Clang!
"The match is over! The winner is—Lily!"
The announcer's voice rang through the vast sword hall. I clenched my fists, my fingers tightening around the cool surface of the wooden sword. Just yesterday, my father had adopted me and brought me here. He had told me he was a sword instructor—but only now did I truly grasp what that meant.
Before me stretched a whole new world: an arena gleaming under the bright lanterns, rows of neatly arranged wooden swords, suits of armor hanging along the walls, and a variety of training equipment scattered throughout the hall. Everything felt overwhelming, but my eyes were drawn to one thing.
In the center of the arena, bathed in golden light, fiery red hair swayed gently.
"I can't believe it... She's only five years old!""This is the first time I've seen an adult lose to a child.""She must be a prodigy."
The murmurs spread through the hall, echoing my own disbelief. Moments ago, the only sounds had been the clash of wood against wood, the rapid shuffle of feet across the floor. And then—before I could even process what had happened—her opponent had already fallen.
I tried to picture it. How had Lily moved? How had she struck? Everything had happened in the blink of an eye, faster than I could comprehend.
A strange sensation crept over me.
Admiration.Envy.Desire.
I couldn't look away.
As if sensing my thoughts, she slowly turned her head.
And that—That was the moment red entered my life.
"Introduce yourselves!"
"I'm Noah Rudilouis."
"And I'm Lily Roshep."
The room fell into a peculiar silence.
At the moment, I was staying in a small, sparse room with Lily and our foster father. Calling it "furnished" would be an exaggeration—there were only two thin mattresses laid out on the floor, a few neatly folded clothes in the corner, and a single oil lamp casting flickering shadows on the walls. Nothing more.
Rag Juda, our foster father, was a kind yet unpredictable middle-aged man. He had adopted Lily first, about a year ago, before taking me in as well. I had no idea why he had chosen us, but he didn't seem like the kind of person to do something without reason.
"It looks like you two are still strangers to each other," he said, patting my shoulder lightly. "To help you get along, you'll be sharing a room tonight!"
He gave me a warm smile before stepping out, bidding us goodnight. But just as he was about to close the door, he hesitated. For a brief moment, his gaze lingered on Lily—contemplative, as if weighing something in his mind.
I glanced at her.
Lily had barely spoken since the beginning. She sat there, her posture straight, her expression unreadable. In the dim light, her red hair cascaded down, partially veiling her face.
I cleared my throat, trying to break the silence.
"Hey, Lily—"
Before I could finish, she suddenly slipped under the covers, burying her face in the pillow without so much as a glance in my direction.
I hesitated, momentarily caught off guard.
Being ignored wasn't a great feeling, but more than discomfort, I felt curiosity.
Why was she avoiding me? Was it because she didn't like new people? Or did she just not like talking to anyone?
Either way, one thing was clear—She didn't seem to like me very much.