Inheriting the Novel

Chapter 142 : The Last of the Seven Swords Under Heaven (2)

The Last of the Seven Swords Under Heaven (2)

Guiding Sword Ragal.

Unlike Genova and the other swords, the power possessed by this sword was unclear.

To be exact, should I say it was a power that was hard to understand?

==

〈Guiding Sword Ragal〉

The final of the Seven Swords Under Heaven, and the key to reaching the realm of the gods.

Leads the wielder to the path they seek.

==

Compared to the other Seven Swords Under Heaven, Ragal was lacking in terms of martial power.

But that was only in the aspect of combat; rather, together with Genova, it was considered to be the most special among the Seven Swords.

'The key to reaching the realm of the gods, huh....'

Ragal's profile was connected to the content written in the "Book of the God."

Of all the Seven Swords Under Heaven, Ragal was the only one ever mentioned in relation to the world of the gods.

'No matter what, I absolutely have to get my hands on this sword.'

There were still three swords I had not yet obtained.

'If what's described in the book is accurate....'

Sealblade Sylphin.

Time Sword Velus.

Guiding Sword Ragal.

These three were the swords I had not yet managed to acquire.

'Sealblade Sylphin definitely ended up in the hands of the demonkin.'

As for the whereabouts of the remaining two, they were completely unknown now.

Maybe some episode I missed had something to do with those particular Seven Swords Under Heaven.

I could only hope that those swords hadn't fallen into the hands of the demonkin.

"... It looks like training isn't what matters most right now."

[Then what do you want to do?]

"First, I need to check the location where the Guiding Sword Ragal is."

Training is important, but that's only if time allows for it. For now, the priority was the Guiding Sword, Ragal.

"And... Now I finally get why they created a corridor for the demonkin in Linken."

According to the records, the Guiding Sword Ragal was located at sea, not far from Linken.

There, on a lone island, it was said that only a massive temple stood.

"But... something about this feels a little uneasy...."

[Why?]

"Usually the Seven Swords Under Heaven were tied up with calamities."

Based on previous cases, there was a high chance the Guiding Sword Ragal was also tied to a calamity.

"The only question is, which calamity...."

The first calamity, disease and demons.

The second calamity, phantasm.

The third calamity, corrosion.

The fourth calamity, madness.

The seventh calamity, dragon.

So far, the calamities I had faced numbered five.

And likewise, five calamities remained.

Of those, one I was sure of was the ninth calamity, divine Calamity, Altair. The rest, suspected as calamities, included Setram and the Demon King.

Setram, demon King, Altair.

Not one of them looked like a simple opponent.

But there was no guarantee the two unconfirmed calamities would be any easier.

In the end, whatever happened, a rough road was certain.

[Isn't it possible it might not be tied to a calamity?]

'Of course, there's that chance.'

But I knew all too well.

Unfortunately, gloomy predictions like these almost never missed.

* * *

"You said you're heading somewhere?"

"Yes. There's some information that's bothering me."

Marvin looked at me curiously as I dragged Mersaya out early in the morning.

It was only natural—deciding to head out somewhere before even proper training had begun.

"I'll probably just check things today, so it shouldn't take too long."

"Hm. Fine. It's not like this training is mandatory anyway. But tell me, what's the information you found...?"

To satisfy his curiosity, I described what I'd read in yesterday's book.

He knew a decent amount about the Seven Swords Under Heaven and the calamities, so perhaps he might know something else.

"If you mean the island near the coast of Linken... well, there is one, but I'm not sure if it's still there."

"What? Are you saying the island disappeared?"

"To be precise, I'd say it only appears occasionally."

It was a rather cryptic answer.

It should either exist, or not... but it only appears now and then?

"Its name is Vinshad. Curiously, it floats to the surface once every six months, then sinks again after ten days."

"How is that even possible?"

"I don't know the details myself. Hm... I think the time for it to rise again should be right about now."

Knowing that the time for it to surface was close made me even more anxious.

In the original, some event definitely occurred when the island surfaced.

"Thank you for the information. Then let's hurry and check it out, Mersaya."

"Aye."

Mersaya showed a hint of reluctance, but at my serious tone she snapped to attention with a nod.

Right as she was about to transform into a dragon, Marvin reached out his hand to stop her.

"Wait. If you try flying from here, it'll take quite a while."

"What? I mean, that's just... natural..."

"Dragons are certainly fast, but wouldn't it be even quicker to use the Magic Tower's magic array first, then fly from there?"

"... There's a magic array at the Magic Tower?"

That was completely unexpected.

If there was a magic array, there would have been no need to bother flying all the way on Mersaya's back.

"Of course. How else would we receive information or supplies from outside?"

"Well, that's true, but..."

It had seemed like a natural fortress, making me wonder how so many people could survive on such a limited patch of land. Now it made sense.

"Of course, access is restricted by the Seven Heroes, so you can't normally use it."

"Then why tell me about it...?"

I wondered why Marvin never mentioned the magic array before, so I asked—and he chuckled lightly.

"I was curious how you'd manage your journey. I never imagined you'd show up here riding a dragon, though."

Apparently, Marvin wasn't simply a reserved type.

* * *

After quickly traveling via the magic array, Mersaya and I circled the outskirts of the eastern continent where Setram was.

If we flew the shortest distance like before, there was a chance we'd be attacked, unlike last time.

'It's safest to avoid attracting attention.'

The simplest way would be to use the Sword of Boundary's ability to split space and secretly move through the gap, but unfortunately, it couldn't make holes big enough for a dragon to pass through.

In the end, we had no choice but to fly as high as possible in a roundabout route.

"Not too tough on you, is it?"

"Heh, heh! Th-this much is fine!"

Her body was exceptional, but her basic stamina was still lacking. Even so, considering how far she flew, her stamina wasn't all that poor.

'Now then.'

I opened the map to gauge our approximate location.

It was the map Marvin gave me before we left, and it showed the precise location of the island.

"Turn to the right here. We'd better not let ourselves be seen from the Linken coast."

"Aye!"

We were high enough that being spotted was unlikely, but a demonkin corridor was nearby. Even if humans couldn't sense Mersaya, the demonkin might.

Crossing over the coastline and out to sea, it became harder to keep my bearings, but luckily, I had the ability to see profiles.

As we neared the location marked on the map, a new synopsis popped up with an alert.

'Here it is!'

The spot Fabian reached in the original to obtain the last of the Seven Swords Under Heaven.

Maybe because I'd arrived before Fabian did in the original story, the island hadn't surfaced yet, and only the empty sea was visible.

But I was able to confirm the precise location of the island.

==

〈Vinshad Island〉

A living island imbued with immense magic power.

It will surface in 46 days, and awaken as the fifth calamity, the "Calamity of Labytrinth."

==

After checking the synopsis and the island's profile, I couldn't help but grimace. As expected, the storyline involving the last of the Seven Swords Under Heaven was bound up with a calamity.

[What's the Calamity of Labytrinth this time? Now calamities aren't even living beings anymore!]

'A calamity was a sword since the Calamity of Madness anyway.'

[Now that you mention it...]

Grancesia mumbled as if a bit embarrassed.

'And it's not true to say it's not a living thing.'

[Huh?]

'The Calamity of Labytrinth is a living dungeon.'

To be precise, the very island where the Guiding Sword Ragal slumbers is a dungeon.

When Vinshad, an island gathering the magic power of the ocean depths, awakens as a calamity, it becomes a massive labyrinth that devours the seas.

[But is that really dangerous? At the end of the day, it's just a giant labyrinth.]

'The problem is that this labyrinth will keep growing, endlessly, until it swallows not only the ocean, but the entire continent.'

A "labyrinth" in name, but really, it's an enormous predator.

It creates dungeons in the sea, destroying ecosystems, laying waste to land, swallowing up people.

Those trapped inside can't escape, doomed to wander the labyrinth their whole lives.

'Any living thing that dies inside becomes nourishment to accelerate its growth.'

The more life it consumes, the bigger the labyrinth grows—trapping more living beings.

Even when there's nothing nearby, it absorbs ambient magic power from the air, slowly expanding.

Though it can't match the pace of absorbing life, it still grows endlessly.

[So, you have to break the core at the end before it gets too big?]

'Correct. In the end, the Calamity of Labytrinth shares the same weakness as a dungeon—it has a core.'

[Then where's the Guiding Sword Ragal?]

'The core itself—where Ragal is.'

In a twisted way, the Calamity of Labytrinth is a trial created by the Guiding Sword Ragal. Only those who clear this labyrinth may claim it.

Maybe for that reason, compared to other calamities, its killing power seems lower for now.

'Of course, the longer it exists, the larger it grows, and the harder it becomes to stop.'

[Good thing it doesn't sound too hard, though!]

'Why's that?'

[We just have Mersaya fly us over the top, right?]

'Unfortunately, the labyrinth is dome-shaped, so you can't get in from above by flying. And since it's a calamity, you can't destroy it by ordinary means, either.'

Maybe if I had Genova, it could be possible, but there just wouldn't be enough time to break through the ceiling of such a vast labyrinth.

'Still... there is one way, and it's very simple.'

[How can it be simple if flying is out? What is it?]

'But telling you ahead of time wouldn't be fun. I'll explain later. For now, there's something else bothering me.'

[Tch. Got me all curious. So, what's bothering you now?]

'There's no mention of the demonkin.'

Given the corridor for demonkin in Linken, I could only assume they were aiming for Vinshad.

But the synopsis made no mention of them.

'I doubt Fabian, in the original, would have taken care of the Calamity of Labytrinth without encountering demonkin...'

[Does that mean something's different?]

'Probably. The actions of the demonkin were suspicious from the start, so there could be more to it.'

Come to think of it, it was odd from the beginning that the demonkin and Setram joined forces.

'... Still, there's no point worrying about this right now.'

[So then?]

'Now that I know the surfacing date of the island, let's go back. 46 days is plenty of time—I can't afford to waste it.'

That would be enough to finish my training at the Dreistler family and return to my domain.

[But really, how do you clear the labyrinth? Are you planning to just smash through all the walls with Genova's power?]

'You really think like that, do you?'

[What do you mean, "think like me"!]

I mean, who has the time to break walls one by one?

If I really can't find another path, it could work as a last resort, but there's no need.

"Besides, I have a great guide anyway."

That excellent guide was probably cooking at the Vanhart family mansion by now.