Before Eden could ask about the sudden change of his eye color, Seven lunged forward.
"Seventh Strike!"
The words escaped Seven's lips like a battle cry as his sword traced the faint current of aura in the air. The artifact provided the trajectory for him, leading it to a clear target.
Eden's heart.
For a moment, Eden's eyes widened ever so slightly, caught off guard by the sudden shift in pace.
Thus her instincts took over.
Almost an instant, Eden raised her sword and blocked the strike at the last possible moment.
The force of the clash sent a shockwave through the ground.
'Hah… Hah…'
Seven gasped for air. Strangely, the wooden sword in Eden's hand remained intact, while his steel blade cracked.
Expected.
The sword Seven held wasn't Eden's personal weapon, but just an ordinary steel sword from supplies of the training ground.
'That's seven strikes, but I wasn't able to land a clean hit.'
Yet, as Seven was about to give up, the flow of the aura suddenly changed, now focusing on Eden's neck. Again, Theia's Eye offered him another trajectory on where to strike and how.
Without hesitation, Seven dashed forward and lunged his sword toward her neck in a lightning-fast attack.
But then again, Eden reacted just as quickly. Her sword came up in a blur, and stopped right before it reached Seven's throat.
The world seemed to freeze.
Seven's breath hitched, and his heart pounded like a war drum. He stared at the wooden sword an inch away against his neck, its edge so close he could feel the cold chill.
Shortly after, he smiled. His sword, too, was also just an inch away from Eden's neck..
For a moment, silence hung between the siblings. At least, until Eden lowered the wooden sword.
"You almost had me."
Seven let out a shaky breath, lowering his sword to his side.
"I... I got lucky."
"Lucky?"
Eden arched an eyebrow, as a faint smirk tugged at her lips.
"Luck doesn't get you this far. Skill does."
With a smile, Eden turned away and slid the wooden sword back into the rack nearby.
"But skill alone isn't enough either. It takes discipline. Precision. And control."
"I'll work on it."
He tightened his grip on the hilt of the steel sword, unsure whether to feel encouraged or scrutinized.
After all, it was not his skill, but because of the artifact that guided him.
'If only she knew about—'
"Anyway, what's with the golden eye?"
As if reading his thoughts, Eden asked the very question he was hoping to avoid.
"Ah… this?"
He raised a hand, brushing his fingertips near his left eye, feigning nonchalance.
"It's… nothing, really. Just a little side effect from, uh… recovering."
"...Side effect?"
Seven swallowed his saliva. He couldn't just tell her the truth about the artifact.
"From nearly dying…. I guess."
Eden didn't look convinced.
"You've never been a good liar."
"I'm not lying, I swear. Probably..."
He laughed nervously.
Staring at his awkward lies, Eden sighed. Though she was clearly not satisfied, she still chose to drop the subject.
For now.
"Fine. But if it turns out to be something dangerous, I expect you to tell me. Understood?"
"Understood."
Seven nodded. But actually, he barely managed to suppress the cough that bubbled in his throat.
If he let it slip, he feared blood would splatter, the artifact's strain on his already weak body making it all the worse.
'If only you knew how dangerous it actually is.'
Eden smiled, before walking past him.
"That's enough for today."
Her platinum hair swayed in the breeze as her ponytail slipped loose, cascading down her back. Seven couldn't help but watch her.
Transfixed.
'Beautiful.'
Eden casually glanced back over her shoulder.
"Oh, and I heard your fiancée is coming tomorrow. Brace yourself."
'Fiancee?! Wait, I take that back.'
In the novel, Seven Hart's death was surrounded by a vague reason. The cause was never fully explained, but it was implied that it had something to do with his fiancée—the family behind her.
And now, with Eden's words about the fiancée ringing in his ears, it seemed like that same threat might be coming back into play.
Since in this reality, where Seven survived a total of seven assassination attempts, they're taking the next approach directly.
'Fudge. Just when I thought I am finally safe.'
Shaking his head, his focus returned to the present. And as Eden was a few steps away before leaving the training ground, he called her name.
"Eden Hart."
The way he said it—it wasn't as her younger brother, but as someone speaking to a figure he couldn't help but respect.
Eden halted her steps.
"This may be late, but I humbly thank you for saving my life and for your guidance today."
For a moment, it seemed like Eden would turn around. But then, without a word, she resumed her stride, heading toward the lined-up knights who awaited her commands.
He stood there, watching her while rooted in place before turning around. But before he could take a few step, Eden spoke.
"Seven Hart."
He stopped, his feet frozen mid-step.
"Get stronger. Grow up fast. Show the world you're not just a runt."
Seven didn't turn around. Instead, he just smiled and gripped the steel sword as tight as he could.
"...I will."
Then, Eden continued her steps. Eventually, she left the training ground along with the knights.
Seven, now, stood alone in the training grounds.
Ding!
A system window materialized, glowing faintly.
[System Alert: Eden Hart's awakening path has been altered.]
[Sub-Talent: ??? (Locked). Condition not met.]
[Awakening Condition: Death of her dearest sibling (Condition Failed).]
[Revised Condition: ??? – System Recalibrating…]
[Success!]
[Revised Condition: Receive heartfelt recognition from her dearest sibling (Condition Met).]
"Ahh… recognition?"
Recognition? He then realized that the words he spoke moments ago—words of gratitude and respect—were enough to fulfill Eden's revised condition.
"Is it a good thing or a—"
Ding!
[Anomaly Detected.]
[An extra character has played a vital role in awakening the Seventh Sword, Eden. A revision is required.]
[Revising…]
[Replacing the original storyline…]
[Revision complete.]
[You have obtained 7777 Narrative Points.]
Once again, it was the 7777 Narrative Points he didn't even know where to use.
But though the sheer number of points caught his attention, it paled in comparison to the other notifications flooding his vision.
Ding!
[Name: Eden Hart.]
[Main Talent: Swordsmanship.]
[Sub-Talent: Frost Magic.]
[Characteristic: A sword prodigy, unmatched in her ability to master any sword.]
"Frost… magic…?"
It's finally here.
The birth of the continent's first magic-swordsman, Eden Hart.
Ding!
[Notice!]
[All of the Seven Prophesied Figures have awakened their sub-talent.]
Seven stumbled. The messages were overwhelming him, but the system continued to flash one more window.
[Act 1: Coronation of the Sovereign has begun.]