Extra in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 129
129 – Intention (9)
“…It seems this is the end of the tomb.”
The Silver Knight, Harpelt, said in a voice heavy with gravity as he surveyed the surroundings.
“It appears so,”
Bloodfire, Meliana, replied in a captivating tone.
“…Bloodfire, you’ve made it here safely.”
“The Silver Knight has also emerged without a scratch.”
As they spoke, the Silver Knight and Bloodfire exchanged smiles, facing each other.
Yet, there was not a hint of warmth in their gazes.
It was only natural.
Since they were each other’s greatest rivals, they would have wished for something to befall the other, to either not show their face at all or at least to be delayed.
However, deep down, they must have known.
That the other would not be caught up in something so trivial in a place like this.
After a while, the gazes of the two, which had been locked onto each other, shifted to their surroundings.
To the audience quietly observing their conversation, faces mixed with various emotions.
And when their gazes returned to the starting point.
“…….”
“…….”
What lingered in their eyes was a certain agreement.
“…Well then, it seems we need to examine the tomb.”
The Silver Knight said this and began to approach the altar placed in the center of the field.
“Indeed.”
And Bloodfire expressed her agreement, following closely behind.
““…….””
The people around them watched the scene, holding their breath.
There was no one bold enough to dare interrupt the proceedings of the two Swordmasters.
—
That was what Harfelt and Meliana intended.
As mentioned earlier, the Silver Knight and the Blood Flower were indeed each other’s greatest rivals, but this was not a competition fought one-on-one.
There were many other competitors as well.
It was clear that each of them was insignificant compared to the two, but when the numbers added up, they could not be dismissed so easily.
Unless, of course, one harbored the intent to kill them all and wipe them out completely.
No, even if one did decide to kill, facing such a force alone might prove quite troublesome.
Thus, the Silver Knight and the Blood Flower made their choice.
For now, they would avoid the fight.
And so, the Silver Knight and the Blood Flower took the lead.
After a while, they arrived at the altar, climbing the massive stairs that suited the word “gigantic,” and stood before the stone tablet.
“This is…”
“I can’t make out what it says.”
The characters inscribed on the tablet were in an ancient language, the same as that found at the entrance of the tomb.
Because of this, Harfelt and Meliana could not decipher its contents.
“I’ll read it once.”
At that moment, an elderly man with wispy white hair stepped forward from the crowd surrounding them.
“Elder…?”
“I am a member of the ‘Scholars of Alundel.’”
At the calm response of the old man, those around him murmured quietly.
“I see.”
“Then we can trust you with this.”
Harfelt and Meliana nodded.
The name ‘Scholars of Alundel’ carried enough weight to elicit such a reaction from two giants known as the Ten Blades.
The old man presented proof of his affiliation with the ‘Scholars of Alundel,’ and soon he was able to stand before the stone tablet.
The old man gazed up at the massive stone.
How much time had passed since he faced the tablet?
“…The interpretation is complete.”
At last, the old man spoke.
“What does it say?”
“What is written there?”
While the old man interpreted the inscription, Harfeldt and Meliana stood still, staring intently at him, completely captivated.
No, they were not the only ones.
The gazes of all those who had reached the end of this grave were focused on the old man.
Amidst those piercing stares, the old man’s mouth opened once more.
“What is written above first are the deeds of the hero. The feats that were only passed down as legends, along with parts that were unknown to the world. It is written in detail.”
“And?”
The deeds of the hero that were unknown to the world.
It was information that would make scholars studying the related fields gasp in disbelief, but no one present showed such a reaction.
For not a single person had gathered here out of genuine admiration for the hero.
The old man clicked his tongue inwardly at that fact but continued to speak.
The words they most desired to hear.
“Lastly, it is written that, wishing for his dear friend the hero to find peaceful rest, he placed his body and sword in this sarcophagus.”
““……!””
At the old man’s words, the gazes of everyone present, including the two, turned toward the sarcophagus with the speed of a flash.
However, before their bodies could even move, the old man’s words continued.
“And Berhavill added that he would personally cast a curse upon anyone who carelessly opens the sarcophagus.”
““…….””
At those words, everyone’s movements came to an abrupt halt.
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And for a moment, a sudden silence lingered.
“…Sir Eun, are you not curious about what lies within the sarcophagus?”
Bloodfire was the first to speak.
“…Hmm. Well, I suppose the thought of awakening the hero’s rest with my own hands weighs on my mind.”
The knight appeared truly reluctant, feigning a look of regret.
“What about you, Bloodfire? You seem to wear an expression that is quite eager to know what’s inside the sarcophagus.”
“Oh my, as someone who has admired the hero Ferdion for a long time, I find it a bit… difficult to do such a thing.”
Bloodfire also shook her head delicately, with a pitiful glance.
As if she truly felt sorrow.
Naturally, their words were not true.
They were simply hesitating.
To be the first to open the sarcophagus.
The great sorcerer, the one who had reached the pinnacle of magic, the curse of Berhavil was something that could make even those who had attained the realm of the Ten Blades hesitate.
If they were to feel this way, how could others be any different?
Just moments ago, those who had been eagerly watching for any chance to snatch up even a crumb were now not even casting a glance at the sarcophagus.
It was fear.
The curse of Berhavil.
“…What kind of curse could this possibly be… It’s completely invisible.”
Among the gathered sorcerers, the vice president of the Crystal Society, who was undoubtedly among the top tier in skill, shook his head with a look of disgust.
From the moment he heard that the curse of Berhavil was placed upon the sarcophagus… No, from the very moment he discovered this altar, he had been meticulously examining the altar and the sarcophagus, but he could uncover no information at all.
It was certain that some kind of magic was at play, but he could not discern what it was or what kind of structure it possessed.
The situation was no different for the other sorcerers.
In fact, some among them didn’t even realize that magic was involved at all.
This was evidence of the overwhelming gap that existed between them and the caster.
However, they were no longer surprised by this revelation.
To put it simply, this space itself was as unknown to them as any other realm.
What kind of method had been used to create it? What level of mastery would allow one to conjure such a space through magic?
They couldn’t even begin to guess.
Thus, the sorcerers found themselves facing a massive wall, unable to glean any significant information.
For this reason, an uncomfortable and subtle silence settled over the area.
Everyone was curious about the contents of the sarcophagus, yet no one was willing to step forward to open it.
That strange silence was broken by the voice of a man.
“Ah, what is this nonsense? Everyone out!”
The identity of the one who pushed through the crowd with a voice loud enough to echo around was none other than Kahim.
“Honestly, these cowardly fools.”
Kahim, having pushed his way to the front, looked around with a somewhat disdainful expression.
And among those present were the Silver Knight and Blood Flower.
The eyebrows of the Silver Knight and Blood Flower twitched at his gaze.
It was a look they had never received since ascending to the position of the Ten Blades… No, it was a look they could not even dare to imagine, and it momentarily unsettled them.
However, they did not move to dispel their discomfort.
They had a good idea of what Kahim might do next.
“Hmph.”
With a face full of disdain, Kahim began to walk toward the sarcophagus.
He staged a scene that reminded one of the events that had taken place before the tomb’s entrance, and finally, Kahim reached the front of the sarcophagus.
At last, with a completely natural gesture, Kahim grasped the lid of the sarcophagus.
Then, with a motion that even felt exhilarating, he lifted the lid of the sarcophagus effortlessly.
What was revealed was…
A form covered with a cloth, unmistakably human at first glance, and beside it lay a solitary sword.