Chapter 16: The Sword Princess's Heart
After returning to the surface, Lili kept her head lowered the entire way, her soft, delicate little hand left entirely in Shirou's grasp as he led her along.
It wasn't until they arrived right in front of the gates of the [Loki Familia] that Lili abruptly realized something was amiss.
"Ah, wait, where is this...?"
As one of the two most illustrious and prestigious familias in Orario, the [Loki Familia] was naturally well-known to Lili.
Yet up until now, she had only ever known of it through various word-of-mouth rumors. To actually find herself standing here in person filled her with a deep sense of awe.
"It's so huge...!"
Lili widened her eyes as she gazed at the estate-like grounds of the familia.
Stepping foot into the territory of the [Loki Familia] was something Lili would never have dared to even imagine before.
Just as Lili was staring in utter astonishment, the two familia members stationed at the entrance spotted Shirou and immediately bowed respectfully in greeting.
Shirou gave a slight nod, then walked inside, leading the somewhat nervous Lili along with him.
Lili carefully observed her surroundings.
Lawns and trees tended to every single day, flower beds constantly exuding a fragrant aroma, and a blonde young girl gorgeously swinging a rapier in an open courtyard as if performing a dance.
The sharp sound of wind breaking echoed through the air.
The sound of the wind splitting that only reached the ears after a strike was completed was absolute proof of the speed and keen precision nested within the blade itself.
The rapier was swung only a single time, yet it generated multiple layers of silver trajectories.
During her rest period following the conclusion of the "Expedition," Ais was alone in the courtyard of their headquarters, practicing her daily routine of sword-swings.
The sword practice Ais performed every day wasn't demanded of her by anyone else; it was a habit she had cultivated on her own starting nine years ago.
Standing on a grass-paved patch of ground in the courtyard, Ais swung her beloved sword vertically, horizontally, and diagonally without a single pause, as if correcting the minute errors that gradually crept into her form when swinging the rapier.
Reducing the movement of her lower body to an absolute minimum, she moved like a conductor waving a baton, playing a movement of sword-flashes that belonged to her alone.
As if signaling that this would be her final strike, Ais flicked her sword with a shhh, slashing through a green leaf falling from a courtyard tree. After cutting it cleanly in two, she sheathed her sword.
Watching this magnificent Sword Princess, Lili couldn't help but let out an audible gasp of admiration.
"That's... that's the 'Sword Princess' Aiz Wallenstein...!"
Only after voicing it aloud did Lili realize her breach of etiquette, hastily and nervously covering her mouth, terrified that her actions might displease the other party.
Meanwhile, Ais looked with a trace of puzzlement at the Pallum girl holding hands with Shirou.
"Who is she...?"
"She's a familia member I picked up in the dungeon. Since I have a familia now, I'll have to leave this place tomorrow."
Shirou replied with a smile.
"Mr. Orihara is leaving..."
Hearing this, Ais's eyes dimmed slightly. That wasn't out of emotional reluctance to part, but rather because she still hadn't obtained concrete information regarding the Black Dragon and her parents from Shirou.
Sensing the young girl's inner state through her micro-expressions, Shirou smiled faintly.
"I plan to purchase a residence nearby, so there's no need to intentionally move very far away. If you ever have need of anything, you can come find me."
"Is that so... Thank you for your generosity."
Aiz hurriedly thanked Shirou.
Shirou nodded, then looked at the young girl with a hint of curiosity: "Is your current adventurer level LV.5?"
Aiz was slightly startled by the question, then nodded.
"Yes. Even though I've been wanting to reach LV.6, it feels like I can never quite find the right method..."
"That's because you have confusion in your heart. Your actual strength is already capable of breaking through; it's just that the instability of your mindset is holding you back."
Shirou replied.
"So that's how it is..."
Aiz lowered her head to look at the sword in her hand. The sharp blade reflected the sunlight onto her cheek, and within its mirrored surface, she could see her own golden eyes.
Understanding her current situation, Aiz felt as though the dark clouds had parted to reveal the bright sky; her previously somewhat oppressive mood lifted considerably.
Suddenly, Aiz recalled that this otherworldly god had once mentioned encountering the Black Dragon.
"Um, has Mr. Orihara ever fought the Black Dragon?"
"Of course. To me, it's very weak. But for people like you, you might need to reach LV.10 just to put up a fight."
Hearing Shirou's words, the hand with which Aiz gripped her sword couldn't help but tremble slightly.
"It's that strong..."
Having blurted that out, Aiz felt a wave of profound powerlessness wash over her.
The strength she took such pride in was, before the power of a god, like an ant... no, perhaps even weaker than an ant.
Seeing the young girl's reaction, Shirou pondered for a moment before finally speaking.
"However, there is one regrettable thing. Given your world's method of 'Leveling Up,' Ais, it would probably be difficult for you to reach even a thousand-milli-fraction of my strength even after ten thousand or one hundred thousand years..."
This was the truth, though it seemed perhaps a bit too cruel, causing the young girl's eyebrows to droop. Her slender silhouette looked somewhat frail and desolate under the blowing breeze.
"However..." Shirou paused in his speech, "I do happen to have a way to let you break past this limitation, though doing so still carries a price..."
"What is it?"
Ais asked somewhat eagerly, her eyes fixed intently on Shirou.
"The way I grant power is different from the gods of this world, though you can also think of it as an upgraded version of the 'Falna.' It allows the subject to directly become my subordinate god, granting you strength thousands or hundreds of times greater than the LV.10 you conceptualize. The price, however, is that you will forever remain by my side."
The power of the Words of the Sovereign scaled directly with Shirou's own strength. In other words, the stronger Shirou was, the greater the boost his subordinate gods would receive as a result.
Even someone entirely devoid of martial prowess would instantly transform into a being as mighty as a demigod.
Looking at the young girl whose eyes radiated an increasingly intense desire, Shirou continued.
"Still, I must remind you: power acquired so easily will certainly let you crush the people of Orario with overwhelming dominance, and your lifespan will be infinitely extended. In other words, you will be shackled to my side forever. Once you uncover the truth of your lineage, all that awaits you is the void of eternal existence. Come find me only after you have prepared yourself and thought it through clearly."
"..."
Listening to Shirou's words, Ais lapsed into a brief silence.
Her thoughts drifted into the distance, and she only snapped back to reality when Lefiya's voice reached her ears.
"Mr. Orihara...!"
Looking all around, she found that the red-haired youth was nowhere to be seen.
Nearby, Lefiya was hugging several thick books in her arms—all dealing with magic techniques and theory. It seemed that after the recent "Expedition," she too intended to work hard on self-improvement.
"Ais-san, what's wrong?" The single-ponytail girl looked at Ais with a hint of concern.
"I... I'm fine..."
Ais gently shook her head. Her gaze shifted toward the sun climbing to the very center of the sky, burning brightly and fiercely, as if a fire had been ignited within her as she tightened her grip on her sword.
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