CHAPTER 61: THE SHATTERED SWORDMAIDEN [5]

Click!

The clicking of metal sound was faint, yet it echoed through both of their ears like a church bell.

A gust of wind rushed across the snowfield.

They both blinked at the same time.

And then.

The scene was no longer the same. The horde of chimeras was gone. Not gone, but eradicated to the last bit of shred.

What remained was nothing but torn limbs, rolling heads, and rivers of blood soaking into the snow.

Alice stood frozen, her eyes widening. Her throat worked, but no words came out. Then, finally, it burst out of her.

"What the fuck was that?!"

Leon’s body stiffened, his eyes darting across the field. Not even he could comprehend what had just happened. His heartbeat multiplied severalfold; he just couldn’t suppress his excitement.

"Phew," the swordmaiden exhaled softly, brushing back a lock of her hair, "nearly got my hair damaged."

Her tone was casual, as though butchering a hundred beasts was no more effort than wiping snow from her cloak.

Leon got goosebumps all over.

This power... if he could grasp it, if he could wield something like this—what would even stand in his way?

Even Ethan wasn’t able to do it in the game.

Leon gulped, holding onto his cold hand, to stop him from shaking.

He wanted to try it out, to have a taste of the power.

’I want it.’ He thought.

Now, Leon would not want to risk losing such an opportunity.

The swordmaiden walked a few steps ahead, her boots crunching in the snow. Then she turned back, her crimson eyes glowing faintly before she spoke.

"Come on, you two. We will only encounter more chimeras if we stay here. It’s better if we move tomorrow. For now, I will guide you to the cave, where I am staying."

— — —

It wasn’t long before the dark clouds covered the sky. The white landscape, which was once glittering with the sun’s rays, was now blanketed with darkness.

The chimeras were already out of sight, and even if they encountered one, then the swordmaiden would nuke it with her sword in the blink of an eye.

"Huff... huff..."

"Oh... fuck me sideways... how much more... I have to...huff... walk..."

The swordmaiden was leading the way; however, both Alice and Leon were out of breath now. Even taking a step was too much for them.

They were gasping for breath even though they had only walked a little around... twenty-five kilometres in the snow.

"I can’t feel my legs." Alice cried, looking at Leon, "Hey, if I die, tell my gramps that I was the one who threw the family pot on my father’s head."

"..."

Leon narrowed his eyes, maintaining his steady pace, listening to Alice’s bullshit.

"Hey, at least speak, asshole." Alice clicked her tongue before muttering, "Ah, for fuck’s sake, what a stupid exam. The temperature’s so damn cold, it’s killing me."

Leon glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"You know... You burn more energy if you keep on talking."

Alice blinked, panting.

"...What’s that supposed to mean?"

"..."

Leon didn’t bother answering.

Alice groaned. "Don’t tell me you’re trying to act like some mysterious prick again. Just admit you’re dying inside, too. Huff... I bet your legs are screaming like mine."

Leon ignored her, fixing his gaze on the swordmaiden up ahead.

"Tch. Fine. Don’t answer me. When you collapse face-first in the snow, I won’t bother giving you a fuck."

The swordmaiden, who had been walking several steps ahead, finally slowed down.

"We’ve arrived."

Alice raised her head; her exhausted eyes goggled.

The cave that the swordmaiden pointed toward was nothing special from the outside, just a dark hollow buried in a snow-filled mountain. But once they stepped inside, their breath got caught.

Alice’s mouth was wide open in shock.

"Is that a pond inside a cave?"

A pond lay in the centre of the cave. Above, a wide gap in the ceiling showed the night sky, and the pale light of the moon could be seen; the moon’s shadow rippled across the water like silver threads.

"Whoa..." Alice muttered.

Even Leon found himself pausing, unable to tear his gaze away.

The swordmaiden walked in without hesitation; turning around, she welcomed them.

"This is where I live."

The swordmaiden coughed awkwardly before adding, "I didn’t expect to have any guests. It’s been several months since I have seen any living human here."

’Living?’

Leon noted the word but didn’t ask the meaning behind it.

Something was strange.

Leon made sure he would ask the swordmaiden about it later.

The swordmaiden gestured toward the pond.

"Wash yourself up in that pond."

She turned to Leon.

"I apologise, but I don’t have any men’s clothes with me. As for the young lady, I think my clothes will fit her just about right."

"It’s alright," Leon said, forcing a smile.

A nice bath under the moonlight... how long had it been since Leon did something like that?

But Alice had other thoughts.

"Wait! That place is open, will he not see me when I... umm..."

Leon narrowed his gaze.

"I am not interested."

The swordmaiden interfered.

"Oh, I never thought of this before. During battlefields, it is quite common to wash up in the open."

"Yeah, but right now we’re not on a battlefield."

Leon sighed, then said, "Don’t worry, I will go outside. You can wash up before me."

His gaze fell on Alice’s clothes and flesh.

"...And you stink. I feel sick just standing next to you."

"Huh. What was that, jackass—"

"Now now..."

Leon ignored them and went outside the cave.

He rested his back on the cave’s entrance wall and sat on the cold snow.

Lifting his gaze, he looked up at the night sky.

"How strange," he muttered.

Despite being just a fragment of the story, the swordmaiden felt like a living human. As if she never perished.

"A legend’s story, stored in a library to be remembered for eternity..."

That was the whole concept of the Astral-Tale Library. Some of the records even stored the fragmented tales of the Calamities. They were all five stars, and it was forbidden to even take a glance at them.

"Come to think of it..."

Leon recalled something.

"Didn’t Ethan enter one of those five-star books before?"

It was in the game’s original storyline. In that book, he witnessed the end of the Great Calamity War. He even got to meet all five Calamities, including the Silvermoon Goddess, again.

This book, [The Shattered Swordmaiden], was just a two-star book.

As he thought that, a yellow translucent window flashed before his vision.

[The Shattered Swordmaiden]

Genre: Romance, Sword Art

Difficulty: ★ ★ (2 star)

Player needed: 2 - 4

Progress: [0%------------------]

"Zero per cent progress even after all that?"

How much longer will it take for them to clear the book?

"Help the protagonist to reach the end of the book in the most efficient way possible."

That was the target of this exam.

’Well, we didn’t help the swordmaiden, so I think that zero per cent progress is somewhat explainable.’

Currently, Leon has two goals:

First, clear the book and score in at least the top three. Second, gain the trust of the swordmaiden and uncover her secrets about the Moonblade and why she was not being affected by its side effects.

Both of them sounded simple, but there were hidden layers lying beneath each goal, which Leon needed to work through.

Leon stretched his legs out, but the snow was too damn cold, so he pulled his knees close and rested his chin on them.

He wanted to shut his ears off, but the silence of the snowfield made everything echo a hundred times louder.

From inside the cave, faint splashes of water could be heard.

"Why don’t you join me too, miss?" Alice’s voice called out to the swordmaiden, faint yet clear enough to reach him.

Leon’s face stiffened.

’Oi, didn’t I tell her to just act normal?!’

"Oh? Sure. I don’t mind. Let me undo my clothes," the swordmaiden replied without a shred of hesitation.

Leon’s head dropped into his hands.

’Of course she doesn’t mind. Fuck me sideways.’

Splash-!

The splash grew louder, followed by Alice’s sudden scream.

"W-Wow, your’s are huge!"

Leon slammed his palm against his forehead.

’Can’t she at least lower her damn voice?! Do they want me to hear all that?

Inside, the swordmaiden let out a light chuckle.

Alice asked, "...mine is nowhere close to what you have; look at them! Can I ask what you usually eat?"

"Eh? Me? Oh, I only eat meat and fruits."

"Meat and fruits? Noted."

Splash-!

More water splashing.

Leon pressed his back harder against the wall and groaned.

’Great. Just fucking great. I’m stuck here like some pervert eavesdropping on two girls talking while bathing. This teenage body’s hormones are already killing me, and now this?’

He dug his fingers into the snow, trying to distract himself with the sting of cold, but the voices inside carried on without mercy.