With a wave of his hand, the Lionheart Sword fell from the sky and landed in his hand. He raised the sword and looked at it carefully. The afternoon sun passed through the gaps between the blinds, forming a narrow strip of light that fell on the blade.
The bright blade shone with a dazzling luster.
After looking at it for a while, Sader said, "This sword was the sword of the Lionheart King Erik when he was alive. Legend has it that this sword symbolizes ideals, and it will choose those who have the same noble beliefs as its master. But few people know that this sword was forged from the fragments of the Holy Sword Oderfeiss. The soul of the Holy Sword lies in the sword. Its first master was the chief of the Knight of Flame, and the ancestor of the late King Erik."
"About seven centuries ago, this sword was lost in the hands of the Cruz people and came to this barren land in the south. But it wasn't as described in history, where the late King Erik stole this sword from the Cruz people. It was more like a will left behind by the Flame King before he died. The establishment of Erouine and the interference of the Wind Elves were all for the purpose of covering up a bigger secret."
As he spoke, he turned the blade and placed the Lionheart Sword back on the table. "And this sword is the key to that secret."
After he finished speaking, Sader raised his head and looked at Amandina. His gaze was like a sword, but Amandina only frowned slightly. Her face did not change at all.
In her heart, there was a different scene.
She could still vaguely remember the scene of that summer night. The light of the Witch Queen shone brightly and covered the sky above the south.
A bright belt of light stretched across the center of the night. Stars weaved together, and billions of stars fell from the sky, as if they shone into the deepest part of her memory. It was her own courtyard, and the sparkling Braggs River in the distance.
"Father, is that sword really that powerful?"
"Of course," Viscount Nesson smiled and patted his daughter's head. "So Annie, you have to grow up quickly."
"Why?"
Viscount Nesson smiled and did not speak.
He patted his daughter's head again, and the latter angrily pushed away her father's hand.
"Annie." Viscount Nesson remembered something.
"Hmm?"
"Do you remember what I told you yesterday?"
"Yes, I remember. Grandfather said that we are the descendants of Elkan III, the heirs of the House of Seifer. My real name is Moria Etalina de Seifer."
Viscount Nesson smiled and patted her shoulder, "You must remember that although you may never use this name in your life, the blood of the late King Erik that flows in our veins determines the responsibility we bear for this kingdom."
"Responsibility?"
"That is, one day, when Aouine needs us to stand up for her, I hope that you will be brave."
"I will be brave." The little girl's eyes twinkled. "Daddy."
"Okay." Viscount Nessong laughed. "Let's go. Mother is calling us … Oh right, when we have time, I will bring you to the villa in the suburbs to play."
"Really?"
"Of course, I'll keep my word!"
But I didn't keep my word …
Amandina bit her lip. In her memory, not long after that, her family sold off their property. Life seemed to have become poor all of a sudden, and that promise could no longer be fulfilled.
She waited for a very long time. Her father disappeared, and her mother washed her face with tears. She became thinner day by day, and it was not until many years later that another man helped her fulfill her wish.
But the courtyard in her childhood memories no longer existed.
Sorcerer Sadr looked suspiciously at the complicated expression on the girl's face and asked, "What are you thinking about?"
Amandina's dark eyes became clear again, and gradually became firm.
She recovered from her memories and slowly shook her head. "It's nothing, just some memories about this sword, Sir."
"What is it?"
"My lord, you should understand the significance of this sword to the descendants of House Seifer."
Sadr understood and nodded. "It's fine. We can give this sword to you, little girl."
Amandina did not reply. She knew that these two would not be so kind. As expected, she heard Sadr continue. "… But, we must obtain the secret behind this sword. It has nothing to do with House Seifer. This sword is actually a key. Only a true descendant of the Erouine Royal Family can hold it and open that door."
He paused and continued. "As a direct descendant of King Erik, I think you will not disappoint us, right?"
Amandina was silent for a moment.
Either join.
Or die.
This was indeed a simple choice.
For a long time, she did not say a word. She only silently looked at the sword.
Sadr was not in a hurry. He waited for her answer without saying a word, as if he already had a card up his sleeve.
After a moment, Amandina finally raised her head and answered word by word. "I understand. As a direct descendant of King Erik, I will not disappoint you."
The girl said this with great seriousness.
Unfortunately, Sadr and Makarov did not understand.
The former's fingers caressed the smooth blade of the Lionheart Sacred Sword. Then, he raised the sword and handed it over to her.
But Amandina did not reach out to take it.
"This is your only chance, little girl," Sadr threatened with a gloomy expression. "Take this sword, or you will leave this place."
Amandina looked at him.
"Yes," she said, "but I have a request."
This request made Sadr pause for a moment.
But after a moment of hesitation, he nodded. Since this human girl had chosen to submit, he did not want to complicate matters at this time.
"I want to know about you." Amandina asked.
Sadr frowned. "Don't you think you're asking for too much, little girl?"
"I think this is a reasonable request, my lord," Amandina replied calmly. "I have already proven my worth, but I know nothing about you."
"That's true."
Sorcerer Sadr nodded. He liked dealing with smart people, especially sensible people.
He felt that he was beginning to admire this little girl.
"Alright, this can be considered an exception. What do you want to know?" He replied.
"About the Twilight Dragon."
Sadr sucked in a breath of cold air.
Amandina was unmoved and continued. "The plan in Erouine is not just a game for the Sathardians, right? I don't want to be treated as the lowest chess piece."
Sorcerer Sadr gave the little girl a deep look. This question did not cross his bottom line, but it was beyond his expectations. He did not know what Amandina was thinking, but he thought that she had foresight.
He subconsciously looked at Makarov, and his heart was filled with disappointment.
How could there be such a huge gap between people?
It was not that Makarov was not cunning enough, but the level of thinking had determined many things.
"Interesting," Wizard Sadr muttered. But there was nothing to hide. The Sathardians had done such a big thing, and there was no way to hide it. He paced back and forth on the spot before speaking.
"Actually, the contact between the Sathardians and the Twilight Dragon is much closer than you think."
"About forty-five years ago, a black dragon called Gwendolyn came to us. She first stayed in Oleg for three days, then went to Augusta. Heryanov and I met the black dragon there. Not long after that, the Sathardians had a new goal, and parted ways with their former comrades. "
"The Dragon Queen?" Amandina asked.
Sorcerer Sadr nodded slowly.
A trace of doubt flashed through the girl's heart: "In just three days, you betrayed the entire Silver City because of the dragon's words. I'm not stupid, Lord Sadr."
"You overestimate it," Sadr sneered: "Even without this fuse, the split was only a long-term inevitable result. The origin of the name Sathardian was originally a noble, a ruler, and a keeper of mysteries and knowledge. We were never on the same side as the inferior wizards of the Silver Society."
"There were nobles among the Bugas?"
"There were indeed such nobles before the era of the Azure Knight." Sadr's tone was a little nostalgic.
Amandina tilted her head: "But the Twilight Dragon's goal is to destroy our world. You should know that. What can you gain by cooperating with it?"
"That's the story the Holy Cathedral told you, little girl." Sorcerer Sadr smiled contemptuously. "They're always so alarmist, hoping to scare the world into blindly following their rule."
He put down the Lionheart Sword and gestured a rune with his hand: "The end of the Twilight Dragon is not so much destruction, but rather turning the world back to its original state. On the other hand, Martha's creation is also a twilight for the people of Chaos."
"Unfortunately, we are not the people of Chaos," Amandina said sarcastically: "We can't think with their eyes."
"You can say that." Sadr spread his hands, not caring about the girl's tone: "But no matter what, destruction is a serious word, so please don't use it lightly. If we can't surpass the dimension of our existence, we can't destroy the universe of this dimension. The Twilight Dragon can't do that."
"In fact, we prefer to use 'tearing down an old house' as an analogy for what is happening." He made an analogy: "The only thing that will be destroyed in this war is the Tiamat Code created by the Divine People."
"Tearing down an old house …" A hint of anger flashed in Amandina's eyes: "But what difference does it make? Without this world that Marsha cares for, when the physical world disintegrates, all existences will lose their support. How can you all be lucky enough to be spared? If everything is lost in the end, what's the point of gaining so much now? "
"This is the root of the contradiction." Sadr's tone was unusually calm: "What you said applies to most people. But there is another possibility. The Chaos is not really nothingness. As long as we can transcend the existing life forms, we can obtain immortality in another sense. "
"In other words, become a part of the Twilight Dragon?"
"Aren't the demons a part of the Twilight Dragon?"
Amandina felt a wave of disgust at this logic, but she did not dare to refute and could only keep her mouth shut.
Sadr looked at her expression and guessed what she was thinking. He could not help but snort coldly: "You still don't seem to understand, do you? This is actually a mortal's perspective. You look at this problem from the perspective of the weak, and naturally empathize with the weak. But what do those people have to do with you? "
He taught Amandina: "Your way of thinking is not a wise way of thinking. This is a world of survival of the fittest. We can survive, but some people must be eliminated. But this is not because of us, it is because they are too weak. We can choose to save them, or we can choose not to save them, but this is not a moral necessity for us. We have no necessary responsibility for these people."
Amandina was silent for a moment.
"But the Bugas are also a member of this world." She tried to control her tone, but there was still a faint trace of anger: "You seize power from this world, and part of this power itself belongs to others. So you are strong, and some people will be weak because of you. Our ancestors have agreed to protect this world together, but now you are on the side of the Twilight Dragon. How is this not a responsibility? "
"Protect together?" Sorcerer Sadr smiled mockingly and interrupted her. "I have to point out that the last internal conflict in the mortal world ended seventy days ago. Even if we didn't intervene, when have you ever truly taken responsibility for this world — in the past thousand years?"
"That's because the mortals don't know anything about it." Amandina pursed her lips and suppressed her somewhat impulsive tone with difficulty: "If it weren't for the Magic Tide, we wouldn't even know that the Twilight Dragon was about to awaken. And the Bugas have sealed everything about the past so tightly. Shouldn't they be responsible for this?"
Sorcerer Sadr laughed coldly, "You mean to say that we have an undeniable responsibility for your tragic situation?"
We have never asked for anything from you, but at least it's not a knife in the back!
Amandina was furious as well.
The Bugas had once overthrown the Miirnas with the mortals, but the Silver Folk had also taken away most of the heritage from the era of the gods and claimed to be the heirs of this heritage. They sealed the knowledge and secrets of the past in their ivory towers and used this knowledge and secrets to build today's kingdom above the clouds.
The mortals, on the other hand, were like inferior people who were born to roll in the mud. When the Silver Folk reestablished their glorious kingdom in just a hundred years, the mortals were still struggling on the continent, trying to establish their own kingdom.
So the Cruz, Fanzin, and Saint-ausol that the world knew today were not the Cruz of the Miirnas, nor were they the Fanzin of the Miirnas, or the Saint-ausol of the Miirnas.
They were the faint light of civilization that the mortals had accumulated over a thousand years like dripping water penetrating a stone.
But although the hope was slim, it still persisted tenaciously.
The reason why Tuman could be respected by the Four Holy Cathedrals as their teacher was not only because he had taught the Saints. It was also because he had given the Iron Folk of the era after the Miirnas the most precious wealth — knowledge.
It was a precious treasure that even the Bugas, the allies of the mortals, cherished and carefully protected …
These were the Iron Folk.
They were the mortals.
They inherited the name of Black Iron. This cheap, lowly, flawed, and unaesthetic metal seemed to be born at the bottom, the most inconspicuous existence, but it had only one advantage —
Gold was too precious.
Silver was too weak.
Only Black Iron was resilient.
It was so ubiquitous that there was no need to be careful; it was so lowly and unaesthetic that it was not tainted with those arrogant qualities; and its simplicity and unpretentiousness would eventually be cast into a silent note that would completely end this era.
It was a weak power of billions, but more dazzling than any name written in the epics.
At that moment, Amandina finally understood Brando's choice.
She also understood her own choice.
She shook her head slightly.
"I understand."
Sorcerer Sadr stopped.
Amandina raised her head and looked at him: "Sathard has made the right choice, let us fulfill the rest of the agreement."
Makarov looked at the girl strangely from the side, feeling a little uneasy.
But he did not dare to speak when he saw Sadr's expression.
This was a cunning fox of the kingdom.
The other person was a rising star of Tónigel.
These two could be said to be the two most intelligent people in Erouine in this era.
But a person could only lock his own thoughts with heavy shackles.
The other person ignited all the flames of his wisdom, causing everything to burn fiercely, turning into a flame that engulfed everything.
At this moment, courage could be the entirety of wisdom.
But wisdom was only the tip of the iceberg.
Sorcerer Sadr nodded, "Very well, let's return to the main topic, we have wasted too much time."
He picked up the Lionheart again, but before he passed it to Amandina, the leader of the Sadrs looked at her solemnly, "The people of the Ninephoenix always say unpleasant things first, and I am the same, little girl. Smart people should know how to avoid harm, and you should understand what it means to be deceived."
"I understand."
"That's good," Sorcerer Sadr said coldly. "But I still have to remind you. Do you see the sword in my hand? It's the symbol of this kingdom, and just like it, you have to understand that I'm not only holding your life in my hands, but also the future of this kingdom. I don't think you want to see too many people die for you, do you?"
Amandina's face was a little pale.
But she still nodded.
Sadr nodded as well, and only then did he reverse the blade and push it forward. The Lionheart swayed as it flew towards Amandina. Then, he pointed to the sword floating in the air and said to her, "That's right.
"Now, pick it up."
[Now, pick it up.]
It was a simple choice.
But Amandina stood there for a long time, staring at the sword.
It was like a distant dream. The sword was vaguely different from her father's description in her memory, but only the emblem on the sword still described its past, as if time had left a mark on it.
Very few people knew the secret of the sword.
But the descendants of the late King Erik were an exception. That voice echoed in her mind.
"Annie, when Erouine needs us to stand up for him, I hope you will be brave."
"I will, father."
Amandina took a deep breath and lifted her head to look at Sorcerer Sadr.
Her eyes flashed with the brightest light.
"Wait, stop."
When he saw the pair of firm and determined eyes, he finally realized that something was wrong. Even under Sadr's gaze, he could not help but shout.
But it was too late.
Amandina's hand lightly grasped the hilt of the sword.
"Farewell, Brando."
… …
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