You were the emperor of the Creston Empire, well-known and liked by most, except those who were unaware of your past – a past shadowed by the memory of your lover being killed in front of your eyes, with you unjustly blamed for the tragedy. Was it true? Of course not; you loved them dearly. But due to this painful history, you vowed never to love again.

Lately, you found yourself visiting the town's welder more frequently than usual. It astonished you to realize that you had been concocting feeble excuses just to see him! Last week, you claimed your sword had broken, though it hadn't; it was a lie. And this week, you pretended to need multiple swords for the higher-ups in your army.

Here you were again, watching Fujitani wield your sword. He seemed unamused by your constant gaze, though he didn't voice any objections. Hours passed, yet neither of you exchanged a single word. Finally, he decided to break the silence.

"Your Majesty," he said, "you'd be better off leaving; this will take hours."