Ever since she was young, Aria had always opposed conflict. She was a kind child; rather than quarreling with others when their interests clashed with hers, she was always willing to prioritize their needs over her own.
The same was true when she practiced her swordsmanship. With the blood of the Sword Saint running through her veins, Aria’s aptitude for the blade was not bad by any means. However, she was lacking in one vital area: no matter what, her strikes never contained the aggressiveness needed to defeat her opponents. Kindhearted Aria was unable to harbor such aggressiveness toward others—even though it was the most important trait to have in a battle.
I wanted to raise Aria to be strong. Peace was something built on the foundation of strength as a deterring force. The ability to stir the hearts of the people with your words was important as well, but if I wanted her to lead our countrymen, I would need to instill in her the strength to be able to make them follow her orders.
To that end, I put her through harsh training; however, she did not live up to my expectations. Her sword skills continued to advance, but she was never able to obtain the kind of strength I wanted her to have. Not once in our training matches was she ever able to land a blow on me.
Though she lacked fighting spirit, Aria could be surprisingly strong-willed. One time this aspect of hers showed was when she tried to recruit Alma, who lived in the slums. Everyone in the royal court opposed her selection, myself included. Bringing in someone of such poor station to be a princess’s royal guard was completely unheard of.
However, Aria refused to give in. She insisted without hesitation that one’s social standing did not matter, and that if someone had the proper aptitude for a job, they should be given employment. We bent to her strong will and allowed her recruitment of Alma to take place.
After that, I decided to train Alma in the sword as well. Just as Aria had said, she had had true talent as a swordfighter. Unlike my daughter, though, she also possessed a sufficient amount of aggressiveness.
I used to battle against the two of them almost every day...and I had come to the conclusion that Aria simply didn’t have the talent for fighting.
However, I was apparently mistaken in that assessment. Her movements as she did battle with me earlier had improved so much that they were nearly unrecognizable. Both her poise and her skill with the sword had improved remarkably.
More than anything else, though, the thing she had been lacking the most—raw aggressiveness, the desire to defeat your opponent no matter what—she had finally found in spades.
I finally understood: Aria was the type of girl whose strength was demonstrated through defending others. She was able to tap into her full potential when acting for the sake of her kingdom and her comrades. It was no wonder she had never shown it during our training sessions.
Before I realized it, I had broken free from Baron’s grasp and started speaking with my daughter. However, I knew it would be but a fleeting few moments; even then I could feel him struggling to regain control.
I’ve let you use my body as you please for a long time now...but I won’t allow you to interrupt these brief moments with Aria. This is a battle between father and daughter—and my final opportunity to give her guidance.
I continued my battle with my child, resisting against Baron’s control all the while.
Yes, that’s it. That’s the proper way to respond to a slash coming from the right.
I had told her those words time and time again.
No matter how overwhelmed she was, Aria kept coming at me. The sight made me feel almost as if we had returned to those long-gone days when I had been training her—though she had gotten much stronger since then.
I brought my sword down, aiming for her left shoulder.
Aria never could figure out how to respond to that particular attack of mine. She would stand there not knowing what to do and end up being struck, often breaking into tears.
However—this time was different.
She dodged nimbly out of the way of my attack, then stepped back into range with one swift motion. It was an incredibly polished movement—far beyond my expectations. She must have practiced it countless times before; I could see the traces of unimaginably grueling training behind it.
I see now, Aria. You’ve been fighting this whole time, haven’t you? While I’ve been under Baron’s control, you’ve been trying desperately to take this country back...
Letting out a piercing cry, Aria unleashed her strike. With a flash, the tip of the blade pierced straight through my heart. It was a perfect thrust—one that left no room for complaint.
I crumpled down to my knees on the spot. As I slowly raised my head, I saw Aria there looking down at me, tears flowing down her cheeks. Large teardrops were falling one after the other, discoloring the ground below.