340 – The Master of the Demon Sword -2-

[You have entered the trial of Caliburn.]

“…What?”

I expressed my confusion at the ‘Demon Sword’ that easily allowed the trial. Honestly, I didn’t expect to succeed on the first try.

I thought it would be more difficult than the Holy Sword….

[The content of the trial is ‘Solitude’.]

I was surprised by the generosity of the Demon Sword that granted the qualification more easily than expected. I wondered if my life was that miserable.

If judged by the standard of normalcy, my life could be considered miserable. In my previous life, I was abandoned by my parents, and in this life, I live as a butler serving a villainess. But still, to say I’m miserable. I am quite happy.

If someone with my level of misery qualifies to wield the Demon Sword, wouldn’t any ordinary heretic be able to swing it around? Just look at Elysia.

‘Good things are good.’

I let out a hollow laugh at the unexpectedly low entry barrier of the Demon Sword and focused on the trial.

[From now on, you will see the most ‘miserable moment’ of your past. You will see a ‘moment’ where you can only smile despite being abandoned by the one you love and covered in sorrow.]

‘…Is there such a thing?’

[There is only one way to pass the trial.]

[Do not turn your eyes away from the given trial.]

When it comes to solitude, one thing did come to mind. When I accidentally overheard the young lady’s gossip at the academy…. That really hurt.

‘That’s… a bit tough.’

The cold voice in my ear began to spit out information about the trial again.

[The lamp before you will either go out or blaze brightly according to your emotions.]

[Do not let the lamp go out.]

[This is the ‘eye’ within the trial.]

If the price of obtaining a legendary sword is seeing bad memories, I think it’s a fair trade. It’s already in the past, and nothing changes just because I feel bad.

Stretching in the darkness, I took a deep breath and clapped my hands. ‘Clap.’

“Let’s go.”

[Caliburn frowns at your life.]

[Caliburn vibrates.]

[Caliburn fears the ‘challenger’.]

‘What is this.’

Without time to question, the trial began to come to me.

[The trial of Caliburn begins.]

‘It shouldn’t be a big deal…’

[Grab the lantern.]

With a cold voice, an old wooden table and a black lantern appeared before my eyes. As if telling me to grab it, the faintly glowing lantern made me swallow hard and I grabbed the lantern.

The moment I grabbed the lantern with a heavy heart, a mirage-like light spread around, and a white door began to appear before my eyes.

‘Gulp.’

-Tok.

[Open the door of memories.]

I shrugged my shoulders and felt the cold wind blowing as I slowly walked towards the white door in front of me.

The door.

Contrary to the term ‘demonic sword’, the door was pure white. As I placed my hand on the doorknob, a creaking sound was heard, and the door began to open.

-Saaa.

The environment changes.

I felt the thick darkness and the cool wind brushing my hair as it approached.

And then.

-Sob… Hic…

The sound of someone’s crying reached my ears, bringing me back to my senses. The crying. The sorrowful sobbing made me lift my head and look around.

‘This place…’

Where is it?

I opened my eyes in a clean plain, which was completely different from the fearful memory I expected. I looked around, bewildered, trying to figure out my location. It was completely different from what I had anticipated.

I thought it would be the academy, but I opened my eyes in an unexpected plain, looking around in confusion, and then turned my head stiffly at the voice I heard in my ear.

-Ricardo…?

‘Huh…?’

-What are you doing there.

It was a young lady.

A young lady who was walking perfectly on two legs was tilting her head and looking at me in front of my eyes.

-Ricardo…?

I tilted my head in confusion as I looked at the young lady who seemed to be five years older than she was now.

-Am I dead?

-Huh?

-Am I not?

-Huh!! Don’t talk nonsense!

Even after all this time, her way of speaking hadn’t changed, and I let out a small, hollow laugh as I shook my head.

‘You’re still the same.’

-Huh…!

The young lady started pulling me by the hand.

-Don’t just lie there, come quickly.

-…What?

-People are waiting.

-Who… is waiting?

The young lady puffed up her cheeks and pointed to one side. I turned my gaze to the familiar faces sitting in a circle on the wide plain and my eyes trembled.

Yuria.

Shaltia.

Shuen.

And even Mihail.

I was bewildered by the sight of these people, who would never be together, sitting together, and I moved as if being led by the young lady’s hand.

What is this situation?

I couldn’t understand it at all.

They said they would show me the worst moment of my past. But I couldn’t understand why they were showing me a moment that wasn’t in my memory.

-Sit down!

Led by the young lady’s hand, I plopped down on the ground and started to feel the cool breeze.

-…Hmm.

What could be a story related to loneliness?

‘…’

What could be a story related to unhappiness?

In this scene, which was peaceful to the point of being cruel, I felt both fear and joy at the same time, with an awkward smile on my face.

‘Is it an error?’

Relieved by the thought that I had unintentionally found a loophole, I slowly raised my head and spoke to Mikhail and Yuria.

-How have you been?

-…

-…

-Huh…?

The smile on my lips began to fade at the sight of Yuria and Mikhail’s stiff expressions.

-…

It was dark.

Like people facing a great sorrow, Mikhail and Yuria’s faces were filled with sadness.

-…Why are you making such faces?

-…

-Am I not welcome?

-…

Confused, I looked at the lady. She was the one who had brought me here. I thought she could explain why Yuria and Mikhail were making such faces.

After all, it was a trial.

It hadn’t happened yet.

There was no need to be afraid.

So.

-My la…

-Sob.

-My lady…?

So, if you could just tell me without any fuss….

-Why are you crying?

I thought it would be okay.

Until I saw the lady’s tears.

-Sniff…

The lady was crying.

She was rubbing her face with her white knuckles, holding back her tears. When our eyes met, the lady, who had been hiding her tears, awkwardly smiled and began to speak.

-Let’s eat, Ricardo….

– No… why.

– Huh? It’s nothing. Let’s eat.

– What?

– Yuria and Mikhail brought lunch, so let’s eat.

– You need to explain. If we eat like this, we’ll get indigestion.

– …

The lady bowed her head deeply and did not look at me. Mikhail, Yuria, and the others also bowed their heads and sniffled.

‘Why…’

My lips moved on their own.

As if I were someone present in this moment, my lips were moving.

– …Shouldn’t I know too?

The lady began to answer the question with a voice full of moisture.

– You know, Ricardo.

– …Yes.

– You know that thing.

– Yes.

– Do you remember that time?

– …

– Not long ago, the heretics attacked the academy in droves.

– …

– You know, Ricardo.

The lady spoke softly, shedding tears.

– Did you use black magic?

– …

– Really…

The lady’s face, speaking silently, was full of tears. Her tightly clenched fist was gripping her skirt, and tears were dripping onto the back of her hand.

– …Did you use black magic?

My lips.

– …Yes

Moved on their own.

I can feel the emotions.

My heart was trembling violently, and I felt a stinging sensation around my eyes.

What is this feeling?

What is this heart-wrenching emotion that feels like something I’ve truly experienced?

I was scared.

Scared of the words that would come out of the lady’s mouth.

And scared of myself, who would respond calmly to those words.

It was something I had never experienced.

Something that wasn’t real.

I couldn’t understand why I felt this way.

‘…’

The lady continued speaking in a trembling voice.

– You know, Ricardo…

– …

– You know…

– …

– We…

The lady awkwardly smiled and said to me.

– I think we’re forgetting you.

– …

– …

I thought it was an illusion created by the magic sword.

Because it was an illusion, I told myself not to be confused.

I told myself countless times to accept it calmly and not to tremble.

But.

‘…’

I was at a loss for words when I saw my face reflected in the teacup.

‘Why are you crying?’

Because I was shedding tears.

Because I couldn’t lift my head like a knight bidding farewell after failing to protect his lord. My emotions were shaken.

The young lady spoke.

The story I was most curious about.

She spoke with her fists clenched tightly.

– Did you… pay with your memory?

– …

– Did you pay with your memory?

– …

– Is that it?

– With lifespan…

– …

– It couldn’t be done with lifespan. I had to offer something more valuable… to protect it.

– Why did you do that!!!!!

I bowed my head.

As if the young lady’s words were the correct answer, I said nothing and just smiled sadly.

I could hear the young lady’s cries in my ears.

– Why did you do that!!!

– …

– Why!!! Why!!! Why did you!!!

– …

– You should have let everyone die. At least you should have survived… Why did you do that!!! Why did you do such a thing…

My heart feels like it’s being torn apart.

It’s nothing.

It’s not just a dream.

Strangely, my chest…

– I’m sorry.

It hurt as if it was being torn apart.

If saving people means being forgotten… it seemed too terrifying.

‘…’

It was miserable and lonely.

After shouting for a long time, the young lady urgently grabbed my face and started to cry. She was hastily wiping her tears with her fingers, sweeping over my eyes, nose, and mouth.

– You know… Ricardo.

The young lady was crying.

– …I can’t remember you.

She was forcing a smile while hiding her tears.

– I’m trying to remember, trying not to forget…

Tears were flowing.

– I can’t remember your face…

It became solemn.

– I can’t remember.

She sighed. It was not a sigh of frustration, but a sigh of sadness that quietly escaped her lips.

– That’s a relief.

I said numbly.

– It’s a relief. That you can forget a useless butler like me… It’s a relief.

The emotion was conveyed as it was.

The sadness that couldn’t lift its head was pulling my emotions down heavily.

I held the young lady’s hand and showed a bright smile.

– We can start over.

– …Sniff.

– If we start over from the beginning, I can leave a better impression on you.

– …Liar.

– Have I ever lied to you?

– …Will you really come back?

– Of course.

Now I understand.

The reason why this trial is so terrifying.

– Sniff… Do you really have to come back…?

– Just don’t fall for me.

– …Fool.

The scariest thing about this trial is not the false past, but the despair that might have happened.

– I already…

[Whoosh…]

The lantern begins to flicker.

Like my turbulent emotions, the lantern was faintly going out.

Save the world.

No.

I couldn’t save my world.

Myself.

My people.

The one who couldn’t save anyone and fell was me.

That’s why.

This trial was terrifying.

-You…

Thud.

The hand of the lady who was caressing my face moves away. Cold and stinging, it was moving away from my face.

I feel sharp gazes.

I could feel with my whole body that the eyes of everyone sitting here had changed as they looked at me.

I tightly closed my eyes.

And with an awkward smile, I was waiting. To hear the words I least wanted to hear. The words I feared the most.

-…squeeze.

I was preparing my heart.

-…

The lady spoke with trembling eyes.

“Who… are you?”

The lantern flickers.

[The trial moves to its climax.]

[To the moment of cold neglect….]

[To the moment when you struggled to restore the relationship but couldn’t reach…. Crackle… crackle…]

The trial becomes strange.

The lantern, which was about to go out, began to bloom with a bright light.

[Enough.]

With the blue window appearing after a long time, cracks began to form.

[Before it shatters.]