Where Is the Last Sword?
[Entering the 9th Floor of the Tower of Myth.]
A cool breeze brushed past, carrying with it the refreshing scent of phytoncides that seeped into my nose.
What appeared before us was the side of a mountain.
"Mission return complete!"
Had even a minute passed since we entered the Tower?
Kancho, who had finished sweeping the area, snapped into a salute.
"There are no life signs within a one-kilometer radius! No traps either, sir!"
After giving our excellent scout a few affectionate pats, I looked around.
A forest so overgrown with trees and vines that it was hard to call anything a path.
It was obvious at a glance that no human foot had tread here for a very long time.
'The system's quiet again today.'
Just as I was thinking that, since it was a mountain, we might as well head upward—
Seira stepped forward and pointed down.
"It's probably this way."
"You recognize this place?"
"It's been too long to be certain. And it's quite different from what I remember."
"Let's go anyway."
Searching the entire mountain was far worse than clinging to even the thinnest straw.
We began pushing through the forest, following Seira as she led the way.
Thwack!
"Eek!"
Kancho's head snapped back in front of Jinhyeok.
A branch that Elia had pushed aside sprang back and smacked Kancho square in the face.
"What are you doing, old hag! Don't you know there are yordles behind you?!"
"Hm? You were there? You're so small I didn't notice. Try to be understanding?"
"Is that something a person should say?! Are you trying to send me flying?!"
He looked ready to pull out his minigun.
I dragged Kancho back and continued following Seira.
After descending for quite some time,
Seira stopped walking.
"This should be it."
Where she halted stood the entrance to a massive cave.
Neglected for ages, the cave mouth was blocked by overgrown vines and trees.
"I'll make an entrance."
"Wait a moment."
Jinhyeok stepped forward and began feeling around the area near the entrance.
This section alone was a different color.
Tug.
When he pulled with his hand, a whole bundle of vines came away at once.
A hidden entrance, tucked away in the corner, revealed itself.
It was just large enough for a single person to pass through.
"No abnormalities inside the cave!"
"Kancho, move! Let Momo go through!"
Pushing aside Kancho, who had just finished scouting, Momo entered the cave.
She took a gas lantern out of her inventory and lit it.
"Oooh."
The interior was nothing like the chaotic entrance.
Bathed in light, the cave looked as though it had been used by people until fairly recently.
There were traces of a campfire, jerky and liquor bottles set to one side, and even a half-read book.
It was a place more than sufficient for a brief stay.
"I once carried out a mission nearby. We were caught in a fierce typhoon and discovered this place while looking for shelter from the storm."
Perhaps recalling those memories,
A smile appeared on Seira's face as she surveyed the cave.
"There was someone who especially liked this place, calling it a secret hideout."
"The owner of the last sword, by any chance?"
"That's right. The owner of the third sword we seek, and the vice-captain of the Black Knight Order—Kan Lendio. Whenever he had time, Kan would bring books and emergency rations here. If he managed to get leave, he'd come to this hideout, light a campfire, and read."
"Sounds like camping."
"Camp-ing? What's that?"
"You light a fire, eat good food, read books, chat. Sometimes you just stare at the fire. They call it fire-gazing."
"Fire-gazing? Wouldn't that be boring if you do nothing?"
"I've never tried it either, but they say just staying still like that is healing."
"Momo wants to heal too!"
"Let's do it once we get out. If we take a camper van somewhere remote where no one comes, it'll be fun."
Normally it would be dangerous and best avoided, but now there was no need to worry about that.
Whether a bear showed up or an alligator, camping in a beautiful place sounded like a blast.
Clap.
Jinhyeok slapped both cheeks.
'Focus. Focus.'
This wasn't about camping—finding the sword came first.
This was the favorite resting place of Kan, vice-captain of the Black Knight Order.
The sword wasn't visible right away, but there had to be clues pointing to where it was.
"It doesn't look like just one or two people came here!"
Kancho crouched low, tail swaying as he examined the ground.
"The footprints are all different sizes—at least several dozen people!"
"Didn't Seira say she and the Black Knight Order rested here before? Couldn't those be from then?"
Kancho stared at Jinhyeok with wide eyes.
"So sharp! As expected of the Commander-in-Chief!"
As I grew embarrassed by the excessive praise, Elia emerged from the Star's Workshop and sprinkled a potion.
Where the liquid touched, the footprints began to glow in different colors.
"What's that?"
"A liquid that shows when something was created. The deeper and brighter the color, the more recent it is."
Once again, light filled my vision.
Judging by the variety and brightness alone, there were at least dozens of distinct traces.
In other words, they weren't made all at once.
"It looks like one or two people came at a time, spaced out over intervals."
"Hey, Captain. You'd better take a look at this."
Dark, who had gone deeper into the cave, called to Seira.
Jinhyeok's group hurried over.
On the wall Dark pointed to, dozens of names were carved.
"They're the names of the members."
Pointing to each in turn, Seira began reading them aloud.
"Kan Lendio, Maximus Yan, Polit Nemus, Sein Ardan, Pantip Orion, Karmen Breed."
The owners of Muramasa and Raven were there as well.
After reading the final name, Seira straightened.
"The names of every single member of the Black Knight Order. Not one missing."
A subtle smile crept onto Jinhyeok's face.
Seira Kinkaiten, Captain of the Black Knight Order.
Eons had passed since the order was disbanded.
And yet, she remembered every name of those who had followed her.
'She really is a good captain.'
How could anyone not follow a leader like this?
As I nodded with a satisfied expression, Seira let out a low murmur.
"There's something odd. Among the names are those who died before discovering this cave."
Since it wasn't as though ghosts had come to carve their names—
"Elia. May I borrow that potion?"
Jinhyeok took the potion and sprinkled it over the engraved names.
Each name emitted a different light.
As expected, for every fallen member's name, there was at least one matching hue.
Meaning someone else had carved their names for them.
Now only one question remained.
Why had they visited this cave one by one?
Even going so far as to carve the names of the dead?
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Tapping his fingers, Jinhyeok moved and stopped before a large pile of books.
"Seira. What kind of book did Kan like?"
"A book called Repose."
When he picked up the book Seira pointed to and opened it, the words written on the first page caught his eye.
We have only one place to sleep.There we shall enter eternal repose.To the place where all swords gather.
Seira's eyes widened as she read the passage.
She had never forgotten a single name or face from the Order.
She clearly remembered the final moments of even those who had fallen.
But there was one thing—something she had forgotten without realizing it.
A story Vice-Captain Kan had once told her.
Slowly, Seira spoke the words she had heard back then.
"The Grave of Swords."
Ding!
[Black Knight Order Captain Seira Kinkaiten has recalled a forgotten memory!]
[A moment from the story is replayed!]
A hologram spread out around them.
Two people sat beside a small campfire.
The images were hazy, but Jinhyeok squinted, wanting to make out their faces.
One looked like Seira, standing beside him even now.
And the other—
"Kan."
Kan Lendio, vice-captain of the Black Knight Order.
Kan, who had been reading, spoke with a bright smile.
"Captain, have you read this book? Repose."
"The story about the hero's party defeating the Demon King? The title didn't match at all, so I stopped."
"You didn't read to the end again, did you? I've told you over and over—you have to finish books."
Seira didn't respond.
Though the hologram wasn't clear, it was easy to imagine her expression.
She was surely keeping silent, stung by Kan's sharp words.
"The first half is about the hero party's adventures and defeating the Demon King. But the latter half talks about each person's idea of their final moments. A party of heroes who lived extraordinarily special lives. They discussed and agonized endlessly over what kind of ending they wanted. One said they wished to meet their end fighting ever-stronger foes. Another said they wanted to keep helping the sick until the very end."
"That's only natural. Everyone has different values and ideals."
"Exactly. Each of the heroes talked about a different ending."
"It still sounds far from repose."
"Hey now, just listen a little more. Before long, the heroes realized something. With the Demon King gone—their shared goal—continuing together with such different ideals was impossible. But simply going their separate ways felt wrong. They cared for each other too much. They were more than friends or comrades, and they wanted to be together forever. So they changed the topic. To what comes after life. To repose."
Seira, who had been listening with a nod, spoke.
"Did they find an answer?"
As if he had been waiting for the question,
A smile spread across Kan's lips.
"Yes. They did. Once they changed the topic, the answer became simple. To sleep in the same place, and share eternity together after death. What do you think? Isn't it incredibly romantic?"
Perhaps finding the conclusion a bit anticlimactic,
Seira let out a small snort of laughter, and the hologram faded.
"After that, Kan never spoke of it again. I thought it was just light conversation about a book."
A casual discussion about books—something that could be talked about anytime, anywhere.
It was only natural she hadn't remembered it clearly.
Seira slowly flipped through the book she was holding.
When she reached the final page, a pattern filled with various characters appeared.
"A map."
"What kind of map is that?"
"It follows rules only the Black Knight Order would recognize. Could you hold it for a moment?"
"Momo will hold it!"
As Seira examined the book, she began drawing lines on the ground.
Before long, a small map was completed.
'So this was a waypoint.'
A place that guided the way for those gathering somewhere.
That was why every member of the Black Knight Order had come here.
"I think I know the way. Let's go at once."
Seira took the lead as they exited the cave.
Following her, Jinhyeok calmed his pounding heart.
A place where the Black Knight Order had gathered.
He couldn't wait to see it.
Following the map, Jinhyeok's party came to a halt.
All of them stood there, mouths agape, staring straight ahead.
It was unavoidable.
According to the map, there should have been an impossibly vast, crystal-clear lake here.
Instead, what stood before them was a cliff so unfathomably deep that its bottom couldn't be seen.
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T/N:
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