Chapter 23: A Promise Beneath the Starry Sky

"Welcome back, Your Majesty. I deeply apologize for causing such trouble immediately upon your return..."

"No, really, you don’t need to worry about it. I can honestly say I had fun myself."

In the end, it took until the middle of the night to finally subdue Toricopisura-chan. I had been caught by them—him? her?—and ended up enjoying a peaceful midair nap, but it seems everyone else had a rough time and has already gone to rest.

Minister Depron, who evacuated along with the non-combatants inside the castle, ordered everyone involved to keep this incident confidential. He’s now handling the aftermath.

Honestly, I think I was the one who suffered the least. I spent the whole time comfortably resting inside those soft tentacles. For now, Toricopisura-chan has been cut down mainly by Hikari and shrunk around its core—to about 30 centimeters in size.

Thanks to Clarisse-chan’s plea, it was spared from disposal. However, she still needs to be punished accordingly. Apparently, that too is part of a king’s duty, so I’ll have to get used to it… though I can’t help but wonder whether someone like me—a former commoner who until recently did nothing but train—can really handle it.

"Well then, good night. I think you should get some rest soon too, Minister."

"Indeed. Once I finish these documents, I shall retire."

He left the office assigned to me with a stack of paperwork in hand, but judging by that, he’s clearly planning to work late into the night. For now, I’ll report this to his wife and have her drag him back home.

There’s no urgent work pending, so it’s perfectly fine for him to rest. He really is too serious.

"Alright, guess I’ll get some rest too… though I’m not really sleepy."

Through training, I’ve grown used to resting efficiently with minimal sleep. Even earlier, while being captured, I was sleeping. On top of that, I’ve been through things like three-day battles without sleep, so staying awake like this won’t affect me tomorrow.

At times like this, I find myself at a loss, gazing out the window at the night sky. Unlike the faint, hazy sky from my previous life, the stars here are vivid and clear.

It feels like I could reach out and touch them—countless stars, each shining with its own color. Like people, each one seems to have its own individuality. It’s mesmerizing.

"Alright…"

Unable to resist, I open the window and lean out. Gathering magic into my palm, I activate a spell.

"Dark Star"—a magic that recreates the gravitational pull normally triggered when channeling mana into the Holy Sword, but without using the sword itself. The mana forms a black sphere, and the moment it leaves my hand, it begins pulling in whatever it’s set to attract. Right now, it’s configured to pull only me.

I toss the "Dark Star" upward through the window. After rising a certain distance, it stops, releasing its pull as if calling me toward it.

Without resisting, I jump out the window. My body is drawn upward by the gravitational pull, lifting me into the air until I’m above the royal castle, where the stars appear even clearer.

"Even from here… they’re still out of reach, huh…"

I murmur quietly, but reality doesn’t change. Even if I find a better vantage point, even if I stretch out my hand—I can’t grasp the stars I want. It’s obvious, and yet… it still feels a little lonely.

"I want to go back…"

The words slip out—a genuine feeling, without doubt. I want to return to that liquor shop, to those lively days spent with Mom and Hikari.

But that wish won’t come true. I know that better than anyone. I’m the only one recognized as the "Sword King," and if I abandon that position, it could end up causing trouble for Mom and the others.

That’s why I chose this path myself. And yet… when I touch the scars that won’t fade—the ones left behind from suffering, the wounds that still ache from the influence of the "Magic Mist Forest"—I can’t help but think about it.

All I wanted was to stay there. Just that—and yet even something so simple is denied. The unfairness of it makes me angry.

"Ah… damn it. I’m tearing up…"

Hikari was always by my side. That’s why I was never lonely. And I have my pride—I didn’t cry. I didn’t want to show tears to someone I cherish, my childhood friend. I decided she would only ever see my smile.

Even so, when I’m alone… in moments like this, the tears come anyway. Things I can endure when someone’s there become too much to carry when I’m alone. It’s a bad habit I’ve had since I was a kid.

Floating in the air, I quietly keep reaching out toward the stars. I know I’ll never reach them. It’s meaningless. And yet… for some reason, it feels like I have to.

"Lord Toma…?"

Lost in thought and not paying much attention, I hear a small voice. When I turn and look down, I see Alicia in her nightgown.

Maybe, like me, she couldn’t sleep and was watching the stars from her balcony. Most bedrooms have balconies, after all—I completely forgot that.

It might be too late, but I wipe my face with my sleeve so she won’t see my tears and force a smile. I don’t know if it looks natural, but I don’t want to worry her.

"What are you doing up so late? I couldn’t sleep, so I was just looking at the stars."

"Me too. Thinking about the upcoming meeting with the Kingdom of Yaranri… it’s been hard to sleep."

I weaken "Dark Star" and land on her balcony. It’s quite high up, but at this point, I’m not so lightly trained that something like this would scare me. I’ve even been dropped from heights overlooking entire forests and had to deal with that.

Alicia looked beautiful even from afar, but up close, it’s on a completely different level. Maybe it’s because she usually wears clothes that don’t expose her skin, but that thin nightgown is almost too much to handle.

Unlike Hikari, whose fair skin still carries a healthy tone, Alicia’s is flawless—untouched by the sun, without a single blemish. It reflects her usual purity. And yet, the exposed legs and shoulders—bare due to the lingering heat—are more than enough to captivate any man.

If I keep looking, I might lose control, so I quickly avert my gaze. I’m a healthy guy, after all—I don’t trust myself to endure this.

"When I can’t sleep, I tend to look at the stars. The night sky from my hometown and the one here—they’re no different. It makes me feel nostalgic, like the stars are the one thing that never changes, no matter where you are."

Not wanting to direct those feelings toward her, I start talking about things she didn’t even ask. Things I could never say to Hikari—because I don’t want to show her weakness.

Alicia’s eyes widen in surprise, probably because she didn’t expect me to say something like that. Feeling slightly embarrassed, I reflect on my past behavior and realize I’ve never really shown this side of myself before. Thinking about it, I’ve always come off as mentally tough.

"The stars you can see change with the seasons, so I’m looking forward to seeing if it’s the same here."

"...Lord Toma, may I ask you something?"

"Of course. Ask anything you like."

Hesitantly, as if struggling to say it, she begins to speak—like it’s something difficult to ask, something she’s unsure she even should.

"Do you… want to go home, Lord Toma? Don’t you wish to return to your hometown? How can you endure something so unfair?"

For her to say that—it felt so unlike her that I realized I might have misunderstood who she really is.

"I don’t have a hometown. I was chosen as a Saint candidate from the orphanage where I grew up, and I’ve trained ever since to become one. I don’t even know where I was born. I’ve never once wanted to become a Saint—I’ve only ever trained for it."

Alicia is just a normal girl. A girl who has been smiling behind the mask of a "Saint." Everyone has only ever seen her through that mask.

That’s why she never took it off.

"I don’t know any way to live other than as a Saint. I was always told that serving the Sword King was my sole purpose, and I waited for a Sword King who might never even appear. I believed that without the Sword King, my life had no meaning—watching the previous Saint, I came to think that way."

The protagonist who should have removed her Saint’s mask doesn’t exist in this world. I don’t think I can take their place. Even so, I couldn’t stand seeing her wear such a sorrowful expression forever.

"Please tell me, Lord Toma. How can you endure it? Covered in blood, going through pain and fear—and unlike me, you weren’t raised for years knowing you’d become the Sword King. So how can you try so hard to fulfill your role?"

If I understood that, maybe I could too—that’s what it sounded like she wanted to say, but the words never made it out. They lingered on her lips, unspoken.

But I understood what she truly meant. It wasn’t about how I endured that training.

What she really wanted to know was why I tried so desperately to fulfill the role of Sword King that had been forced upon me. That was the question buried deep in Alicia’s heart—a girl who had lived as a Saint, yet doubted that very way of life.

"...You know, I lived in my hometown my whole life. I never even left the village until I came to the capital. Everyone there gets a basic education, and for some reason, my mom had a ton of books, so I studied a lot too."

What came to mind was the hometown I’d only just left behind. It’s true—it didn’t have much, and the days were simple, maybe even boring. But in those ordinary days, there was always someone smiling.

Farmers, blacksmiths, traveling merchants moving from village to village, hunters heading into the forest to catch game—

All of them would gather at my family’s tavern. I loved listening to them talk about their days, laughing as they shared their stories. Honestly, that life didn’t feel so bad.

As for my “couple enthusiast” cravings… I had to settle for watching dog and cat pairs.

"I want to go back. Right now, if I could. But if I did, it would cause trouble—not just for the people here, but eventually for the people in my hometown too. That’s why I can’t run away—and I don’t want to."

I don’t have the kind of work ethic that makes me want to take on something as heavy as being king. But I never want those people to suffer. I never want to cloud their smiles.

"I’m not suited to being a king. I don’t even want to be one. I can’t say I have a strong sense of responsibility. But even so, I’ll keep going. I’ve been chosen, and my future’s already decided—but at least I can choose how I walk that path."

That’s right. Long ago—before I was even aware of something like a past life—I made a promise to her.

"I’ll keep smiling. Because there are people who’d be sad if I looked like I was hurting. Even if I have to force it, I’ll smile. No matter how hard things get, I won’t forget to smile. Even if people think I’m just fooling around—that’s one thing I won’t change."

I wanted to see her smile. I didn’t want to see her cry. That’s why I’ve held onto that promise. Because I want to spend my days with her, watching her smile. Wanting the girl you love to smile—that’s only natural for a guy.

"That’s… amazing. I can’t think that way. I can’t try that hard. I’ve always been so focused on myself…"

"...You know, Alicia—if you want to stop being a Saint, I think you should. It might not be easy right away, and there’ll be things to hand over—but once that’s done, I think you should live freely."

"But I don’t understand what ‘freedom’ even is. I’ve lived like this my whole life. I don’t know any other way."

"In that case, why not work at the castle as a maid with Hikari? She’d probably be happy to have a junior. Though… she might train you pretty harshly."

Yeah—I could picture it easily. Hikari might be blunt, but she’s the dependable, big-sister type. She’d definitely support Alicia.

"I chose to continue as the Sword King myself. But you never had that choice. So I’ll create one for you—a path you can walk. I’ll stay with you until you find the path you want to take."

"...But if I stop being a Saint, I’ll have no value. I’m not even truly saint-like to begin with. The real me is uglier—I’ve just been deceiving everyone."

"You’re absolutely not worthless."

I couldn’t accept that. As someone she’s helped—as her friend who’s seen her kindness—I could never accept her putting herself down like that.

"You don’t understand how incredible it is to be kind. Whether it’s a mask or not, there’s definitely someone who’s been saved by your actions. That’s not because you’re a Saint—it’s because you helped them with a smile. Your kindness has saved people."

"That’s not true. If I weren’t a Saint, I wouldn’t have done those things. I’m that kind of person."

What she wants is affirmation. She wants someone to tell her she’s “not suited to be a Saint.” She thinks hearing that will help her accept things. But I can’t agree with that.

If it were him—the protagonist—what would he do? I start to think about it, then stop. Even if I copied his way, it wouldn’t reach her. She spoke to me honestly—I won’t answer her with something fake.

"I don’t think anything I say right now will truly reach you. Because the version of you I’ve known is the Saint. Words from someone like me won’t get through."

"……………………"

"So from now on, I’ll see you—the you who isn’t a Saint."

I don’t really know who she truly is. All I know is the version I saw from afar, through a screen—and I don’t even know how accurate that was.

So I’ll get to know her from now on. Even if it’s late, I believe that’s what I can do.

"I’ll look at you as just yourself—and prove that your kindness is real."

"You’ll… find me? The me who isn’t a Saint?"

"I will. I’ll find you, understand the real you—and then I’ll tell you properly just how wonderful you are."

At those words, Alicia forms a faint, shadowed smile—something unbefitting a Saint. As if to insist that this is her true self.

"...I won’t expect much. But I’ll wait."

"I’d be more motivated if you did expect something from me. So at least let me make a promise."

This is a promise I’m making on my own. One I swear I’ll fulfill.

Even if I can’t make her happy the way he could, I’ll get as close as I can—my way.

"I’ll find the reason why Alicia deserves to smile."

Even without being a Saint—I’ll prove that you’re a wonderful person.