Chapter 19
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Episode 6 - Sword of Faith [2]
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I looked at the display case with a radiant sword bathed in gold.
It had the typical shape of a heroic sword, so its design wasn't anything extraordinary.
Yet, just by looking at it, an overwhelming sensation coursed through the air around it.
For a moment...
'The air... seems distorted.'
With its mere presence, the surroundings warped as if spiraling, like a black hole devouring everything in its path.
Then I rose from the ground, my heart pounding fiercely.
'Thump! Thump!'
Though my body ached from sore bones, I ignored it and walked toward the sword of faith.
Finally, I stood before the display case.
The glass was shattered, and the sword rested to one side, covered in dust.
Yet...
'This place is surrounded by rubble... but not a single piece fell on the sword.'
I frowned at the detail. Something was strange.
There was a reason.
'Though the sword's presence slightly distorts the air... it doesn't have a force field.'
So, how do you explain the broken glass?
I sighed heavily.
I extended my hand toward the sword's hilt.
'Thump!'
I felt my heart beat even harder, thrilled at the thought of wielding an S-rank sword.
But just as I touched it...
"…..?"
The world went dark.
And the last thing I saw was the sword's gleam as my fingers wrapped around it.
***
'Clank! Clank!'
Sparks flew everywhere.
A hammer struck a strange metal, from which a terrifying magical power emanated.
I looked at my hands.
'What is this supposed to be…?'
My entire body was covered in a veil of magical energy, an absolute white that seemed to meld with the air.
Beyond that... I felt absolutely nothing. I could see, but not feel.
'I don't exist.'
It was more accurate to say it like this: I don't exist in this place, where a blacksmith hammers an unknown metal.
Yet, I wondered:
'What happened…?'
I looked around.
A room... filled with all kinds of melee weapons.
But then my eyes widened sharply.
'They're all at least A-rank…'
My gaze stopped on a sword inside a display case sealed with intricate magical barriers.
A sword that emanated darkness. Abyssal darkness.
I shuddered just looking at it.
'That sword…'
I don't know what it was, but something clicked in my mind.
My eyes widened as I realized.
'It's like the counterpart to the sword of faith…'
An abyssal aura.
A design that combined absolute black with crimson red, with a blade as long as it was sharp.
But that wasn't the most important thing.
No...
'Its magical power…'
A dark energy emanated from the sword.
While the sword of faith radiated warm glory, this one exuded a cold, enveloping hatred.
I extended my hand, without thinking.
'If I could touch it…'
'Crackle!'
My hand was violently repelled, as if a shock rejected it, pushing it away from the display case.
'What was that…?'
I looked at my palm.
A dark burn covered it.
I stumbled back a step.
'What is that sword…?'
No... better yet...
'What is this place?'
'Clank! Clank!'
The sparks flew again, drawing my attention to the blacksmith.
What I saw was a man... but I couldn't see his face.
There was a strange distortion covering him, as if an arcane mist prevented me from discerning his features.
'He's a blacksmith...'
Not just any blacksmith. If all the weapons in this room were at least A-rank, then this man must be a monster at his craft.
A mix of admiration and bewilderment surged from deep within me.
'He must be an incredible blacksmith…'
And just at that moment, his voice boomed through the air.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"....."
My heart skipped a beat. The man slowly turned and stared at me.
I still couldn't see his face, but his presence was overwhelming, heavy like the metal he shaped.
'He… can see me.'
My body tensed. Something in his body language told me he was smiling.
"Ho, ho... I can't actually see you, and whatever you're thinking, I can't do anything to you."
His tone was relaxed, teasing... as if he could read my thoughts with ease.
Something inside me eased upon hearing that, but I remained serious, my guard still up. I couldn't let my vigilance falter.
'He knows I'm here, but he can't see or touch me…'
Who the hell would believe that?
'Me…'
To my misfortune, I did believe him. But his presence, his way of speaking, the mere fact that he was addressing me, was enough to unsettle me.
The blacksmith tilted his head, as if analyzing my soul.
"Phew, you're a tough one, huh?"
Tough? What did he mean?
'Tough in what sense?'
I was about to open my mouth to ask, but he preempted me once again, as if he could hear even my unformed thoughts.
"Think of what's happening as a recording."
A recording...
I nodded slowly.
That would explain why I couldn't touch or feel anything. Only observe.
Though the explanation helped, my unease lingered. Still, I stared at him intently.
"....."
A shiver ran down my spine, but I didn't look away. I wanted to understand.
Then, the man spoke again.
"I suppose if you're seeing me, it's because you wielded the Sword of Faith... or the Sword of Evil."
"....."
I glanced at the display case with its intricate magical barriers. There it was, that sword. Dark, like the abyss itself.
'Wait… I never wrote a sword like that in the original story.'
What was that thing? A blade that never existed until I saw it with my own eyes. But now...
'He said I'm seeing him because I wielded the Sword of Faith or… the Sword of Evil.'
I recalled the moment. The golden glow, the darkness that enveloped me. Yes… it had been the Sword of Faith.
I nodded and turned my gaze back to him.
'I understand… the situation now.'
The blacksmith continued.
"I think you're seeing me because of the Sword of Faith... No, well, it doesn't matter."
He didn't seem to care which one it was. What mattered was what came next.
"I suppose you now hold the Sword of Faith in your hands. Whoever you are, I'll tell you this: the Sword of Faith and the Sword of Evil... they are my masterpieces. They are the work of my entire life."
For a blacksmith, creating a weapon that surpassed all others was the ultimate achievement.
'This blacksmith… is a monster.'
He had created an S-rank sword all on his own… No, I was wrong.
The Sword of Faith wasn't merely S-rank.
Originally, it was said to be SSS-rank. But after countless battles, its power had weakened… to its current rank.
And no one, in all these years, had been able to restore it. Why? Because its creator was never found.
'No one knew who forged it. And because of its divinity, it was believed to be a gift from the constellations.'
A celestial weapon. A myth.
'So… this guy… is the creator?'
Beyond that, I glanced briefly at the other sword.
If the Sword of Faith and the one locked in that display case were, according to this man, his life's creations, that means…
'That sword is also SSS-rank.'
But a sword that has never been seen before, and that I, as the creator of this world, never mentioned.
"Its power should be intact... or somewhat weakened."
Most likely, nowadays, it is somewhere as an SS-rank sword.
I looked at the man once more, intrigued.
I wondered why he left this recording. And just at that moment, the man spoke again.
"Look, I'll tell you this. Take the Sword of Faith and seek the Sword of Evil, then find the five pearls, and then... come find me."
Surprised, I couldn't help but gasp at his absurd words. My eyebrow arched slightly as the echo of his voice faded.
"Anyway, I'll take the Sword of Faith... but as for the other one..."
Does that sword even still exist?
As its name suggests, it is a sword derived from true evil.
Whereas the Sword of Faith is derived from the faith and hope of all people.
Both with opposing powers and completely different purposes.
For a moment, I looked at him with distrust. There was something about him that didn't add up.
And as if he realized what I might be thinking, he said:
"I already know you're wondering where the Sword of Evil might be, and to be honest... I don't know either. This is just a recording. Countless years could pass before someone sees this... but no matter how much time passes, the Sword of Evil is out there somewhere..."
He paused, slowly lowering his gaze, as if feeling the weight of his own words.
I understood well what he meant.
The Sword of Faith was discovered thousands of years ago and has been passed down through thousands of people.
"Forget about the swords... this guy isn't even alive to tell me to find him after locating the Sword of Evil."
How absurd was that?
Unless he is a constellation, he couldn't have lived for thousands of years.
Not even an SSS-rank could survive that long.
It was illogical.
So the only possible answer was one...
"Could he have a way to live that long...?"
And then I asked myself several questions.
First of all, the Sword of Faith was suddenly found in a place that simply appeared one day.
And regarding the moment of its creation... it was impossible for this man to have left it just like that with a simple recording.
"There are too many gaps in this..."
At that moment, the man continued.
"So, please… find me after you have both swords and gather the five pearls. I can't go into details because I have little time to be in this place."
Little time?
What the hell was this guy talking about?
And just at that moment...
Everything around me began to darken suddenly as I watched the man grab his hammer and continue striking the metal. The sound echoed loudly, as if time itself was splitting with each blow.
...
At that moment, I opened my eyes wide.
I was standing, panting slightly, while in my hands was a gleaming sword emitting a holy glow.
I recalled the man's last words...
"He said he didn't have much time left in that place..."
Besides that... what exactly was he creating?
The metal he kept striking had an overwhelming magical power. Even more than the Sword of Evil.
Not in the sense that it was denser...
No.
The metal itself emanated a strange sensation, as if it had a life of its own.
Then I looked at the sword in my hand.
"It's not heavy."
It looked completely new, as if I had just bought it, but that was only its deceptive exterior.
"Its power is in the S-rank... but just because it's a high-rank sword doesn't mean I have that same power just by wielding it."
That's not how it works.
That's not how power swords function.
Their rank indicates they can withstand the power of a user who is at that same level.
In other words, if an SS-rank wields an S-rank sword, it's very likely that the sword won't withstand too many battles against more powerful enemies.
So, in summary, they don't grant power. They are a medium to channel and withstand it.
"But that doesn't mean it's useless."
Just at that moment...
「Sword of Faith」
A small floating window appeared before my eyes with the sword's characteristics.