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Even though I knew it was hopeless, I spent a few minutes searching the grounds for the other half of Holy Celestia.
I just need to distract myself… I don't want to think about what's going to happen next, at least for a little while.
It would have been nice if the weather had decided to clear up, seeing as how the demons were gone. Where’s the dancing rays of the sun? The sound of birds heralding our new-found, if temporary, peace?
Instead, we were left with a heavy rain that found its way into every crack and crevice, bringing with it an icy chill.
Aleph and Relias eventually stopped my wandering. “It’s… beyond repair, isn’t it?” I asked as I offered up the hilt for their inspection.
Aleph took the broken blade from my hands, and Relias gently squeezed my palms. “Captain, we should tend to your injuries before diving into such secondary matters...”
“I’m fi—oh!” With the surge of his aura, all my aches and pains disappeared. His Holiness let go, pointing to my cheek.
“It’s just a little dried blood.” I rubbed the side of my face. “Nothing a bath can’t fix.”
One without demonic leeches, please.
A frown settled on his brow. “I just wanted to be sure,” he murmured. “My spells have been rather weak as of late…”
“We’ve all been working overtime,” I laughed nervously. “I’m not sure when it’ll happen, but I think a nice rest will do wonders for us…”
Aleph exchanged a soulful glance with Relias, then handed the hilt of Holy Celestia back to me with a sad shake of his head. “I believe that even should we acquire the rest of it, we would be unable to restore it to its former glory.”
No! My promise to King Saulus and Prince Mito!
I pushed away several frantic thoughts. “What about my targe?”
Aleph made a strange face. “Although every fiber of my being shrieks at the thought of agreeing with him, I believe we should focus efforts on unearthing your true shield.”
I froze, knowing why he said it. Thinking about my upcoming deadline didn’t make the situation any more bearable, though.
“Let’s start by double-checking those replicas Corwin mentioned,” Vernie said, pulling me off balance with a bearhug from behind. “If people are openly surrendering them now, they were fooled by them at one point.”
That would take me straight back to the Sanctum, back to central command, where I’d have to confess to everyone that, once again, things hadn’t gone the way we planned, presumably due to something I did or didn’t do.
“Perhaps we should first patrol the outer—oh.”
Without my equipment, I was probably the most significant liability.
“You’re right. Let’s go report in.”
Tetora roared twice, signaling the knights of the South Gate to let us back inside. As we waited for the portcullises to rise, I saw an ecstatic look on Nora’s face.
“Okay… what’s your plan?” I asked. “Judging by your smirk, it’s a doozy.”
She held out her palm, which contained several slivers of the dark orb. “New defenses for Chairo!”
“Um… That went by me a little fast…” I admitted.
“Give a piece to each dark mage in the area with a quick how-to lesson, and we can all finally fight back!”
Right. Directly attacking a demon with dark magic just made them stronger. Using a holy crystal shard, however…
“Just because you could get it to connect with the crystals doesn’t mean…” I glanced at Master Landon. “Or do you think it’s plausible?”
He plucked a shard of the orb carefully from her hand. “Only one way to find out.”
It was harder for him, but with Nora’s somewhat back-handed encouragement, he managed to command a single holy crystal shard to follow him. It wavered through the air, struggling at times, but its flight eventually evened out. After a few minutes, he could make it weave, dart, and stab at his command.
“With a bit of practice, I bet you can make it do all sorts of tricks!” Nora said, her eyes shining with possibility. “You’re making amazing progress for a first-timer!”
Relias focused on Master Landon, his eyes lost in thought. When he finally halted his experiment, His Holiness cleared his throat softly. “It would seem that soon, all will know the student has become the Master.”
Master Landon narrowed his eyes, sweat forming on his brow due to the effort he had exerted. “Your Holiness… are you sure about this?”
Relias hesitated, his eyes flickering, then nodded several times. “I think it is time the public becomes aware of the Black Order's contributions to protect Chairo. Continuing to obfuscate the truth will only lead to more misunderstandings… and our enemy will take full advantage of that.”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
Whoa… Another significant change in the making…
And this time, Relias was the one to suggest it!
Master Landon straightened, taking a deep breath. “Then I shall let your recent jest pass this once,” he muttered, turning to Nora. “Just don’t let it go to your head.”
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Just after crossing through the gatehouse back into the Periphery, I came face to face with Aurum.
“Sorry,” I said, spreading my hands wide. “I didn’t find even a single apple out there.”
He snorted in my face, nudged me, and then turned sideways, stamping his hooves as loudly as possible.
“You’re right. No time for bad jokes.”
Several knights bowed in unison behind him. One of the squad members advanced, stopping only to genuflect a second time. “He’s been standing guard ever since you left, Chosen One. We tried to lead him to safer quarters, but he wouldn’t have any of it.”
“He’s stubborn, just like his owner,” I replied as I climbed into Aurum’s saddle. “Aren’t you?”
Aurum’s ears swiveled toward me before he snorted again.
“Any reports from Captain Corwin?” Relias asked from atop his horse.
The knights exchanged glances, and the one in front cleared his throat. “The Captain would like for you to return to central command as soon as possible. We all heard the General…”
I nodded, mustering my mask of stoic courage. “Don’t let your guard down. It seems not all of those demons under his command are on board with his ultimatum. Be sure to—”
I stopped, hearing loud, roiling thunder in the distance.
“Well, you get the idea,” I concluded, not wanting to force them to stand in the rain while I told them how to do their jobs. “Oh. Any dark mages in the vicinity?”
They all mutely shook their heads.
“I see… If you come across any, please ask them to join us at the High Temple. We’ll be needing their help.”
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We passed through the empty Periphery, though a few flickers of light in some buildings hinted that a few civilians had stubbornly stayed behind despite evacuation efforts. In stark contrast, the Sanctum teemed with people who pushed, pulled, shouted, and shoved, all adamant about making sure their personal needs were everyone else’s priority.
“What about food? Where are we supposed to eat?”
“I can’t sleep next to an ox. Look at those nostrils! He’ll snore us all out!”
“The crystal damaged my roof! Who’s going to pay for the repairs?”
“My vegetables! They’re ruined!”
A small contingent of knights escorted us through to the Forums, once again serving as our shield. I wasn’t, however, prepared for what awaited us on the steps leading to the High Temple’s entrance. Prince Mito, Captain Corwin, and Father Vicar stood at the main entrance, with several of our other companions lining the stairs. A gold carpet had been unfurled, and Father Titus stood at the end closest to us, awaiting our arrival.
“What’s going on?” I whispered as I dismounted.
“Oh, just a little ceremony to lift some spirits,” he replied, smiling.
“Out in the rain?”
He nodded. “Not the best weather for it, but it’s important for the public to see.”
Argh. I’d rather confess my shame in private quarters, not in front of a live audience!
The others dismounted as well, forming up behind me. I tried to urge Relias to take the lead, but he just smiled, shook his head, and gestured for me to go first.
I marched toward Captain Corwin, but to my surprise, Prince Mito stepped forward, meeting me just after I had ascended the final stair. The knights throughout the Forums called for silence, bashing their breastplates until the crowd complied.
In other words, it took the masses a good five minutes to realize that the noise wouldn’t stop until they did.
“Captain Raelynn Lightbringer,” His Highness announced, raising his arms as he turned for all to see. “We gather here to officially welcome your triumphant return and acknowledge you as the Champion of Chairo!”
The… what of what?
At least they didn’t call me a savior again…
“But I—”
“Joyfully does the church welcome back the Chosen One,” Relias intoned from behind me. “With its Faith renewed, we offer unto you this new title in remembrance of your hard-earned victories this day.”
I whirled around, eyes wide. “I didn’t do anything worth…”
Nora’s eyes sparked with impending rage, and I stopped my negative self-talk before I made myself a target. “I mean, I did not do it alone, Your Holiness.”
Relias nodded slowly. “True greatness is forever humble. It is fitting, however, to acknowledge the contributions of our companions during the dark hours of Chairo.”
Relias then launched into a spectacular oration of the day's events, beginning with the revelation that the crystal barrier had been a secret collaboration between the priests of Chairo and Master Landon. He followed with a glorified account of our battle with Morcelos, embellishing the details as if he were selling a grand epic. He concentrated on my defiance of the two demon heralds, adding alluring, if not exaggerated, details of my fight with Bodil after the General had disappeared.
“And lo, our Champion searched in desperation, for the cowardly Bodhil had sunk into the shadows, fearing the Captain’s righteous flames of judgment!”
Oh. That’d be a nice name for an attack. If, you know, I wanted to telegraph such things.
A sudden insight struck me. Is this… how he talked to Euphridia?
Is this why the web novel’s prose was so… overdramatic?!
Despite my wandering thoughts, I was swiftly pulled back to the story when he mentioned Nora. “Heedless of the danger, Lady Nora raced across the battlefield, seizing the last vestiges of the dark orb to summon our holy crystals once more. Revived with a new Purpose, they answered her call, coming to the aid of the Chosen One. At Lady Nora’s command, the crystals pierced and dragged down the sinister Sergeant, forcing her to face the Captain again. Ever fearful of our Champion, the demoness banished herself, opting to face the wrath of General Ragnerus instead.”
Once he started to talk about the demonic portal, however, I couldn’t help but flinch. While Relias tried to downplay the loss of Holy Celestia, diverting focus instead to the portal’s collapse, I knew the truth had to come out. My hand went to the hilt of the sword, carefully tucked into the scabbard, and I drew the shattered blade.
“Your Majesty,” I began, ignoring the pounding in my throat. “Your father entrusted me with safeguarding Holy Celestia. It is with a heavy heart, however, that I confess—my actions in dismantling the portal led to its destruction.”
I paused, letting the crowd get in its gasps of shock and dismay.
“I was to present this to you when I saw fit, Prince Mito. I would ask that you hold not its damage against my companions but solely at my feet, for I was the one who wielded it today.”
“My f-father…” he stuttered, a cold sweat breaking out across his temples. “Told you to give this to… me?”
Terror filled his eyes, draining away the idea that he was merely playing a temporary role on stage. The audience made no noise, no catcalls, no boos or cheers. They were waiting for him to accept the burden of leadership, something he hadn’t been prepared to give.
A loud cough broke the moment, drawing my attention. My eyes found Emmy, who wore a gown that would be the envy of any queen. She glared at His Highness, and he suddenly straightened, earning her immediate but silent approval.
“Captain Lightbringer,” he said with a rueful sigh, “a sword is but a tool. Like us, it is given Purpose, but it is replaceable. People, however, are not.” He paused, his gaze lingering on the broken blade before him. “And so, I gratefully accept Holy Celestia, the Sword that Saved the City, knowing it has faithfully served us all on this day.”
Before I could respond, the Forums erupted in thunderous cheers, washing away the last traces of the arrogant, self-interested performer only to polish the wise, thoughtful Prince hiding underneath.
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