I Became a Swordsman in the Middle Ages – Chapter 3

“Captain, what are you going to do with that kid?”

That day, after a series of events, Knight Captain Kairon carefully placed Cecilia in a corner of the lodging and headed to his office.

“What do you think?”

“I oppose it. What kind of six-year-old causes such a ruckus to join the Knight Order? Clearly, they’re not in their right mind.”

Cold judgment, advice from subordinates, and an objective grasp of the situation—Kairon valued these things as a knight.

But this time, something in his chest was stirring.

Intuition. For the first time in his life, he felt guided by a certain intuition.

“She came to the Knight Order as soon as she realized her Blessing.”

“And not just any Knight Order—the strongest in the world.”

“She’s a perceptive child.”

“Get her a uniform.”

Kairon snapped out of his thoughts and returned to reality.

When he opened his eyes, the office, not much different from ten years ago, came into view.

But there was one glaring difference from a decade ago.

It was the girl standing before him, just about to shed her baby fat.

Cecilia.

“It’s already been ten years since you joined this Knight Order.”

Kairon’s low, firm voice broke the silence of the office. The girl sitting across the desk—no, the now-seasoned knight Cecilia—looked up.

Her silver hair flowed softly, and her neatly arranged knight’s uniform accentuated her mature appearance.

‘Time really flies.’

To cut to the chase, Kairon didn’t regret his decision back then.

Not even for a moment in the past ten years.

In fact, he thought it might have been the best decision of his life.

Cecilia had achieved many great feats. The concerns about her personality were unfounded.

In the past, she had single-handedly collapsed the frontlines to rescue an isolated comrade.

And she was only nine years old at the time.

A knight who understood the value of comrades. That was the kind of knight Kairon wanted most.

“You’ve become a knight who can stand on your own now.”

Cecilia seriously pondered why the usually stoic Knight Captain, who wouldn’t bleed even if stabbed, was saying such things.

Soon, she guessed the reason and her expression stiffened slightly.

“It’s still cold outside.”

“……?”

“Even if I’m a tenant who doesn’t pay rent, suddenly kicking me out like this isn’t right.”

“…….”

“The contract still states that lodging and meals are provided.”

Kairon suppressed his bewilderment.

Though he had lived a life of restraint, ever since becoming Cecilia’s guardian, his composure had often been tested.

“……I’m not kicking you out.”

“That’s a relief.”

Cecilia returned to her listless expression and sipped the green tea in front of her.

Kairon sighed once and then reminisced about the past.

“You’ve always been like this. You’d barge in, turn the Knight Order upside down, and then calmly demand lodging and meals. Did you know you’d pass?”

“I was cute and strong. It was just the natural order of things.”

Most people would have objected to the “cute and strong” part, but—

“That’s true.”

Kairon was no ordinary pushover.

It had been a full ten years. The time he had spent raising Cecilia.

Now, he almost saw her as his own daughter.

Kairon gently stroked the rim of his teacup and smiled softly.

“It’s amazing. That clueless little girl is now revered by people as the Sword Heroine.”

Sword Heroine.

A title given to those whose swordplay is akin to a work of art.

Now, it was a title that referred to Cecilia.

In the Rianen Kingdom, it was a unique title.

“……Why is my title Sword Heroine? I don’t use particularly flashy sword techniques.”

“Do you dislike the title Sword Heroine?”

“No. I like it. But… I don’t understand. I just swing my sword practically.”

Cecilia tilted her head innocently, genuinely puzzled.

Kairon chuckled and sipped his tea. She might be the only one in the world who didn’t understand.

“It’s not just about sword techniques. The person wielding the sword is important too.”

The silver-haired girl slaughtering demons at the forefront of the battlefield.

Anyone who saw her even once would be captivated.

Graceful and beautiful. That’s why she’s the Sword Heroine. No other description was needed.

“In this Knight Order—no, in this Kingdom—you’re the only one with the title Sword Heroine. Aren’t you proud?”

“Rather than proud… it makes me sigh. There’s still a long way to go to reach the next rank.”

The titles for knights who wield swords are broadly divided into five.

Sword Demon, Sword Emperor, Sword Monarch, Sword Saint, Sword God.

Sword Heroine was a derivative of “Sword Demon.”

Cecilia still had four walls to overcome.

But Kairon wasn’t worried.

After all, most knights die without ever earning the title Sword Demon.

“You’ll be fine. You have been, and you will be.”

‘Cecilia will undoubtedly grow stronger. At this rate, she might even aim for the position of Sword Monarch in her prime.’

However, there was one concern.

Kairon slowly brought the tea to his lips. His steady hand, not trembling in the slightest, revealed the traces of someone who had weathered time and weight.

“I’ll be retiring soon.”

He announced as he set down his teacup.

Even Cecilia, who rarely showed emotion, seemed surprised, her pupils slightly widening.

“So soon?”

“Soon? I was already at an age where retirement wouldn’t be unusual when I first met you.”

Kairon was now 93 years old.

For a knight, it was well past his prime.

“You haven’t even lived half your life yet.”

But for a Sword Monarch, it was somewhat early.

Usually, those who reached the level of Sword Monarch lived close to 200 years.

“The Windsor Knight Order values generational change. It’s time to pass the torch to the next generation.”

Cecilia stood up with a face full of dissatisfaction. She rose somewhat roughly, spilling the green tea she had been drinking onto her pristine uniform.

Cecilia, who wouldn’t bat an eye even if a city flew away, showed this much reaction, which greatly surprised Kairon.

Though his surprise only amounted to a slight raise of his eyebrow.

“I don’t want you to.”

“……Cecilia.”

He hadn’t expected her to react so strongly to his retirement news.

Kairon was somewhat moved.

“I haven’t saved enough to buy a mansion in the capital yet.”

“…….”

Kairon’s face turned ashen in an instant.

“Real estate prices are so high these days……”

“Cecilia.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t expect any allowance for a while.”

“I’m sorry.”

Cecilia sat back down meekly.

Kairon sighed for what felt like the umpteenth time.

“Even if I retire, I won’t be leaving the capital immediately. I still have about 20 years.”

A Sword Monarch was equivalent to the strength of an entire legion.

As a high-level asset, they were assigned as commanders of key fortresses.

The Rianen Kingdom had one in each direction: north, south, east, and west.

“……Then you can retire in 20 years.”

“No. If I do that, I won’t be able to help you in case of an emergency.”

“Was it a lie when you said I’ve grown up?”

“You can handle your own responsibilities. But being the vice-captain is a different story.”

Hearing this for the first time, Cecilia wondered if she had misheard.

“…I’m the vice-captain?”

“Yes. When I retire, the position of Knight Captain will go to the current vice-captain. And I plan to recommend you for the vacant vice-captain position.”

The sudden news of a rapid promotion made Cecilia blink.

“Don’t make that confused face. There are few in the Knight Order stronger than you. Even if there are, they’re also nearing retirement age.”

And—.

This was the part Kairon was worried about.

“You know this too, Edward. That man is dangerous.”

Vice-Captain Edward Windsor.

A royal by birth, his skills were also exceptional.

Having just reached the level of Sword Monarch, there were even rumors he could ascend to Sword Saint.

But the problem was his temperament.

He held a very dangerous ideology.

-Report: Subject / Edward Windsor / Used ordinary soldiers without Blessings as bait in a strategy / The Windsor Knight Order achieved a victory with no casualties, but the ordinary soldiers suffered devastating losses / The battle was evaluated as highly inhumane / When questioned, he responded that he didn’t understand the current Knight Order’s policies.

Destructive, violent, and contemptuous.

“As long as I’m here, he won’t reveal his ambitions. But if I’m gone, he’ll try to take control of the Knight Order. Cecilia. Grow stronger in the meantime. Both in your own strength and in your influence within the Knight Order.”

Ideally, he wanted to pass the position of Knight Captain to Cecilia.

Cecilia was a pure-hearted child who could use her immense Blessing correctly.

And she was very strong.

However, it was impossible to bypass someone who might become a Sword Saint and directly pass the position to Cecilia.

In fact, even the position of vice-captain was somewhat premature considering her age.

‘But if I don’t give her at least the position of vice-captain, she’ll be devoured.’

Kairon looked at Cecilia with cold eyes.

Seeing the sincerity in his gaze, Cecilia also became serious.

“So, don’t think of refusing…….”

“Yes. I believe I am qualified.”

“……You’re quick to accept.”

Seeing Cecilia’s calm expression, he thought maybe he didn’t need to worry so much.

**

Cecilia closed the office door and glanced sideways.

‘Did I fool him?’

He didn’t seem to have noticed.

‘If they find out I’ve been parking at Sword Heroine, I’m done for.’

That’s right.

Cecilia had been hiding her true level for quite some time.

The reason was simple.

‘When the newbies arrive soon, Sword Heroine sounds like a cooler NPC title.’

The name was pretty.

Sword Heroine.

It just fit perfectly with the current customization trend.

I must not get caught!

If Kairon finds out, I’ll be stuck with a lame title.

“Ah.”

Cecilia noticed the green stains on her abdomen and skirt.

It was the green tea she had spilled earlier when Kairon announced his retirement.

‘I should change.’

An unexpected promotion.

But Cecilia hoped Kairon wouldn’t retire for a long time.

After all, it’s always better to be the boss’s connection than the boss.

And there’s nothing sadder than a parachute who’s lost their strings.

“Look, it’s the Sword Heroine.”

“Really… isn’t it amazing that someone so young has reached such a position?”

“It’s unbelievable. Legendary. She joined at six and has survived until now.”

“Survived? Didn’t you hear the rumors? She single-handedly collapsed the demon’s main force on the southern front.”

“That’s probably exaggerated. Even if she’s the Sword Heroine, alone?”

“People who saw it said her speed was insane. Like she wasn’t human.”

As Cecilia passed the Knight Order’s lodgings, she overheard people whispering.

Even though they were talking about her, Cecilia maintained her usual indifferent expression.

Actually, that wasn’t true.

The corner of her mouth was slightly upturned by about 1mm.

‘Praise… always feels good.’

Today, too, Cecilia happily entered her changing room.

The Windsor Knight Order was an extreme male-dominated profession, so having this spacious changing room all to herself was a perk.

Slip—.

Cecilia changed into a fresh, crisp uniform and stood in front of the mirror.

The position of her knee-high socks seemed slightly off, so she adjusted them with a stern face, then smoothed out the wrinkles in her skirt.

“Hmm…. I’ll trim my bangs a bit more after work.”

After a moment of checking her appearance with a blank expression, Cecilia nodded solemnly a couple of times, satisfied.

Perfect. That was Cecilia’s motto.

The perfectionist, Sword Heroine NPC.

Nothing could be more newbie-friendly.

“Newbies. I can’t wait to see you.”

Yum yum. Cecilia licked her lips and turned her head at the unusual surge of magical energy.

Ding ding ding—!

The sound of the demon invasion alarm followed.

“I don’t want to go to work.”

Cecilia slumped her shoulders and lazily picked up a sword from beside the coat rack, shuffling her feet.

But as soon as she stepped out of the changing room, she was running earnestly.

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