Chapter 17: The Power of Carol — The Power of the Holy Sword

"Hah!? Hah—hah—hah…!?"

"Oh my, you're awake. That was quicker than I expected."

I was certain I had felt my chest being pierced, yet the pain was already gone. Then again, after reliving death over and over, maybe that in itself wasn’t so strange.

But something felt off beyond the absence of pain. Every time I had died before, the lingering fatigue and the drain on my magic would vanish—but now, I could still feel both. Trying to make sense of it, I drew the Holy Sword at my side and pointed it toward Carol, who was sitting at the campsite.

"Hey, don’t point dangerous things at me. I just let you experience what this training would be like. Thanks to that, you can now sense the magic swirling within your body, right?"

"...So that was a dream? And the reason Hikari and Alicia are asleep… is because of that too?"

"Exactly. Not bad—you’re surprisingly quick to understand for someone who just woke up. I like that."

If that was the case, it explained how I had died countless times and repeated the same events over and over. But enduring something like that… most people couldn’t. Being killed no matter how you resisted—

Hikari and Alicia wouldn’t be able to handle it. The only reason I managed to keep going despite dying again and again was pure luck.

"Wake them up as soon as possible. I’m more than enough to go through something like dying over and over."

"…Wait. Dying over and over? What do you mean? You went through that? Are you some kind of battle maniac or something?!"

"Don’t play dumb. You slashed my neck and body open with a scythe over and over, stabbed my throat and heart with a dagger, blew me up with magic, suffocated me—"

"Whoa… you started with that level of stuff…? I only set it up so you could learn to sense magic and left the rest alone. I had no idea…"

I had long since lost count of how many times I died, but I began to grasp magic after around sixty deaths. After that, repeating it again and again, I even managed to use simple dark magic…

Judging by her thoroughly disturbed expression, that level of intensity hadn’t been expected. I wished she’d consider what it felt like on my end—being thrown into that kind of hell without warning.

"You seemed to be progressing well, so I didn’t monitor your dream. I never thought it would turn into something like torture. The other two aren’t going through anything like that, so don’t worry."

"...I’ll take your word for it—for now. But if anything seems off, I’ll stop it immediately."

"Yeah, yeah, worrywart… Well, after what you’ve been through, I guess it’s only natural you wouldn’t trust me. That was my mistake."

If I could see my face in a mirror, I was sure it would be the most strained expression of my life. Still, knowing the others weren’t experiencing what I did brought some relief.

So that was the training effect of the "Forest of Magic Mist"… I had no idea when the dream began—it had felt completely real.

Even now that I was back in reality, it didn’t feel like a dream. But thinking back, there had been hints everywhere.

"Come to think of it… there’s no way Commander Richard wouldn’t have intervened in that situation… And he didn’t interfere with Hikari or Alicia either."

For the latter two, it made sense—they might not have had the strength. But in reality, Commander Richard would definitely have stopped it.

He intended to train me so I could become worthy of the title "Sword King," but he wouldn’t want me dead. I could tell that much from our conversation at sunset. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but I believed he held some respect for me too.

The fact that he hadn’t appeared at all—that alone proved it had been a dream.

Still, after experiencing that hell, I couldn’t just dismiss it as “only a dream.”

After all, something I couldn’t do before—controlling magic—now came as naturally as moving my limbs.

"By the way… how long was I asleep?"

"About an hour. Though you probably experienced about a full day in there. I adjusted it so you could get used to it."

A full day in one hour… a twenty-fourfold difference. And from the way she said it, she could probably increase it even further.

So dream training really did affect reality. I could tell not just from my magic control, but from the fact that I could now use the Holy Sword’s "Second Ability."

"Judging by that, you’ve managed to use some of the Holy Sword’s powers too. Even the second ability… You might be more capable than I thought."

"You can tell… the sword’s power?"

"I’m more concerned that your speech suddenly got less polite… but whatever. If you’ve been killed over a hundred times by me, I guess that’s understandable."

Carol brushed back her long, jade-colored hair and shifted her gaze from the two sleeping girls to me—no, not me, but the Holy Sword in my hand.

Her eyes—once gray—now shone the same emerald green as her hair. They looked as if they could see through everything. Unsettling… yet—

"Beautiful…"

"Fwaaah!? W-what was that for all of a sudden!? When someone’s eye color changes, you’re supposed to think it’s creepy!!"

"Not really… It’s a beautiful green, like emeralds. Like a gemstone—it’s really pretty."

"Flattery won’t get you anything!! …By the way, do you want some tea? I have a special original blend."

"Uh—sure, I’ll have some… I guess?"

For some reason, Carol eagerly began preparing tea the moment I agreed. Wait—did complimenting her eyes put her in a good mood? I mean… not to say it out loud, but isn’t that a bit too easy?

Still, not knowing her circumstances, I accepted the tea she handed me and took a sip.

It was green—similar to matcha from my previous life. Expecting bitterness, I drank it… and instantly felt magic and strength flow back into my body. Not fully restored, but enough to make a noticeable difference. Watching my reaction, Carol laughed brightly.

"Surprised? It’s a special tea I cultivate here in the 'Forest of Magic Mist.' It only grows in places where magic is this concentrated, so I don’t usually serve it to others."

"And you’re giving something that rare to me… I’m sorry. I woke up and immediately pointed a sword at you."

"It’s fine. If I killed you that many times, the fact that you’re only reacting like this is impressive. Most people would attack without hesitation after being killed in so many different ways."

That might be true—but only from my perspective. From hers, she helped me out of goodwill, and I responded by pointing a sword at her. If anything, she was the strange one for accepting that so easily.

"Oh, just so you know, I’m used to having swords pointed at me. Elves aren’t exactly well-liked. My hometown was burned down by humans. But there are some who let me live here, and even treat me as an equal—asking for help sometimes and granting some of my requests in return."

"That doesn’t make it okay to point a sword at you. Just because you’re used to it doesn’t mean it doesn’t hurt. If I was wrong, I should apologize."

Threatening someone out of misunderstanding—that was wrong. At the very least, she was an ally helping us.

If I was wrong, I should apologize—even if it was someone I disliked.

"...You’re a strange human. I’ve lived a long time, but I don’t see many like you."

"My childhood friend says one of me is more than enough—having more would be a disaster."

"Heh, I can see that. Oh, and you can drop the polite speech like before. I’m not good with formal talk."

She smiled gently as she sipped her tea. It was hard to believe this was the same person who had been making strange faces at the Holy Sword’s presence earlier. Surrounded by the forest, her elegant demeanor as an elf was… captivating.

Lately, I’ve been surrounded by too many beautiful women—it’s becoming a problem.

"So, you’ve drawn out the Holy Sword’s power, right? First and second abilities."

"Yeah, somehow. The first is ‘the sword returns to my hand,’ and the second is ‘enhanced intuition,’ right?"

"Correct. Though the second is more like ‘overall enhancement leads to improved intuition.’ Your strength, stamina, and magic all increase, which sharpens your senses and lets your brain process enough information to glimpse the near future."

The first ability was practically a default—I had been using it since before I even understood magic.

The second had already begun to manifest during the knight order’s physical test. Thanks to it… I got to experience Hikari’s lap pillow. Honestly, I’m grateful for that.

Back then, it just felt like a boost to stamina, but now it enhanced everything—including magic. And it seemed I could use it even without holding the sword.

Most impressive of all was the near-precognitive intuition. It let me dodge Carol’s attacks in the dream and instantly decide what to do next.

Though right now, it activated automatically—I couldn’t control it consciously.

"That part can be improved with training. It’ll probably always activate automatically, but you can increase how often it triggers and reduce the fatigue afterward."

"Yeah… the last time it activated, I was completely drained. It’s useful, but I can’t rely on it too much."

"Then start by getting used to it. Which means, while you’re in this forest, you’ll learn swordsmanship, raise the second ability to a practical level… and unlock the third ability."

"How many abilities does this sword even have…?"

"Hmm… about seven, I think. I can see up to four with my eyes, but anything beyond that is difficult. That’s why legendary-tier magic items are so ridiculous."

As she spoke, her eyes glowed emerald again. It seemed she could perceive the abilities of magical items—but using that power made her eyes shine.

"Still… beautiful."

I thought so—but it didn’t seem to be a pleasant memory for her, so I only muttered it quietly.

"Hehehehehe… I’ll analyze everything I can during this training camp…!!"

For some reason, watching her now reminded me of someone completely absorbed in their hobby, ignoring how they looked to others.

And yet, she was hiding her face beneath her large hat. Maybe she didn’t want anyone to see that expression.

Not that it mattered—she had already shown it when we first met.

"Phew… Anyway, you’re going to give it your all until the scheduled day. You’ll go through experiences just as intense as what you had in that dream."

"Sounds good to me. I’ve finally figured out why I fight. I won’t break anymore. Bring it on—whatever you’ve got."

That experience made me stronger. So I might as well be grateful for this sudden training.

The two girls sleeping beside Carol—

If it’s to protect their happiness, then I’m sure I can endure anything.