Chapter 38
By the time we got home, it was already late into the night. The streets had emptied out, only illuminated by the full moon above. Yuna was fast asleep on my back, her arms wrapped around my neck, her small fingers still gripping a stuffed animal.
I could hear her mumbling in her sleep.
“Don’t take it… that meat skewer is mine…”
She really is a glutton, but seeing her laughing and running around compared to when I first encountered her—it’d been nice.
As for the stuffed animal in her hands, I won it from a throwing game at one of the stalls. They had a machine that launched bottles into the air, and you had to shoot down as many as possible within a set time. With my “superior” skills, it was a piece of cake.
Today was enjoyable for me too. It brought back memories of the many festivals my family used to go to when I was younger. I hadn’t realized it, but it's been a long while since I’ve done something like this.
As I approached the door to my house, my sister stepped outside and greeted me.
“Where in the world did you go? I thought I told you to shop for some new clothes for Yuna. How’d it take the entire day?”
“Well, I took a detour along the way,” I explained.
Elysia then noticed Yuna on my back, fast asleep, and let out a knowing smile. I gently shifted Yuna off my back and passed her into Elysia’s arms.
“Oh right, sis—where did Auntie Shira go? There’s something I want to ask her about.”
“Auntie Shira said she went out to see an old friend and didn’t say anything else,” Elysia answered.
Old friend…?
“I’ll be gone a little bit longer, I need to check something.”
“Wait Cael—!”
Unfortunately, I couldn’t hear what Elysia was about to say; I was already halfway down the street. I had a pretty good idea of where Auntie Shira might be.
Walking through the now quiet Eldreth, I made my way to the city cemetery. There was only one person Auntie Shira referred to as an old friend, and it had to be my mother.
As I entered the cemetery, unpleasant memories began to resurface—the hollow feeling of standing beside my sister at the funeral, the judgmental gazes boring into us. I forced myself to bury those memories and focus on my goal.
My assumption was proven correct. In the distance, I saw a figure with striking white hair flowing in the breeze. She stood perfectly still, staring down at a gravestone while holding a bottle in her hand.
Even from afar, she stood out among the rows of stone; the moonlight that caught on her hair made her seem almost otherworldly, like the night itself had been cast down.
I slowed and stood without meaning to, frozen. Something in the air around her felt heavier, as if the whole cemetery was sharing her grief.
Then, I blinked—and just like that, the moment passed, as if it had never been real at all.
‘What the hell was I just thinking right now…’
Shirayuki stared down at the gravestone in front of her. The name engraved upon it—Seraphina—was simple, nothing grand, just like the rest of the surrounding stones. She couldn’t help but suppress a bitter feeling.
When Caelith had told her that Seraphina had passed away, a part of her hadn’t wanted to believe it. But now, seeing it in person, she finally had no choice but to accept the truth. She took the bottle from her waist and poured its contents onto the ground in front of the grave
Then, closing her eyes, she clasped her hands together, letting a silent thought drift toward the departed.
Did Seraphina have any regrets before she passed, or had she gone with a smile on her face? Those were questions Shirayuki would never know the answers to, and no amount of wishing would change that.
All she could do now was look after her friend’s two children, that was probably what Seraphina would have wanted also.
She sensed a presence behind her and slowly opened her eyes. Though she didn’t turn, she already knew it was Seraphina’s son. She was already planning on talking to him, so his arrival simply spared her the trouble.
“How long are you going to stand there staring at me?” Shirayuki asked. “Didn’t your mother teach you not to stare at girls?”
The boy flinched at her words, quickly looking away as he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. Truth be told, Shirayuki rather enjoyed teasing him—it was amusing to see the range of expressions he made.
“Sorry… I was just lost in thought. Are you alright, Auntie Shira? You’ve been standing here for a while.”
Shirayuki finally turned away from the gravestone and looked him straight in the eyes.
“I’m alright—thanks for asking. Besides, it’s still a thousand years too early for you to worry about me.”
Her mind wandered back to the moment when she first saw Caelith, when Thalor had to show her his academy entrance exam. Since then, a question had lingered at the back of her mind—one she hadn’t found the right moment to ask until now.
“Caelith,” she said quietly, “where did you learn that swordsmanship of yours?”
The moment the question left her lips, she noticed his eyes tremble.
She let out a sigh. “Listen, I didn’t mean anything bad by that. I was just curious—”
“I’ve been having these dreams… that’s where I’ve been learning my sword skills,” he suddenly blurted out.
“Huh, dreams?”
Shirayuki tilted her head, befuddled. She found it hard to believe that mere dreams could teach someone swordsmanship so effectively—especially when it was something known only to her.
“I… I know it sounds strange, but it’s true. I’d rather not go into the details of these dreams, but that’s how I learned to use a sword.”
Shirayuki could sense that Caelith was still hiding something, but seeing how uneasy he was, she decided to trust his words—for now.
Even so, it was unbelievable that a boy his age had learned her swordsmanship without a single lesson.
Very few—if anyone at all—could replicate her techniques. Even if he was merely copying the skills and movements from his dreams, he still needed the discipline and presence of mind that most trained adults couldn’t reach to execute them effectively.
She began to wonder just how much stronger he could become if she taught him herself, rather than him relying solely on his dreams.
‘Maybe… if it were him, he could… No, it’s still too early to say.’
Then Caelith made a request that caught her completely off guard.
“Uh… Auntie Shira, I know this might be inconvenient, but could you train me? Teach me swordsmanship properly?”
“What makes you think I’m the right person?” Shirayuki replied. “For all you know, I might not be as impressive as you think.”
“A-ah…?” He stiffened, startled by her response.
Shirayuki couldn’t help the small smile tugging at her lips—it was far too easy to get a reaction out of him.
“Why do you want to become stronger, Caelith? Do you want to become some sort of hero, or are you just trying to impress someone?”
He answered instantly, without hesitation. “None of that. I don’t care about fame or recognition. My reason… is selfish.”
“Let me guess—protecting your loved ones?”
He nodded. “That’s part of it, but the other is more personal. Auntie Shira, you know how everyone always blames fate for everything that happens in life? That when something bad happens, they’re quick to say it was just meant to be?”
Shirayuki listened quietly as the boy continued, his voice firm but calm.
“I don’t believe in any of that. Choices and actions are what define us. I don’t want anyone telling me what I should or shouldn’t do. I want to live on my own terms.”
Shirayuki raised an eyebrow. “And what if others are adamant about telling you what to do—even gods?”
He met her gaze without hesitation.
“Then I’ll simply cut them down, whether they’re human or god.”
Shirayuki wasn’t sure whether to laugh or sigh at the words that left his mouth. It was pure arrogance—spoken with the confidence of someone who had yet to understand just how vast the world truly was.
He should consider himself lucky he wasn’t saying something like that to others. They wouldn’t bother mocking him first—he’d lose his head before he finished the sentence. The only person who might be qualified to get away with such arrogance was that damn Pendragon.
She reached out and patted his head, a teasing smile forming on her face.
“What are you—some protagonist like those novels you read?”
Caelith’s face flushed red at her comment as he slowly realized what he had just said, his expression shifting in embarrassment.
“Well,” Shirayuki continued lightly, “at least I can see you’re self‑aware. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear anything tonight.”
With that, she turned and began walking toward the cemetery exit. Caelith, meanwhile, approached his mother’s gravestone and offered a quiet prayer. After paying his respects, he turned and called out,
“Then…what about you teaching me swordsmanship?”
She had already decided long ago that she'd teach him, and now she was certain, Shirayuki let out a faint smile. “I’ll teach you, so don’t worry about it. We can start tomorrow.”
For a moment, he just stood there, mouth slightly open, eyes wide in disbelief. Then a grin spread across his face, and he pumped his fists in triumph before sprinting to catch up with her, practically vibrating with excitement.
She shook her head at his antics, but his earlier words still lingered in her mind.
‘Fighting against one’s fate huh… let see if you can really back up your words.’
