Anatole stepped forward. "How does giving our sword to her plays in any of our favor?"
Calliope landed back on Atlas and scratched behind her ear. ".... Doesn't it affect the greater good?"
Anatole frowned. "That-"
"What she means is this!" Claudina quickly cut him off. "Remember what I said about the great Evil in the future. Yes, well I saw myself fighting it." 'Sorry, Ophie!' "The 22nd generation of saints all died fighting it. And…so did I."
"....Alright, suppose we do give you our swords then? What about our successors? If we give you our swords they will have nothing to fight with, other than bare fists and magic."
"Exactly! That is how the future Saints will fight!"
"What did you say?" he glowered.
Claudina smirked. "There lies flaws in our great Gods' rules for sainthood." She raised her closed hand and started to count them off.
"First, the rules themselves are too many and tedious. A saint has to memorize over a thousand rules so that lessens competitors. Second, the only weapon a Saint can use is a sword and they have to be proficient enough to go head to head with a Myth grade demon. Now we have even less competition. Third, there is only one Saint for each Nation. If there were more Saints there will be more ground to cover "
"Because there is only one weapon and if there were any more Saints the balance of the Gods established will tip," argued Shulia.
"You are missing the point here. What's stopping us from mass producing Holy weapons?"
Everyone fell silent.
"...Miss Fairy I find your unconventional ideas admirable but this is one where I have to draw the line the line as well. It is simply impossible to recreate a Holy weapon."
Vexed Claudina signed. "There is something that Holy swords and demons have in common. What is it?"
After much thought Sylvester answered, "Their tales?"
She snapped her fingers. "Exactly! The rule for the demons is the more people know their origin tale, the moment their life as demons starts the more stronger it gets. It's the same for our swords. The tale of how they began their journey in the Great War is told as stories to our children, spreading from one land to another, crossing over the seas. That's why they are so strong."
"However if you take the two of them and strip them bare of their tales, you will get a fancy but ordinary sword and a deformed mutant that can sometimes talk."
"Pop quiz!" She jumped up and pointed her finger. "Shulia! If I took away your sword how what would be your choice of weapon!"
"Uh…m-my fists. I find it more flexible than using a sword…"
"And you, Sylvester!"
"Bows and arrows?"
"That's right! None of you have your most compatible weapons. One will get no results if there is one weapon but a hundred candidates."
Atlas crossed his arms. "So you are saying the Gods need quantity over quality." He closed his eyes in deep completion. "That seems…rather insightful."
Anatole didn't look one bit convinced. "Prey tell how you will procure a dozen Holy weapons? If what you say about their tales giving them strength is true, how do you suspect a newly forged sword to take on demons?"
Claudina looked at her side slyly. "You need a core to forge an item. Then," she unsheathed her sword. "this will be the core. For five more weapons I offer this Stars' Blessing to be the core." She smirked. "And once those dwarves have forged a Holy weapon, mass production will be on sight. The greatest Evil that plagues the Holy lands will be gone." Though I will destroy the world if there is a single scratch on Ophelia.'
"And what will happen to ours?"
Calliope answered for her. "She lost her sword. She will need yours if she were to lose them again."
"So there you have it." She spread her arms open. "Anatole, you know about the Evil. I told you how it overpowered Lord Nyx. We the saints are the last line of defense."
She outstretched her hand towards him. "Won't you help me just this once, Saint of Eros?"
"... Claudina, this idea of yours…are you sure it will work?"
Claudina blinked, not expecting Sylvester of all people questioning her.
"Why wouldn't it work?"
"Well…who's to say after you return back to the future that things will remain the same? For instance the past didn't know about the Vessels of Ri'sh's uprising but now it does. What do you think will happen in the future? Lord Chronos may know but do you think he will tell you with his mentality of not meddling with humans?" Sylvester frowned. "I know you mean well but-"
"But nothing!" she suddenly shouted, shocking everyone.
"Giving up the swords now will at the very least save a few people!" 'If I can change history now, Ophelia may live…Let's play up the tragic heroine to the max….'
She looked up, tears threatening to fall any moment. "There are thousands of lives on the line here. You don't know what the future is like! None of you do. The reason why I, a daughter of a duke, was sent to the frontlines. Sure being a Saintess I was expected to go. But not as soon as I was 15! I was barely an adult!"
Shulia was rattled. "That can't be right… Sainthood training begins when you are 15. No matter how exceptional you may be, it's unheard of for anyone going to the battlefield till eighteen years old."
Claudina nodded slowly. "Right…that would be true…if only the land wasn't wrecked with Evil. 22nd generation of Saints? Don't make me laugh! After a certain point of time half baked saints were sent to battlefields to heal the soldiers only to be put back in body bags."
"The proper education of a saint was put on hold and all sorts of people from young to old, anyone with even the slightest bit of Holy mana were taught in the temples to heal wounds so they in turn can cast healing magic on others. This was a huge mistake; riots, arson, thievery, greed…things that were never seen by the temple walls were happening under the Head Pope's nose …and he had to turn a blind eye."
"...What sort of time did you come from?" Shulia breathed out.
With sadness in her eyes, Claudina glanced at her. "A time of war. A time where humanity was losing…to Evil and demons. It was like the Celestial Heavens had abandoned us."
She continued on with false enthusiasm. "Coming here was a relief to me…No wars, no dead bodies in the square…just peace. You know I wouldn't mind staying here forever. If Lords Chronos didn't find a way I would stay." She paused then added this as an afterthought; "Maybe I will stay here after all."
Silence. Even Calliope was quiet.
Anatole was the first to break the block of icy silence. "...By taking our swords can you truly change the future?"
"Yes", came the immediate response.
"Then take it." He took off the Celestial Blaze with more force than intended from his belt and threw it over to Claudina.
Claudina caught it just before it fell.
"You better keep true to your words."
She curtsied. "On my honor as a Crowley."
Wordlessly Shulia handed her sword, the Crossword's Forgiveness. "...I will explain it to Lord Gaia."
She curtly nodded her head. "Please."
Sullivan tottered next. "Make sure the weapon is a giant scythe. I liked using them back in the olden days! I am sure my successor will like it to."
She smiled brightly. "A scythe? Strangely it suits you." The Divine Judgement weighed more than she remembered.
"Hehehe~I know, right? Blood always looks pretty when dripping off the blade."
Finally Sylvester came with both the Stars' Blessing and the Bestial Purity.
"...Claudina, I…"
She quietly gazed at him. He looked away. "...It's nothing."
He handed both the swords. "Um…I don't need the Stars' Blessing…"
"Keep it. Though you will have another Holy weapon when you get back, your mastery of the sword is peerless. It can rival Lord Uranus."
"Keep at the sword no matter what weapon you get." He gently smiled. "I want to see you be the greatest swordswoman that ever lived. May your tale be told for eons to come."
Blushing, Sylvester quickly laughed nervously. "O-or just keep it as a memento, I don't know!"
Claudina jumped into his arms letting the swords fall in clattering sounds.
"....C-claudina? Are you angry?"
"..."
"...Your face seems awfully flushed. Is everyth-"
"Shush! Be quiet!"
"If you guys are done cuddling I would like to get back to our main objective."
Claudina shoved Sylvester away. "We weren't."
"...You sure are close. Is this why you left?" Atlas suddenly spoke.
Sullivan glanced at him in annoyance. "Does it matter?"
Smiling, he shook his head. "I have a policy of 'Don't ask, don't tell.' I don't ask if you don't tell."
"Um…should we," Shulia looked nervously between Sullivan and Anatole. "Should we be discussing things around the enemy?"
"Two of the Saints claim they know him and he suggested a temporary truce. He lips should be sealed."
Atlas bowed low. "That is a given. Whatever has been spoken here shall remain here."
"Good. Then we will get going." He turned around to leave.
"Uh, Anatole?"
"What is it now?" he groaned.
"The thing is I can't sense it," Sylvester meekly said.
"What?"
"Yeah…I can't sense the crack in the Void anymore."
Anatole fell silent while Shuila tried to hide a snicker.
Sullivan and Claudina came up behind him.
"He had everything done to dot," Claudina said sagely. "Ha tried to be so cool when he started to leave…"
"....But it came to be a dud because the exit was sealed. Poor, poor Anatole…" Sullivan tutted.
"Now, don't bring his financial status into this. It will just bring more evidence that he is very uncool."
Anatole signed. "...If this is your revenge, it's not a good one?"
Atlas stifled a laugh. "If you allow me, might I open up a portal for home."
Calliope squeaked in protest. "Why?! When they done nothing but pain and rot; shouldn't you have their gods pay for their burial plots?"
"This is a ceasefire, Calliope," he calmly explained. "The two parties in a ceasefire don't attack one another. And besides I want to pay back a favor to an old friend."
"We are not friends," Sullivan adamantly said.
He only chuckled. "Alright, we are not friends."