“What were you going to tell me? Let’s start from there.”

When her anxiety subsided, Lucian gently coaxed her into speaking. Adelia’s eyelashes fluttered before she slowly opened her mouth.

“I was going to talk about the true condition to become the owner of the holy sword.”

“The true condition?”

“Yes, the hint left by the first emperor is vague and not a practical method. It’s similar. You must reach the level of a swordmaster. You must not be swallowed by the illusion created by the holy sword… Ah!”

Adelia suddenly sat up as if she had a flash of inspiration.

Even with that sudden movement, Lucian held her tightly so she wouldn’t fall.

His blue eyes were filled with complex emotions but soon disappeared like waves washing away.

She spoke in a serious voice as if she realized something important.

“If you are swallowed by the illusion created by the holy sword, you might die just like that. That damn holy sword, how could it say something like that?”

Her suppressed anger seeped into her words. Only then did the scene from the original story slowly come to her mind.

From the scene of discovering the holy sword to just before being swallowed by its illusion. She got a hint from there.

— What happens if you fail? It’s nothing serious… just a bit difficult? You just fall into a deep sleep for a while.

‘If you say a deep sleep for a while, of course, you’d think it’s fainting.’

The holy sword and the holy power have been together since the moment the world was born. To the holy sword, a human lifetime was short enough to be described as ‘a moment.’

Having found a clue, Adelia let out a deep sigh.

Her mind, which had been dark as if covered by dark clouds, cleared up.

“I’m not sure. No, I should have just asked the holy sword from the beginning. Why didn’t I think of that?”

Adelia tapped her head in frustration.

The holy sword has a consciousness. It doesn’t respond to those who are not qualified, so it didn’t react when Adelia was alone.

But now, Lucian was beside her. One of the top three sword masters in this world.

If it didn’t respond to her, there was a way to force it awake.

She just needed to ask the holy sword.

“Just come out, you’re dead.”

Adelia muttered quietly, grinding her teeth.

Everything was because of the holy sword that spoke ambiguously. At least, that’s what Adelia thought.

Even if it didn’t want to talk, there’s no worry. If it didn’t want to, she would make it so it had no choice.

“We can just ask the holy sword for details.”

“Ask the holy sword?”

“There’s nothing we can’t do.”

Ordinary people wouldn’t even think of asking the holy sword.

Adelia, who had experienced the guardian of light, was different.

A holy sword without a contractor couldn’t attack people anyway. Even if it contracted with Lucian, if the contractor had no intention of harming the target, it couldn’t inflict a single wound. Of course, Adelia wouldn’t be easily defeated either.

Adelia decided that once Lucian became the owner of the holy sword, she would definitely throw it once.

“Anyway, I’ll explain before we arrive. The holy sword has a consciousness. So it decides its master on its own. The illusion shown by the holy sword is like a test. A test to judge if you are qualified to be the owner of the holy sword.”

“It sounds complicated. What exactly is it?”

“The holy sword shows the illusion of what a person desires most. Those who desire power see the illusion of becoming an emperor, and those who dream of revenge see the illusion of killing everyone. The strong will to give up what one desires the most and escape is the condition to become the owner of the holy sword.”

Because of the name ‘holy sword,’ many people think one must be good to become its owner.

But the holy sword does not choose a good person as its master.

Evil took root with the birth of the world. God left the holy sword to prevent evil from disturbing the world. The reason the holy sword demands strong mental strength as a condition for its master is because of this.

A good soul can fall in an instant, but a strong soul does not weaken easily. If the owner of the holy sword falls, the world could be engulfed in evil.

“Do you also know how to escape from the illusion?”

“Of course. The illusion shown by the holy sword is just an illusion, not reality. There must be something different from reality. Once you realize that, you will see the holy sword somewhere in that place. Then you just have to stab your heart with it.”

The holy sword reads people’s desires and creates illusions based on them.

Although it is a trace of God, the holy sword is not God.

It does not perfectly read human memories to create illusions, but only reads fragmentary desires. Illusions made from guesses, not truths. Naturally, they were not perfect.

But most people are so enchanted by the happy situation that they don’t realize it.

There is no way a human, who only chases after the happiness in front of them, would have the strong mental strength not to fall.

Lucian quietly listened to her explanation. It was a very important secret of the holy sword that even he didn’t know.

After finishing her explanation, one question arose.

Lucian narrowed his eyes and lowered his gaze.

“How do you know something that even the imperial family doesn’t know?”

“It’s a trade secret, so even if you ask, I won’t tell you. Don’t try to find out.”

Her blue eyes rolled around. She dodged his gaze, which was persistently chasing hers.

He seemed genuinely curious, tenaciously chasing her gaze.

‘How can I say it’s information the holy sword in the original story told me.’

Adelia tightly closed her mouth and smiled awkwardly.

* * *

They walked and walked again in the long cave. Only after reaching the end of the cave did Lucian stop.

Adelia tapped him and said.

“Here. Now put me down.”

Only then did Lucian release Adelia from his arms.

He carefully lowered her to the ground, slightly bending his body. Her feet touched the ground for the first time in an hour.

Just as he said, Lucian traversed the cave in an hour. It was hard to believe the speed at which he walked while holding a person.

But Adelia was no longer surprised by his physical abilities.

“Ah!”

“Be careful. You’ll fall.”

Adelia wobbled as she stepped onto the ground. Thanks to Lucian’s steadying arm, a mishap was avoided.

Gripping his solid arm, Adelia stood until her legs adjusted. Having been in the same position for a long time, her legs felt tingly.

After a while, her body returned to normal. She dusted off her clothes and slowly stretched. Her joints made cracking sounds, signaling their discomfort.

‘Let’s check this out first.’

Adelia walked toward the end of the cave.

The reason they came this far was to conceal the remnants of the holy power.

Placing her hand on the unremarkable wall, she read the flow of the holy power.

‘There’s still a bit left, as expected.’

She could feel the presence of holy power beyond the wall. But it was a bit different from what she possessed.

It was an untainted, purer form of holy power.

Having lain dormant for so long, the traces remained even as time passed.

‘Two sources of holy power in the same space. That won’t do.’

Individual magic power is all different. There are differences in the visible color or the subtle flow.

Exceptionally, holy power has a characteristic of having a warm feeling and a golden hue.

The holy power beyond this wall was similar. But the flow was different in a way that was hard to describe.

Though it was a very small amount, a keen person like Lucian might notice.

Adelia let her holy power flow through a tiny gap. She covered all the remaining traces with her own holy power.

‘Open up.’

Boom-

The cave shook as if there was an earthquake, making a strange noise.

There was no need for permission like last time. This place was for the Guardian of Light. Adelia, being its master, could freely come and go.

“So, there was such a secret.”

Lucian, who had come beside Adelia at some point, murmured quietly.

The large wall slowly moved sideways, emitting dust.

After a moment, a bright room appeared behind the wide-open wall.

The gold coins and treasures she saw last time were all gone. Instead, the holy sword stood in the center, showing off its noble appearance.

“Is that the holy sword?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The holy sword was embedded in a large rock. Though it had been left for a long time, the blade shone sharply, and the transparent jewel embedded in the hilt sparkled without a speck of dust.

Adelia entered without hesitation.

Then she grabbed the firmly embedded hilt of the holy sword.

“Wake up. You damn holy sword!”