Infernal Blade – Part 04
Independent Trade City, Third District. The food street.
With just a few days until the fair, the streets were as bustling as ever. The marketplace, set at a busy crossroads, was packed with stalls. The air was thick with the aroma of freshly grilled meat and the heat of sizzling oil from vendors showcasing their cooking. Fruits, vegetables, and grains from the Seventh District farmlands, fresh juices, and seasonal specialties from distant lands lined the street, tightly packed on either side. Restaurants stayed open day and night, and even those that usually didn’t serve alcohol offered it to customers at bargain prices.
The crowd was a mix of locals and visitors, so thick that it left little room to stand still. People strolled along, eating and chatting as they went.
“Lisa, hold my hand so you don’t get lost.”
“Okay.”
“Me too! Don’t forget me!” Aria chimed in.
In the middle of the bustling crowd, the three held hands to keep together. Cecily had Lisa on one side and Aria on the other. A small hand in her right, a slender one in her left. They exchanged glances and shared a soft laugh.
Noticing Aria’s longing gaze at a meat vendor cooking food, Cecily tilted her head, a thought crossing her mind.
“Infernal Bla—Oh.” She caught herself. She couldn’t just casually mention Aria’s true nature in public. “So, you have an appetite like anyone else, huh?”
“I’m a sword, but at the same time a human,” Aria replied with a bright smile. “My body needs a different kind of nutrition than a regular human, but I still get hungry. I can eat anything.”
“Then feel free to eat whatever you like. The mayor has provided more than enough for your living expenses. Lisa, you don’t need to hold back either.”
“Okay!” Lisa had been eyeing the sizzling meat on the grill with a watery mouth. “B-But I don’t have any money.”
“Don’t worry. I got you covered.”
Blushing, Lisa nodded eagerly. Hunger quickly overtook modesty.
Aria bit into a skewer of roasted wild bird, her face lighting up with joy. Lisa, meanwhile, bit into hers, exclaiming, “The meat juices! They’re bursting!” with tears in her eyes. Watching them, Cecily nodded to herself, deciding she’d have a word with Luke about Lisa’s diet. Just wait, you good-for-nothing idiot.
“This is a nice city,” Aria said, smiling as she observed the endless stream of people. Her expression was unusually mature, though the meat juices stuck to the corner of her lips somewhat ruined the look. “It’s safe here. There are Knight Guards everywhere to keep watch, and there’s no sign of trouble. Most importantly, there are no slaves. Everyone’s equal, and the city runs smoothly. People are smiling. It’s a nice place.”
“Slaves?” Cecily asked in surprise. “Slavery is a relic of the past. There’s no such thing in this day and age.”
“I’ve been to many places, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes and the light of this sword.” Aria’s smile was tinged with sadness. “There was a country with such practices still. A remote one in the Crowd Powers, though.”
The continent was broadly divided into three major entities. The Militant Nation, the Empire, and the Crowd Powers.
The Militant Nation, with its strict conscription system for both men and women from the age of ten, upheld an uncompromising doctrine of combat. The Empire, ruled by a unified aristocratic bloodline, was led by an emperor. Lastly, the Crowd Powers, a collection of small countries on the fringes of the continent, constantly engaged in minor skirmishes.
This division had emerged after the conclusion of the Valbanill War, but the exact size and borders of these nations remained unclear. Following the war, the Continental Law Commission, a coalition of nations, banned the publication of official maps, leaving the general populace with only word of mouth or speculation regarding national borders. Only a select few in power knew the full picture of the continent.
The Independent Trade City of Housman, however, was free from the control of these nations. Unlike other secretive states, it was a free-flowing hub of information and resources, living up to its name as a collection of districts.
“I’m a sword, after all. I’ve passed through many hands to reach my current owner.”
A child running around accidentally bumped into Aria and fell onto their bottom. Aria helped the child up, asking if they were okay. The child thanked her in garbled speech before scurrying off. A woman who appeared to be the child’s mother bowed her head in gratitude. Aria waved at the mother and child.
“Aria, how old are you?” Cecily asked.
“Hmm, somewhere between forty and fifty.”
“Forty?” Cecily echoed in disbelief.
“Yeah, around there. I awakened during the Valbanill War.”
Cecily frowned at the mention of the Valbanill War, words she’d been hearing more frequently. Was it just a coincidence?
“My memories begin during the war,” Aria continued. “I woke up right in the middle of a battlefield.”
“On the battlefield? How?”
“I don’t know.” Aria shook her head. She gently stroked Lisa’s head, combing through her hair. Lisa looked up, clearly confused. “I wasn’t born in a smithy like where this girl works. I was stuck in the ground, in sword form. I had no idea why I was there, who brought me there, or what kind of fate led me to that point. All I know is that my consciousness suddenly awakened there.”
Cecily remained silent, processing Aria’s words.
“And since it was a battlefield… Did you know? The Valbanill War were mostly fought between demons, but there were battles between humans, too. Where I woke up, humans were killing each other—and they were all fighting over me.”
“They were fighting over you?”
“I’m an Infernal Blade that generates wind, a perfect weapon for battle. Once they realized what I was, they went on a frenzy for me, killing each other. Many died, all cut down by me.”
Cecily gasped, not at the image of humans slaughtering one another, but at the thought of Aria—a conscious being—caught in the middle of it all. What must her mind have been like when she first awakened? Perhaps as innocent as a newborn’s, suddenly thrust into a war.
It was like swinging a baby around to kill people, Cecily thought. Aria had passed from one hand to the next, taking countless lives. That’s how she’d been born into the world—an instrument of death. The worst kind of awakening.
Seeing Cecily at a loss for words, Aria smiled gently. “After the war, smaller conflicts continued in the Crowd Powers, and I was used there too. Eventually, I ended up in the Empire, given to some noble knight. I stayed there for quite a while. But don’t worry. My current owner is a collector, so I won’t be used in any fights. I live a quiet, peaceful life now. This time, I’m just here for show.”
The way Aria spoke so casually about her past, it was clear she was leaving out the worst parts. She had found herself in the midst of bloodshed, even after the war ended. Her past must have been far more gruesome than she let on.
Aria tilted her head slightly, looking at Cecily. “What do you think an Infernal Blade is?”
“I… I don’t know,” Cecily admitted.
“Neither do I,” Aria said. “But one thing’s for sure—an Infernal Blade is a tool that harms others. That’s the one thing that doesn’t change. It’s just part of what I am. So, Cecily, don’t look so sad. I think I’ve said too much.”
Cecily lowered her head, shaking it.
“What I wanted to say is… this city’s incredible. It’s wonderful. You should be proud of your job, Cecily!” Aria beamed at her, but Cecily struggled to find the words.
Aria was an enigma. One moment, she was cheerful and carefree, and the next, she wore a smile touched with melancholy. She seemed like both a child and an adult at the same time.
Aria had lived twice as long as Cecily—or perhaps more accurately, she had existed twice as long. Cecily couldn’t find the right words to say to her.
“Aria…”
“Here!” came a sudden voice from below.
Startled, they both looked down to see Lisa beaming up at them, holding out a bright red fruit with both hands.
“Let’s eat! Food is joy!” Lisa said cheerfully, though tears were glistening in the corners of her eyes. She looked like a child trying to put on a brave face.
Cecily and Aria exchanged glances and smiled.
“Yeah, let’s eat,” Cecily agreed.
“I’ll have some.”
Aria took a big bite of the fruit, causing juice to splatter onto Lisa’s hand. Lisa squealed in surprise, and Cecily burst into laughter.
Lisa is such a good child, Cecily thought.
Feeling a deep sense of gratitude, Cecily made a silent vow. She would make the most of their time in the city, ensuring Aria enjoyed herself and steering clear of any heavy topics. After all, it was the least she could do.
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