The ordeal with the princess had left me drained. Deciding I needed some solitude, I excused myself from the banquet and retreated to my room.
Lying on my bed, I stared at the stars visible through the high windows, their soft light a brief comfort. My thoughts churned, replaying the events of the day, but eventually, exhaustion won, and I drifted into a restless sleep.
The next morning came quickly, and we found ourselves gathered in a grand mausoleum filled with swords and weapons of every shape and size.
The air was thick with the faint hum of magic, the kind that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.
The instructor's voice echoed through the chamber.
"Today's task: you will each choose a weapon based on your compatibility and demonstrate your abilities. Points will be awarded depending on the grade of the weapon you can successfully wield."
I crossed my arms, feigning nonchalance. "Well, this is going to be interesting," I muttered to no one in particular.
But internally, I was sweating. Weapon grades? Compatibility? These weren't topics I had ever bothered to study.
I had read enough light novels to know that the protagonist always ends up with the strongest weapon, but that was about the extent of my knowledge.
Call me a fool but I wasn't about to remember every unique names starting from the beginning to the end when it went irrelevant in the later chapters!
Sighing, I decided to take the direct approach. I made my way to Reine, the princess, with the kind of confidence that comes from being completely out of your depth.
"Hey, Reine," I said casually, as if talking to royalty was the most natural thing in the world, I even dropped the honorifics.
If she has any complain, she shouldn't have said 'we are all equal under the floating city' last night.
"Quick question—what are the weapon grades? You know, the hierarchy and all that."
Her golden eyes regarded me with mild amusement, but she didn't seem annoyed. "You don't know?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Of course, I do," I replied with a grin. "But I figured hearing it from you would be more... enlightening."
She rolled her eyes but indulged me anyway. "Fine. There are four main grades of weapons: Earth grade is the lowest. These are common weapons with minimal magical properties, suitable for basic training or those without much skill."
"Sounds about right for most people here," I muttered under my breath, earning a brief glare from her.
"Next is Steel grade," she continued. "These weapons are durable and enhanced with basic magical properties, often used by skilled warriors and mid-level adventurers."
I nodded, trying to look like I was taking mental notes.
"Then there's Destruction grade," Reine said, her tone growing more serious. "These weapons carry devastating magical power. Only those with immense skill or natural talent can hope to wield them effectively."
"And the strongest?" I asked, leaning in slightly.
She smiled faintly, as if savoring the answer. "Void grade. The rarest and most powerful of all. These weapons are said to contain fragments of ancient magic, capable of reshaping reality itself. But they are not easily controlled and often come with... unique challenges."
I nodded again, pretending to grasp the significance of her words. "Got it. Earth, Steel, Destruction, Void. Makes sense."
As Reine continued explaining the abilities associated with each grade, something in the corner of the mausoleum caught my eye.
A sword, slightly apart from the rest, its dull black blade emanating a faint, pulsating glow.
I walked toward it almost unconsciously, her words fading into the background. The closer I got, the more familiar it felt.
"Hey," I murmured under my breath, a strange sense of recognition washing over me. "I know you... You're the sword that talks."
The sword vibrated faintly, as if acknowledging my words.
"Venzel," Reine's voice snapped me back to reality. "What are you doing?"
I turned to her, a small smile tugging at my lips. "Oh, nothing. Just saying hello."
Her expression shifted to one of confusion, but I didn't elaborate. After all, some things were better left unexplained.
Reine approached me with a serene but determined look, her golden eyes locked on mine. "Venzel, about what we discussed last night. Have you given it a thought?"
I held her gaze for a moment before glancing at the sky, pretending to consider her words. But, truthfully, I wasn't in the mood for a serious conversation right now. Instead, I walked toward the peculiar black sword that had caught my attention earlier.
"Sure, sure," I said nonchalantly, grabbing the hilt of the blade. Its surface was cold to the touch, and I felt an almost imperceptible hum of energy running through it. "I'll give it a shot."
Turning to the instructor, I held the sword up with a faint grin. "This here will be my weapon."
The room fell silent. For a moment, no one moved, and then my friends broke into various expressions of disbelief.
"Is that... Venzel?" Ryn muttered, blinking as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. "I thought he hated swords."
"Well, he did," Thad chimed in, crossing his arms. "But that's only because Lena always bests him in swordplay. Guy probably has a grudge."
Lena snorted, clearly unamused by being dragged into the conversation. Serra, on the other hand, stood firm, her faith in me unwavering as usual.
"It's brother Venzel," she said with confidence, hands clasped together. "He can do it."
Lena turned to her sister, raising an eyebrow. "Your 'brother Venzel' doesn't conform to common sense, so I don't know what you mean by 'he can do it.' For all we know, maybe he picked that sword because he thought it looked cool to melt down later."
"Oh, that makes sense!" Thad exclaimed, and the rest of the group nodded in agreement, their expressions brightening as if they had solved the mystery.
---
Meanwhile the moment I gripped the sword, a voice echoed in my head, deep and ancient.
"Human, you have quite an eye. You managed to detect me, but are you sure you want to wield me?"
For a moment, I froze. The voice was calm yet commanding, and it carried an almost palpable weight. It felt like an unseen presence was peering into my very soul.
Ignoring the sword's question entirely, I tilted my head, trying to piece together its identity.
"Let's see…" I muttered to myself. "You're the sword with a demon sealed inside, right? The one who can teach martial arts and accelerate time, giving me hours of training for every passing minute?"
"No." The voice responded, its tone laced with faint irritation.
"Oh, oh!" I perked up. "Then you must be the legendary blade once wielded by the late Magic Swordsman, a hero who—"
"No. Who even is that?"
I paused, furrowing my brow. "Okay, but you're somebody, right? Some big-shot legendary sword with a tragic backstory, right? Maybe you're the one that—"
"Silence." The voice cut me off, sharp as the blade in my hand. "I am none of those ridiculous fables you've conjured up. Humans and their fantasies…"
I raised an eyebrow. "Well, excuse me for trying. Can you just tell me who you are, then? Saves us both time."
The sword let out a low, almost guttural chuckle that reverberated through my mind. "If you wish to know my name and purpose, prove yourself first. Only then will I deem you worthy of such knowledge."
I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Of course. Always with the tests and trials. Why can't I just find a sword that says, 'Hello, my name is Excalibur. Nice to meet you'?"
The sword didn't respond this time, but I could feel its energy subtly shifting, almost like it was amused. Great. I'd bonded with a sentient weapon with a superiority complex.
"Well," I said , gripping the hilt more firmly. "Guess we'll have to figure each other out the hard way."