ALL NOVEL Chapter 49
Three days after receiving the letter summoning the candidates for the Sword.
I headed for the cathedral disguised as the playwright Phantom, with the help of my assistant Maurice, taking a route that wouldn’t draw attention.
Upon arriving at the Eceldo Cathedral and meeting the bishop, he said, “This way, Phantom, the candidate for the Sword.”
The elderly clergyman solemnly guided me towards the accommodation in the back of the church. We passed through an arched walkway lined with statues of the saints from the Heavenly Church before reaching a large door. The bishop pulled on a door handle adorned with jewels and precious metals, as befitting the largest cathedral in the capital.
And upon entering, I was greeted by…
“You must be meeting for the first time. Please, allow me to introduce you to Maya, the candidate for the Sword, who recently arrived.”
“A candidate for the Sword? That girl?”
She was a blue-haired girl sitting on a comfortable sofa in the spacious meeting room, cradling a sword in her lap. With sharp eyes like a hawk, she scanned me, the candidate of her generation, remaining completely still, waiting for the next situation.
“Please wait here for just ten minutes, candidates for the Sword. It won’t take long.”
bump!
With that, the bishop left us behind, and I was left alone with the coldly smiling girl I had never met before. The atmosphere around us quickly became awkward.
‘So, this is the protagonist of the rumors that circulated at the Academy for the past three days, the candidate for the Sword?’
It seems she was allowed to have a field trip to Bronde in the middle of the term? It was obvious just by looking at her neatly fitted school uniform.
She had been too busy processing paperwork for three days, so was she finally done?
‘But to think she looks so delicate…’
I had roughly heard an explanation from my senior Rosalyn, but what I had imagined was too different from reality. After all, a hero is a hero, and I had expected a muscular athlete, not someone like this.
“Nice to meet you, Maya.”
To break the awkwardness, I extended my hand for a simple greeting.
“I’m Phantom, the playwright. The candidate for the Sword.”
“Maya.”
“……”
“……”
Is that it?
I had just extended my hand for a handshake, but she didn’t respond at all.
What’s this? Is she ignoring me? Or was she expecting a gentlemanly kiss on the hand?
Then it happened.
“Ah.”
Maya opened her eyes wide as if realizing something. Finally, she took my hand.
“Sorry. I’m not used to shaking hands. I’ve led a wandering life.”
“A wandering life? You mean the wandering training you’ve been doing?”
“I rarely had a chance to shake hands comfortably. I always talked with my sword.”
“Sword talk…?”
“If I die, I can’t shake hands. Naturally, I can’t greet anyone either.”
…Is it just me, or does every word she says feel spine-chilling?
At least, it’s a relief that she doesn’t seem to be rude or arrogant.
“So, you’re the candidate for the Sword, Phantom? You wrote The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort and portrayed Xiang Yu’s martial arts on stage?”
“Oh? That’s correct. Since you know so much, I guess you must be a fan of mine, Maya?”
“No.”
“Oh… I see.”
How embarrassing. I assumed everyone I met would be my fan, but now I’m just full of self-consciousness.
Maya stared at me blankly as if she was pondering something.
“Still, I like Xiang Yu. I was impressed by The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort.”
As she said that, she pointed at an orichalcum medal on her chest.
I widened my eyes, staring at the letters engraved on the surface.
iEvil Equals Cutting, Little Hegemon*
i‘Candidate for the Sword,’ Maya
Even if I exclude the Evil Equals Cutting that reminds me of some samurai anime, what on earth does “Little Hegemon” mean?
“That Evil Equals Cutting was an existing phrase. The Little Hegemon was something I had engraved after watching The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort. It means I want to become strong like the Hegemon, but not corrupted like him.”
“I, is that so?”
This girl seems to have gotten quite obsessed with The Hegemon-King Li’s Consort.
‘But what’s the relationship between not being corrupted and being small?’
Moreover, choosing the title Little Hegemon? I don’t recall anyone who claimed to be a Little Hegemon being very peaceful.
Maybe she encountered assassins with grudges while hunting… Ah, never mind.
What does the fate of the Little Hegemon matter? If she’s satisfied with it, that’s enough.
The more pressing issue is…
“Uh, why are you staring at me like that?”
The candidate for the Sword had been scrutinizing my face and physique from just now.
Her gaze was so direct that I felt a bit embarrassed, like I was some kind of spectacle.
Of course, there was no reply from Maya. She continued to survey me with a gaze that was impossible to understand.
“Phantom.”
After staring for a while, Maya’s lips finally parted.
“Do you, by any chance…”
Just as she was about to say something with that strange expression.
creak! screech!
The door of the meeting room opened again, and someone walked in.
Accompanied by the fragrant smell of acacia wafting through the air, the person appeared…
“Oh? Saint Beatrice?”
“Hello, Phantom. Have you been well?”
…To my surprise, it was Saint Beatrice, the blind saint whom I had met during the production of Exodus.
“Hello, candidate for the Sword, Maya. Today’s the first time we’ve met in person, right? I’m Beatrice, the saint of the Holy See.”
“……”
Maya simply gave a slight nod, her stiff demeanor maintaining her cold and unsmiling expression. However, she seemed to retain her manners considering the person before her.
The saint turned her eyelids towards me.
“It’s been a while, Phantom. Have you been well since then?”
“You look quite radiant too, Saint. It seems you’ve been doing well since we last met.”
Saint Beatrice appeared much more beautiful than when we staged Exodus. Her skin had grown even fairer and smoother, and her silver hair shone brilliantly.
How should I put it? It felt like she had been taking care of her health, perhaps by eating well and sleeping well?
“Hehe, yes. I’ve been paying attention to my skincare lately.”
“Skincare? Is it something saints do too?”
“Oh my? Isn’t it only natural for a saint to not want to look wrinkled and rough?”
The saint jokingly pinched her silky soft cheeks as she continued, “Regardless of age or status, every woman has vanity. Remember that; it’ll be beneficial when you start your own family, Phantom.”
“Yes, well. Thank you for the advice.”
It’s not wrong, but it feels a bit awkward to hear such statements from a saint of the Holy See.
Do the nuns in this world have no restrictions on caring for their appearance?
“By the way, what brings you to the capital so suddenly? What’s the reason for summoning us out of the blue?”
“…Sorry to trouble you. But it’s a matter so grave, I couldn’t convey it through written correspondence.”
At my question, the saint’s playful expression faded, replaced by a serious demeanor. Sitting elegantly on the sofa, she clasped her hands together and murmured.
“Do you know why the Holy See grants candidates for the Sword a ‘candidate’ status instead of fully recognizing them as warriors when they discover promising exceptional individuals?”
“The reason for the candidate status? It would certainly be because of the importance of the title of hero, right? They must undergo a strict evaluation to choose the proper person.”
“In theory, yes, Phantom.”
But the saint shook her head, adding, “However, the actual reason is different. Do you know the real reason the Holy See has become more stringent in officially appointing heroes? Maya?”
“…The traitor hero.”
The candidate for the Sword, who had been quietly listening to our conversation, narrowed her sharp eyes even further as if honing in on a target.
“The alchemical hero, Asenas.”
The traitor hero. And the alchemical hero, Asenas.
At the moment I heard that name, I felt a brief chill run down my spine.
If you grew up in this other world, you would have come across that name at least once in common knowledge.
About a century ago, during the extermination war against evil demon worshippers and the demon race. He had once led the charge but then suddenly joined forces with the demons to betray humanity, becoming a crazed and deadly murderer.
“Exactly. It’s because there was a precedent set by that traitor hero.”
At that time, the saint solemnly conveyed the shocking news, her hands clasped together.
“And unfortunately, just a few days ago, a trace of Asenas was discovered again. His existence was confirmed while tracking the networks of demon worshippers.”
“What? Isn’t the traitor hero supposed to have died during the extermination war? I heard he was caught and executed by the imperial army.”
“I thought so too. But it seems he somehow avoided death. He reappeared, causing a significant number of casualties before vanishing again.”
“That’s…”
“Asenas is a relic from at least a century ago. How he has managed to survive until now is beyond us.”
Witnessing the shock in her expression, the saint bit her lip slightly.
She continued to explain with an unusually grave demeanor.
“What’s certain is that he is still alive and quite active. We don’t know exactly what schemes he’s plotting.”
“……”
“So, I came to the capital for a short stay.”
In front of us, there was a fruit basket placed on the coffee table. The saint picked up a cherry and popped it into her mouth while explaining.
“Official candidates for the Sword are both present in the capital, right? Until the movements of the traitor hero are clarified, I plan to assist in your activities.”
“Assist us in our activities?”
“I’m not saying I will intervene directly. Just keeping a close eye on you to ensure there are no issues with your safety? It’s difficult to predict what Asenas is thinking or how he will move.”
“Wait. Does that mean you’ll protect us, Saint? Shouldn’t we, the candidates for the Sword, be the ones protecting you?”
“Oh, don’t underestimate me! I can be quite strong! While I might not have learned martial arts, my divine powers are impressive enough. I have the ability to protect others.”
“Is that so…”
I responded with an awkward smile, mumbling.
Although I hadn’t had a chance to see how impressive it might be, she said it, so it must be true.
“By the way, this conversation is classified at the highest level. It hasn’t been leaked to avoid confusion.”
Shh The saint raised her finger to her lips as she solemnly warned us.
“Today’s discussion must remain only between the two of you as candidates. Please keep that in mind.”
Of course. It’s like if Voldemort from the Harry Potter series suddenly returned.
For the Holy See, it’s likely best to keep a lid on information for a while.
“Of course, Saint.”
“……”
I readily replied, and the candidate for the Sword responded with a nod.
Thus, on this day, a secret was born among the three of us.
“So, will you be staying in the capital from now on, Saint?”
“Why? Don’t you want me here? Am I interrupting some unholy act you shouldn’t be doing in front of a saint?”
“No, that’s absolutely not it. Haha.”
After a short meeting with the saint, the candidate for the Sword immediately returned to the Academy.
She was a student visiting Bronde as an exchange student. There must still be things to resolve regarding her studies.
In contrast, since I had some leisure time, instead of immediately returning, I stayed in the meeting room to chat with the saint a bit longer.
“By the way, I found the production of the Cthulhu Mythos quite interesting. Watching the members of the Lovecraft Foundation collapse was quite a spectacle, wasn’t it?”
“Hmm? You saw that too, Saint? So, you…”
“Means I’m blind, right? I find it a bit uncomfortable when you emphasize that I’m disabled.”
“Uh, sorry. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Pfft, I know. I’m kidding.”
With a natural expression, Saint Beatrice lifted her eyelids and tapped the corner of her eye with her right index finger.
“Even though my eyes are closed, my ears are still perfect. Just by hearing the sounds, I can infer enough about the images. I have a good instinct and can detect everything from simple sounds to subtle vibrations.”
…Crazy. Is she really some hidden martial arts master from a novel?
When the eyes are shut, do other senses become transcendently heightened? I could almost feel convinced by her declaration that she came to protect the candidates for the Sword.
Maya looked somewhat stunned as the saint suddenly changed the subject.
“So, when roughly is the premiere date for your next work?”
“Premiere date, you say?”
“Yes. I want to see your new work. As the one who recommended you as a candidate for the Sword, I think it’s fair to get a heads-up, don’t you?”
The saint plucked a few cherries from the fruit basket, her lips glistening with the sweet juice as she spoke.
“Besides, knowing in advance makes it easier to clear my schedule for that day. The duties that come with being a saint can be more demanding than they appear.”
“Well, the premiere date isn’t confirmed yet, but I’d like to aim for it to coincide with the upcoming Teacher’s Day.”
“Teacher’s Day?”
The saint propped her chin up thoughtfully with her clasped hands. “Lucky for you. I take a vacation on Teacher’s Day, unlike any other.”
Wait? Just for that day?
“Do you hardly get any days off throughout the year?”
“Well, I am a saint. I can’t lounge around when I’m living off the taxes collected from the people.”
With a look of complete indifference, the saint brushed off my words, as if they were trivial.
“Since I’ve been so busy, I haven’t had the chance to see your play, Phantom. Now that I’m in the capital, I would like to delve into the great works of the master through your new piece. Is that alright?”
“…….”
“Hmm? Phantom? Why so quiet?”
The saint’s nonchalant demeanor at her young age left me feeling somewhat melancholic.
In my previous life as Ha Eun-seong, I had similarly maintained such an attitude.
Always surrounded by responsibility, driven by the motto of hard work, striving to meet the expectations of others without realizing I might burn out.
And as that poignant feeling resonated in my heart, an inspiring thought flashed across my mind.
“I can promise you one thing: this new work will resonate with your heart.”
“Hehe, is that so? Then I’ll look forward to it, Phantom. I hope to experience the brilliance you showcased during Exodus once again.”
Saint Beatrice tilted her head with a pleasant gesture toward my bold declaration.
I was half skeptical, wondering what kind of content she expected from my confident assertion.
In truth, I originally hadn’t had any particular content ‘planned’ at all.
I had only determined the specific genre of melodrama, without deciding whose story I would write.
But just now, after sharing gentle conversations with the blind saint and reflecting on the Teachers’ Day celebration, it finally dawned on me who the most fitting subject would be.
“Keep starting, and you will keep failing.”
Every failure leads to some form of achievement.
Even if unfortunate circumstances prevent that achievement, something valuable will still be gained, so never give up.
She is a woman I can call the greatest tutor in history, the true model of a mentor.
The individual who saved a lightless girl through love and devotion—the words of that great person resonated within me.
Also known as the Miracle Worker, the time has finally come to present her miraculous achievements on stage.