Chapter 307: The Holy Sword That Refused
After experiencing a disturbance akin to the descent of gods and the fall of its own Emperor, the capital of the Southern Unified Empire plunged into a temporary power vacuum and panic.
Especially Legate's final scream, echoing throughout the city, caused the undercurrents beneath the capital to surge violently.
The news that "The God-slayer Rhodes is still alive" spread like wildfire.
The protagonists of the incident, Rhodes and Serie, did not leave immediately after killing Legate.
Some of Legate's die-hard loyalists, blinded by so-called loyalty or recklessly trying to seize power in the chaos, launched futile attacks on the two like moths to a flame.
The result was, naturally, death without suspense.
Rhodes didn't even need to use the power of the Holy Sword; a casual wave of magic erased these people completely.
More nobles and ministers cowered in corners, afraid to even breathe loudly, for fear of attracting the attention of these two ominous stars.
What Rhodes found somewhat absurd and laughable was that some terrified individuals, trembling in fear, actually proposed that the legendary Lord Rhodes stay and ascend the throne as the new Emperor of the Southern Unified Empire.
Their words were so earnest, as if this were the most logical and popular course of action.
Of course, Rhodes refused this proposal without hesitation. He didn't even bother explaining why.
If he had ambitions to become a king or emperor, why would he have let Norne establish the Kingdom of Ersten a thousand years ago?
He wasn't a power fanatic. Being with Serie was enough for him.
On the other hand, the aftereffects of Legate's dying words began to manifest.
Some mages, blinded by the temptation of immortality, began conspiring in secret, attempting various methods like sneak attacks or poison to extract the secret of eternal life from Rhodes.
To these reckless harassments, Rhodes's response was simple and bloody.
He rooted out all the masterminds and operatives behind the scenes and executed them directly in front of everyone in the capital.
Whether they were famous mages or high nobles of the Empire made no difference in Rhodes's eyes.
After all, he had already taken out the highest authority and the strongest mage of the Southern Unified Empire. The remaining small fry couldn't hope to make any waves!
He used the most direct method to declare that coveting power that didn't belong to them came at the cost of their lives.
After suppressing the most unstable factors within the Empire with an iron fist, Rhodes and Serie stayed no longer.
Whether this massive empire would fall apart or a new emperor would emerge was no longer their concern.
During this time, Serie casually asked about the aftermath of the Southern Empire.
Rhodes glanced back at the receding capital and said flatly, "Perhaps it will split into several countries, just like it was for centuries. Beneath the appearance of unity, it was always an aggregation of countless interests. Legate bound these people together with the profits of war. Now that he is dead, collapse is only a matter of time."
"You don't intend to handle it more... properly?" Serie raised an eyebrow. She thought Rhodes would at least install a relatively moderate proxy to maintain the empire.
"No energy for that, and no need." Rhodes shook his head. "In my view, as long as it doesn't threaten the survival of the entire race, I have no need to intervene in internal strife and succession."
Subsequently, Rhodes and Serie carefully searched near the capital for the aura they had sensed earlier.
Legate's death seemed to have shaken not only the foundation of the Empire but also made certain ancient traces, long obscured by time and the chaotic aura of humanity, become clearer.
After several days of searching, Rhodes locked onto a rarely visited mountain peak about a hundred miles southwest of the capital.
As the two deployed large-scale detection magic on the mountain, that thread of extremely high-ranking holy fluctuation became more distinct, even faintly resonating with the Holy Swords they carried.
"To think it was hidden in a place like this... surprising."
Serie examined the narrow cave entrance covered in vines, sensing the magical aura leaking from within, which felt out of place with the chaotic surroundings.
She hadn't expected the legendary Hero's Sword, Estorion, to be so close to the Imperial Capital of the Southern Unified Empire.
Those mages in the capital hadn't discovered the unusual mana fluctuations here for so many years. Truly useless.
The two easily pushed aside the obstacles and stepped into the cave.
At first, it was extremely narrow, barely allowing a person to pass. After walking dozens of steps, it opened up suddenly.
The interior of the cave was far more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Natural mana crystals on the ceiling emitted pure light, illuminating the central area.
There were no gorgeous decorations, no complex seals. Only a natural stone platform, with a sword inserted diagonally into it.
Its design was ancient to the extreme. The dark gold blade bore naturally formed patterns, and the guard was a simple pair of wings. If not for the faint, ancient, and powerful aura it emitted, probably no one would have guessed that the sword before them was the legendary Hero's Sword—Estorion.
Rhodes walked forward. He could clearly feel the vast power contained within Estorion, far surpassing Org and the other Holy Swords, as well as a rudimentary self-awareness.
This was a true World Relic possessing spirituality, perhaps even a certain degree of wisdom.
He reached out toward the dark gold hilt.
However, just as his fingers were about to touch the hilt—
Hum!
Estorion's blade vibrated imperceptibly. A soft yet incomparably tough force field appeared abruptly, pushing Rhodes's hand away directly.
Simultaneously, light flashed on the blade, transmitting a very clear intent.
Refusal.
Not hostility, but a rejection based on essence.
It sensed the heretical aura deep within Rhodes's soul that did not belong to this world, and thus, it was unwilling to be pulled out by him.
Rhodes's hand froze in mid-air. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes, followed by understanding.
"Pfft!"
Serie couldn't help but laugh out loud beside him, her golden eyes full of teasing. "Truly a rare sight. So even you have a day where you are rejected by a Holy Sword?"
In all the years she had been with Rhodes, this was the first time she had seen a Holy Sword in this world that he couldn't pull out.
After all, whether it was the dwarves' Org or the elves' Athos, he had pulled them out without expending any effort.
Rhodes withdrew his hand helplessly, shaking his head with a bit of distress.
He indeed hadn't expected Estorion's spirituality to be this high. Although it couldn't converse, it could keenly distinguish the anomaly in his soul's essence.
This wisdom far surpassed the other Holy Swords.
"It seems I have to use other methods." Rhodes looked at Estorion, still resting quietly on the stone platform, his tone calming down.
He stopped trying to pull it by force. Instead, facing the Holy Sword like addressing an existence with independent will, he spoke slowly:
"Estorion, I know you can understand me."
"You were born upholding the will of the world, shouldering the duty of salvation. You should be able to sense that this world is facing an unprecedented threat."
"The newborn Demon King, and the filthy divine power filled with corruption and destruction within her... once it erupts, it is bound to swallow the entire world."
"I have a way to solve it. A way to seal her completely. But my current power is not enough. I need to gather the power of all Holy Swords, and I need the power of the World's Will. And you, Estorion... your power is crucial."
He paused, his tone taking on an unquestionable edge, even containing an implicit threat:
"You can choose to stay here, maintain your maverick attitude, and continue to refuse me."
"But if the seal fails due to the lack of your power, and the Demon King's filthy divine power ravages freely, dragging this world into the abyss... then what meaning does your so-called persistence have?"
"Will you watch helplessly as the world you are meant to protect heads toward destruction? Or will you give your power to me, who has the ability and willingness to solve the problem? You choose!"
Rhodes's voice wasn't loud, but he clearly presented a cruel binary choice.
After obtaining the Holy Sword forged by Legate, he now had a seventy percent chance of completely sealing the filthy divine power within the Demon King.
In fact, if he resorted to unscrupulous means and sacrificed a few more Holy Swords, the probability would be even higher.
But Rhodes couldn't bear to part with them.
He planned to use Legate's Holy Sword as the cornerstone of the seal, casting a sealing spell specifically targeting the Demon King. In this way, as the cornerstone, the sword would naturally be integrated into the magic.
If he wanted to increase the success rate and strength of the seal, he just needed to throw in a few more Holy Swords.
But whether it was Org, Athos, or The Light of Ersten, Rhodes was reluctant to sacrifice them. So, he had no choice but to target Estorion.
At least with its help, he wouldn't need to sacrifice another Holy Sword.
The cave fell into a deathly silence.
The invisible force field on Estorion's blade fluctuated slightly, indicating the intense deliberation its internal will was undergoing.
Rejecting Rhodes, a soul not belonging to this continent, was its instinct. But protecting the world was the fundamental meaning of its existence.
Rhodes's threat was very effective.
Without it, the seal might fail, and the world might be destroyed.
It couldn't bear this cost.
After a long silence, the force field receded slowly like a tide.
Estorion emitted a low hum. It was no longer refusal, but more like a helpless sigh.
It had yielded.
Not for recognition, but for responsibility.
Rhodes reached out again. This time, he grasped the dark gold hilt without any obstruction.
As he held it, majestic power surged into his body. But unlike when he obtained other Holy Swords, this power carried an imperceptible barrier. It was willing to provide power, but it hadn't fully accepted Rhodes as its wielder.
Rhodes didn't care about this.
Applying slight force, he pulled Estorion from the stone platform.
"A wise choice." Rhodes weighed Estorion in his hand, sensing the power within, and spoke.
Serie walked over, looked at the Holy Sword, then at Rhodes, raising an eyebrow. "I didn't expect that to work! It can understand what we say?"
"Not entirely. After all, it can only be considered to possess partial spirituality at best," Rhodes responded calmly. "It just needs to know that it can help me complete the seal. That is enough."
He put Estorion away and left the ancient cave with Serie, silently memorizing the location.
He hadn't forgotten that once everything was settled, he would return this Holy Sword to its original place. Of course, he would also ask the dwarves to forge some long-lasting swords for him to weld into place here as well.
But that was a matter for later.
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