I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

40 – 040. Maria Theresia (3)

After giving the sullen kids enough money to make their mouths drop open. We headed to the inn.

Ah, I also added that the siblings should stick around the village for now.

I was planning on starting some sort of collaboration later. Maria, unexpectedly, had a rather welcoming reaction.

And now, after that time has passed.

There was hardly any conversation between us two after confirming the reading.

Maria seemed to be deep in thought. I figured she was probably pondering the meaning of the ＜Good Wife and Mother＞ reading?

“Don’t worry too much about it.”

“……?”

In the end, I couldn’t watch anymore and spoke first.

Then *ssk*, Maria’s dazzling blonde hair turned towards me. I scratched my cheek awkwardly and continued.

“Fortunes are usually just half for fun, aren’t they? I meant there’s no need to take it to heart.”

“……Is that so.”

The usual, dry and toneless answer came back.

We walked in silence like that for quite some time. Of course, my brain was working pretty hard.

‘Did she have some kind of “ideal wife” trait? Like a unique skill or something?’

No matter how much I thought about it, that phrase felt worlds away from Maria’s image.

The ＜Sword-Saint of Carnage＞ who tears apart villains like they’re toys has an “ideal wife” trait…

If I had to put it in words, it’s kind of cute, in a gap-moe sort of way. To think that she, who always had a blank expression and spoke in a dry tone, had a secret like that.

“Frey, you seem to.”

Just then, the sight of the inn in the center of town came into view. At the same time, Maria quietly opened her mouth. Naturally, my head turned towards her.

“You seem to like children, very much.”

“Ah, did it show?”

It wasn’t a fact I was planning to hide.

The pure and innocent nature of young children was quite endearing. Just watching them chatter and run around made me unconsciously smile like a dad.

…Of course, I’d never been married or had a child, past or present. Maybe that’s why I don’t know the pain of raising one.

“They’re cute, right? Kids. Just watching them makes me smile.”

“…Cute.”

Maria repeated my words, chewing them over. Then she tilted her head, seeming like she didn’t quite understand the word “cute.”

‘Did I say something I shouldn’t have?’

Seeing that reaction, a bitter smile naturally formed on my face.

Maria Theresa was someone nicknamed a ‘psychopath.’

It wasn’t just using that word as a metaphor, there really were screws loose inside her. So… I had to be a little careful about what I said.

“Maria, you….”

Silently watching her, I spoke carefully.

It was a spill anyway. I wanted to use this opportunity to have a conversation with her.

“Isn’t there anything you find cute?”

“Find cute…?”

Maria stood there blankly, resting her chin on her hand and sinking into deep thought.

The setting sun reflected on her, making her look like a painting.

Shimmering platinum blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin.

Truly, even knowing her nature, this was a scene that made me understand, at least a little, the hearts of the many players who had become her ‘fans’.

“There are… two things like that.”

“……!”

Maria, after a long stretch of pondering, spoke softly.

And her answer was unexpected. That someone whose heart was frozen could think someone else was cute… Wasn’t that news that would create a pretty big ripple?

“I have a younger sibling, a lot younger. When I see them… there are times I think they’re ‘cute’.”

“You have a sibling.”

“Yes. Lately… they’ve been running away from home for no good reason, giving my father a hard time.”

Truthfully, it was an astounding thing to say.

The world of ＜Silvering＞ is vast. Naturally, numerous nobles exist, and their family trees are mostly included in confidential documents.

The reason was obvious. The development team didn’t want to waste resources developing random settings, I guess.

Anyway.

‘The Archduke seems to have a son.’

It was impossible not to be intrigued by this unexpected fact.

Being a member of the only ‘Archduke family’ within the Empire, it felt like the sibling was likely an extremely powerful person too.

“……”

After organizing my thoughts for a moment, I had a lot I wanted to ask, but chose to remain silent.

The journey towards the Storm Highlands was just beginning. There would be plenty of time… so I decided against prying into family matters that could be sensitive.

…Now that I think about it, she mentioned finding two things cute, didn’t she?

One was her nameless sibling, and I didn’t hear the next one.

* * *

Later, in the early morning.

After spending the night at the inn, we began to move again.

“If it’s this far, wouldn’t it have been better to arrange a carriage?”

On the increasingly narrow path, Maria suddenly threw a question my way.

“…Ah, a carriage can’t go to where I’m headed. There isn’t even a road.”

“Is that so?”

It wasn’t like I hadn’t considered a carriage from the start. But considering the cost and the distance, the return on investment was terrible, so I didn’t choose that option.

The journey continued.

Around the time the sun was high in the sky, we reached our first destination. Just as our path had come to an abrupt end.

“…Now, we have to climb the mountain.”

If my memory serves, going straight ahead from here, at a 10 o’clock direction, would lead to ‘Storm Highlands.’

In the setting, it was a mountain that herb gatherers and woodsmen often used to climb in the distant past, so if we’re lucky, we might find a place to rest quickly.

“Understood.”

Maria nodded dismissively at my voice.

Well, who would worry about whom?

Having reached the 8th tier meant her physical abilities far surpassed those of an ordinary human.

*Crack!*

Thinking that, I began to climb the mountain.

*Rustle!*

“What kind of thicket is this…?”

The problem was the grass and trees that completely filled my view.

It was far, far removed from modern “hiking”. Maybe I’d been too naive thinking it would be easy to climb a mountain untouched by human hands.

Right away, with grass as tall as a person and trees blocking the sky, even finding my direction wasn’t easy.

The only saving grace was that I had a high-quality “sword”.

*Swish!*

As I slashed the sword like a scythe, moving steadily forward…

“Wouldn’t it be better to use mana?” Maria asked.

“Ah, it’s because I’m afraid of getting lost.”

Did she understand my brief explanation? She just nodded in response.

‘Probably take about a day, maybe two.’

The ‘Storm Plateau’ we were heading to was entirely within a hidden street. Meaning, literally a hidden area, so I had to concentrate harder not to get lost.

*Crackle!*

We’d been forcing our way through the undergrowth for a while now, when…

*Thump.*

“…Huh?”

*Thump.*

“Frey-nim. It’s raining.”

Damn it.

Just like she said, raindrops started to fall from the sky. Rain in the middle of the mountain? I quickly looked around, but there was nowhere to shelter from the rain.

*Swoosh-!*

The drizzle turned into a downpour at that very moment.

An unannounced downpour. In this place where weather forecasts don’t exist, it was practically a natural disaster.

“Maria! Let’s pick up the pace a bit.”

“Understood.”

Even in the pouring rain, the journey continued.

The problem wasn’t just getting soaked to the bone, but that visibility was becoming extremely difficult. The torrential rain coming down from the sky was no joke.

Kuurururung…

As if the rain wasn’t enough, thunder started rumbling. Impatient, I increased our speed.

Thud! Thud!

If my memory serves me right, I remember seeing caves or abandoned huts along the way…

“……Ah!”

That’s when it happened, after braving the chilling rain for so long.

The sight I’d been desperately searching for came into view. A half-collapsed hut appeared among the trees!

“Maria! Let’s take shelter there for now!”

Damn rain.

I cursed inwardly and quickened my pace, calling out. Glancing back, I saw Maria, completely drenched.

It seemed like seeking shelter in the hut was no longer a choice, but a necessity.

Squeak!

“……Haa!”

Pushing open the hut door, I tossed my soaked hair back and surveyed the surroundings.

The dark interior of the hut was unremarkable, except for being filled with dust.

I hadn’t expected to run into monsters, but who would’ve thought such heavy rain would pour down?

“It would be best to rest here for a bit.”

“……Yes. It would appear so.”

Maria replied dryly, circling around the inside of the hut.

With each step she took, droplets of rainwater fell and stained the floor. However, Maria didn’t seem to mind much, as she rummaged through the drawers and cabinets in the hut.

“……Ah.”

It wasn’t long before Maria let out a soft exclamation.

In her hand was a small book.

Brushing off the dust, she gently opened the book.

“It seems…”

“……?”

“It seems like this hut was built before the empire was established. And this isn’t just a regular book, it’s a diary.”

……So that’s the story hidden here?

It was a story I was roughly familiar with. To escape the chaotic state of the continent… powerless commoners drifted all the way into these deep woods, or something like that.

Thump!

“…….”

“…….”

Maria, who had been carefully reading the diary, gently placed it down.

Click-clack.

And then.

Maria, soaked from the rain, quietly approached me. Following that, she sat on the edge of the bed where I was sitting. It felt like a sweet fragrance emanated from the end of the bed.

A silence that dulled my senses pressed down on my mind.

“…….”

“…….”

Swish-swish-!

The awkward silence, played by the rain and wind, filled the hut tirelessly.

‘This is just like……’

It was something I hadn’t been aware of until now… but suddenly, one thought pierced my mind.

Isolated man and woman. A storm raging outside. And blossoming in this abandoned hut……

Whether she was aware of my thoughts or not.

“Frey-nim.”

Maria’s small voice echoed in the hut.