The Legendary Sword's New Master
After finishing my final hunt, I slipped out of the Chamber of Queen Arachne and returned to the Lichtenauer Ducal Estate. Once back in my bedroom, I shut the door and opened my status window.
Owned Skills
Contractor of Divine Artifacts (SSS-rank, Active): Contract with a divine artifact to control it without touching it! Currently, you may contract with 1 artifact. This skill can grow by investing experience points. Current Level: 1
“Time to make a contract.”
As expected, the higher the grade of the artifact and the more artifacts you contract with, the greater the skill’s power. Fortunately, the ducal estate—famous for its knights—housed all kinds of divine artifacts. And I already knew exactly which one I wanted.
“Let’s head to the Hall of Fame.”
The Hall of Fame was a museum displaying the weapons of former heads and renowned knights who had brought glory to the family. Fitting for the ancient Lichtenauer Ducal Estate, its scale was impressive.
“Welcome, Young Master.”
After receiving the guards’ respectful greetings, I stepped inside. The sight that unfolded was breathtaking—dozens of weapons and divine artifacts gleamed under spotlights behind glass walls. This was a true treasure vault.
“Crimson Blade. Kahelin Spear. Oh, and the Limited Javelin too.”
Every weapon shimmered with a mysterious white glow. Pure white metal that seemed capable of devouring even a person’s soul. These were divine artifacts—forged from divine iron mined from only three special veins on the Karnadan continent, melted in the Primordial Flame, mixed with rare materials, and hammered tens of thousands of times over years by dwarven master craftsmen. A single well-trained knight wielding one could slaughter hundreds or thousands of monsters. It was no exaggeration to say these weapons had elevated humanity to the top of Karnadan’s ecosystem.
“They’re all magnificent… but every single one is white. None of them are for me.”
I muttered while gazing at the pristine artifacts. White divine artifacts ranged from Unique to Epic grade at best. Anything beyond that—Legendary or Mythic—required shedding that iconic pure white color. Though dwarves shaped them with the Primordial Flame, the final forging happened in a swordsman’s hands. Only after enduring countless trials and hardships did an artifact transcend its white form and gain a new color and shape.
For example, the massive black greatsword right in front of me.
“Legendary item. Iron Lion’s Greatsword.”
The weapon of Jonathan Lichtenauer, the first head of the family and founder of the Lichtenauer line. Born with a colossal frame and matching strength, Jonathan had asked the dwarves of the Primordial Flame to forge a weapon capable of shattering dragon scales during the First Dragonblood War. The result was the sword before me—its once-pure white blade now a deep black after drinking the blood of hundreds of dragons. As tall as I was, its blade was ten centimeters thick, a rectangular slab with only a cylindrical hilt protruding from it. The very embodiment of simplicity.
It was the only divine artifact in the Hall of Fame not sealed behind glass. Instead, it was embedded in the skull of a massive dragon, with the first head’s final words inscribed beneath it.
[When a new master of the sword appears, the blade shall be drawn.]
Right. A blatant homage to the Arthurian legend. But it made sense. The sword wasn’t sealed by some mystical force—it was simply an ultra-heavy weapon weighing nearly a ton. Even if someone used tools or machinery to pull it free, no ordinary knight could wield it. Only someone with transcendent natural strength like Jonathan Lichtenauer could handle it.
“But I’m different.”
I had no intention of swinging it with raw muscle in the first place. I glanced around. The Hall of Fame was empty. With the academy entrance exams approaching, everyone was busy training, and this place wasn’t frequented anyway. It only grew lively during family anniversaries, major events, or the succession of a new head. So, without anyone stopping me, I stepped onto the dragon’s skull and stood before the Iron Lion’s Greatsword.
I quietly placed my hand on the hilt of the ancient weapon. Information immediately appeared before my eyes.
Iron Lion’s Greatsword (Legendary)
Type: Two-handed Sword
Minimum Requirements: Strength 3000
Description: The sword of Jonathan Lichtenauer, first head of the Lichtenauer family. Requires transcendent strength.
Effect: All skills and basic attacks ignore armor.
[You do not meet the minimum requirements!]
[Forced equipping is possible, but severe penalties will be applied!]
Every piece of equipment and divine artifact in Karnadan had minimum requirements. Forcing use below those thresholds allowed equipping but inflicted heavy penalties. That was exactly why Contractor of Divine Artifacts was such a broken skill—it let you ignore requirements and wield any unowned divine artifact at full power without penalties.
“I contract.”
The moment I spoke, the greatsword embedded in the skull began to tremble violently.
[This divine artifact has no owner.]
[Contract available immediately.]
[Will you form a contract between the Iron Lion’s Greatsword and Contractor of Divine Artifacts?]
“I will.”
As soon as I answered, the tremors intensified. With a resounding boom, the Iron Lion’s Greatsword was pulled free and floated gently into the air.
[Contract complete.]
[You may now wield the Iron Lion’s Greatsword!]
“Nice.”
I raised my hand and waved it around. The massive, heavy greatsword moved as lightly as a falling leaf, following my gestures. I spun it through the air, made it rotate above my head, and tested various techniques I’d used in the game.
[Mana is consumed while controlling the divine artifact!]
Mana drained with every movement, but my overwhelming 1005 mana pool handled it effortlessly. My sharp senses remained intact—actually, they had improved. Since the game had become reality, the sword responded far more precisely and swiftly to my will than it ever had through keyboard and mouse. I could execute techniques with even greater flair and precision.
After playing with the sword atop the dragon’s skull for a while, I called it back to hover behind me.
“Done.”
I stepped down from the skull and walked out through the main doors of the Hall of Fame with my head held high.
“Please be careful on your way… huh?”
The guards on duty stared in shock at the Iron Lion’s Greatsword floating behind me.
“W-wait, that’s—! How the hell—?!”
Both guards raised their voices, forgetting formal speech in their astonishment.
“Go report to the Duke,” I said with a smile. “Tell him the new master of the sword has appeared according to the first head’s will, and I’ve taken it with me.”
“Asbel took the first head’s sword?”
“Yes. I don’t know how, but the sword was floating in the air.”
“It was circling around Young Master Asbel like a living creature.”
Duke Kaiser Lichtenauer remained silent for a moment after hearing the report from the two loyal knights. These men weren’t the type to drink on duty or hallucinate, nor would they bother their busy lord with such an absurd lie.
“The Iron Lion’s Greatsword… Asbel took it?”
“Yes, Your Grace! He said the new master had appeared and simply walked away with it.”
The Duke suddenly burst into laughter.
“Not a single person since the first head has even dared to lift that sword. It isn’t meant for ordinary knights. Only someone blessed with godlike strength can wield it. And yet the weakest of my children, Asbel, walked out carrying it?”
The knights looked uneasy, wondering if the Duke thought they were lying, but his laughter stemmed from something else entirely.
“If the story had been even slightly plausible, I might have suspected a lie. But this is so ridiculous that suspicion doesn’t even occur to me. Either it’s a complete fabrication or an unbelievable truth—and since it’s coming from you two, it must be the truth.”
“What shall we do, Your Grace? If you order us to retrieve the sword and return it to the Hall of Fame, we will.”
“Leave it be.”
“Pardon?”
“That isn’t the kind of weapon you can simply pick up and walk away with just because you want to. Whatever method he used, if he managed to take it, then so be it.”
“But the family treasure…”
“Have you forgotten the first head’s will? Other artifacts are one thing, but the moment Asbel drew the Iron Lion’s Greatsword, he became its rightful owner. The weapon has simply found a new master. We have no reason to interfere.”
With that, the Duke returned his gaze to the documents he had been reviewing.
“You may go.”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
After the two knights left, the Duke continued reading before once again breaking into laughter and turning his eyes toward the window.
“What exactly have you done, Isabella?”
He spoke the name of one of his late wives—Asbel’s mother. Quietly, he recalled the past, the time when Asbel was born. Because the child had been born with an abnormally weak constitution, the Duke had been ready to dispose of him without hesitation. But Isabella had desperately pleaded with him, claiming the boy possessed an abnormally high amount of mana and, despite his frail body, would grow strong in his own unique way. After witnessing the infant Asbel’s mana reserves—several times greater than those of a trained knight—the Duke had realized his wife spoke the truth and, on a whim, had let the child live.
Of course, he had completely lost interest afterward. His concern had never been to nurture an unfortunate son, but to raise stronger children worthy of inheriting the family.
“He was supposed to be nothing more than insurance… yet things have taken an interesting turn.”
A hearty laugh escaped him.
“Show me what you can do, Asbel. Surprise me.”
The Duke looked forward to seeing what results tomorrow would bring.