Beacon Sword
Beacon Sword
It was utterly bewildering.
The gesture came without warning.
In the unremarkable flow of the gathering, Hong Yeon-hwa sidled up to me.
I thought nothing of it. I had grown used to her suddenly appearing beside me.
Then she reached out, draped an arm over my shoulder, and pulled me into an embrace.
For a moment my perception couldn't catch up to what had just happened.
[Warmth]
[Softness]
[Squeeze]
But the soft, snug sensation pressing firmly against my body and the warmth slowly seeping through forced me to accept reality.
To be honest, the act itself was nothing new.
Embarrassing as it was, I had ended up in Hong Yeon-hwa's arms quite often.
Frequently, I'd be sprawled on the floor, groaning, only for her to find me and scoop me up.
Being held like that, endlessly petted, and patted soothingly was a more common occurrence than one might think.
[Miss Hong Yeon-hwa?]
"Yeah? What is it?"
[There are a lot of eyes on us...]
However, all those prior times had been when Hong Yeon-hwa and I were completely alone.
Places with no onlookers. Situations where, without witnesses, no strange rumors could possibly spread.
Now was different.
As I focused on my burning face, I surveyed the surroundings with the Authority of Observation.
At least several hundred gazes were converging on us. It had been this way ever since I entered the gathering hall.
The branch families of the Calamity Flame clan and the forces under their command... all people with enough influence to be invited to the Regular Gathering.
In other words, they were the kind of people who could spread an amusing piece of gossip in an instant.
I carefully called out to Hong Yeon-hwa, and she reacted as if wondering if something was wrong.
Her response, seemingly unconcerned with the gesture and the watching eyes, filled me with momentary consternation.
I gave a slight shrug. The arm draped over my shoulders bobbed with it.
As I conveyed my intent with a more pointed action, Hong Yeon-hwa seemed to think for a second before subtly shifting her hand.
- Rustle...
'Eep.'
[Ticklish]
A jolt ran through me at the touch stroking my shoulder.
It was a gentle touch, but one that provoked a ticklish sensation.
As I shrank back, Hong Yeon-hwa, as if seizing the perfect opportunity, pulled me even closer.
The surrounding gazes grew more peculiar.
Had Hong Yeon-hwa felt them too? Her face reddened, but the arm wrapped around my shoulder didn't loosen.
It was then I realized—she was doing this fully aware of all the eyes on us.
It made no sense.
Until now, while Hong Yeon-hwa would periodically pull me close, she had always been mindful of prying eyes.
Even at Siyoram, whenever others were around, contact was limited to stroking my hair or cupping my cheeks and squeezing them playfully.
She had never been so brazen as she was now.
The heat flooding my head made me dizzy.
That wasn't all. Since this was a gathering, there was food, drink... and alcohol.
Being a banquet held at the main house of the Calamity Flame Family, nothing was lacking, and all the prepared liquor seemed to be expensive, high-quality stuff.
Perhaps because such spirits were abundant all around, I didn't feel particularly well.
Just like during the Tower of Growth after-party, my head grew hazy and unsteady. My consciousness dimmed as if a fog were rolling in.
On top of that, what with the heat coursing through my face, my mind grew even foggier.
"It's okay."
Suddenly, Hong Yeon-hwa spoke, patting my shoulder.
I blinked at the gesture.
The words 'It's okay'...
No rationale for why it was okay followed.
Amid all the staring eyes.
Even as she drew me in, held me in her arms, and moved, she knew rumors would spread. Yet she simply said it was okay.
'It's okay...'
But Hong Yeon-hwa had said it was okay.
That alone was enough to calm my pounding heart somewhat.
It was a matter of faith, of trust.
Hong Yeon-hwa would never deliberately do something to harm me.
If she was acting this way even while aware of the stares, there had to be a reason.
My shrugging shoulders stilled.
I yielded to her touch and leaned my body into her embrace.
In that state, Hong Yeon-hwa continued to receive those who came to offer greetings.
It was the same as before.
Chief Administrator Choi Ji-yeon led the conversations, and the other party responded. Hong Yeon-hwa would only occasionally reply when a topic directly involved her.
And whenever the person we were talking to glanced my way, she would look me over briefly, then simply pat and stroke my shoulder as if to reassure me.
.
.
.
Time flowed on and on, and at last, the hour for the Regular Gathering to end arrived.
Chief Administrator Choi Ji-yeon and Hong Yeon-hwa had each exchanged at least one round of greetings with all the attendees.
It was also time enough for the guests to have concluded all the necessary conversations among themselves.
"It is about the time when one might start feeling fatigued. Wagging one's tongue for hours on end is no ordinary feat, after all."
Choi Ji-yeon spoke up, drawing everyone's attention. At the remark signaling the gathering's end, all silently fixed their eyes on her.
What followed were ceremonial words.
Thank you for gracing us with your presence today. We will continue these periodic meetings. We hope you will honor us with your presence again then. Let us continue to prosper together, and so on...
Perhaps characteristic of the Calamity Flame Family, who generally disfavor such formalities, the speech was over quickly.
"Thus, while it is proper for the Clan Head to officiate, as he is currently absent, the heir, Hong Yeon-hwa, will now conduct the closing ceremony."
"Wait for me a little bit."
With those final words, the hand Hong Yeon-hwa had kept on my shoulder carefully pulled away.
Then, with an unhindered, confident stride, she ascended the central platform.
The closing ceremony of the Regular Gathering is conducted by the Clan Head pouring Calamity Flame into the Beacon Fire Sword.
Since the Clan Head was currently absent, the duty fell to the heir, Hong Yeon-hwa.
A single sword was thrust upside down into the platform. Its blade looked as if crafted from transparent glass.
Judging purely by appearance, it seemed fragile enough to shatter into pieces with a single kick.
But I knew, both from knowledge of the original work and from the information observed in real time, that such a thing would never happen.
'The Beacon Fire Sword.'
The unique weapon of the Calamity Flame Family, wielded by its Clan Head.
A weapon that exists solely to fully contain, Harmonize, and amplify the savage and ferocious Calamity Flame.
I recalled how, in the original work, Hong Yeon-hwa had grasped and swung the Beacon Fire Sword.
That was partly because of the massive combat power boost she gained while wielding it... but also for another reason: I had a vague idea of the cost that went into crafting it.
The main material of the sword was a fire-attributed Magic Stone from a monster of at least the 3rd Rank.
On top of that, the supplementary materials included all kinds of jewels saturated with mana of the utmost purity...
Even jewels saturated with high-purity mana were scarce goods, hard to buy even with money due to lack of supply.
The Magic Stone from a monster of the 3rd Rank or higher was an asset not convertible to currency in the first place.
A Magic Stone of that grade is originally classified as a strategic asset. I remembered that just one could easily power several mana power plants.
In short, she was effectively holding and swinging a sword that cost more than a castle.
Without hesitation, Hong Yeon-hwa drew the Beacon Fire Sword.
- Shiiing...
The sword embedded in the platform slid out with no resistance.
The Beacon Fire Sword doesn't particularly choose its wielder to be drawn. Its weight isn't astronomically heavy, so even an ordinary person could lift it.
Hong Yeon-hwa gripped the hilt with both hands and lifted it, pointing its tip toward the sky.
The transparent blade briefly held and absorbed an orange-tinged lantern light.
- Fwoosh!
The blade was sheathed in red flames.
The Calamity Flame bursting from Hong Yeon-hwa's hand blazed fiercely, then spiraled into a rough vortex and poured turbulently into the transparent blade.
In proportion to that, Hong Yeon-hwa's Calamity Flame gushed out even more intensely.
The surroundings heated up.
At the palpable heat of the Calamity Flame on their skin, murmurs of admiration mixed with awe escaped the lips of several onlookers.
'Oh...'
I, too, let out an inward sigh of admiration.
It was utterly different from the Calamity Flame I had sensed from her at the start of the semester. In terms of output, she had crossed a line.
As expected, having gone through the Tower of Growth and overcome a Trial of Calamity Flame had paid off.
- Whooom...
Abruptly, a wind rose. Cinders danced along the currents of the wind forming around Hong Yeon-hwa.
The outer coat draped over her shoulders fluttered in the breeze. Even the cinders swirling along its currents were sucked into the sword blade.
The Beacon Fire Sword endlessly devoured the Calamity Flame.
The once-transparent blade, greedily absorbing the flame, gradually heated to a bright red.
However.
- Flicker...
Even Hong Yeon-hwa's Calamity Flame couldn't gush forth limitlessly.
At some point, she let out a deep sigh and tamped down the flames.
The pillar of Calamity Flame surging endlessly toward the ceiling wavered, then vanished in an instant.
The Beacon Fire Sword greedily sucked up every last wisp of it.
- Hummm...
The blade, heated red.
It trembled finely for a moment as if resonating, but gradually returned to its original, glass-like transparency.
The Beacon Fire Sword once wielded by the Ancestor Hong Yeon has never found a new master since.
I don't know the exact mechanism, but I can only guess it's because it was already stained with the Ancestor Hong Yeon's Calamity Flame.
For that reason, it now serves as a ceremonial sword at various Calamity Flame Family events.
"Hoo..."
Having ceased emitting Calamity Flame, Hong Yeon-hwa let out a heated breath. Having drawn out such powerful Calamity Flame in a burst, she was likely Harmonizing the Emotional Heightening.
This time, the purpose was to fill the Beacon Fire Sword with flame, not combat.
Because of that, she likely drew out her Calamity Flame unrestrained, unlike in a fight.
- Glance
While reining in her heightened emotions, Hong Yeon-hwa cast a sudden glance this way. Her eyes held a complex, lingering gaze, and I tilted my head at it.
That lingering look intensified. Hong Yeon-hwa squeezed her eyes shut, then turned the sword around.
- Thunk
The blade that had been pointing tip-up was flipped, and she planted the Beacon Fire Sword firmly back in its original spot.
It slid in smoothly, like interlocking gears.
Ordinarily, the closing ceremony would end here.
Choi Ji-yeon parted her lips.
"With this, the closing of this Regular Gathering is—"
The attendees, knowing this, were already preparing to applaud.
"—before I declare it, there is a piece of news to convey to the kin of the Calamity Flame."
The applause never came. Those about to clap their hands stopped midway, blinking their eyes and exchanging glances.
It was a silent question: 'Did you know about this?' And no one could provide an answer.
Around that time, I began to walk, step by step, just as I had been instructed to.
At the sound of footsteps rising in the silence, eyes converged on me.
Accepting the countless stares boring into me, I ascended the platform.
At the sight of me suddenly climbing onto the platform, the gazes of the attendees were filled with puzzlement...
...or rather, they weren't. Instead, surprisingly, many nodded as if they had already anticipated this.
For my part, this unexpected reaction made my body jerk to a sudden halt.
My mind, still hazy, couldn't understand why their expressions seemed to say, 'So it was that.'
As I turned my head toward Choi Ji-yeon, she gave a nod.
The Calamity Flame Family has, since ancient times, often preferred to demonstrate with actions rather than words.
This confirmation, too, was to be shown through action.
"......"
Hong Yeon-hwa stepped back a few paces from the Beacon Fire Sword.
The Calamity Flame inside her body still felt sticky.
It seemed she was having a little trouble reining in her emotions.
Considering how the Calamity Flame inside her had been simmering stickily all evening, maybe she really was in poor condition.
Or perhaps she was struggling to adapt to the Emotional Heightening that came with the boosted output.
Taking her place, I stood before the Beacon Fire Sword and grasped its hilt.
- Shiiing...
As before, the Beacon Fire Sword slid out smoothly without a hitch.
The blade that had burned red-hot had already cooled, revealing its transparent form.
I subtly cast my Observation outward.
The eyes of those watching me still showed no great surprise, as if they had been expecting it.
"......"
With a somewhat odd feeling, I roused my mana.
Mana Affinity Expansion Ability
Homogenization (同質化)...
'Calamity Flame.'
Fwoosh! Flames latched onto the blade.
Calamity Flame burst forth from my right arm and encompassed the Beacon Fire Sword.
The transparent blade and the orange-lit interior were stained a deep crimson.
"......"
Ordinary eyes, as if expecting just this.
"......?"
Blinking eyes, as if sensing something off.
"......!"
Eyes finally flying wide open.
Only then did the eyes of those watching me widen in shock and astonishment.
Finally, some normal reactions.
In my hazier-than-usual state of mind—perhaps thanks to my heightened emotions—I felt a slightly childish satisfaction well up.
* * *
[Player Correction System: Measurement]
▶ Mental State
...
「Guilt」 : A feeling of responsibility for wrongs committed
「Fulfillment」 : A state of being full to contentment
「Warmth」 : A feeling, attitude, or atmosphere that is affectionate and cozy
「Intoxication」 : A state of mental haziness due to being drunk on alcohol
「Emotional Heightening」 : A state where thoughts or emotions are intensely ripened or elevated
...