Chapter 6:The weight of a sword

Chapter 6: The Weight of a Sword

Kaito stood frozen, gripping his sword so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

The bandit in front of him—a man, not a monster—was on his knees, hands bound, his face bruised and bloodied. He was no threat now. Defenseless.

Yet Aldric’s words hung in the air like a blade at his throat.

"Kill them."

The other knights didn’t hesitate. One by one, they drove their swords through the fallen bandits, finishing them off like it was just another routine task.

Kaito’s stomach twisted. He forced himself to breathe, but the air felt thick—suffocating.

This wasn’t a game. This wasn’t a heroic fantasy adventure. This was war.

And in war, people died.

Aldric stepped closer, his armored boots crunching against the dirt.

"You hesitate," he said, his voice steady. "Why?"

Kaito swallowed hard. "Because…" He exhaled sharply, trying to steady himself. "Because he’s not a monster. He’s just… a person."

Aldric didn’t react immediately. He just watched Kaito with the same unreadable stare as always. Then he spoke.

"Listen well, Hero. This is the reality of war. If you don’t swing your sword, someone else will swing theirs at you."

Kaito clenched his jaw.

"You think these men deserve mercy?" Aldric continued. "They would not give you the same. If they had won, we would be the ones lying in the dirt right now. And what do you think they would do to the villages on this road? To the families who can’t defend themselves?"

Kaito looked down at the bandit. The man avoided his gaze, his breathing shallow.

Aldric’s voice remained firm. "You said you wanted to protect people. This is what that means."

Kaito’s stomach churned. He had seen Aldric as a mentor, a warrior, but also a man who had something to fight for—a family. He wasn’t cruel. He wasn’t a bloodthirsty killer.

And yet, he was willing to do this.

Because in his mind, it was necessary.

Kaito’s heartbeat pounded in his ears.

Could he do it? Could he really kill someone?

He thought about the slums he had passed earlier. The people suffering. The ruined lives.

"All because of the war."

He thought about Aldric’s family. Aria’s smile. Elena’s warm hospitality.

"If I don’t fight, if I don’t stop threats like this… then people like them will suffer."

His grip on his sword tightened.

His mind screamed at him to stop. His instincts told him to swing.

He took a deep breath—

And he swung.