Their voices filled with shock resounded in the room. They both couldn’t believe what Ileana just said.

‘Fiancée? No one told me anything about this’ He thought.

Lyle looked at Ileana with a perplexed expression while Sasha cast nervous glances alternating him and Ileana.

At this time, Ileana suddenly added like she just remembered it.

“Oh, right! We didn’t tell you about it. Hahaha”

‘Don’t just laugh it off’ is what Lyle wanted to retort but he could not do it since it was his beloved mother. He was

looking at her seemingly unsatisfied waiting for her to explain everything.

“Just what is this Fiancée thing about?”

“Well, you see before you are born your father and the king of the beastmen promised each other that if a boy was born then he will marry the daughter of the beastmen king to strengthen the relationship between the two kingdom.”

Ileana explained with a grin. Lyle was taken aback, and felt completely lost. He didn’t know that he has a fiancée all this time and especially it is a princess of the beastman kingdom.

‘A beastman….. wait, a beastman?’

Realizing a certain fact, Lyle's whole body was trembling.

“Mom, you’re talking about beastman right? beastmen who look almost exactly like humans, who have animal ears and a tail and fuzzy paws…. In other words the ultimate beautiful girls with animal aspects- is that what you’re saying?”

Surprised by her son’s sudden outburst, Ileana could only nod frantically.

Lyle squirmed and jumped around like a beast and then stopped as if he realized that he was just behaving strangely.

He then turned around to face Ileana who was very surprised of his son’s sudden behavior.

Meanwhile after hearing what Lyle said, Sasha who was just quiet right now suddenly changed her expression, with a nervous look she asked,

“Y-Young Master Lyle, a-are you going to a-accept it?”

When he heard her timid voice, he almost broke into laugh. He looked at her who was bowing her head and looking downwards. He sighed slightly in his heart.

Lyle was not some dense protagonist on a certain manga or light novel, so he immediately noticed the anxious expression Sasha was wearing now.

Although the feeling he felt towards Sasha is not the same kind as love but more on a familial love, he doesn’t want her to feel sad or lonely.

“Nope, I just want to see a beastman that’s all. But regarding love and marriage, I don’t want to think about those things for now.” Lyle smiled and faced Ileana “So, that’s that mom! Can I turn this down? in the first place I’m still a child”

Ileana stared fixedly at his son’s face. Hearing a child calling himself a child is somehow feels….weird.

Meanwhile Sasha felt relieved on Lyle’s words. She held her hand tightly in front of her chest while looking down but

still you could see a hint of smile forming in her mouth. Her cheeks colored as she said things like ‘I see,’ and ‘hehe I knew it…’

After several seconds passed by, Ileana let out a breath and calmly look at her son who, even calling himself a child has a mind of a real matured man.

“Fine, although I don’t think your father can cancel this agreement because the fate of the kingdom’s relationship lay in this. Most of all, I too still don’t want to give my baby to someone else” She said resignedly. With a smile, she walked towards him and embraced him.

“Thanks mom!” Lyle was extremely happy. Turning to look at her mother, he felt a warm feeling in his heart.

His parents truly were very good to him.

“But you should still get ready and meet her. Although you wanted to cancel it, you might change your mind because

I hear she’s very beautiful, although not as beautiful as your mom”

“REALLY!?” Lyle was overjoyed! Who wouldn’t? Suddenly hearing that you have a fiancé and most of all a very

beautiful beastman! He was absolutely delighted he might accept immediately if not for the dark, ominous, and

threatening aura behind him as if the devil Satan himself was glaring at him. “Eh, ah, no, T-this I-is, I mean really?

Aha ahaha” Lyle hurriedly said while shedding a cold sweat.

Looking at her son’s behavior, Ileana couldn't help but be bewildered.

‘This son of mine, really I can’t understand what he’s thinking!’ she thought. She solemnly looks at her son and smiled.

She gently stroked his head and after a while she walked towards the door. However, as if having a mischievous face that wanted to prank a child, she leaked out a smile and said,

“You should not think of another girl, look Sasha is feeling jealous fufufu”

Lyle and Sasha were both startled. Simultaneously, they turned their heads and exchange glances. A stunned look was on Sasha’s face, and when she saw Lyle, she immediately drop her head with her face dyed red and flushed with

embarrassment.

Lyle wanted to say something but couldn’t utter a single world. He could only watched her mother’s departure who was laughing while leaving behind an awkward atmosphere between the two.

************

- Dragoon City -

Dragoon City was the capital of the Dragonfang Kingdom. It took up a huge amount of space, and had more than a million denizens living within its area. In the entire Belphim continent, it could be considered one of the top five megacities.

To erase the awkward atmosphere left behind by his mother. Lyle decided to roam in the city with Sasha.

In the first place, his supposedly fiancée will arrive in the evening so he still had enough free time to spend.

“Prince Lyle, it’s been so long since we’ve gone for a stroll.” Sasha was clearly very happy as she followed by Lyle’s side.

Lyle smiled as he walked on the streets. This was one of the most bustling streets in the entire Dragoon City.

Generally speaking, all the merchants would pass by this street. The street was normally ten meters wide, but there were so many merchant stalls on each side that nearly half the space was taken up, causing there to only have seven meters of walking space left.

They strolled and looked around.

There were armor traders, weapon traders, beast traders, monster beast traders…all sorts of people were here.

There were even some precious books, precious weapons, poisons and herbs, secret technique manuals, and other things for sale.

“So where are we heading to Prince Lyle?” Sasha asked.

Lyle let out a smile then faced her and said “I want to go to a bookstore”.

Although this walked is to ease that awkward mood back in the room, looking for good books was also the main purpose of this stroll. He already finished reading most of the books back in his room so he wanted to see if there are new books that might interest him.

As they quietly walked and admired the stalls they passed, they suddenly heard something

“This was made by a famous Beastman who is a master blacksmith a long time ago. This sword is one of its kind. We weren’t even willing to sell it for thirty gold, but you want to try and buy it for ten? That’s too little. At least a hundred gold!” A rough-voiced man was shouting from nearby

Lyle glanced over in curiosity.

He saw around dozens of people in a circle surrounding three men wearing light blue tunic. The man continued: “A hundred gold, whoever pays a hundred gold can take it away!”

“How greedy! This thin sword cost a hundred gold? Are you insane?” some people murmured.

When Lyle saw the weapon, he immediately recognized it. The thin sword resembles a katana.

“Let me take a look.” Lyle saw the precious weapon which the man was clutching and immediately stepped forward.

As soon as he held it, an unknown feeling immediately covered his body.

“It can’t be! A Yuuto?”

Being a traditional Japanese who practiced various martial arts in his previous life, Lyle is very familiar and knowledgeable in terms of Japanese swords like katana. He saw and held different kind of swords as well as Meito or famous swords.

Some of this Meito are rumored to be Yuuto or cursed swords. It is widely believed that a sword who used to slay thousands or even millions of people will no doubt become a cursed sword because of the residual thoughts of the people it slayed, such as hatred, anger, desires and other evil thoughts.

Yuuto or cursed swords have deep feeling emitting from it. They say that cursed swords brought misfortune to the

people who wield it. Some say, it makes the wielder go insane and become a monster who craves blood.

And the sword which Lyle was holding right now seems to be one.

He felt something from the sword. Sadness, grief, anger hatred and various ill thoughts that might make one vomit.

His hands sank down slightly from the weight. This was a pitch-black sword that seemed to absorb even light itself.

There was a crescent moon etched on it and it has a slight curve around the tip.

The thick black sheath lying in the table of the stall seemed very plain and unadorned. Beside it was another jet-black scabbard with another sword which is likely the same as the one he was holding right now, sheathed within it.

It really greatly resembled the sword called Shoukarasuma back in earth.

‘Why does this world have such sword?’ Lyle couldn't help but frowned while thinking.

Katana’s came from Japan and in this world which has a medieval setting, double-edge western sword is commonly used. It’s hard to believe that someone will use sword this thin which focused on speed rather than strength.

Then suddenly he felt pain in his eyes. Just like last night but this time the pain is even more painful, he tried to close his eyes but before he could do so, he saw it.

Around the sword he’s currently holding and the other sword laid in the table was covered with something black. But the black aura around them isn’t just ominous, it also carries a deep feeling; more like deep sadness. It’s as if the swords itself is crying from agony.

Then two foxes appeared beside the sword in the table. They are looking him.

Lyle’s distorted face caused by the pain in his eyes and the strange thing he was seeing made Sasha feel deeply concerned.

“Prince Lyle?”

Hearing this, the people nearby all turned to look at him.

“ Prince Lyle?”

“The prince?” “The son of the Dragoon king?””

Many people stepped back immediately. Lyle had gone sometimes with Sasha in the city to play and roam around.

That's why some people saw and recognized him immediately. The other people, who didn’t recognize him, upon hearing others discuss him, were made aware as well.

Sasha’s concerned voice was noticed by Lyle and it made him returned to his senses. The pain in his eyes vanished as

well as the black aura and the two foxes around the swords. He managed to squeezed a weak smile and said,

“It’s nothing. It’s just that this sword seems like cursed!”

When the man wearing a light blue tunic in front of him; the vendor, heard Lyle he was instantly very frightened that his heart began to shake and then step back.

“Y-young master, Y-you knew?” With quivering words he asked.

“No, it’s just that I can feel it.” Lyle said while looking at the sword in his hands. “Where did you get this?”

“I-I see…” the man muttered. Feeling extremely nervous, with no choice he began explaining.

“We acquired this sword from a very poor family; it seems they are the descendants of a famous Beastman blacksmith that lives in the Rulic kingdom. In the art of blacksmithing he was unequal and legendary. He made various strong weapons that even now were used. But still he was unsatisfied; he wanted to create a powerful and unrivaled sword. Then one day, he accidentally ventured in a divine shrine.

It was rumored that when he entered there, he saw twin baby foxes. He immediately killed it and the blood and flesh of those poor animals was used to make those swords; the one you’re holding and this other sword.” The man stopped talking and stared at the sword Lyle was holding.

The surrounding people were stunned and couldn’t believe what the man was saying. More and more people gather around to know what is happening. Lyle calmly looked at the man in front of him.

“This is the story I heard from that family. Even though it was the prided masterpiece of that legendary blacksmith, they wanted to sell it, because this is not just an ordinary sword. They said this sword was cursed by those divine animals. They said that this sword brought misfortune to the one who wield it and can cause the wielder to go insane.

They call it a Demon sword. Aside from this, it was also not that popular towards the soldiers and warriors because of its thin and strange appearance. No one knows even his descendants as to why he make it like that.

Of course! I don’t believe that story, so I tried to sell it” The man justified himself.

Listening to the man’s words, the people began whispering towards each other. Lyle looked at the sword with interest.

He was now sure that this Yuuto or Demon Sword is a very unique kind of a sword. From what he saw a little while ago this has some kind of a residual spirit. It might be the souls of the twin foxes which are killed. In other words, the story was true.

A smile appeared on Lyle’s lips. He wants it, but what about the cursed? Purify it? How? Such thoughts appeared in

his mind. Then he remembered something from his past life.

‘This situation is somehow the same as that’ he mused himself. He was thinking of a certain anime he saw. ‘Hm? what Zor* did at that time? Yeah, I remember, let’s do that too…’

He looked at the man in front of him and said,

“Then let’s test it out if this swords wanted me to become its new master!”