Chapter 24
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Origin
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Origin,
Kaisen Alter Aradamanthel (7)
“I trust you are aware of the five AuthenticWarriors who were active during the Age of Gods.”
Rahel Dune Jeraye explained as we walked down the corridor toward the Cradle of Holy Swords.
It was the 997th class.
It bears repeating, but Kaisen, who had only been enrolled for half a year, had been placed in the 997th class and was now attending this final lesson.
“I don’t really know. What about them?”
Kaisen whispered to Isla, who looked at him with genuine disbelief. Seira answered with a smile that only moved her lips.
“They are the heroes who rendered great service in sealing the Abyss, aiding the Lords of Light.”
“Oh.”
“The holy swords they wielded are called True Holy Swords.”
Ophelia, chiming in from the side, added to the explanation in a tone that suggested she was sick of Kaisen’s stupid questions.
“There are six in total. Libelden, Galadiel, Hisgibide, Aizaiya, Yoniulan, and Sharrilion.”
The True Holy Sword Sharrilion…
So what Tarsiyo said was true.
“But if there were five AuthenticWarriors, why are there six swords?”
“Because the Warrior of Pride, Alcaeus, wielded two swords: Libelden and Galadiel.”
“Ah, I see. But why are you explaining this now?”
Naturally, with her physically augmented senses, Rahel Dune Jeraye’s enhanced hearing picked up every bit of their chatter.
“This is basic knowledge, Kaisen.”
Startled by the sudden call of his name, Kaisen straightened his back. Seira’s lips curled into a smile. This was something of a specialty of hers.
“It is to explain that all Supreme Holy Swords were created by imitating the power and form of the True Holy Swords.”
“...?”
“Hmm, for instance, Aradamanthel, which was wielded by your master, Camilla Alter Aradamanthel, can be considered a derivative of the True Holy Sword Galadiel.”
By then, the 997th group had boarded the Papal Office’s elevator. Rahel Dune Jeraye pressed the button labeled B7.
“Two Supreme Holy Swords were created for each True Holy Sword, meaning there are a total of twelve Supreme Holy Swords in the world.”
“Are you saying Aradamanthel has a twin?”
“Very clever. As a reward, I’ll give you a flick on the forehead.”
Though he got rapped on the head for talking during the lesson, Kaisen felt a sense of relief.
A twin holy sword…
In the worst-case scenario where I’m not chosen by Aradamanthel, I might have another option. But that was as far as it went.
“The sword was named Renode. However, it disappeared along with Eshir, the disciple of Vinessa Alter Renode, during the ‘Black Summer’ and never returned to the Papal Office.”
No way…
Come to think of it, if he hadn't saved Camilla back then, Aradamanthel would have been lost as well.
Kaisen’s body trembled at the frightening realization.
“The holy swords can be repaired, but new ones cannot be forged. Currently, there are eight Supreme Holy Swords in the world, but with four on deployment, only the remaining four are stored here at the Papal Office.”
The elevator settled in the basement.
As the elevator’s metal gate opened, a damp, musty smell and the stench of dust washed over them.
Beyond the gate stood a heavy iron door, flanked by two members of the Dune Jeraye.
“Today, you must be chosen by one of these five Supreme Holy Swords. This is the day it is decided whether your middle name will be Alter or Dune.”
*Kugugugu…* With a heavy groan, the iron door split open.
It feels just like a royal tomb, he thought with a trembling heart.
The chamber was semicircular, dimly lit by the flickering flames of torches lining the walls.
“Do you see the niches in the outer wall? The Supreme Holy Swords are hung on the shelves within each niche.”
The gazes of the FakeWarrior disciples—Kaisen, Isla, and Seira—soon drifted in different directions. The pounding of their hearts echoed in their tense chests.
Aradamanthel.
Gaumris.
Solang.
However, Ophelia, who was not a FakeWarrior’s disciple, also fixed her gaze where Kaisen’s ended. It was on Aradamanthel. Ophelia whispered.
“Well then, let’s see who gets Aradamanthel.”
At the far end of the semicircle was a dais.
Rahel knelt before it.
Atop the high dais sat five cardinals on five thrones, exuding a golden majesty like a shimmering haze.
“I have brought three cadets from the 997th class, and one advanced cadet from the 998th class, for a total of four.”
“You have done well, Rahel Dune Jeraye.”
“It is my honor, Your Eminence.”
Cardinal Inrahit raised his hand.
“Begin at once.”
***
Before entering the Cradle of Holy Swords.
Back when he was training in Dragon Soul Resonance with Diale, Ophelia had been the first to provoke him.
“You may be Lady Camilla’s disciple, but I wonder. It’s not the master-disciple relationship that determines the wielder of a holy sword.”
The voice came from behind him. He flinched and turned to see the white hair tied in buns.
It was… Ophelia.
With her back to him at a nearby table, Ophelia continued speaking as she handled her cutlery with the grace befitting a noble’s daughter.
“You can barely awaken Diale, a mass-produced holy sword. There’s no way you can wield Aradamanthel.”
“…”
“Let me tell you this in advance. If you’re so sure Aradamanthel will be yours, you’d better give up that idea.”
Kaisen’s eyebrows twitched as he leaned back and turned in his seat. Ophelia did not look back.
“It was the weapon of a great hero, and then another hero.”
“Your point?”
“It’s not a weapon that can be wielded by a man who turns violent at the drop of a hat.”
Kaisen’s eyes narrowed.
He was in an awkward position, caught between her praise for his mother and master and her criticism of him.
So, he simply said.
“We’ll see about that.”
Ophelia stood up, taking her tray. With no squires or maids, even cadets from noble families had to handle such menial tasks themselves.
“Yes, we’ll see.”
As she passed, Ophelia’s eyes looked down on Kaisen. After she left, another voice spoke up.
“Don’t mind her too much. That’s just how she is. Not a friendly bone in her body.”
The newcomer also had white hair and golden eyes.
A tall, slender frame.
The face, with mischief twinkling in its eyes and dancing on its lips, was familiar. As Kaisen blinked, the person spoke first.
“I’m Seira. If your memory isn’t as pathetic as you look, you’ll remember me, right?”
“Of course. You defended me back then.”
“So you remembered. Our passionate first night together.”
“?”
“If all men were as smart as you, there might not be a place left for women.”
Just then.
Someone suddenly approached, sniffed at Kaisen’s neck and shoulder, and then chuckled.
“You smell good.”
Kaisen was so startled he almost shot up from his chair.
When he turned, the first thing he saw was one of the most peculiar cadets among the FakeWarriors.
Her beauty was radiant.
It wasn't a human kind of beauty, but a surreal one that was almost off-putting.
A petite frame, smaller than a young girl’s.
Her white hair and long eyes stood out against her bronze skin, and shockingly… dragon horns sprouted from both sides of her head.
“That’s Isla. She has a habit of sniffing people she’s just met.”
“Why the hell…?”
“As you can see from the horns, Isla is a half-dragon. She’s not even ten yet, but apparently, dragons can smell souls.”
Seira rested her chin on her interlocked hands and chuckled. Isla, excited by the praise, sat down next to her with a cheerful voice.
“That’s right, exactly right! Isla can even smell the scent hidden inside you! Ta-da-da-da. And Isla is actually over 300 years old!”
A half-dragon, 300 years old…?
Kaisen was bewildered.
Wasn’t the union of a dragon and a human considered blasphemous and also unprecedented?
“Is her way of speaking also because she’s a half-dragon?”
“No, it’s just that Isla is using Aki-speak.”
“Aki-speak?”
“You don’t know! Kaisen is a dummy! A dummy, dummy, dummy, moron! Not knowing Aki-speak, you deserve to die!”
“?”
Aki was the name of the baby dragon in *A Dragon and a Wizard’s Travelogue*.
Tarsiyo had told him about it.
The speech pattern was so cute that it had even become a trend among girls, known as Aki-speak.
“Isla is better at the languages of the demi-humans than human speech. I think she uses that way of talking to get used to human language.”
“No! Seira is a dummy! A dummy, dummy, dummy, moron.”
“Isla is just a baby. If you pat her like this, she purrs.”
Isla seemed about to protest, baring her strangely long canines, but when Seira actually petted her, she closed her eyes like a cat and purred happily.
“Cute, right? Ryunel Alter Gaumris adored Isla for this.”
“Come to think of it, you two are always together.”
“We’re close. Our masters met while fighting on a united front in <Tervenople>.”
<Tervenople> was the capital of the old republic, which fell after the breach of the Inferno Line. It was then that Isla, who had been devouring her meal noisily, spoke up.
“You, how did you get in here?”
“?”
“Isla is not asking about your qualifications! Isla is asking about your aptitude! All cadets must undergo an evaluation where they draw Diale upon admission!”
Hmm, not bad… humming to himself as he put a piece of veal steak in his mouth, Seira added to the explanation.
“If you can’t draw it, you don’t have the aptitude to be a FakeWarrior, so you can’t even enroll.”
“But you, you can draw it but you can barely resonate with the holy sword! How on earth did you get in? Isla is extremely curious.”
“Kaisen, don’t you know what an Invocation is?”
“I know. Roughly. It’s like talking to the holy sword, right?”
“What kind of answer is that? Didn’t Lady Camilla teach you properly?”
Camilla had taught Kaisen how to wield a sword, but she had never taught him the ways of a FakeWarrior.
And what Tarsiyo had taught him was all too abstract…
“Can you tell me?”
Isla looked at Seira, who shrugged. Seira began to speak.
“The Invocation of a sword is about resonating your will with the sword. Whether the sword resonates with that will or not is its own choice.”
***
The holy sword chooses…
With a long, tense exhale, Kaisen pulled himself out of the echoes of the past.
Once again, the dark and distinct world of the Cradle of Holy Swords filled his vision.
‘My will, and Aradamanthel’s will.’
What kind of will Aradamanthel possesses, and whether that will resonates with mine… it would all be decided soon.
“Head Instructor.”
Kelly Dune Jeraye, who had been watching the cadets from a distance, spoke up.
“Kaisen’s resonance level with Diale is abnormally low. At this rate, might Aradamanthel go to Ophelia?”
“We shall see.”
Ollier Dune Jeraye recalled the information on Kaisen that Johan Wolf Frost had submitted.
[Liberated the Supreme Holy Sword Aradamanthel during the Kaltake with Kishun Giolovefe.]
To awaken a Supreme Holy Sword without the power of a Dragon Soul is unprecedented.
No, there was one instance.
Miria Ludwick, the spouse of Dragon Lord Rain Ludwick, was said to have awakened Scherpang despite not being a FakeWarrior, but that was the only case in their long history.
Setting aside the story of that eccentric individual whose origins were unclear…
‘You did not listen to my prayer before, but I ask you again earnestly, Aradamanthel.’
Ollier clasped her hands together, praying desperately.
‘And Camilla, if you are in there, please help your disciple, so that Aradamanthel may join him on the path of the sword he must walk.’