Chapter 320
After the Memorial Festival, Gard became much busier than before.
Everyone returned to their homes and brought out the weapons that had been buried in the corners for a long time.
It had been 32 years since the Curse of the Frozen Land occurred.
Except for the children born during that time, most people had experienced struggles with the world from before.
Axes, spears, swords, bows, shields, and so on.
Each household held heavy yet passionate and determined resolve.
In the forge, runestones burned continuously, emitting intense heat. The sound of hammers striking iron echoed throughout the night. As the rust was stripped away, the weapons began to regain their shine.
Hot smoke billowed from chimneys, rising beyond the magic circle.
The heat mixed with the cold, creating a white mist. Gard was covered in this white mist.
“We’re going to fight in the end, huh?”
“Regret it?”
“A little.”
From a high place in the spire, Lean looked down at the scene, nodding bitterly at Yu-hyun’s question.
“But, there’s no turning back. The choice has already been made. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong. No one knows how it will turn out. But at least I’m sure I’ll regret it less than if I had avoided the fight.”
“More importantly, why did you bring me here?”
It was Yu-hyun’s first time climbing to such a high place in the spire. Even though such buildings usually had ways to get to the top, it was definitely not a place one could easily come to unless they were a precious asset like Gondulbor.
Lean had invited Yu-hyun to such a place.
“Because I wanted to show you something.”
“Wanted to show me? Show me what?”
“The hidden truth.”
With that, Lean suggested they go down.
As they descended the endless spiral stairs, Lean continued to explain.
“Originally, I intended to know this alone and tell no one.”
“Is there something under the spire?”
“Yes. A shrine that manifests the magic circle exists beneath this spire.”
“You said the shrine is the place where the Great Five Sisters descended from the sky, and later it’s where the next Divine Spirit candidate is chosen to ascend to the sky, right? But it’s still there?”
“Yes. It remains. It never disappeared. And I’ve hidden it for a long time.”
“Why on earth?”
“Because it wasn’t beneficial for others to know.”
“And I’m okay?”
Lean nodded.
He had no hesitation in revealing the truth he had kept hidden from everyone to Yu-hyun.
Initially, he had doubted Yu-hyun more than anyone else, but after Yu-hyun found the hidden path and revealed that the Curse of the Frozen Land originated from Georn…
No, from the moment Yu-hyun awakened him.
Lean had decided to believe in hope.
The staircase leading underground finally came to an end. Inside, there was a cave made of ice.
“For such warmth, the ice doesn’t melt.”
“It used to be a tightly sealed glacier. The heat barely opened the way.”
How long had they walked along the path? The intense energy felt from within grew stronger until a large chamber appeared.
In the center of the chamber was a shrine, and around it stood four statues.
However, only one statue was intact. The other three had already crumbled, making it hard to recognize them.
“What’s that?”
“The Great Five Sisters. No, now it’s the Four Sisters.”
“What?”
Weren’t they all supposed to have disappeared after dying?
Yu-hyun inspected the last remaining statue.
It stood about 12 meters tall.
Wearing a dress-shaped armor, it held a thick sword with both hands, with the blade embedded in the ground.
Though the face was covered by a veil and couldn’t be seen, the aura emanating from the statue was holy.
That aura converged at the center of the shrine.
“That’s a sword?”
Floating in the center of the shrine was a single sword.
It had no decorations and could only be described as plain. However, the aura emanating from that sword was extraordinary.
It was not the statue but the sword floating above the shrine that provided the power to the magic circle.
“What is that?”
“The Key Sword. It’s the right that the last candidate can claim.”
“A right, meaning the next Divine Spirit?”
“Yes. That sword is the power Georn left for the next Divine Spirit candidate.”
“That’s Georn’s power?”
It was quite hopeful news.
It meant that Georn, currently at the northern end, did not possess complete power.
Certainly, there was no guarantee that the Divine Spirit retained all its original power when it had fallen to such a state.
If that sword was part of the power Georn had left behind, it made sense why Lean had decided to fight.
“Is it enough just to take that sword?”
“Yes. But there’s a critical issue.”
Lean pointed to the last remaining statue.
“The Key Sword cannot be touched without the recognition of the Five Sisters.”
“The Five Sisters, so that statue is?”
“The youngest of the Five Sisters. Pieldra.”
Lean recalled his past encounters with her, a bitter smile playing on his lips.
“She was the one who despised and hated me, the weakest of all.”
“You said all the Five Sisters were dead. Why is the youngest still there?”
“They weren’t all dead. To be precise, four of them returned alive, except Kaira.”
Lean began recounting what had happened 32 years ago.
After the four candidates and the Five Sisters left to solve the Curse of the Frozen Land and realized they had failed.
One day, four energies flew towards Lean.
Realizing they were the Five Sisters, Lean joyfully asked,
‘Great Sisters, have you returned? Have you solved the Curse of the Frozen Land?’
But the answer shattered Lean’s expectations.
[No. We failed.]
[We couldn’t stop the Curse of the Frozen Land.]
[It was a tremendous force. We couldn’t even resist.]
[We barely escaped.]
As the sisters spoke one by one, Lean realized one of the Five Sisters was missing.
‘Kaira, what about Kaira? Where is she…’
[The eldest sister is gone.]
[She sacrificed herself to send us here.]
[Yes, to save the people.]
‘Save the people?’
[Lean. You half-witted candidate. We won’t last long. We are alive for now, but our bodies will eventually collapse and we’ll die.]
The remaining Four Sisters eventually made a decision.
Rather than dying in vain, they decided to leave behind the last spark of hope.
They headed to the shrine they descended from the sky. Each took their designated position and gathered all their remaining power.
‘Sisters! What are you trying to do!’
[What we must do.]
[What our eldest sister wished for.]
[To protect the world.]
The sisters grew larger and their bodies slowly began to turn into stone.
[Using the power left in the Key Sword, we must ensure the survival of the last of humanity.]
[Lean. We don’t rely on you. But at least as a candidate, fulfill this one task.]
[Use this power to gather the survivors. And wait for the hero who might be born someday.]
[Even this simple task, perform it properly.]
The Four Sisters said this as they infused their power into the shrine. At the same time, the sword held by the youngest sister, Pieldra, floated up and stood in the center of the shrine.
Pouring all their remaining power into the Key Sword, the Four Sisters turned to stone.
Simultaneously, the ground around the shrine shook violently, causing a tectonic shift as it began to sink below.
Lean could only watch the scene in despair.
After that, Lean followed their will and formed Gard.
“Have you never thought it strange? How could I gather the power of the shrine? Even with the help of Gondulbor, Kaira’s disciple, it would have been impossible to create a magic circle capable of sustaining this large city for a hundred years.”
All of it was due to this place.
This power was the last bastion created by the remaining Four Sisters who sacrificed themselves after losing the battle.
Although Kaira considered Lean the last hope, the other four did not share that belief.
Lean was a half-wit and a coward afraid of fighting.
Rather than entrusting all power to Lean, they prayed for a new possibility to be born.
“I believe their choice wasn’t wrong. Indeed, even if I had been given the power back then, I might not have been able to fight properly. I might have ruined everything with my own hands.”
Lean hid the shrine underground for this reason.
Revealing that the Great Sisters didn’t trust him and that the magic circle was maintained because of their sacrifice wouldn’t be beneficial. Lean also vaguely agreed with their opinion.
Rather than himself, he hoped for a great hero to be born in Gard someday.
“But even as time passed, such a person never appeared.”
Frechen? Rayon? They were certainly great warriors, but not heroes.
Even though Lean was called a half-wit, he had been chosen as a candidate for the next Divine Spirit. His judgment couldn’t be wrong.
As 32 years passed, the sisters who had turned to stone couldn’t endure the passage of time and one by one crumbled away.
First was the second sister, Radia.
Then the third sister, Flore.
Next was the fourth sister, Darwin.
Now, only the youngest, Pieldra, remained.
“Now I know. There was never a hero to be born in the future. As you said, Kaira’s last arrangement was directed at me.”
“Then, isn’t it just a matter of pulling out the Key Sword?”
“That’s the problem. I still haven’t been recognized by the Great Sisters.”
Without the recognition of the Great Sisters, the Key Sword couldn’t be held.
To face the fallen Divine Spirit, Ge
orn, the power of the Key Sword was necessary, but it wasn’t permitted.
“Would a plea work?”
“No matter what I say, it won’t reach Pieldra’s ears. I don’t even know if she is awake.”
Though Pieldra’s statue still retained its form, she too would eventually meet the same end as her sisters.
“Is waiting until they all disappear an option?”
“If they all disappear without transferring ownership, then no one will be able to obtain it. The opportunity itself will vanish.”
“…Then that’s a big problem.”
“Exactly. That’s why I came here to ask her for a favor before the final war begins. To allow me to hold the Key Sword. To give me a chance.”
Lean looked up at Pieldra’s statue.
“But even though I’ve been here and waited for a long time, she hasn’t responded.”
“Is she even awake?”
“I don’t know. Whether she is deliberately ignoring me or has fallen into a deep sleep due to her weakening power.”
“So you brought me here because of the Key Sword too.”
Lean nodded.
He thought that if Yu-hyun, who had Kaira’s form, tried, he might be able to hold the Key Sword even without Pieldra’s permission.
Until now, all those who bore Kaira’s form were unruly and unreliable, so he kept the truth of the shrine hidden to the end.
But with Yu-hyun, it might be possible.
“No other way.”
Yu-hyun shrugged and climbed onto the shrine.
The Key Sword was floating just within reach if he stretched out his hand.
As he got closer, the power emanating from the sword grew stronger. It was pure and warm. Yu-hyun thought it was truly worthy of being called the power of the stars.
The moment Yu-hyun summoned the courage to reach for the sword…
[Do not touch it.]
The sound echoed through the ice cave, stopping Yu-hyun’s movement.
This voice was only heard by Yu-hyun.
No, at some point, time had stopped around him.
The mental realm.
Pieldra had summoned Yu-hyun to this place.
“Pieldra?”
[Do not call my name lightly with the appearance of my elder sister, mortal.]
“I need the Key Sword. Lend me your power.”
Pieldra laughed aloud at Yu-hyun’s words.
[The Key Sword? Who is going to use it? You? Or that crude half-wit?]
“Does it matter who uses it?”
[Of course. If an unqualified person touches it, their body will explode. Even if I allow it, they can only hold it for a short time, and that’s all. And in my eyes, you are unqualified. Even if you mimic my elder sister’s appearance, you cannot resemble the most fundamental part.]
“Then it’s only Lean.”
[You want me to give the sword to that half-wit? That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard. Lean is unfit to be a candidate.]
“It was 32 years ago.”
[Do you think I am unaware of what has happened? Arrogant mortal. Even though I remain here, my eyes and ears reach beyond. Do you think I ignored Lean for the past 32 years?]
Pieldra said she had watched over Lean for 32 years just in case, but he remained a coward and a half-wit.
Though he had started wielding a sword and defeating frost giants, there was still weakness in his heart.
[A person entangled in regrets cannot handle the Key Sword. Even if they outwardly appear calm and wield a sword without hesitation, it is different from completely shaking off confusion. Such a person’s mind will eventually collapse. Handing the Key Sword, the last chance, to such a person?]
“Lean has done his best to protect this city as you instructed.”
[Indeed. And the life of this city still has 68 years left. Less than half the time we allocated has passed.]
“Kaira wouldn’t have wanted this, would she?”
[Silence. While we all respect our elder sister, we couldn’t fully trust her assessment of Lean’s potential. And over the past 32 years, our conviction only grew stronger.]
“But now it’s different. And the survivors are preparing for the final war. This could be the last chance.”
[Not everyone will leave. The number of survivors will decrease, but the lineage will continue.]
“If we don’t act now, everyone will die!”
Yu-hyun shouted, frustrated by Pieldra’s unyielding words.
“You talk about qualifications and confusion, but in the end, you just dislike Lean and are making excuses!”
[Excuses? Do you think we would prioritize petty emotions before the end of the world?]
“Then what? Let me ask you in return. Do you have any assurance that a qualified person will be born within the remaining 68 years?”
[…]
“Exactly. You can’t answer. It’s difficult to believe that it will happen.”
[Do you think Lean will gain power just by holding the sword? Even if I recognize his ownership, Lean will not be able to properly use the power contained in the sword. He will be overwhelmed or go berserk.]
“You speak as if you are certain that will happen. You don’t even believe in his potential.”
[If there was potential, why didn’t it bloom until now? Mortal. How long do you think I’ve been watching him? It’s been 32 years since the Curse of the Frozen Land occurred. And much longer including the time before. Let me ask you. If he had potential, shouldn’t there have been signs from the beginning?]
This was why Pieldra was certain.
Lean had decided to fight? He had made up his mind to fight?
Others might see it that way, but Pieldra’s eyes couldn’t be deceived.
There was still confusion in Lean’s heart. It wasn’t something that could be removed just because one wanted to remove it.
[We should never have trusted him from the beginning. Even though our elder sister believed in Lean, it must have been because he somehow coaxed her.]
“What do you know to speak so arrogantly…!”
[I don’t know. Even if I tried to know, he never told me. Do you think you, who have only been with him for a few weeks, know better, or do I, who have watched him for decades, know better?]
Yu-hyun gritted his teeth.
It wasn’t that they couldn’t communicate. Their thoughts were just fundamentally different, leading to an endless parallel conversation.
Pieldra’s conviction was so firm that there was no gap for Yu-hyun to exploit.
To Pieldra, Lean’s claim to fight was like a criminal with a long record of crimes claiming to have reformed.
If she knew nothing, she might have believed him once, but as the youngest of the Great Five Sisters, Pieldra could feel the lingering confusion in others’ hearts.
“I’m not asking you to trust Lean. I’m asking you to trust Kaira, who believed in Lean.”
Yu-hyun smiled desolately.
“And yet, you, who are one of the Great Five Sisters, cannot trust your sister.”
[…]
Pieldra also remained silent, perhaps recognizing that point.
There was no longer any value in continuing the conversation.
As Yu-hyun resolved himself, he was able to break free from Pieldra’s mental realm and return to reality.
Yu-hyun withdrew his hand, which had been reaching for the Key Sword.
“Why did you stop?”
“I can’t touch it. I have no qualifications, just mimicking the appearance.”
“Who said that…?”
“Pieldra said so. She forcefully pulled me into the mental realm and told me.”
“She said that?”
“Now what? Without the power of the Key Sword…”
“No.”
Lean said firmly.
“We still have to fight. Even without the Key Sword, with our own strength.”
“Will it be okay?”
“It’s better than living like this forever.”
The moment Lean answered so,
*Ding.*
A familiar but now rare sound.
It was the sound that occurred when the Genesis System operated properly.
[You have successfully delved into a core story of this world.]
[System rebooting.]
[Loading complete.]
[Welcome back to the Genesis Network.]
The Genesis Network, which had not been functioning properly, was now connected.