"I’m the Hero."
Warren quietly spoke up, addressing Lady Sherria.
"The Divine Sword Velikorya chose me..."
"The Divine Sword did...? Huh?"
Lady Sherria looked between Qiu Nuoya and Warren, her expression filled with confusion.
"I don’t really understand what makes this sword so incredible, despite all the things people say about it. But it chose me, so..."
Warren raised his head firmly, as though he had made up his mind. As he looked straight at the Saintess, he declared, "I’m the Hero."
Warren’s gaze was serious, as though he had made up his mind about something. Just moments ago, he had been bewildered by the sudden change in his occupation to Hero. Now, he declared with conviction that he was indeed the Hero.
"Hmph. The likes of an adventurer presuming to call himself a Hero is utterly presumptuous."
As though mocking Warren’s resolve, Prince Dorian once again gave a contemptuous snort.
"What do you mean, being chosen? Those who are chosen are people born into bloodlines like ours, people whose very birth sets them apart. No matter how much you call yourself a Hero, you’re nothing more than a self-proclaimed one, aren’t you?"
The prince’s arrogant manner of speaking grated on Qiu Nuoya’s nerves.
Hmm. So this Prince Dorian is a believer in bloodline superiority. King Warrington, the very man who founded this kingdom, was once an adventurer himself. Looking down on adventurers like this is rather distasteful.
Meanwhile, Lady Sherria looked utterly confused as she glanced back and forth between Qiu Nuoya and Warren.
"Um... could someone explain what’s going on? Is it really true that the Divine Sword Velikorya chose him?"
"It’s true. The Divine Sword has acknowledged him as its master. Presumably, the gods have recognized that choice as well, and it is recorded on his identification card."
In this world, identification cards were issued by the Church, and the personal information engraved on them was updated whenever necessary. Qiu Nuoya had no idea how the system worked, but he figured that Lady Sherria, as a Saintess recognized by the Church, would understand what it meant.
The moment he finished speaking, her eyes widened.
She straightened her posture, stepped back with one foot, and delicately lifted the hem of her dress. Then, with flawless grace, she bowed to Warren in the formal gesture of allegiance owed to her superior.
"W-What!? Saintess Sherria, what on earth are you doing!?"
"With all due respect, Your Highness, I am a Saintess who serves the gods. It is only natural for me to pay my respects to a Hero acknowledged by the gods."
Qiu Nuoya had assumed that the Saintess and the Hero would hold equal positions, but was the Hero actually considered superior? In any case, this whole system of social ranks was such a hassle.
Apparently, Prince Dorian was furious that Lady Sherria, a Saintess, had bowed in allegiance to Warren, a commoner. Glaring at Warren, he declared, "I refuse to acknowledge you!"
"If you truly claim to be the Hero, then prove it!"
Prince Dorian maintained his usual haughty attitude, but Warren refused to be intimidated. He swiftly held the Divine Sword out in front of the prince, as if daring him to challenge it.
"W-What... Presenting a sword before a member of the royal family is tantamount to declaring an intention to rebel..."
"I haven’t drawn it."
Interrupting the prince, Warren pressed the Divine Sword against his chest.
It was true that Warren had not drawn the sword or even placed his fingers on the hilt. He was merely holding it by the scabbard and pressing it against the prince’s chest. Qiu Nuoya did not think that could reasonably be considered an act of rebellion.
"Divine Sword Velikorya, who is your master?"
The Divine Sword remained completely silent as Warren held it against the prince. Not that it could actually speak in the first place, but it did not even twitch.
Huh?
The sword had been so fiercely assertive before, thrashing around and making its presence known at every opportunity. Yet now, it was as docile as an ordinary sword.
Given how things had gone so far, Qiu Nuoya had expected the Divine Sword to do something as dramatic as strike the prince. Warren said nothing, but even he seemed to be growing uneasy on the inside.
"Hah! Nothing happened! How is this supposed to prove anything!?"
Prince Dorian had finally lost patience with the lack of a response and reached toward the Divine Sword pressed against him. Only then did the sword finally move.
Crack!
The Divine Sword flashed violently for an instant, discharging electricity like a bolt of lightning, and struck Prince Dorian.
Until now, whenever it attacked someone other than its chosen master, it had merely thumped them through its scabbard as a warning. This time, however, it slipped smoothly out of its scabbard, revealing its blade as it pointed its tip at the prince with unmistakable murderous intent.
"W-What...?"
Warren grabbed the hilt, trying to restrain the unruly sword.
"Divine Sword, show us your will."
In response, the sword crackled with electricity, sending lightning flashing past Prince Dorian’s cheek.
Even the prince could not withstand such a terrifying display. He collapsed onto the ground as though his legs had given way, but the Divine Sword continued to threaten him, its exposed blade still crackling with electricity. The Saintess stood frozen, staring at the sword in utter astonishment.
Okay, this is definitely going too far.
Qiu Nuoya anxiously glanced at Warren, only to see Warren looking just as uncertain.
You’ve completely backed yourself into a corner, haven’t you!?
"Warren, I think that’s enough..."
"R-Right..."
At Qiu Nuoya’s words, Warren seemed to snap back to his senses. He returned the sword to its scabbard, and the electrical discharges finally subsided. Silence settled over the garden.
Come to think of it, the Divine Sword Velikorya was also known as a Magic Sword.
Warren had spent the past three years training to master magic swordsmanship, a technique that involved imbuing a blade with magic while fighting. Perhaps that was why he was so compatible with Velikorya, which was itself a Magic Sword.