Sword Saint Adel's Second Chance: Volume 1 E-Book

Hayaken

• Herausgeber: J-Novel Club
• Kategorie: Fantasy und Science-Fiction
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Blind swordmaster Adel personally put an end to the Great War engulfing the continent in chaos. Though he uses it for good, his strength comes from his horrific past—the gruesome experiments performed on him and the countless battles to the death to prove his worth. It was the gentle compassion of Princess Euphinia that saved him, and Adel meant it fiercely when he swore to be by her side forever. So now, even with the war won, he bitterly rues his failure to protect her when it mattered most.

Adel would give anything for a second chance to make things right, and he’s in luck. A mysterious being is about to offer him one wish, and he knows exactly what to ask for. He instantly finds himself transported to the past...as a beautiful woman! Prepared to make use of both his old abilities as a swordmaster and his newfound power as a Saint, Adel now leaps into action to change the course of history and save his beloved Princess Euphinia!

Leseprobe

Table of Contents

Cover

Chapter 1: The Rebirth of Swordmaster Adel

Chapter 2: Profane Land

Chapter 3: Reunion

Chapter 4: The Initiation Ceremony

Afterword

Color Illustrations

About J-Novel Club

Copyright

Landmarks

Color Images

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Rebirth of Swordmaster Adel

“All credit for our victory in this historic war goes to you, Swordmaster Adel! You have done admirably. Your reputation is well-earned.”

The knight kneeling before his king gave a noncommittal grunt. “Your praise honors me, Your Majesty,” he replied flatly.

Though Adel would be attending a celebratory feast right afterward, he was wearing a suit of black armor that hid even his face. The armor projected an intimidating aura at odds with the jubilant atmosphere in the room, but Adel considered this preferable to the alternative. He had lost both eyes, and thought it likely anyone who saw his disfigured face would be frightened. Additionally, purple crystals enchanted with the Night Vision spell were embedded in the helmet’s eye slits, enabling him to vaguely make out people’s figures. All things considered, staying masked seemed to be the more appropriate choice in this situation.

Just like the king, the ministers and government heavyweights in attendance also directed gazes of admiration toward Adel and heaped praises on him.

“Not only did you defeat the evil Saint Elciel, mortal enemy of our previous king, it was at your hands that Mad Emperor Tristan and the reprehensible generals of the Northern Federation met their demise. You truly are the Peerless Hero!”

“Sir Adel’s achievements and renown will go down in history, not just within our country, but throughout the world! You are the Dark Knight blessed by the heavens who ended the Great War and ushered in a new age of peace!”

Thunderous applause reverberated through the hall, stopping only when the young king spoke again, his eyes shining with expectation and zeal.

“Their words ring true. And now, as our country Wendill lies battered and scarred by war, a new fight begins for us: the fight to restore and to rebuild. The nature of this fight may be different from the one we just ended, but I implore you to continue lending us your aid. Adel, we are counting on you!”

“As you command. I...will do my utmost.”

Adel had no interest at all in helping out with “restoring and rebuilding.” Not because he had something else he wanted to do, but because there was nothing left that he cared about. However, he had the discernment to not say this out loud and ruin the atmosphere. As such, he went with a generic and harmless answer.

The king declared, “This feast pales in comparison to the glory of Adel’s feats, but nevertheless, let us celebrate the start of our country’s new fight! Everyone, eat and make merry tonight!”

The feast then began in earnest. Sure enough, it was far from lavish, as the palace was still devastated by the Great War. Despite this, the faces of everyone present were bright. Adel couldn’t see them, but that was the mood he sensed in the venue. The war that had split the world into two was finally over, and people could once again put their hope in the future.

However, Adel himself struggled to share this sentiment. He didn’t stay long before announcing that he needed fresh air and stepping out onto the half-destroyed balcony. Regret still beat hot in his heart, making him feel out of place among the revelers.

Unbidden, the name of his late liege came to his lips. “Princess Euphinia...”

When he had been a gladiator slave who lived every day in darkness, Euphinia, the princess of Wendill and a rare user of the holy summoning arts—for which she was known as a Saint—had saved him and allowed him to stay by her side as her knight escort. She was the only person he had ever sworn his absolute and undying fealty to.

Adel was known by many names: Swordmaster, Dark Knight, Peerless Hero. But none of these titles mattered to him. His identity as Princess Euphinia’s knight escort was the only thing he took pride in. And yet, he would never be known by that position again.

Even now, he vividly recalled the princess’s warmth. There was no way he could forget, nor did he have any intention of doing so.

Five years ago, Adel had been a gladiator slave, imprisoned in a place where he was experimented on and forced to participate in fights meant to demonstrate their results. This was where he had lost both eyes and suffered all the wounds that now scarred his body. He spent his days desperately attacking the opponents set before him, clinging to life despite having been condemned to a world of darkness. Even he did not know why he wanted to live so badly. Perhaps it was pure animal instinct. Whatever it was, he gave himself to it fully.

One day, Princess Euphinia showed up out of the blue, walking up to Adel’s cell after he had finished his fights for the day. She carried with her a soft, flowery fragrance that couldn’t have been more out of place in the putrid jail that stank of blood, sweat, and excrement. In fact, her scent was so pure and fresh that it made Adel uncomfortable.

The melodious, bell-like voice of a young girl, seemingly fourteen or fifteen, exclaimed, “Are you okay?!”

“What?” Adel stirred, sensing the source of discomfort approaching.

“Oh no, how awful! But don’t worry, everything’s okay now. Everything’s okay.”

Adel felt something warm and smooth brush against his cheek. It seemed to be someone’s finger. He had never felt such gentle human contact since losing his eyes. In fact, he realized he had never been treated with such kindness at all. It simply wasn’t a part of the life he had lived.

Without hesitation, the source of discomfort enveloped Adel. It took him a while to realize he was being hugged. This was a brand new experience. He also felt drops falling on his head, though he only realized now that they had been Euphinia’s tears. Even though she and he had been complete strangers at the time, she had still felt his pain as her own and was moved to action.

“Come with me. I’ll bring you out of this place!”

“Don’t bother. There’s no telling what they’ll do to you if you try. In fact, I can’t believe you managed to come all the way in here in one piece.”

“Trust me! If I can get in here, don’t you think I can get back out?”

“Uh... How did you manage to get here in the first place?”

“Well, it’s a bit of a long—”

“Sum it up in one word. I want to rest up before my next fight.”

“One word? Then... ‘authority’ would be most appropriate, I think?”

“Au...thority?”

While Adel tried to wrap his head around the answer, additional footsteps and voices rushed into the jail.

“Princess Euphinia, please don’t do this!”

“The princess of Wendill should not be entering a place like this!”

“Being in such a foul place will sully your holy self! We implore you to return with haste!”

Euphinia replied in a clear and noble voice, “I see nothing in this place that sullies me. Rather, my heart would be stained if I were to turn a blind eye to what I see and leave without doing anything.”

The others fell silent, allowing her to continue. “This man is now in my care. If anyone makes even the slightest attempt to deny me this, I, Saint Euphinia, will never work with the Holy Tower Church again. I will also reconsider Wendill’s relationship with the Church.”

In sharp contrast to her previously gentle manner, Euphinia now radiated the aura of someone accustomed to wielding authority. Despite her youth, she carried herself with such majesty that those she faced found themselves unable to voice further objections.

“Now, let’s go,” she said to Adel. “From now on, I will protect you. You no longer have to worry about anything.”

The princess gripped Adel’s hand. Her own hand was warm and soft, but it was trembling. Though she carried herself with dignity, she was likely scared inside. After all, these people had reduced Adel to his current state and clearly thought nothing of it. Her voice sounded calm, but she was dead set on facing down the surrounding adults and bending them to her will.

Adel sensed this and respected her for it. “I can’t stand merely being kept like a pet. Use me. My eyes may not see, but my sword hand is sure.”

“Thank you very much! I guess we’ll be helping each other out, then!” The shaking in Euphinia’s hand seemed to subside a little.

After that day, Adel’s life had become filled with light and meaning. He learned the joy of having a master he could fully believe in and serve wholeheartedly. He was still blind and scarred all over, but he did not mind. In fact, he even felt grateful for his days as a slave for granting him the strength to protect his princess.

Even now, Adel could vividly recall his first encounter with Princess Euphinia. But those memories were all he had left.

“I had no choice. Please forgive me,” he murmured toward the stars he could not see.

During the Great War between the Northern Federation and the League of Southern Nations that split the world in half, Euphinia had been killed by forces sent by the North. For this reason, Adel had sided with the South and spearheaded their efforts to annihilate the North.

Euphinia herself had loved peace and dedicated her life to bringing both sides to a truce. Adel knew that if she could see how the war had ended from her place in the heavens, she’d be looking down with pain and disappointment on her face. However, he had been unable to stop himself. The anger and grief he felt when he had lost her was then the only thing that still drove him. He did not fight for the people’s sake, nor to bring about peace. No, he had merely given himself to his hatred, mindlessly cutting down the enemy that he so loathed. Honestly, he felt uncomfortable receiving praise for his actions.

And now that everything was over, the only thing that remained was regret.

Suddenly, a voice asked Adel from behind, “Do you regret how things ended?”

Adel whirled around, surprised that he had failed to notice anyone approaching. One could move silently by teleporting with wind spells or by isolating sound using dark spells, but doing so would have required anima. The fact that Adel did not sense anima being generated, much less used, spoke volumes about his visitor’s skill.

That said, he could tell that this person bore him no ill will. Spurred by the feeling that the speaker could see through to the depths of his heart, Adel decided to answer honestly. “I do indeed. I failed to protect the one person I swore to serve, and I am deeply ashamed of my powerlessness.”

The vague silhouette that Adel could make out was short. Their voice gave him the impression of a young boy, but he could not tell for sure. In the first place, this appearance probably meant little in indicating the visitor’s true identity.

“But what you achieved was quite remarkable. That’s why I’m here.”

“What do you mean?”

“By the will of the Watchers, I am rewarding you for your actions. Is there anything you wish for?”

“The Watchers, you say. Wait, are you perhaps a Divine Beast?!”

“That’s not the right question. All that matters is what you wish for and whether I can grant it. I’m not a god, so I’m not omnipotent. And I don’t have that much time with you. So, speak. What is your wish?”

Adel fell silent, but not because of indecision. There was only one thing he wanted. He didn’t even need to think about it. “I wish to see the late Princess Euphinia again. This time, I want to fulfill my role as her knight escort and protect her to the very end.”

“You want me to bring Princess Euphinia back to life?”

“If that’s possible, yes.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t do that. I can’t resurrect the dead. Unlike the gods, I’m not all-powerful.”

“I see...”

Left with nothing else to wish for, Adel was about to ask the young boy to take his leave.

“But I can help you see the princess again.”

“What do you mean?”

“Instead of bringing her here, I can send you to her. Through the wall of time.”

“What?! You can do that?!”

“Sure I can. However, what happens after that depends on you. If you do nothing, history will just repeat itself. There’s a force that compels humans to live out their fates. Even if small details are changed, it eventually leads to the same outcome. You might end up right back here again, with nothing but regret. Knowing this, do you still want to return to the past?”

“Without a doubt! This time, I swear I will live up to my role as Princess Euphinia’s knight escort and protect her from everything! If you can truly send me back in time, please do it right this moment! Please! I’m begging you!”

Adel bent over, bowing as low as he could.

“Okay, I’ll do everything I can to help you fulfill your wish.”

The boy’s voice was fast fading into the distance as Adel’s blank sight registered movement. Surprise filled his mind as a vortex of unbelievably dense anima swallowed up his body.

“Well, off you go. Bye-b...”

The boy’s last words faded into silence.

◆◇◆

Splish, splish.

Adel stirred, waking up to the sound of dripping water.

“U-Ugh...”

Next, the damp smell of mold and a stench of condensed human sweat assaulted his nose. It was an odor that would make most people grimace, but it invoked feelings of nostalgia within Adel. This was the smell of a place seared into his memory.

When he opened his eyes, he saw the same floor paved with bluish-black stone that he recalled.

“What?!” he blurted, sitting up in surprise. A quick look around revealed that he was behind iron bars in a prison cave.

“I-I can see?!”

Adel’s sight had returned to him. In fact, it was as if he had never lost it in the first place.

The young boy did say that he would send Adel back in time. If that was truly what had happened, then this must be before Adel lost his eyes. Faced with such irrefutable proof, Adel had no choice but to believe he was actually back in the past.

“In that case, Princess Euphinia must still be alive!”

This place was the Moving Coliseum of Navarra, where many gladiator slaves were imprisoned and forced to fight. Adel used to be one of them, made to continue fighting even after he had lost his sight. This was where Euphinia had found him and, deeply lamenting his situation, forcibly brought him back to Wendill Palace and employed him as her knight escort.

In other words, in this timeline, he had yet to lose his eyes. That meant he hadn’t met Princess Euphinia yet. In fact, he suspected that at this time, he had only just been brought to Navarra. Back then, he had been nothing more than a weak, powerless boy. But that was no longer the case. He could feel all the strength and skills that had earned him the nickname of “Swordmaster” still alive and well within him.

“In this case, there is only one thing to do!” Adel declared. “Time is of the essence!”

Someone far away shouted, “Hey, girlie! Pipe down already! You’re a newbie here, so act like it!”

Adel ignored it, assuming the order had been directed at someone else.

“Now, what should I do? I ought to destroy a sickening place like this, but I don’t know where we are.”

“Girlie, I know you hear me! Don’t ignore me, dammit!”

“If we’re far from Wendill, travel is going to be a problem.”

As implied by its name, the Moving Coliseum moved around from country to country, carried by the multiple legs that it was outfitted with. If it was currently somewhere far away from Wendill, Adel thought he should consider just staying put and letting the facility carry him closer before taking action.

“Okay, I know you gotta be fucking with me!” the faraway speaker roared. “You may be cute, but you have a really shitty personality, you know that?!”

Another voice spoke up derisively. “She probably doesn’t want to talk to you ’cos you’re ugly and your breath stinks! Wouldn’t be the first time, I bet!”

Laughter filled the cell across from Adel’s. “Story of his life!”

“C’mon, give me a break!” the first speaker whined. “I was just letting her know she was being noisy!”

“I’m sorry, but can you all be quiet?” Adel asked, not understanding what everyone was making a fuss about. “I’m trying to think here.”

“What in the— You’re the one who started this, girlie! By ignoring me!”

“Hmm? And who’s this ‘girlie’ you keep referring to?”

“You, duh! Who else could it be?!”

“What a strange thing to say. What about me makes you think I’m a woman?”

“What makes me thi— What about you doesn’t look like a woman?! You’ve got plenty of both ass and tits!”

The men who laughed at the first speaker earlier now agreed with him.

“This gal is cracking me up.”

“Honestly, you don’t see chicks this hot, even outside!”

“I know, right?! And she even smells different. Oh man, I can’t get enough of this.”

“It ain’t gonna last, though. After a few days in this hell, she’s gonna be every bit as dirty and smelly as the rest of us!”

“Ain’t that the truth! Ha ha ha ha!”

The men filled the jail with their laughter again.

Adel still had no idea what they were talking about, but he found himself feeling annoyed. He raised his arms to cross them.

“Hm?”

Something wasn’t right. His hands were feeling something really soft. This sensation prompted him to look down for the first time. This was when he noticed the two impressive mounds bulging from his chest.

The “WHAT?!” just came naturally from his lips. He was struck by another wave of surprise by how high the pitch of his voice was. He sounded completely different from before.

“I’m...a woman?! That’s impossible!” Adel was so confused, his voice was shaking. He couldn’t wrap his head around what had happened.

“Ain’t got no idea what’s ‘impossible’ here, but you’re a woman all right, head to toe. If you doubt me, why don’t ya take a look at your reflection?”

There was a bucket filled with water for drinking in a corner of Adel’s cell. He shot over like a bullet fired from a gun and peered inside.

The face that looked back was one of a beautiful young girl, perfect in every way. Age-wise, she looked about fifteen or sixteen. Her round eyes were as clear as jewels, and her skin was as white and smooth as porcelain. She had long, glossy hair colored a shade of pink that seemed like a diluted shade of his original red. When Adel leaned forward a bit more, voluptuous breasts also came into view, adding sensual allure to the overall look.

There was no doubt that ‘he’ was now a ‘she.’ And she was unbelievably attractive.

“H-How did this happen?! What was the point of this?!”

Sure, maybe undergoing a gender change was not that big a deal compared to something as incredulous as time travel. In fact, the former might just be a side effect of the latter. Even so, the change was so unexpected that Adel found it difficult to take it in stride.

“Uh, girlie, you okay? Your face looks pale,” the first man called out, seemingly worried upon seeing Adel’s shocked reaction. Despite first impressions, perhaps the guy was actually a pretty considerate person.

“Uh... It seems I was the one in the wrong. I apologize for my disrespect.”

“R-Right, okay. Well, cheer up. You’re cute and sexy, which I’m sure will give you an advantage somewhere.”

“That’s...a good point. Perhaps this is his way of telling me to protect Her Highness with everything at my disposal, including even feminine wiles.”

It was true that there were likely things Adel could do as a woman that she couldn’t as a man. This change might prove useful for protecting Princess Euphinia. Or at least, that was what she had to tell herself to come to terms with the situation.

Changing gears, Adel asked out loud, “Excuse me, may I ask something?”

“Hm? Yeah?” someone replied calmly, but he was nearly drowned out by others shouting excitedly in unison, “Sure, ask us anything!”

“What the hell, you guys?! Don’t butt in!”

“You shut up!”

“Let us talk to her too!”

“Don’t hog her! That ain’t fair!”

Everyone in the jail soon became embroiled in very juvenile bickering. Adel knew that if she were her old self, this wouldn’t have happened. She hadn’t created this situation on purpose, but it presented a good opportunity to try out what she could do as a woman. It was still embarrassing, though.

“I don’t care who answers me. I know we’re in the Moving Coliseum of Navarra, but does anyone know where our current location is?”

The first man shook his head. “Sorry, I’ve no idea. I haven’t been let out of my cell for quite some time.” A closer look revealed that, strikingly, he was wearing an eye patch that covered nearly half his face.

“Ugh, I don’t know either,” another man groaned.

“I might’ve had a clue if I’d been brought out for a fight with an audience, but... Sorry, it’s been a while.”

“Then again, no matter where we go, the ones watching us are always just sick bastards who get off watching people die, right? Shit looks the same no matter which country it’s from!”

Laughter erupted again. “You can say that again!”

In spite of their circumstances, these gladiator slaves got along well with each other. Adel recalled this being the case in her past as well.

She recognized a few faces, but not many. Judging by her current appearance, she surmised that she had only just been taken prisoner here in Navarra. If so, this would be five years before Princess Euphinia, who’d be fifteen years old by then, came to free them all. Very few of those present would survive until then.

Many slaves met untimely ends here every single day, either from being forced to participate in experiments set up as fights or as subjects of human experimentation conducted with inhumane spells. This was what Navarra was created for.

Adel leaned back against the stone wall. “I see. Sorry for bothering all of you.” Due to her lack of information, she figured it would be wise to just wait and see for now. She wanted to rush to Euphinia this very second, but as the saying went, haste makes waste.

“Oh, but a few of us were taken out for experiments just now,” one of the men said suddenly. “Maybe you could try asking them when they get back.”

“If they make it back alive,” Adel shrugged.

“Nah, Boss will be just fine! He’ll definitely make it!”

Adel recalled the one all the gladiator slaves looked up to and called “Boss.” She then realized what her being in this time meant.

“Excuse me! By ‘Boss,’ are you perhaps referring to—”

Creeeeeeeeak!

A heavy door opened in the far end of a passage in this prison cave. Footsteps approached soon after.

“Heh heh heh. Here I am, going to the trouble of bringing you back because you couldn’t die like you were supposed to. Least you can do is walk faster, pussy.”

“Don’t worry. I’d much rather be back in my smelly cell than talk to you.”

A giant, round man and a gladiator slave came into sight. Adel recognized both of them. The former was a jailer here named Radan. As revealed by the earlier conversation, he was far from being an upstanding person. Adel knew that there were at least a few slaves who ended up dying not from experiments or fights, but as toys that he “played” with to pass the time.

“Now, now. If a precious subject says hurtful things like that, my hand might slip and burn them alive.” Radan sneered, fiddling with a strange iron cylinder with trident ornamentation on both ends.

The next instant, glowing red whips shot out from the two ends of the cylinder and trussed up the man in front of him, making it impossible for him to take another step. He groaned and fell to his knees, evoking cries of concern from those in other cells.

The fire that enveloped the slave died down as Radan yanked on his bonds. “Enough. Get to your feet. Next time you get smart with me, I really will burn you alive, you hear me? Heh heh heh!”

The face that glared back at Radan was not human. No, it was that of a lion. This was all the more alarming because the man himself had actually come from a perfectly normal human family. In fact, it had even been a family with peerage. Adel had heard from this person in the past that his face had been turned into that of a monster’s as a result of experiments to bolster his strength.

“Boss, you okay?!”

“What happened to the others who went with you?!”

The slave got to his feet and spat out a curse in deep frustration. “I’m the only one who surv—”

“MASH!” Adel shouted. This might be the wrong time and place, but she couldn’t hold back the nostalgia and joy she felt from seeing the man’s lion face. It was exactly how she remembered it from before she had lost her eyes.

This man named Mash had done a lot for Adel in the past. Soon after Adel was first brought to Navarra, Mash had taught him how to fight and survive. It was pretty much all thanks to him that Adel had managed to stay alive long enough to be rescued by Princess Euphinia. In a way, Adel thought of Mash as a mentor. But sadly, Mash had not made it to the time of Euphinia’s visit.

Mash looked over puzzledly. “How do you know my name, lass? Have we met before?”

“Huh? Uh, well...”

Adel wracked her brains for an excuse, but Radan saved her the trouble. “Oho, a newcomer! Lookee what we have here. Hey, freak-face! Get your ass back into your cell!” He kicked Mash’s back, sending him stumbling into his cell, then turned around and opened the door to the cell that Adel occupied alone.

“Heh heh heh...” he sniggered, turning the lock behind him after entering.

“I can see how convenient this is,” Adel murmured, looking down and observing her own youthful, bodacious body. If she were a man, Radan surely wouldn’t have come into the cell of his own accord. Adel still had her reservations about her gender change, but she had to concede that it was working out in her favor.

“Oh, you bet,” Radan smirked. “Is it ’cos you think that hot body of yours is great for seducing guys? Well, I’ll let you seduce me, baby. Heh heh heh.” He slowly closed in on Adel, running his obscene gaze over every inch of her body.

If Adel had been an actual woman, she would have been so revolted that chills would have run down her back. However, as she was viewing the situation through the perspective of a man, all that was in her mind was appreciation for how she already had Radan right where she wanted without even having to lift a finger.

“No, stop it!” Mash shouted, showing concern for Adel. “That girl didn’t do anything wrong!”

“Yeah, stop it!” a voice echoed. “You’re making me jealous!”

Someone else added, “Yeah, yeah! Let us have some fun too!”

“This isn’t the time for such jokes!” Mash roared, bringing his fist down on the heads of the two speakers so hard they whimpered in pain and apologies.

However, Adel waved for him to stand down. “It’s fine, Mash. Just watch.”

“B-But...”

Radan chortled vulgarly. “How well you get treated here depends on how much money you can pay. And attractive women—which, oooh boy, you definitely are!—can pay with their bodies instead. Don’t worry, I’ll treat you well! And trust me, you’d want to enjoy yourself while you can. When Cardinal Navarra is done with you, you’ll be a monster like the rest of them. No one would ever think of touching you then.”

“I think I’ll be fine.”

The Moving Coliseum of Navarra was run by a cardinal of the same name from the Holy Tower Church, and all the gladiator slaves here were subjects of his human experimentation. The fights they were forced to participate in were really just trial runs to gauge the effects of the experiments they underwent.

The experiment performed on Adel in the past had boosted his natural healing ability several times over. It was successful, but then the cardinal came up with the idea to destroy Adel’s eyes to see if he could regenerate them. Obviously, that had been a failure, and so Adel had permanently lost his sight.

“I hope so too. That way, I have more time to enjoy you...uh, what’s your name?”

“I’m Adel. Adel Astal.”

“Adel.” Radan voiced the name slowly as if enjoying how it felt on his tongue, then chuckled nastily again. “Well, you’re mine now, Adel.”

He reached out toward Adel, but she grabbed the hand and stopped it. “Hold on. I haven’t decided yet whether you pass my standards. I have a question.”

“Oh, you want advance payment? Sure, I’ll play along. What do you want to know?”

“What is the coliseum’s current location, and where is it heading?”

“We just entered Wendill Kingdom and are heading for the profane lands of the Torust Empire.”