ALL NOVEL Chapter 113
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– So, you be his strength.
The holy sword still remembered that voice.
The one who created it had seen the future and prepared for it. And she told the holy sword that it would be good to be his strength.
Following that order, the holy sword had slumbered within the ruins. It wasn’t lonely. All it had left was its mission. So it waited, and waited, for an eternity.
For the prophesied day. But as time passed, it couldn’t help but feel a sense of loneliness.
‘I wish I had been created as a tool without emotions,’ it thought.
But the wait eventually ended.
The hero who broke through the trials of the ruins and reached it finally appeared. Their first impression wasn’t good, to say the least.
Putting aside his appearance, the power he possessed didn’t seem that strong. It was a shame to call him a mere nouveau riche, but his power fell short of a true hero. That was the holy sword’s first impression.[You seem weak. But the fact you made it this far means you’re something special, right?]
“…”
[Hey! Are you even listening to me?]
The holy sword’s reaction was natural.
Only those worthy could hear its voice. In other words, the weak couldn’t hear it. But could someone who passed the trials of the ruins not hear its voice?
Those trials were designed to filter out the weaklings. He had passed those trials, so even though he looked weak on the outside, he must have hidden strength.
The holy sword believed that.
But he didn’t answer. The holy sword kept trying to talk to him, but he remained silent.
Soon, doubt turned into suspicion…
[Huh?]
The holy sword came to its senses, lying on the ground. As if it were worthless trash.
What is this? it thought. And then, it saw it. Hans’s rage.
“How unpleasant. Who chooses whom?”
The cold, icy voice echoed in the holy sword’s ears.
It finally realized.
The man hadn’t been unable to hear its voice.
He had deliberately ignored it.
[No, why?! How could you?! I… I…!!]
“I don’t need a weapon that tries to control its master.”
[…!!!]
A weapon that tries to control its master.
Those words pierced the holy sword’s heart like an arrow.
Had it been too excited to meet him after all these years? Or had it deluded itself into thinking it had to lead him?
It had forgotten the most important thing for a sword. A sword was merely a tool. And how to use that tool was entirely up to the master.
Even a humble, old kitchen knife could become a legendary blade capable of cutting anything if wielded by a master. Conversely, even a legendary blade would become trash if wielded by someone worthless.
“One cannot become stronger by relying on a weapon.”
And that man understood that truth very well.
Yes, even though his power might be weak, he was like a sharp sword, honed to perfection through relentless self-discipline.
The holy sword was already moving. After eons, it had finally met a master worthy of the name. It didn’t want to part with him. That was why it clung to him like a leech.
But naturally, from Hans’s perspective, who couldn’t hear the holy sword’s voice, it was a nuisance. It was fine when he held it in his hand, but it fiercely resisted any other form of contact.
Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, even tried to touch it, only to have his entire arm scorched as if struck by lightning. In the end, Hans had no choice but to take possession of the holy sword.
“This proves that the holy sword has a will of its own.”
One of the reasons Hans tried to abandon the holy sword was that he felt unworthy of it, but the biggest reason was the holy sword’s will.
Unlike his unit members, he couldn’t avoid the sword. He had to be constantly vigilant, maintaining his dignity as Commander, 24 hours a day, with the holy sword by his side.
Furthermore, everyone around him was making a fuss about the holy sword, adding to the pressure.
He thought it was for the best to get rid of it, but he never imagined the holy sword would be so blatantly clingy.
“Hey, holy sword. Can you hear me?”
Vwooom!
“I can find you a better master.”
Vvvvvvvooooooom!!!
Unlike the slight hum at first, it now vibrated violently as if an earthquake was occurring. It was so intense that the chair he was sitting on and the desk in front of him were completely shattered.
Hans sighed.
Like it or not, the holy sword was now his.
Until it found another master it liked, he had no choice but to carry it himself.
If another unit member carried it and got hurt, it would be his problem. Of course, Ruby was a little disappointed, but she didn’t express her feelings further.
Hans clicked his tongue.
Considering the risks involved in carrying this holy sword, it would be much better for Ruby to have it. He didn’t understand why it was suddenly acting up.
He was annoyed, but he didn’t provoke it any further. Countless villains had self-destructed because they couldn’t control their anger and ended up hurting others. He didn’t want his name added to that list.
“It wasn’t a complete waste.”
“That’s right. We formed a proper alliance with the orc tribe.”
“He completed the Warrior’s Festival alone. Orcs surprisingly keep their word, even if it costs them their lives.”
“That’s both a strength and a weakness.”
They kept their word, no matter what.
It wasn’t loyalty, it was closer to madness. For example, if they said they would destroy the beastmen, they would do it, no matter the cost.
Thankfully, thanks to his success in the Warrior’s Festival, their image of the Royal Knights had improved, and they were able to establish cooperative relationships. But they were not to be taken lightly.
They could explode at any moment. And at the same time, he had to take care of the 12 Tribes as well. They were bound to express their dissatisfaction after he joined forces with the orcs.
He couldn’t ignore that.
“Should I ask Bayard and bring her a gift?”
“I can see Lionheart Fortress!”
“So we’ve finally returned.”
Although the orcs welcomed them warmly, Hans decided to leave after three days, fearing he might make a mistake if he stayed longer.
He had a valid excuse, he couldn’t be away for too long.
The orcs showered them with gifts. Among them was even a tamed wyvern.
Hans frowned.
Riding a wyvern… it felt different.
What if I fall and die? No, of course he wouldn’t die because he had Time Deceleration, but…
After all sorts of anxious thoughts, Hans finally returned to the fortress.
The fortress felt like home now. The gifts from the orcs were surprisingly useful. They gave him a method to preserve food for a long time and two pairs of male and female wyverns.
[Wyverns, if raised well, can rule the sky.]
[I see. But what do wyverns eat?]
[Beastmen. They like them best.]
[…]
“Those bastards are dangerous.”
Eating beastmen was the same as cannibalism. That meant they could easily eat humans too. He wanted to cut ties with them immediately, but he couldn’t ignore their strength.
After all, it was the orcs who were protecting them from the monsters swarming from the north.
Of course, it was typical of the orcs that they were doing it because they wanted to, not because anyone asked them to.
There was nothing to be gained from being friendly with them. But for the sake of his goal, he had to…
Hans tilted his head.
It happened again. His thoughts were suddenly cut off.
“This feeling… it’s similar to the Comprachico incident…!!”
His memories were unnaturally fragmented.
Hans gritted his teeth.
What was going on?
‘I don’t know… my head hurts. I can’t think anymore.’
Hans slowly moved his body.
“Teacher?”
“…Helia?”
“Is something wrong…?”
“?! Helia!!”
It was natural for Helia to notice that Hans wasn’t well. But at the same time, Helia’s body slowly collapsed.
Hans was startled and rushed to her side.
Helia was lying unconscious. Hans stared at her silently, then looked up. A chilling coldness… it didn’t need to speak. It was announcing its presence.
It was similar to the chill he had felt before. The presence of the monster he had spoken to through a door. Then, a girl with brilliant blonde hair appeared before him.
She smiled sweetly and said,
“I was wondering why a man like you was under hypnosis. So that’s what happened.”
“…Vampire Lord.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter. This is also a form of entertainment.”
She had thought something was strange the moment she saw him.
The Commander of the Royal Knights, under hypnosis?
She even wondered if he was a puppet, but after meeting him, she knew he wasn’t.
That child called him Teacher. That meant he had let his guard down and been caught by her.
Lucy, the Vampire Lord, smiled and reached out her hand.
She hadn’t planned on getting involved.
But now that there was an opportunity…
Aren’t you curious?
How will the Commander react to them when the hypnosis is lifted?
[T/N: Lol fourth wall break kinda funny cuz true yeah we wanna know broooo]
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[Translator Notes]
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