The Ninth Demon Sword
"Good enough is good enough."
The Ninth Demon Sword. It is a blade better known as one of the weapons wielded by the Demon King, and there are a staggering nine of them in this world. If one were to ask why he uses so many when he doesn't even have nine arms, the answer is simple: the Demon King recovers his strength gradually from the moment his seal is broken, and he keeps swords prepared to match each stage of his power. ...Well, that is the widely accepted lore, at least.
The sword currently before my eyes is the Ninth Demon Sword. It is also the very first sword the Demon King uses after his seal is broken. In other words, it is the weakest sword used when he is at his weakest.
People usually assume that one would use the strongest weapon when at their weakest, but powerful swords come with their own restrictions. This is especially true for blades that utilize Magi; if you don't possess the strength to match the sword's caliber, it is impossible to wield. Therefore, the Ninth Demon Sword before me does not use Magi. It possesses only the ability to nullify magic or absorb mana. Paradoxically, that is precisely why I am conflicted.
The Demon King in his current state would not use the Ninth Demon Sword. Having regained a certain degree of power, he would surely be using a blade that channels Magi. Furthermore, since the sword appears to lack even a trace of Magi to the naked eye, it might be safe to use it openly. The problem is:
'There is a risk that someone might recognize it.'
The Demon King is the nemesis of humanity. Every piece of his equipment, every sword technique he employs, and even his magic are all subjects that must be analyzed—and they are being analyzed. Therefore, the sword the Demon King uses during his weakest phase is widely known. While the average person might not know, there are certainly those in higher positions who would notice. And...
This part is a slightly more serious issue. If the one who sent this Demon Sword is an Evil God, then simply using this blade could be interpreted as a gesture of stepping into their domain. In any case, as someone who needs to reach the ending, I would really prefer not to get involved with them.
'Tsk.'
It is tempting. From the Demon King's perspective, he wouldn't even glance at the ninth sword, but that is not the case for me. The greatest weakness of a swordsman is distance. Unless one is firing off sword energy indiscriminately, one must close the gap to fully exert their capabilities. While things like arrows can be deflected or dodged if you are of equal skill, magic is quite tricky to deal with. And this sword is a weapon that can perfectly compensate for that.
It nullifies magic and absorbs the mana. Of course, it isn't absolute, and it can't do everything, but that alone is merit enough. That is why I am greedy for it.
'...What should I do?'
I sat in my chair and tapped my fingers against the table. The sword itself is definitely a gain. That goes without saying. But the risk of getting entangled with the Evil God's side is just as great. Having once been entangled and having an entire timeline wiped out because of it, I couldn't help but be extra cautious.
However...
To obtain a sword of this caliber, I would have to wait until at least the mid-game. Until then, I would be stuck picking up and using some rotten, rusted blades. I would regret not taking this sword for a long, long time...
"Sigh."
It’s a bad habit. No matter how many times I regress, having experienced so much already makes me overthink things. One might call it being cautious, but it isn't a particularly good habit.
I let out a small sigh and reached out. The potential benefit is immense, and the risk is manageable. Of course, just because I can regress doesn't mean I should treat a timeline as disposable. The start of this current timeline is exceptionally good, and the thought of having to start the next one without any countermeasures is just exhausting.
But that is no reason to abandon the gain right in front of me.
I savored the feeling of the sword hilt settling into my hand with a satisfying click and let out a long breath. I smiled quietly as I felt the Demon Sword shudder and respond to my touch. As expected, the start is good.
A regressor cannot live in the present. Because they are bound by the past they have walked, they are always painting the future. Therefore, I tend to divide my boundaries. Much like dividing the pages of a boss fight in a game.
Right now, by my standards, it is Page 0. I control what I can control, in the areas near me. That includes distinguishing between people. If there is a villain I have saved or could save in this page, I save them first. Just like in other novels, if you don't let a future villain pass a certain threshold, there is a high possibility they could become a valuable asset to our side.
And between Page 0 and Page 1. There was a being I could save at this very moment. A person who becomes a reliable ally if saved right now, but becomes the worst kind of enemy if this timing is missed.
In truth, although this is my ninth timeline, it is a being I have only ever saved once. The conditions are quite demanding, and it takes a fair amount of time, but I remember being quite satisfied when I saved them that one time. And right now, the prerequisites have been perfectly met.
'...No, it’s safe to say the conditions have been exceeded.'
I don't know why things turned out this way, but well, it makes things easier, so isn't that a good thing?
I shrugged my shoulders and started walking. The Imperial Academy is relatively relaxed in the beginning. Although it is an academy established under the pretext of raising future talents for the Empire and beyond, it is also important for those talents to build friendships once they gather. Well, that’s only true for the first year; from the second year on, they are pushed hard with a focus on practical combat. But there is no need to think that far ahead anyway.
The Demon King's army will start attacking more intensely from the first year, and things will get busy before even reaching the second year. That is why I needed to use even this little bit of remaining free time to quickly handle what I needed to do.
Stepping out of the academy, I let out a small breath and moved on. I walked through the familiar streets, fiddling with the glass bottle in my pocket.
A small Satellite City exists in front of the academy. Most students attending the academy buy necessary items or enjoy their leisure time here. Since most of the students attending the Imperial Academy are nobles, and some even hold high status, the quality and service of the goods sold in the Satellite City are quite high.
However, in any city or country, the more it develops, the darker the shadows behind it become. Especially in the Satellite City, which is frequently visited by wealthy, soft-hearted nobles and clergy, such people inevitably flock there.
"..."
People with their heads bowed low, lying flat on the ground, were visible in every corner of the alleyways. They were people in shabby, wretched attire. I gave them a glance for a moment, but soon started walking away without any lingering attachment. There is no way to save them all. In a world where the wealth gap is already severe and a war with the Demon King's army is raging, it is only natural that vagrants would multiply. But there is nothing I can do about it. I am not particularly wealthy, nor am I smart. If I were to exhaust my strength trying to save them all, the probability of the world being destroyed would be high.
I walked further toward the outskirts of the Satellite City. I passed the bizarre scenery where one side was bustling with merchants hawking their wares, while the other side was begging in the dark shadows.
"...Hello."
How far had I walked? I arrived near the residential area of the Satellite City, where the number of people was extremely low, and spoke to someone who was collapsed and leaning against a corner. Despite it not being a very cold day, the small child, who had their hood pulled down low, flinched and trembled violently at the sound of my voice. The reaction of being wary of a strange voice was only natural, and having already experienced this, I reacted calmly.
By the book, I would need time to get close by giving them food or the like. But I don't have the luxury of going through that process right now. I have already made an acquaintance with Eileen, and I needed time to deepen my ties with Sylvia. Ultimately, I had to get close to them and others like them to increase the room for my intervention across the continent.
"...Do you have someone sick at home, by any chance?"
Therefore, I intended to skip many of the procedures. As it happened, I had the Holy Water I received from Eileen, so I planned to continue the persona with this. Wouldn't a faithful believer of the Goddess Church who goes around helping the poor be a decent enough cover?
"..."
Slowly, the child lifted their head and stared at me with sunken eyes. As I calmly accepted the gaze that was scrutinizing me from head to toe, the child slowly opened their mouth.
"Are you the person the older sister talked about?"
"...Huh?"
However, the words that came out of their mouth were not the question I had expected, so I couldn't help but blink slowly and ask back.
"She said she saw you in a dream."
The girl, who had slowly stood up, answered my question and began to walk ahead of me. "Follow me. It's this way."
...Right. If things had gone this far off track in such a short time, wouldn't it be stranger to be surprised? Well, good enough is good enough.
...It is very strange, though.