A Borrowed Blade

"Please, just lend me that sword!"

The man looked visibly flustered.

It was as if he wanted no part of this situation.

"Just listen to me! I'm not a pickpocket!"

The man tried to defend himself, but to Luna, it sounded like empty excuses.

Luring a woman carrying expensive items to a secluded place... They must have planned to rob her together.

Luna sensed that this was a clear trap.

She figured it was a scheme where a pickpocket lured a woman away by stealing a single item, only for his accomplices to join in and strip her of everything.

She couldn't take the man's words at face value.

But at this rate, I'm a sitting duck...

Luna grit her teeth, clutching her broken sword.

She had no idea what to do with the mysterious man in front of her.

But then, the flustered man blurted out something unexpected.

"It's the truth! I was on my way to the Academy and just took a wrong turn into this back alley. I only drew my sword because I heard a scream."

He earnestly explained that he was by no means an accomplice to the pickpocket.

"Besides, I'm not even a swordsman. I'm just a student on my way to take the entrance exam."

Luna scrutinized him with suspicious eyes.

But now that I think about it...

There were indeed strange aspects to his behavior. If he were with the pickpocket, he would have run away long ago.

Furthermore, the backpack on his shoulders looked far too awkward for a swordsman.

Could what this man is saying actually be true?

If so, this was an incredibly awkward situation.

She had jumped to conclusions and drawn her blade on an innocent bystander.

As doubt crept in, Luna's eyes wavered anxiously.

But right then.

Ominous shadows began to emerge one by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠one from the corners of the alley.

Men with brutish faces and black hoods pulled low—they were undoubtedly the pickpocket's accomplices.

"Oh no, there are so many of them..."

Luna bit her lip and muttered.

She had expected accomplices, but this number was far from easy to handle.

The odds are against me... It will be hard to fight them off with a broken sword.

Anxiety crept into her heart.

Among them, one man stood out with an exceptionally rugged and hulking frame.

The bloodlust radiating from him was on a different level compared to the others.

"Useless fool... getting taken down by mere greenhorns."

Looking down at his fallen subordinate, the leader slowly raised his head.

"I'll make you regret this. Very slowly, and very painfully..."

His scarred, rugged face distorted. His low, booming voice echoed through the alley.

The leader slowly clenched his fists, exuding a threatening aura.

Luna involuntarily gasped. The hair on her arms stood on end.

This one is different. Those eyes... they're the eyes of someone who has killed countless times.

If only her mana core were intact, she could have dealt with them in the blink of an eye.

But in ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her current state, facing this crowd alone was too much.

Sigh, what is that man doing?

The man, who claimed he wasn't a bad guy, had already hidden behind Luna's back.

Frustrated, Luna snapped at him.

"You! If you're really not with them, draw your sword and fight!"

"I already told you! I'm not ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a swordsman! I don't know how to fight!"

Despite his protests, the situation was rapidly deteriorating.

The enemies had already surrounded the two, casting menacing glares.

If only... my sword wasn't broken...

In her moment of despair, a thought suddenly flashed through Luna's mind.

Without a moment's hesitation, she shouted to him.

"Wait! That sword of yours, could you lend it to me?"

"What? My sword?"

After a brief hesitation, the man handed his sword to Luna as if he had no other choice.

Luna took the sword.

In this desperate moment, this sword was her last hope.

But at that moment, something unbelievable happened.

The moment Luna gripped the hilt, a shiver ran down her entire body.

A strange sensation, as if something that had been asleep for a long time was waking up.

What on earth is this sword?

An unfamiliar energy surged from her fingertips.

It was a power of a completely different dimension, unlike anything she had ever felt before.

The mana within Luna began to resonate and pulse with the sword.

What is this bizarre feeling coming from the sword? I feel like I can unleash immense power even with my meager mana.

Luna's eyes widened.

She let out an involuntary gasp of admiration.

Right then, the enemies lunged at Luna.

Luna instinctively swung the sword at them.

Whoosh!

A silver flash cleaved the air like lightning.

Amazingly, with just a single strike, the attackers were sent flying and crashed to the ground.

Luna was left speechless by the sword's wondrous power.

"How is this even possible..."

To exert such formidable power with such meager mana.

This power matches my skills from when I was at my peak... No, maybe it's even greater.

A shiver ran down her spine.

But there was no time for deep thought.

Now was the time to pour all her strength into the fight.

Alright, with this sword, I can easily defeat them!

A confident smile played on Luna's lips.

Tzing!

A dazzling flash split the air.

A spectacular sight unfolded, as if dozens of moonbeams were bursting forth.

"Gah!"

They stumbled, blinded by the intense light, but only for a moment.

A storm of silver blades swept over the enemies.

Over a dozen men collapsed from that single strike.

The alley filled with groans and the metallic scent of blood.

"This can't be... What kind of power does that girl possess..."

The few remaining survivors muttered in sheer terror.

But they were given not even a shred of hope.

Luna swung the sword once more.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Even in the bright daylight, a soft moonlight poured down.

Blue streaks of light rained down rapidly from the air, engulfing the remaining thugs.

"Aaargh!"

Screams erupted from the enemies amidst the frenzy of blue moonlight.

Caught in the mystical sword dance, they collapsed, knocked unconscious.

In the blink of an eye, the alley fell silent.

For some reason, moonlight still lingered in the back alley in the middle of the day.

Luna exhaled a ragged breath.

She couldn't calm her racing heart.

The secret arts of the Silvertone family, passed down through generations.

She had never been able to perform them properly since her mana core was damaged.

Yet just now, she had perfectly replicated their full power.

Unable to contain her excitement, Luna approached the man and asked.

"W-Where did you get a sword like this?"

The man took a step back in panic.

Grab!

Luna grabbed his hand and demanded.

"Just what is the identity of this sword?"

I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was flustered.

One moment she was jumping to conclusions and pointing a blade at me, and the next she was grabbing my hand and interrogating me.

I was temporarily left speechless by this fickle woman's erratic behavior.

"Could it be a family heirloom passed down through a famous swordsmanship clan?"

"No, it's nothing like that."

I answered bluntly without realizing it.

Well, she was the one being rude first.

At that, she quickly introduced herself.

"Ah, where are my manners? I haven't introduced myself. I am Luna Silvertone."

"Right... I'm Edward Granger."

Ahem. If someone introduces themselves, it's only polite to return the gesture.

"Um... Mr. Granger. I am truly sorry about earlier. Pointing a sword at you so suddenly... I was far too rash."

Luna offered an apology, looking rather embarrassed.

"Ah, yes... Well, it was an understandable misunderstanding. Still, I'm glad we survived thanks to you."

Yeah, as long as she apologized, it was fine.

After all, she did save my life.

"Well then, I must be off to take the entrance exam..."

"Wait! I'm actually on my way to take the entrance exam as well. I know the way. Let me guide you."

And so, I ended up heading to the Academy with her.

Since Lucentia was much more labyrinthine than I expected and I was having trouble finding my way, I couldn't refuse.

I can't be late for the Academy entrance ceremony...

But as we walked, I could feel her gaze on me.

Hmm...

It seemed she had been quite shocked after using my sword.

In truth, this sword was a masterpiece I crafted before heading to the Academy, investing most of the initial sponsorship funds I received from Duke Blackwood.

Back in my gaming days, I had reached the max level as a blacksmith, but I had barely invested any stat points into mana.

Because of that, whenever a close-quarters battle broke out, I would run into danger due to mana depletion.

To solve this issue, I designed and crafted this sword myself.

Of course, I named the sword myself.

You know the story from the Bible, right? The one where David, a mere boy, defeats the giant Goliath.

I named it after that tale.

Anyway, I'm glad I made this sword beforehand.

If not for this sword, I might have met a grim fate earlier.

"To be honest, I was shocked when I used that sword earlier. Are you perhaps from a famous family?"

Luna, who had been stealing glances at me, asked.

"No way. I was born into a family of farmers. I made this sword myself."

Luna's eyes went wide at my reply.

"What? You made it yourself? But the quality of the materials is..."

Luna's gaze locked onto the sword once more.

Oh, so she recognizes it.

And no wonder. This sword was composed entirely of expensive, rare materials.

A blade forged from mithril alloy.

A scabbard and hilt adorned with mana-infused crystals.

On top of that, I had engraved runes onto it, so it probably looked like it had been touched by a high mage.

"Where on earth did you get such materials..."

Luna muttered, unable to hide her astonishment.

Her words reminded me of the letter Duke Blackwood had sent.

To make this sword, there were too many materials that I couldn't obtain on my own, so I had sent a list to Duke Blackwood to request them.

Honestly, I had thought that even a duke might fail to get a few of them.

But it seemed Duke Blackwood's authority was even greater than I had imagined.

Well, there was no need to hide it.

"Ah, I was able to make this sword because Duke Blackwood recognized my skills and sponsored me."

"Duke Blackwood? Heavens, the leader of the Blackwood Knights in the eastern part of the Empire?"

Luna's eyes grew even wider.

Oh, is it really that shocking?

According to her, the Blackwood family ruled the eastern region of the Empire and led the knights who guarded that vast territory.

They were considered one of the most powerful and influential knight orders in the Empire.

They were that big of a deal?

"That is truly amazing. You look so young, yet you already possess such outstanding skill and have earned his recognition..."

"..."

But that was the end of the conversation.

As the awkward silence dragged on, I couldn't help but ask.

"So, Miss Luna, are you applying to the Department of Swordsmanship?"

"Yes. I've trained in swordsmanship since I was a child. I want to continue walking the path of a swordsman."

After a brief hesitation, she continued.

"Actually, it might be too early to say, but my dream is to one day become the Sword Saint of this Empire."

Sword Saint.

An honorable title that could only be obtained by a master swordsman who had reached the absolute peak of swordsmanship.

In this Empire, a Sword Saint meant far more than just a skilled fighter.

The Sword Saint was one of the 10 Greats, reigning as an absolute powerhouse who transcended the realm of ordinary mortals.

The 10 Greats was a term encompassing the strongest individuals in this world.

Each of them wielded enough power to influence the fate of nations.

In particular, the Sword Saint of this Empire was said to have played a decisive role in making the nation prosperous and powerful by achieving distinguished feats in major wars.

Truly, a pillar of the Empire.

"Haha... I know. You must think wanting to become the Sword Saint is an absurd dream, right?"

"No, I don't know much about it, but seeing you earlier, it doesn't seem like an impossible dream."

"Haha... Is that so?"

For a moment, Luna's face stiffened.

She seemed to have her reasons, but she looked reluctant to speak of them.

I decided not to pry.

We finally arrived at the main gate of the Academy.

Stepping inside, we saw a long queue of applicants.

"This is where our paths diverge."

Luna murmured, looking slightly disappointed.

The signpost at the fork indicated the directions to the testing grounds for each department.

To the left were the Department of Swordsmanship and the Department of Magic; to the right was the Department of Weapon Crafting.

Seeing her hesitant expression, she seemed to have more to say.

I didn't know what it was, but because of the incident earlier, time for the entrance exam was running tight.

"It's fine. We'll have plenty of chances to run into each other on campus."

"Ah... I suppose so?"

"Yes. Well, good luck, Miss Luna."

"Thank you, Mr. Granger. I will definitely see you next time!"

With that, we parted ways and headed toward our respective testing grounds.