"What do you think I am? Some call-on-demand maid who comes whenever you summon me?"
The Sword Empress crossed her arms, her chest puffing with indignation as she raised her chin. "Do I need to report my whereabouts to you? Should I submit an application every time I go to the bathroom?"
"I wouldn't mind. By the way, do you prefer squat toilets or seated ones?"
"I'm not talking about toilets!"
The Sword Empress suddenly stood and closed the distance between them, her sharp gaze forcing Ash to backpedal until his back hit the wall. She jabbed a finger into his collarbone, her eyes blazing with intensity.
"Even though you've promised to respect me before, I can still tell what's truly in your heart. You still think I'm just a string of data—a figment of your imagination, some two-dimensional character created to serve you. Even after everything we've been through—our conversations, our shared adventures in the Void Realm—you haven't changed how you look at me."
Ash didn't argue. He couldn't.
The Sword Empress wasn't asking a question; she was making a statement.
And with her ability to hear his inner thoughts, lying was pointless.
"No matter what you believe, I need you to understand one thing—I am a person."
Her voice was steady, each word delivered with the weight of conviction.
"I have my own life. I have my own hobbies, my own ambitions, and my own world to live in. You are not my whole life—you are just an accident in it. Even without you, I can live perfectly well in places you'll never know."
Ash opened his mouth but couldn't muster a response.
"When I help you, you should be grateful. And when I don't, you have no right to complain. Understand?"
"…Understood. Thank you, Sword Empress… Mom?"
"Don't call me that!" She jabbed his forehead with her finger. "Who wants to be called 'mom' at this age?!"
"Well, I wouldn't mind if you called me Dad…"
Anticipating another jab, Ash quickly switched topics. "So, did anything fun happen to you today?"
The Sword Empress sat back on the bed, her gaze drifting to the cup of water on the nearby table. For a moment, she was silent. Just as Ash began to assume she wouldn't share her day with a lowly mortal like him, she spoke.
"This morning, I flaunted my Torrent Soul Art in front of the Meditation Hall. By afternoon, the whole school knew about it. Even my stuck-up roommate had the nerve to ask if I was willing to sell it."
"So, you had a good day?"
"Boring." She rolled her eyes. "What's so exciting about fleeting vanity? What's the value in the admiration or jealousy of strangers? Only ten-year-old girls would revel in something so shallow."
But aren't you a ten-year-old girl? Ash thought, only to receive a searing glare in response.
Unbelievable. She's even strict about being called young.
"The air in your bachelor pad is rank and suffocating. I'm leaving."
"You owe an apology to that ceiling air purifier right now!" Ash nearly shouted. "Also, I've barely done anything these past two days—just exploring the Void Realm with you at night! How could the air possibly stink?"
"Maybe it's because you're breathing. Or maybe your heartbeat is too strong."
Ash sighed, choosing to let it go. "Are we continuing Void Realm exploration tonight?"
"Of course," she said, pausing. "Unless there's an emergency, you won't see me during the day. If you want to talk to me about anything, save it for the Void Realm. That's our shared downtime."
Ash nodded. He'd already guessed as much when the Sword Empress had earlier asserted her independence.
"What if something urgent comes up, though? Will you show up then?"
"I already told you. You're not my entire life."
Ash looked away, pretending to focus on something else.
"But," she added, casting him a sidelong glance, "you are my accident. If something unexpected happens to you, I'll show up as soon as I can—if only to mock you."
"So, don't expect me to pop in for casual chats when you're feeling lonely. I don't provide that service."
"I'm a fully grown adult. I don't get lonely," Ash retorted, thumping his chest for emphasis. But the glimmer of happiness in his eyes was hard to hide.
How ridiculous…
The Endseer who feared neither the future nor the unknown, now uneasy in the unfamiliar prison, clinging to me as if I were a lifeline. He's terrified of loneliness, like a scared little boy…
Turns out he wasn't always this way…
Fortunately, his brain isn't firing on all cylinders right now. I thought deceiving him would be much harder…
The Sword Empress silently mused as she vanished from the room, returning to her own world.
Starlight Nation, Training Grounds
"Sonia, can you still walk?"
Ingrid glanced at Sonia, who was sprawled on the ground, practically melting into the dirt. She tried to help her up but lacked the strength, having exhausted herself from their rigorous training session.
"Nope. My legs are jelly. Let's just rest here for a bit…"
The two girls collapsed onto the grass, leaning against their sword bags and gulping in air.
"Ah-choo!"
"What's wrong?"
"My underwear is soaked." Sonia tugged at her collar to cool off. "It's chilly when the wind blows…"
"You should try Festia's sports bras. They're breathable and quick-drying."
"Really? Show me."
After a brief conversation about athletic wear, Ingrid unscrewed her water bottle, only to find it empty. She turned to Sonia.
"Hey, where's your water bottle?"
"What bottle?"
"You didn't bring one to training?"
"I, uh, just grabbed my sword bag and came straight here. Forgot about water."
Hearing this, Sonia's throat suddenly felt parched. "You got any water left?"
"Only a drop or two."
Ingrid tilted her head back, waiting as a single droplet fell into her mouth. Smacking her lips, she sighed in satisfaction.
"This is the sweetest water I've ever tasted."
"Let me try!"
Sonia copied Ingrid's actions, savoring the last droplet. "This isn't water—it's nectar fit for royalty!"
"Have you ever had royal banquet wine?"
"No, but saying that makes me sound cooler, doesn't it?"
"I have!" Ingrid giggled. "My dad once brought home a bottle he got as a gift from the Empress herself. I snuck a sip when I was a kid and topped it off with water to cover my tracks. Still got caught, though—he beat me black and blue."
"How'd he figure it out?"
"My footprints gave me away. They led straight to the wine cellar."
"Was it worth it? How'd it taste?"
"I don't remember. Probably awful, though. If it was good, I wouldn't have watered it down—I'd have drunk the whole bottle and replaced it with water."
"Ha! You were a mischievous little brat!"
"Of course. I once beat every boy in town in a fight," Ingrid said proudly, patting her sword bag. "Still can."
Under the starry sky, sitting on the damp grass, the two girls laughed and chatted like they didn't have a care in the world, letting their sweat drip freely onto the ground.
Not far away, the roar of an engine interrupted their moment. A sleek silver car pulled up, stopping in front of them.
"Need a ride?" Felix asked, leaning out the window. "It's no trouble for me."
"No thanks," Ingrid said, shaking her head. "Walking helps relax our muscles. Plus, we're all sweaty—we don't want to dirty your car."
"What about Celia? Isn't she picking you up tonight?" Sonia asked.
"We broke up."
"Oh." The two exchanged awkward glances, unsure how to respond.
Felix said nothing more and drove off.
Watching the car disappear down the road, Ingrid patted her thighs and stood up.
"Break's over. Let's head back. If we wait too long, the showers won't have any water pressure."
"You go ahead," Sonia said. "I'm heading to the Meditation Hall."
"Still dodging Lois? You haven't decided what to do with that Torrent Soul Art yet?"
"Yeah," Sonia sighed. "Well, not exactly… I just really want a sword Soul Art instead."
As Sonia watched Ingrid leave, she heard a familiar voice behind her.
"You could always keep it for yourself."
She turned to see the Observer lounging casually nearby.
Suppressing the flicker of joy in her heart, she asked nonchalantly, "When did you get back?"
"Right around the time you two were discussing bras."
"…"
"Don't buy Festia. It's for smaller sizes. With your figure, I'd recommend Dorslin—they're great for shaping."
"Alright, I'm done talking about this."