Chapter 112

Actually, the avalanche wasn’t a big deal for Hans. He could easily avoid it using Time Stop.

He was just overwhelmed by the sight of an avalanche, something he had never seen before.

He treated it like a tourist attraction, using Time Stop to pass through it, and as expected, he found the orcs and his unit members in a standoff.

Hans clicked his tongue.

‘It can’t be helped. I have to go and stop them quickly.’

But simply walking up to them seemed a bit anticlimactic. After some thought, Hans came up with a plan.

‘Jump, do a somersault in the air, and land.’

It was a bit classic, but he couldn’t think of a better way to peacefully get their attention.

He immediately put his plan into action.

‘Damn ankle.’

And as a result, he sprained his ankle. Hans froze like a statue, but ironically, that allowed Dezra to take in his appearance.

Was it a lie? Or a trick?

No, it wasn’t. He couldn’t sense anything so trivial from this man who stood firm.

Then, Dezra noticed something he had never seen before on the man.

“What is the sword on your back?”

“Ah, this. They gave it to me after I passed the trial of the forest.”

“T-Then… the legendary holy sword…?!”

“Holy sword?”

Hans’s eyes widened in surprise.

He had bad memories associated with the word “holy sword.” He had gone through all sorts of hardships to obtain a holy sword, only to find out after finally winning it that the real holy sword was “our noble hearts” or something like that.

Naturally, Hans was incredibly annoyed, but what could he do?

[T/N: Lmao bro is afraid of getting jebaited again]

After that incident, he erased the word “holy sword” from his mind. But to think it would reappear here…

But in a way, it was inevitable. Dwarves were creators.

And that also meant they were imitators.

According to legend, swords were created by imitating the first sword. In other words, they needed something to imitate.

The holy sword.

Dwarves weren’t childish dreamers, they recreated reality. Therefore, the fact that dwarves had created holy swords meant that a real holy sword existed. Ꞧ

Vwooom!!

The sword, carried like luggage on Hans’s back, vibrated violently, announcing its presence in response to Dezra’s words. Ironically, it added weight to Dezra’s claim.

Hans clicked his tongue.

The holy sword, however, felt wronged.

It had waited thousands of years for the prophesied hero to appear, only to be met with this foolish being who couldn’t even hear it speak.

What did the sages sacrifice their lives for to build those ruins, and why were they placed there as a safeguard against future threats?

The holy sword felt like weeping tears of blood.

“This is a holy sword?”

“Yes. And according to legend, the holy sword speaks to those who are worthy, those it recognizes as its master.”

“So you’re saying it’s speaking to the Commander right now?!”

“Of course! The Commander will surely be recognized as its master!”

“…”

And Hans, who had been spacing out, was suddenly cornered. The holy sword on his back suddenly started glowing and vibrating, adding weight to Dezra’s words.

Besides, it would be strange if a holy sword didn’t have such a function. More importantly, several ego swords that could speak had already appeared in the game, and he had even used one of them himself.

Its performance was rather underwhelming, but it was still considered a final weapon, so many builds were created to try and utilize it.

‘But… I can’t hear anything?’

The biggest problem, however, was that Hans couldn’t hear anything. No matter how hard he listened, there was no sound.

The implication was clear.

The holy sword hadn’t recognized him as its master yet. Well, that was to be expected. To be precise, the holy sword was constantly trying to communicate, but Hans couldn’t hear it.

He gulped.

Expectant gazes focused on him. Most of them were hoping that he would be chosen as the holy sword’s master. But what was he supposed to do if he couldn’t hear it?

[Could it be… he can’t even hear the holy sword’s voice?]

[I’m disappointed in you, Teacher.]

[The orcs seem more reliable.]

‘That is exactly what’s going to happen…!!!’

It wasn’t just a delusion, it was almost paranoia. But he knew he wouldn’t receive a favorable response.

So, here was the problem, how could he maintain his dignity as Commander?

The most important thing was performance.

But he had to control the intensity. Too strong, and it would be overkill. Too weak, and they would be suspicious.

Hans quickly calculated.

Then, his actions were clear. He slowly drew the holy sword from his back, making sure everyone could see it. The orcs and his unit members watched in awe.

His unit members reacted similarly. Yuren and Ruby, in particular, expressed admiration for the sword’s elegance. But no one could have predicted what Hans did next.

He threw the sword with all his might.

“W-What the…?!”

“What’s going on?!”

“…”

Not only the other orcs, but even Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, was shocked.

It was a holy sword, no less. A holy sword obtained from the Warrior’s Festival, which had devoured countless heroes.

No one here would claim it was a fake.

Even if it wasn’t a holy sword, it was a sword of comparable value. And yet, he threw it away.

As if it were useless trash.

Hans, on the other hand, was relieved. He had successfully caught everyone’s attention. The gamble was about to begin.

“How unpleasant. Who chooses whom?”

A cold, icy voice dominated the space.

Hans himself didn’t realize it, but his name was already known to most races.

The Commander who revived the fallen Royal Knights.

The hero of the counterattack.

Even if he was a fraud, his reputation carried weight. And the powerful beings gathered here understood the Commander’s true intentions.

“I don’t need a weapon that tries to control its master.”

His achievements and position lent weight to his words. His voice, laced with suppressed anger, seemed to crush everything around him.

The only one who spoke up was Ruby.

“B-But Commander, this is a real holy sword.”

“Is that so? Then I’ll give it to you.”

“But…!!”

“Isn’t that strange?”

Ruby was flustered.

The weight of a holy sword was not light. A weapon that didn’t suit its owner could consume them. Naturally, Ruby didn’t think she was worthy.

But she couldn’t bring herself to persuade the Commander further. His current aura was too intimidating.

In this dilemma, it was none other than Yuren, the former Commander, who came to Ruby’s aid.

“You obtained the holy sword. Why would you give up that honor to your unit member?”

“One cannot become stronger by relying on a weapon.”

“…That’s true, but…”

“And Ruby is a dwarf. She could use the holy sword as a reference to create an even better weapon. So, leave it to her.”

“I see. I’m convinced.”

Anyone who had witnessed Hans’s struggle to obtain the holy sword in the Dwarf Kingdom would probably burst into laughter, but unfortunately, there was no one like that here.

Instead, the orcs were moved by Hans’s words.

One cannot become stronger by relying on a weapon. True. Of course, he wasn’t denying the strength that weapons could provide. But had it always been like this?

Upon hearing the words “holy sword,” some of the orcs had harbored desires to steal it. But after hearing Hans’s words, they felt ashamed.

He discarded it so easily.

“That’s… true strength.”

Dezra, the Rusty Tyrant, couldn’t help but admire him. He had never seen a human like this, except for the one he had met a hundred years ago.

A hundred years ago, when more than half the continent had fallen, on that day when even the battle-loving orcs trembled in fear, there was a human hero who fought against the demons alone until the very end.

The man called the Golden Knight.

Dezra saw his back in Hans.

‘It seems like it worked out well…’

Vwooom!!

‘Ugh?!’

He thought everything had been resolved perfectly, if it weren’t for the holy sword that suddenly flew at him from behind. He almost stumbled but managed to grit his teeth and endure.

Hans turned around.

Somehow, the holy sword he had thrown to the ground was stuck to him like a leech. He tried to shake it off, but it wouldn’t budge. The holy sword continued to vibrate.

As if begging him not to abandon it.

[Translator Notes]

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