NOVEL NEXT Chapter 11
Become the Master of the Holy Sword.
Lucius couldn’t easily grasp the hand of Bel that was stretched out to him.
Nighttime raid.
In the clutches of the Village Chief targeting Bel, Lucius had turned into nothing more than a burden.
He kicked at his attacker, but couldn’t subdue them; instead, he was shot and bled, preventing Bel from moving with ease.
No matter how much Bel was a being like a hero, she was weak, as she herself stated.
She was a weak woman.
As a man, being physically stronger than her, Lucius felt it was his duty to protect Bel.
Because he was a man.
Because he was her disciple.
– Remember it well, Lucius.
Lucius recalled the words of the hunter who saved him when he was abandoned as a child.
– Every man has chivalry in his heart. To protect the weak, defend women, and risk one’s life for others, that is chivalry.
Chivalry.
In other words, ‘justice’.
To realize that justice, strength is required.
Even if it wasn’t the strength Lucius had built up himself.
Even if it wasn’t an achievement earned through effort.
– Hey, how can one become a knight without feeling mana?
– Even if your abilities are lacking, if your heart doesn’t change, you are already a knight. Remember that.
“To be honorable to myself…! Master, I—”
“Get out of the way!!”
Bang!
Someone next to him shoved Lucius hard.
Despite being somewhat large in stature, Lucius couldn’t win against a young man who rivaled an Orc in size.
“I’ll become a hero!!”
“Nerthio!!”
Bel’s gaze turned toward Nerthio, the Village Chief’s son.
Despite not needing a weapon, he was the one with sinister intent, planning to raid Bel under the cover of night; in truth, he was indeed ‘stronger’ than Lucius.
That’s why they attacked Lucius at night.
Nerthio was stronger than Lucius, and he had a gun with him, courtesy of his father, the Village Chief.
“Make me a hero! Then I can wipe out those Goblins in one go!!”
Even though he had a gun, the power of the Holy Sword was still formidable.
The Master of the Holy Sword could withstand bullets without even getting a scratch and would quickly recover from any wounds.
Not just survival ability, but combat ability was the same.
Even an ordinary maiden who became the Master of the Holy Sword could unleash the power to turn into a Swordmaster.
“I heard you were a witch earlier?”
“Prove I’m not a witch!!”
“…You’re rude.”
Bel pointed at the Holy Sword, exasperated.
Ironically, as they gathered in the village plaza to avoid the Goblins, the villagers naturally turned their backs on the Holy Sword.
“Try pulling it out. Prove you’re the Master of the Holy Sword.”
“…….”
Bel stood with her arms crossed beside the Holy Sword.
Having loosened the rope by herself, she remained calm despite the threats of humans and Goblins around her.
“Kill them!! Grrr!”
“Ugh, do something with the Holy Sword or whatever!!”
“Damn, the Goblins are coming at us with everything they’ve got! What kind of Goblins are these!!”
Whether Bel was a witch or not, the Goblins’ combat power trying to thwart the awakening of the Holy Sword surpassed that of ordinary Goblins.
No Goblin fights desperately when attacking.
Maybe they would if they were inside a cave, or in their homes, but Goblins don’t throw their lives away to fight.
However, the Goblins were different now.
Determined to break through the humans blocking their way, they were hellbent on stopping Bel, the witch, from proceeding with the awakening ceremony of the Holy Sword.
“Huff….”
Nerthio calmly grabbed the handle of the Holy Sword.
Bel urged him to pull it out, and the Village Chief anxiously glanced between his son and the witch.
“The legend of the Witch Slayer… is a lie? That the legend is actually a plot of the Demon Race? That the true hero called upon the name of the Demon King? Ugh, what have I done? No, it can’t be. It can’t be…”
The Village Chief struggled to arrive at a clear judgment.
Lucius found it utterly ridiculous to see the Village Chief and the son, who had to remove the witch, agonizing over whether he could truly become the Master of the Holy Sword.
At the same time, he felt a sense of despair about himself.
“Master….”
If only he had told Nerthio to get lost.
If only he could have claimed that the Holy Sword belonged to Arthur Lucius.
– If you want to become a hero without the Holy Sword, then you are a hero.
The Master had said that.
Could it be that was meant for this very moment?
Was Lucius destined to be a hero without the Holy Sword, while the one worthy of wielding the true Holy Sword was a man stronger than Lucius himself?
Disgusted with himself for doing nothing right in the attack by the raiders, reduced to merely acting as a bullet sponge?
“I….”
“Grahhhh!!”
Nerthio turned beet red as he attempted to draw the Holy Sword.
But just like the thousands before him, it remained stuck in the altar, refusing to budge.
“Looks like you’re not cut out to be a hero. A guy sneaking around to kidnap a girl at night? Ha, that’s just nonsense.”
“Y-you!”
“Get lost. It’s Lucius’s turn now.”
Our.
Just that one sentence made Lucius stand tall.
Bel seemed to have said it thoughtlessly, but to Lucius, it felt utterly reassuring and made him happy.
Bel still believed in Lucius.
If his abilities were lacking, she would lend him the power of the Holy Sword, and if that wasn’t enough, she would help him grow.
Now, it was Lucius’s turn to show his abilities.
“Th-this…!”
“Hurry, Lucius.”
Bel reached out toward Nerthio, who lay on the ground.
At the tip of her index finger, a red flame blazed fiercely, and Bel nodded at Lucius.
No long words were needed.
Bel was expecting Lucius to pull the Holy Sword out, as if it was only natural.
Then it was time to respond to that belief.
“Huff….”
Lucius grasped the Holy Sword with both hands.
The Holy Sword was meant to be grasped during the coming-of-age ceremony.
Although it was truly the first time he held the hilt of the sword, Lucius felt it was somehow familiar, yet nostalgic.
“I am….”
Clunk.
“…Huh?”
He had wanted to pull it out smoothly, but no matter how much energy he gave it, it wouldn’t budge.
Lucius felt a sinking feeling in his heart.
“Th-this is….”
“To break the seal, you have to recite a spell. Pff.”
Bel approached Lucius, patting his back and laughing.
Even in the battlefield where Goblins and humans were fighting desperately, Bel wore a playful expression as she placed her hand on top of Lucius’s.
“!!”
A warm liquid flowed across Lucius’s hand.
It was surely Bel’s blood.
“Don’t tell me….”
“…Shh. Are you ready?”
Bel winked with one eye as a signal, and Lucius silently tightened his grip on the hilt in response.
“One, two—”
“Grahhh!!”
Clang!!
It was pulled out.
The Holy Sword that no one else could draw had come free from the altar.
“Wow…!!”
Tears welled up in Lucius’s eyes.
In Hero’s Village, in Village of the Holy Sword, how many had come and gone?
Among them were Grand Swordmasters renowned across the continent.
Yet no one could pull the sword from its place; everyone just thought some malevolent sorceress had played a prank with bad intentions.
Now it was merely being used as a stand-in for the coming-of-age ceremony to show that life wasn’t so easy.
And now, that Holy Sword was pulled by the hands of Lucius.
“Master…!! I did it!”
“…Yes. You pulled the Holy Sword.”
Bel looked at Lucius with an incredibly calm expression.
“You drew it, the Holy Sword.”
“Ah….”
Lucius was overwhelmed with electricity coursing through his body.
Not only had he become the Master of the Holy Sword, but he was also thrilled and overjoyed to have repaid Bel’s trust.
So now, it was time to defeat the Goblins and eliminate all threats against Bel.
“Master! I will protect you!”
“…You’re still one step away, you know?”
“What?”
“Look at the Holy Sword.”
Only then did Lucius divert his attention to the Holy Sword.
Lucius had succeeded in drawing the Holy Sword.
However, it was still rusted, and he was merely holding it.
There was no powerful magical storm erupting from the Holy Sword, nor was there thunder and lightning descending from its might.
He didn’t receive a flurry of mana from it either.
“What is this…?”
“Ha, ha ha!!”
Nerthio, sitting on the ground in disgrace, pointed and laughed at Lucius.
“Fool! You’re just a human who pulled the Holy Sword! Give it back! Now!!”
“W-what…?!”
“You annoying brat.”
Puh—!
Bel approached Nerthio and swiftly pinned him down with her foot.
“Kuk, cough…!!”
With one foot stomping on his solar plexus, Bel quickly jabbed at Nerthio’s shoulders with her toes.
Although she was barefoot from being dragged out at night, there was a faint crimson glow beneath her foot.
Was it because she held the Holy Sword?
Or was it because she had helped him draw it?
“From the moment you pulled it, that guy is the Master of the Holy Sword, you idiot.”
Lucius began to see what he hadn’t before.
Thump, thump.
Inside the Holy Sword.
It was as if it was bound by powerful chains; on the rusted Holy Sword were countless chains curled around it.
Chains that were invisible to others, as if made of mist yet clearly formed.
He had to unravel all of those.
Only then would the power of the Holy Sword become his own.
“M-Master…!!”
“Originally, you would go to the altar and perform a ceremony and trials, but that’s not the stage for you right now.”
Crack!
Bel stomped on the side of Nerthio’s face, who was trying to stand up.
Then, raising one hand toward the sky, she said.
“You need to raise it up while saying this. Got it?”
“R-really?”
“Of course. Have you seen me lie?”
“…….”
Everyone’s gaze began to converge on Lucius.
The humans with anticipation, and the Goblins with fear.
“Huff….”
With all eyes on Lucius, he held the Holy Sword above his head with both hands.
And then.
“Winds—!!”
In that instant.
Pshhh—!!
The rust of the Holy Sword exploded outward, and a whirlwind began to swirl from the sword.