"The old man and old woman were the Sword Saint and the Sage, who established a joint unit twenty years ago. Then after the incident, they vanished without a trace..."
"Yes. There were rumors that they had gone into seclusion somewhere, but to think... they were teaching you swordsmanship and magic, Leon."
"..."
I rested my chin on my hand, sorting out the timeline in my head. Twenty years ago, the two of them vanished from the royal capital. Ten years ago, they met me.
Had they once tried to put an end to the feud between the staff and the sword? And with what in mind did they teach me swordsmanship and magic?
As I pondered this, fond memories suddenly came rushing back.
Those days spent with the old man and the old woman—.
"Leon. Do you like the sword?"
"Yeah."
"Leon. Do you like magic?"
"Yeah."
"No, you like the sword better, right?"
"No, no, you prefer magic, don't you?"
Back then, I had only just started learning from them, but I was deeply fascinated by both the sword and magic.
"I like both. When I swing a sword, the wind whistles, and it's so cool. Plus, what I couldn't do yesterday, I can do today. As long as I work hard, it always pays off."
"Ho! Well spoken, aren't you!"
The old man laughed with satisfaction.
"Then what about magic?"
"Magic is amazing. Fire and water appear out of nowhere, and just by tweaking the formula a little, you can do completely different things. There's so much I don't know, which makes me want to learn more."
"Fufu. As I thought, you prefer magic."
"Like I said, I like both."
The two of them exchanged glances, still unconvinced.
"Then, if you could only choose one, what would you do?"
"Why do I have to choose?"
"Because swordsmen and mages have never gotten along, not since long ago."
To the old man and old woman's question, my younger self answered plainly.
"The ones fighting are the people, right? It's not the sword and magic, is it?"
"Eh...?"
"Then I think... it's fine for me to 'like both.'"
I raised the wooden sword in my right hand and the practice staff in my left.
I had only started in order to get a license, but the more I learned, the more drawn I became to both staff and sword.
Each had its own unique appeal, and beyond each lay the unknown. In that case, choosing only one would be a waste.
"—The sword and magic are both fun, so I'm doing both!"
Their eyes widened, and they looked at each other.
And then, for some reason, they broke into smiles of heartfelt joy.
"Indeed. It is just as you say, Leon!"
"Yes. Quite so."
Looking back now, I wonder if those affectionate smiles carried a profound meaning that had gone far over my head.
The training grew increasingly harsh. Countless times I dropped my sword or failed my magic formulas, until I finally slumped to the ground.
"I like both swords and magic... but practice is hard."
"Haha! Of course it is!"
The old man crossed his arms and laughed boisterously.
"Fun isn't just about smiling all the time. It's only after overcoming hardship that a person can enjoy something from the bottom of their heart."
"Is hardship necessary too?"
"Indeed. It's because the lowest lows exist that we can have the highest highs. Conversely, if only the highest continues, it eventually becomes ordinary and hollow. Nothing in this world shines forever. It is during hard times that a person truly shines."
Next, the old woman crouched down beside me and spoke.
"Furthermore, making an effort does not guarantee a reward."
"Then is there no point in working hard?"
The old woman shook her head.
"No, that is not true. However, effort can sometimes betray a person, and even talent can fail them. A guaranteed future does not exist anywhere. That is precisely why stepping into an uncertain future of your own free will has value. If success were guaranteed, it could not be called a challenge."
"...I see."
"Yes. Even if you fall short of your desired outcome, the time you spent will never vanish. It will simply change form and stay within you without fail."
The old woman smiled gently.
Then, the old man picked up the wooden sword from the ground and held it out to me.
"When it's tough, you can rest. But never let go of the heart that finds it fun."
"As long as you remember that, you can pick yourself back up any number of times. You certainly possess remarkable talent, Leon. But to be able to believe in the fun that lies ahead, even during hard times—I believe that is the greatest talent you have above all else."
My younger self hadn't fully grasped everything they said back then. Even so, I gripped the wooden sword once more and took up the staff beside me.
Now that I knew their true identities, I finally understood.
No matter how many times I failed, they never gave up on me, and whenever I succeeded, they rejoiced as if it were their own achievement. Those ten grueling years had been an expression of their deepest kindness.
Hey, old man, old woman.
Why did the two of you—the Sword Saint and the Sage—devote ten whole years of your lives to a countryside orphan? Despite holding such legendary titles, why did you pour your hearts into teaching me swordsmanship and magic?
I still didn't have the answer.
I glanced down at my hands.
What the two of them taught me still lived on in the sword in my right hand and the staff in my left.
The feud between the staff and the sword.
The one who could put an end to it was surely—.
"Sara. Maybe the old man and the old woman entrusted something to me."
I put the feelings in my heart into words, one by one.
"Leon..."
"I always thought the feud between the staff and sword had nothing to do with me. That I should just keep my identity hidden and live quietly. That's what I thought all this time."
But I couldn't turn a blind eye anymore.
I had thought about it for a while now. This feud reached even into the ranks of adventurers, claiming lives that could have been saved if they had only joined hands.
The old man and the old woman had watched this world for far longer than I had. That was precisely why they had tried to eliminate this feud. Now, I felt as though I could understand just a fraction of what they had lamented, and what they had wished for.
"I still don't fully understand everything they entrusted to me. But I'm not running away anymore."
I had both the staff and the sword.
Both had been entrusted to me by the old man and the old woman, who were more precious to me than anyone else.
"I will—end the feud between the staff and the sword."
†
—If anything happens, please don't hesitate to tell me. I'll help you.
Sara had given me her word. She was a dependable ally. I really was blessed with the people in my life.
"Now then, what should I do?"
On the way back at dusk, I turned over my future course of action.
To eliminate the feud between the staff and sword, I first had to confront both sides—the knights and the mages. Resolving it through discussion would be ideal. But the conflict ran so deep. Depending on how things went, I had to be prepared for a fight.
At that moment, a clear, dignified voice echoed from behind me.
"—Leon. It has been a while."
Turning around, I saw Char standing there. A step behind her stood a woman draped in a robe. From her presence alone, I could tell she was no ordinary person.
"...Yeah. It's been a while."
To think they would approach me on their own, and at a time like this. It seemed the mages had already begun to make their move.
"Leon? Why are you talking to a mage...?"
This time, a voice called out from ahead.
The one who arrived was Leticia. Behind her stood a large knight clad in heavy plate armor. So the knights were doing the same thing.
"Leon... Then you really are..."
A shadow fell over Char's face.
I see. So Char had already suspected my connection with the knights. It seemed keeping my identity hidden had been impossible from the start.
Knights and mages.
Both sides had approached me at the exact same moment.
They had likely both pieced together my background to a certain extent.
However, for who I was now, this was rather convenient.
The old me might have looked for an escape route.
But I wouldn't run anymore.
I had chosen my path, and I would take responsibility for moving forward along it. After all, I held the staff and the sword that the old man and the old woman had spent ten years entrusting to me.
I looked across at both sides and declared calmly:
"Yeah. I hold national licenses for both—as a knight, and as a mage."