I Can See the Sword’s Memories

Chapter 5: Reincarnation (1)

Recently, I have been feeling extremely uneasy. It was because of a certain civilized man who had trespassed into my territory.

The man was strong—strong enough to easily deal with someone like me. With such a person loitering in my domain, it was impossible not to feel uncomfortable.

I couldn’t figure out what the man’s purpose was. It didn’t seem like he was waiting for an opening to take my life.

Instead, he would just sit in the paths I often traveled, and when he sensed my presence, he would call out to me.

Just like now.

“Hey! Stop for a moment!”

Stopping on command wasn’t my style. Letting out a low growl, I ignored the man and leapt through the trees.

Our strange encounters continued after that. No matter how often I changed my routes, he always managed to track me down as if by some uncanny instinct.

The reason the man—Deidram—was pursuing me was simple: money. From a young age, I had been able to manipulate mana, making me an incredibly valuable resource.

Deidram didn’t care about my origins. All he needed was to deliver talented children like me to the Empire and collect his reward.

As a hunter who often traveled to various places, Deidram had made a habit of earning extra money this way.

His pursuit was relentless.

Eventually, I decided to talk to him. The place I chose for our conversation was high in a tree—giving me a vantage point and an easy escape route if needed.

“Finally decided to talk?” Deidram asked with a grin.

“Tell me your purpose,” I replied bluntly.

“My name is Deidram. What’s yours?”

“Saeorin.”

“Nice name, Saeorin. Are you alone right now?”

I didn’t respond. I wasn’t sure if I was truly alone—whether my younger sister’s soul still lingered within my body or not.

Deidram nodded, as if accepting the silence, and asked another question.

“You’ve left your tribe, haven’t you? Are you planning to cross the mountain range again?”

At that, I turned to look at the massive mountain range stretching beyond the forest. 

Covered in pristine snow, the mountains marked the border between the lands of the civilized and the barbarians.

“Not for now,” I said, shaking my head.

Deidram continued to pepper me with questions—sometimes about the barbarians, sometimes about my thoughts on the civilized world.

It was all part of his plan to win my trust.

Of course, I didn’t answer every question. I carefully picked what to answer, only responding to what I was comfortable sharing.

At some point, I found myself with a question of my own. From our conversation, it was clear the man before me was well-versed in the ways of the civilized world.

Perhaps he might know something about the man who had slaughtered my tribe—the White Frost Tribe.

I spoke up.

“I have something to ask.”

“Go ahead.”

“I’m looking for a man. He wore a long, black garment and wielded a slightly curved sword. His build was about the same as yours, and his eyes were somewhat fierce.”

Deidram furrowed his brow. There were far too many swordsmen who fit that description. The most distinctive detail was the “curved sword.”

“Hmm…”

Deidram crouched down, drawing a sketch in the dirt. He etched the shape of a curved sword he knew into the ground.

“Is this the sword you saw?”

I shook my head.

“It’s similar, but the blade was a little longer.”

‘So, it’s not a scimitar,’ Deidram thought, erasing the sketch and drawing a new one in its place.

“What about this?”

“That’s not it either. It’s similar, but the hilt was longer, and it didn’t have any decorations that looked like they were meant to protect the fingers.”

‘Not a sabre, either. In that case…’

Deidram drew again, this time carefully crafting the features I had described.

“How about now?”

I didn’t reply. Instead, I descended from my perch in the tree and moved closer to the drawing, as if wanting a better look.

Examining the sketch closely, I nodded and spoke.

“It’s similar… almost identical. Do you know anything about the person who wields this sword?”

Deidram studied me as he organized his thoughts. My neck veins were bulging, my hands were trembling, and my breathing had become uneven. 

It was clear that the person wielding this sword had done something terrible to me.

“That sword is called a katana. It’s a style of blade that didn’t originally exist in this world.”

The man I was searching for was likely a reincarnator from another world. From what Deidram knew, only reincarnators could wield such a weapon with expertise.

“Could you explain more in detail?” I pressed.

“The person you’re looking for is likely a reincarnator. That is, unless the sword was merely a decorative item…”

“It wasn’t just for show. He definitely used it as a weapon. He would draw the sword, swing it, and sheath it again. Even with those unnecessary motions, his blade was incredibly fast.”

“Then it’s certain. The person you encountered was a reincarnator.”

“D-do you know where he is?”

Deidram smiled faintly at my desperation. Things might go smoother than he thought.

Of course, Deidram had no idea where the reincarnator I described might be. There were too many reincarnators wreaking havoc in this world.

“I know exactly where he is. If you follow me, I’ll take you to him. What do you say?”

Deidram’s only concern was making money. I could see the faintest flicker of a smile on his face, no doubt imagining the reward he’d get for handing me over.

I took a step back, sniffing the air. Living beings’ scents subtly shifted depending on their emotions, and with my sensitive nose, I could detect those changes.

The same keen sense tied to my sister’s shared body told me he was lying.

He wasn’t lying when he explained reincarnators. It’s the part about knowing where to find him—that’s the lie.

Deidram’s face remained perfectly neutral, but I could feel the deception under the surface. I didn’t know his exact motive, but I doubted it was anything good.

I nodded.

“I’ll follow you. But not right now… there’s something I need to take care of first.”

“Is it something I can help with?”

“It’s a tribal ritual. Outsiders aren’t allowed to interfere.”

“Hmm, how long will it take?”

“One day. That’s all I need.”

I was lying too, but Deidram didn’t seem to suspect a thing. He merely smiled and nodded.

“Fine. I’ll meet you here tomorrow, when the sun is overhead.”

“Alright, around this time tomorrow,” I replied.

Deidram left after extracting a firm promise from me.

As soon as his figure disappeared, I sprang into action. The first thing I did was return to my dwelling to pack my belongings.

My provisions consisted of food for the journey, a bag to carry on my back, a few hides I had obtained in the forest, two daggers, and the chieftain’s sword, which would serve as my weapon.

That evening, I left the forest.

***

About three days had passed since I departed from the forest. I had walked tirelessly during that time.

As the days went on, the number of people I encountered increased. Without exception, they all stared at me with curious expressions.

It didn’t take long for me to realize why they were staring. While their physical features were somewhat similar, the difference lay in my clothing.

No, my face is better-looking.

Technically, it was my younger sister’s face, but to me, it didn’t matter. That was how I saw it.

Late one evening, I broke into a small village and stole a set of clothes hanging on a long line. As payment for the clothes, I left behind a squirrel pelt I had hunted.

In my homeland—the harsh, snowy plains—it was an unspoken rule not to harm a child wandering alone. Touching a child from another tribe was tantamount to declaring war.

But things were different here.

Traveling alone, I experienced several kidnapping attempts. A middle-aged woman who had approached me kindly suddenly turned violent, and a drunk man had tried to overpower me.

Of course, none of those attempts succeeded. All of them met their end at the edge of my blade.

After dispatching my attackers, I took all their belongings. By the time I reached a reasonably large city, my bag was full of items taken from the corpses.

Before entering the city, I carefully observed the guards stationed at the gates and the behavior of the people approaching them.

People handed something shiny to the guards. It seemed that such an offering was necessary to gain entry into the city of the civilized.

Rummaging through my bag, I remembered that among the things I’d taken from my attackers, there were some shiny items.

When my turn came, I handed one of these shiny objects to a guard.

“Hmm… This isn’t enough,” the guard said.

“How much more do I need to give?”

“Give me one more.”

I complied with the guard’s demand. The concept of currency was beginning to take root, albeit faintly, in my mind.

Having shed most of my barbarian appearance, I now drew attention for a different reason.

My mother had been the most beautiful woman in our tribe. Her snow-white skin, pale hair, serene and cold gaze, eyes like deep blue lakes, and lips as red as berries made her a rare beauty.

My younger sister, Saeran, had inherited all of those traits.

With me, a tribal warrior, now inhabiting Saeran’s body, it created an aura that was both striking and uncanny.

The stares from those around me made me furrow my brows.

I get it. I’m pretty…

I scoffed and walked through the city, ignoring the gazes that followed me.