Chapter 11: A Fitting Sword

Chapter 11: A Fitting Sword

The days passed, and despite the rigorous endurance training forced upon her by an ever-irritated brother, one thing remained constant: Jessica's endless complaints about that godforsaken sword.

It was too heavy.

It was unwieldy.

It was ugly.

It was a lump of iron better suited for a blacksmith's anvil than a knight's hand.

She complained before training.

She complained during training.

She complained after training, while eating, before bed, and sometimes even in her sleep.

Tobias endured it for the first few days, hoping she'd eventually tire herself out. But by the end of the week, as she once again lamented how barbaric and stupid the family's signature blade was, he finally snapped.

"FINE! DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! DISGRACE THE FAMILY! WHAT DO I CARE?!"

His voice echoed through the training hall, leaving a ringing silence in its wake. The other trainees stopped mid-swing, instructors turned their heads, and even the academy staff walking by outside hesitated for a moment.

Jessica simply blinked at him.

"...So that's a yes to getting rid of it?" she asked, just to be sure.

Tobias's eye twitched so hard it looked like he was about to explode. He turned on his heel and stormed off, muttering about "ungrateful, insufferable little sisters" and "family shame."

That should've been the end of it.

But unfortunately, her persistent complaining had caught another person's attention.

It happened near the dueling halls the following afternoon.

Seraphina von Aurelius, the princess of the realm, was not known for her patience.

She had endured much in her short life—tedious diplomatic meetings, suffocating noble expectations, and, most of all, the insufferable arrogance of lesser nobles trying to earn her favor.

And yet nothing had tested her patience quite like Jessica Moran's endless sword complaints.

Day after day, she had been forced to listen to the lowliest noble in the elite class whine, moan, and lament about her sword.

At first, Seraphina ignored it.

Then she tolerated it.

But by the end of the week, when Jessica had begun complaining in class, during mealtimes, and even between duels, the princess finally had enough.

"By the gods, shut up!"

Her voice cut through the air like a blade, silencing the room instantly. Every noble within earshot went rigid, terrified of having angered the princess.

Jessica, on the other hand, just looked at her blankly.

Seraphina exhaled sharply, rubbing her temples. "I am tired of hearing your pathetic, incessant complaints," she said through gritted teeth. "I have heard you more in the last five days than I have heard some of my own retainers in years. Even I cannot tolerate this much whining."

Jessica tilted her head. "So...?"

The princess closed her eyes, as if debating whether or not it was worth wasting her energy. Then, with a sigh of exasperation, she pulled something from her inventory—a sword.

Not just any sword.

A rapier of royal craftsmanship.

Slender. Balanced. Beautiful. The steel gleamed with an expert polish, the hilt adorned with subtle yet intricate engravings. It wasn't just functional—it was elegant.

And she tossed it like a piece of trash.

Jessica caught it easily, blinking in mild surprise.

"This was a backup to my backup to my backup sword," Seraphina said dryly. "It is so beneath me that I would rather give it away than keep it."

The nobles gasped. To gift a weapon—even a backup—was still a gesture of immense significance. Yet Seraphina spoke as if tossing her leftovers to a stray.

"You are a gutter rat among nobles," she continued, staring Jessica down. "A disgrace to both your family and this academy. But at the very least, you are so pitiful that even I can grant you this much charity."

She crossed her arms, expecting groveling.

Instead, Jessica grinned, holding up the rapier and giving it a few testing swings.

"Oh?"

The balance was perfect. It was light, sharp, and effortless in her grip. This was her kind of sword.

"Well, well, well," she mused, smirking as she turned back to Seraphina. "Looks like I finally found a sword fit for me."

Seraphina's eye twitched.

The nobles in the elite class had no idea how to react.

Some were offended that Jessica had accepted the weapon so casually.

Some were appalled that the princess had acknowledged her at all.

And some were just baffled that Seraphina herself had essentially been goaded into giving away a personal weapon.

Tobias, meanwhile, stared at the rapier in Jessica's hands with a mix of resignation and exhaustion.

"You got an elite-tier weapon... by complaining?" he muttered in disbelief.

Jessica turned to him with a smug smile. "I win."

He groaned, rubbing his temples.

Seraphina, meanwhile, regretted everything.