed deeply and turned his back.
"...is not a mage."