After returning to Snowlake, I parted ways with Horn and went home.
I was welcomed by my father and mother.
I was welcomed by Lutecia.
And also welcomed by Mint.
Apparently, she had just come by to visit.
When Sofia saw Mint, she smiled and spoke to her…
Mint also responded with a smile…
Yeah.
Are they close friends?
And then, I…
“Phew.”
I lay down on my bed and stared blankly at the ceiling.
I was exhausted.
Not just physically, but mentally too.
We fought the Purgatory Dragon and managed to defeat it safely.
I was happy about that, but…
Lena’s words lingered in my mind.
She invited Sofia and me to join the Alliance of Dawn.
It was something I hadn’t expected, and I was still a bit shaken by it.
And there was something else bothering me.
“…Is this really the Snow Crystal Sword?”
Thanks to Dad, Aisha, and Licorice, the broken Snow Crystal Sword had been repaired.
But in some ways, it was different from before.
It felt the same to use, but its sharpness and durability had improved dramatically.
It looked similar, but the inside was completely different.
“Why did it turn out like this...?”
“That’s thanks to Aisha.”
“Whoa!”
Licorice suddenly appeared, startling me.
She’s not an assassin—so I wish she wouldn’t sneak up on me like that.
“What do you mean, thanks to Aisha?”
“You repaired the sword using that girl’s magic power, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, her magic turned out to be way stronger than we expected. The sword absorbed more magic than necessary, and it seems like it evolved on its own.”
“S-Self-evolved...?”
That’s kind of scary.
I couldn’t help but stare closely at the Snow Crystal Sword.
If it self-evolved, does that mean… this sword is alive?
“It’s just a figure of speech. The sword’s not actually alive.”
“O-Oh, okay...”
“But still… since Nonoka’s feelings are in it, in a way, maybe it is alive.”
"..."
“It’s a sword that carries the feelings of many people. That’s what it is.”
Licorice spoke with a quiet, reflective expression.
The Snow Crystal Sword had been safely repaired.
Thinking about that brought back memories of my friends.
All sorts of emotions were stirring in my heart.
“Did you come just to explain that?”
“That’s part of it… but also, I have a little suggestion.”
“Suggestion?”
“I think you should give the sword a new name, Fate.”
“Eh?”
Her sudden proposal caught me off guard.
What did she mean?
“Swords made by fairies change depending on their owner, or the role they’re given. They’re swords that grow.”
“That’s amazing… to be able to make something like that.”
“Nonoka made the Snow Crystal Sword as a symbol of friendship with humans. That’s why it stayed the same all this time. Since it was a symbol of friendship, it wouldn’t be right for it to change.”
“I see…”
That’s why it never evolved.
It stayed in the same form…
Continuing to represent her friendship with Horn.
That’s probably how it is.
“It just broke, and its role ended. Then it was reforged… and born anew. That’s why the sword has grown.”
“You’re saying it wants me to give it a name?”
“The sword is like a newborn—it doesn’t have a role yet. So, Fate, as its new master, you should give it a name and a purpose.”
“Me…”
That’s an incredibly important task.
I did wonder—is it really okay for me to mess with the sword that Nonoka left behind?
But if Licorice is the one saying it, then it probably isn’t a problem.
“Hmm…”
I thought about it.
The sword’s name and its purpose.
What would be fitting now…?
“…How about Meteor Sword?”
“Not bad. But what does it mean?”
“Even if the sword was reborn, I think it still carries the wishes it was entrusted with. So I don’t want to let go of that. I want to carry them forward.”
Not only that…
“I want it to take on new wishes too. That’s why…”
“So, you gave it the name of a meteor that carries wishes?”
“Yeah.”
“Hmm… sounds good to me.”
Licorice replied indifferently, but there was a smile on her face.
She probably approved.
“Yeah. From today on, you are the Meteor Sword.”
I whispered a silent Nice to meet you to my new partner in my heart.
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