Nadoli and the other apprentices had studied under the imperial capital’s greatest Swordsman and seen many famous weapons. But even for them, this sword had an enchanting glow that was utterly unique.
In Zebrudia, powerful swords didn’t often end up in the hands of pure Swordsmen, but more often in those who were hunters. In this holy land of treasure hunting, Relics flowed in at all hours of the day, but only a small number of those were sword-types, and only a handful of those were anything powerful. On top of this, swords were one of the most popular weapon types among hunters, so most quality swords ended up being used by their finder.
On the very rare occasion a powerful sword-type went on the market, there was no telling how much it might sell for. There were many rivalries among covetous hunters and nobles. Even for an apprentice of the Sword Saint, obtaining such a Relic was a distant dream.
Of course, there were masterpieces among those produced by the modern smiths. These were more than sufficient to do battle with phantoms and monsters. These days, swords were fairly affordable, and Nadoli and the other apprentices all had their own. Still, a Relic weapon was nonetheless something all Swordsmen in the imperial capital longed for. If anything, learning from the Sword Saint gave them many chances to look upon such works, making their desire stronger than that of their peers.
The apprentice who had brought this sword in was an eccentric man, the most troublesome of all the apprentices. He was Luke Sykol, the Protean Blade. More than any man in the imperial capital, he loved and was loved by swords. His application for apprenticeship had come out of the blue, and he had almost instantly become one of the strongest in the dojo.
Despite the many ridiculous anecdotes about him, such as how his real sword had been confiscated because of his inclination towards cutting people indiscriminately, he was a member of one of the best treasure-hunting parties in the imperial capital.
Every one of the Sword Saint’s apprentices had been admitted because they had potential. However, it took more than skill with a blade to eliminate the phantoms that dwelt in treasure vaults. Clearing vaults required luck, skill, and reliable comrades, all the more so in high-level vaults, where Relics appeared with greater frequency.
However, though he had nearly killed many of his fellow apprentices while sparring, and was flawed as both a person and a Swordsman, he was undoubtedly a first-rate hunter. For someone who had cleared many vaults beyond normal hunters, even a sword-type Relic likely wasn’t worth fussing over.
Over time, Nadoli had learned that Luke’s party leader, the Thousand Tricks, was a Relic collector and had a number of sword-types in his possession. There wasn’t anything surprising about that. Nadoli’s mentor, Soln Rowell, wasn’t a hunter, but his skills surpassed many high-level hunters. More than a few great hunters were former students of his, and some had brought him Relic swords as a gesture of gratitude.
“Our leader, Krai, said this was a good opportunity and that I should bring this over,” Luke said.
Their mentor was somewhere else. Normally, it was unthinkable for apprentices to see a gift before their master. Yet Luke didn’t hesitate when he removed the black cloth, then removed the sword from its scabbard. When he did, time came to a halt. The moment they saw it, all the apprentices, with the exception of Luke, gasped.
The vast majority of sword-type Relics had their origins in the era of advanced magical weaponry. The weapons of that era were not only powerful but also bore artistic beauty. This one, however, was different from any they knew.
The ominous blade had a red glimmer to it, its edge was without a single nick, and it shone with a strange luster. Just looking at it made them restless. It was no wonder the apprentices were all looking at it with bloodshot eyes—this was something devilish.
If this showed up at an auction, nobles, merchants, and hunters alike would all be bidding with rabid intensity. Their mentor’s swords were all beautiful works, but none of them demanded absolute attention the way this piece before them did. It was humbling to think that a high-level hunter was capable of simply giving something like this away as a gift.
“Huh?” Luke whispered apprehensively. “That’s funny, I coulda sworn this thing was black.”
Luke’s words didn’t reach Nadoli’s ears. His heart pounded, his hands shook, and his mouth felt dry. It took all his strength, but he managed to pry his gaze from the sword and look at Luke. “Hey, for someone who likes swords so much, how can you give this away?”
Luke was never someone bound by common sense. If Nadoli found himself in Luke’s position, he would never consider giving the sword to someone else.
Luke looked at him blankly, then simply said, “I know what you mean, but Krai told me to give this to my mentor. Besides, think about it. If I owned this thing, then I can’t cut its wielder, right?”
“I see.”
He really didn’t. What Luke said was incomprehensible to Nadoli, but he had responded without thinking. That was fine. He could forget about Luke for now. The problem was what to do with this sword.
This was a gift to his mentor. Nadoli and the other apprentices were all proud of him. They respected him. Snatching up a sword meant for him would be unforgivable, but Nadoli’s Swordsman soul whispered to him. It was a silent voice, but he could hear it all the same.
“If you never take up this blade, can you truly carry on as a Swordsman?”
“All right,” Nadoli said. “But this sword is a Relic. There’s no guarantee it isn’t a Devil Sword, or some other sort of cursed item that harms its wielder. We can’t give our mentor something dangerous.”
His vision was foggy. He was surprised at the force behind his own voice. What he said was impossible. He knew that there were swords that affected their wielder in negative ways, but those were extremely rare, and this had come from the Thousand Tricks. This couldn’t possibly be something dangerous.
Even if he didn’t know the results, Nadoli was confident they had already tested this blade to figure out its powers. Nobody was so careless as to give an unknown Relic as a gift, even if the recipient was a mighty Swordsman.
While Nadoli’s words sounded like an excuse, even to his own ears, Luke didn’t seem particularly upset.
“Hmm,” he said. “Yeah, I guess you’re right about that.”
An unidentifiable sense of pleasure overtook Nadoli. Luke had given him his word. But this was Luke; perhaps he was just being nice? It didn’t matter. Nadoli wasn’t planning to steal the sword. He just wanted to hold the sword, to swing it, just once. Just once. Probably thinking the same thing, the other apprentices swarmed around the sword and gulped.
Before anyone could beat him to it, Nadoli spoke up in the same overpowering voice he used when training with the other apprentices. “If that’s the case, allow me to test it out before it’s handed to our mentor. Why don’t we make sure that this sword isn’t cursed?”