The Crimson Blade of the Fallen Knight

“The sword of the Black Knight Gerard.”

The official name was [The Crimson Greatsword of the Fallen Knight].

“I can see why you’re picky about your knightly taste, Lord.”

“It’s the Crimson Greatsword, after all. Crimson.”

“Oh… I was in my last stages of middle-school syndrome, weren’t I?”

“That’s fine.”

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

“It’s something every single one of us goes through.”

“I was keeping a black flame dragon in my left hand when I was in middle school too. So I get it.”

“Hey. Don’t feel embarrassed.”

“You just said your weapon was hers.”

Strong denial equals strong affirmation.

Okay.

I accepted it.

Anyway.

I never imagined the weapon used by a soul from another world would appear as an item.

Is there a connection between gates and the other world?

I thought about it for a moment, but quickly lost interest.

I wasn’t a crack specialist, so there was no point overthinking it.

Well, if the chance ever comes, I should talk to a crack expert.

Even if I can’t fully trust Sir Isra’s words.

“Let’s go.”

“That sword. She used it in her lifetime, right?”

My voice was loud enough to make ears ring.

The attachment to the sword is pretty intense, isn’t it?

“It’s one of the Twelve Hero Weapons. I can’t hand it over, but you can at least see it.”

“It’s not only for that.”

Sir Isra’s attachment.

I wondered how the blade was sharpened, its balance, the shape of the hilt.

“I’ll use that as reference when I craft your weapon next time.”

Sir Isra’s voice rang with genuine emotion.

If I had pulled it out, I would have hugged her right then and there.

Hoo.

Thank goodness.

I had no taste for cuddling undead.

I had meant to do serious web-surfing in the morning, but—

No choice.

I sat up in bed.

Time to get ready and head out.

* * *

The exhibition of the Twelve Hero Weapons was held at the annex of the National Central Museum.

Right after I stepped off the subway, the huge banner caught my eye.

I didn’t have to worry about getting lost thanks to the posters everywhere.

“Back when the Great Cataclysm happened, everyone thought the world was doomed.”

Gates had appeared all over the globe.

At the time, humanity didn’t even know there was another world beyond the blue space.

They didn’t even know that when mana concentration reached 100 percent, erosion would occur.

Monsters appeared from every direction.

It was hard to fight monsters with modern weapons.

Each country’s army did their best, but the casualties were enormous.

“That’s right.”

And then the awakened appeared.

Those who could sense mana, the so-called Hunters, grew stronger by killing monsters like in a game.

With the early Hunters’ efforts, the world regained stability.

Among them, the Hunters who made the most contributions were called the Twelve Stars, or the Twelve Heroes, in admiration.

“They were truly magnificent people.”

“He passed away during the Siberian Final Battle.”

A massive gate had opened right in the middle of Siberia.

In the process of sealing it, seven of the Twelve Heroes died.

Of the remaining five, three are still active Hunters today.

I heard that Director Jeong Seungil, whom I met yesterday, wasn’t one of the Twelve, but he was on par with the strongest.

It was in the textbook, so it was true.

Apparently, his activity area was limited to Asia, so he didn’t qualify.

Even so, he had participated in the Siberian Final Battle.

“The Crimson of the Fallen Knight······.”

Why?

It looks cool. Hehe.

But after hearing Sir Isra, one question arose.

“Does your sword have a soul?”

The textbook didn’t mention anything like that.

Maybe.

Was it some hidden story of the hero?

“Eh?”

As expected.

The name “Crimson of the Fallen Knight” had a touch of Sir Isra’s taste······.

While chatting, the exhibition hall came into view in no time.

Hoo.

For some reason, I felt strangely solemn.

The Twelve Heroes who ended the chaos after the Great Cataclysm.

The weapons carrying their noble spirits were inside here.

Please.

Don’t ask me for emotional support.

Just be quiet.

I took the guidebook and entered.

A single sword filled the entire field of vision.

In the center of the large hall hung a red sword upside down.

Spotlights hung everywhere, flashing and reflecting the blade from every angle.

The crimson blade, bathed in light, reflected its color in all directions.

In less than a second I felt completely overwhelmed.

Sir Isra’s calm voice.

When I first heard it, I didn’t think it was a joke.

Still.

She said it was her own sword, so mixed emotions swirled inside me.

“I really am a lucky man.”

“I met Sir Isra as my first otherworldly soul.”

I had traveled through gates for five years.

If I hadn’t taken the Hunter Academy request,

when would I have met an otherworldly soul and unlocked my wings?

No.

If Sir Isra hadn’t given me the ability to improve my Heavenly Martial Body,

I might still be wandering around as an E-rank hunter after all these years.

I felt gratitude toward the luck that even exhausting my entire lifetime of fortune couldn’t have bought.

“Why is that?”

There was one thing I hadn’t been able to shake off before death.

I hadn’t properly served my lord as a spirit.

I had met my end on the outskirts.

That one thing still acted as a shackle binding Sir Isra.

The lord Sir Isra had sworn to serve was me right now.

Even though the way of expression differed,

it was ultimately a vow to do her best for me.

“Thank you.”

Sniff.

Why does the conclusion always head that way?

“How does it feel?”

“You can look more.”

She had decided not to cling to her past life anymore.

I couldn’t even imagine what kind of heart that was.

To understand, wouldn’t you have to die once?

Yes, yes.

Having a knight lord makes me feel safe.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Anyway.

There was still time until the promised time.

Since I was here, I might as well look at the other Heroes’ weapons too.

While there was a legendary weapon that could attack with impunity by traveling through space,

there was also a golden shield engraved with the concept of “blocking.”

A sickle that cut through everything and a shield that blocked everything.

It was exactly the kind of contradiction that appeared in old sayings.

“I don’t know.”

I heard the owners of those weapons had been asked the same question many times.

Still.

The answer wasn’t given.

The performance of the weapon was one thing, but the user’s ability might change everything.

“It’s eye-opening.”

Because of the distance, I couldn’t check the weapon information with the status window.

But thanks to the Spirit Eye,

I could at least understand the mana and origin contained in the weapon.

Ideas kept popping up.

I should reference this when crafting my own weapon later.

Oriental-style sword.

A feather fan.

After looking at weapons full of immense power,

I realized we were at the last one.

“It should have been the Chatty Sage’s Staff.”

“The Crimson Greatsword of the Fallen Knight only?”

I ignored Sir Isra’s cry and walked into the next hall.

At that moment.

The tearingly high-pitched scream rivaled Sir Isra’s own cry and rattled my brain.

* * *

The souls of the screaming dead.

“Ugh.”

I pressed my hand to my forehead.

Hey.

Let me speak in order, please.

“My head hurts.”

I leaned my back against the wall and the guide came over.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah. I just need a little rest.”

Really.

It was like someone yelling right next to both ears.

I wasn’t hurt.

Gradually,

I turned my head toward the direction where I could hear something other than Sir Isra’s soul.

Since there were many eyes watching, I just nodded.

Sir Isra also let out a breath of relief upon sensing the soul’s presence.

The place where the soul’s presence was faintly visible.

Pointing naturally to the staff with the sword,

I moved my lips.

“There, right?”

Being careful not to be overheard by others, I asked quietly.

Right away I got an answer.

In the world.

Shock.

Wasn’t the soul from another world only supposed to appear from gates?

It was inside a weapon too?

Oh.

For some reason, a strangely unfair feeling rose in me.

Hoo.

Yeah.

Since I had obtained the Heavenly Martial Body, it was fine.

I was supposed to be happy that I had confirmed the possibility of souls being bound to items.

“Hey.”

While chatting with Sir Isra,

the otherworldly soul staying on the staff spoke again.

“Please go ahead.”

The otherworldly soul cried in a sobbing voice.

Sir Isra let out a dramatic cough.

Haa.

I guess I should say I’m relieved.

Because only I could hear the souls of those two,

and there was no need to spoil the atmosphere of the quiet exhibition hall.

“Sir Isra.”

It’s an otherworldly soul after all.

Just pulling it out adds a skill.

All right.

Then please tell me how to move you out of the staff.

“Eh?”

The staff had become the vessel instead of the ground.

Even if I wanted to leave,

I couldn’t leave freely because of the “one thing” from my past life.

Zeke?

Was he talking about Ezekiel Campbell?

The owner of the staff.

One of the Twelve Heroes and the name of the mage who died during the Siberian Final Battle.

The sorrow felt from the soul was an emotion.

Contrary to the blunt words,

this soul was mourning the fact that his former master, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the owner of the staff, had passed away.

“That’s right. It sounds difficult.”

The situation was different from when it was Sir Isra.

There were no backup undead prepared,

and it was impossible to pull out an undead in the middle of the exhibition hall.

The otherworldly soul was in shock.

Hmm.

That explained it.

I didn’t know if this soul was strong or weak.

Even so,

thinking of the time with Sir Isra, pulling it out was definitely the better choice.

I had heard the Twelve Hero Weapons exhibition was about to end.

It was a traveling exhibition around the world.

I had heard it would soon move to Japan.

So the time to pull out the otherworldly soul bound to [The Chatty Sage’s Staff] was running out.

For a moment.

Since the soul was bound to the staff,

maybe this thing wouldn’t work either?

I temporarily lowered the portable pocket dimension,

and the moment I reached for something,

the otherworldly soul let out another scream.