Chapter 269: Starlight
Lance was seated on a bench inside the academy when suddenly, three people approached him. They were all dressed in white cloaks and had their heads covered.
The moment he saw them, he already knew who they were, so he got to his feet and bowed his head to them.
"There is no time for greetings now, Lance. The church needs you to come," one spoke, her voice sounding feminine.
"What could it be? I don’t have permission to leave the academy," he said.
"It’s part of your hero duties, so come with us," she said.
"But the academy—"
"We have spoken to the academy. They have given you permission. A carriage is waiting for us at the entrance of the academy. Come with us," the lady spoke, her tone leaving almost no room for argument.
Lance nodded. He got up and walked with them. They got to the carriage, and he got in with them. He sat beside the woman while the other two sat opposite them.
The coachman started their journey, and they left the academy.
As they rode, there was a painful silence inside the carriage, but the woman finally spoke. "We have heard of things that you have done in the academy," she said, pausing for an uncomfortable amount of time. Then she looked at him. "And we find it rather bad that the one chosen of Lumis would indulge in such."
"I was trying to take what is mine," he said. He wasn’t backing away from what he had done.
"The aim of the chosen is to fight against the darkness that is the demons, not to indulge in petty squabbles with beings that have no effect on your grand destiny.
You were molded to become a being that stands above, a destiny greater than anything that has existed.
A mere classroom and a mere classmate is not for you to worry about."
"He is not a mere classmate," Lance said. He gripped his hands. "You do not understand it," he said, grinding his teeth hard.
She turned her head and looked at him. Her gaze lingered for a bit too long, then she asked, "Could this person have really left so great a mark on your heart?"
Lance raised his head, his eyes burned with a fiery passion. "I have to get stronger," he said, turning his head to her.
"The church is to be the one that readies me for the Demon Lord, right? Then make me stronger," he said.
"Yes, we are, and we will. Right now, we are going to the main chapel in the main capital. Something great has happened.
Starlight has awakened," she said, her tone carrying a seriousness it didn’t have before. He looked at her, shocked.
"Starlight? One of the great holy swords?" he asked.
"Not one of, the greatest holy sword, the sword that holds a fragment of the soul of Lumis. When the war against demons began, Lumis understood that she couldn’t come to the world to help, so among the many things she did, she gave us Starlight," she explained.
"What? I thought all the holy swords were made by the church and blessed by Goddess Lumis," he said.
"Indeed, all six holy swords that exist are blessed by Lumis, and they were made by the church with the help of the dwarves and something known as arcane blacksmithing.
This was something only the dwarves knew, and they helped us when making the holy swords, with the expectation that we would slay the Demon Lord.
But as for Starlight, it was given to us, a weapon beyond weapons. This sword was normally kept in the Holy Empire," she said.
"The Holy Empire, isn’t that the place I’m said to go and complete my training after the academy?" he asked.
"Indeed, the Holy Empire is the greatest place, and the only place that can truly prepare you for what is to come. They are the powerhouse of humanity, that is why it was in their care to protect the sword.
But a few days back, the sword awakened. The Holy Empire immediately sent the sword along with some bishops from the Cathedral of Light in the empire.
They brought the sword along with them, and what they want is for you to take on the trial," she said.
"The trial? What is that?" he asked.
"Starlight will only accept the person that it deems worthy. The first stage of being worthy is to have the title of Hero, and the second stage is to face darkness and defeat it.
You will be fighting against a true demon, one prepared by the Holy Empire. In the trial that is to come, you cannot die, and no matter how you die, you will be brought back, and you will fight and kill the demon. The same will be for every step of the way until the trial is complete.
And when it is complete, the sword will see that you are truly worthy of wielding it against darkness, and you will become the user until the day that you die," she explained.
"What? You mean I’ll be forced to face against a true demon and the only way out is to defeat it, no matter what it takes?" he asked, shocked by what they said. He recalled the strength of a true demon, and they were nothing like the demonized. They were stronger, faster, everything better.
"You mistook me. You will fight a true demon, yes, but not one alone, as there are many phases to the trial. Demon after demon, and even demonized, you’ll face them all in many rounds of the trial.
Every death brings you closer to defeating it, and when you do, you move on," she explained.
"What? You mean I’ll have to continuously go through that? That’s torture," he said.
She looked at him. "You are the one that said you want to get strong, right? Now the greatest opportunity to reach levels of power you never knew has come.
If you can complete this, you’ll also probably step into the third circle."