Star-Embracing Swordmaster (Full)

Now it's time to stand on his own.

The sorrow of being orphaned extended beyond just the sadness of losing his parents.

"Son of a thief!"

"I didn't steal it!"

Now there was no one to tell the boy no.

The reality of not being able to trust anyone wore down young Vlad constantly.

"Good luck! That's why we don't allow people without parents here!"

The world trapped Vlad within its prejudices, and in the end, the young man had no choice but to cower and adapt to orphan life in the alleys.

Thus, Vlad lived a ruined life somewhere and had to look only an inch ahead.

However, there was someone who told the boy, now alone in the church, that it wasn't his fault.

"From now on, I'll vouch for Mr. Vlad."

Thus, he shielded the hesitant boy behind him.

He was a man who believed it was never too late to straighten out the child's wrinkled soul.

***

"Of course, all his actions will continue to be accompanied by his voice. And I believe that voice comes from God above."

Pedro's question portrayed Vlad as a man with a sinister omen, but Andreas' response portrayed Vlad as a blessed man.

Though it was the same person, he looked very different depending on how one looked at him.

"I was born of humble origin, with a prostitute for a mother. Do you know how easy God's blessing is?"

God's blessing for a simple alley orphan.

If God's blessing had truly been upon a man named Vlad, he would have been born into a noble lineage, not a dirty alley.

"Frausen, the founding king of the empire, also experienced many hardships at the base as the son of a fallen noble family. But what of it? In the end, he was blessed by God."

While the church bishop looked at where Vlad was born, the church priest looked to where the boy would go next.

Though born in humble surroundings, Andreas was a man who believed the boy had the potential to shine brighter than anyone.

"…Next question."

Not only metal weapons are sharp.

Though not a sword, here in the church of Soara, there were people wielding sharp weapons, stabbing and blocking each other.

"Knight Vlad grew up in the alleys of Soara and has committed numerous crimes since then. Is this true?"

Stealing, taking, and sometimes killing.

Vlad clearly lived a life of sin.

"It was like a tragedy that I had no choice but to do to survive. His sins are like emergency aid for his own survival."

Yet the boy clearly carried the coffin and drove it for the poor woman and child.

No one approached them for fear of curse; only the boy approached them out of pity.

It certainly wasn't Vlad's fault that he couldn't live as he was born.

"Knight Vlad defeated an evil being and killed a dragon within a year after taking up the sword! Is this something that can be understood with common sense?"

In less than a year, he awakened Aura, killed the dragon, and defeated the Western Knight.

The boy's growth, which according to common sense makes no sense, would certainly raise doubts when seen from the outside.

"…"

Andreas remembered that day for a moment before answering Pedro's question.

Though only a mercenary, the boy ran through the dark night to fulfill his duty.

That day, Vlad's world, streaking through the night sky, was dazzlingly white no matter who saw it.

"…I'm not the only one who has seen Mr. Vlad's shining world. Bishop."

Andreas was not the only one who saw Vlad's world.

"Here are testimonies from each family."

Andreas grabbed the papers Joseph had given him and held them up.

The emblems of noble characters engraved on each sheet of paper.

All the names written there were people who clearly saw Vlad's potential.

"Duncan of Hainal, Justia of San Rogino, and even Valkov of Baranov! All these people are testifying that all his achievements so far were achievements of a child!"

In the end, the only person who can protect oneself is oneself.

Andreas was pulling Vlad from Pedro's clutches, but the rope he sent was formed by the data the boy had been accumulating all along.

Vlad had hellish doubts, but in the end, he was saved.

"…Testimonies of the Knights. Confirmed."

Pedro's face hardened as he looked at the knight testimonies handed over by Andreas.

Doubts about sincerity, humble origin, dishonorable crimes, and even doubts about created possibilities.

Pedro had made a sturdy net to trap Vlad, but Priest Andreas' defense was breaking the net he had made.

The dagger called truth that Andreas held was that sharp.

"…"

Pedro looked at the interrogators surrounding Vlad.

The crystal balls dimmed with each question Pedro asked.

However, since Andreas arrived, not a single crystal ball has dimmed, and now only one crystal ball remains in the circle.

'In the end, should I bring it out?'

If there was ever a time to gamble, now was the time.

Pedro realized he couldn't put Vlad in a state where he couldn't recover with a single question, so he decided to use a contingency plan.

Joseph and Pedro were on opposite sides, but they still had one thing in common.

"Bring what you've prepared!"

It means prepare for the worst.

Following Pedro's instructions, the Sacred Knights brought a large seal to the court.

An unidentifiable object brought directly by the paladins, not by priests or maintenance staff.

The large wooden boxes surrounding the place clearly indicated that what was inside was unusual.

"To Bishop Pedro, the judge of this trial, there is still one question remaining."

Pedro's grayish eyes stared at Andreas.

Things had become so troublesome because of that priest who dared to go mad in front of the bishop.

"And instead of asking questions, I decided to clear your suspicions through direct action."

At a signal from Pedro, the interrogators began to open the large wooden box.

People held their breath, and the interrogators tensed.

"That…"

When Andreas finally saw the object revealed, he couldn't help but sigh.

"A mirror?"

"Why a mirror all of a sudden?"

The object that emerged from the large seal was a mirror.

And Andreas was familiar with this mirror.

"Instead of asking the final question, I will order an exorcism on Knight Vlad."

The Mirror of San Marello.

The Mirror of Marello, an official holy relic designated by the Vatican, was a treasure known to reflect the entire truth of the person looking into it.

"Mr. Vlad, if you are truly honorable, accept this."

And there was only one case in which the Inquisitors used a holy relic.

It was a moment to discover the existence of hidden evil within the human soul.

"This is ridiculous!"

There is a demon inside Vlad.

Pedro's exorcism was an act that assumed that.

"You have proven your innocence with truthful answers so far, then why are you trying to perform an exorcism on Mr. Vlad?"

And the current exorcism ritual will mark Vlad as a stigma and follow him as a symbol of dishonor.

"Priest Andreas. I have a duty to clarify even the slightest doubt."

However, Pedro didn't bring out the Mirror of San Marello simply to stain Vlad's honor.

Vlad showed great hesitation when asked if he could hear voices.

Experienced Pedro didn't miss the moment the witness shivered.

"But!"

"If your soul is pure, doubting is not enough."

It wasn't outright bad, but it wasn't good either.

It was clear that the current action itself was posing a huge burden on Vlad.

"…"

Andreas had no choice but to look at the boy behind him with a helpless expression.

Pedro's last resort was a struggle, and even Andreas, who did his best to defend, couldn't stop it.

"Don't worry. It's just an object that allows you to find something special residing within him."

Andreas believed Vlad to be a faithful person, so he thought that if he could overcome this attempt, the trial could be safely completed.

"…"

Andreas was one of the few people who saw the boy's true colors.However, there was a side of Vlad that he had not noticed.

The boy wasn't the only one who was alone.

Even now, in his soul, there is a voice that has gone through trials and tribulations together.

Mirror of San Marello.

Vlad's eyes trembled as he looked into the mirror.

"…"

Pedro, who had been silently observing the situation, also looked at Vlad's trembling eyes.

Perhaps he really is hiding something.

His expressionless eyes gradually gleamed as he looked at Vlad.

***

It was a moment of crisis where his identity could be revealed, but the sound he heard was calm.

Because from the moment this trial began, his voice was prepared.

[…It's okay. Go ahead.]

I remembered the voice.

The old blacksmith who gave the sword to the boy.

He hoped his humble sword wouldn't fail him, and although they had never spoken, his voice reflected a deep affinity with him.

'But.'

[So far, I have taught you everything you need to know.]

Vlad's steps paused for a moment at the sudden response from the voice.

However, the piercing eyes of the interrogators didn't forgive Vlad's hesitation.

[To avoid being reflected in that mirror, I have to dive into a deeper world.]

Once before, the voice had deepened to avoid Andreas's gaze.

However, what you have in front of you is a holy relic that the Vatican is proud of.

To avoid the eyes of that great sacred object, you'll have to dive into a world incomparably deeper than before.

'In that case…'

[The world of knights is as vast and deep as the ocean. So far, the world you have explored has barely scratched the surface.]

Rutiger swung his sword and Gregory struck with his body.

Pablo, the knight who led Vlad's world, clashed swords and shields.

All those actions were like keys to elevate the world from a deeper level.

[Now that the foundation has been laid, it's time to advance to a higher place.]

Vlad had just entered the world of knights, but there were still many stairs to climb.

However, from now on, being informed wasn't the way forward.

The voice knew that now was the time for the boy to defend himself.

"Knight Vlad, open your eyes! And look into the mirror in front of you!

"…"

Vlad finally approached the mirror with heavy steps, but he couldn't easily look into it.

Because he knew what would happen if he opened his eyes now.

'I'm still not good enough to reach that world.'

[Yet someday you will.]

'It will take a long time. Perhaps I may never be able to do it for the rest of my life.'

I didn't know it when I looked at it, but I knew it when I finally got there.

What kind of world are you dreaming of, and what high wall do you have to overcome to reach that world?

[I think it's time for you to do it alone.]

However, the voice was resolute, and now was the time to do it.

Just as the sword that had finished its work had broken, it was time for the voice to also leave its place.

[Until then, farewell.]

The audience was noisy.

The sound of the interrogators' prayers grew louder and louder.

But even then, Vlad heard clearly.

The voice bidding farewell.

"…It's okay."

Standing in front of the mirror, Vlad lowered his head.

Because he could feel it, because the worlds were touching.

That the world that had always protected him was sinking as if collapsing into the depths.

"What are you doing now?"

Pedro's eyes began to gleam as he watched Vlad hesitating.

Perhaps there really was something about the boy that he couldn't help but hope for.

"Open your eyes and look ahead! Vlad!

Now he was so low that he couldn't feel it, but Vlad remembered it.

What kind of world was the world that formed the roots of one?

The voice's world.

His world was full of storms and thunderstorms. And it was a world full of intense whiteness.

"…!"

He finally found the Mirror of San Marello.

Facing it, Vlad opened his eyes proudly and saw the remnants of the world that was in contact with him.

It was a white world that the voice had left behind for the last time.

"That's..."

"The mirror… is it glowing?"

The mirror that the boy was looking at was glowing.

Pure white, as if it were about to burst.

"Oh my god…"

The faithful priest rises, and the inquisitors don't know what to do.

And even Pedro is surprised by the unexpected results.

The boy's world, which began with the relics of San Marello, was leaving the courtroom as if about to explode.

"…You can't see anything I did wrong."

Lightning is created from the clouds and begins from the sky.

White is a noble color and a color that only those without a single trace of shame can have.

The boy's world, which formed the roots, started in the sky.

"…But why are they playing like this?"

Huge worlds always crushed the boy.

In the past, I would collapse without even being able to scream, but now I can shout loudly at least once.

"They said I didn't do anything wrong!"

Kwang! Boom!

Along with the boy's anger, a lightning bolt began to fall from the sky.

The white clouds that had suddenly gathered hurled a bolt of lightning at the highest point of the false church.

Dong-ding-dong

The boy did nothing wrong.

He simply survived and did what he had to do.

And the final witness who proved his innocence was the voice that had always been with Vlad.

In the city of Soara, the bells announcing Vlad's innocence began to ring loudly.

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