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Ignis had never fully understood the true strength of 2-Star or 3-Star Knights. That was why Evan's assessment held so much weight for him—he was eager to know exactly where he stood.
Alenna, who had been watching silently, finally spoke up with a warm smile.
"My son," she said, "as your father mentioned, you've integrated the magic spells I taught you with knightly swordsmanship beautifully. You've created a solid balance between the two—and I'm proud of you for that."
Evan nodded in agreement. As a knight, and with Alenna being a magician, neither of them could teach Ignis how to perfectly combine both disciplines. They had trained him in their respective fields, but the harmony between them—that was something Ignis had figured out on his own.
And they were both proud.
Ignis scratched his head and then said, "By the way, Dad… I want to get a good, normal sword."
Evan raised a brow, curious.
"You know the one I currently have is an artifact," Ignis continued. "It's powerful, sure—but I can't use it freely. Not in public. If someone with the wrong intentions sees it, there's a good chance they'll try to take it from me."
He paused, frowning slightly.
"Even though it's useless to anyone else—it's bound to me. No one else can activate it or even manifest it into a proper sword. For anyone else, it's just a fancy stick. But people won't listen, will they? They'll see something rare and assume they can claim it."
Evan nodded solemnly. "What you said is absolutely right. If word got out that you possess an artifact, even a 9-Star Knight would be willing to fight for it. And with my measly strength as a 5-Star Knight, I wouldn't be able to protect you. You wouldn't be able to protect yourself either—not unless your strength reaches a certain level."
He looked directly at Ignis, his tone serious.
"At the very least, you'd need to become a 7-Star Knight if you want to wield that artifact openly."
Evan let out a small sigh. "I should've thought of this earlier. When you first revealed the artifact to me, I did consider giving you a regular sword… but it slipped my mind later."
Ignis nodded, understanding. His father had been incredibly busy lately—constantly traveling back and forth to the capital of the Lunar Kingdom in search of rare potions for his training. It wasn't surprising that something like that might be forgotten.
Evan continued, "Come with me to the storeroom. I'll give you a 4-Star sword—one that belonged to your grandfather during his youth. It's a reliable blade."
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "My current sword is a 6-Star weapon—the strongest sword your grandfather ever wielded. I inherited it from him. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to acquire anything beyond that. Even 6-Star swords are outrageously expensive. If your grandfather hadn't come from a God-tier family, the best I could've afforded would've been a 5-Star sword."
Ignis nodded again, fully aware of how sword classifications worked. Swords were typically ranked from 1-Star to 9-Star, with artifacts being in a class of their own—far beyond the reach of ordinary warriors.
Alenna smiled warmly. "Alright, you two go ahead to the storeroom. I'll head to the kitchen and prepare a feast to celebrate Ignis's promotion—to a 1-Star Knight and a 1-Star Magician."
Evan nodded, and with Ignis at his side, began walking down the corridor. After a few minutes, they stopped in front of a solid, rune-etched door. Evan pulled out a key, and Ignis noticed intricate magical circles engraved onto both the key and the lock.
"This lock is a special kind," Evan explained, fitting the key into place. "You can't just open it with the key alone. This one is bound to my mana signature. Only when I pour my mana into the key will it transfer to the lock, and once the lock verifies that it's truly me—then it opens."
Ignis nodded, intrigued. He'd read about mana-bound locks in books, but this was his first time seeing one in person.
Inside the room, Evan approached a large iron chest, its edges trimmed with gold and reinforced by sturdy golden bolts. He inserted the key into its lock—another mana-bound mechanism. As he channeled his mana into it, magic circles flared to life on the surface of the chest.
Ignis recognized the same magical technology from the door lock. So even the chest is protected like that…
With a faint click, the chest opened.
Inside lay a stunning sword in a sleek black sheath. Its hilt gleamed with polished gold, giving off an aura of both elegance and power. Evan carefully lifted it from the chest and unsheathed the blade.
The sword's blade was a deep, polished black, catching the light with a subtle, ominous gleam. Paired with its golden hilt, the weapon radiated a regal beauty—dangerous yet dignified.
Evan held it out for Ignis to admire. "This… was your grandfather's sword from his youth. A 4-Star weapon, still sharp as ever."
Evan sheathed the sword carefully and held it out to his son.
"From today onward," he said, "this sword belongs to you."
Ignis accepted it with both hands, his expression solemn. He slowly unsheathed the blade, letting the black steel catch the light as he examined it with quiet awe.
Evan watched him for a moment, then said, "You know, the sword's length is more than half your height. So—where are you planning to carry it? On your back or at your waist?"
He wasn't exaggerating. Ignis stood at around 5'1", roughly 61 inches tall. The sword was nearly 35 inches long—well over half his height.
Ignis considered it for a second, then replied, "Even though it's long, I don't think it'll be a problem at my waist. That's where I'm more comfortable carrying it."
Evan nodded, satisfied. "Good. The weapon should move with you—not against you."
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