Chapter 3.0 - Catherine Seido

✧⭑★⭑✧

Hello. My name is Catherine Seido, and I am the heiress to the County of Seido.

Truly, you should see him: in the middle of a banquet, he’ll forget which side the fork belongs on, and proudly hold it in his left hand as though that were the proper way. No matter how many times I’ve explained the rules of etiquette to him, it’s all in vain.

His magic is no better. Even his innate magic gives him trouble, and I dread to imagine how he would fare with acquired magic. Mathematics, clerical work, foreign languages—he barely scrapes by with average marks. Convincing him to train with me is a trial in itself. Laziness might as well be his second name. It’s as if nothing in this world could possibly interest him.

I, on the other hand, love magic. Every kind of it fascinates me. But combining it with swordsmanship… that is where I fail. Father has hired the finest swordsmen in the kingdom in the hope that I might master at least one style of magical swordplay. All attempts have been fruitless. We quarreled over it. The one thing I truly do not wish for is to wield a sword. But my brother…

“Why are you crying, sister?”

“Leave me alone.”

“You know, it’s rare to see you with tears in your eyes,” he said, and suddenly pulled me into an embrace.

“Why… why… I don’t want to be a countess.”

“Sister, giving up your future over a failure in swordsmanship—isn’t that rather foolish?”

“How do you know…?”

“It’s hard not to notice the fencing masters leaving your room with such sour faces.”

“So… you knew…”

“I don’t know all the details. But your swordplay is splendid. Even if you can’t master a magical style, the important thing is that you enjoy it yourself.”

I remembered those words. My ten-year-old brother had begun to comfort me like a true gentleman.

“You really like my swordsmanship?”

“Of course. It’s unique. I think one day you’ll save someone’s life with it,” he said with a sincere smile.

“Thank you, Yami!”

When I told Father I no longer wished to study magical sword styles, he was furious. His own dream—to become the strongest magical swordsman—had been cut short when Mother became pregnant. He set aside his blade to keep the family safe. Now he wishes for me to fulfill that dream in his stead. Mother, on the other hand, has always supported me and tried to shield me from that pressure.

Naturally, I broke. I fled Father’s study, locked myself in my room, and wept for a long time.

“Milady, I’ve brought your supper,” came Lilia’s voice from beyond the door.

Strange… Lilia usually hovered around my brother, as though afraid he might harm himself if left alone.

“Lilia?”

“Yes, it’s me. I happened to overhear your quarrel with the Count and thought I’d bring your meal here, so you wouldn’t have to see him again tonight.”

“Leave it by the door. I’ll take it later.”

“I can’t, milady. The Countess would punish me. And I can’t leave you hungry, either.”

“…Very well.”

I stepped forward and opened the door. And then—

CRACK!

Lilia struck me with the tray. I collapsed to the floor. My vision darkened, a ringing filled my ears. The next instant, a sharp kick to the head—
—and I lost consciousness.

✿ ✿ ✿

When I awoke, I found myself bound by heavy chains.

“Help!” I cried, yanking at my wrists.

It was useless. The chains were forged from stone that suppressed mana. Magic was out of the question.

“Stop shouting—my head’s splitting,” Lilia said as she stepped into the room.

“You… traitor! Why did you do this?”

“Ha-ha-ha! You caught my boss’s eye, so I brought you here.”

“Caught his eye…?”

“Of course! And he’s generous, too. Do you know how much your pretty little self is worth?”

She paused theatrically.

“One million gold! How could I possibly refuse?”

“You filthy—”

BOOM!

The castle shook. One explosion was followed by a second, a third, a fourth. Alarm bells rang out. Lilia bolted from the room, and the damage to the fixtures loosened my shackles. I couldn’t free myself entirely, but I managed to slip out of the dungeon. Strangely, there were no guards in sight.

Bursting onto a balcony, I recognized the building—it was the watchtower keep of Count Delanor. Could he be the one who ordered my abduction?

“Moon Strike!” a young man’s voice rang out.

From the heavens, a silver beam crashed down, obliterating part of the wall. One boy was assaulting the entire fortress!

Six more figures followed in his wake. Their black-and-gold armor marked them as elite, yet they looked nothing like adventurers, mercenaries, or soldiers.

“Where is Catherine Seido?” their leader thundered.

I froze. They were looking for me? Had Father hired them to rescue me?

“We’ll tell you nothing!” the head guard shouted.

“Then I’ll search every room and cut down anyone who doesn’t look like Catherine Seido,” the leader replied coldly.

His men scattered, chaos erupting. The guards loosed a volley of arrows, but with a mere wave of his hand, the shafts splintered into dust.

“Who are you?!” Lilia screamed.

“Me? I am the One-Eyed Dragon. I’ve come to claim the greatest treasure of the County of Seido!”

“There’s no treasure here,” she sneered.

“There is. And her name is Catherine Seido,” the One-Eyed Dragon declared.

“Ha-ha-ha! I don’t know any Catherine!”

“Then we won’t settle this peacefully,” he sighed.

In the next instant, he blurred forward, cutting through the guards and clashing with Lilia. Their blades sparked, each strike faster than the last.

The guards readied crossbows, but a cat-eared girl leapt in to shield him. Her phantom claws tore through everything in reach, forcing the enemy back.

“Milady, we have to go!” she cried, seizing my hand.

Before I could protest, she dragged me through the chaos. Outside, a boy was waiting—he scooped me into his arms and sprinted away.

“Where are we going?”

“Far from here,” he said. “You’ll see soon enough.”

We crested a hill. He set me down and howled like a wolf.

“Awooooo—! cough, cough Whose idea was it that I had to do this?”

“Boss said you’re the only one who can,” the cat-girl snorted.

Meanwhile, the rest of their comrades emerged from the keep. Suddenly, a fierce wind swept toward the fortress. The castle walls began to glow—violet shifting into white—before fading after a few seconds.

“That it?” the boy asked.

“Not yet,” the cat-girl replied.

A deafening blast tore through the air. Where the castle had stood was now a massive crater, the destruction rivaling that of a black hole.

“Now it’s over,” she smiled.

“Forgive me, milady, but this is necessary,” the boy said to me. A blow—
—and darkness claimed me once more.

✿✿✿

When I opened my eyes, I saw a familiar ceiling. My own.

“Mama! Sister’s awake!”

“Kittie! How are you?” Mother seized my hand, her eyes wide with relief.

“I’m fine, Mama. But… how did I end up here?”

“We don’t know ourselves. When we began to recover from the attack, you were gone. Then, just before dawn, you appeared in your own room. A miracle, isn’t it?”

“Mm… a miracle.”

So my parents hadn’t sent rescuers after me. Then who were they? Who was this One-Eyed Dragon? If he possessed such destructive power at his age, I dreaded to imagine what he would be capable of in ten years’ time.

“Kittie! My daughter!” Father burst into the room.

The moment he saw me, tears streamed down his cheeks. He pulled me into a crushing embrace and began apologizing.

“Forgive me. If not for me—”

“It’s all right. The palace wasn’t damaged because of you.”

“By the way… what about Lilia?”

“Lilia? She’s vanished without a trace,” Mother said.

“I see… Brother, thank you as well! I rarely praise you, but—”

“No need, Sis. I didn’t do anything. I was kidnapped myself, after all.”

“You?”

“Can you believe it? But I was rescued by people in black,” he said with a grin.

I could hardly imagine what I would have done without those mysterious saviors. Today, I had been rescued—but there was no guarantee they would come tomorrow. I had to become stronger.

I had to draw closer to his ideal.

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《END of Chapter 3.0 - Catherine Seido》