Ch.199Chapter 199: The Truth Revealed (4)

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This is awkward.

I was so taken aback by the current situation that I couldn’t think of any other expression besides “awkward” that would fit.

“Simply implanting a few memory fragments in your mind and calling it a gift would be beneath my dignity. Since you happen to have my master’s sword, let me do what I can for you within my authority.”

Faced with a goddess asking to borrow my dragon sword for such a reason, I could only swallow dryly.

Think about it—a transcendent being surrounded by divine aura, whose very presence is considered a miracle for ordinary humans, whether born that way or not.

If such a being decided to imbue power into a sword possessed by someone as ordinary as me…

She wouldn’t even need to seek my consent.

She could have simply drawn the dragon sword from my waist with her power.

Then imbued it with power and explained afterward.

Since her intentions weren’t malicious, I wouldn’t have objected, and most people experiencing this wouldn’t feel any aversion either.

Yet here was this transcendent being, politely requesting something from me, who was essentially her inferior. How could anyone face this situation normally?

Moreover, with all my life experiences accumulated before regression…

And the trajectories of my lives from different timelines that were still etching themselves into my mind…

The more I confirmed that I had never experienced anything similar to this situation…

The more I didn’t know how to react.

“Umm…”

Instead of giving an immediate answer to the goddess’s question, I could only let out a soft sigh and raise my right hand to scratch the back of my head.

Well, I may have avoided giving an immediate answer…

But the more I scratched my head and organized my thoughts…

The clearer it became what choice I should make.

I was planning to carefully gather my thoughts and then accept the goddess’s request, but…

Perhaps seeing my hesitation as I scratched the back of my head, she added:

“I swear by my name. I will imbue this sword with power that will serve as a pillar of strength through the numerous trials you must face. There’s no need to worry so much.”

This time, the goddess mentioned a sworn oath while asking me to lend her the dragon sword.

With such an earnest request, I had no reason to refuse her.

Actually, even when I first heard her request to borrow the dragon sword…

Though I was surprised, I didn’t find the request itself unpleasant.

So, setting aside my initial plan to calmly organize my thoughts before accepting, I drew the sheathed dragon sword from my waist, held it with both hands, and said:

“Then, I entrust it to you.”

I handed the dragon sword to the goddess with a respectful voice.

Though she still obscured her appearance with divine light…

I could sense an inexplicable satisfaction in her that couldn’t be hidden by the haziness as she saw the dragon sword approaching her.

Because of this, just as I was beginning to feel a sense of satisfaction in my heart, thinking that the trial I had undergone in this sword grave had finally concluded…

[@@#%@#$$@^@]

Due to the sudden noise—almost like static—that reverberated in my head…

I had no choice but to halt my movement as I was about to hand the sword to the goddess.

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“Sigh…”

I’m now slowly making my way out of the sword grave, where I had ventured quite deep to undergo a trial.

Given that this trial had exhausted me more than anything else I’d experienced since my regression…

Normally, no matter how tired I was, I should have been walking with much lighter steps than this, but…

“Sigh…”

With each step I took, I couldn’t help but let out a weary sigh, with nothing else I could particularly do.

The way I sighed was so lifeless that anyone watching would have commented on how pathetic I looked, but…

This was an unavoidable reaction.

Everything I had experienced up until leaving this place had made me this way…

So I figured it wouldn’t hurt to sigh a little.

Thud.

With each step my fatigue-soaked feet took…

“Sigh…”

The continuous sighs and…

“I never expected to be more drained by this than by the fierce battles during the trial.”

These were the only quiet reflections that escaped my lips as I recalled what had just happened.

What did I go through to make such dispirited remarks?

Since many might be curious, I’ll explain slowly as I continue my lonely walk.

First, let me briefly state the conclusion of what just happened.

The dragon sword? I ended up lending it to the goddess, Lux.

It wasn’t difficult to grant a request from a goddess who had been consistently kind to me throughout our encounter.

Recalling my memories from before the regression and the memories from numerous timelines that were still being carefully organized in my mind…

Transcendent beings surrounded by divine aura…

Whether the source of their divinity was righteous or twisted…

I had seen countless times that they always kept their word no matter what.

So I trusted the goddess’s promise completely, especially since she had sworn an oath.

I resolved to readily lend the dragon sword at my waist to the goddess, Lux.

Well, I had agreed to it with the casual thought that nothing could go wrong…

But an unexpected problem arose, causing my stay in the sword grave to be extended a bit longer.

What problem, you ask?

[No! Don’t entrust me to that woman!!]

The issue was that Fafnir, who had remained silent since I faced the goddess, started loudly protesting in my mind the moment I tried to lend her the dragon sword where he resided.

Of course, I eventually managed to persuade and soothe the obstinate Fafnir and handed the dragon sword to the goddess.

To put it somewhat exaggeratedly, calming down Fafnir, who was throwing a tantrum about not wanting anyone but me to handle him, felt much harder than the two fierce battles I had fought inside the sword grave.

Fafnir, who had refused to allow anyone but me to touch the sword he resided in, shed both the dignity he showed during our sparring and the playfulness he displayed when teasing me, and instead:

[No! Absolutely not! I don’t like being held by anyone other than you, but I really hate being held by that woman!]

He was so stubborn that I had the irreverent thought he might be having a seizure, which made it extremely difficult to calm him down.

…Well, although I described it as stubbornness and resistance…

Unlike the attitude of hatred and anger he showed toward demonic beings in Night Haven…

Fafnir’s attitude toward the goddess who was trying to hold him was more like desperately resisting an uncomfortable situation.

So it was fortunate that he reluctantly accepted after I persuaded him with valid reasons.

What surprised me during this process was that…

Unlike my ancestor who had built memories with him…

I was concerned that the goddess might not welcome Fafnir’s presence, so I continued my conversation with him through thoughts rather than spoken words.

But just as his voice was growing endlessly louder in my mind…

“Hehe.”

The goddess, with a laugh full of amusement, began:

“Really, wouldn’t a thousand years be enough time to fix that personality somewhat?”

As if speaking to someone other than me, she then said:

“Well, I’m glad to see you’re still as energetic as ever, Fafnir.”

I don’t need to explain how shocked I was when she directly mentioned Fafnir’s name.

But even that surprise was nothing compared to the astonishment I felt at what happened next.

As soon as the goddess’s words identifying him echoed through the sword grave:

[….]

Fafnir’s grumbling voice that had been loudly reverberating in my mind suddenly quieted, and then:

[Sigh. So I’ve been found out?]

When his voice came not from inside my head but externally through the dragon sword…

I don’t need to further explain how surprised I was.

The dragon sword in my hand, uncertain whether to return to my waist or be handed to the goddess who had requested it…

Left my hand and floated with its blade pointing downward, tracing an arc until it slowly positioned itself before the goddess. While impressive…

This wasn’t too surprising since I had seen it floating freely several times since I first obtained it, even when not held in my hand.

Eventually, the dragon sword containing Fafnir’s spirit stood before the goddess, still sheathed, and displayed various forms of sparkling light.

The goddess, seeing this sparkle, silently nodded several times, and then:

“I’m glad you understand.”

I was surprised to hear the goddess’s words indicating a successful conversation, even though they didn’t seem to have exchanged any audible dialogue.

While I could clearly hear the goddess’s spoken voice…

I couldn’t hear any of the conversation that must have taken place between Fafnir and the goddess from the moment they faced each other.

It seems they communicated through their thoughts, just as he did with me…

So that communication method wasn’t exclusive to me; he could use it with others too.

As I was processing this new information in my mind, I heard:

“Fafnir has given his permission too. Come to think of it, I should have asked him first before asking you.”

The goddess’s voice, informing me that she had received permission from the sword’s rightful owner…

“Hehe.”

With the warm laugh I had been hearing since we first met…

And with that, the complication caused by Fafnir’s resistance to my decision to lend the sword came to an end.

As I recalled the recent events while continuing my steps, I paused briefly…

I was curious about what the goddess had said to Fafnir, who had been grumbling until he revealed his voice to me, that made him accept her touch.

But my body, exhausted from the fierce battles, no longer allowed me to pursue complex thoughts.

“Well… Fafnir knows what he’s doing.”

With these words, I resumed my steps toward the exit.

With each step, I could feel my fatigue-ridden body growing heavier…

But contrary to my increasingly heavy body, my heart felt continuously lighter, perhaps due to the relief of having shed a great burden.