Chapter 49 The Goddesss Mission （2）
The moment those words left my mouth-
The entire dimension trembled.
RUMBLE... RUMBLE...
The beautiful white floor beneath my feet began to crack.
The peaceful blue sky above us slowly changed.
The clouds disappeared.
The light faded.
And darkness began spreading across the heavens like ink staining water.
I looked toward the Goddess.
Her hand was tightly gripping the armrest of her throne.
Her head was lowered.
Her entire body was trembling.
Then she slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were filled with fury.
"What..."
Her voice was quiet.
Far too quiet.
"What the hell did you just say?"
I remained silent.
The Goddess suddenly stood from her throne.
"You intend to destroy the only thing capable of defeating the Demon Lord?!"
Her voice echoed throughout the entire dimension.
"The one thing that can save this world?!"
The darkness above us grew deeper.
Lightning silently flashed across the blackened sky.
"You would destroy the Holy Sword..."
She clenched her fists.
"...the very weapon that countless lives were sacrificed to create?"
I didn't answer.
The Goddess stepped down from her throne.
"Have you no shame, mortal?!"
Her voice shook with anger.
"How do you expect your friends to save this world if you destroy the only weapon capable of stopping the Demon Lord?!"
I looked directly at her.
"Then we'll make a new one."
The Goddess froze.
"...What did you say?"
"We'll make another Holy Sword."
My voice remained calm.
"You said it yourself."
I slowly clenched my fist.
"The shape of the sword and its holy power are both required to release the Demon Lord."
I stared directly into her eyes.
"So if we change one of those things..."
I paused.
"...the seal won't recognize it."
The Goddess's expression slowly changed.
"You..."
She stared at me in disbelief.
"So you intend to destroy the first Holy Sword..."
Her voice trembled.
"...and forge another one with a different shape?"
"Yes."
The Goddess suddenly laughed.
Not because she found it funny.
It was the kind of laugh that came from someone who couldn't believe what they were hearing.
"You..."
She covered her face with one hand.
"You really think it's that simple?"
Her hand slowly dropped.
Her eyes were filled with something deeper than anger.
Pain.
"Do you have any idea what it took to create that sword?"
I remained silent.
"Thousands of people died gathering the materials."
Her voice began to tremble.
"Entire armies were sent into places where no creature was meant to survive."
"Monsters were slaughtered."
"Ancient creatures were hunted."
"People gave their lives searching for materials that existed only in the most dangerous corners of this world."
Her fists tightened.
"And that was only the beginning."
The darkness above us became almost completely black.
"The forging itself..."
She swallowed hard.
"Do you know how many people died just to make sure that sword could exist?"
Her voice cracked.
"How many lives were sacrificed so that humanity would have even the smallest chance against the Demon Lord?"
A tear slowly formed in the corner of her eye.
She tried to wipe it away.
But another followed.
"They weren't heroes."
Her voice became quieter.
"They weren't powerful warriors."
"They were ordinary people."
Her gaze lowered.
"Parents."
"Children."
"Brothers."
"Sisters."
"Friends."
"People who had families waiting for them to come home."
Her voice trembled harder.
"But they never came back."
I remained silent.
"They gave everything..."
She clenched her trembling hand against her chest.
"Their lives."
"Their blood."
"Their bodies."
"Their futures."
"Everything..."
Her tears began falling freely now.
"...so that one day, someone would be able to wield that sword."
She looked at me.
Her face was no longer filled with anger.
It was filled with sorrow.
"You have no idea..."
Her voice barely escaped her lips.
"...how much suffering went into creating that weapon."
She slowly shook her head.
"And now you stand before me..."
Her eyes filled with tears.
"...and tell me you're going to destroy it."
The Goddess's voice broke.
"If you destroy that sword..."
She looked down as another tear fell onto the white floor.
"...then what was the point?"
Silence filled the dimension.
"Every death..."
She whispered.
"Every sacrifice..."
"Every person who gave everything they had..."
Her voice trembled.
"It will all be for nothing."
She slowly raised her tear-filled eyes toward me.
"Do you understand that, Raito?"
"You aren't just destroying a sword."
She paused.
"You're destroying the meaning behind every life that was sacrificed to create it."
I stayed silent for a moment.
"I know what you mean, Goddess."
I slowly clenched my fist.
"But destroying the Holy Sword is the only way I can think of to prevent the Demon Lord from ever returning."
The Goddess stared at me in silence.
"I know what I'm suggesting is wrong."
My voice became quieter.
"I know that the people who sacrificed their lives to create that sword... that everything they gave up would mean nothing if I destroy it."
I lowered my gaze.
"But..."
My expression hardened.
"If we allow that sword to continue existing, there's always a chance that the Demon Lord's army could get their hands on it."
I looked directly at her.
"And if that happens..."
I paused.
"More people will die."
The Goddess's expression darkened.
"So..."
Her voice trembled with anger.
"What you're saying is that your friends aren't strong enough to protect it?"
I remained silent for a moment.
Then I answered honestly.
"I know they're not strong enough."
The Goddess's eyes widened.
"Then..."
She slowly stood from her throne.
"You will wield the Holy Sword."
I looked at her in surprise.
"Me?"
"Yes."
She stepped forward.
"You just admitted that your friends aren't strong enough to wield it."
Her voice grew heavier.
"Then you will wield it."
I lowered my head.
"I'm sorry..."
I tightened my fist.
"But I'm not the right person to wield the Holy Sword, Goddess."
Her expression immediately twisted with anger.
"If you won't wield the sword..."
Her voice shook the entire dimension.
"Then what do you intend to do?"
She stepped toward me as tears continued to stream down her face.
"Destroy it?"
Her voice cracked.
"And force this world to suffer through the creation of another one?"
She wiped the tears from her cheek, but more immediately replaced them.
"Do you understand what you're saying?"
Her breathing became unsteady.
"You would destroy the only weapon capable of stopping the Demon Lord..."
She stared at me through tear-filled eyes.
"...and then demand that countless lives be sacrificed all over again to create another?"
I remained silent.
"I won't allow it."
Her voice trembled.
"I won't let more lives be thrown away..."
Another tear fell from her face.
"...just like they were before."
She clenched her fists.
"Not again."
The words echoed through the darkened dimension.
"I won't watch another generation pay the price for our mistakes."
Her eyes remained fixed on me.
"If you refuse to wield the Holy Sword..."
Her voice became filled with grief.
"Then what choice are you leaving me?"
She slowly lowered her head.
"I won't allow another massacre..."
A tear fell onto the white floor beneath her.
"...just so you can destroy the sword and force the world to repeat the same suffering that created it."
The dimension fell into complete darkness.
For the first time...
The Goddess wasn't speaking as a deity.
She was speaking as someone who had already watched countless lives disappear.
"I'm not asking for anyone to sacrifice themselves to gather the materials."
The Goddess slowly raised her tear-filled eyes toward me.
I placed my right hand against my chest.
"Because I'm the one who's going to gather them."
She froze.
For several seconds, she didn't say a word.
I continued.
"I may not be the right person to wield the Holy Sword..."
I looked directly into her eyes.
"But I am strong enough to gather the materials myself."
My voice remained calm and confident.
"You don't have to send anyone else."
"You don't have to sacrifice another life."
"You can focus on helping the other Heroes become stronger..."
I tightened my fist.
"...and leave the rest to me."
The Goddess remained silent.
She stared at me as if she were trying to understand what I was thinking.
I took a step forward.
"And I'm not planning to simply destroy the Holy Sword."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"I'm going to use what's left of it."
I paused.
"If the sword has to be destroyed..."
My expression became determined.
"Then I'll turn its broken pieces into something else."
I looked directly at her.
"Different Holy Weapons."
"Weapons that the other Heroes can wield not just one."
The Goddess's eyes widened.
"I'll make sure its power doesn't disappear."
I looked back at her.
"The sacrifices that created the original sword won't be meaningless."
"They'll become the foundation for something new."
I clenched my fist tightly.
"So don't ask anyone else to sacrifice themselves."
"I'll gather everything myself."
I stared at the Goddess with unwavering confidence.
"That's my decision."
"So please, Goddess Elrya..."
I looked directly into her eyes.
"You can trust me on this."
Goddess Elrya remained silent for a moment.
She slowly closed her eyes and took a deep breath, calming herself.
"Are you certain this will work?"
I smiled confidently.
"I swear on my life."
She opened her eyes and looked at me.
After a long silence, she finally nodded.
"Alright."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"Then I will put my hopes in you..."
She paused.
"...and in your plan."
I slowly lowered myself onto one knee and bowed my head.
"Thank you."
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then Goddess Elrya smiled softly.
A warm, blinding light suddenly began to surround me.
My vision slowly faded as the light grew brighter.
Just before everything disappeared...
I heard her voice one last time.
"Please, Raito..."
Her voice was quiet, almost pleading.
"Do not fail me."
Then-
I opened my eyes.
I was back in my room.
I was lying on my bed, staring silently at the massive hole above me where my roof used to be.
Through the empty space, the clear blue sky stretched endlessly above me.
I remained there for a moment, saying nothing.
Then I slowly smiled.
"...I won't."
Seconds later, I made my way down the stairs of the inn.
When I reached the front desk, I saw Dennis standing there, staring at the massive hole in the wall.
I walked over to him.
"Good morning."
Dennis looked over at me.
"Oh, Raito. Good morning."
He smiled slightly.
"Do you want something to eat?"
I shook my head and waved my hand.
"No, I'm good."
I paused for a moment.
"Actually, I'm here to tell you that I'm leaving Dilenia."
Dennis raised an eyebrow.
"You're leaving too, huh?"
I looked at him in confusion.
"Is something wrong?"
"Not particularly."
Dennis sighed.
"You see, a lot of adventurers have been leaving early since yesterday's attack."
He glanced toward the damaged inn.
"They're saying that they won't be staying any longer since the festival won't continue because of what happened. Some of the adventurers who were injured decided to stay for a while to recover before leaving."
"I see."
I nodded.
"I guess I can understand that."
Dennis reached beneath the desk and pulled out a small pouch.
"Anyway, here."
He placed it on the counter.
"It's half of the money you paid for your stay. Since you're leaving early, I figured you'd want some of it back."
I looked at the pouch before shaking my head.
"It's fine. You can keep it."
Dennis looked at me in surprise.
"Are you sure?"
He scratched his head.
"Some of the other adventurers have been asking for refunds since they didn't get to stay as long as they planned."
"I'm sure."
I smiled slightly.
"Besides..."
I looked toward the massive hole in the wall.
"You're gonna need a lot more money to fix that thing."
Dennis stared at the hole before letting out a small laugh.
"Yeah..."
He shook his head.
"You're probably right."
He looked back at me with a smile.
"Alright then. Thanks, kid."
He placed the pouch back beneath the desk.
"Just remember, if you ever visit Dilenia again, you're always welcome to stay here."
I smiled.
"Thanks, Dennis."
I turned toward the entrance, ready to leave the inn.
For some reason, I found myself glancing back at The Sleeping Owl one last time.
After everything that had happened...
It was strange to think that I had only stayed here for such a short time.
I quietly smiled before walking toward the door.