Sword Saint’s Disciple Vol 2 Chapter 6

In the dining room there was a table long enough for eight people, it was there we would eat dinner.
Our swords and other equipment had been deposited elsewhere.
Even though the ingredients were harvested within the town’s territory they were not noteworthy but, because of good cropland there is plenty of variety.
Hunger helping as well, the food was extremely delicious.
Currently the mood is like, ‘an after dinner conversation.’

I pleasantly talked with Gael-san about various things such as, Jiji-sama’s story and plans from here on, being careful in the royal capital, etc.

‘Speaking of, is your sister not going to eat?’

Cutting into and interrupting the conversation I asked concerning the sister who was supposed to live here.

After all, she has yet to appear, right!?

‘Ah… Phie-nee, huh…? Father, is she doing her usual?’

‘Yes. It’s her usual.’

Usual?
I’d like a conversation I can understand, please.

Before I could give a guess, Neil-san gave an explanation.

‘Ah, sorry. My older but not eldest sis’s name is Phiena but-’

Gael-san took over and continued the topic.

‘Phiena is painting… And when she does, she becomes entranced and won’t leave her room for a while.’

Painting?
Oneesan, you’re an artist?
Being able to go nuts over something to the point of forgetting meals is somehow… I might be a little jealous.
Nah, well… In this life I do nothing but swing the sword though.
‘I want to swing the sword. Teach me.’ When I was little I said that to Jiji-sama and he got an enormous grin on his face.
That sort of grin is unfair.
Somehow I had gotten caught in the depths of swordsmanship and continue to swing the sword to this very day.

‘Phie-nee is famous. She specializes in portraits and even got requested to paint Spike-sama’s portrait! She’s a boast worthy big sis!’

‘That’s really amazing. She’s still young, right?’

You seem glad talking about this, Neil-san.
The previous king’s painting, eh?
She is for sure not your average painter.

‘Phiena is twenty years old. Her parent is worried about her marrying, but somehow she’s living life so enjoyable that he can’t say anything.’

Gael-san smiled bitterly while informing me of her age and mixing in a complaint.
I wonder what sort of person she is.
All of a sudden my interest shot up.
I want to meet her.

‘You can meet her tomorrow morning. Now then, since it’s late it’s time for sleep. A maid will show you to your room. You can take a bath there.’

After Gael-san stated such he rang a small bell.

Maid-san entered and bowed.

Then, I will gladly accept this offer.

I am tired for a number of reasons today.

Thank you very much. Now then, good night, Gael-san. Niel-san.’

Gael nodded while saying, ‘Good night.’

‘G’night, Katia-san.’

I was led by Maid-san up a gentle curving staircase.
Guest rooms seem to be on the second floor.

‘Your room is here. Please call me at any time at your convenience.’
Maid-san bowed and then left.

I opened the door to a wide room complete with two beds, a low table with chair, and a portrait painting standing in front, with a young lady doing a handstand in front of that.
Her clothing was exposing a pretty, lily white back.
….!?

‘Ah, sorry. I must have made a mistake.

I closed the door.
And from the room I heard a voice saying, ‘You didn’t make a mistake~. This is the guest room~.’

A slow witted sounding voice.
Ehhh…..?
That’s the aforementioned sister?
I don’t think anyone else qualifies.
Why’s she in a guest room?

‘Um, sorry to intrude.’

In any case, waiting around won’t change the situation. So I twisted the doork.n.o.b and entered.
This time she was standing there normally and looking in my direction.
A beautifulful lady who took after Gael-san who’s shoulder length golden hair, long ears, and greenish looking eyes, held the appearance of a top notch elf.
Niel-san and this person, the don’t resemble the same half elf since they don’t look alike and their appearance takes more after one race.
She had a slender body and stood about 5’2” high.
She wore a deep blue smock like clothing, stained here and there with paint.

‘My bad. I was completely~ not able to concentrate in my room. I was supposed to be able to finish before a guest came, you see.’

‘Ahhhh. No, I don’t really mind… It? Nice to meet you. My name is Katia Myerz

I may be utterly baffled but first comes the self introduction.

‘Hm, thank you for your courtesy. Katia-chan, huh? I am Phiena Raza!’

Neil-san’s sister was correct.

‘Erm, why a handstand…?’

Honestly, my brain has still yet to process that scene.
The meaning is far too hard to understand.

‘Well~ If you don’t see a person from multiple angles you can’t see their true nature, right? The painting is the same and that’s why I do hand stands like that~’

Understanding the average person is difficult.
No wait, I could only understand the first half, though.

‘That’s… Is turning the painting upside down no good, then?’

Perhaps the handstand itself has some kind of meaning to it?
If it were myself a handstand would be no good.
Phiena-san quickly let out a laugh.

‘Ah ha ha ha! That’s right, isn’t it! Why have I been doing a handstand!’

It seems there was no particular meaning.
And so this ‘lax mood’ is unmistakably a common feature to the people of this household.
The laughing Pheina-san breathed out to steady herself.

‘Fu~. But… Katia-chan’s face, where do I recall seei- Ah!’

All of a sudden Pheina-san’s atmosphere changed.
I wonder what happened?

‘Stay still right there!’

Phiena-san left the room in a hurried manner.
She returned carrying what looked like a new canvas and art supplies.

‘Don’t move, okay!?’

I could sense a somewhat frantic appearance from her.
Having been overpowered by the state of things I did as told and stood still.
A stare from deep green eyes were transfixed by me.
However, I somehow had an uncomfortable feeling.
I can’t put it in words very well but somehow, was she looking at me or was she not?
Pheina-san’s gaze began to hurriedly move between me and the canvas

For a while Phiena-san moved her hand at a quick speed but then stopped.
She stared at my painting in a daze seemingly finished.
I wonder if it’s alright to move?
I went around Phiena-san to take a look at the painting.
…Who?
On the painting there was certainly someone who looked like me, although they were a different person in some respects.
There was a mole under her right eye, and other details differed.
Her hair color and her eye color were brown.
If I had to say they’re closer to Niel-san’s hair colour…..?
Phiena-san let out a mutter, ‘I have to make sure…!’

Phiena-san put the canvas under her arm and left in a hurry.
I don’t understand the situation but for now… Let’s follow!
Phiena-san ran down the stairs, more and likely going into the salon.
I went after her.

‘Father! Father!’

‘What’s wrong, Phiena? You’re shouting.’

In the room Gael-san sat in a comfortable looking and slightly large chair facing Phiena-san who was showing him the painting.
Niel-san is also sitting in a similarly facing chair.
It seems they had been talking about something.
Gael-san’s reaction when he saw the painting was quite dramatic.
A look of doubt was painted over by shock.

‘Lena…!’

‘As I thought! Dad, I finally remembered mom’s face!’

After saying such Phiena-san’s face broke into a bright, joyous expression.
To clarify, that’s a painting of her mother?
Phiena-san looked my way.
‘Katia-chan, would you listen to my story?’

I won’t object.
Or rather, if I didn’t listen I would completely not understand the situation.

‘Yes.’

‘Katia-chan you know, looks like my mother! Your ambience and face as well. I think that was what surely jogged my memory and helped me to remember.’

That response is troubling…
Which reminds me, during the afternoon a similar thing was said.

‘It was said earlier by Niel-san, that I looked like his older sister.’

‘Yah, if it’s the just facial features then you certainly look like Ren-neesan as well. Katia-chan is more beautiful though. But, sis is short tempered so, the memory of my ‘always gentle mother’ could not connect, I think.’

Phiena-san explained while including extra remarks about her older sister.
Now that it’s mentioned, I don’t know where the birthplace of the body that I was given is from.
Perhaps it’s a possibility that I come from close blood ties to the Raza House.

‘When I first started painting I could not recall the face of the mother that I loved. Because of that, from the time I was young, everyday I tried to forcibly bring out the memory while frantically painting. In the end I was not able to recall until today.’

It’s just a guess but, Phiena-san’s mother died while she was very young, right?
To not even be able to properly remember her mother’s face, it had to be when she was very young.

‘Because, not being able recall an important person’s face is very lonely and a sad thing.  Working from that thought, that I don’t want that for other people,  when ever I received a request I would paint it.’

In this world there are no photographs.
So the vestiges of important people, excepting from the inside of memories, could not be sought out by many people.
It seems Phiena-san continued to regret not being able to record the memories of her mother’s face.
She changed that regret properly into energy, managing to go so far as to use it for the sake of other people.
That’s something I could not have done in my previous life before death.

She’s a really amazing person.

‘So, thank you Katia-chan. For helping me remember my mother’s face.’

After saying such, Phiena-san’s face showed a very pretty smile.
That smiling face was radiant, it was the sort of smile that could have caused a guy from my previous world to fall head over heals in love with in a single shot.