Chapter 446 The Sword Of Light, Claíomh Solais
After half a day of traveling, which included passing through at least six Teleportation Gates, Ethan and Nicole finally arrived in the Capital City of Wisteria, where the Royal Palace of Eastshire stood for centuries.
“We’re finally here,” Ethan breathed a sigh of relief as he gazed at the castle perched up on top of the mountain that overlooked the city.
However, when he saw the giant blade of a sword and its handle that was sticking out at the center of the castle, he couldn’t help but wonder if it was really a sword, with the castle purposely built around it.
Nicole, who was paying close attention to Ethan’s reaction, smiled. She already expected him to be surprised after seeing the castle for the first time.
In fact, he was not the only one who felt this way.
Nicole felt the same when she first saw the Royal Castle a few years ago. At that time, their Patriarch brought her and the other members of the Asta Family to take part in the King’s birthday celebration.
But, that was only to be expected because the sight was truly memorable.
“Is that really a sword?” Ethan asked.
“It is,” Nicole replied. “The name of that sword is Claíomh Solais, which translates to the Sword of Light. According to legend, when the battle between the Tuatha De Danan and the Fomorians ended, that sword suddenly appeared on that mountain.
“In order to ensure that it would be protected from harm, the Founder of Eastshire decided to build a castle around it to serve as the Sword’s Sheathe until its rightful owner appeared.
“But even after many centuries, the sword remains in the mountain of Wisteria and will remain there until the promised day when the world descends into darkness. Or so the legend foretold.”
Sebastian, who was inside Ethan’s Sea of Consciousness, had a solemn look on his face as he looked at the giant sword in the distance.
‘She looks so lonely,’ Sebastian said softly.
‘True,’ Ethan’s Other Half commented. ‘She’s just like you in the past—waiting in the City of Zentris for your owner to return.’
Perhaps, due to Sebastian’s feelings being transferred to him through their connection, Ethan also felt a little sad as he looked at the sword in the distance.
“What’s wrong?” Nicole asked. “Feeling nervous?”
“No,” Ethan replied. “Let’s go. I want to rest.”
Ethan summoned his Wind Dancer and flew toward the castle in the mountains.
Nicole followed behind him with a playful look on her face.
When they were only hundreds of meters away in the castle, Ethan’s Other Half told Ethan to stop because there was a barrier in front of them.
Ethan couldn’t see this barrier, so he decided to activate his X-Vision to see if he could catch a glimpse of it.
His blue eyes glowed faintly as he looked in front of him.
He immediately saw a barrier that covered the entirety of the mountain, preventing everyone from going in.
“Did you sense it?” Nicole asked as she flew in front of Ethan. “And here I thought, you would bump into it mid-flight.”
Since he was still using X-Vision, he saw the naked body of the beautiful lady in front of him, which made him avert his gaze.
“Yes,” Ethan replied as he deactivated his X-Vision. “How do we proceed from here?”
“Simple.” Nicole smiled. “Just follow me.”
Ethan followed behind Nicole as they flew to the side of the mountain.
A few minutes later, he saw what seemed to be an open space made of white marble in the center of the forest.
According to his estimate, it was at least a mile long, and it was only visible from the sky.
Several Flying Chariots and Flying Ships were parked hundreds of meters away from the Silver Gate, which Ethan believed was the gateway that would lead them to the castle on top of the mountain.
Ethan and Nicole landed a few meters from the gate and were immediately approached by one of the Guards guarding the area.
“Here is our invitation,” Nicole said as she handed the medallion given to her and Ethan by the Grand Archmage of Eastshire.
The Guard waved his silver baton over the medallion that had the emblem of the Wisteria carved on it.
The flower on the medallion glowed faintly, which was the proof of their authenticity.
“We’ve been expecting you, Lady Asta, Sir Gremory.” The Guard gave the two teenagers a respectful bow. “Please, allow me to lead you to the gate.”
Ethan and Nicole nodded and followed the Guard toward the Giant Silver Gate.
The Silver Gate opened slightly, allowing enough space for two people to walk through it side by side.
Taking the lead, the Guard walked ahead, followed by Nicole, and lastly, Ethan.
When he stepped inside the Gate, Ethan found himself staring at another Gate where several guards were stationed.
This gate reminded him of the Gates of Brynhildr Academy, which served as another checkpoint to ensure that no one would be able to enter the castle grounds unless they were given permission to do so.
“Present your medallions,” the Guard Captain wearing white military clothes ordered.
Ethan and Nicole raised the hands that were holding the medallions to show them to the Guard Captain who went to inspect them.
“You may pass,” the Guard Captain said before turning to the guard that accompanied the two teenagers. “Escort them inside the castle, and return to your post right after.”
“Yes, Sir,” the Guard saluted before walking forward.
The gates opened wide to allow the three of them to enter.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Nicole asked, and Ethan had to agree with her statement.
The path that led to the actual castle was surrounded by blooming flowers, giving the surroundings a fragrant scent.
The fragrance made Ethan’s mind feel sharper, and he also felt revitalized. Although he was still tired from the journey, that feeling decreased by a good margin.
When they arrived at the castle doors, there were two castle maids waiting for them.
Both of them seemed to be in their early twenties, and they stood perfectly still, only moving when the two special guests arrived in front of them.
“We’ve been expecting you, Sir Ethan Gremory and Lady Nicole Asta,” one of the Maids said. “We will be serving as your personal maids during your stay in the castle. If you need anything, feel free to ask us. We will do our best to accommodate all of your requests.”
“My name is Mary,” the Maid, who was assigned to Ethan, introduced herself.
“My name is Sue,” the other Maid, who was assigned to Nicole, said with a smile.
““Please, follow us as we take you to your rooms.””
Ethan was worried that Nicole’s room and his room would be far from each other.
Fortunately, their two rooms were right beside each other, which gave him some peace of mind.
“See you at dinner,” Nicole said as she entered the room that was assigned to her.
“Okay. See you later,” Ethan replied before he, too, entered the room that was prepared for him.
The moment the door was closed, Mary gave the young man a short tour of his room.
“Sir Ethan, I would like to inform you that the date of the party has been moved two days from now,” Mary stated. “Until then, I will take care of your every need.”
“Thank you, Mary,” Ethan replied. “I’m a bit tired, so I will be resting a bit.”
“Understood, Sir Gremory,” Mary bowed respectfully.
“Just call me Ethan when we are alone,” Ethan said with a smile. “I’m not good with formalities.”
Mary returned Ethan’s smile and bowed once more before handing him a silver bell.
“If you need me, just ring this bell, Ethan,” Mary explained. “I will come to you right away.”
After saying those words, the Castle Maid finally left Ethan alone, granting him privacy.
“Lilith, come,” Ethan ordered.
A moment later, a Black Cat jumped out of his shadow and sat in front of her Master.
“I’ll be taking a bath,” Ethan said. “Make sure to not let anyone peep, okay?”
“Understood, Master,” Lilith said in a serious tone. “If that maid comes back to peep, I will scratch her face.”
“… You don’t have to go that far. You only need to stop her from coming into the bathroom.
“As you will, Master,” Lilith replied.
While Ethan was enjoying a relaxing shower, more Flying Chariots and Flying Ships arrived at the base of the mountain.
The Nobles and High-Ranking Nobles of the Kingdom were starting to gather at the capital, and this was partly due to the two teenagers. At the party, they would personally be knighted by the King, bestowing upon them the title of Honorary Knights of the Kingdom of Eastshire.
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