I Kidnapped the Hero's Women-Chapter 193: Guilt and such (10)

“Hah! Kugh! Huuuh...”

The sound of Sylvia’s battle cry, now a familiar part of daily life, echoed through the open window.

I sighed and began organizing the documents.

With Sylvia out of commission, the workload had become unbearable.

Have I taken on too many businesses lately?

Starting from Vermont Security's sales, the export of Jian’s swords, the collection of tolls on Vermont highways, and the maintenance of roads by bandits, along with taxes and more.

Even without sleep, I was handling all the tasks overnight, and still, I was falling behind.

‘Indeed, Sylvia’s return is urgent.’

It didn’t matter how cute she was now, wielding a gigantic sword like a little girl.

At this rate, I’d be buried in work and end up in the same situation as the Empress.

I wouldn’t even be able to enjoy watching the three of us, now complete with Yuria back at the mansion, goofing around. I’d have to stay locked away in the office.

Right now, I needed Sylvia’s return more than anything.

I needed Sylvia, who could quickly finish the paperwork with her newly acquired speed as a Swordmaster.

I couldn’t help but support her more than anyone else.

Time passed relentlessly.

It had already been a month since Sylvia began her training toward becoming a Swordmaster.

In that time, Sylvia had collapsed from exhaustion three times.

Though she didn’t completely starve or refuse to eat like she did in the first week,

she still appeared to be on the verge of danger.

Despite everything, she wasn’t just mindlessly swinging her sword for the entire month.

She meditated, trained her body, and seemed to have a genuine will to understand the sword better.

At this rate, she’d likely reach her goal within three days.

Either Sylvia would become a Swordmaster, or...

"...?"

At that moment, bang!

The office door swung open roughly.

Sylvia, her head lowered, appeared in the doorway.

She had clearly dropped her sword, as her hands were empty.

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“Did you come to grab your sword again?”

“...”

“Go ahead. I’ll finish up soon, and I’ll be there to watch you train so you can always grab your sword when you need it.”

“...”

“Sylvia?”

Sylvia’s response was strange.

If she had come to grab her sword, she should have walked in confidently, said “Excuse me,” and immediately grabbed it, but instead, she just stood there trembling, her head down.

She hadn’t said a word and was now suddenly silent, her body quivering.

“...?”

“What happened?”

Sylvia’s voice was trembling.

She said nothing had happened, but anyone could tell something was wrong.

Just yesterday, she had been obsessively training while eating only a piece of bread, and now she was suddenly saying she would take it easy?

I had a good guess about what happened, so rather than questioning her further,

I began gently patting Sylvia’s head.

“Good idea. There’s no rush, so don’t push yourself too hard.”

“I... I’m sorry. I’ve piled up too much work... It’s overwhelming...”

“Don’t worry. It’s manageable. You don’t have to worry.”

“But what about the guards...?”

“For now, we can use Yuria. I extended her contract too.”

“...”

Sylvia remained silent, quietly following my hand as I patted her.

Then, she suddenly pressed her forehead against my chest.

Ah. This was the moment.

“Master... I... I don't think I can become a Swordmaster...! Huuu...”

[The evil god, Cali, clutches her aching chest.]

As expected, Sylvia’s breath began to quicken, and she broke down into sobs.

Then she threw her arms around my waist and buried her face in my chest.

Having experienced Yuria’s sobs a few times, I was somewhat accustomed to this sequence.

My hands automatically moved, pulling Sylvia into a comforting embrace and gently stroking her head.

Even though she wasn’t calming down, her body shook uncontrollably in my arms.

“I’ve tried... but no matter how hard I try, I can’t see the way... Huhu... I can’t even figure out what to do anymore... There’s no place where I can improve... I just feel like I’m stuck...! Huuu...!”

“...”

The tears that Sylvia shed soaked through my chest.

I could understand, even if just a tiny bit, how painful it must be for her.

I said nothing and simply continued to comfort her.

Had Sylvia really been disappointed in the results of just a month’s training?

No. Sylvia didn’t just start training for a Swordmaster position a month ago.

Though she had been dedicated as a bodyguard for the Vermont family and as an instructor for Vermont Security,

In her heart, becoming a Swordmaster had always been her goal.

Even though she might have thought that her dream was completely lost after the heart injury,

She could never truly let it go.

The ten years she spent swinging her sword were all steps toward becoming a Swordmaster,

And the painful journey toward awakening her Aura had been a part of that.

This month’s training was simply the final step in her quest.

Up until now, she might have thought that if she just kept trying, she would eventually reach her goal.

But now, with mana erosion, a loss of magic, and her body regressing,

Becoming a Swordmaster seemed like her only option.

For the past month, Sylvia had to come to terms with all this.

“I... I... I guess I can’t do it... Huuu... I don’t know what to do anymore...”

“Rest for now. Eat, sleep, and take it easy for a while. You never know. After some rest, you might see a way forward.”

“Huuu, yes...”

Sylvia answered weakly, her tears subsiding as she wiped her face.

Her body had already reached its limit.

But now, it was her mind and will that were breaking her down.

I couldn’t truly understand Sylvia’s feelings,

But I could imagine just how meaningless her ten years of hard work must feel right now.

So I continued to soothe her, gently rubbing her back.

‘She’s not the type to end it here.’

But I believe in her.

Sylvia isn’t the type to stay down after a setback.

I placed my nose against her crown, silently believing in her will and nobility.

The warmth of the sunlight touched her face, and Sylvia sighed softly, feeling the pleasant sensation.

Just as she began to relax, she heard Aslan’s voice from nearby.

“Once you’re awake, make me a cup of tea.”

“...!?”

Startled, Sylvia immediately sat up, looking around.

This wasn’t my room, was it?

Looking around, it was clear she was in Aslan’s office.

I was lying on the couch in the corner, covered with a blanket...

Sylvia quickly recalled what had happened just before she fell asleep.

She remembered coming to me impulsively, overwhelmed with exhaustion and doubt about her training, and crying as soon as she saw me...

Then... everything went black.

“Ah.”

The memory faded there.

She must have fallen asleep after crying herself out.

How long had she been asleep?

It felt like nearly 20 hours...

Her body felt light, her vision clear, and her headache was gone.

It dawned on Sylvia how abnormal her lifestyle had been up until now.

"Here’s the tea..."

Familiar hands skillfully made the tea.

Sylvia placed the steaming cup on Aslan’s desk.

Aslan, who had been clearing away the many cups from the night before, took the new cup with a smile.

“Thank you. It’s delicious.”

“You don’t usually say that...”

“What?”

“It’s the same tea I’ve been making every day, but you’re smiling and praising me now...”

Sylvia pouted and muttered, unable to hold back.

She had always known that Aslan favored children,

But now that she was treated like one, all the suppressed feelings seemed to explode.

‘I could have been a Swordmaster already...’

She remembered the time when Vermont had caused her heart injury.

At the time, she had been so close to becoming a Swordmaster,

But after Vermont’s hired Swordmaster injured her heart, everything had been shattered.

She bit her lip as she recalled the event.

“I won’t deny that I favor children, but that’s not the case this time.”

“...Huh?”

Sylvia’s eyes widened.

“Same tea, you say? Try it for yourself. See if it tastes the same as what you usually make.”

“Of course, it’s the same tea... huh? Why does it taste different?”

“It’s because your body has changed. Your perspective, your hand size, and your grip strength have all changed, so even the same process will yield different results.”

“Ah...”

Sylvia froze in place, struck by the revelation.

Before analyzing how Aslan had changed,

She realized she hadn’t paid enough attention to how she had changed.

People only recognize changes in the outside world,

But she had forgotten to acknowledge the changes within herself.

If she hadn’t gotten injured back when she was a candidate for the hero, could she have become a Swordmaster?

She didn’t know.

But one thing was clear: after the heart injury, she had not regressed to her original combat ability.

In fact, she had surpassed the version of herself back then.

She had reached a level close to that of a Swordmaster.

Even though the injury prevented her from using mana, she had kept progressing.

‘Without even realizing it, I adapted...’

The injury didn’t stop her from being a swordswoman.

She could still improve.

She had proven that to herself.

Now, though, she was facing a challenge: her body had regressed, and without mana,

Could this be the end of her path as a swordswoman?

Maybe it was.

But only if she believed it.

‘The Empress overcame it. It’s not impossible if I don’t give up.’

As long as she didn’t give up, there was a chance.

But not in the same reckless way as before.

She needed to adapt to her new physical condition and the quiet world without mana.

The moment those thoughts came to her, Sylvia felt her vision clear.

She saw the world not through mana, but through pure light.

The trajectory of the sword only existed in a world where it was perceived as light.

Mana, for a swordsman, was a hindrance.

Seeing through mana was like walking while looking behind you.

“Master, may I excuse myself for a moment?”

“Hey, wait. Let me drink my tea first... Hah!”

With her newfound understanding, Sylvia didn’t hesitate.

She quickly took the sword from Aslan’s mouth and swung it in the air with all her might.

“Hah!”

As she swung the sword with all her remaining strength,

It glowed with a brilliant light and moved in strange ways in the air.

The sword moved in the air, appearing to cut through time itself.

“What...?”

The crack in the air appeared.

A familiar world beyond the crack began to reveal itself.