The Owner of the Holy Sword - Shuen
The Holy Sword's owner—6—Shuen.
"They say a ghost house appears in the Andes Snowy Mountain at night, don't they?"
"Keh keh, that's right. But what are you doing here?"
"Camping out, that's what."
"...?"
"How do I get up the Andes Snowy Mountain?"
"Hmm... If you want to avoid monsters, it'll take at least two days and one night. If you go around, you can get there relatively safely."
"Hoohmm. Thanks, commoner. Thanks to choosing the safe route over the shortcut, Shuen was able to avoid the cultists and continue her difficult journey."
"Huuuueeeerk!!!"
Climbing the northern snowy mountain alone.
"Huiiiiii???? What are you doing?"
She even ran into a Frost Goblin during her hike and fled. After all, a noble was someone too dignified to waste mana on petty monsters. It definitely wasn't because she was scared.
"...Uuuuung."
Shuen had only one goal.
"The Holy Sword is my dowry, that's what."
The Holy Sword.
*
Shuen came running toward Mikhail and me with a bright smile.
"Nice to meet you, commoner. I mean, commoner."
"Yes, nice to meet you too, Shuen."
"I'm glad to see you too. But what are you two doing?"
Shuen tilted her head in confusion as she looked at Mikhail and me, both drenched in cold sweat. What were we doing in front of the Holy Sword?
"Did you leave it here for me?"
"That's not it."
"Hmm... Then it must be this."
Shuen nodded and reached for the Holy Sword. I flinched and stared at her as she grabbed it. Shuen touching the sword had never happened in the novel, so if someone unqualified like her laid hands on it, something dangerous might—
Pop!
"...?"
"Heh."
"What did you just do?"
"I gave it a little push, that's what."
Without a second thought, Shuen drew the Holy Sword and smiled innocently. Why had the two of us been struggling so much when it was this easy? I stared at her. I couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on in her head. The Holy Sword was only supposed to be drawn by the pure of heart... or, to put it bluntly, someone with a pure brain...
"What is it? That look in your eyes feels like you're committing the crime of insulting nobility."
"It's because you look cool."
"Is that so?"
Shuen beamed.
"As expected, commoners really know how to treat nobles. I'll be sure to put in a good word for you with House Tetra."
"Pardon?"
"Ahem!"
Shuen looked flustered by the question and quickly changed the subject to what was probably the most important matter at hand.
"So, commoner. Who becomes the owner of the Holy Sword?"
"..."
"I was the one who pulled it out, but the hilt was being held by you and that other commoner, wasn't it?"
"..."
Mikhail, who had somehow been demoted to "commoner," wiped the cold sweat from his face and tried to collect himself.
"Haa... haa..."
"You've come to your senses."
"The Holy Sword...! What happened to the Holy Sword?"
"Look at your hand, Mikhail."
The Holy Sword was now in Mikhail's hand. On the back of it was the tattoo symbolizing the sword's owner.
Mikhail let out a sigh of relief and lowered his head.
"Thank goodness."
"..."
"Really... I'm so glad. I thought I'd made a mistake and failed..."
"You didn't."
I bowed my head toward the self-blaming Mikhail. Honestly, this situation was partly my fault.
"I should have anticipated variables. This was my mistake."
"No, it wasn't. But..."
Holy Sword Qualification Confirmed.
'Holy Sword's Blessing' and over 80 additional blessings temporarily applied.
Magic power explosively rising.
Physical strength explosively rising.
Regenerative ability explosively rising.
All attacks gain the Holy attribute.
⋯ ⋯
I hid my surprise and handed the sword to Shuen. Showing her would be faster than explaining.
"Eh?"
She nodded.
"Heheh...!"
Thus, when Shuen grasped the Holy Sword—
"Hiyoooooot!!! Power is overflowing, that's what!!!!"
—she could wield its power. Shuen swung the sword around, then rested it on her shoulder and smiled brightly.
"I am now Hero Shuen, that's what! Forget magic—I'm going to fulfill my destiny to save the world from now on...!"
I turned to Mikhail.
"Mikhail."
"Yes...?"
"When I held the Holy Sword, did its blessings disappear? That feeling of power surging, like I could do anything..."
Mikhail shook his head.
"No. I can still feel them."
I see.
"This is strange."
"What is?"
"Uwahaha! Now I'm Shuen-gel, that's what! Angel Shuen."
I shot Shuen a glare, let out a small chuckle, and spoke to Mikhail.
"The right to wield the Holy Sword has passed to three people."
"Then... I..."
"No. The core blessings seem to still be bound to you, Mikhail. But both Shuen and I can use the same power when we hold the sword."
"Really?"
"In simple terms, even without holding the sword, you can use part of its power. Meanwhile, Shuen and I can only use it while holding the sword."
"A... that's a good thing, right!?"
"Haha... Yeah. I don't really understand what's happening either, but it seems like a good outcome in the end."
I had no idea. Nothing like this had ever been in the novel. Thanks to Shuen's unexpected involvement, I could now use the Holy Sword. I chuckled and snatched the sword from her hands.
"Eheheh! I'm Shuen-gel... Eh?"
"Shuen, shall we return it to its rightful owner?"
"...Eh? I'm not the owner?"
"Unfortunately, it's joint ownership."
"Hiih?!"
Shuen shot Mikhail a sharp glare, raised her hand, and declared her opinion.
"Commoner—no, Senior Mikhail."
"Huh...?"
"I'm giving my ownership rights to that red-haired commoner, so keep that in mind."
"Ah..."
"By majority rule, the owner is the red-haired commoner. If you want to use it, ask for permission, that's what."
"...Understood."
Mikhail looked bewildered as he glanced at me, but I had nothing to say either, so I just shrugged with a wry smile. I smiled at Shuen and bowed my head. I was grateful she was looking out for me.
"Thank you, Shuen."
Thump!
"Grrr!!! This isn't a dowry, so don't get the wrong idea and expect anything else, commoner."
"Pardon?"
"Anyway!!! Don't thank me for something like this!"
"Puhaha...! Understood."
Ownership of the Holy Sword returned to Mikhail. There was no point in me using it right now anyway. Honestly, rather than the sword—
Crack.
—escaping the curse of black magic had been a far greater gain. Once the blocked meridians opened, the flow of mana changed completely. It felt like power was overflowing. Energy surged through my entire body, ready to burst. Even my aura flowed more purely. It was as if I'd undergone the "bone and marrow cleansing" often described in martial arts novels.
Crack.
Power overflowed. So right now, it was right for Mikhail to hold the Holy Sword. I bowed to Shuen once more. Without her, I might have lost my life, let alone the sword. Shuen wandered around the space where the Holy Sword had rested, a question mark floating above her head.
"By the way."
"Yes."
"Why was it built like this, that's what."
"Pardon?"
"These walls."
Shuen pointed at the floor with her finger, her voice puzzled.
"They're made of Dark Shadow Stone, that's what."
"Pardon?"
Shuen tapped the wall with her finger.
"It's already contaminated, so it wouldn't be worth selling even if you tried. Hoohmm... How strange. To store a sacred relic in a place built with Dark Shadow Stone that absorbs evil energy—doesn't that seem odd? If it were me, I'd have used gold or quartz."
"..."
"It takes priests praying to a stone for twenty-four hours straight to make this material, you know..."
"...Uh, Shuen."
I smiled awkwardly at the energy rising from the floor.
"That's a flag."
"A flag?"
"Yes."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
I broke into a cold sweat as I stared at the floor. And then—
"Something's about to happen all of a sudden..."
CRAAAAAACK!!!
I sighed as I watched the massive pit open up, as if it would swallow the floor whole.
"Something like this."
Inside the pit that had formed beneath where the Holy Sword had been, something could be seen.
"...A sword."
A demonic sword brimming with intense malice and darkness.
Shhhhhhh.
"Hieh?"
"...!"
"Haa..."
It was visible.
Vmmmmmm.
Tyrving was trembling. As if it had encountered something immensely powerful.