Black Swordsman and Ice Girl Wizard

--

"Anos-kun, please remember this well!"

"Effort is only fully rewarded when you refuse to give up."

--

This quote from my mother is the only thing I can remember at this moment when I am dying...

◇

"This is the first time I've been in a busy place like this."

As I walked, I was overwhelmed by the wealth and development of the city of Royale, the centre of the kingdom of Clitus, and at the same time I felt the stark difference between myself and the people of this city.

"Just like my mother said, prices are really high here" I thought to myself as I looked at the price list of food and utensils sold on both sides of the road and suddenly felt that the money I had with me was very small. But I had also heard that there were many jobs in this city that earned money.

I promised myself that I would buy my mother a present.. definitely buy her a present when I came back to visit her...

After walking for a while, I was attracted by the sight of shiny armour and various types of weapons in a small stall on a street corner.

"Right" I remembered my mother telling me, "you can only use the black sword when you really need it."

It wasn't until later that I understood why my mother had always told me that - the black sword was not the weapon of this age...

"Young man, what do you need?" I had just stopped and the stall owner, an old dwarf, stood up to greet me.

"Show me some swords" I said politely.

"Sword ?", the dwarf looked at me, "You came at the right time, I also have some good swords that were forged a few days ago."

"What kind of sword do you need?"

"Long sword, I prefer the lighter type as possible"

"This is the lightest I have," the dwarf picked up a sword with an ocean-coloured blade and handed it to me, "its blade is forged from pure mythril ore, inlaid with some kind of speed-enhancing magic, making it very suitable for wind mages."

"It's a bit expensive though, about 5000 gallons."

"5000 gallons is a bit expensive?" My face turned pale when I heard this exorbitant price. In my hometown, they could have built a big sheep farm with just 2000 gallons.

Not to mention that I wouldn't be able to use magic !

"If you agree to buy it, I'll give you a discount," the dwarf raised his four fingers as soon as he saw my desperate expression, "4000 gallons, what do you think?"

"Sorry, I... I don't have that much money."

"So how much do you have ?"

"500 gallons," which is three quarters of the money I have now.

"Only 500 ?" the dwarf's excitement seemed to sink.

Just as I was about to leave, the dwarf called me back and took something covered in cobwebs from the ancient chest beside him and placed it in front of me.

It turned out to be another sword wrapped in white cloth.

"This sword is also pure mythril ore, it's just that I forgot to inlay it with magic when I forged it, so no one has bothered to buy it for a long time."

"Can I have a look ?" Hearing the dwarf say that, I was curious.

"Feel free"

I carefully removed the white cloth that had been wrapped around the sword and was amazed at the beautiful blue of the blade. It urges me to wield it.

At first I thought it would be a bit heavier than the black sword I had in my luggage, but it seems I was wrong.

"It's lighter than I thought"

I tried a few skills from basic to advanced and this sword performed very well. In fact, I was very happy with this sword.

"300 gallons, what do you think?"

"Okay," I agreed immediately and paid without thinking...

That story about buying the sword made me realise how much I had underestimated the value of magic!

◇

As the centre of the kingdom, the city regularly hosts many parades around the square. To others, they may seem familiar and boring, but for me, this is the first time I have seen them in real life.

"Anos, it's exactly you, Anos-kun."

As I watched a cavalry convoy pass by on the road, I was startled by a sudden call from behind, and when I turned around, a lady in a pure white dress with a smile as bright as a flower stood before me.

"You... Who are you?" I asked, taking a few steps back to keep my distance, but I couldn't, the lady rushed over and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me.

"Baka Anos-kun, if you can't tell me my name, I won't leave you.."

"What the hell is going on ?"

"Hey..." I don't remember if I knew the beautiful lady standing in front of me or not, but I had to find a way out of this situation IMMEDIATELY. My mother had always taught me to be an upright person, so I didn't allow a girl with her body, especially that 'soft lump', to have direct contact with my own flesh without my permission!

That's what my subconscious thinks, but what about reality? In a moment, my whole face was red, my heart was beating wildly in my chest...

"Hey, young lady, please ...let me go !" I have to calm down, I can't let this mundane desire of adolescence rise up at this moment.

"I refuse" the lady openly rejected me with an angry look and then pressed the 'soft lump' even harder against me. Now I can hear my heartbeat clearly...

Again my body was against me: my hands were numb and I couldn't move. I could feel some kind of liquid coming out of my nose...

My mind was completely defeated at that moment!

"Charlotte-sama, where are you?" a group of knights led by a maid shouted through the crowd in the distance, attracting my not-so-awakened mind. Wait, Charlotte? Where did I hear that name?

"Charlotee-sama..."

"Anos-kun is idiot..." When the lady saw the knights coming, she hugged me even tighter, buried her head in my chest and pushed me into a small alley.

As I 'struggled' to escape her embrace, my head suddenly went blank, and a chill ran through my whole body, making me stagger and fall.

Then I could clearly see the details of her beautiful angelic face, and that posture too, it was so familiar...

"I remember!"

"You're Charlot... right ?" I tried to mutter as my vision faded...

◇