I wonder what's beyond the wall.
Excitement and anticipation, as well as worry and fear, are constantly intertwined.
I grabbed my heart, which was pounding like I was jumping rope, and went between the cracked bookshelves.
Then, the candle holder on the wall, like in a basement passage, automatically turned on.
Since it was a space that only Duke Leopold could enter, I thought there would be something special there, even if it wasn't gold and silver treasures.
"What's this."
I thought so, but no matter how much I looked around, I couldn't see anything special.
The room, which seemed to be about half the size of the previous room, was filled with nothing but books.
At this point, I guess you could call it an underground study rather than a basement.
Oh, there's one more thing.
It was a sword hanging on the wall facing the bookshelves that filled both walls.
I scanned the room again to see if there was anything else I hadn't noticed, but that was all.
I walked up to the sword hanging on the wall.
From a distance, I thought it was just a decorative sword, but up close I saw it wasn't.
“This is... the sword my father used.”
The shape of the sword's handle was unique, and since I often saw my father swinging this sword, I recognized it at a glance.
Besides, whenever my father went out to a bloody battlefield, such as to subdue monsters, he always took this sword with him.
It was the same during the last monster subjugation.
According to the account of a knight who was present at the time with my father, my father fought fiercely against the monsters to save the Crown Prince, but met with disaster when his sword was broken in two.
But I was embarrassed because the sword was right in front of me, in perfect condition.
I rubbed my eyes and checked again, thinking I had seen something wrong, but it was definitely the sword my father had used.
Is this sword by any chance a copy of the one your father used?
“But it’s hard to find a Pura that big...”
The sword's handle was engraved with a large pura. A pura that large would only appear once every few decades.
If I remember correctly, it has never been found since I was born.
There's no way my father would have used a sword with a fake pura in it.
“What happened?”
My head hurt because there were only question marks. At that moment, I was about to grab the sword handle, thinking that I would be able to know more clearly if I checked the Pura embedded in the sword handle.
Phagejik-
I felt a burning pain all over my palm as red sparks flew.
“Ugh!”
I quickly stepped back, clutching my hand. Blood flowed out from the inside of my reddened palm.
After roughly wiping the blood off with my sleeve, I looked at the sword again.
“What was that just now?”
Is it a magic barrier?
Or is it some other device?
As I carefully examined the area around the sword, I discovered a small magic circle drawn beneath the decoration that held the sword in place.
A familiar magic circle.
It looks similar to the magic circle I found in my father's drawer a long time ago.
It seemed like this magic circle was protecting the sword and preventing anyone from approaching it.
So is this also an ancient magic circle?
I wanted to ask Perdes, but unfortunately, he couldn't come in.
“I can draw it myself and show him.”
I found the pen right away, but I couldn't find any blank paper, so I drew a magic circle on the margin of the book I had in hand.
The magic circle was more elaborate and difficult than I thought, so it took a long time to draw.
By the time I put down my pen, the hourglass had already completed one revolution.
If everything had gone according to plan, it would have been right to leave now, but it was too bad to leave without resolving any of my questions.
Rather, my doubts grew even more, so I couldn't move forward.
I looked around to see if there was anything I could salvage, but no matter how much I looked, nothing caught my eye besides the sword.
“I want to take that sword with me.”
Maybe that sword is what the Emperor is after.
I stared at the sword for a moment, then carefully reached out to the handle.
Since I didn't release the magic circle, I thought there would naturally be a rejection reaction this time too.
“Got it... Huh?”
How can I catch it?
I was still dumbfounded after doing it.
The moment I took out my sword, feeling a sense of accomplishment even though I didn't know it.
[Prove existence.]
“... !”
Luke's voice resonated majestically in the dark room.
[Prove your existence.]
It was disconcerting and creepy to think that there might be someone else here besides me.
It was even more eerie because no matter how much I looked around, I couldn't see its presence. A chilling aura rose from the tips of my feet.
“Who are you!”
[Prove existence]
I shouted for no reason, but the answer I got was the same.
Instead, the sound grew louder and louder, until it was starting to make my head ring.
I frowned and placed my hand on my forehead.
What on earth are you trying to prove?
Are you asking me to prove who I am?
“My name is... Adele Leopold.”
I wasn't sure, but I opened my mouth because I felt like I had to do something.
“The 17th lord of the Leopold Duke family blessed by the Red Dragon, and the daughter of Agnos Leopold.”
The voice of doubt that had been giving me a headache, wondering if this was the right answer, disappeared.
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath and looked down at the sword in my hand.
I don't know if it was my imagination, but Pura seemed to shine more than before.
“I have to go out first.”
Although I still felt regretful, it was really dangerous to delay any longer.
I took the book with the magic circle and the sword and left the basement.
“Welcome back, Miss.”
“Sir Aldor?”
Why is he in front of the basement door?
“Did you happen to wait here until I got back?”
“No. He came about an hour ago. Before that, Lord Perdes was here.”
So, you took turns guarding this place with Perdes, waiting for me to return.
It made me laugh because the sight made him feel like a large dog waiting for its owner.
Their actions felt a little foolish.
“How much time has passed?”
“Exactly one day and 13 hours have passed.”
It flowed more than I thought.
Well, I guess that's to be expected since I stayed longer than planned.
“I will listen to it.”
“Just listen to this.”
Even though my palm was burned and it was difficult to hold things, I quickly handed over the sword.
Sir Aldor's eyes widened for a moment as he received the sword.
“This is His Excellency the Duke of the Former Duke...”
“As expected, you recognized it right away.”
Indeed, Sir Aldor truly admired my father, so it was strange that he did not recognize him.
Sir Aldor would know more about swords than I, who only watched my father use them from afar.
“Is that sword the one my father used?”
“...”
Sie Aldor examined the sword seriously and thoughtfully, then nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can stake my family on this.”
“But you know what, Sir Aldor?”
Can we really say for sure after hearing this story?
“The sword my father often used was broken in two while trying to save the Crown Prince.”
“...!”
Sir Aldor's eyes shook greatly as if he had never known about this fact.
“But how did my father’s sword end up in the Duke’s basement? And it’s still in such good condition.”
“...”
Sir Aldor looked down at his sword again without saying a word.
He carefully examined the sword, even touching the well-honed blade without a single chip, then closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.
“...I don’t know why, but one thing is certain.”
“What is that?”
“This sword is definitely the sword used by His Excellency the Former Duke.”
Seeing him so sure even after hearing the story about the sword being broken in two, meant that it was definitely the sword my father used.
“Sir Aldor. Could you please investigate the circumstances surrounding my father’s death?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“We must investigate secretly, without letting others know, especially the royal family.”
“Of course.”
“And give me that black one.”
As I held out my hand, Sir Aldor hesitated as he was about to hand me the sword.
His trembling eyes were fixed on my palm.
What are you looking at... Oh, that’s right. I got burned.
I hastily withdrew my hand, blaming myself for my foolish actions of reaching out, completely forgetting that fact, but Sir Aldor was quicker.
He grabbed my wrist as if he was grabbing it, looked at my palm, and asked.
“Are you hurt?”
"A little..."
“Go back to your bedroom right now. I’ll call the doctor.”
I wanted to tell him that there was no need to do that, but Aldor quickly disappeared before I had time to do so.
This is it. I made you worry for nothing.
I went back to the bedroom, scratching my head.
After a while, the attending doctor arrived with Sir Aldor.
“It’s only a superficial burn, so if you apply some ointment, it will heal cleanly without leaving a scar. Of course, you shouldn’t do anything with your hands during that time.”
“Does that mean I shouldn’t even hold a sword?”
“Of course. You can’t hold the utensils, and you can’t let the water touch them.”
Don't even touch the dishes.
That might be a bit inconvenient.
The doctor bandaged my hand and left the bedroom, saying he would bring some burn ointment.
My bandaged hand felt awkward, so I clenched and unclenched it for no reason, and then Aldor asked.
“What on earth happened in the basement?”
“Nothing happened.”
Sir Aldor stared at me with a blank stare, as if he couldn't believe what I was saying.
“It’s true. These are the glorious scars I earned while trying to obtain that sword.”
“The word glory does not fit the wound.”
I see.
“Anyway, I’m really okay, so don’t worry and just go. I just want to get some rest.”
"...All right."
“Oh, by the way, leave the sword I gave you behind. And don’t tell anyone about it.”
Sir Aldor nodded and went out.
After a while, Sir Aldor returned and left, leaving behind the sword and the doctor left behind some burn ointment.
Being tired wasn't an empty phrase, it was real.
When I returned to reality after being in another space, my body felt limp as if the time that had passed had accumulated and become fatigue.
My head hurt too.
I thought it would be better to take a nap and wake up, so I dug into the blanket.
Excitement and anticipation, as well as worry and fear, are constantly intertwined.
I grabbed my heart, which was pounding like I was jumping rope, and went between the cracked bookshelves.
Then, the candle holder on the wall, like in a basement passage, automatically turned on.
Since it was a space that only Duke Leopold could enter, I thought there would be something special there, even if it wasn't gold and silver treasures.
"What's this."
I thought so, but no matter how much I looked around, I couldn't see anything special.
The room, which seemed to be about half the size of the previous room, was filled with nothing but books.
At this point, I guess you could call it an underground study rather than a basement.
Oh, there's one more thing.
It was a sword hanging on the wall facing the bookshelves that filled both walls.
I scanned the room again to see if there was anything else I hadn't noticed, but that was all.
I walked up to the sword hanging on the wall.
From a distance, I thought it was just a decorative sword, but up close I saw it wasn't.
“This is... the sword my father used.”
The shape of the sword's handle was unique, and since I often saw my father swinging this sword, I recognized it at a glance.
Besides, whenever my father went out to a bloody battlefield, such as to subdue monsters, he always took this sword with him.
It was the same during the last monster subjugation.
According to the account of a knight who was present at the time with my father, my father fought fiercely against the monsters to save the Crown Prince, but met with disaster when his sword was broken in two.
But I was embarrassed because the sword was right in front of me, in perfect condition.
I rubbed my eyes and checked again, thinking I had seen something wrong, but it was definitely the sword my father had used.
Is this sword by any chance a copy of the one your father used?
“But it’s hard to find a Pura that big...”
The sword's handle was engraved with a large pura. A pura that large would only appear once every few decades.
If I remember correctly, it has never been found since I was born.
There's no way my father would have used a sword with a fake pura in it.
“What happened?”
My head hurt because there were only question marks. At that moment, I was about to grab the sword handle, thinking that I would be able to know more clearly if I checked the Pura embedded in the sword handle.
Phagejik-
I felt a burning pain all over my palm as red sparks flew.
“Ugh!”
I quickly stepped back, clutching my hand. Blood flowed out from the inside of my reddened palm.
After roughly wiping the blood off with my sleeve, I looked at the sword again.
“What was that just now?”
Is it a magic barrier?
Or is it some other device?
As I carefully examined the area around the sword, I discovered a small magic circle drawn beneath the decoration that held the sword in place.
A familiar magic circle.
It looks similar to the magic circle I found in my father's drawer a long time ago.
It seemed like this magic circle was protecting the sword and preventing anyone from approaching it.
So is this also an ancient magic circle?
I wanted to ask Perdes, but unfortunately, he couldn't come in.
“I can draw it myself and show him.”
I found the pen right away, but I couldn't find any blank paper, so I drew a magic circle on the margin of the book I had in hand.
The magic circle was more elaborate and difficult than I thought, so it took a long time to draw.
By the time I put down my pen, the hourglass had already completed one revolution.
If everything had gone according to plan, it would have been right to leave now, but it was too bad to leave without resolving any of my questions.
Rather, my doubts grew even more, so I couldn't move forward.
I looked around to see if there was anything I could salvage, but no matter how much I looked, nothing caught my eye besides the sword.
“I want to take that sword with me.”
Maybe that sword is what the Emperor is after.
I stared at the sword for a moment, then carefully reached out to the handle.
Since I didn't release the magic circle, I thought there would naturally be a rejection reaction this time too.
“Got it... Huh?”
How can I catch it?
I was still dumbfounded after doing it.
The moment I took out my sword, feeling a sense of accomplishment even though I didn't know it.
[Prove existence.]
“... !”
Luke's voice resonated majestically in the dark room.
[Prove your existence.]
It was disconcerting and creepy to think that there might be someone else here besides me.
It was even more eerie because no matter how much I looked around, I couldn't see its presence. A chilling aura rose from the tips of my feet.
“Who are you!”
[Prove existence]
I shouted for no reason, but the answer I got was the same.
Instead, the sound grew louder and louder, until it was starting to make my head ring.
I frowned and placed my hand on my forehead.
What on earth are you trying to prove?
Are you asking me to prove who I am?
“My name is... Adele Leopold.”
I wasn't sure, but I opened my mouth because I felt like I had to do something.
“The 17th lord of the Leopold Duke family blessed by the Red Dragon, and the daughter of Agnos Leopold.”
The voice of doubt that had been giving me a headache, wondering if this was the right answer, disappeared.
“Phew.”
I took a deep breath and looked down at the sword in my hand.
I don't know if it was my imagination, but Pura seemed to shine more than before.
“I have to go out first.”
Although I still felt regretful, it was really dangerous to delay any longer.
I took the book with the magic circle and the sword and left the basement.
“Welcome back, Miss.”
“Sir Aldor?”
Why is he in front of the basement door?
“Did you happen to wait here until I got back?”
“No. He came about an hour ago. Before that, Lord Perdes was here.”
So, you took turns guarding this place with Perdes, waiting for me to return.
It made me laugh because the sight made him feel like a large dog waiting for its owner.
Their actions felt a little foolish.
“How much time has passed?”
“Exactly one day and 13 hours have passed.”
It flowed more than I thought.
Well, I guess that's to be expected since I stayed longer than planned.
“I will listen to it.”
“Just listen to this.”
Even though my palm was burned and it was difficult to hold things, I quickly handed over the sword.
Sir Aldor's eyes widened for a moment as he received the sword.
“This is His Excellency the Duke of the Former Duke...”
“As expected, you recognized it right away.”
Indeed, Sir Aldor truly admired my father, so it was strange that he did not recognize him.
Sir Aldor would know more about swords than I, who only watched my father use them from afar.
“Is that sword the one my father used?”
“...”
Sie Aldor examined the sword seriously and thoughtfully, then nodded.
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Are you sure?”
“I can stake my family on this.”
“But you know what, Sir Aldor?”
Can we really say for sure after hearing this story?
“The sword my father often used was broken in two while trying to save the Crown Prince.”
“...!”
Sir Aldor's eyes shook greatly as if he had never known about this fact.
“But how did my father’s sword end up in the Duke’s basement? And it’s still in such good condition.”
“...”
Sir Aldor looked down at his sword again without saying a word.
He carefully examined the sword, even touching the well-honed blade without a single chip, then closed his eyes tightly and opened them again.
“...I don’t know why, but one thing is certain.”
“What is that?”
“This sword is definitely the sword used by His Excellency the Former Duke.”
Seeing him so sure even after hearing the story about the sword being broken in two, meant that it was definitely the sword my father used.
“Sir Aldor. Could you please investigate the circumstances surrounding my father’s death?”
“Yes, Miss.”
“We must investigate secretly, without letting others know, especially the royal family.”
“Of course.”
“And give me that black one.”
As I held out my hand, Sir Aldor hesitated as he was about to hand me the sword.
His trembling eyes were fixed on my palm.
What are you looking at... Oh, that’s right. I got burned.
I hastily withdrew my hand, blaming myself for my foolish actions of reaching out, completely forgetting that fact, but Sir Aldor was quicker.
He grabbed my wrist as if he was grabbing it, looked at my palm, and asked.
“Are you hurt?”
"A little..."
“Go back to your bedroom right now. I’ll call the doctor.”
I wanted to tell him that there was no need to do that, but Aldor quickly disappeared before I had time to do so.
This is it. I made you worry for nothing.
I went back to the bedroom, scratching my head.
After a while, the attending doctor arrived with Sir Aldor.
“It’s only a superficial burn, so if you apply some ointment, it will heal cleanly without leaving a scar. Of course, you shouldn’t do anything with your hands during that time.”
“Does that mean I shouldn’t even hold a sword?”
“Of course. You can’t hold the utensils, and you can’t let the water touch them.”
Don't even touch the dishes.
That might be a bit inconvenient.
The doctor bandaged my hand and left the bedroom, saying he would bring some burn ointment.
My bandaged hand felt awkward, so I clenched and unclenched it for no reason, and then Aldor asked.
“What on earth happened in the basement?”
“Nothing happened.”
Sir Aldor stared at me with a blank stare, as if he couldn't believe what I was saying.
“It’s true. These are the glorious scars I earned while trying to obtain that sword.”
“The word glory does not fit the wound.”
I see.
“Anyway, I’m really okay, so don’t worry and just go. I just want to get some rest.”
"...All right."
“Oh, by the way, leave the sword I gave you behind. And don’t tell anyone about it.”
Sir Aldor nodded and went out.
After a while, Sir Aldor returned and left, leaving behind the sword and the doctor left behind some burn ointment.
Being tired wasn't an empty phrase, it was real.
When I returned to reality after being in another space, my body felt limp as if the time that had passed had accumulated and become fatigue.
My head hurt too.
I thought it would be better to take a nap and wake up, so I dug into the blanket.
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