The sword in my hand was no longer what it once was. To be precise, the blade itself had transformed. It shimmered with a pitch-black, inky luster, looking as if it had been dipped in dark pigment and pulled back out. While I was still trying to make sense of the change, Audrey examined the weapon and spoke.
“The power of Gaia, the Earth Spirit King, has taken root within it.”
“Excuse me?”
“I believe that strange power of yours played a part. The mystical body Gaia inhabited was deconstructed by your flames. Because of that, a portion of Gaia couldn’t return to the Spirit Realm and ended up bound to your sword instead.”
A portion of a Spirit King was dwelling in my sword?
It was hard to grasp the full weight of her words, so I asked her directly.
“Is that a good thing?”
“Is that even a question? You could offer up mountains of gold coins and still never receive a spirit’s blessing on a weapon. Spirits despise blades. But right now, your sword is essentially under the protection of the Spirit King’s grace.”
A weapon blessed by a Spirit King. It sounded extraordinary just hearing it. However, rather than feeling like I’d hit the jackpot, worry took precedence. Seeing my expression, Audrey asked, “Why the long face? I’m telling you, a very rare power has settled in your sword. You might not know this, but a weapon blessed by an earth spirit is worth whatever price you care to name. And this is practically the blessing of the Earth Spirit King herself. It’s no longer just a sword; it’s become a weapon on the level of a treasure. Its durability alone must be beyond imagination. To exaggerate a bit, you could call it the hardest sword on the continent. It probably has several other functions, too. Since a part of Gaia is in there—”
“I know it’s a good thing. But…”
“But?”
Why was I making this face? The answer was obvious.
“Is this really okay?”
“…”
“To put it another way, didn’t I just steal a part of a being as great as the Earth Spirit King? I harmed a Spirit King who descended to the Middle World and even took her power. I’m terrified of how massive the retaliation will be.”
“Oh, come on, you’re worrying too much—”
“Am I? As you know, Audrey, I have notoriously bad luck.”
“…”
My luck. It was so wretchedly bad that everyone knew about it.
“…Honestly, that is a bit nerve-wracking,” Audrey admitted.
“Should I throw it away?”
A treasure found by luck? A lucky weapon obtained by chance? Such things didn’t exist in my life. In my world, good luck was nothing more than a harbinger of impending doom. Whenever I gained something good, something terrible always followed. I didn’t have the confidence to handle the trial that would surely follow a windfall of this magnitude. I wanted to throw it away right this second…
However.
「Do not throw it away.」
“Pardon?”
「There is nothing to worry about.」
Liam stopped me, a smirk playing on his lips.
「Did I not tell you? Matters of the spiritual world will be settled in the spiritual world.」
“…”
「Trust your great master.」
For some reason, he wore a rather chilling smile.
「I shall go and settle this in a very peaceful and wise manner.」
“…Those words really don’t suit you at all, Master.”
「Oh, but they do. Indeed they do.」
*
The Spirit Realm.
The world where the roots of all elements reside is divided into five branches. Among those five worlds, there is a place of infinitely sprawling earth. The ‘First Land,’ where the earth spirits dwell, was in an absolute uproar. It was all because of the Spirit King who ruled this place.
【Right now! I said we must punish him this instant!】
【No, please, just calm down for a moment, Your Majesty.】
【Do I look like I can calm down?! My soul was stolen! He didn’t even show proper respect to me, who personally descended to the Middle World! A mere mortal! He should have bowed his head and shown reverence to a Spirit King! Instead, he dared to point a blade at meeeee!】
The earth spirits suffered under the thunderous mental waves emitted by their queen. The waves, thick with irritation and rage, were a torment just to encounter.
【That human! Make it so he can never step foot on the ground again! Quickly, command my children staying in the Middle World! How dare he humiliate me and then expect to live with his feet on the earth! I will not allow it!】
【Your Majesty, that is impossible. Have you forgotten the pact made with the gods? Beings of the spiritual world cannot actively interfere in the Middle World. Because of the Laws.】
【Are you telling me to just overlook the disgrace I suffered because of some petty Laws?!】
【Petty Laws? Please, calm yourself. If we did such a thing, our innocent children of the earth wouldn’t be able to form contracts with spirit summoners for hundreds of years. Even the pretty elves might turn their backs on us. They’ll go looking for ‘Flame’ or ‘Water’ instead of us!】
【Hmph! Let them!】
【Your Majesty, please…】
Gaia, the Earth Spirit King, was famous for being the most prideful and prickly among the five Spirit Kings. The earth spirits under her rule were sick and tired of it. One earth spirit, weary of the mental waves, muttered as if tossing a comment aside.
【The wound the human caused wasn’t even that big, was it? For a mortal, it would be like a tiny scratch on the hand. And the soul fragment you lost would be like a single drop of blood to them. Why all the fuss… besides, won’t it grow back in just fifty years or so?】
【…】
【…】
【Who brought this brat here?】
【Read the room, you idiot!】
Fact-bombing was strictly forbidden when the Earth Spirit King was on a rampage.
Eventually, a silence fell. Gaia spoke.
【Fine, it’s no big deal. But your queen’s heart has been wounded. I am deeply offended, so I must have some form of revenge. Even if I have to ask the fairies for a favor.】
To the earth spirits, it seemed their queen was truly furious this time. Usually, she would calm down quickly after a fiery outburst, but now she was calmly stating her intent for retribution even after venting. The earth spirits were certain this was going to become quite a headache.
Yes.
【Y-Your Majesty.】
【What is it?】
【A-A-A guest has arrived.】
At least, that was the case until he arrived.
【A guest? In the First Land? It’s not ‘Fire’ or ‘Water,’ is it?】
【No. It’s…】
Just as the earth spirits were about to explain, something slammed into the ground in front of Gaia with a sharp thwack . It was a sword. A crude, elongated blade. The way the sword was thrust upside down into the center of the First Land made it look like a tombstone in front of a grave. The moment they saw it, all the spirits began to scream and flee, abandoning their queen.
「It has been a long time.」
A sound like a growling predator echoed through the air. Simultaneously, the sound of blades striking earth rang out incessantly across the First Land Gaia ruled. In the next moment, every corner of the First Land was filled with swords thrust upside down. The Earth Spirit King could no longer say a word. Among transcendent beings, there was none who did not know the meaning of what was happening before their eyes.
「I heard an interesting story.」
Gaia was no longer the master of this land.
The First Land had become a Land of Swords. Some of the countless swords split apart and rose into the air, forming the shape of a chair. The Sword Throne. An old man sat upon the Sword Throne floating in the void. Among transcendent beings, there was none who did not know him.
「I heard you gave a gift to my distant descendant?」
Liam Caravan.
*
I didn’t throw away the sword imbued with a part of Gaia, the Earth Spirit King. It felt a bit uncomfortable, but considering my life so far, something terrible was bound to happen eventually whether I kept it or not. If that was the case, I figured I should at least have a good weapon to prepare for it.
‘Nothing’s actually happening.’
I had moved quickly after tucking the sword away, but no trouble had broken out. Master’s ‘peaceful and wise method’ had clearly worked. Well, as long as no one was bleeding or dead, I suppose it counts as peaceful.
Anyway, upon inspecting the newly acquired sword, it turned out to be quite the find.
‘It’s insanely hard. And yet, it’s light.’
I hadn’t yet figured out how to use the ‘Blessing of Nature’ or ‘Blessing of Earth’ that Audrey mentioned, but this was enough. A sword that felt almost weightless yet wouldn’t take a single scratch no matter what it hit—it was truly on the level of a treasure.
I had gained surprisingly much from Cherny.
I had formed a bond with Sir Bermartin, received teachings in the ‘Small Land of Swords’ he guarded, obtained this magnificent sword, and even my realm as a 「Sword Runner」 had ascended.
‘Come to think of it, I wonder if Sir Bermartin is alright. The chaos that old elf caused seemed quite significant.’
The commotion caused by High Elf Nadine seemed to have a larger aftermath than expected. I was able to hear about the incident in Cherny from the merchants. Our party was traveling the same route as a merchant caravan using the trade route between the Iron Kingdom and the Sky Empire. The merchants were whispering among themselves about the disturbance in Cherny, likely having heard news through communication devices. They seemed to be trying to speak quietly, but they couldn’t escape my ears.
“An Elder Elf appeared. I heard the only casualties were soldiers; all the civilians survived. They were missing at the time but were later found in nearby forests or lakes.”
“Those knife-ears have some nerve. Tearing down the city walls and launching a sudden attack right in the heart of the Iron Kingdom’s capital?”
“They’re just being bold. They’re under the protection of the Sky Empire, and the sheer volume of fruit and grain they supply is enormous. They’re confident they can get away with this.”
“The knife-ear who attacked the capital said our Highness has thrown the continent into chaos. A few nations agreed with them. But really, what does that matter? The world has always been about survival of the fittest. Our Highness only fought to win, for the sake of the people and to make the country prosper.”
“Besides, regarding the move on the Six Free Cities—no matter how it was done, isn’t the result all that matters? Whatever trickery was used, it’s ultimately House Rhapsody’s fault. The legion that was supposed to protect the country was absent, and the masters who were supposed to protect the citizens were gone. The fault lies with them.”
“And for us, it’s not all that bad. Haven’t the abundant resources and goods of the Free Cities all been released to the continent? I was always annoyed by how they used resources like weapons and brought up their goods every time there was diplomacy. If you have a lot, you should know how to share, tsk.”
“Honestly, I hope a full-scale war breaks out. The Six Free Cities, the elves—it’s an opportunity for the wealth, food, resources, and jewels they’ve held onto for hundreds of years to be released into the world.”
“There must be many who think like us. Does truth even matter in this world to begin with?”
“Ah, and I heard the prestige of several knight orders has risen. While some orders fled in terror during the elf’s attack, the ‘Yellow Elephant’ knights led by Sir Bermartin of Steel stayed until the end to evacuate the citizens. As expected, Sir Bermartin is the only true knight in the Iron Kingdom. I’m glad he survived the commotion. I heard—”
The conversation was quite interesting. I learned that Sir Bermartin and his knights were safe, and not only were they safe, but their prestige had risen significantly. But what was even more interesting was the content of their dialogue.
「That is how the world has always been.」
“What do you mean, how it’s always been?”
「Even during the Age of War in the past, there were plenty of times when the war could have been stopped. But in the end, what mattered to them was a pretext. Everyone knew the truth, yet they hid it and continued the war.」
“Why did they do that?”
「Because they wanted to possess more. To have more gold, to spread a louder fame, and to hold more land.」
“…”
「The more people have, the more they want to hide their desires. The laws, the order, and the justifications they establish are merely tools to conceal their greed.」
Indeed. It was only a matter of time before kings, who possessed broad perspectives as nobles and had been trained in imperial and monarchical studies since birth, would learn the truth behind the ‘vortex’ Ian Chervil had stirred. The vortex Ian Chervil spread was merely a pretext—a justification to break a long-standing peace. Some nations would condemn him and shout the truth. But other nations would push forward with war, using the flimsy pretext as a cover. Just as the Iron Kingdom had occupied the Six Free Cities, they would fall into the illusion that they, too, could claim sweet fruits. Someone would succeed, and someone would fail and collapse. And those swallowed by greed do not look at the failures. They only see the shining successes. Because everyone wants to shine. Brilliantly.
Ian Chervil had seen through the ‘desire’ that every living creature possesses. The vortex would not stop. Someone else would stir another vortex, and the vortices starting here and there would eventually intertwine to become a storm. Ian Chervil would continue to incite the storm so that everyone would continue the war.
「And eventually, the war becomes unstoppable. Once a certain line is crossed, no one can stop it. Everyone repeats the cycle of killing one another with sword, spear, and shield until only the last one remains. It becomes a world where you must fight, without even knowing why you are fighting.」
“…”
「That young king’s method is closer to a demonic plan.」
I looked at Master. “Can it be stopped?”
The answer came immediately.
「I stopped it.」
“…How did you stop it?”
At my question, Liam smiled benevolently. There were many kinds of emotions contained within that smile.
「I shall tell you when the time is right.」
“Don’t be like that…”
「For now, solve the problem right in front of you.」
The problem in front of me? Hearing Liam’s words, I turned my head. Ahead, I saw the merchants arguing with each other. Audrey was there too, looking troubled. Soon, she came over to me.
“Descendant of Steel, it looks like we’ll have to take a detour.”
*
I asked what was wrong. Audrey answered immediately.
“The path we’re trying to take is adjacent to the Great Forest and the Sky Mountain Range. It’s dangerous, but it’s the safest among the routes to the Sky Empire. However, it’s also a path that becomes impassable if a problem arises in even one of those two places—the most dangerous regions on the continent.”
“Has a problem occurred?”
“Yes, in the Great Forest.” Audrey let out a sigh. “High Elf Nadine. It’s because of that damn knife-ear hag. The forest is singing its wrath because she summoned the World Tree outside. For a race that is neither fairy nor beastfolk to pass near the enraged Great Forest? There’s no greater suicidal act. It’s wiser to wait.”
“How long do we have to wait?”
“At least a week.”
A week. That was a long time.
“Is there no other way?”
“There is. But no one takes it.”
“Is it a problematic method?”
“Problematic? Yes. Very. It’s a huge problem.” Audrey spoke after swallowing hard. “There is one path that bypasses both the Great Forest and the Sky Mountain Range, leading directly from the small city of 「Cloud Garden」 into the Sky Empire. The people of the Sky Empire call it the 「Cloud Bridge」. You can even arrive very quickly. If we use it, we’ll be there within two hours.”
“That sounds like a very good path.”
“Right? It sounds too good to be true.” Audrey looked at me. “That’s because it’s a place where dragons come and go.”
Dragons. It was a short but powerful word.
As soon as I heard it, I spoke.
“…Let’s go.”
“Go? Really?”
“Yes.”
After all.
“Isn’t seeing those things the reason we’re traveling all this way?”
I… I came on this foreign travel to see dragons.
“Let’s go wave a hand at them and say hello.”
