Chapter 14 TSH Vol. 1 Chapter 3 Part 2

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“That’s enough for today.”

“…Th… Thank… you… Master Sieg…!”

“Master Siggy… you’re too strong…”

After a final moment of follow-through, Sieg sheathed his wooden sword and addressed the two collapsed figures.

“Wipe off your sweat and stretch out well. A light jog afterward would be better for recovery, but…”

Sieg sighed as he looked at their exhausted state.

“Looking at you two, that’s probably impossible. I’ll at least build a fire pit, so once you’ve rested, go gather firewood. Do you still have any food? If not, I’ll sell you some. For ten times the market price.”

The princess nodded in utter exhaustion, but the royal guard, Emma, protested.

“That’s awful! You beat us to a pulp, and now you’re gonna rip us off? That’s too much!”

Sieg sighed, a weary look on his face.

“I’m letting you ride in my carriage, and I’m training you. You can at least take care of yourselves. I told you it would take about a week to get to Ecclesia. What were you planning to do, not buy any food?”

Princess Cordelia answered, her expression apologetic.

“I apologize, Master Sieg… Our preparations were inadequate… Come on, Emma. Get up. Let’s go find some firewood.”

“…Right…”

Sieg sighed again as he watched them disappear into the woods.

Three days had passed since they left the merchant city of Treden. Along the way, Sieg had kept his promise and trained the princess.

Whether inspired by the princess’s hard work or perhaps just bored, Emma had declared, “I want in, too!” So, he had been training Emma at the same time.

They were fast learners, which made teaching them rewarding. He might have been pushing them a little too hard, but he found he also learned a lot by teaching others. It served as his own training as well—two birds with one stone.

She was, after all, a princess. He thought it would be better to stop in villages or towns to find lodging, but she herself had insisted on matching his schedule, so they had been camping out.

Of course, he was careful to ensure no harm came to them. At night, he would hunt the nearby beasts and magical creatures, and if he found a bandit hideout, he would make a detour to wipe it out.

Still, it was about time they visited a town. He would need a large stock of food, herbs, and potions for the next territory. He had to make those preparations.

With these thoughts, Sieg quickly built a fire pit and started a fire. He fried some dried meat and vegetables, added water, salt, and spices, and let it simmer into a simple soup. A few slices of black bread would be enough to go with it.

As he was finishing up, the two returned, hauling firewood. They looked exhausted. Seeing that Sieg had already finished preparing the meal, Emma cried out in surprise.

“…Huh? You already have firewood! We didn’t need to go get more, did we!?”

Princess Cordelia also looked completely stunned.

Sieg replied matter-of-factly.

“It’s part of your training. Besides, we’ll need the extra firewood eventually. Stack it over there.”

“Master Siggy, you’re a tyrant!”

Then, the princess asked curiously.

“Um… Master. What about the water? There aren’t any springs nearby, are there?”

Fetching water was also their job, but there had been no water source in the vicinity.

Sieg answered calmly.

“I have plenty of water stored in my magic bag. You have one too, don’t you? Why didn’t you think to store water or firewood in it?”

The two stared at each other, their mouths open, then collapsed to the ground, completely drained.

The princess muttered in a daze.

“…Oh… you can put water in it, too…”

“Ugh! Then we didn’t need to go fetch water either!”

Sieg replied to Emma’s protest.

“I told you, it’s part of your training. Stop complaining and just do as you’re told!”

The princess obeyed obediently, while Emma muttered ‘tyrant’ under her breath as she followed.

Sieg watched them and sighed. He’d said it was part of their training, but that wasn’t the only reason. He suspected that they were probably searching for the Hero. It was hard to imagine any other reason for her to be on a journey.

If they were going to continue traveling together, he felt they should at least learn the basics of survival. He couldn’t guarantee they’d reach a town or village by nightfall every day.

Princess Cordelia is on a journey, searching for me, the Hero. I can’t let her be my companion, but I can at least do this much for her.

After that, they continued their journey to Ecclesia, stopping at towns and villages along the highway.

Sieg bought up food and ready-made potions, pushing forward with his own preparations. The princess and her guard sometimes stayed at inns or in a village chief’s house, but they often chose to camp. They had probably decided that they, too, needed to get used to the journey. Besides, this part of their journey was almost over. The princess, wanting to absorb as much skill from Sieg as possible, stuck by his side constantly.

And so, on the night before they were to arrive in the Ecclesia territory—

After dinner, Princess Cordelia cleaned the dishes and sprinkled beast-repellent powder around the campsite. She checked their remaining food, water, and firewood with Emma, and they planned their schedule for the next day. She was quite used to it by now.

Partway through, Emma seemed to get sleepy. She climbed into the carriage’s wagon bed and lay down. As always, Sieg wondered if it was really okay for the guard to rest first, but he had noticed that Emma was always a light sleeper. If danger approached, she would surely be up in an instant.

Once they were alone, Princess Cordelia, looking slightly nervous, brewed some herbal tea and offered it to Sieg. She poured a cup for herself and sat down beside him.

The firelight illuminated the clearing, and the occasional pop and crackle of burning wood broke the silence.

Sieg took a sip of the tea, savoring it for a moment before speaking.

“It’s passable. The effects change depending on the type and blend of herbs. You should learn a few different ones to stay healthy on your travels.”

“Yes! I wrote down the recipe, so I’ll try again.”

Seeing her look a little relieved, Sieg asked, “Are you sure you were okay with camping tonight? The town was close. We could have gotten an inn.”

The princess, who had chosen the campsite, shook her head slightly.

“No, this is our last night, so I thought this would be better than an inn… And I wanted to talk with you, Maste—…Sieg-san, one last time.”

She looked at Sieg, her smile tinged with a faint sadness. Today was their last day of training, so he had made her stop calling him ‘Master.’

The princess sipped her tea, then asked, her face full of anxiety.

“…Um… have I… gotten any stronger…?”

Sieg was silent for a moment, then decided to answer honestly.

“Yes, you’ve gotten stronger. It’s only been a week, but your core is stable, and your upper body doesn’t waver anymore. Your mana control is faster, and your combination attacks flow more smoothly now, don’t they? That’s more than enough progress.”

The princess looked up, her face filled with surprise. It was no wonder. Sieg had never once praised her until now.

This journey ends tomorrow, he thought. A little praise should be fine.

Sieg continued.

“Your sword style is hard to read, but against a superior opponent, it’s still too predictable. You should learn to use feints next. A feint is an attack that looks real but has no substance. By mixing truth and illusion, your attacks will become more varied, and you’ll appear to have more moves. Once you can do that, you won’t lose to any average swordsman. Keep training hard.”

“…Master… Sieg…”

The princess covered her mouth, her body trembling. Tears welled up, threatening to spill over. Hearing acknowledgment from Sieg, who had said nothing until now, must have moved her deeply.

Seeing her on the verge of crying, Sieg quickly backpedaled.

“D-Don’t cry! Is this any time to be stopping? You’re aiming higher than this, aren’t you? —To stand by the Hero’s side.”

—Ah… What am I…!

The words slipped out. Sieg looked down, his expression bitter. A complex mix of regret and guilt welled up inside him. The princess would never stand by the Hero’s side. Because he, Sieg, would never allow it.

What am I saying…! For her, there’s no crueler word!

Unaware of his inner turmoil, the princess wiped her tears and hurried to explain.

“Th-That! That’s… I just blurted it out! To stand by the Hero’s side… such a presumptuous thing…”

She stammered, trying to take back what she’d said during the match. But halfway through her excuse, she stopped, closing her mouth and letting out a long breath.

After a moment, she continued, as if confessing a secret.

“You’re right… Sieg-san. My dream is to stand by the Hero’s side and journey with him. I’ve lived my entire life for that alone. Hehe… even though I know it’s impossible… It’s laughable, isn’t it…”

Sieg’s face twisted for a moment, then he shook his head.

“I’m not laughing. I could never laugh at someone’s dream.”

The princess looked up, meeting his gaze. She asked suddenly, “…Do you have a dream, Sieg-san?”

Sieg closed his eyes for a moment.

“Yes. I have a dream. To redo the things I couldn’t do in the past. That’s the reason I’m on this journey.”

“…A journey to redo things… You have an unwavering dream, too, Sieg-san…”

The princess was silent for a while, as if mulling over his words. Then, her face set with determination, she spoke.

“Um! I know this is presumptuous… but is there anything I can do to help? You’ve done so much for me… I want to repay you! And… if I can be selfish, I want to get stronger. I know I can if I stay by your side! So, please, let’s continue together—”

“I refuse.”

Sieg’s short, sharp rejection left the princess speechless. But she didn’t stop.

“Wh-Why!? I may not look it, but I have connections with the feudal lords! I’m sure I can be of help to you! I promise I won’t be a burden!”

“That’s not the issue.”

As Sieg replied, the princess’s face crumpled.

“Then what is the issue!? Is it because I can’t field dress a beast? I’ll learn, right away! Is it because Emma snores!? I’ll make her stop! Or is it…!”

The princess looked down and asked in a small voice.

“Or… is it because you hate me…?”

Sieg stared into the fire and let out a long sigh. He swallowed the emotions threatening to overflow and spoke, his words deliberately cold and distant.

“I don’t have those kinds of feelings for you. You were just a fellow traveler I met by chance. I’ll stick with you until Ecclesia, as promised. But once we reach the capital, you and I are strangers. We won’t have anything to do with each other again.”

Princess Cordelia’s face crumpled, and large tears began to fall. Sieg pretended not to notice, poking the fire with a stick.

“…I understand… I’m sorry for saying something so strange…”

The princess stood up and spoke in a tiny voice. Her presence faded as she disappeared into the carriage. Muffled sobs could be heard from the wagon bed, but Sieg forced himself to ignore them. He realized the taste of blood was filling his mouth. He had been biting his lip so hard it had split open.

Sieg let out a shaky breath and spent the long, sleepless night alone.

When they arrived at the main gate of the Ecclesia territory, Princess Cordelia and her guard, Emma, got out of the carriage. A long line had formed to enter the capital, split into two: one for nobles and one for commoners. The two said they would line up on the noble’s side.

The princess kept her face turned away as she bowed to Sieg. She spoke only a few words of thanks.

“Thank you for everything on the journey. …Let’s go, Emma.”

“Right.”

The princess walked quickly toward the nobles’ line. Emma looked back at Sieg and muttered.

“…I’m disappointed in you.”

Sieg let out a heavy sigh and called out to stop her. He threw something he’d pulled from his bag.

“A parting gift.”

Emma caught the object, her eyes widening in shock. It was a knife. Even she could recognize its quality instantly.

“Huh? Is this… a sacred silver knife!?”

Sieg didn’t answer her question. He just said, “Protect her. Only you can do it.”

Emma looked from the magnificent knife in her hand back to Sieg, then snorted.

“I don’t need you to tell me that. It’s my job.”

Sieg looked at her intently for a moment, then nodded.

“I’m counting on you.”

“…You’re a weird one, Siggy. Well, I’ll happily take this.”

With that, Emma ran to catch up with her master. Sieg watched the princess’s retreating figure in the distance and said goodbye in his heart.

Farewell, Princess Cordelia. I hope you stay well.

He gritted his teeth and followed her with his eyes until she disappeared from view. After a long moment, he pulled himself together, got in the commoners’ line, and entered the capital of Ecclesia.