Ch.21Chapter 21: The Name of the Sword

When I first saw the sword on the desk, I could sense an unusual aura emanating from its worn appearance—something that immediately told me this was no ordinary blade.

Moreover, when I learned that this sword was used by my ancestor, Lord Lumen Ranos, not for his Radiant Sword Style but for developing his own new sword technique, I couldn’t help but view it with profound seriousness.

However, despite my serious observation of the sword, a strange doubt lingered in my mind.

How should I put this?

For someone like me who had idolized him since childhood through stories and trained with a sword every day without rest to become a swordsman like him…

Looking at this somewhat dull-colored sword that seemed slightly disconnected from the bright, star-like radiance I had always associated with my ancestor as a great hero…

“Is this… really another sword used by my ancestor?”

The words escaped my mouth before I could stop them, honestly expressing the disconnect I felt between my first impression of the sword and my image of my ancestor.

I immediately pressed my lips shut, realizing my mistake.

“Khuhuhuhu.”

From across the table, Director Belpheus merely responded with an amused laugh, as if he had anticipated my reaction.

While I was relieved that he didn’t seem bothered by my comment…

The fact remained that I had spoken disrespectfully.

“Ah… I apologize for my rudeness.”

I immediately offered my apology, standing up and bowing my head toward the Director.

In response to my apology, the Director raised his hand to dismiss my concern, still displaying a broad smile as he spoke to ease my mind.

“No, no. I just found it amusing that your reaction to this sword is similar to how people reacted a thousand years ago.”

“Similar in what way…?”

“Just like how people never said anything when that fellow performed quick sword techniques with his slender body, but always showed confusion whenever he tried to demonstrate the principles of heavy swordsmanship with this blade.”

Clearly…

Though his words were delivered lightly to ease my mind…

*Stab*

“Ugh…”

As I heard those casual words, I felt an invisible blade piercing through the guilt in my heart, and an involuntary groan escaped my lips.

“…I’m sorry.”

So I bowed my head once more to express my regret.

An apology for unknowingly disrespecting my idol and ancestor…

And to Director Belpheus, who lived in the same era and shared memories with him.

“Hehe. It’s fine, really.”

Director Belpheus still seemed unconcerned about my attitude as he accepted my apology.

Seeing me finally raise my head after organizing my apologetic feelings, the Director…

*Snap*

Once again brought his right thumb and middle finger together, creating a clear sound.

The first time he had snapped his fingers, the heavy door to the director’s office had opened.

The second time, the wooden box containing the sword had instantly disappeared.

This time, the sword on the desk floated into the air as if tied to a thin thread, then positioned itself directly in front of me, hovering motionless.

These three phenomena might seem simple, but they were demonstrations of spatial control magic, a subcategory of the Director’s specialty in space-time control spells.

Unlike unskilled practitioners who needed to draw complex magical formulas and maintain intense concentration just to levitate a small pebble…

Director Belpheus activated his magic with just a finger snap as a trigger and maintained it without any additional effort.

This was how the unbridgeable gap between him and other practitioners manifested, even if it seemed small to the casual observer.

An ordinary person might be amazed by this display, recognizing the Director’s mastery of spatial control magic.

‘Well, this is nothing for someone who could levitate the entire Cradle if he wanted to.’

In the previous timeline, to protect the Cradle from frequent attacks by the combined forces of Mains and demons…

He had used his abilities to lift the entire foundation of the Cradle into the air, transforming it into a floating city—a feat so tremendous that the current display seemed ordinary to me by comparison.

“Since I brought out this weapon intending to give it to you anyway, take a look at it.”

My brief contemplation was interrupted by Director Belpheus’s invitation to examine the sword.

“Then…”

At the Director’s encouragement, I received the sword with both hands. To prevent any unfortunate accidents when handling the blade, I maintained a reasonable distance from the Director as I began my examination.

First, I examined the well-maintained black leather scabbard made of some indeterminate material.

Next, I observed the crossguard, grip, and pommel, all sharing the same subtle black coloration, with the pommel designed to prevent the sword from slipping from one’s hand.

Finally, as I placed my right hand on the grip and attempted to remove the scabbard with my left hand to check the condition of the blade…

*Click*

A rather rugged sound emerged as something like a locking mechanism released.

*Shing*

The blade slid out with an exceptionally clean metallic sound that matched the extraordinary aura I had sensed when first seeing the sword.

I noticed a peculiar expression cross Director Belpheus’s face, suggesting some special sentiment, but now was not the time to react to that.

The color that flashed from the bastard sword’s blade as it emerged from the scabbard was slightly different from what I had expected.

“…Black?”

The sword revealed its presence clearly before my eyes—every component, including the blade itself, was dyed black.

The bastard sword in my hand shared absolutely nothing in common with the Sword of Light, Lumen, except that both had been wielded by the great hero Lumen Ranos.

Lumen: a harmonious blend of silver and white befitting its radiance.

This bastard sword: a perfectly balanced black that gave the impression of blending into its surroundings.

Lumen: a sleek longsword optimized for the Radiant Sword Style that could be wielded with one hand.

This bastard sword: a weighty-looking blade optimized for delivering fatal strikes, designed primarily for one-handed use but capable of being wielded with two hands when necessary.

If there was one commonality besides their owner…

It was that both were exceptionally well-crafted swords.

This was truly an extraordinary blade.

I had sensed its exceptional quality from the aura it emitted even through the time-worn leather scabbard, but holding it transformed that sense into certainty.

Despite having a length and size that would be just barely manageable for an adult man to wield with one hand…

As I manipulated the sword in various ways with both hands, I noticed its remarkable lightness, made from some unknown material that made it feel weightless.

When I brought my right hand to the grip, the already light sword felt even lighter due to its perfect balance.

And the blade itself—though black in color, it was so clear and transparent that it almost seemed colorless, a testament to its superb forging.

The more I appreciated the sword’s quality, the more I felt the urge to swing it through the air.

‘An exceptional masterpiece, just slightly inferior to the Holy Sword.’

That was my assessment of the bastard sword in my hand.

It possessed immeasurable historical value and had maintained its quality as a sword without any degradation despite enduring a thousand years—truly a masterpiece.

I felt excitement rising at the thought of receiving such a magnificent blade, one that would be difficult to find even in the sword sanctuary of the Ranos family, known alongside Proxian as a prestigious house of swordsmanship.

Yet simultaneously, I hesitated, wondering if someone like me, who had just taken my first steps as a swordsman, deserved such a weapon.

‘I’m conflicted.’

I couldn’t easily decide whether to accept this sword offered by Director Belpheus or to express my wish for a weapon more suited to my level, even if it meant settling for something of lower quality.

‘I’ll follow the Director’s guidance.’

So I prepared to express my gratitude to Director Belpheus and my humility at receiving such an exceptional weapon.

*Shing*

After finishing my examination of the bastard sword, I was about to place it back on the desk when…

“No, there’s no need for that. It’s your weapon now, so you should keep it with you.”

I froze with the sword still in my hand at the Director’s voice, which carried both gentleness and firmness.

“I’m grateful for this excellent sword, but it seems too exceptional for a novice like me who is just beginning to learn swordsmanship.”

Regardless of his words, I slowly opened my mouth to decline the sword, while the Director’s lips remained curled in a smile, as if he found my behavior amusing.

“There’s something I forgot to mention before giving you the sword.”

“What would that be, sir?”

“This sword cannot be drawn from its scabbard by just anyone.”

“…But as you saw, it came out naturally in my hands.”

“Let me see it.”

I respectfully handed the bastard sword to Director Belpheus.

Taking the sword from me, the Director gripped the handle with his right hand and held the scabbard with his left, attempting to draw it just as I had.

“Hmph!”

Despite a short breath indicating considerable force applied to both hands, the worn leather scabbard refused to release the blade it protected.

The faint veins visible on the Director’s forehead and the prominent veins and blood vessels on both arms were evidence that he was exerting his full strength to remove the scabbard, but…

The bastard sword maintained its dignified appearance, still sheathed, ignoring the Director’s efforts.

Eventually, the brief struggle to draw the sword ended in the Director’s defeat.

“Whew…!”

Director Belpheus exhaled a light sigh and removed his left hand from the sword’s scabbard.

It was essentially a declaration of surrender, acknowledging he couldn’t draw the sword.

‘What kind of sword is this?’

I almost let out a wry smile at the sight, as if the sword had a will of its own and would only reveal itself to a suitable owner.

“Try it again.”

As the Director handed me the sword, asking me to try drawing it, I composed my expression and was about to grasp the scabbard with both hands, intending to move my right hand to the grip, when…

*Click*

As soon as it touched my hands, the invisible locking mechanism within the sword seemed to release with that rugged sound again.

*Shing*

This time, without me making any attempt to draw it, the sword partially slid out of the scabbard on its own.

“…Huh?”

Faced with this unexpected development, I could only utter a confused sound.

“So in the end, no one but you can draw this sword.”

With a gentle smile, Director Belpheus once again declared that I had become the owner of this sword.

At this point, continuing to decline would be improper.

“I gratefully accept this weapon you’ve given me as a gift.”

I knelt on one knee before Director Belpheus, bowing my upper body and head appropriately, with both palms facing upward in a gesture of receiving the sword, showing respect to the one who had gifted me the weapon.

Accepting my gesture, the Director motioned for me to rise.

Looking at me, the Director once again displayed that expression of special sentiment I had noticed when I first drew the sword, and spoke to me in a gentle voice.

“I can finally fulfill Lumen’s request after all this time, which restores my dignity as well.”

The depth of emotion in his voice was so palpable that I could easily sense the poignant feeling behind it, which raised a curious question in my mind.

“If I may be so bold, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

I ventured a question.

“Go ahead.”

“Have you perhaps shown this sword to other Ranos descendants before me?”

No sooner had my words fallen than the Director, who had been wearing a poignant expression, broke into a grin and spoke.

“The most recent person I offered this sword to before you was your sister. And before her, your father.”

“So truly, I’m…”

“That’s right. In the thousand years that have passed, you are the only one who has been able to draw this sword from its scabbard.”

I was left speechless at the revelation that in the thousand years since this legendary sword had been entrusted to the Director, I was the only one who had been able to draw it.

“A thousand years… A full thousand years. I’ve lost count of how many Ranos descendants I’ve offered this sword to, trying to fulfill my friend’s request when he ascended, leaving this sword in my care to be passed on to a worthy descendant bearing the Ranos name.”

I couldn’t begin to imagine it.

The complex feelings the Director must have experienced as he repeatedly offered the sword to descendants over the centuries, only to watch as the sword rejected them, all while trying to keep a promise made to a friend a thousand years ago.

“And now, exactly one thousand years after receiving that request, the sword has chosen its owner.”

*Scrape*

Having finished speaking, the Director rose from his seat and approached me.

“It will be difficult, but I pray that you can walk the same path as my friend who protected the world with this sword and the Holy Sword.”

*Pat Pat*

After speaking, the Director lightly patted my shoulder, giving me a look that conveyed deep trust.

“That’s all I have to say. I’m sorry for taking up so much of your morning when you must be busy.”

To offer such a precious gift and then apologize for taking up my time…

I didn’t know how to respond, so I simply bowed my head respectfully and remained silent.

“It would be a waste of time for you to walk back to your quarters from here, so I’ll take you there directly.”

Having finished speaking, the Director once again brought his right thumb and middle finger together.

Recognizing that he intended to use spatial magic to transport me back to my room, I spoke up before we departed.

“Director.”

I opened my mouth to satisfy a curiosity that had suddenly occurred to me.

“Yes?”

“Does this sword have a name?”

“Ah… Yes, it does. A very good name.”

Hearing my question, the Director stroked his chin with his left hand as he recalled the sword’s name, then slowly spoke.

“Fafnir.”

“…!!”

“The Dragon Sword Fafnir, they call it.”

“Could it be…?”

“The sword itself will tell you the details.”

I was about to open my mouth to ask for clarification on this cryptic statement, but…

*Snap*

As the Director finished speaking and snapped his fingers with a crisp sound, my words were drowned out.

My body entered the influence of the space-time control spell and was instantly transported from the Director’s office back to my room where I had started my day.