The sound of three knocks echoed from the door. Ulric, who was arranging several bottles of potions, stopped what he was doing. He stared at the wooden door for a moment, then continued with his work.
“Come in,” he said without looking away from the potion bottles. He recognized the sound of the knocking.
The door was pushed open from outside. Oba appeared first, her face weary, followed by Ganendra, who was walking in while carrying something wrapped in cloth.
Seeing Oba and Ganendra return made Ulric breathe a sigh of relief. “At last, you’re back.”
“Grandpa,” Oba called as she dropped into a chair. “We have a problem.”
“What kind of problem?” Ulric asked with a frown.
Oba pointed at the object Ganendra was carrying. “We managed to retrieve his sword.”
“May I see it, my boy?” Ulric asked Ganendra.
Ganendra nodded. He opened the cloth covering the sword and showed it to Ulric.
Ulric had been relaxed at first, but he suddenly fell silent. His gaze locked onto the sword in Ganendra’s hand. For several moments, the old man did not even blink, as though the object before him were something that should never have returned to the world.
“Where did you get that sword?”
Ganendra and Oba exchanged a spontaneous glance. Ulric’s question naturally left them both confused.
“Wasn’t it you who sent us to retrieve it—Ganendra in particular, because you trusted his fighting ability?” Oba asked, voicing Ganendra’s confusion.
“I mean, are you certain you found the sword in the same cave?”
“I couldn’t have been mistaken, Grandpa. Are you doubting my abilities?” Oba asked irritably.
“We did take it from the cave you mentioned. We even encountered a giant octopus that gave us quite a bit of trouble,” Ganendra added.
Ulric was silent for a moment. Then he fixed Ganendra with a serious stare. “You managed to pull it out?”
Ganendra nodded.
“So... the sword finally chose you.”
“What do you mean?”
Ulric let out a long sigh. His eyes never left the blade in Ganendra’s hand. “That sword is more than just a treasured relic, my boy.”
Ganendra looked at the black blade in his hand. “Then what is it?”
“That sword has a will of its own.”
Ganendra frowned.
“For years, many people have come to that cave to take it. Some claimed to be great adventurers or swordsmen. Others believed they possessed noble blood. But not one of them managed to pull it free.”
Oba, who had been sitting back in her chair, immediately lifted her head.
“One of them even brought a massive hammer to destroy the stone the sword was embedded in,” Ulric added.
“I remember that story. They say he couldn’t even leave a scratch,” Oba said with a chuckle.
“That’s right.” Ulric nodded. “Because the sword cannot be forced.”
Ganendra studied the sword in his hand again. “Then why was I able to pull it out?”
“Because the sword allowed you to.”
Ganendra fell silent again, thinking over Ulric’s words.
Then Ulric stepped closer and touched the back of the blade with his fingertip. “This sword chooses its own master. Not based on strength, position, or lineage. Only the sword knows the true reason.”
“So you don’t know either, Grandpa?”
“I only know what my ancestors told me.”
Ulric withdrew his hand. “According to legend, this sword was once wielded by someone capable of conquering sea monsters that humans did not even dare approach. After its owner disappeared, the sword was returned to its place of origin and sealed inside the cave.”
“And ever since then, no one has been able to pull it free?” Ganendra asked, observing the sword more intently.
“No one.”
Silence hung in the room for a moment. Then, all at once, a deep voice rang out, carrying a faintly intimidating tone.
‘So you’re the one who awakened me.’
Ganendra froze. His eyes widened slightly. The voice sounded so clear inside his head. It was not Ulric’s voice. Nor was it Oba’s.
Ganendra stared at the sword in his hand.
“Why are you silent, my boy?” Ulric asked.
Ganendra did not answer. His gaze shifted between Ulric and Oba. ‘Don’t look at them. They can’t hear me.’
Ganendra swallowed. For a moment, he thought he was still exhausted from the battle against the Kraken. But the voice came again. ‘I’ve been waiting for a long time.’
Without realizing it, Ganendra tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt.
“Ganendra?” Ulric called.
“I’m fine.”
Ulric studied Ganendra’s face suspiciously. “Are you feeling something?”
Ganendra remained silent for several seconds before shaking his head. “No.”
Ulric continued staring at him, as though he knew Ganendra was hiding something. However, the old man did not press him.
“Then keep that sword safe. From this moment on, no matter what happens, do not give it to anyone.”
“All right, Grandpa,” Ganendra replied with a nod.
‘Don’t worry.’ The voice rang out again.
Ganendra looked at the sword once more. And for the first time, he felt that the object everyone had always regarded as nothing more than a weapon possessed something far more frightening. A life that no one knew about except him.