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Chapter 175: The Situation While He Was Busy
Aldrian tilted his head, looking at King Douwin.
"Are you sure, Your Majesty? You’re asking me to name this sword?"
"Yes. Although this sword has been a long-standing project of our kingdom, seeing how you completed it made me realize something: we could never have finished it without you. The technique you used is too extreme, impossible for anyone else to replicate. Your golden energy, the sheer amount you can release, feels infinite. After pondering this for a long time, I’ve come to believe it was fate that brought you here to complete this sword," King Douwin said.
"You are a powerful swordsman, a talented blacksmith, and the one who gave this sword its finishing touch. There is no one more worthy than you to wield it," he added.
Aldrian’s eyes widened. "Your Majesty, do you mean...?"
King Douwin nodded. "I will entrust this sword to you. I’ve already gathered all the nobles who were aware of this project—except for those traitorous dukes. When they saw how your work, their dwarven instincts took over, they were mesmerized by your technique and shared my sentiment. Without you, completing this sword would have been impossible. After a discussion, we decided to give you the honor of naming it, and we agreed that you are the most worthy one to wield it."
Aldrian hadn’t expected things to turn out this way. He had assumed that King Douwin and the nobles would never be willing to give him the sword, which was why he had asked the king to lend it to him to face the impending catastrophe. Truthfully, he had wanted to make the sword his own and had been prepared to offer the dwarves a deal they’d find hard to refuse.
"However, I had to tell them that you are the mysterious swordsman. Otherwise, a few stubborn nobles would still feel reluctant, and such doubts could be dangerous in the long run. I made sure they understood that no one is more worthy than you. If this sword can aid you in your journey and help protect our land from the catastrophe you spoke of, then please, use it. It would be the Forgeheart Kingdom’s honor for this sword, forged over millennia, to become the blade that saves this continent," King Douwin said.
Aldrian looked at the sword, recalling the words of the figure.
"Once this sword attracts the heavenly tribulation, that will be the sign you are ready to leave this world."
He thought for a moment, then spoke to the king.
"I haven’t actually decided on a name yet. And even if I had, I wouldn’t reveal it now, as the karma shaped by that name would trigger the heavenly tribulation. I need to hold off until the right time, when it’s truly ready to be completed."
King Douwin was momentarily stunned but nodded.
"You’re right. If we trigger the tribulation now, it would cause chaos. A sword of this caliber has never been seen before on the continent, so it’s bound to attract unwanted attention," King Douwin replied.
"That’s right, it would be far too conspicuous. I can only imagine how the people of this continent would react. I’d wager even the devils would make their move," Mardred added.
Aldrian looked at the sword in his grasp and extended it toward King Douwin and Mardred.
"Your Majesty, Sir Mardred, would you like to hold it? The Forgeheart Kingdom has safeguarded this sword all this time, so I think it’s fitting to keep it here until the moment I need it. Until then, the dwarves can study it as a learning tool. Once this sword reaches true divine grade, it may be difficult for anyone else to even touch it."
King Douwin and Mardred’s eyes widened in surprise, not expecting Aldrian to still offer them the chance to keep the sword. They had assumed Aldrian would take it away immediately. King Douwin reached out and grasped the sword, but as soon as Aldrian released his hold—
DUM!
The edge of the sword dropped to the ground, shocking King Douwin, Mardred, and even Aldrian. King Douwin then summoned his strength to lift the sword. Only after exerting all his muscle power and circulating his energy was he finally able to raise it. He rested the sword on his shoulder to help support its weight. However, Aldrian could see that King Douwin had used everything he had just to hold the sword, and even now, he had to release his energy to help maintain control.
"What kind of sword is this? How are you able to lift it so easily, Aldrian?" King Douwin asked, his face red as he struggled to keep himself from collapsing under the sword’s weight.
"Wait, let me help," Mardred said, stepping forward to assist King Douwin. He tried to lift the edge of the sword off the king’s shoulder, but to his shock, it didn’t budge. Mardred then used all his muscle strength and cultivation to help lift it, and only after that did the sword finally shift, with both of them managing to lift it together.
"This is crazy. How is anyone supposed to wield this sword? Forget about swinging it—just lifting it would require the wielder to use their entire strength!" Mardred thought.
Aldrian watched as both King Douwin and Mardred struggled to hold the sword, then he touched it before easily taking it from their grasp. Only then did they both sigh in relief. They were truly shocked by the sudden, drastic change in weight and began to wonder if it was due to the divine iron. Could it be that just one material had made the sword so immense in weight that even an Emperor-stage cultivator would struggle to lift it?
"I’m sorry, Your Majesty, Sir Mardred. I didn’t realize the sword would be so heavy for others. I forgot that, in the end, this sword still contains divine iron as one of its material. It’s because the divine iron has already formed a connection with me that it reacts only to my touch. My apologies. Let me place the sword in its designated spot," Aldrian said.
"Alright, let’s return it to the Divine Sword Hall. It’s safer there. However, I don’t think anyone would be able to steal it with that kind of weight," King Douwin said, glancing at the sword.
Aldrian then stored the divine sword in his storage ring before they walked toward the place where it had been kept for so long. However, when Aldrian placed the sword on the sword platform, the platform instantly shattered under its weight. With nothing else able to support it and no other means of holding the sword, Aldrian simply stabbed it into the ground and left it there.
After they were done, they returned to the throne hall.
"Your Majesty, while I was finishing the sword, is there any news I should be aware of? I plan to continue my journey to the Buddhist sect’s territory, and I want to know if anything has happened so I can prepare in advance," Aldrian asked after they arrived at the throne hall.
"Ah, yes. A lot has happened while you were finishing the sword. First, you should be cautious near the territories of the three duke families—Badin, Calas, and Lorf. After I executed Duke Badin last month, I suppressed the other two families and captured Duke Calas and Duke Lorf. I don’t know what kind of reckless thoughts these families might have after that, so you’ll need to be careful when you’re near their lands," King Douwin said.
"In their mansions, we found proof of their collaboration with the devils, so they couldn’t deny their crimes. The entire kingdom condemned them for it. Their families are in chaos, but I haven’t yet chosen replacements for them. As of now, the kingdom only has the Valiard Dukedom as the remaining duke family. It’s utter chaos and has caused me quite a headache, but it’s manageable. Fortunately, we are not located in the red zone, where conflict could erupt at any time. While the absence of the three dukes is worrisome in terms of security, economy, and politics, it can still be addressed with some tricks."
"As for the Eternal Spirit Sword, you don’t have to worry. I’ve already announced to the world that the sword is now in the hands of someone, and I’ve left people to only guess who it is. It’s the only way I could get rid of those bothersome individuals who kept pushing themselves to investigate the sword. After that, many of them started leaving the kingdom."
Aldrian nodded in understanding.
"Oh, and there’s one more thing that’s quite shocking, and it’s a very worrying situation," King Douwin said, his brow furrowed. Mardred, who knew what King Douwin was about to say, also wore a worried expression, though he glanced toward Aldrian.
"I don’t know if it’s just a coincidence, but while I’ve been occupied with resolving internal issues in the kingdom, the devils from the Devil Territory suddenly launched a massive attack on the Doria Empire. I’ve heard they’ve been pushed back on some fronts."
