Chapter 117
“The Greatest Weapon”
‘But that person… was Roitz.’
Roitz might be the most extraordinary person in this world.
He was always calm and composed in front of everything. Even in situations that left me tense and afraid, to Roitz, it might have been nothing at all.
But I wasn’t like him.
This situation terrified me.
To feel fear before a monster already meant I had put myself beneath it.
Biting my lip, I kept my eyes fixed on Roitz.
Just when he looked like he was about to pull his hand away from mine, he instead guided my hand to his wrist.
At first, I didn’t understand.
But soon, I felt it — the pulse beneath my palm.
His heartbeat. Fast and strong.
From the man who always looked so peaceful, almost indifferent…
Roitz gave a faint, tense smile.
“It’s fine. With your sword, you can protect anything. And—”
He held my gaze firmly.
“You already know that, Serdin.”
Roitz squeezed my shoulder once, hard, then turned away.
And suddenly, this forest looked a little different.
No one here was without fear.
Every knight had different strengths — some with sharper skill, some with stronger techniques.
But all of them swung their swords. Even knowing their blades might not cut through.
‘They swing because they know what must be done, no matter what.’
And from those swings, battles were unfolding everywhere.
Senior Terian had no aura, yet no one fought harder.
The Lobel knights set traps, blocking monsters from reaching the village, while Deneb and others cut down those that slipped through.
I stood again.
With a thunderous boom, the second Hirs appeared. Its massive claws tore through the Lobel knights’ nets.
Screams rang out as its tentacles sent several knights flying.
I saw Gren, my cousin, catching a tentacle and throwing up another net.
Roitz’s voice echoed in my mind:
“Right now, just think about what’s in front of you. With your sword, you can protect anything. You already know that, Serdin.”
It was like a question.
What will you do now?
Aura lost, yet a sword still in my hand. After fighting so many monsters before — what will I do now?
I couldn’t answer right away.
So instead, I asked myself — the Serdin Vivi who had always been there in every moment until now.
What would you say?
‘I can do it!’
Yes. That’s what I always said, whenever it was the first time. Facing monsters that seemed too strong, even when my sword fell before them.
This time was no different.
“…I can do it.”
I whispered to myself as I looked at the blade in my hands. Not to comfort myself, but because I meant it.
On the slender hilt, a silver feather was engraved — the emblem of Elche. My pride as a knight.
I rose again.
“A knight’s greatest weapon isn’t aura.”
“Not a sharp blade. Not fists or legs.”
“It’s the fact that we are knights, that with our own hands, we can protect someone. That is the greatest weapon.”
Clutching the Elche feather in my palm, I charged back into the battlefield.
“Get up, Gren!”
His comrade Acela shouted at him.
Gren had been frozen, staring at Cassane, whose arm had been torn off by a tentacle.
“Hurry!”
Gren forced himself up at Acela’s words.
“Set the trap, quick!”
He parried the tentacle that came flying toward him and moved as told.
He reached out and began setting a trap — though his mind was blank, not even knowing what he was doing anymore.
It was his first time facing a first-class monster.
And this second Hirs was even stronger than the first.
All monsters were terrifying, but this… this was a true beast.
He had seen one fall earlier, but still didn’t understand how. Surely it was just luck.
Wouldn’t the rest of them all be slaughtered by this one?
The more thoughts filled his head, the more his body lagged.
“Gren, to your side!”
Another tentacle lashed toward him.
If it hit, he would end up like Cassane—
But a sword struck from behind, deflecting the tentacle.
It was Serdin.
The moment Gren saw her, he shouted:
“I don’t need your help!”
He was angry — that she thought he couldn’t handle even this much.
“You think you’re the only knight?!”
His eyes landed on the Elche emblem at her chest.
Did she look down on him because he wasn’t an Imperial knight?
She had only joined the Imperial Knights because she was born a Vivi and inherited sword aura.
A knight without aura would always be limited. Serdin couldn’t know that. She never had to.
If Serdin hadn’t existed, I would have been Swordmaster…
All glory, all honor — they should have been his.
“Gren, that way!”
“I said I don’t need it!”
Serdin spun and cut down a smaller monster rushing from behind. Her tied pink hair whipped through the air.
But another tentacle lashed at Gren.
He couldn’t stop looking at her. Only Serdin was close enough to reach him.
“Move your sword, Gren!”
Serdin lunged and shoved him away, intercepting the tentacle.
But in doing so, her own sword was knocked far out of reach.
Now her hands were empty.
And no battlefield ever gave its enemies time to prepare.
The Hirs’ attack came for Gren again.
He barely lifted his sword and deflected it, but not enough to cut through or push it away.
It curved back toward him.
And only Serdin was near. But she had no sword.
She was just an ordinary person now.
Gren squeezed his eyes shut.
The tentacle will wrap around me… then in the next moment—
“Why aren’t you dodging?!”
He opened his eyes.
And Serdin was already in front of him, shielding him.
Her voice shouted for him to run, even as the Hirs’ tentacles wrapped tightly around her.
She had taken his place as the target.
Gren’s vision went dark at the edges.
The only way out was aura. But Serdin had no sword.
He had to give her one.
Where was it?
Through the blur of sand and blood, he couldn’t tell.
The sword… where is it…
Gren realized only then that he was holding one in his own hand.
If he gave it to her—
But without this sword, I—
He swallowed hard, lifted the sheathed blade high, ready to throw it to her.
But in that moment—
Serdin twisted her wrist, wrenching the tentacle tight until she forced her arm free.
Her face strained in pain, but she broke loose.
Then, with nothing in her hands, she jabbed her fingers straight into the monster’s eye.
Her green eyes shone with not even a trace of hesitation.
The beast shrieked, and she drove her leg into it with all her strength.
“Gren!”
Not with aura. Just pure force.
Someone behind him hauled Gren to his feet, but his eyes never left Serdin.
Her arm hung injured, her face twisted briefly in pain.
“Since you look fine, I won’t bother asking if you’re really okay.”
She turned and walked ahead.
Voices from the Lobel Knights called out, “Gren, are you alright?”
He nodded absently, still staring at Serdin’s back before finally turning away.
And in that moment, he finally understood—
Why aura had chosen her, and not him.
It took him a little longer to admit it out loud. But someday, he would say the words: I’m sorry.
