Chapter 146: Grave of Swords (5)

As the spirit extended her hand, I passed her the hilt of Shadowstrike and the bag containing its blade, which I had been carefully preserving.

It was difficult to let go of Shadowstrike, but I couldn’t keep a broken sword forever.

Handing over Shadowstrike felt like cutting off a piece of myself. Even after giving it up, I couldn’t help but stare longingly at it in the spirit’s hands.

The spirit, upon seeing only the hilt of Shadowstrike, looked shocked. She let out a sigh tinged with sadness, as if it were her own sword.

“What could have happened to destroy it so thoroughly… Someone who didn’t know better might think it was deliberately destroyed.”

“Yes… I heard there are three tests to allow Shadowstrike to rest here…”

“That’s correct. All swords have an equal right to rest, but we can’t accept every sword that comes here. We have to limit the swords that rest here through these tests.”

Her statement about equal rights to rest, followed by selecting which swords could stay, was a bit contradictory, but I understood the necessity.

If they accepted every sword indefinitely, this whole area would eventually become nothing but swords with no room to step.

Moreover, with only this one spirit managing the swords, it would be a huge task to care for too many.

“So, about the tests…”

“Ah, we got sidetracked. As you know, there are three tests.”

The first was love.

One must prove before the sword spirit that the sword loved its owner and was loved in return.

The second was strength.

One must demonstrate to the sword spirit not only the weapon’s power but also the strength of its wielder.

The third was the final moment.

Lastly, one must prove to the sword spirit that the weapon served its owner until the very end, or met a noble end for its owner’s growth.

Only weapons that passed these three tests could find rest in the Sword’s Grave. Even if the tester was a noble or royalty in the mortal world, they couldn’t bypass these tests.

“I see. But how do you judge the first test? It seems difficult to prove something as intangible as love.”

“Yes, anyone can make up words, and it’s not something that can be proven with objects. That’s why I’ll ask someone directly involved who can’t lie, and judge based on that.”

“Directly? Who exactly…”

Instead of answering, the sword spirit silently looked at the hilt of Shadowstrike in her hand.

“You mean… Shadowstrike itself?”

Shadowstrike was special to me, but not to everyone else.

It was forged by the first-class craftsman Otar and had the unique characteristic of being a reverse-edged sword optimized for the Baldo technique, but aside from that, it was an ordinary sword that could be found anywhere.

Obviously, it couldn’t speak like Wolffang or holy swords, so it couldn’t answer if asked.

“You don’t think a sword is lifeless just because it doesn’t have a personality, do you?”

“Huh? Well…”

Aside from my personal attachment, it was natural to think of Shadowstrike as an inanimate object, not an organic being.

That would be the normal way of thinking, but then I realized that right in front of me was a living being that had once been just an ordinary sword hundreds or thousands of years ago.

“Everything with form has a soul, be it large or small. Even cold steel swords are no exception.”

As the spirit gently stroked Shadowstrike’s hilt, an ethereal light similar to before rose from it and began to seep into the spirit’s body.

“……”

After standing still for a few minutes holding Shadowstrike’s hilt, a tear suddenly rolled down the spirit’s cheek.

As everyone tensed up wondering what was happening, the spirit wiped away her tears with her sleeve and spoke in a voice choked with emotion.

“I just became one with Shadowstrike and saw fragments of the bond you shared. Though your time together was short, you’ve built a connection no less profound than any sword offered here.”

“Then… did it pass the first test?”

“Yes, it passed. If you two didn’t qualify, no sword would remain here. Now, the next test is strength, but…”

While I had no problem with strength, Shadowstrike wasn’t exactly a combat sword.

Even though a reverse-edged sword was optimized for the Baldo technique, its essence was a non-lethal weapon, ill-suited for life-or-death battles.

Even if I could cut down enemies with a bladeless sword, that was more a testament to my skill than proof of the reverse-edged sword’s strength.

But…

“As you think, a reverse-edged sword can’t really be called strong in the conventional sense. However, Shadowstrike was what brought me the most peace of mind in battle.”

In combat, a weapon’s power isn’t everything. Even with the strongest weapon, if the wielder’s mind is unsettled, they might fall to a stray arrow.

In terms of bringing peace of mind, Shadowstrike was superior to any other sword in this world.

Even without holding it, just having it at my waist was enough to calm my mind.

“I don’t think a weapon’s strength comes solely from its destructive power. Although it wasn’t suitable for killing, Shadowstrike was what made me feel most at ease.”

[M-Master!! Then what about me…?!!]

“When I held you, it was mostly kill-or-be-killed fights. You weren’t as comfortable as Shadowstrike!!”

[Aaaargh!!! There you go again with that nonsense!! How could I lose to that defective sword!!]

“I told you to stop using such nasty words!!”

After punching Wolffang’s hilt as usual, I turned back to the spirit. She seemed to be deep in thought with her eyes closed, then nodded as if she’d made a decision.

“Your reasoning is certainly sound. Even with the strongest weapon, if one’s mind is unsettled, they might lose their life to a seemingly insignificant weapon.

I’ll consider the second test passed as well.”

“…Then only the final test, the end, remains.”

“Yes, what makes death meaningful isn’t how one lived, but how one died. Please tell me, as its owner, how this child met its end, and how useful it was.”

“Shadowstrike broke during a battle with Myne…”

To be honest, Shadowstrike’s end wasn’t particularly glorious, so I was reluctant to speak.

How could I say it broke because I forgot to retrieve it after using it as bait? But I couldn’t keep silent forever, so I tried to buy time and find a way to embellish Shadowstrike’s end, but no matter how much I thought, I couldn’t come up with a suitable excuse.

“Hmm… You used it as bait to deceive the enemy. What happened next?”

“……”

Considering that she might have the ability to detect lies, I decided to tell the truth without hiding anything.

“So, you’re saying you forgot to retrieve it after using it as bait, and it just broke pathetically? And you only recovered it a week later?”

“…Yes.”

“…I’m afraid that’s far from a glorious end. The third test is a fail. Well then, I’ll be…”

The spirit’s form began to dissipate like mist over a lake as she turned her back.

At this rate, Shadowstrike would never find rest. Panicking, I rushed forward and grabbed the back of the spirit’s head.

“Kyaa!! Wh-what are you doing…!!”

“Shut up!! If it’s come to this, I’ll subdue you by force and give Shadowstrike its rest!!”

“Ian!! What are you doing to the spirit?! Are you crazy?!”

Hearing the commotion, those waiting behind drew their swords, trying to look good in front of the spirit. But when Elaine stood firmly behind them, they all quietly sheathed their swords and began to back away.

“Ugh!! Let go!!”

The spirit shook off my hand from her head, gave me a look of contempt, and then pulled out all the swords stuck around us.

“Do you think no one has tried to subdue me by force in the hundreds of years I’ve been here?”

“Then today will be the first time you’re broken by force.”

The tips of the swords floating around the spirit began to point at me, then all at once they rushed at me, signaling the start of the fight.

Swords whirled around like autumn leaves, shooting towards me. I deflected them all while charging towards the spirit controlling them from afar.

And soon after, as everyone had expected, in less than an hour, the spirit was on her knees before me, spitting out a liquid that looked like blood.

“Has your mind changed a bit now?”

“Y-you barbaric trash…!!”

“That barbaric trash is a bit rough, so you might want to watch your words.”

As I said this, placing my hand on my sword hilt again, the spirit flinched and bowed her head deeply.

They say there are problems money can’t solve, but none that violence can’t – and with just one katana, there really was nothing that couldn’t be done.

“You know what to do now, right?”

“…Fine. I-I’ll do it, okay?”

The spirit carefully picked up Shadowstrike and walked with unsteady steps towards the great sword stuck in the hill.

When she placed Shadowstrike on the altar beneath the great sword, an intense light, as if struck by lightning, burst forth from Shadowstrike’s hilt on the altar.

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