The Garden of Warriors stretched out before his eyes.
Liam stood still for a moment, stunned by what he saw.
The Garden of Warriors was a sacred hall of the Moonveil family. Yet, it was not an armory.
It was literally a garden.
Greenery grew everywhere, mixed with strange plants whose names Liam did not know. Stone paths wound between ancient trees with thick trunks, as if this place had existed long before the manor was built.
Above, a massive mana crystal bathed the garden in a soft light, replacing the sun. But this light was different. It was said to nourish the souls of the blades.
The exact workings of this crystal were known only to the family head and the elders.
And the swords… there were swords everywhere.
Some were simple, others magnificent, and a few seemed almost unreal. All were planted in the ground, as if left behind on an ancient battlefield.
Or as if the garden had become a graveyard of blades.
The atmosphere of the place was solemn.
Liam was awestruck by the scene.
He had never heard of this place before. But in truth, the number of things he had been discovering lately was already overwhelming, and he had a feeling this was just the beginning.
He turned slightly toward Shaquille.
"You said this is where the souls of the family's legendary swords rest?"
Shaquille nodded.
"Exactly. Unlike a typical armory, this isn't a place where weapons are stored or locked away. It's an inner garden where the swords of the family's great warriors rest."
He continued calmly.
"When an important member of the Moonveil family dies, their sword is not buried with them. It is brought here, to the Garden of Warriors. The idea is that the sword may one day choose a new wielder."
He paused briefly.
"This is what we call the Cycle of Blades."
"The Cycle of Blades…"
Liam found the concept fascinating.
Shaquille noticed the interest in his eyes and gave a slight smile.
"This way, the swords of great warriors never disappear. They remain in the garden, waiting for a future wielder worthy of them. When a great warrior dies, their sword returns here… and one day, it may choose a new defender of the family."
He crossed his arms.
"The swords thus become a living legacy of the family."
A question suddenly crossed Liam's mind.
"So… weapons have souls?"
Shaquille smiled.
"Not all of them. But some weapons, after enduring countless battles and extreme situations, eventually form a deep bond with their wielder. Over time, they can even develop a form of consciousness."
He lightly tapped the hilt of his sword.
"They are then said to possess a soul."
Liam paused, considering these words.
"It's a somewhat vague concept, I'll admit," Shaquille continued. "But it's real. Weapons that possess a soul are called spiritual weapons. They are incomparable to ordinary weapons."
He gestured vaguely around him.
"It's a family tradition that has lasted generations. When a Moonveil awakens their mana heart, they are brought to the Garden of Warriors."
He looked at Liam.
"The goal isn't to choose a sword, but to see if a sword chooses you."
Liam raised an eyebrow slightly.
Shaquille continued:
"The young Moonveil simply walks through the garden. If a sword possesses a soul and recognizes someone as worthy, it may vibrate, draw the person, or allow itself to be pulled from the ground."
He shrugged.
"But in most cases, nothing happens. And that's not considered shameful."
An amused smile appeared on his face.
"After all, spiritual swords are known to be arrogant and extremely proud. They are very particular about the person they choose."
He looked at the many swords planted in the earth.
"Some may wait generations before finding a worthy heir."
Liam then turned his gaze to the sword Shaquille carried.
"Your sword… is it a spiritual weapon as well, uncle?"
Shaquille lowered his eyes to the blade and smiled faintly.
"Yes."
He gently tapped the hilt.
"Mordeuse is a spiritual sword. It belonged to the family head of the sixth generation."
He let out a small chuckle.
"I had a hard time mastering it but now, it's a good partner."
"Partner, huh…"
Liam noticed that Shaquille did not speak of the sword as a mere tool.
He didn't see himself as its master.
Rather, as its equal.
Another question suddenly came to his mind.
"So were my brother and sister chosen by a sword when they awakened their mana hearts?"
Shaquille nodded slightly.
"Yes. Both of them."
He gestured vaguely to the garden around them.
"When Lucian came here, three swords reacted at once. Ultimately, he was chosen by one of the oldest in the garden."
He paused briefly.
"As for Selene…"
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"She didn't even have to walk very far. A sword literally tore itself from the ground and came to her."
'That's… a bit insane,' thought Liam.
He knew his brother and sister were extremely talented, but still.
Regarding his brother, he had somewhat expected it. Despite Lucian's personality, he had never doubted he would be chosen by at least one sword. After all, he had designed him to become a powerful antagonist later in the story.
But three swords… that was still surprising.
As for his sister, that was another story.
In the novel, Liam had only left a few hints here and there to suggest she was formidable. But he had abandoned the writing long before truly introducing her into the story.
For him, Selene remained largely a mystery.
'But a sword literally tearing itself from the ground to reach her hand… seriously…'
'…so this is SS+ rank talent?'
No wonder, despite his S-rank talent, he paled in comparison.
Another thought crossed his mind.
When he wrote the novel, he had never introduced the concept of spiritual weapons.
That meant one thing very simple.
From now on, the story would likely diverge more and more from the original narrative.
But that didn't really bother Liam.
He had never particularly cared about staying faithful to the story he had written.
After all, Liam Moonveil himself wasn't even supposed to exist.
Shaquille invited Liam to step forward.
"As tradition dictates, now that you've awakened your mana heart… or your mana hearts, it doesn't matter, you must venture deeper into the garden. I cannot go further."
Liam nodded and stepped forward, nervous.
The atmosphere of the garden was oppressive. From the moment he took his first step, an invisible pressure settled on his shoulders, as if every soul present was probing his innermost being. He ignored the overwhelming sensation and kept moving, determined.
The opportunity was too rare to pass up. Even if he hadn't anticipated it, obtaining a spiritual sword early on would make things far easier for him in the future.
After all, Liam had a clear goal: to become as strong as possible before confronting Malakar. Every advantage counted, every moment was precious.
The further he advanced, the more intense the pressure became, almost threatening. Liam didn't know if this was normal, but he pressed on, his gaze fixed straight ahead.
Around him, unique swords, some dark and majestic in beauty, were planted in the ground as if set after a legendary battlefield. Yet none of them reacted. None called to him, vibrated, or tore themselves from the ground to come to him, as Selene's had.
He continued to push forward, clenching his fists.
"Come on… there has to be at least one…" he murmured, more to himself than to anyone else.
Shaquille frowned.
With Liam's extraordinary talent, he had expected at least one sword to react, if not several. Yet… nothing.
And no, it wasn't just the lack of reaction — it was worse. There was something in the air, an almost palpable hostility. Even though he wasn't beside Liam, Shaquille could sense how the souls of the swords seemed to reject the young boy.
It was overwhelming, as if they silently shouted:
"You are not welcome! Leave!"
A strange tension settled in the air, something Shaquille had never felt before. To his knowledge, in generations of Moonveils, no family member had ever been received this way by the spiritual swords. At worst, the blades remained indifferent, but they had never displayed active rejection, targeted hostility like this.
"This is… strange…"