Chapter 24: Chapter 24 - Sword From The Past ( Part 4 )
There was no mountain.
There was no damaged mountain.
There was no partly destroyed mountain.
The mountain was gone.
It simply did not exist anymore.
Moonlight shone brightly into the crater that was created by the destruction.
Broken stones were scattered in the valley.
Forests had been crushed under the ground.
But the clouds were still circling around unnaturally high above the scene.
Mana eruption was distorting everything.
In the center of this scene stood Jennie Queens.
Motionless.
Silent.
Looking at the sword she was holding in her hands.
---
"..."
---
"..."
---
"...What."
The former Sword King looked around.
Again.
Again.
Surely, there was some mistake.
Surely, there should have been some reason.
Maybe this mountain always looked like this.
Maybe she was remembering it wrong.
Maybe mountains normally explode when they meet their masters.
This statement was obviously insane.
---
Jennie lifted up the black sword.
Her master piece was reflecting the moonlight brilliantly.
The dragon, etched on the blade was looking alive.
Beautiful.
Mighty.
Perfect.
Exactly how she remembered it.
But...
Something was wrong.
Really wrong.
---
"I don’t remember you doing this."
Silence.
Jennie narrowed her eyes.
"You destroyed a mountain."
Silence.
---
"You destroyed several forests."
Silence.
---
"You probably terrified an entire kingdom."
Silence.
---
Jennie sighed.
Immediately freezing as the sword sighed back.
---
"..."
---
"..."
---
Jennie looked at the sword.
And the sword looked at her.
At least, spiritually.
---
Suddenly a calm voice sounded in her mind.
"My deepest apologies, Master."
Jennie nearly dropped the weapon.
---
The voice continued.
Gentle.
Mighty.
Sophisticated.
It sounded like voice of noble gentleman from ancient royal court.
"I got slightly over excited."
---
Jennie blinked twice.
Three times.
---
"...Excalibur?"
"Yes, Master."
---
"...You can talk?"
"Of course."
---
"Since when?"
"Approximately one thousand two hundred and forty three years ago."
---
Jennie rubbed her forehead.
Her head was starting to hurt.
Very badly.
---
"You never spoke before."
"You never asked."
---
"..."
---
"..."
---
This was somehow a reasonable answer.
Jennie hated it.
---
The sword spoke again.
With the same calm and respectful tone.
"It is so great to see you again, Master."
For a moment...
Jennie fell silent.
All of her jokes and sarcasm were gone.
Only Leonis was left.
---
A thousand years.
A thousand years have passed.
Empires rose and fell.
Kingdoms disappeared.
Whole bloodlines vanished.
Everybody she ever met... gone.
---
But Excalibur was still here.
Waiting.
Faithful.
Unchanged.
---
For the first time after her rebirth...
Jennie felt something tightening in her heart.
Emotional.
---
"You waited."
The sword answered immediately.
"Naturally."
---
"A thousand years."
"I was entrusted to Master."
---
Jennie laughed softly.
Only Excalibur could say such things seriously.
---
Suddenly—
Golden lights shone brightly in the crater.
Mana froze.
Stars darkened.
---
Excalibur became silent.
Very silent.
---
Jennie’s eyes widened.
She knew this feeling.
---
Familiar voice sounded throughout the whole world.
"Oh good. You found it."
---
Golden particles appeared before her.
Beautiful woman appeared in front of Jennie.
Silver hair.
Golden eyes.
White dress made of light.
---
The Goddess of Creation.
Miasa.
---
Jennie immediately pointed at her.
"You."
---
Goddess smiled.
The smile which immediately revealed that she was the one to blame.
---
"Hello, Leonis."
"I am Jennie now."
"Right."
"You forgot."
"I absolutely did."
---
Jennie sighed.
The Goddess of Creation was somehow less reliable than Princess Lilia.
---
This realization was terrifying.
---
Miasa turned to the sword.
Proudly nodded.
"Do you like my present?"
Jennie stared.
"Present?"
---
She crossed her arms.
"Of course."
"When you died, your deepest regret wasn’t your kingdom."
Jennie remained silent.
---
"It wasn’t fame."
---
Silence.
---
"It wasn’t power."
---
Silence.
---
Goddess smiled gently.
"It was the sword."
---
Jennie’s eyes widened slightly.
---
Indeed.
Among the countless number of regrets...
There was only one.
He devoted his whole life to protect everybody.
Ruling.
Leading.
Responsibilities.
---
He never once devoted himself only to the sword.
---
Therefore, before his reincarnation...
He wished to become someone who would be able to chase this sword.
---
Miasa nodded.
"That is why I preserved Excalibur."
---
Jennie turned to look at the sword.
---
The goddess continued.
"And not just preserved."
---
Golden symbols appeared around the blade.
Ancient runes.
Divine runes.
---
"The current Excalibur is stronger than the one you remember."
---
Jennie’s expression changed.
---
"Stronger?"
---
Miasa smiled.
Smile of the one who reveals a surprise.
---
"Much stronger."
---
Goddess raised her finger.
Golden visions appeared around her and Jennie.
---
"Excalibur has three sealed states."
---
The sword hummed proud.
---
"First."
Vision appeared.
The sword cleaving apart mountains.
---
"Second."
Splitting oceans.
---
"Third."
The image changed.
Stars.
Worlds.
Endless light.
---
Jennie interrupted immediately.
"That seems excessive."
---
"It is."
---
"Why?"
---
"You were my favorite hero."
---
"..."
---
"..."
---
This somehow didn’t explain anything.
---
Miasa ignored her confusion.
"But, more importantly."
---
Goddess pointed towards the sword.
---
"It can change its size."
---
Silence.
---
"What?"
---
"It can change its size."
---
Sword spoke politely.
"I can change my size, Master."
---
The blade immediately shrank.
From a legendary sword...
Into a tiny black ornament.
No bigger than a decorative hairpin.
---
Jennie’s eyes widened.
---
The sword spoke again.
"This state is much easier to conceal."
---
This was actually useful.
Very useful.
---
Jennie slowly picked up the tiny black ornament.
Dragon, engraved on the blade was still visible.
Beautiful.
Mighty.
---
She carefully put it into her white hair.
Black dragon-shaped hairpin looked gorgeous among silver-white hair.
---
Immediately the weapon became unnoticed.
Mana vanishing.
Its presence vanishing.
Completely hidden.
---
Legendary weapon capable of terrifying the kingdom...
Now looked like ordinary hair accessory.
---
Miasa nodded proudly.
"Perfect."
---
Jennie turned to look at the distant kingdom’s capital.
The kingdom surely didn’t know what had happened.
Knights were surely panicking.
Church was surely panicking.
King was definitely panicking.
---
And tomorrow...
She still had maid training.
---
The former Sword King touched the dragon-shaped hairpin.
Sighed.
---
Legendary divine weapon.
Goddess.
Destroyed mountain.
Ancient mysteries.
Forgotten legends.
---
And somehow...
Martha Morius was the most frightening thing in her life.
---
Far away, Excalibur quietly agreed.
"Indeed, Master."
---
For the first time in a thousand years...
Sword and Sword King reunited.
And both of them didn’t even know about the fact that this reunion started moving the gears of destiny.
Age of legends slowly awakened.
