Golden Cross - Chapter 14

.  Bertha, the Sword Spirit 2

Kwaang!

There was a loud explosion sound

‘Is he done?’

However, that was a naïve expectation.  The power of the golem which has inherited the skills of the great knight was beyond his imagination.

Maintaining his crown posture, golem perfectly blocked the attack.  Eugene has finally realized that his adversary was a maestro level, but it was too late to turn back the situation.

Paat!

With a brief sound of the footsteps, golem’s sword accurately pierced through Eugene’s heart.

“Krrruahk!”

Eugene fell right away, and the battle ended with that.

His vision blurred.  Flapping her wings, Bertha, the sword spirit, flew to Eugene.

“You fought rather well, but still not good enough, yet.”

Unexpectedly, Bertha stroked Eugene’s cheek with her small hand, and consoled him.

“You might have guessed, but that golem has the power of the maestro knight.  Don’t be too discouraged or feel bad.”

Instead of responding, Eugene vomited a chunk of blood.  He had a tough time to even speak as a sword just pierced through his heart.  Seeing that, Bertha had an apologetic look on her face.

“Don’t worry.  Your true physical body has not even had a single scratch.  Here, do return to your world.”

And there was a flash of light, and Eugene came back to the inside of the cave.

“Uh?”

He was confused, and he stood, holding on to the old sword in the boulder, for a while.  As he kept standing still, Ava looked concerned.

“Eugene, are you all right?”

As he just came back from the mysterious distant dimension where the sword spirit lived, Eugene was confused about the time and the concept of dimensions.  However, he gradually recovered his senses.  As he wobbled, Ava rushed over and hugged him tightly.  He was, finally, able to come to his senses with the spring, fresh perfume like aroma of Ava.  And the pleasing sense of his fingers touching her brown hair, the likes of the frills on her blouse helped Eugene adapt to the reality, once again.

“Eugene.  I think we should get back quickly.”

Eugene nodded, seeing the concerned look on Ava.  He had a need to rest.

That evening, Eugene slept in his bed as if he had lost his consciousness.  Although it was just his spirit that went to another dimension, it was no less exhausting.  The experience of having traveled between the dimensions caused overwhelming exhaustion on his body and mind, and as a result, Eugene had to keep sleeping.  When he woke up the following evening, he found Ava, sitting, next to him.

“Sorry Ave.  For not keeping our promise?”

It was his apology for unable to honor Ava’s invitation.

“Gosh.  That’s not the urgent issue, right now?  At any rate, how are you feeling?  Just exactly what happened after you grabbed the sword?”

After deliberating how to go about explaining the event which had taken place, he ambiguously side stepped it.

“I must have not been in a good condition.  I felt sudden chill and everything.  Should feel better after some rest.”

Even though Ava wasn’t convinced with that reply, she did not inquire further.  On the next day, Eugene was fully back to himself.  Ava who kept by his side all night went out to take care of a business of the region.  It seemed that so much work has been piled up as she has spent much time, spending leisure time with Eugene.  On top of that, the bothersome Maximillian, the duke of the empire, seemed to have sent another letter.  Hence, Ava did not come back even at lunch time, so Eugene had some spare time.  The thought about the sword in the cave kept him busy as he wasn’t doing anything.

As he was defeated big time, he didn’t particularly want to go back, yet it kept bothering him.

“Bring my horse.”

Finally, unable to suppress his thought, he asked the horse caretaker to bring his horse.

“Lord.  What should I tell the duchess?”

“Tell her that I took a little walk.  I’ll be back in a timely manner.”

“Yes.  My lord.”

“Giddiyup!”

From Ava’s castle Rothstein, Eugene rode his horse fast.  He looked as if he was a man, heading for his hometown.

‘Bertha.  I’m not a man who gives up that easily.’

“Aren’t you getting tired of it?”

Eugene did not even have a time to respond back to Bertha who said that even she was getting exhausted of it.

“Uuhk!”

It was because the maestro golem just attacked him at his side in a chaotic manner.

“Uhk!”

He was bleeding even after he quickly executed ‘crouching tiger’ and distanced himself.  As the cool blade of the sword sliced through his side, Eugene felt his energy expeditiously drain out of him.

‘This is the first time I’m facing such a strong opponent.’

Eugene felt he has run into the first big hurdle in his life.  He was here every day, challenging golem these days, he was losing each and every time.  It did not matter what skill he used.  The only result was defeat.

“Give up now.”

Feeling bad and exhausted, Bertha insisted again as Eugene fell, once more.  This did not cause any injuries to his physical body, but continuing to damage his spirit like this, nothing good would come out of it.  With due time, there was a high probability of developing side effects, Bertha wanted to put a stop to it for this young man, before her.  However, he was as stubborn and tough as a nail that he wouldn’t quit, no matter what.

“Why do you keep doing this?”

“Because this is my everything.”

The sword spirit asked nonchalantly, but she was surprised at Eugene’s reply.  It was the same answer that she had been hearing from her former master.  Bertha fell into a moment of reminiscing.

“There was another foolish human, saying the same thing….”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Never mind.  I was just talking to myself.”

Bertha fell into a deep concern, looking at Eugene.  Persistently trying character did not particularly looked bad.  On top of that, she was beginning to have the desire to leave this quiet dimension as well.  However, the limitation to qualification was not a vain issue.

‘What to do.’

Her pet Plush came over to her and bit her as Bertha was thinking.

“Ouch?  Plush, what are you doing?”

However, as if a mommy dog was carrying her puppy in her mouth, Plush ran towards somewhere with Bertha in her mouth.  Half of it was a dragon, but it behaved just like a dog.

“Plush!”

She protested at the top of her lungs, but Plush did not budge, at all.  Only that he brought Bertha into a small house, and placed her down at in front of some old box.

“Do what you want!”

Bertha was angry for a while, but soon she understood that Plush brought her here because of the box.

“Wait.  This box is…..”

In the box, there was one of the relics of her former master Sophia.  Sophia was a famous swordswoman, and she had left many powerful magical items.  What was inside the box was the most powerful one of them all.  Bertha nervously moved to touch the box.

‘Come to think of it, I have not opened this since the mater had passed.’

The death of her first master Sophie caused Bertha so much grief.  She was over 300 years old, but considering that she was a spirit, she was still a young girl.  Therefore, the pain from her separation from her first master was substantial that she did not look at the relics on purpose.  However, even in the midst of sad sense of missing her first master, she was growing the urge to open the box.  Exactly why she was feeling that wasn’t clear, but she was thinking that this box will somehow resolve her concerns.

“All, all right.”

Having decided, she cautiously opened the box.  The hinges were rusty, and it didn’t open easily, but soon the content was exposed.

“Wow.”

Bertha exclaimed unconsciously.  What was inside has remained in the condition just as her memory recalled it to be.

“Even the color did not fade.”

It was a small pink jewel, a size of a small ball.  Emitting brilliant light, the item did not look like an ordinary thing.  It was small size jewel for a human, but it was big enough for Bertha to be holding it with both hands.  She looked concerned while she sat next to the jewel.

‘Well, he may not be ready now, but won’t it be OK if I was to help him a bit to get him prepared?  If he can’t make it despite that, then so be it.’

As she deliberated, Plush kept barking from next to her.  Ultimately, Bertha held the jewel, and got on top of Plush.

“OK, let’s give it a try.”

When Bertha came to Eugene, he was already engaged in a battle.  Eugene was showing off his amazing sword skill, but it was no match for the golem.  Even when his tornado sword engulfed golem, it was no use, and he ended up kneeling down after golem’s counterattack.

“Aha.  Aha.”

Eugene breathed heavily with the sense of despair and uselessness.  All he could see was the whiteness of this foreign dimension.  Then a yellow color appeared from out of nowhere.  It was Bertha who had clear golden hair.

“Hey.”

“Don’t even say it if you are going to tell me to give up.”

Bertha seemed bothered as Eugene cut her off.  However, such feeling has quickly dissipated into her nonchalant expression.  It was because the spirit was lacking any kind of original expression.

“I, now, know that you will not give up too easily.”

“Then what?”

“…..”

Bertha was quiet for a while.  Then she put out the pink jewel.

“Here, let me give this to you.

“What is this?  I’m a man, and man does not need jewels.”

“I’m not giving it to you to make some kind of a ring, or something.”

Eugene was about to refuse to accept the jewel when he felt some kind of power as he looked at it one more time.  He didn’t know about magic, but he was able to extract magic by citing poetry.  It was probably natural for him to feel something from the jewel.

“This is no ordinary jewel, right?”

“Yup, this is Ordianthe’s Blessing.  You can’t buy it for a million gold coins.”

This was different than ordinary magic items.  It contained very rare and precious materials such that it could not be manufactured, just because one wanted to manufacture it.  This jewel contained partial essence of the powerful succubus Ordinanthe.  About 200 years ago, when the succubus queen was murdered, her power had broken up into parts, and dispersed throughout the universe.  After that she was able to reborn with the help of the sword king Fiore, but she was unable to re-gather all of her power.  The ‘Ordinanthe’s Blessing’ was the missing part of her power, the parts which she could not re-gather.

“This is an item which belonged to my former master Sophia.  Very powerful force is inside of it.”

Eugene began to feel something which was inside the jewel.  His face turned red with excitement.

“What kind of power is stored in here?”

“Super ability to feel danger, and protection from physical forces.  These two.  Don’t think it’s just two.  The fact that you can simply harness such capabilities is an awesome thing.”

Bertha said it nonchalantly, but, in fact, it implied incredible power which words could not describe.  The super ability to feel danger forewarns of ambushers, and allows one the reflexive capability, beyond human beings could have.  And the protection from ordinary physical force implies that one will not be harmed, unless the force was from either magic or magical weapons.  Certainly even fire daggers, cannons and ballista, projectile machines, and the likes could not harm one’s body.  It was certainly an item which will excite any swordsman, belonging to a swordsmanship guild.

“Is that really possible?”

“Yup.”

Bertha responded with such an ease, even when Eugene was anxious and shaking.

“Why are you giving this to me?”

“I’m not giving it to you permanently, yet.  Looking at you reminded me of someone, that’s all.  And if you were to fail, even after ascertaining this type of magical item, I figure you will quit then.”

Bertha did not say ‘because you may actually be able to take me to the outside world with you’.  She has finally realized why she was going to such an extent in helping Eugene.

‘Right, the time has come for me to go out from this world.’

Having thought that she had sufficiently cherished and grieved over the deceased one, Bertha became honest with herself.

“Eugene.”

“Yes.  Speak.”

“It will be difficult to defeat that golem, even with this Ordinanthe’s Blessing.”

Eugene couldn’t hide his disappointment when he heard her certainty filled words.  It was just that a hope sprung up with the powerful magical item.

“However, if you want to, I can teach you swordsmanship.  Then I can make you defeat that golem in a few years.”

Eugene was dumbfounded when he heard that she proposed to teach him.

“You are going to teach me?”

He could not believe, at all, because a girl, who fit on the palm of his hand, told him that she will teach him.

“Eugene, you forget one’s introductory profile, very quickly.  I’m a sword spirit.  I know about swords better than anyone in this world.  The sword spirits were the most outstanding swordsmen than all the crowds in the world.

Having declared that, Bertha incited a spell as if she had decided on something.

“Hey, what are you trying to do?”

When Eugene appeared to be worried, there was a sudden flash of light.  Then it was followed by an aroma that he has never smelled.  It was sweet and chilly, yet felt cool.

‘What is this.’

And when Eugene lowered his hands which were covering his eyes, a being which he was seeing for the first time was watching him.  It was a beautiful girl with about 160 centimeters tall.  Her skin tone was pleasant, and slightly pink, and her hair shined brightly like gold.  Her light blue eyes seemed to project determination, and narrow eye brows were long and formed graceful lines.

The girl was wearing a well made, gothic type armor suit, and was holding a sword as tall as she was.  The sword looked like a traditional long sword, only that it was unusually long.  However, the most unique thing about her was that there were wings, made of sword blades, on her back.

“Gosh.”

Eugene was astonished, but he knew immediately who that person was.  The clothing and wings have been changed, but her cute face was quite apparent.  He did not realize it, but now that she has grown into a normal size, her beauty was blindingly astonishing.

“Bertha?”

She proclaimed with serious decorum when Eugene spoke in astonishment.

“Eugene Lamert.  Draw your sword.  I’ll teach you from this moment on.”