“Connect my bloodline with yours? What does that mean?

  “It’s exactly as it sounds. Don’t worry, I know that you don’t have any experience in this, so you can just follow my lead.”


  “.……”


  What the heck is going on here? Experience? Follow her lead? Why does it sound so…… Cough cough.

  Roel looked at the golden-haired girl who was staring back at him with an intense look in her eyes, and his face unknowingly began to redden. Nora persisted in her straight face for a little longer before she finally couldn’t hold it anymore and burst into laughter.

  “Hahaha, you really are quite cute at times! Don’t worry, it won’t hurt.”


  No wait, if anyone is going to be in pain, it should be you……?

  Nora was unaware that her unintentional words had made the highly knowledgeable Roel’s thoughts wander into a mosaiced domain. She simply thought that the latter was afraid. She reached her hand outward to grab Roel’s palm before laying both of their hands onto the short sword. With a light nick on the blade, blood flowed out from both of their fingers and dyed the short sword red.

  Roel didn’t say anything in the face of the sudden sharp pain in his finger, but he soon noticed that something was amiss. There was a suction force coming from the wound in his finger, and it was swiftly sapping him of his blood. It was as if he was being tributed to the short sword.

  “This is?”


  “It’s not an issue. Trust me.”


  Nora tightened her grip on Roel’s hand as she directed her calm sapphire eyes toward Roel’s golden ones. She noticed that her gesture did calm the latter down a little, and it made her chuckle a little. Then, she closed her eyes and began muttering a prayer.

  At the same time, Roel also sensed a mysterious power enveloping him.

  The mysterious power was coming from their blood. As if an arid land frantically absorbing moisture, the blood was swiftly taken in by Ascendwing. It caused the darkness on the surface of the short sword to retreat, revealing the light hidden beneath. That was when it happened.

  “Argh!”


  Roel, who was staring at the short sword curiously, suddenly saw some blurred images flashing in his vision. They were all still scenes, as if someone was flipping through an old photo album right before his eyes. He tried to get a clearer look, but he couldn’t focus his sight at all. A searing sensation assaulted his brain, causing him to stagger a little.

  “Roel? What’s wrong?”


  “Ah?”


  Nora’s voice jerked Roel back to awareness. While he swiftly regained his senses now, it felt like he had just experienced being pulled into another world. He exchanged glances with the curious sapphire eyes before him for a moment before reassuring her.

  “.…… I-I’m fine.”


  Roel quickly took a look at his own condition, while contemplating what he had just been through.

  What was that? A head rush?

  Surely not. Besides, what sort of head rush would bring about just hallucinations? Could it be that I have been exercising too hard recently?

  Roel’s first instinct was to rationalize his own condition from a scientific perspective, but he couldn’t ascertain just what in the world happened to him earlier.

  On the other hand, after receiving a response from Roel, Nora carried on with her ceremony.

  It took five minutes before Nora finally ended her prayers, and the two of them released their hands. Ascendwing rested before them with a very different appearance from before. Cold light shone from its snowy white surface.

  “Give it a try. She’s yours now.”


  “What in the world did we just do……”


  “You can consider it as a ceremony to unseal the weapon. The Twelve Wings can only be unsealed by the Angel’s Bloodline and a ritual. The reason why we mixed our blood together is so as to make it acknowledge you as well.”


  Nora explained as she passed the entire box over to Roel.

  Roel took out the half meter long snowy short sword from within and found that its weight was suited perfectly for his use. He tried swinging it around as he asked.

  “A treasure of this caliber is bound to have some special abilities. What’s the ability of this short sword?”


  “That depends on you.”


  “What does that mean?”


  “The previous ceremony wasn’t just to have Ascendwing acknowledge you. It also incubates a transcendental ability from our blood offering. This is a gift from the angels, a bestowment that belongs solely to you. The process would usually take around a month.”


  A bestowment that belongs solely to me?

  Those words made Roel look at the short sword in his hand with even greater fervor than before. It was a feeling of elation reminiscent of having struck the jackpot.

  At some point in time, Nora took out an extravagantly ornate short sword that radiated a golden glow.

  “That reminds me. Thank you for the present you have given me. While it’s limited in terms of utility, I’m still fairly satisfied with its design.”


  Nora tenderly stroked the birthday present Roel had specially ordered for her. Roel could only smile weakly in response.

  Aren’t you speaking the obvious? I spent over a hundred gold coins and three different types of gemstones on its design. It’s all money, you know! Who in the world could possibly detest that?

  Roel was still feeling a pinch in his heart. However, when he looked at the national treasure currently gripped in his hand, the gloomy emotions were all swept away. He waved his hands generously.

  “It’s good that you like it. It looks like we have ended up exchanging short swords.”


  Yeap, let’s just call it quits with that!

  Roel was too busy soothing his conscience that he didn’t notice Nora’s body freezing up at his words. She stared at Roel while blushing furiously, mouth opening and closing like a shocked fish. It took a long time before words came out of her.

  “If I may ask, do you know the significance behind an exchange of short swords?”


  “Significance? What do you mean by that? Is there a deeper meaning for such an action?”


  “.…… You buffoon. Go and ask someone.”


  “Ah?”


  “I’ve been here for a while now, and I still have matters to attend to. You should rest well and quickly recover from your injuries.”


  Shooting a glance at the flabbergasted Roel, Nora stood up with her cheeks still burning and bade hurried farewells. Her abrupt actions left Roel at a loss.

  “W-what is happening? What’s with this atmosphere? It’s almost as if I have done some terrible wrong! It can’t be that it has that kind of connotation, can it?”


  Perplexed and confused, Roel looked at the shimmering treasure in his hands before anxiously calling for the maid standing by the doorway.

  “Anna, come here! Do you know what an exchange of short swords signifies?”


  “Exchange of short swords? Ahh, are you referring to that tradition?”


  “Tradition?”


  “Yes. It’s common for those from military or knight households to give the woman they are courting with a short sword as a symbol of confession, and if the woman agrees, she would gift one back. It’s a symbol of reciprocation…… However, there are barely any houses that follow this ancient tradition anymore. What’s more popular nowadays is gifting accessories such as rings and necklaces. Hm? Young master, what is that you’re holding over there?”


  The Roel X Alicia Ship fanclub manager, Anna, narrowed her eyes upon sighting the short sword in her young master’s hands. The atmosphere around her suddenly grew incredibly heavy as an imposingly impassive look lingered on her face. It took some time before a smile appeared on her once more.

  “Young master, you’re still recuperating. It wouldn’t do for you to dabble with weapons in your current condition. Can you tell where the sword in your hands came from?”


  “Ah, t-this……”


  Sensing a mysterious pressure weighing down on him, Roel suddenly found himself in a fluster. His eyes darted around the place as he struggled to find the right answer.

  “I-it’s a gift from Prince Kane!”


  “.…… I see. Please be careful not to injure yourself. If you have any problems, feel free to call me.”


  After saying those words, Anna left the room and closed the door behind her. In the moment that she was finally out of view, the smile on her face vanished and her complexion darkened. Her inner self was screaming in turmoil.

  Miss Alicia, bad news! The vixen has struck!

  Young master, you big, fat philanderer!