I Became the Main Character’s Demon Sword

47

“Are you really okay with this?”

“Yes. Come to think of it, I’m still lacking in many ways…”

On the carriage ride back.

Rohan, sitting beside Arpel rather than across from him, smiled at his question and repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist.

Although he had momentarily become impatient, blinded by the idea of the ‘contract’, he still felt inadequate despite having become quite strong. It was a thought that would make all those who had taught him shake their heads vigorously, but Rohan himself felt this way. He wanted to become someone who could protect Arpel, going beyond just not holding him back.

But regardless of Rohan’s feelings, Arpel couldn’t help but feel apologetic.

“…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

“No, it’s fine. I’m okay with it.”

The calm voice saying it was fine while smiling nonchalantly was in stark contrast to the desperate voice that had asked if they hadn’t promised at the tea house. To Arpel, it seemed like he was forcibly suppressing his emotions.

Two thoughts clashed in his mind. One side shouted about betraying a child’s expectations, while the other argued against letting him be swept up in the storm surrounding the Empire. Looking at the gentle face that was just smiling, Arpel quietly placed his hand on Rohan’s cheek. The warm temperature heated his hand.

“Besides, you said you’d grant me a wish, Arpel.”

“I’d grant anything you ask.”

“…It might not be the case. Can’t I just keep one?”

The face that answered looked rather complex. Nevertheless, as if it were a natural progression, Rohan was busy lightly nuzzling Arpel’s hand with his face. Somehow, the thought that he was raising a large puppy floated around in his mind.

“What kind of wish is it?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

His smiling face was purely playful. In the end, Arpel had no choice but to mirror Rohan’s smile.

“I’m curious about something.”

The carriage shook with a clatter. It was clear they were rolling over a bumpy road. Despite feeling the irregular vibrations, Arpel didn’t take his eyes off Rohan as he asked. As a bonus, he tucked Rohan’s slightly disheveled side hair behind his ear.

“When we leave the temple, what do you want to do?”

Arpel remembered Rohan’s voice saying he wanted to live together, just the two of them, after the Salvation Church matter was settled and they left the temple. Rohan blinked repeatedly with wide eyes for a moment before falling into thought. It seemed he hadn’t yet thought about anything specific.

“I want to live with you.”

“You’ve said that before.”

“…I’d like a place with no other people, like a forest.”

“A forest?”

The fingers that had moved from his cheek to touch his slightly curly but fine, pale hair twitched. Feeling this change, Rohan let out a small laugh. Arpel still thought he was afraid of forests.

“Even though that happened, it still feels like a place to return to for me. It’s a bit scary, but if I’m with you, Arpel, it’s okay… So I want to go back there together.”

“I see. I’m your family, after all.”

“…Right. Family.”

There seemed to be a faint bitterness in the voice that answered after a slight pause. But it was so brief that although Arpel looked at Rohan questioningly, he couldn’t ask anything.

“You’ll promise, right?”

A pinky finger, much larger than when he was young, was suddenly extended. Now there was hardly any difference, and if anything, Rohan’s seemed slightly larger. Unlike Arpel’s slender and delicate finger without any excess flesh, Rohan’s was thick and slightly roughened from countless times holding a sword.

Silently, Arpel linked his pinky finger. He felt somewhat nostalgic. It was as if he could see the young Rohan, extending his tiny finger with tear-filled eyes, promising to protect him.

***

“…I see.”

As soon as Arpel and Rohan returned to the temple, they immediately sought out Dionel. After putting aside what he was doing to meet them, Dionel seemed lost in thought for a moment after hearing Arpel’s explanation, which included only the necessary information from everything that had happened.

“The temple and the imperial family have maintained an independent relationship for a long time. As not interfering with each other was close to an unwritten rule, I fully understand why that person couldn’t propose cooperation to us.”

Besides, it hasn’t been long since we went through a major incident. Nodding continuously as he spoke, he seemed to empathize fully.

But. Dionel continued with a calm expression.

“Since the other side crossed the line first, there’s no longer any unwritten rule left. We’d like to help with this matter as well.”

“We shouldn’t be exposed to the outside, though.”

“We may not be able to support directly, but it should be possible to dispatch some disguised priests. Unlike ordinary people, they can sense the power of spirits a little, so it should be quite helpful in identifying branches of the Salvation Church.”

Such news would surely be welcomed enthusiastically by the two. Even if they had someone they knew on the temple’s side, it would clearly be different from large-scale support centered on the central temple.

“The preparations we’ve been making for the past five years will finally bear fruit.”

Although he smiled gently, it wasn’t entirely a positive smile. It had been five years since they revealed there were spies in the temple, but they had been manipulated by the Emperor for nearly 20 years.

They realized then that to maintain the temple intact and not have their rights as priests infringed upon, they couldn’t just pray with sincere hearts and folded hands.

So, from five years ago, they started opening the temple to the public more frequently. Each time, Dionel would select trustworthy individuals, have them change their appearance, and actively promote building forces outside the temple by hiding among the procession of ordinary people leaving after the service.

Although there were conservative figures among the elders, they moved with one heart and mind, thinking the imperial family’s actions were an insult to the god.

“Oh, right. The new year is coming soon, are you going to make the contract?”

“No. We decided to do it at 20 years old.”

“20 years old…?”

Dionel’s expression quickly turned to one of confusion. While 18, the age of majority, would be understandable, setting 20 as the standard was quite unfamiliar. It was Rohan who calmly provided the answer.

“I’m still too weak.”

Rohan’s voice answered calmly as if stating an obvious fact, even glancing at Arpel’s reaction.

“Weak… hmm.”

For a moment, Dionel wasn’t sure how to respond. Rohan was already among the strongest in the temple. There would hardly be anyone who could defeat him.

He had a natural talent for handling magic, received a blessing that gave him a vast amount of it, and had an excellent sense for combat. Knights who had crossed swords with him a few times would all marvel at his deep skill that didn’t match his age.

Whenever he heard such words, Dionel realized that those who receive God’s blessing are indeed different.

“…Well, there’s no rush. I hope you achieve great growth in the remaining time.”

Unaware of the conversation that had passed between the two, Dionel decided to just offer encouragement. Rohan was quite stubborn. Unless there was a convincing reason, he probably wouldn’t change his decision.

If anyone could persuade him, it would be Arpel, but he only glanced at Rohan without showing any intention to dissuade him.

The brief tea party ended there. After handing Dionel the paper with the address received from Lexia before leaving the tea house, they quickly left their seats.

“Rohan.”

As they walked together down the corridor, Arpel casually called out to Rohan. There was a hint of hesitation in his voice. After a moment of restless gazing, Arpel asked quietly.

“Should we just make the contract?”

But let’s stay in the temple until you turn 20.

The words that followed were quite serious. Once they leave the temple and start following the flow of the story as described in the original work, there will inevitably be many hardships. Although he understood this intellectually, Arpel still strongly felt that one becomes an adult at 20, and he didn’t want to see Rohan, who was only 17, enduring a harsh life.

Since that was the original purpose, he could make the contract right away. That’s why he suggested it, but Rohan answered firmly.

“No.”

“…Why?”

“Because I want to… grow more.”

“Huh?”

Somehow his eyes looked a bit red. He seemed embarrassed. He already looks quite grown… That was Arpel’s thought as he gauged Rohan’s height, but seeing his clear eyes waiting for an answer, he couldn’t help but nod.

…Just how much more does he want to grow?

***

Was this how much he wanted to grow?

Now, nearly two years later, approaching the new year when Rohan would turn 20, he had grown incomparably larger than back then. This meant that their once similar eye levels were now completely skewed to one side.

He had always been quite sensitive about his height, so if they had made the contract then and his growth had stopped, he would have had good reason to feel very upset. Arpel looked at Rohan with fresh eyes.

The sword imbued with magic clashed with the opponent’s sword, scattering a sharp aura. The huge noise that followed, unbelievable for mere swords clashing, was an added bonus.

He deflected the weight of the opposing sword to the side. The moment a gap appeared in the sword path as the opponent lost balance and staggered, Rohan didn’t miss the opportunity and dove in. The way he twisted his body slightly and thrust forward was as elegant and composed as a sword dance.

As the tip of the sword carrying a sharp magical energy accurately aimed at the neck, the knight facing him finally dropped his sword and raised both hands.

“…I yield.”

“Good work.”

Despite the intense movements, unlike the other side gasping for breath, Rohan returned to Arpel with a face unchanged from when he first entered the duel. The only difference was his slightly disheveled clothes.

“Did I do well?”

“Yes, you did well.”

The smile that bloomed like a flower bud always captured Arpel’s gaze. Arpel, who had been staring at that smile as if trying to commit it to memory for a long time, reached out and gently touched Rohan’s neatly arranged hair.

During these two years, Rohan had practiced swordsmanship relentlessly. It was to the extent that all those who taught him were left in awe.

At some point, there was no one left who could teach him, so Arpel regularly took on the role of his sparring partner. Arpel, who had naturally mastered swordsmanship perhaps due to his sword being his true form, was the perfect match for Rohan.

But recently, Rohan had defeated Arpel for the first time.

Arpel still remembered that moment. With a face drenched in sweat, catching his breath, Rohan had smiled brightly as if achieving a long-cherished goal. It was etched deep in Arpel’s mind like something he could never forget.

“You’ll make the contract with me tomorrow, right?”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

On the day before turning 20, although his attitude was no different from usual, Rohan’s eyes were filled with undisguisable anticipation.

“…Can I make my wish tomorrow?”

“Wish? Ah.”

Two years ago, when postponing the contract, Arpel had promised to grant Rohan one wish. Since Arpel would grant almost anything Rohan asked for, he still couldn’t understand why Rohan had demanded a ‘wish’ among many things. But it was a promise, so he nodded readily.

He fiddled with the ends of Rohan’s hair, damp with sweat under the beating sun. Rohan’s behavior of not rejecting Arpel’s touch but rather leaning into it always brought an inexplicable satisfaction to Arpel.

When tomorrow comes, many things will change, be it their surroundings or the political situation of the Empire. Arpel quietly hoped in his heart that at least Rohan would not change from this current state.