Extra in a Romance Fantasy

131 – Intent (11)

The Hero’s Sword.

An item that could be called a beloved companion of Hero Ferdion, sharing in his lifetime achievements and legends, deserving of the title of demigod.

The sword, said to never break, dull, or rust, was as famous as Hero Ferdion himself.

Excitement filled the eyes of those who had reached the end of the tomb.

They were not only witnessing a legendary weapon, perhaps the most outstanding weapon in the history of the continent, but they might also have the chance to possess it.

In that space charged with excitement.

“Then, I will proceed with the verification.”

Baran gripped the sword and slowly drew it from its sheath.

And finally, the Hero’s Sword revealed itself before the assembly.

What appeared was the Hero’s Sword…

“…How should I put this, it’s rather ordinary.”

Someone spoke.

The sword of the hero, in all its glory, was, quite literally, ordinary.

It lacked the sharpness that one could feel just by looking at it, a quality often attributed to legendary blades, and even its material and craftsmanship appeared to be that of a common iron sword.

In fact, even before the hero’s sword was revealed, its appearance had been somewhat unsettling.

The hilt and the scabbard, everything about it had no special features whatsoever.

Yet, no one had anticipated that the sword itself would be like this.

“…But we still don’t know. It could just be a matter of appearance.”

Someone said, and the others nodded silently in agreement.

It was not a statement of certainty, but rather a whisper carried by the wind.

They did not want to believe that the sword, which had arrived here after considerable time and significant hardships, was a fake.

Fortunately, the moment that could resolve their doubts came swiftly.

“We can just test it.”

The silver knight said, stepping forward.

With a natural motion, the silver knight reached out toward the hero’s sword that Baran was holding.

Baran did not resist and handed the sword over to the silver knight.

“According to legend, the hero’s sword can contain magical power without a single loss.”

One of the many legends surrounding the hero’s sword.

A tale that states no matter how exceptional the material, there should be no loss of magical power whatsoever.

The silver knight intended to determine the sword’s authenticity simply by infusing it with magical energy.

Soon, magical power surged from the silver knight’s body.

Even though it was not a full exertion, just a light release, the overwhelming magical energy was strong enough for the surrounding warriors to feel a chill.

And then…

It twitched.

The silver knight’s brow furrowed deeply.

“What’s wrong?”

Baran asked, puzzled by his expression.

However, the silver knight’s face showed no signs of relaxing.

“…The efficiency is, a complete mess.”

At last, the words that slipped from his lips left Baran in shock.

Moreover, the atmosphere around them began to stir.

“Excuse me? Is that really true?”

“…Yes.”

“That can’t be….”

Baran’s face hardened.

“What? So it’s a fake?”

“After all that suffering, do you think I’d come here with a fake?”

The murmurs around them began to grow louder, eventually reaching a level that could be described as a commotion.

Amidst that uproar.

“…I’ll check it myself.”

With a still rigid expression, Baran accepted the sword from the silver knight.

It was at that moment.

Suddenly, the surroundings darkened.

“Hmm?”

“The sky….”

Those standing on the altar all looked up at the sky in unison.

And they realized. Night had fallen.

“Is it already night? I guess quite some time has passed.”

“Even after coming all the way to the end of the grave, it seems night still comes.”

Despite the sudden occurrence, people did not react dramatically.

It was due to their familiarity. With the night arriving in this place.

Having entered this grave and spent a considerable amount of time here.

Thus, they responded nonchalantly.

Although some found it somewhat strange that night had come so abruptly, most did not pay it much mind.

However, the suddenness did not end there.

Grrrr—

A sound of crying echoed.

A low, yet instinctively unsettling, strange and grating cry.

“Hmm? What’s that?”

“Is a monster appearing?”

Only then did people start to look around, trying to find the source of the crying sound.

“Ah, is that it?”

A man stretched out his finger, pointing somewhere.

At a spot in the field, a little distance from the altar.

There, stood.

“What is that, a shadow?”

A wavering shadow-like figure was standing there.

“What is that?”

As they looked at the shadow, the people showed puzzled reactions.

It was due to the shadow’s rather peculiar shape.

While it appeared somewhat human in its bipedal stance, it also had fur like a beast, and its claws were unnaturally long.

Moreover, its unique form flickered like a shadow, making it impossible not to find it strange.

To put it simply, it had an ominous and unsettling appearance.

However, those gathered here had seen enough monsters and strange beings in their lives to be jaded, and no one recoiled in distaste at such a foreboding sight.

On the contrary, there were even those who drew their weapons and stepped forward.

“I don’t know what it is, but… I’ll take care of that thing.”

There was no trace of anxiety on his face as he faced the unknown creature.

Considering the average skill level of those gathered, that was only natural.

Each one of them was capable of holding their own wherever they went.

“Just when I thought it was going to be a quiet day, a weird one shows up to bother us—”

The man, approaching the monster with a slight frown of annoyance, suddenly—

Slash!

In the next moment, he was torn to shreds.

“……!”

“What the…?!”

The onlookers widened their eyes in shock.

Because they hadn’t even seen what had happened.

It was simple to guess the cause.

The monster attacked, and the warrior died.

However, the problem was that they hadn’t witnessed the process clearly.

Before the shock fully registered in their minds, the warriors closest to the monster immediately drew their weapons.

However, the monster fortunately did not move.

It simply stood there, staring blankly at the people with empty eyes, as if lost in thought.

“What on earth is this…?”

In that strange standoff, the warriors heightened their tension as they scrutinized the creature.

As they examined the monster, their eyes eventually landed on the mangled corpse.

And they realized one thing.

The pitiful state of the corpse seemed oddly familiar.

“Is that…?”

Someone quietly voiced the déjà vu.

The others around them didn’t speak, but nodded in agreement.

After entering the grave, they had encountered corpses on their way here.

The condition of that corpse was strikingly similar to the one before them.

Being skilled warriors, they recognized it immediately and naturally came to the conclusion.

“…It seems to be the work of that thing.”

The grotesque creature before them was the very source of those corpses.

The realization sharpened the resolve of those who understood.

They reaffirmed that this was a monster they could never let their guard down against.

“I think it would be best to work together.”

One of the warriors suggested.

“…That sounds wise.”

“Then let’s count to three and charge.”

Convinced that their opponent was a dangerous monster, one that would be overwhelming to face alone, the warriors agreed to cooperate.

Not only were they skilled, but they were also experienced, which made their consensus on cooperation swift.

Several warriors drew their weapons and summoned their magical energy.

Counting was the responsibility of the warrior who first proposed the cooperation.

“One, two….”

In the tense atmosphere, the warrior counted.

“Three!”

As the word “three” fell, the warriors around them charged at the monster in an instant.

Their momentum was sharp enough to seem like they could slice through the creature before them in a heartbeat, fierce and powerful.

However.

Rustle!

“…Huh?”

What was torn apart was not the monster, but the warriors charging at the monster.

Amidst the blood staining the surroundings and the scattered debris, the others watched the scene with their eyes wide open, as if they could not believe what they were seeing.

Astonishment; what was etched on their faces was sheer astonishment.

Warriors of this caliber, not just one but several of them, had fallen in an instant.

At a speed so fast they could barely comprehend it with their eyes.

“Everyone, fall back…!!”

Before anyone could fully grasp the surreal scene, someone shouted.

It was the realization.

That the monster before them was something they could not handle with their own strength.

The commotion quickly spread around them, eventually reaching those standing at the center of the altar.

Including the silver knight and the blood flame, those surrounding the stone coffin.

“…What a strange monster.”

The silver knight, who had been wearing a solemn expression, stepped forward.

“This is quite fortunate. I was already feeling unwell.”

“Hmm… then I’ll leave that to you, Silver Knight.”

Blood Flame did not stop the advancing silver knight.

There was no need to, nor any reason to do so.

“Finish it quickly and return.”

As he spoke calmly, the silver knight was about to draw his sword.

Swish—

Before he could draw his sword, Baran pulled the sword from his waist.

“Hmm? You don’t need to step in. I’ll handle that one.”

Seeing Baran like that, the silver knight wore a puzzled expression.

“Hmm? …Ah, it seems you’ve misunderstood something.”

At the silver knight’s reaction, Baran smiled gently.

Then he said,

“What I’m aiming for is not that.”

“……? What does that mean─”

Before the silver knight could react to the incomprehensible words.

Swish!

Baran swung his sword, striking both the silver knight and the blood flame.