episode_0019

A beautiful sky with not a cloud in sight.

Two figures were soaring through the air, leaving a trail behind them.

One of them was gracefully maneuvering, creating elegant curves as they flew.

“Hehe~! Hehehe~!”

“Are you really enjoying this that much?”

“Yes! I was a bit upset when the master gave me a different sword, but now I’m okay with it!”

“A bit…?”

“Hehe, more than a bit.”

Skaha relayed Lian’s thoughts through Sephira.

With a bright smile on her face, it was clear that Lian had given a positive response to Sephira’s question.

“Your words and emotions are quite fickle for a powerful sword like you.”

“Sorry, but thank you for speaking on my behalf to the master!”

Skaha nuzzled against Sephira, brushing her cheek against the scales on her shoulder.

A gesture of affection among dragons.

Though not a dragon herself, Skaha was quite familiar with their culture, showing just how friendly she was towards dragons.

Compared to her eight years ago, it was a significant change.

“Enough with the gratitude. I just added a few words to the conversation.”

“I’ve had trouble communicating properly with the master…”

“Haha, from now on, make an effort to talk to him more and work on repairing your relationship.”

“Yes! I will!”

Skaha clenched her fists, showing her determination.

Sephira found Skaha’s actions endearing and chuckled softly.

If Lian hadn’t been in Skaha’s heart, the atmosphere could have easily turned tense, even with the Ice Bear of the North on the brink of extinction.

“By the way, how do you plan to find this Maxwell your master mentioned?”

“Sending dragons all over the world would quickly reveal his whereabouts, but that’s too intrusive. I’ll search for him myself.”

The reason Skaha couldn’t return to Lian’s side immediately was that she and Lian were well-known, and traveling together would surely reveal their identities.

Even when polymorphed into a human form, Skaha’s dragon-like appearance easily caught attention.

With her appealing short red hair and carefree demeanor, Skaha was more approachable than Alaina, who had a regal image.

In other words, her appearance could attract unwanted attention, making it difficult for Lian to travel with her.

“I’ll find him, cut off his limbs so he can’t escape, and present him to the master!”

Skaha casually spoke of gruesome actions with a bright smile.

Seeing through the hidden meaning behind her smile, Sephira cautiously asked, “Are you still worried about his final words?”

“…Yes, honestly, I am concerned.”

Unfortunately, Lian’s words weren’t all positive.

“If he truly regrets his actions and returns, I won’t push him away. But he won’t be carrying around countless swords like before.”

Lian hinted that he wouldn’t accept all swords.

This news didn’t sit well with Skaha.

Regardless of the fate of the other swords, what worried Skaha was the possibility of not being chosen by Lian.

“To increase the chances of returning to the master, I must capture Maxwell!”

“Yes, I’ll assist you as much as I can.”

“Thank you.”

Unfortunately, Skaha didn’t smile anymore.

Instead, with a determined look in her eyes, she scanned the area ahead, causing Sephira to worry as she glanced at Skaha’s face out of the corner of her eye.

In the near future, it seems that Skaha and several other swords will engage in a bloody competition.

***

A darkness settled over the entire Andar village.

Despite the late hour, the village was still as bright as midday.

Due to the delay caused by Drake, the villagers stayed up all night, not leaving the blacksmith shop.

Blacksmiths focused solely on their work, hammering away in the dim light.

Even the village chief, Ferguson, paid no attention to anything other than work.

So much so that he didn’t even notice the intruder entering through the window of his forge.

“Let’s see, they must have been around here somewhere….”

The intruder, with a mask covering their face but unable to conceal their beautiful platinum hair, was Alaina.

Stepping into the forge, she began rummaging through the pile of weapons in the corner.

Unable to search through each item individually, she simply plunged her arm into the pile of weapons.

Though the act of digging through the pile caused her skin to tear and flesh to be cut, she was unfazed as she was a weapon herself.

After rummaging through the pile with her hand, Alaina finally pulled out the item she was looking for.

As the weapons spilled out, the sound of hammering prevailed, and no one noticed a thing.

“I finally found it!”

“Oh?”

What Alaina pulled out of the pile was none other than Lian’s iron sword.

For repair, the sword had left Lian’s side and ended up in Ferguson’s forge.

Knowing this fact, Alaina didn’t hesitate to snatch the sword from the forge.

The reason was one and only.

To dispose of the sword that had captured Lian’s attention.

“If only you disappear…!”

However, there was one fact that she overlooked.

No matter how dire the situation, the sword had a personality that made snappy remarks.

“Hello! Loser!”

“What did you just say?”

“Greeting to the loser! I am kind!”

“Am I the loser?”

“Affirmative!”

“Ha…! Haha! This is ridiculous. Why would I be the loser? In every aspect, I am far superior to you!”

“The Holy Sword is sold! I am treated as a relic!”

“Ugh!”

It was a word that pierced Alaina to the core.

The memory of the sword leaving her and being sold was still a trauma for her, and the sword scratched that exact spot.

“Still, the fact that I am superior to you remains unchanged!”

“I do not deny. But who am I? The Sword of Justice!”

“I, too, was once Lian’s sword, you know?”

“Past? Present?”

“….”

Alaina couldn’t say anything.

Now she was just the Sword of Justice.

In terms of recognition, the Sword of Justice was higher.

But for Alaina, who was willing to sacrifice even the kingdom for Lian, the title of the Sword of Justice meant more.

“It’s, it’s okay. It’s not like I can go back to being Lian’s sword again.”

Alaina swallowed her anger with a positive thought.

Apart from the fact that Lian was not by her side, there was nothing about the Sword of Justice that could outsmart her.

Taking comfort in that, Alaina continued the argument.

“You may be happier now, but it’s only temporary. With such a fragile body, how long can you endure? How long will a cheap iron like you last?”

“Irrelevant. I am a remnant of memory! The Holy Sword, a fate to be forgotten!”

“Who says Lian will forget you!”

“Falsehood!”

“Argh…!”

The sword relentlessly scratched at Alaina, leaving her breathless.

As sharp as the Sword of Justice was, it overwhelmed Alaina as much as her tongue.

“Curious! The Holy Sword, what is its name?”

“I won’t let you get away with it this time. Are you trying to scratch my nerves again by asking for a name?”

Nameless?

That was the question, but it felt like subtly asking about the presence of parents.

Uncomfortable to just let it pass, Alaina answered.

“I am Alaina. It is the name bestowed upon me by the great Mother of Light, Fraana. By the way, you don’t even have such a dignified name, do you?”

Fine.

This time, the counterattack was clear.

I don’t know what made you ask about the name, but that question became a handshake.

Thinking that Alaina was thinking, she smirked and pouted.

“I suppose there’s no one who would have affection for a mere tool like a sword and give it a name.”

[Positive……]

“Now do you understand the difference between you and me?”

[Positive! Therefore, I demand! Master, naming!]

“What?! How dare you… No, such audacity?”

[Establishing rapport! VV!]

“Do you think Lian will give you a name?”

[Definitely positive!]

Alaina couldn’t refute this.

Given the face Lian had shown to the sword, there was still room to give it a name.

From the beginning, it was ambiguous to call it a sword as long as it was a sword.

“Hoo…! What was I doing, getting worked up over such a trivial conversation? It’s obvious who will remain as Lian’s sword in the end.”

[I, remain! Sure!]

“It’s impossible. A normal person’s sword may be used for a long time, but in Lian’s case, it’s different. You won’t be able to handle Lian’s swordsmanship, so it won’t be long before it breaks.”

[Instinct 100%!]

“It’s not something that can be solved with instinct, is it?”

[Possible! Demand a bet!]

“The result is obvious, so there’s no need to make a bet.”

[Scared?]

That owner and that sword.

The provocation from Lian was almost identical to Alaina’s provocation.

And as someone who had been provoked by Lian before being sold, Alaina couldn’t just sit back and watch.

“Fine, let’s make a bet! I was originally going to break you, but I’ll let it slide. Instead, cooperate with Lian to come to the Holy Kingdom! When Lian leaves the Holy Kingdom, we’ll bet on who remains at his waist. How about it? Are you satisfied now?”

[Positive!]

“The loser will forever leave Lian’s side.”

[Negative! I, not lose!]

What part is disadvantageous?

[Holy Sword, not chosen!]

Alaina had the possibility of not being able to return to Lian from the start of the bet.

So even if she lost, the sword said that the loss wouldn’t be significant.

“This damn sword until the end…! Haah! Then, do you have any specific punishment you want?”

[Naked duel!]

“What?! What is that…!”

After that, Alaina proposed other compromises in a flurry.

But all were rejected, and in the end, she had no choice but to accept the sword’s terms.

Thus, an unpredictable bet was made, where no one could predict the outcome.