Chapter 11: Awakening

Become the master of the holy sword.

Lucius could not easily grab Bell’s hand that was extended to him.

Night raid.

In the hands of the village chief who was after Bell, Lucius ended up being nothing more than a burden.

He kicked the one who was after him, but was unable to subdue him.

Instead, he was shot and bled, making it difficult for Bell to move.

No matter how much Bell was like a warrior, Bell was weak, as she herself said just now.

She was a weak woman.

Since he was physically stronger, since he was a man, Lucius had a duty to protect Bell.

Because he was a man.

Because he was a disciple.

Remember, Lucius. Lucius remembered the words of the hunter who had saved him when he was abandoned when he was young.

Every man has a sense of chivalry in his heart.

A knight who protects the weak, protects women, and risks his life for others. A knight. In other words, ‘justice’.

In order to enforce that justice, strength is needed.

Even if it wasn’t the strength that Lucius had built up.

Even if it wasn’t an achievement that was earned through hard work.

Hey, how can you become a knight if you can’t even feel mana?

Even if your ability is lacking, if your heart doesn’t change, then you are already a knight.

Keep that in mind.

“In order to be honest with me…!

“Master, I-”

“Get out of the way!!”

Boom!

Someone next to him shoved Lucius hard.

Although Lucius was physically large, he couldn’t win against a young man with a body that rivaled that of an orc.

“I, I will become a hero!!”

“Nertio!!”

Bell’s gaze turned to Nertio, the village chief’s son.

Although he didn’t need to hold a gun, he was the one who had been sending Bell sinister looks and trying to sneak up on him at night, but it was true that he was ‘stronger than Lucius.

That’s why they had attacked Lucius at night.

Nertio was stronger than Lucius, and Nertio’s father, the village chief, had a gun.

“Make me a warrior! Then I can wipe out those goblins in one go!!”

Even if there is a gun, the power of the holy sword is still strong.

The owner of the holy sword can bounce bullets without even getting a scratch on their skin even if they are shot from afar, and they quickly recover and survive even if their heart is stabbed.

Not only survival ability, but also combat ability.

The holy sword has the potential to turn even an ordinary girl who becomes the owner of the holy sword into a sword master.

“You said you were a witch earlier?”

“Prove that you are not a witch!!”

“… How presumptuous.”

Belle pointed at the holy sword in annoyance.

Coincidentally, as they gathered in the town square to avoid the goblins, the townspeople naturally turned their backs to the holy sword.

“Pull it out. Pull it out and prove that you are the owner of the holy sword.”

“……”.

Belle stood next to the holy sword with her arms crossed.

She untied the rope herself and remained extremely calm even in the face of threats from humans and goblins.

“Kill them!! Kreuk!”

“Kreuk, do something about the Holy Sword or whatever!!”

“Damn it, the goblins are rushing at us with all their might! What kind of goblins are these!!”

Whether the witch, Bell, was real or not, the goblins’ fighting power to stop the Holy Sword’s awakening far exceeded that of ordinary goblins.

No goblin fights desperately when they attack.

If they were fighting inside a cave or a lair, goblins would never fight by risking their lives.

However, the goblins were different now.

They were desperate to somehow break through the humans blocking their way and stop the witch who was trying to perform the Holy Sword’s awakening ritual.

“Huh…”

Nertio grabbed the handle of the Holy Sword with a calm face.

Bell urged them with his hand as if telling them to pull it out quickly, and the village chief looked back and forth between his son and the witch, feeling nervous.

“The legend… is a lie? The legend of the witch who caught the witch was actually a scheme of the demon tribe? The one who called the name of the demon lord was the real hero? Ugh, what did I do? No, it can’t be. It can’t be…”

The village chief couldn’t make a clear judgment. Lucius found his actions, torn between the village chief who had to eliminate the witch and his father who thought his son could become the owner of the holy sword, extremely amusing.

At the same time, he felt frustrated with himself “Master…” I should have told Nertio to get out.

I should have told him that this holy sword belonged to Arthur Lucius.

If you want to be a hero without the holy sword, then a hero is a hero.

The master said. Could it be that he did it for this moment?

Could it be that Lucius just became a hero without the holy sword, and that the real hero who would wield the holy sword chose a man who seemed stronger than Lucius?

Disillusioned with himself for not being able to do anything properly during the attackers’ attack and only acting as a cannon fodder?

“I…”

“Geuuuuuuu!!”

Nertio blushed and tried to pull out the holy sword.

However, the holy sword was stuck in the altar and would not be pulled out, just like the tens of thousands of people who had passed through it before.

“You’re not a hero after all. A person who tries to kidnap women at night is a hero? That’s bullshit.”

“T-this…!”

“Get out. It’s our Lucius’ turn.”

Us.

Lucius straightened his shoulders proudly at those words.

Bell seemed to have just said it without thinking, but Lucius found those words so trustworthy and happy.

Bell still trusted Lucius.

It wasn’t a lie that he would borrow the power of the holy sword if his ability was lacking, and that he would raise him if that wasn’t enough.

Now, it was Lucius’ turn to show his ability.

“T-this…!”

“Come on, Lucius.”

Bell reached out to Nertio, who had fallen to the ground.

A red flame was burning brightly at the tip of her index finger, and Bell nodded to Lucius.

There was no need for long words.

Bell thought it was natural for Lucius to draw the Holy Sword.

Then it was natural for him to respond to that belief.

“Whew….”

Lucius grabbed the Holy Sword with both hands.

It was the first Holy Sword he was to hold at the coming-of-age ceremony.

It was the first time he had actually held the handle of a sword, but for some reason, Lucius felt familiar and nostalgic.

“I…”

Crunch.

“Huh?”

I tried to pull it out coolly, but no matter how hard I tried, it wouldn’t come out.

Lucius’s heart sank.

“T, this is…”

“To break the seal, I have to recite a spell. Phew.”

Bell approached Lucius and patted his back, laughing.

Even though it was a battlefield where goblins and humans were fighting fiercely, Bell playfully placed his hand over Lucius’s.

“!!”

The wet liquid flowing down the back of Lucius’ hand.

It was definitely Bell’s blood.

“No way…”

“…Shh. Are you ready?”

Bell winked as he signaled, and Lucius silently answered by firmly gripping the handle.

“One, two-”

“Whoa!!”

Clang !!

It was pulled out.

The holy sword that no one had ever pulled out before was pulled from the altar.

“Wow…!!”

Lucius’s eyes welled up with tears.

How many people had visited the village of warriors, the village of the holy sword?

Among them was a Grand Sword Master who was famous on the continent. But no one pulled out the sword, and everyone thought it was just some evil young wizard playing a prank with bad intentions.

Now, it was just being used as a substitute for the coming-of-age ceremony in the village, as a device to show that life is not so easy.

The holy sword was pulled out by Lucius.

“Master_!!

**

Yes.

“I pulled out the holy sword.”

Bell looked at Lucius with an extremely calm face.

“You pulled it out, the holy sword.”

“Ah…”

Lucius felt electricity flowing through his body.

He was moved and happy that he had become the master of the holy sword, but also that he had repaid the trust Bell had given him.

So now, it was time to defeat the goblins and eliminate all threats to Bell.

“Master! I will protect you! …There’s still one more step left?”

“Yes?”

“Look at the holy sword.”

Only then did Lucius’ eyes turn to the holy sword.

Lucius succeeded in pulling out the holy sword.

But the holy sword was still rusted, and Lucius was just holding the holy sword.

There was no massive magical storm coming out of the holy sword, nor was there any thunder and lightning coming down from the holy sword’s powerful power.

Nor was there any infinite amount of mana received from the holy sword.

“What is this…?”

“K, kehahaha!!”

Nertio, who had fallen to the ground in an awkward manner, taunted Lucius while swinging his sword.

“Idiot! You’re just a human who pulled out the holy sword! Give me that! Hurry up!!”

“Th, that…?!”

“You annoying brat.”

Smack.

Bell approached Nertio and immediately kicked his upper body with her foot.

“K, kekekek…!!”

Bell, who had been accurately stepping on Nertio’s pubic bone with one foot, quickly poked Nertio’s shoulders with the tips of her toes.

Although she was barefoot because she had been dragged out in a hurry at night, there was a faint crimson light under her feet.

Was it because he held the holy sword?

Or was it because he pulled it out with Bell’s help?

“From the moment he pulled it out, that guy is the master of the holy sword, you idiot.”

Things that Lucius had not seen before began to appear.

Thump, thump.

Inside the holy sword.

Numerous chains were wrapped tightly around the rusty holy sword, as if it were bound by strong chains.

Chains that were invisible to others, like fog, but with clear shapes.

He had to release all of them. Only then would the power of the holy sword become his.

“S-Master…!!”

“Originally, you could go to the altar, perform a ritual, and go through a trial, but it’s not time for that right now.”

Kwaaak.

Bell stepped on the side of Nertio’s face with his bare foot as he tried to get up.

Then he raised one hand toward the sky and said, “As you say this, lift it up. Got it?”

“R-Really?”

“Then. Did you see me lying?”

“……”

Everyone’s gaze began to gather towards Lucius.

The humans with anticipation, and the goblins with fear.

“Whew…”

With everyone’s gaze turned towards Lucius, Lucius grabbed the holy sword with both hands and raised it above his head.

And.

Wind~~~!!

At that moment.

Paaat!!

The rust on the holy sword exploded and a fierce wind began to blow from the holy sword.