I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd be bound to a man.
It's strange. I never imagined such a day would come.
My name is Frey, princess of the Galvan Empire, born under Emperor Syzer.
My mother, Caselia, was gone before I could even remember her. Father said she had been a red-haired warrior who died on the battlefield. I only know her face from a portrait.
The Galvan Empire admires strength. Even royal daughters are encouraged to learn the martial arts.
Whether that was luck or misfortune, I don't know.
When I was small, I heard an old tale — the story of the hunter Rudy and the Hero Jake. I admired them deeply. Most girls would dream of becoming their lover or bride. But not me. I wanted to be like them.
Maybe that came from my father, who loved strength, and my mother, who fought bravely.
So I ignored dolls and dresses. I spent my childhood swinging a wooden sword.
In other countries, a princess holding a sword would be unthinkable. But in the Galvan Empire, where valor is prized, no one minded. Many female knights and adventurers rose to nobility through sheer skill. Only in this empire could that happen.
Anywhere else, I'd probably have been forced to become a proper lady — someone like Marianne.
Instead, I waited eagerly for every martial lesson, peeking at the knights' drills and training in secret with my wooden sword.
When I turned five—
"Princess Frey," said my instructor, bowing deeply. "There is nothing more I can teach you."
"What? Why?" I asked, puzzled. I had never once defeated him.
He smiled wryly. "There's nothing in my technique that you can't already do."
"But I've never beaten you!"
"That's only because of the difference in strength, Princess. A grown man doesn't lose to a five-year-old. But in everything else — skill, timing, form — you already surpass me."
I thanked him, though I didn't fully understand then.
After that, I joined the knights' training directly. By eight, I could defeat most of them, even when they fought me two-on-one. By ten, no one in the castle could best me.
At my coming-of-age ceremony, my divine job was revealed: Sword Saint.
After that, I was known as the strong yet unapproachable princess. Suitors lined up, but I rejected them all.
"Shouldn't you choose a fiancé already?" Father asked one evening.
"The Empire honors strong men," I said firmly. "And I am its princess. I'll only marry a man stronger than me."
He laughed once, then sighed. After that, he stopped asking.
Those who still approached me—I silenced them with my sword.
* * *
Then one day, a boy named Alto from the Dhamar Kingdom came to the Empire. He carried the sacred title of Hero.
He was small, silver-haired, and looked delicate — but there was light in his eyes.
When a Hero sets out to defeat the Demon King, he must travel with three special classes: the Sword Saint, the Saint, and the Sage. Even a princess must join that quest when called.
Drunk on pride and convinced no one could defeat me, I joined without hesitation.
Thus, our party — Hero Alto, Saint Cecilia, Sage Rosalie, and me, Sword Saint Frey — set out as the White Wing Party to defeat Demon King Luciferd.
We avoided the Four Heavenly Kings, including Mammon, until the final assault. When we finally reached the Demon King's Castle, hundreds of knights attacked elsewhere to draw the enemy's attention.
Then it was just the four of us against Luciferd himself.
We underestimated him.
My ultimate technique, Iron-Cleaving Slash, did nothing. Alto's Wings of Light were easily deflected. And then—
"This is the Sage's secret art—Ex Explo—Aaaahhhhh!"
Luciferd laughed. "Did you think your tricks would always work? Hellfire!"
Rosalie burned before my eyes.
"Perfect Hea— aaaaahhh!" Cecilia screamed.
"Not on my watch! Thousand Needles!"
Luciferd's counterspell filled the air with countless needles. Cecilia's healing stopped as her body was pierced through. We were naïve. We hadn't imagined the Demon King would be this powerful.
"Frey," Alto shouted, voice breaking. "It's my fault. Rosalie's gone. Take Cecilia and run!"
Luciferd's cruel voice thundered. "You think I'll allow that?"
Alto smiled sadly. "Other Heroes never learned this... I'll use my final art. Frey, Cecilia... goodbye. Radiant Ruin!"
He sprinted forward and threw himself against Luciferd.
Light engulfed everything. A deafening explosion followed.
When the smoke cleared, half of Luciferd's body was gone.
But he still stood, roaring—
"I won't forgive you! I will never forgive youuuuu!"
Even so, something survived.
Through the smoke, a voice echoed.
So... this isn't enough to kill you?
My body froze.
But Alto had given me a chance — a single moment to escape. I couldn't waste it.
I lifted the unconscious Cecilia onto my back and ran.
Behind us, Demon King Luciferd roared. But he didn't follow.
Dozens of demons swarmed from the shadows, chasing us down until Cecilia and I were surrounded.
"This is it... I'm sorry, Cecilia," I whispered.
Cecilia smiled faintly. "It can't be helped... desuwa..."
If I was going to die, I'd take as many of them as I could with me.
I lowered Cecilia gently to the ground and raised my sword.
"High Heal..." Cecilia gasped, trembling. "That's all the mana I have left... desuwa..."
Then she collapsed.
"Fine! You bastards think I'll die easy?!" I screamed. "Come on! I'll take every last one of you with me!"
I charged into the demon horde.
*
I didn't know how long I fought.
How many I cut down.
My breath rasped; my limbs felt like lead.
"I... can't... move..."
My sword trembled in my hand.
"Cecilia," I called softly.
No response. Just the sound of wind and crackling embers.
So this is the end...
Holy Wall.
A wall of radiant light flared before my eyes.
Then another voice — cold as winter.
Absolute Zero.
I turned. A chill swept past me, and the demons ahead froze solid in an instant.
Then came laughter — wild, bright, alive.
Ahahaha! Moonlight Flash!
A short-haired woman spun through the air, her blade cutting through frozen bodies faster than my eyes could follow.
She's strong... I thought, stunned.
I, a Sword Saint, could barely track her movements.
Demon God Rock-Splitter!
The ground shook. Demons split in half before her.
Was I dreaming? No human could be that strong.
This must be a dream...
And then, one last sound — a strange chant I couldn't understand.
Robe.
My vision blurred, and darkness swallowed me.
*
"Hey, are you awake?"
"I... I'm alive?" I gasped.
"Of course you are! And your fellow Saint is alive too — though she's in rough shape," said a cheerful voice.
Before me stood two girls — one with black hair, the other short-haired and brown.
Beside them lay Cecilia, wrapped in bandages.
"Who are you?" I asked weakly.
"I'm Shizuko!" said the black-haired one with a grin.
"I'm Haruka! And the ones standing over there are Misaki and Sayo," added the short-haired one, pointing toward two figures at the cave's entrance.
"I see... What about Alto and Rosalie?"
I already knew the answer but needed to hear it.
All four girls shook their heads silently.
"I thought so..."
Even if they were powerful, no one could stand against the Demon King and live. The fact that we'd escaped at all was a miracle.
"Why did you come?" I asked. "Why save us? You even entered the Demon King's Castle."
"We're adventurers," they said together, smiling.
Apparently, they had come under a rescue request. The client hadn't given a name, but I guessed it was either my father or the High Priest.
* * *
Though Luciferd survived, the severe wound Alto inflicted halted the demons' advance.
A temporary truce followed.
The deaths of Alto and Rosalie were mourned by all. The Empire declared two weeks of mourning.
I could barely function. The shock left me hollow inside.
When the funeral took place — without bodies — grief finally overwhelmed me.
Ugh... uuuuhhh... aaahhhhh!
I wept until I collapsed into bed, unable to rise for days.
Then, one afternoon—
"How are you holding up?" Haruka asked.
I lifted my head weakly. "How do you think, Haruka? I'm not fine."
Haruka chuckled softly. "Yeah... figured."
Haruka and Misaki had come to the Royal Castle of the Galvan Empire.
"What brings you here?" I asked.
"Emperor asked us to cheer you up," Misaki replied.
"When life hits us hard," Haruka said, holding up her sword, "we swing until we forget."
I smiled faintly. "That sounds... like a good idea."
Something inside me stirred again — the pride of a Sword Saint.
My grip on the sword was rusty, my movements clumsy.
They crushed me again and again, until defeat taught me humility.
Soon, I began calling them Master Haruka and Master Misaki.
Shizuko and Sayo often visited too, bringing laughter back into the castle.
And before long, I realized I had recovered.
When my mentors left for new quests, they smiled and said—
"It's time for us to take on another mission."
I watched them go, standing tall once more.
After that, I returned to the field — fighting alongside the knights as the Empire's proud Sword Saint.
But my heart, when it came to marriage, remained stubborn.
If Haruka or Misaki had been men... maybe things would have been different.
But that was a useless thought.
"I won't marry any man weaker than me," I kept telling my father.
In the end, I defeated every suitor — literally.
And so, I remained single.
* * *
Even then, I never expected to fall in love again.
Yet somehow... I did.
And the man I fell for — Ceres — had a heart big enough to love us all.
Shizuko, Cecilia, Marianne... and me.
"Ceres," I whispered, breath trembling. "Does it feel good...? It feels good, right?"
Ceres gasped softly. "Ah... Frey..."
I smiled faintly.
I'd never imagined I'd lose myself like this — completely, to someone younger — and not mind at all.
Notes:
• Cecilia - Former saintess. Ceres' wife.