338 – The Owner of the Holy Sword -6-

Shuen.

-They say a haunted house appears in the Andes snowy mountains at night?

-Haha, yes. But, what are you doing here?

-Camping out.

-…?

-How do I climb the Andes snowy mountains?

-Hmm… If you want to go up without encountering monsters, it will take at least 2 days, but if you go around, you can go relatively safely.

-Hoho. Thank you. Commoner.

Thanks to choosing a safer path over a shortcut, Shuen was able to avoid the cultists and was on a tough journey.

-Huff!!!

Climbing the northern snowy mountains alone.

“`

– Huhhh???? What are you?

During the hike, we encountered a forest goblin and had to run away. Nobles were noble people who didn’t use their magic on trivial monsters. It was definitely not because we were scared.

– …uuuh.

Shuen had only one goal.

– The holy sword is my dowry.

It was the holy sword.

*

With a bright smile, Shuen ran towards Mikhail and me.

“Nice to meet you. Pyeongmin. No, commoner.”

“Yes, nice to meet you too, Shuen.”

“Nice to meet you too. But what are you two doing?”

Shuen looked at Mikhail, who was sweating, and me with a puzzled expression. What were we doing in front of the holy sword?

“Did you leave it for me?”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Hmm… then it’s that.”

Shuen nodded and reached out towards the holy sword.

I was startled and looked at Shuen holding the holy sword. Shuen holding the holy sword was not in the novel, so if someone unqualified touched the holy sword, it might be more dangerous…

– Pop!

“…?”

“Heh.”

“What did you do?”

“I used my strength.”

Without any hesitation, Shuen pulled out the holy sword and smiled innocently. Why were we struggling so much when it was this easy?

I looked at Shuen.

What on earth…

I wondered what was in his head.

Surely, the person who could pull out the holy sword was a simple person… To put it extremely, someone with a pure brain…

“What is it? That look as if you’re committing a crime of insulting a noble?”

“Because it’s cool.”

“Is that so?”

Shuen said with a bright smile.

“Indeed, commoners know how to treat nobles. I will speak well to the Tetra family.”

“Pardon?”

“Ahem!”

Shuen, flustered by the question, changed the subject. Perhaps to the most important topic at the moment.

“Then, commoner. Who will be the owner of the holy sword?”

“…”

“I pulled it out, but you and another commoner were holding the handle.”

“…”

Mikhail, who had suddenly fallen to the status of a commoner, was wiping off his cold sweat and trying to regain his composure.

“Haa… Haa…”

“You’ve come to your senses.”

“The holy sword…! What happened to the holy sword?”

“Look at your hand, Mr. Mikhail.”

The holy sword was now in Mikhail’s hand, along with a tattoo symbolizing the owner of the holy sword on the back of his hand.

Mikhail let out a sigh of relief and bowed his head.

“That’s a relief.”

“…”

“Really… It’s a relief. I thought I had failed because of my mistake….”

“No.”

I bowed my head in response to the self-reproaching Mikhail. Honestly, it was my fault that things turned out this way.

“I should have anticipated the variables. It’s my mistake.”

“No, but…”

-Baaang.

“Why is Shuen here?”

Feeling burdened by Shuen’s gaze fixed on the holy sword, Mikhail couldn’t even feel relieved that he had pulled out the sword and blurted out his question.

To Mikhail’s question, Shuen nodded vigorously and answered.

“I came out to investigate the cultural festival, not… the dowry.”

“…?”

“The proud Tetra family loves history and culture, you see.”

Mikhail nodded with an awkward smile. It was easier to accept than to force understanding.

“I see…”

Mikhail decided to leave the understanding to Shuen.

As Mikhail found his stability amidst the complexity, I cautiously asked him for a favor. I asked if I could hold the holy sword.

Just like Shuen had said, I had a hypothesis. Since three people had drawn the holy sword, I wondered if I might also have the right to use it.

“Excuse me, Mr. Mikhail.”

“Yes…”

“I know it’s rude to ask, but by any chance…”

“It’s okay. Please feel free to speak.”

“May I also hold the holy sword? While we’re at it, Shuen too.”

In the novel, if anyone other than Mikhail held the holy sword, no blessing would be bestowed. To be precise, without Mikhail’s permission, no one could hold the holy sword.

Even so, if anyone other than Mikhail held the holy sword, it was nothing more than an ordinary sword.

Indeed.

I was curious about what would happen if I, who had drawn the sword together, held it.

“Here you go.”

I reached out to the holy sword Mikhail handed over and asked. I wondered if the qualification for the holy sword had transferred to someone else.

“What did it feel like when you drew the holy sword?”

“It… felt like the world was shining brightly. Even now, I feel an overwhelming amount of power… like I can do anything.”

“It seems to be the blessing of the holy sword.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“It’s hard to believe.”

“Haha, of course. …Then I’ll try holding it too.”

-Grab.

[The qualification for the holy sword has been confirmed.]

“…Huh?”

“What’s wrong? Don’t tell me…”

“No, it’s just that…”

[In addition to the ‘blessing of the holy sword’, over ’80’ other blessings are temporarily applied.]

[Magic power is explosively increasing.]

[Muscle strength increases explosively.]

[Regenerative power increases explosively.]

[All attacks are imbued with the ‘Holy (聖)’ attribute.]

·

·

·

I hid my bewildered feelings and handed the holy sword to Shuen. It seemed faster than explaining it with words.

“Huh?”

-Nod.

“Hehe…!”

Shuen, who grabbed the holy sword, said.

“Hiyooo!!! I feel overflowing with power!!!!”

Shuen could use the power of the holy sword.

Shuen swung the holy sword around and then rested it on his shoulder, smiling brightly.

“I am the hero Shuen! Forget about magic, from now on I will carry on the destiny to save the world…!”

I looked at Michael and asked.

“Mr. Michael.”

“Yes…?”

“When I held the holy sword, did the blessing disappear? The strength that makes me feel like I can do anything…”

Michael shook his head and answered.

“No. I can still feel it.”

I see.

“That’s strange.”

“What is?”

-Hahaha, now I am Shuen-gel! Angel Shuen.

I glanced at Shuen and let out a small chuckle, then spoke to Michael.

“The right to wield the holy sword has been passed to three people.”

“Then… I…”

“No. It seems the core blessing is still with you, Mr. Michael, but it means that both Shuen and I can use the same power when we hold the holy sword.”

“Really?”

“Simply put, Mr. Mikhail can use part of the holy sword’s power even without holding it, while Ms. Shuen and I can only use the holy sword’s power when we hold it.”

“Ah… that’s good news!?”

“Haha… yes, it is. I don’t know what this situation is either, but it seems to be a good thing in the end.”

I don’t know either.

This wasn’t in the novel. Because of the intervention of a third party named Shuen, I unintentionally became able to use the holy sword. I let out a hollow laugh and snatched the holy sword from Shuen’s hand.

“Heeheehee! I am Shuen… huh?”

“Ms. Shuen, shall we return it to its original owner?”

“…Huh? Am I not the owner?”

“Unfortunately, it’s co-owned.”

“What?!”

Shuen glared at Mikhail with sharp eyes and raised her hand to express her opinion.

“Commoner, no, senior Mikhail.”

“Huh…?”

“I’ll give my ownership to that red-haired commoner, so know that.”

“Oh…”

“By the principle of majority rule, the owner is the red-haired commoner. If you want to use it, get permission.”

“…Got it.”

Mikhail looked at me with a bewildered expression, but I just shrugged my shoulders with a hollow laugh as I had nothing to say.

I smiled at Shuen and bowed my head. I was grateful for her consideration.

“Thank you, Ms. Shuen.”

-Thump!

“This is not a dowry, so don’t get the wrong idea and expect something else, commoner.”

“Yes?”

“Anyway!!! Don’t thank me for something like this!”

“Puhaha…! Got it.”

The ownership of the holy sword returned to Mikhail. I didn’t feel much significance in using it now.

Honestly, more than the holy sword.

-Crack.

Being freed from black magic was a greater gain. Since the blocked blood flow was cleared, the flow of magic power changed.

I felt like I was overflowing with power.

It felt like the energy in my whole body was about to burst.

The aura seemed to flow more purely. As if I had undergone a ‘rebirth’ often mentioned in martial arts novels.

– Crack.

It felt like I was overflowing with power.

So now.

It was right that Mikhail had the holy sword.

I bowed my head once more towards Shuen. If it weren’t for her, not only the holy sword, but my life could have been in danger.

Shuen wandered around the space where the holy sword had been sleeping, with a question mark above her head.

“But you know.”

“Yes.”

“Why did they build it like this?”

“Sorry?”

“This wall.”

Shuen pointed to the floor with her finger and asked in a puzzled voice.

“It’s made of dark shadow stone.”

“Sorry?”

Shuen tapped the wall with her finger and said.

“It’s already contaminated, so it would be useless even if we sold it. Hmm… It’s strange. Isn’t it odd to use dark shadow stone, which absorbs evil energy, to store a holy relic? If it were me, I would have made it with gold or quartz.”

“…”

“It’s a material that priests have to pray over for 24 hours to make…”

“…Uh, Shuen.”

I said with an awkward smile, feeling the energy from the floor.

“That’s a flag.”

“A flag?”

“Yes.”

“What is that?”

I looked at the floor, sweating. And then.

“Something suddenly happens…”

– Crack!!!

I sighed as I watched the huge pit open up as if it would swallow the floor.

“Something like this.”

Something can be seen in the pit that formed below where the holy sword was drawn.

“…A sword.”

A demonic sword filled with an overwhelmingly strong will and darkness.

-Sssssssssss.

“Eek?”

“…!”

“Haa…”

It was visible.

-Wooong.

Tyrfing was trembling.

It was trembling as if it had encountered something immense.