Runaway?

The more I swung the sword, the more something started to feel off.

At first, all I’d felt was exhilaration and lightness, but now it was as if something was weighing on my chest.

I wasn’t doing anything differently from before, yet the exhilaration was gone, leaving only frustration.

What was wrong?

None of the countless lines I saw before me felt right, no matter which one I followed.

It was like going to a buffet and finding nothing to eat.

As I kept swinging, frustration building inside me, I heard a voice from beside me.

“Bend your stance a little, keep your back straight. Set your center of gravity, and follow through with your arms.”

A few pieces of advice reached my ears. For some reason, I felt I should follow them, so without even thinking about who was speaking, I did as I was told.

In an instant, the number of lines before me dwindled. But every line that remained looked appealing.

These must be better lines than the ones from before.

As if to confirm my hunch, I swung along one of them, and that sense of liberation I’d felt at first washed over me again.

That’s it!

I kept going, swinging along the other lines, and even tried linking them together, clumsily as I did.

Could this be what people online meant when they said they felt alive? The freedom I felt was unlike anything I’d experienced since being reborn—or, no, since the day I was born. I swung the sword like a lunatic.

Would I look like a lunatic grinning as I swung a sword to anyone watching?

Well, it was training, so I supposed that was fine.

…

How many hours had passed? All I knew was that the sun, which had been high in the sky, had disappeared, and a bright full moon now hung overhead.

Ah… I can’t go on. I’m completely out of stamina.

With one last swing, my vision spun.

And then someone came running toward me.

They had black hair, so they were probably family… but I couldn’t tell. I didn’t feel like thinking about anything right now.

Good night.

…

By the time I came to, the sun was already shining brightly.

It must have been around eleven o’clock.

It was the first time I’d slept in this late since I was three.

Even now, I couldn’t help scoffing at the fact that I was only five as I got up…

“Agh?!”

Or tried to.

The moment I tried to get up, an incredible pain shot through me!

No muscle soreness I’d ever experienced in my previous life could compare!

…Actually, maybe not. It might be better than the day after a shift hauling freight.

“Are you awake?”

Just then, a deep voice came from beside me.

“You overworked yourself so badly yesterday. Of course you’re sore.”

I turned toward the speaker, and a pair of ruby-red eyes met mine.

And the thought that came to me was…

‘…I’m fucked.’

Flien had told me not to touch a sword!

“You looked wonderful swinging that sword. You have an incredible amount of talent.”

Flien spoke quietly, unlike usual.

He’s giving me grief, isn’t he? He’s rubbing in the fact that I ignored his warning and passed out, isn’t he?!

“…I’m sorry, Dad!”

Before Flien could say anything else, I hugged him and apologized, even using the word Dad—a word I’d probably said fewer than five times in my life!

“…Huh?”

“I’m sorry for disobeying you and swinging a sword!”

The moment I called him Dad again, Flien froze in place.

…Just as planned!

Now, if I could just muddle through this and move on…

“Hahahaha!”

Suddenly, Flien burst out laughing and hugged me.

I was glad he wasn’t angry, but… what was going on? Had he gone crazy?

“Did you think I was angry?”

“…I didn’t?”

He’d been acting so serious, unlike usual, that I’d naturally assumed he was about to get mad…

“Of course, I was a little hurt that you ignored your father’s words and swung a sword, but no one who saw you yesterday could possibly be angry with you.”

…Huh?

“It was the first time I’d ever seen you smile like that. I never knew you could smile so brightly. Hahaha!”

Flien said it with a laugh, and I was stunned. Wait. Was I really smiling that much?

Enough to make that doting old man forget he was angry?

“My daughter, do you enjoy swinging a sword?”

“Yes.”

I answered without the slightest hesitation.

Honestly, even those few moments of swinging a sword yesterday were more fun than playing computer games in my previous life.

I regretted not taking up kendo in my previous life—that was how much I enjoyed it.

If I ever made it back to Earth, I’d have to visit a kendo dojo.

Anyway, after hearing my answer, Flien seemed to think for a moment before speaking.

“…All right. If you enjoy swinging a sword that much, I’ll teach you myself from now on.”

“…Really?!”

As the swordsman in the hero’s party, Flien had been the group’s main physical damage dealer. He was a Grand Swordmaster, hailed as the strongest swordsman in the world. The chance to learn from him didn’t come along every day.

Even my older brother, Flijen, who was five years older than me, hadn’t been able to learn swordsmanship directly from Flien. And he was offering that chance to me?

“But my training will be strict. Like today—or even more painful. Can you handle that?”

His words were stern, but the concern and affection he couldn’t hide shone through. I smiled and said,

“…I look forward to learning from you!”

…

Fifteen years passed, and I turned twenty.

All those years were filled with the same cycle of training, studying, and training again.

Fortunately, I was good at studying, too. And my talent with the sword went without saying.

Honestly, when I first heard about my talent, I thought, Maybe I can catch up to Flien after ten years of training…

Yeah. No chance.

The stronger I got, the more I realized how far away the path to becoming a Grand Swordmaster was.

I’d become a Swordmaster, and I still couldn’t even imagine reaching that level.

I just breezed past it, but I really had reached the Swordmaster level. And I was the youngest ever!

…Of course, with a Grand Swordmaster right next to me, I never felt particularly strong.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the day I first manifested an Aura Blade and became a Swordmaster. I was so excited that I ran around like a maniac, only for Flien to beat the crap out of me.

Thanks to all the experience I’d gained sparring with the knights, I wasn’t like some novel protagonist who had no idea how strong they were. Still, I couldn’t get arrogant… It was more that I knew I was strong, but there were people stronger than me…

Yeah. Flien was the problem.

Anyway, today was my coming-of-age ceremony. Afterward, I’d formally ask him to send me to the academy.

The academy. Yes, that one.

The hero went there in the original story. Flien had met my mother, Loren, there, too.

Honestly… as someone who’d possessed a character in this world, how could I not go?

So I was going to the academy, no matter what it took.

Even if I had to run away!

“Wow. Flia’s got the look of someone hatching a bad plan.”

“…What are you talking about?”

Caught off guard, I looked at my older sister Plon, who was three years older than me.

I still wasn’t used to calling her my older sister.

“Sigh… Never mind. Anyway, aren’t you nervous about becoming an adult?”

“Not really. It’s not like becoming an adult is anything special.”

Speaking from experience, having already been an adult once, I could say there was nothing particularly great about it. Nothing really changed. You got a little more freedom and a little more responsibility, that was all.

Plon knew what I was like, so she just gave me a look that said, Figures.

…That’s harsh!

“You should head up soon. Go on.”

“Yes.”

Just as she said, it was time for me to step onto the dais. Whatever else, I knew my coming-of-age ceremony was pretty important.

By the time I reached the ballroom where the ceremony was being held, a lot of people had already gathered.

They’d come to congratulate me on becoming an adult. But really, they were just hoping to forge ties with House Whitewolf.

Of course, that was how noble society worked, so I had no intention of blaming them for it.

I simply walked to the center of the ballroom without giving it much thought.

There stood Flien Jegen Whitewolf, head of House Whitewolf and my father.

Dressed up like that, he definitely looked like the Grand Duke of the North. So why did he turn into such a disappointing old man whenever we were alone?

Of course, training was the exception. That old man never went easy on me during training.

“You’re here?”

“Yes, Father.”

“Then let’s begin the ceremony.”

Flien stood right in front of me, and I knelt on one knee to show him respect.

This was the coming-of-age ceremony passed down through House Whitewolf. If it was tradition, I had to follow it.

“Flia Jegen Whitewolf. As of today, you are an adult and will leave the nest. From now on, you must take responsibility for your actions. Can you bear that?”

“Of course. I will always consider how my actions may affect others and conduct myself in a way that brings no shame to House Whitewolf.”

“Then take this sword.”

Flien held out a sword to me.

It was customary to give a sword at a coming-of-age ceremony.

The difference was that House Whitewolf’s gift, unlike those of other families, wasn’t some flashy ceremonial sword. It was a highly practical one.

At a glance, it was good enough to be called a fine sword. Since our house valued martial prowess, it seemed they didn’t hand out ceremonial swords that were all looks and no substance.

“I accept it with gratitude.”

I took the sword respectfully and fastened it at my waist. Yeah. I liked it.

It was practical, but that didn’t mean it lacked style. It suited me really well.

It’s a bit much to say this about myself, but I was incredibly beautiful, too.

“With this, I declare the coming-of-age ceremony complete! Everyone, celebrate and enjoy the banquet!”

At Flien’s words, thunderous applause erupted.

Honestly, it didn’t feel bad. Maybe I was a little bit of an attention seeker.

…

“I’m exhausted…”

The night the ceremony ended, I walked down the hallway, completely drained.

Who knew dealing with people could be that exhausting? I really was a loser…

“…right?”

As I walked down the hall, I found myself at Loren’s room before I knew it.

I’d arrived there completely unconsciously. I hadn’t intended to eavesdrop, but my hearing, sharpened when I became a Swordmaster, picked up the voices coming from inside without me even realizing it.

“Well, Flia’s about the age to get married, isn’t she? And she still doesn’t even have a fiancé.”

Loren’s voice was light, and I could sense Flien beside her.

“No! I can’t hand my daughter over to anyone…”

I heard them talking about something else after that, but I couldn’t hear a thing.

Marriage? Me? I may be a woman now, but I’m a man! You’re telling me to marry some guy with a dick?

I immediately went back to my room and grabbed the emergency funds I’d stashed away. I’d been saving up a little of the allowance the Grand Ducal family gave me, just in case.

Since I’d been saving it for at least ten years, the pouch of emergency money was pretty heavy.

All right. Let’s bolt.

I threw open the window and leaped outside.

There were guards, but there was no way they could even notice a Swordmaster sprinting away at full speed.

And so, forgetting every promise I’d made just moments ago, I ran away.

The Northern Grand Duke’s Daughter. I’m running away!