The light that emanated from the Holy Sword filled my vision with brightness, a radiance so intense that I could hardly believe it.
The successor who was startled dropped the Holy Sword in her hand.
Then, the radiance gradually disappeared, and everything returned to normal.
“What was that just now? What did you ask me to do?” the successor asked while looking at the hero.
The hero stared at her like a statue, without saying a word.
I took the hero’s place and calmed the perplexed successor.
“We do not wish to harm you, so please do not misunderstand. It’s just a special ability of that sword.”
“An... ability?”
“Yes. It’s a sword that has the ability to determine how well it suits the holder. Some of the greatest swords have that sort of thing.”
The successor mumbled and examined her body. Then, she nodded her head with a slightly uneasy expression and asked, “So, you wanted to check if I’m suitable to use this sword?”
“Yes.”
The successor looked at the hero suspiciously. Her guard was up, which was natural since the sword emitted such a blinding light as soon as she held it.
The successor seemed to be somewhat naïve, but she wasn’t completely so either.
'Now what?'
Anyway, the hero confirmed that she was the successor of the Holy Sword.
I looked at the hero and asked her with my eyes.
The succession of the Holy Sword was not a problem I could intervene in. Therefore, what would happen from now on depended on the hero’s decision.
So, what should the hero do from now on?
Would she explain the situation to the successor without hiding anything and seek cooperation? Or should she wait and see for now?
I was already half convinced of what decision the hero would make.
She didn’t have much time left. If it were possible, she would want to persuade the successor to take up the Holy Sword right away.
But that was impossible.
The successor’s current ability was one thing, but there was an absolute problem before that.
Because there were certain ‘conditions’ that had to be fulfilled in order to inherit the Holy Sword.
“I’m sorry to surprise you.”
The hero apologized to the successor and left after retrieving the Holy Sword.
After whispering to Asher to take care of the successor, I followed the hero from behind.
***
“Is she the successor?”
I asked the hero who stood in front of the tree, her holy sword sheathed on the ground, deep in thought.
The hero opened her mouth, her gaze fixed on the leafy branch she was looking up at.
“Yes.”
After answering like that, she paused for a moment and continued.
“Seventh Lord, I am truly grateful to you. For it is thanks to you that I have indeed found the successor.”
“Your expression right now doesn’t really match your words.”
It was only then that the hero looked at me and asked, locking eyes with me.
“Do you know that there are conditions necessary for the inheritance of the Holy Sword?”
I had already provided all the information about the successor. There was no need for me to deny that I knew about it.
“Four trials.”
“.....”
The hero turned her gaze away from me and muttered, “As expected, you knew about it.”
The four trials that the successor must go through in order to inherit the Holy Sword.
They were not related to martial growth, such as swordsmanship or magic, but to inner anguish.
“[The sorrow of losing a loved one.]”
“[The despair of being betrayed by someone you believed in.]”
“[The ugliness of human greed.]”
“[The doubt that arises from what is believed to be just.]”
I recalled the prophecy that the Holy Sword bestowed upon the hero in the game.
To inherit the Holy Sword, the successor must go through these trials and overcome them.
“......”
It was a difficult and frustrating problem, to say the least.
Finding mystery, deceiving others with false pretenses, it was a different kind of difficulty than the obstacles I had faced so far.
The main story of RaSa was an adventure story in which the player and the successor, along with other companions, embarked on a journey.
The place where the player and the successor first met was the guild building in Marker City, the Kingdom of Lognar.
As the user was performing quests, they coincidentally took on a request with the successor who had a mutual interest.
From there, the relationship leads to an epic adventure with many companions, and along the way, the successor will encounter many events that will naturally fulfill the requirements for succession.
To pass on the Holy Sword to the successor.
The easiest and most reliable way to achieve this was to follow the game’s story as it was.
But that was impossible.
Because of my actions up to this point, the main story of the game had already become twisted beyond repair.
I had already solved some of the problems that the player was supposed to solve in their adventure with the successor, and even now, meetings that should not have happened have occurred.
If I were to faithfully reproduce the game’s story, the fact that the successor appeared at this point would be completely off-track.
However, I had no choice in this matter.
I was forced to become one of the Lords of Calderic and collect mysteries to survive in this place, and this had already had a significant impact on this world.
What if the butterfly effect prevented the successor from appearing at the time and place where the player first met her?
Then I might never be able to find out where she was.
In this situation, what should I do to faithfully reproduce the game’s story?
Should I forcibly find her companions again and embark on another adventure?
'It’s an impossible story.'
The bond between the player, the successor, and the companions they met later was a complex and tightly woven relationship that was built up through countless coincidences, catalysts, and events.
Furthermore, I could not look into or control the successor’s heart.
Even if I were to follow all the game’s episodes faithfully, there would be too many variables, and there was no way to reproduce the main story as it was in the current situation unless I became a god.
In addition, finding other companions was also a headache, as many of them might be doing something else at this point.
Therefore, there was only one way.
In a way that is different from the main story of the game, new catalysts must be created to satisfy the conditions for the successor to inherit the Holy Sword.
'...But how?'
The hero was probably thinking the same thing.
Death of a loved one, betrayal, human greed, justice.
The successor was just an ordinary girl who grew up with her father in the mountains.
How could she overcome such pain and become someone who could endure it?
I had been thinking about it for a long time, but there’s no clear way.
Should I artificially set the stage and place the successor to it? Like a play?
I doubted it would be possible, but before the question of whether or not it was possible, it was also humanly impossible.
Suddenly, a movie came to mind. A movie where the main character was trapped in a giant set from birth and lives as if it’s the real world, and everyone is tricking him...
“So, what are you going to do?”
I asked the hero again, but there was no answer.
After a while, the hero spoke up.
“I have never thought deeply about the problem of succession. Finding the successor has always been a daunting problem for me.”
“...”
“That’s why I don’t know. I don’t have an immediate solution now, either.”
The hero must have also thought about what I had thought.
But that would be an unacceptable option for her, no matter what. She wouldn’t even consider it.
“Now that we have found the successor, maybe a new prophecy will come down from the Holy Sword. For now, I plan to wait a little longer.”
The hero said that and gently gripped the hilt of the Holy Sword.
But despite what she had hoped, there would be no more prophecies coming down from the Holy Sword.
I knew that, but I didn’t say so. Both the hero and I needed time to think about our future plans.
For now, it would be best for us to stay here and try to get as close to the successor as possible.
***
“Strange people.”
Back in the cabin, Kaen plopped down at the table, across from Rodiven, who was still sipping his tea.
She asked him, fidgeting, “Where did Father go?”
“He went upstairs a little while ago,” Rodiven replied, lowering his voice as he glanced at the front door. “By the way, did you talk to them outside?”
“Yes.”
“Can I ask what you talked about?”
“It was nothing special. We just shook hands and exchanged greetings.”
At the mention of shaking hands with the Seventh Lords, Rodiven let out a sigh.
There was a considerable distance between the image of the Lords in his common knowledge and the Seventh Lord he met in person. At the very least, they were not the kind of people one could share a cup of tea with or exchange a casual greeting with.
Recalling their conversation earlier, Rodiven guessed what the Seventh Lord’s motives was.
He had claimed to be here simply in pursuit of the demon contractor, but Rodiven hadn’t bought it, of course.
Perhaps it was just his imagination, but Rodiven felt that the Seventh Lord’s gentle demeanor was more directed at the father and daughter than at him.
'... I wonder if the Seven Lords’ true purpose has something to do with them?'
Of course, even if that were true, there was nothing Rodiven could do about it.
He was lost in thought again when he heard Kaen spoke up.
“Mister, can you tell me anything more about the world outside the mountains?”
“Hmm?”
“Calderic, Santea, and other major powers that you have mentioned. Please tell me more about them.”
At her request, Rodiven let out a dry chuckle and nodded.
“Alright. Where should I start?”
He then proceeded to explain the four major powers of the continent, including Calderic and Santea, as well as their leaders, and, of course, the demons.
Kaen listened with great interest.
“The Seventh Lord is the newest ascendant to the throne, and he is famous for murdering his fellow Lord, the Sixth Lord - the Tyrant.”
“Why did he kill him?” Kaen asked.
“I’m not sure and I don’t think it would be a very good idea to ask him directly,” Rodiven replied, regretting that he brought up the topic upon seeing Kaen’s curious eyes.
“Kaen, you don’t know much about the outside world, so you can speak comfortably with him, but Calderic’s Lords are really dangerous individuals. They’re monsters who can destroy a country with their power alone.”
“They must be incredibly strong,” Kaen exclaimed.
Of course, the concept of a country was not very meaningful to her.
“They don’t seem like bad people, though, although it was kind of weird to ask me to hold a sword all of a sudden.”
“A sword?”
Kaen shook her head.
“No. More than that, I thought you said you were a professor at some kind of archive?”
“It’s not an archive, it’s an academy,” Rodiven corrected her.
“Yes, the Academy. What’s that for, and what does a professor do?”
Rodiven let out a small sigh before answering.
“It’s a place where they teach something, be it swordsmanship, magic, or knowledge. And a professor is someone who teaches.”
Kaen nodded as if she understood.
“If a professor is a person who teaches, what is the person who learns called?”
“They’re called students. Thousands of kids your age learn from different professors, and they share their learning with each other.”
Her eyes sparkled with interest at his words.
