Chapter 154 Wounded Beauty 2

Horror and regret engulfed her heart at what she saw. The alchemist used the children as guinea pigs, using them to test various substances. Most of them dying very painful deaths. The military used the children as targets and tested new weaponry on them. Often allowing them to run only to be hunted.

Fregit confronted her dispatcher and asked him to bring the monsters hiding in human flesh to justice. But the answer the sword saint got broke her. That is not our role. We will go to five more cities while guarding the slave trader. That is our role.

Unable to endure any further, she murdered her dispatcher, the slave trader, the alchemists, the military, the people in the brothel, and the customers of the brother. Fregit killed so many people that night when morning came there were hardly any people left. The slaves she tried so hard to save feared her for being a crazy monster and ran away.

In most of the missions, the woman got tested her bottom line, and while she eventually got calloused. The suffering she had to endure granted her [Knight's Honor] and [One with Sword]. Only Hiro understood the resolution needed to continue living with such a burden.

Fregit grew frightened of her own power. When the butcher heard about the aftermath of such massacres, he understood what the woman feared most. She needed to know there would be someone to stop her. Like a tense spring, the terror of not knowing when she would snap hounded her day and night.

Due to her high ledger rating most would know she valued life. But [One with Sword] as amazing as it was caused her to see lives as nothing more than grass. Her heart screamed as she butchered those who went against her. 'Stop me.'

While she despised those who killed a few children. What would she think of herself when the number of people she murdered was above five digits? 'Please, Someone stop me.'

The powerful sword saint wished not for freedom or more power. She wished for a sheath. She wished for a shackle. Someone to ground her and allow her to reign in her impulses. 'I am scared.'

Hiro who understood delivered a brutal curb stomping that Fregit with all her power could not overcome. He physically stopped her when she had her psychotic episode. Then he gave her a promise.

(It is fine, you no longer need to carry all your burdens, you are under my protection. None may force you to do anything you do not wish to do. What you fear will not come to pass. This I swear.)

Such a promise sounded so simple, but to Fregit it felt more liberating than any gold in the world could ever bring. As emotion and gratefulness welled up in her heart she threw herself into Hiro's chest and cried.

She wailed for a good two hours, then proceeded to cry meekly for the next three hours. Hiro gave the dragonkin to Aurum as he allowed the sword saint to unload years of regret, pain, and sorrow.

In the world of Valorious, power always came at a price. Thus the strongest ones were normally the ones with the most scars. Hiro didn't try to push Fregit away but wrapped an arm around her and rubbed her back with his free hand. The woman then passed out due to the relief that flooded her entire soul.

The San-Baka naturally guarded the caravan but due to Hiro's focus on Fregit, he didn't pull any monsters toward them granting them an extremely long peaceful night that bored them out of their minds.

When morning came, Fregit woke and grew embarrassed at her display to Hiro. She then fidgeted with her hands as she tried to speak. As Hiro no longer slept, while consoling her, he trained various skills most particularly the brands on [Redeemed].

Aware that her employer was busy she didn't have it in her to disturb him. She owed so much to this man it was no longer funny. Thinking it would be best for everyone if she woke him up she clapped loudly near his ear.

Less than four clamps in Hiro regained his senses and stood up. He then asked in a calm manner. "Are you alright now?" Fregit nodded yet hesitated to speak. Perplexed the man asked her further. "What is it? Is something the manner?" the blue-haired woman then spoke anxiously.

"I thank you for yesterday Lord Sabacthani but can you please…"

"Before you continue Sabacthani is a mask, I go by Hiro. Use that moving forward.'

"Then Hiro-sama, can you please pat my head again? Also, can I can you Onii-sama?"

"Uh. Sure.. I'm fine with the head pats but why Onii-sama?"

"It is one of my long dreams, I always wished for a strong older brother to protect me when I was young. If I ever had a brother I would want him to be like you Hiro-sama. It doesn't have to be in public, even when it's just the two of us is fine."

Hiro who noticed the woman stuttering her words in worry he approached her and placed his hand on her head and rubbed it side to side. Contrary to the term you don't actually pat a head but rub. The butcher always wondered why use head pat when you meant head rub.

Allowing his mind to focus on Fregit "I cannot allow you to call me Onii-sama as we are not siblings…" Fregit who heard of his words grew silent as her heart broke. Keeping her tears from falling she tried to remain strong. Yet, Hiro continued to speak.

"There is only one way I would allow it. Throw away your name and allow me to adopt you into my family." The woman grew wide-eyed at what she heard, as an orphan she longed to have a family of her own. Infact her fixation on a partner stemmed from wanting a place to call home.

'Get adopted? As in belong to another family? I can do that? Why? How? Can I really?'

"As you are an orphan I can have Alan create the necessary paper work. If you are willing you will need to give up your old name and take on my surname. You can think about it if you wan…"

"I do! I want to enter your family Hiro-sama! Please adopt me! I will do anything!"

Hiro smiled as he looked at Fregit. She reminded him so much of himself back on earth. Desperate for love, attention, and a place to call home. Since he saw her he knew he was partial toward Fregit. The more they interacted the better it felt. If he even had a sister it would be someone like her.

"If that is so, then I declare Fregit Staratelj officially dead. And from this day forward I adopt you into my family. I give you the named Tsugumi Mitsurugi."

"Tsugumi? What does that mean?"

"It can be spelled as 'Wounded Beauty' or the one I prefer 'Corded beauty' ".

"Heeee? So you think I am pretty?"

"Yeah, pretty ugly."

"Onii-sama! You are so bad!"

After a moment of silence the siblings then laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of it all. And so Fregit Staratelj died in the desert and in her place arose Tsugumi Mitsurugi the beloved sister of the heavenly sword.