“Hehe, then I’ll show you! You’re already five, after all, Leo.”
With a playful smile, Mother placed her right hand over the back of her left.
I wondered what she was doing until a flash of brilliant light erupted, and a sword manifested out of thin air.
Is this a magic trick? I’d noticed something like a sword-shaped crest on the back of her hand before, but she had just pulled a physical blade right out of it.
“This is a Crest Sword—the proof of a knight. Want to try holding it?”
I took it from her. It was a heavy mass of iron. It certainly wasn't something a five-year-old was meant to swing, yet Mother had been brandishing it with a single hand.
I’d wondered this before, but where did that slender body find such strength? I closed my eyes as I gripped the hilt.
I’d had a sneaking suspicion for a while now. I’d initially assumed I was in some rural European village, but the civilization level was clearly off.
And then there was this sword. It wasn't a trick. I knew that because, as I watched, the blade dissolved into particles of light and vanished back into the crest on Mother’s hand.
“Another world...”
“Another world?”
“Mother, what is the name of this country?”
“My, you certainly know a lot about the world! This is the Arcadia Sword Kingdom! It’s one of the Five Great Nations!”
There it was—proper nouns and terms I’d never heard of in my life. It seemed I really had been reincarnated into a world entirely different from Earth.
“What is that mark on your hand?”
“This? This is a Knight Emblem. A long time ago, Mama was a knight who rode across the battlefields! I retired because of an old injury, though.”
“So it was true...”
“Hey, Leo. Do you want to be a knight? You could mow down enemies with your sword and become a hero!”
“Eh?”
“All boys admire knights, don't they? I thought you might, too.”
Mother looked at me with pure expectation. If I were asked if I specifically wanted to be a knight, the answer was a flat no. However, when she stared at me with those sparkling, hopeful eyes...
“Yeah... I... want to be one.”
I replied in a monotone voice. Even so, Mother practically jumped for joy.
“I’m so happy! So happy!! As expected of my boy! Aim for the Five Star Sword! You can definitely do it, Leo—you’ll be an amazing knight! Shall we start training today? Right now??”
“Yeah... let's train.”
I nodded, my eyes slightly glazed and hollow. To be honest, I had no interest in this at all, but...
“Training with Leo! Training with Leo! Oh, I’m so happy!”
Watching her busily and happily prepare for our session made me feel a tiny bit better, so I figured I could play along.
In the garden, I gripped a wooden sword.
“Now, come at me with everything you’ve got!”
“But... you’ll get hurt.”
“Hmph.”
Mother gave me a smug, confident look. She seemed sure of herself. A female knight, huh... I wasn't so sure. She was usually pretty clumsy.
For now, I gripped the practice sword and swung at her. I assumed she’d at least block it.
Or so I thought.
“Mother?!”
It was a direct hit. She didn't defend herself at all—wait, no.
“Hehe, surprised? It doesn't hurt a bit!”
“Why?”
“This is Crest Power. Those who possess a crest can only be defeated by others who possess one. That is the rule of this world.”
“Mysterious power...”
I tried slashing at her several more times, tentatively at first. The impact certainly landed, but I couldn't inflict any actual damage. It felt as though a thin, invisible barrier was absorbing the strike.
“Once you’re a little older, Leo, you can take the Knight Exam. I’m sure you’ll receive a crest of your own then.”
“Hmm...”
So you couldn't get a crest unless you passed an exam. They were something granted to you.
“There are a few things you need to remember: those with crests are incredibly strong, and they can only be defeated by others with crests. Don’t forget that.”
“...I understand.”
So that explained why Mother was so powerful despite her delicate frame. She was being physically enhanced by the crest’s power. It was essentially magic.
“That’s exactly why basic technique is so important—to control that power. Now, let’s do our best together! Fired up?!”
“...Yeah.”
“I can’t hear you! Fired up?!”
“...Yeah.”
“...Sob.”
“I-I’m fired up!”
I raised my fist with a sigh.
The days of swordsmanship training continued, and the seasons blurred into years. Mother was indeed strong, just as she’d claimed. It made sense; she’d spent years training and had survived real combat.
But I watched her movements, imitated them, and refined my own strength. Since my previous life, I’d always been able to master anything I saw just once.
Even so, Mother was... strong. She said she’d been raised on the battlefield, so her career must have been extensive.
Still, three years had passed. I would turn eight this year. The calendar didn't seem to differ much from my previous life; the length of the days felt the same, and there were four distinct seasons.
“Now, Leo. Just as I taught you.”
“...Understood.”
I leveled the tip of my wooden sword at her.
“My name is Leo. Staking this name and my pride as a knight, I challenge you to a duel.”
Accepting the challenge, Mother drew her own wooden sword and let the tips touch.
“My name is Nina. Staking this name and my pride as a knight, I accept your challenge. Let us settle this fairly!”
Apparently, this was the formal way to initiate a duel. It was a verbal contract recognized across the world, used even on the field of battle.
Today was the final duel. If I won this, I would graduate from her tutelage.
I moved.
I swung my sword, and Mother blocked. However, her bad leg meant she lacked speed. I circled behind her and slashed again. She blocked it, but her posture was beginning to crumble. I spun my entire body and followed up with another strike.
This, too, was parried, but I twisted my body and threw a kick. She caught it with one hand. As expected of a former knight, she immediately transitioned into a counterattack.
But I saw it coming. I could dodge this. I stared intently at the wooden blade, evaded it by a hair’s breadth, and then—
“You’ve really... grown strong.”
The tip of my sword pressed against Mother’s abdomen. It was stopped by her Crest Power, of course, but the message was clear.
For the first time, I had taken a point from her. I had won.
Mother flopped onto her back in the grass.
I won... I actually won.
“It’s Leo’s victory,” she said.
“Yeah...”
At that moment, memories of my past life flashed back.
I did it again. I was always like this. When I’d fought for a regular spot against a senior pitcher, I’d thrown perfect balls exactly as I was told. Every time I competed against someone, I won overwhelmingly. And every time, I was met with surprise, then jealousy, then anger, and finally, despair.
I’d done it again. When you effortlessly surpass something someone else holds dear, you only wound their pride.
Mother’s hand reached out. I braced myself for a blow, or to be pushed away. I didn't want Mother to hate me.
But the sensation that followed wasn't a strike. It was a gentle warmth as she pulled me into a hug.
“Leo, you’re a geniuuuuuus!! As expected of my boy!”
“Eh?”
She squeezed me tight, looking truly happy from the bottom of her heart.
“You don’t... hate me? You’re not upset?”
“What are you talking about? Of course I’m happy!”
“But... I...”
She rubbed her cheek against mine.
“What mother wouldn't be happy to find out her child is a genius? Leo, you’re amazing! Truly, truly amazing! I’m so proud!”
“............”
I didn't know why, but a lump formed in my throat, and my chest ached as if I were about to cry. Mother pulled me into her embrace, and I could hear her heartbeat—a gentle, steady thump-thump. My own heart began to beat in sync with hers.
I had always been afraid of my own words. I hated that I only seemed to have words that hurt people.
“Was Mother strong?” I’d once asked.
“Hmm, I don't know. I beat you, after all... so not really,” I’d thoughtlessly replied.
That was why I tried not to talk much. The words that slipped out always seemed to make people angry because I said exactly what I was thinking without sugarcoating it. But maybe that was just because my words were insufficient.
So, this time, I tried harder.
“B-But... it was because you taught me... that I was able to get this strong.”
I tried to put my true feelings into words until the end. I did it because Mother would always look me in the eye and listen until I was finished.
“Thank you, Mother.”
“Hawa... Leo showed his sweet side... So precious! I can’t! My heart can't take it!”
I had no idea what her heart couldn't take, but from that day on, swinging my sword became my daily routine. Mother would spar with me occasionally, but lately, she preferred to spend her time happily watching my solo training.
Today, as I went through my practice swings, she watched with a joyful smile.
“Hey, Leo.”
“Hah! What is it? Hah! Hah!”
“I looooove you. You’re my favorite person in the whole world.”
“Wha—?!”
The wooden sword slipped right out of my hand. Mother laughed at the sight, while I stood there, face flushing red with embarrassment.
I was happy. Truthfully, I wanted to tell her that I loved her, too.
But I couldn't bring myself to say it. Because I wasn't truly her child. I was just a reincarnated soul from another world who happened to be born as her son.
Even so...
“Leo, let’s go eat!”
“Coming!!”
I wanted this time to last just a little longer—this time built on a lie. Even if it was a falsehood, I wanted to stay in this warmth.
But the seasons continued to turn, and eventually, that day arrived. My mind and body had grown, and the day of my first battle was at hand.