I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

34 – 034. The Grail (1)

Before leaving, there were people I had to meet first. Lancelot and Maria in the Papal Reception Room were those protagonists.

“So, it is like that.”

After a brief explanation, Lancelot, sipping his tea, nodded.

“I don’t know how long it’ll take. Could be a few days, could be several months.”

“Hmm. It doesn’t matter. However, there is something I wish to make known as well.”

“……Make known?”

“Yes. I am planning to travel the world alone for a while. Sorry for not saying anything beforehand.”

Traveling the world.

I had thought that a time like this would come eventually. He was always that kind of person. The story of spreading the name of ＜Chivalry＞ begins when he wanders the world, after all.

“I will return someday. After seeing and feeling what I desire.”

Truly, words that felt like the future Empire’s 12 Swords, a Swordmaster, Lancelot of ＜Chivalry＞.

“……Don’t forget to bring back souvenirs.”

“Haha! I understand.”

Leaving the conversation with Lancelot behind, I shifted my gaze to the side.

There, with her usual expressionless face, was Maria. Always a woman of few words, she hadn’t said anything in particular since I’d arrived.

After contemplating for a moment what to say, I gathered my thoughts and spoke briefly.

“Thank you.”

Her blue eyes turned towards me.

Maria Theresia von Britzhart.

8th Rank, a master swordsman, second only to the Sword Saint of the Western Continent, the eldest daughter of a Grand Duke, known by the moniker ＜Killing Star of the Blazing Sword＞.

Her existence was infinitely benevolent and immeasurably vast to me. She was always the shade that blocked the scorching sun, the eaves that sheltered me from the cold rain.

……If even one of her helping hands hadn’t been there, surely countless obstacles would have blocked my path. Thus, it was only natural that such words of gratitude would spill forth.

“You truly intend to descend down there.”

As always, Maria’s thoughts were unreadable. Yet, from her, there seemed to be no intention of opposing my decision.

“Yes.”

Instead of adding flowery words, I answered softly and concisely.

“Understood. But before that. Frey’s sword was destroyed during that fierce battle, wasn’t it?”

“……How did you know that?”

*Click!*

No answer came. Instead, she subtly retrieved a wooden box she had carefully placed beside her feet.

And then.

“I will give this sword to you, Frey.”

“This is…?”

Again?

After the ring, the elixir, the money, and even picking up me and Lancelot after we collapsed unconscious, now even a sword.

“It is an item crafted with ancient elven technology. It is a sword forged from a ‘star’, feared by the wicked, and capable of severing the tenacious life of demonkin.”

“……!”

Just the explanation conveyed an immense value.

It wasn’t something named in my memory, which had memorized the ＜Silver Ring＞’s sword catalog, but it was clear that I couldn’t possibly acquire it with the money I had.

“Maria, there’s something I’m curious about.”

“Please, ask.”

“Why… why are you being so good to me?”

I couldn’t help but ask, honestly curious.

She had mentioned it when we first met. That she was looking forward to my future, and to please walk the right path. That her gaze would always be on me.

“Didn’t I say it?”

“…….”

“That I took a liking to Frey. I am simply playing the role of a senior.”

*Swoosh.*

Maria, having mumbled briefly, held out the sword. The silver scabbard, reflecting the sunlight, felt like it was boasting of its sharpness, even with the sword inside.

“……Thank you.”

I bowed deeply and accepted the sword.

Gently drawing the sword, a sharp, silver blade revealed its elegance, matching the scabbard. As Maria had explained, it seemed it would be of great help to me in the ‘Hellish Rift’.

“Farewell for now, Frey.”

“Don’t get hurt. Lancelot, you’re quite clumsy, you know.”

“That’s ridiculous. I’m less so than you.”

*Snort.*

“Maria… I’ll come see you later, separately.”

“…Understood.”

Getting up from my seat, I gave the two of them a brief farewell.

I turned and moved forward. There was no hesitation in my steps. Perhaps, this would continue like this.

…

..

.

“MARIA——!”

The Northern Grand Duke’s roar shook the Grand Ducal Residence.

Unlike his usual composed self, the Grand Duke’s voice, full of rage, made the servants tremble in fear.

“W-why is His Grace acting like that?”

“Well… it seems Lady Maria caused some sort of incident.”

“Huh? Incident? Lady Maria?”

Surprised by this unexpected fact, one of the servants cast their gaze toward the Grand Duke’s office. Although the door was firmly shut, the Grand Duke’s roar could still be heard, piercing through the space.

“T-t-that damn rascal! How could she have run off with all the Grand Ducal family’s swords——!”

“……”

“……”

The two servants’ gazes met in mid-air.

“W-well, I guess he has a right to be angry.”

“Right. And Prince Tristan ran away from home again, too.”

The servants shook their heads.

This was a problem beyond their control. Perhaps time would resolve it on its own.

* * *

The path toward the ‘Gap of Hell’ was darker than I’d imagined.

The clock tower situated in the center of the Papal Palace. The staircase leading to the basement of the bizarre clock tower, surrounded by obelisks, was that path.

Thankfully, the increased blessing of mana aided my stamina.

To the point that I didn’t feel the weight of the heavy backpack on my back.

“It’s here.”

After following the priests down the stairs for about an hour, I was able to face a large hollow space.

“……”

In the courtyard, two paladins, with visages like well-honed swords, stood guard. Behind them loomed an immense, colossal gate.

“Huh!”

…The more I looked, the less the structure made sense. In the game it hadn’t moved me much, but seeing it with my own eyes gave it a whole different feel.

“How does that gate open?”

“Ah! It’s simple.”

A priest, hearing my stunned exclamation, trudged over to the gate.

Even from a distance, the giant ‘gate’ seemed to grow even more massive as a single person stood before it. It was reminiscent of a medieval castle gate, but its size far exceeded that of a typical high-rise building.

“The gate opens with mana. It’s particularly sensitive to high-purity mana, and naturally, divine power is its most effective catalyst.”

Only then did I understand why Pope Sullivan had assigned so many priests to escort us.

In the original story, the Hellgate was opened by the player alone… This is a little easier.

“…Opening the gate!”

*Swish!*

The priests gathered in front of a small contraption near the gate, hands clasped together.

And then.

*Wooom—!*

Golden mana began to shimmer.

Divine power, the symbol of priests who serve God. As that golden mana poured into the arcane device, its workings unknown…

*Kugugugung…!*

Suddenly, a deafening roar shook the earth.

It wasn’t like anything had exploded. It was as if the ground itself was trembling, the colossal roar announcing the gate’s opening.

“…The Hellgate.”

The past memories rushed back, and I muttered softly.

There were very few routes to access this secret, unknown world. Even following the ＜Divine Order＞ route, the Hellgate could only be visited once, so my prior knowledge wasn’t of much help.

Frankly, this was the first I’d even learned that an object called the “Holy Grail” was hidden in this dungeon.

But.

*Geeeeeeak—!*

It didn’t matter. Unless some powerful demon from the demonic realm popped out of there, the risks weren’t too high. So, I intended to search it quickly, retrieve the Grail, and return.

*Kuuuooom—!*

The gigantic gate swung wide open.

And at the same time.

KIIIIaaaK—!

An unknown, horrific scream tore through the air, and with it, a sinister presence consumed the chamber.

Could this be the aura of ‘the Demon Realm’? The air was odorless, colorless, yet it felt as if the very concept of ‘ominousness’ had been dissolved into its essence.

“Gate open! We will commence closing immediately! Holy Grail Knight! Hurry…!”

A heart-clenching, sinister energy surged forth. The priests before the magical apparatus cried out, their voices bordering on screams.

*Shling!*

I drew my sword.

“Holy Grail Knight, huh.”

The space beyond the portal was unsettlingly dark. I couldn’t see an inch ahead, but I knew that as I descended, the infernal flames would illuminate my path.

*Tap tap—!*

I lightly leaped into the darkness, slicing through the void.

*WHoooM—!*

Just as it had opened, the gate sealing off the hellish breach slammed shut.

“……”

The landscape within the rift was utterly desolate.

There wasn’t a particularly foul odor, nor was the air oppressively heavy.

And yet…as I said before, there was this unsettling, unpleasant energy that pricked at my skin, the source of which I couldn’t quite place.

I walked purposefully through the darkness.

After some time, a disturbing cry began to reach my ears.

“KIEEEEEEK!”

“KRaaaH!”

“…….”

The source of the cries was obvious.

Goblins, the creatures inhabiting the upper reaches of the hellish breach, had discovered a new prey.

*Flash!*

That’s when I saw them, crimson glints in the dark.

“Damn, that’s a lot of them.”

There were easily hundreds, if not more, visible in the darkness. Scavengers, no doubt, thriving in the shadows. Goblins, for sure.

“KIEEEEEEK!”

The goblin’s roars filled the cavernous space.

Wooon—!

It wasn’t them who made the first move.

I rouse the mana. And channel that roused mana into my blade, releasing it.

*Swishhh!*

A dark, crescent-shaped blade aura soared into the darkness. Mana, with its power of destruction, didn’t dissipate but pierced through the limbs of the enemies.

“Kieeeeeeek!”

Thud thud thud!

Did they realize I wasn’t an easy target?

They immediately surrounded me, charging from all sides.

Reflected in the rippling mana, their faces were all hideous. Of course, that wasn’t much of a threat.

*Slash!* *Chwaaak!*

I cut, pierce, and swing.

It didn’t take long for the breath of hundreds of goblins to be extinguished.

*Thud thud!*

I shook the blood off my blade and wiped the unpleasant gore from my face.

‘Deeper.’

It didn’t seem likely that an object like the ＜Holy Grail＞ would be lying around in these upper levels.

Further down.

I descend deeper.

“Gieeeeeek!”

In the midst of it all, I encountered a gigantic centipede. Intoxicated by the mana of the demon realm, it boasted a size comparable to a modern city bus.

*Slash!* *Thump!*

…However, its hard exoskeleton couldn’t withstand the blade. As the silver edge cut through its torso, its enormous body crashed helplessly to the ground.

“Ha… it’s a little brighter now.”

Having passed through a cave-like space, I muttered to myself.

What unfolded before my eyes was an incomparably huge, underground world.

Down below, a writhing energy flickered bright red, and several unknown beasts were seen slowly patrolling the area.

‘The demon species… I’ll encounter them if I go deeper.’

There were no demon species within the wide-open view. That was a fact that gave me a significant advantage.

Those demon offspring each possessed bizarre, almost supernatural powers. Avoiding combat with them as much as possible was the core of this mission.

So, I took careful steps, surveying my surroundings. About an hour had passed.

*Drrrrrrr…*

“…?”

A bizarre rumble echoed from the distance.

It was a vibration and noise like a vast army on the move. Yes, like something out of a movie, a force of thousands, tens of thousands, marching towards some destination…

“Kiiiieeeek!”

“Kaaa-aaack!”

“…Shit.”

My brow furrowed, cautiously peeking out into the vast, open underground world.

The source of the noise was as expected: a horde of monsters, goblins, on the move. But there was a problem.

*Dudududududu!*

The hundred-odd goblins I killed before seemed laughable now. The sheer number of them filling my vision was the first problem.

“Kiiiieeeek! Hunt the human! Kill the enemy of our kin!”

…The fact that *I* was what they were so desperately searching for was the second problem.

And then.

“Sniff sniff! Kiiiieeeek! There! There! There’s a human!”

The most absurd thing of all was that talking goblin. If I remember correctly, goblins were known for their shockingly low intelligence. Some even said that dogs and pigs were smarter.

‘Is it a mutation?’

Maybe it was. Most of the monsters living down here, unlike those on the surface, were corrupted by the demonic energy, exhibiting all sorts of bizarre ecologies.

But.

*Shimmer—!*

“…?”

Something a little, no, a *lot* odd caught my eye.

The cause was the talking goblin, the one yelling his head off in the massive cavern.

*Shimmer—!*

“What is that?”

While the goblin tide was coming right for me, I couldn’t help but utter that dumbfounded question.

The goblin, who looked like their leader, had a black bracelet on his arm. A goblin, who wouldn’t seem like the type to care about fashion…

‘I, It’s finally!’

But then. A deep, gruff voice rang in my ears.

I whipped my head around, unable to believe what I was seeing.

‘……?’

What greeted me was a desolate, subterranean landscape. A voice was speaking, but its owner was nowhere to be seen. It was naturally perplexing.

‘You’ve finally appeared! Descendant of the [Tyrant]! Haste thee and recover the sacred artifact! Foul goblins have seized my holy relic. Retrieve it, so that you may fulfill your destiny!’

…What in the world is this.