Volume II

Chapter 4. The Holy Sword’s Trial

Adelia yelled at the holy sword.

There was a proper way to awaken the holy sword, but Adelia was not kind enough to care about that.

‘Did you confuse me by saying such things in the original story?’

She was already holding back a lot by not immediately striking it to wake it up.

The holy sword might not know, but that was not Adelia’s concern.

『What an ill-mannered human!』

A clear voice echoed through the cave. It was a pure voice like that of a young man, but it was filled with anger.

The holy sword responded to the primitive and coercive method, far from the proper way.

The sharply honed blade hummed.

『How dare you speak to me, the holy sword, like that! This human must be crazy!』

The holy sword emitted a silver light. It looked like a glittering Milky Way and a cold blade at the same time.

Unlike the warm holy power, the aura of the holy sword was as cold as metal.

Starting from the holy sword, the sword’s aura tightened around Adelia’s body as if it was trying to devour her. It looked like silver ropes wrapping tightly from her toes to her neck.

Adelia twisted her lips.

“Isn’t your greeting too intense? Don’t waste your strength on useless things.”

A holy sword without a master couldn’t be a match for a white mage.

Adelia drew upon her holy power. The golden light starting from her heart enveloped her whole body.

The silver aura that wrapped around her body scattered as if it burst under pressure.

Instead, Adelia’s power devoured the sword’s aura. The brilliant golden light swallowed the silver light and wrapped around its main body.

The aura of the holy sword, which had been dormant for three hundred years, completely replenished the holy power she had consumed so far.

Feeling her body filled with strength,

Adelia licked her lips with her red tongue, looking satisfied.

“A sword without a master, where do you think you’re going? You can’t harm people right now anyway.”

The pressure of the silver aura wrapping around her body was not strong. It felt a bit suffocating, but it wasn’t enough to harm her body.

It was a simple warning and an expression of anger.

Just like the Guardian of Light, a holy sword without a master couldn’t harm humans.

‘Did you think I said that without any thought?’

No matter how great a white mage is, if the holy sword comes at them with full force, they wouldn’t easily win. It was easy to subdue because the holy sword without a master had many restrictions.

And no matter how annoyed she was, wasting holy power meaninglessly didn’t suit Adelia. From the beginning, she intended to provoke the holy sword to release its aura.

The holy sword, feeling Adelia’s aura, trembled.

『You! You’re that white mage from back then!』

“Shh. It’s true we’re not meeting for the first time. Though it’s our first conversation.”

Adelia said, her eyes curving into crescents. The blue eyes visible through them shone eerily.

Her voice, pressing each word deliberately, sounded ominous, as if she was warning.

It was an unspoken warning to watch the words. The holy sword, understanding her intention well, stopped its trembling and ceased speaking, though it seemed furious.

Only then did Adelia raise the corners of her mouth in satisfaction.

“Good, you must have woken up after a long time. How long have you been asleep?”

『The last clumsy human who came a hundred years ago was the last. I couldn’t wake up last time because you didn’t meet the conditions, but it seems you’ve brought a usable human today.』

“Usable? That person will be your master. Definitely.”

Adelia sneered. There was a hint of pride in her tone, as if she were scolding it for being ridiculous.

Currently, only the Emperor, Lucian’s father, could defeat him on this continent. Over time, his skills would surpass even the Emperor’s.

Lucian was the only existence who broke the novel’s rule that the male protagonist is the strongest, the only one the male protagonist couldn’t defeat.

So, she couldn’t help but be confident.

『Wait a minute. Could it be that he’s that guy’s descendant?』

“If by ‘that guy’ you mean the first emperor, Arthur, then yes.”

『No wonder, I felt traces of holy power. He looks just like him. You’ve inherited the blood so strongly, haven’t you? Emperor? Crown prince?』

“Crown Prince Lucian Kerum Decra.”

Lucian, who had been standing at the entrance of the room, walked over.

Between his straight brows, there were two deep wrinkles. He looked as if he was seriously pondering.

‘Is what I’m seeing real?’

While Adelia was having a familiar conversation with the holy sword, Lucian kept pinching himself.

It was too trivial to be reality, and too unimaginable to be a fantasy.

The achievements of the first emperor, Arthur, were the most important in the history of the empire. His words and writings became the foundation for ruling the empire.

And the most recorded thing along with him was the holy sword.

[Emperor Arthur was never separated from the holy sword. Except when washing, he always kept it by his side. The holy sword was a weapon to protect the citizens of the empire, a teacher to borrow wisdom from, a friend to confide in, and a vassal to discuss state affairs with. The holy sword was noble and did not allow just anyone to be near it. It was a dignified and noble existence befitting the name of the holy sword.]

However, the holy sword before his eyes was far from the noble and dignified image.

The small fantasy that Lucian, who didn’t like vain imaginations, held was shattered.

It was absurd and empty.

Lucian stood next to Adelia with a displeased face.

She was still holding the holy sword.

Lucian slightly lowered his head and whispered in her ear.

“Is this really the holy sword? The stories passed down didn’t give off this kind of feeling.”

“Just look at it; it’s clearly the holy sword.”

Adelia narrowed her eyes, seemingly curious why he was asking such an obvious thing.

Even if its actions were suspicious, the aura surrounding it was unmistakably that of the holy sword.

The silver aura was almost divine, and it seemed to be similar to white magic. Of course, now it was being overwhelmed by the white magic.

『I may look like this now, but I am indeed the holy sword! My previous master always said I was noble, dignified, and elegant!』

Although he whispered quietly, the narrow space made the conversation fully audible.

The holy sword proudly boasted of its value and recounted its glorious past.

From the story of founding the empire with Emperor Arthur to killing kings and suppressing rebels, it all poured out easily.

As the story continued, Lucian’s face darkened.

The fantasy he held since childhood was shattered and left no trace.

Adelia, on the other hand, was enjoying the holy sword’s story. History was her weakest subject. Although people say there is no future for those who forget history, she had no time to look back, preoccupied with her immediate life.

“Enough. How long are you going to go on?”

Seeing Lucian’s darkened complexion, Adelia interrupted the holy sword.

She was almost lost in the story and forgot today’s purpose.

The holy sword, which was in the middle of an enthusiastic story, protested.

『Why? This is the most interesting part!』

“I’ll listen to it gradually. Today, we’re here not to chat with you but to become your master.”

『Tsk, what a pity.』

The holy sword grumbled in a low voice.

Because it was using an ancient language, they didn’t understand the meaning of the words.

“This is tiring….”

Lucian rubbed his eyes. His eyes, once like a blazing sun, were now calm as if the fire was extinguished, and his eyes were darker than usual.

His emaciated face exuded a deeper decadent charm.

He thought that even if he became the master of the holy sword, he would have to store it well in the treasure vault. Listening to such chatter made his ears ache.

Whether the holy sword knew Lucian’s feelings or not, it remained proud.

“Now, tell me what needs to be done.”

『To become my master, you must pass a trial.』

“What kind of trial?”

Adelia asked nonchalantly as if she had been waiting. She already knew the contents of the trial but led the conversation to match the original story, just in case.

Lucian, standing next to her, quietly watched her. He parted his lips to ask a question.

Seeing this, Adelia lightly tugged on his sleeve. It was a sign to pretend not to know.

Fortunately, Lucian understood the signal well. His twitching red lips remained silent. Although a slightly awkward atmosphere lingered, the holy sword didn’t notice.

『If I tell you, it wouldn’t be a trial. It’s not very difficult.』

“What happens if you fail the trial?”

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

Although its tone was light, the answer was the same as in the original story. At that time, it passed without much thought.

But now that there were suspicious points, it couldn’t be overlooked.