Chapter 102

Chapter 102

“Finally……”

Kugugugu. As the crimson gate gradually revealed its interior, James Hunter, standing beside me, let out an exclamation of admiration. His face still betrayed no emotional change as he stared at the distant red gate.

Thud.

At last, the gate opened completely. One year and six months since the Britten Dungeon had been created. The scenery beyond the final gate, which no raid party had ever been able to approach during that time, was now being unveiled.

Beyond the wide-open red gate, there was a massive castle. But something caught the eye even before the massive castle. All around the gray castle were flowers, grass, butterflies, and beasts. A pure white rabbit, having been nibbling grass, perked its ears. And beside that rabbit, a wolf lay sleeping peacefully, as if the sudden roar and the gazes of humans were of no concern.

“The scenery reminds me of Avalon.”

Adam, who had already come up beside me, whispered softly. Only then did I tear my eyes away from the scenery beyond the gate and turn around. The moment our eyes met, Adam gave a small, smiling look.

And then, suddenly, he bent one knee in front of me.

“Huh?”

“Adam Rogers, master of the Knight Sword Gallus, greets the master of the King’s Sword.”

“Wh-what?”

“Having drawn the King’s Sword through proper procedure, I now wish to serve you as the master of Gallus.”

“Excuse me? …No, wait. What is this…?”

What the hell is going on? Did I use ‘Ruler’s Garden’ without even realizing it? I hurriedly looked around, trying to grasp the situation, when I suddenly remembered the sword I was holding.

‘Right, system-wise, the owner of Caliburn… is recognized as the ‘liege lord’ by those who hold Knight Swords.’

Did that mean Adam Rogers was also an owner of a Knight Sword? I looked at the sword at his waist with a bewildered expression. On the red scabbard Adam Rogers wore, a sun emblem was engraved in gold.

‘What, so that’s how it is… Then I just need to put Caliburn back in its place.’

The reason Adam was suddenly acting this way toward me was only because I had temporarily become the owner of ‘Caliburn.’ So if I gave up ownership of Caliburn, this attitude of his would disappear. After a rational thought, I immediately looked at the Caliburn in my hand and opened the status window.

<Status Window>

Name / Age: Yoon Seohee / 27

Awakened: Y

Rank: S?

Awakened Skills:

-Mana * Nature (C+)

-Ruler’s Garden (S)

└Skill Applied Targets: Yoon Juyeong (S), Blackie (A), Jeong Seojin (S+), Caliburn (EX)

“Huh?”

Something’s weird? I tilted my head and stared at the status window for a moment, then realized that the familiar phrase that usually appeared after ‘Caliburn’ listed under skill applied targets wasn’t there.

“Huh? …Huh?”

I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I’d seen wrong, then looked at the status window again. But the result was the same. My pupils shook as I stared at the very last entry, ‘Caliburn’ under skill applied targets.

└Skill Applied Targets:

Yoon Juyeong (S), Blackie (A), Jeong Seojin (S+), Caliburn (EX)

“The mark… is gone?”

The ‘(Cancellable)’ phrase that always appeared when using ‘Ruler’s Garden’ on a weapon was nowhere to be found. I hurriedly touched ‘Caliburn’ and even checked Caliburn’s item description window, but I still couldn’t find any phrase indicating it could be cancelled.

No, that wasn’t even all.

[Why would you try to abandon me, my master?]

“…Aaaagh?!”

Startled by the sudden voice, I reflexively threw the Caliburn I was holding. James Hunter and Adam, and even Jeong Seojin who had somehow come up beside me, all called my name, startled by my action. But I had no time to pay attention to their calls.

[Are you not handling me too roughly? Though it’s true I am the hardest sword in the world, even so—.]

“Wh-what, what the…!”

“Hey, m… Yoon Seohee. Calm down and tell me. What’s wrong?”

“No, right now… the system….”

[Master, take me in your hand again. A sword is only valuable when held in the hand of its master.]

“Ughhh……”

What the hell is this situation? With a pale face, I stared at the Caliburn thrown on the ground. As if to confirm that the voice I was hearing was real, Caliburn was now gleaming with a golden light.

In the end, I grabbed Caliburn, my fingertips trembling.

[Master, if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer you handle me more gently.]

“Wha—wait, you… you have a consciousness? As a sword?”

“What? What the hell does that… Let me ask, just in case—are you unable to cancel the skill right now?”

“Surely you’re not saying you’re conversing with Caliburn right now?”

“Well, I’m not sure if you’d call it a conversation… It’s more like I’m receiving transmissions in an indirect form—”

[Ha, there’s no way I’d let my noble voice be heard by other humans who aren’t my master.]

As soon as James Hunter and Jeong Seojin heard my words, they seemed to grasp the situation and each fired off their own questions in serious tones. But I still had no room to pay attention to their voices. It was because Caliburn began flashing with golden light and explosively sending messages.

[I am Caliburn, the sword of the great king.]

[Because I am the sword that selects the great king, I was granted a self for that purpose. I am, so to speak, an intelligent being—no, an intelligent non-living entity.]

[Therefore, I expect you to treat me, an intelligent non-living entity, with the proper courtesy.]

“Not an intelligent being, but an intelligent non-living entity… what’s that supposed to be…?”

[If you treat me like any ordinary sword, I will be angered.]

“No, I mean, just from the options alone I could tell you weren’t an ordinary sword, but…”

[The sword of the great king, blessed by the sun and moon, the lake, and the fairies. As my master says, I am by no means an ordinary sword.]

I really have no idea what the hell is going on. I furrowed my brow, feeling a throbbing headache.

“O-okay, I get it. That you’re not an ordinary sword. But… um, I have no intention of becoming your master.”

[…….]

“Hey, are you listening? I said I have no intention of becoming your master. No, more precisely, I’m not the kind of person who should be your master. You have a consciousness, so you can tell, right? I’m… uh, not strong enough to be your master.”

I recalled the description written in Caliburn’s item info window again.

‘Only those with a strong mind and body, a noble soul, and honor can wield it… that was it.’

First of all, no matter how you look at me, I’m someone who fails the first condition, aren’t I? I pointed that out to Caliburn.

“It was written in your description too, wasn’t it? Only the strong can wield you. So, um, I’m sorry, but…”

[I don’t understand what you’re saying.]

“Don’t play dumb. Huh? There must be someone more qualified than me to have you. Yeah. How about this person next to me? He’s Adam Rogers, an incredibly strong person.”

Saying that, I pointed at Adam Rogers, who was still kneeling on one knee before me. Adam looked a little surprised, then slowly rose to his feet.

“I am a man far too lacking to wield Caliburn, my liege.”

“Don’t sell yourself short. I’m sure Caliburn would be satisfied with Mr. Adam—”

[How dare you call this wretch a master! I would never take such an ignoble person as my master!]

“What, what’s wrong with him?”

The person in question was none other than Adam Rogers. Aside from Mr. Jeong Seojin, who doesn’t reveal his rank to others, he was the only S+-Rank awakener in the world. I tried to convince Caliburn by talking about how strong Adam was, and how famous he was.

[Hmph.]

Of course, it failed. Ugh! What the hell is the problem! Gritting my teeth, I turned my gaze away from Adam and looked at James Hunter. The moment our eyes met, James Hunter flinched as if startled. I smiled brightly at him and held out Caliburn.

“Then how about this person? His name is James Hunter. He’s a very cool-headed and impressive soldier. He’s someone who protects the country… Doesn’t he have some common ground with your original master, King Arthur? A knight’s purpose is also to protect the kingdom, right?”

[My ideal master is a woman with black straight hair and silver eyes.]

“Are you bullshitting me?”

I have no idea why this thing is acting like this. Letting out a deep sigh like a parent raising a child going through puberty, I shook Caliburn back and forth, hoping it would listen to reason. I mean, seriously, why would a sword that’s supposedly the legendary great king’s weapon insist on a master like me?

“No, think about it. If you take someone like me as your master, you won’t even be used properly. I barely ever go into dungeons in the first place.”

[My master must truly be a cruel and harsh person. How could you treat me with such disregard! The great royal sword, Caliburn’s greatest disgrace and sorrow! Ah, my master with black hair and silver eyes, how can you be so cruel…!]

“Be honest with me. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

There’s no way he’d come up with an answer like that otherwise. Narrowing my brow, I glared at Caliburn. Of course, the sword didn’t give me a proper reply to my words. The thing started flashing a golden glow, trying to weasel its way out of the situation.

[A-hem. What matters right now isn’t something like my ownership, but whether this dungeon gets cleared, Master.]

“Don’t change the subject—”

—Rumble…!

Just as I was about to scold Caliburn for bringing up another topic to dodge the immediate situation, a sound like the earth itself was groaning rang out. At the same time, the ground I was standing on began to shake violently.

“Whoa?!”

“Boss!”

“Seohee!”

While Jeong Seojin, who had been guarding my side, urgently grabbed my hand, and Adam, standing across from me, searched for the source of the tremor, the rumbling only grew worse by the second.