"The Rakshasa Sword enhances the user's physical abilities to the level of a hero. But think about it. There’s no one else with physical abilities equal to a hero. If there were, that person themselves should be the hero. Saintly sword users inherently don’t match up to a hero, so the saintly swords’ capabilities should be set lower than the Holy Light Sword."
"I see. So using that saintly sword exceeds what the body can handle."
"Yes. So, in terms of collecting the saintly swords, you don't need to worry about the Demon Sword and the Rakshasa Sword. Hardly anyone can use them properly."
"Right…"
While responding, I had an uneasy feeling."There's hardly anyone who can master the Demon Sword and the Rakshasa Sword."
If Holly says so, it must be true.
However, lately, my luck has been extraordinarily bad.
Just being alive seems to invite trouble.
So, I can't help but worry about the worst-case scenario where an enemy, adept at using either the Demon Sword or the Rakshasa Sword, attacks me.
Even worse would be if two saintly sword wielders, each handling one of these swords, turned against me.
In that case, I'd have no choice but to rely on Shion for protection.
"Well, the story of the two failed swords isn't that important. The saintly swords we should prioritize collecting are the two healing ones. We already have enough offensive saintly swords. Saintly swords capable of healing are essential for the hero's defeat of the Demon Lord."
"Healing ones? There are saintly swords that can heal injuries?"
"Yes, the Healing Sword Asclepius and the Magic Absorbing Sword Nibelung. They both can heal others' injuries, albeit in different ways."
"Different methods?"
"The Healing Sword can revert an injured body to its pre-injury state. In extreme cases, it can even resurrect the dead."
"What!? Resurrect the dead?"
Resurrecting the dead.
That's one of the most challenging feats among all magics and abilities.
"The Magic Absorbing Sword, as its name suggests, absorbs and stores magical power. The stored magic can be transferred to the wielder or given to others at will."
"And giving someone magical power heals injuries?"
"Magic is life force itself, so a person full of magical power heals faster and has more stamina."
I see.
I had thought that stamina and magic were separate concepts.
So, does that mean Shion, Iris, and Instructor Cattleya, who use saintly swords, are losing their life force every time they use their magic?
That's why they are extraordinary talents and not something ordinary people can handle.
"However, the healing from the Magic Absorbing Sword is merely an enhancement of natural healing, so it can't heal missing limbs or severe injuries, nor can it resurrect someone from death."
"…Huh? So, is the Healing Sword a superior vershion of the Magic Absorbing Sword?"
"Not exactly. They each have their pros and cons. The Healing Sword can revert the body to its pre-injury state, but it can't heal injuries that occurred more than twenty-four hours ago. So, it can't resurrect a body that's been dead for over twenty-four hours."
That makes sense.If there was a way to fully resurrect the dead, then everyone buried in cemeteries could be brought back to life, and even the zombies that Cineraria recently controlled could be revived.
That would be absurd.
Even the most powerful abilities have their limits.
"On the other hand, the Magic Absorbing Sword can heal injuries older than twenty-four hours and can restore the magical power depleted from using saintly swords. So, in prolonged combat situations, the Magic Absorbing Sword is more effective than the Healing Sword."
"I see. So it's better to prioritize collecting those two."
Healing-specific saintly swords.
This information seems quite beneficial.
If we could collect them, it would expand the strategy options for the hero's party. Moreover, even if they fell into the hands of an adversary, they don't seem like weapons that could directly cause much harm.
Considering this, it was quite fortunate that lethal saintly swords like the Ice Sword, Explosive Sword, Thunder Sword, and Vacuum Sword are all in the hands of people who are essentially on my side.
Well, whether Prince Heath with the Thunder Sword and Saffron with the Vacuum Sword can be considered allies is debatable.
"The remaining two aren't failures... but they're saintly swords that I can't quite see a use for."
"What do you mean?"
"The Far-reaching Sword Gjallarhorn and the Teleportation Sword Draupnir. They're support-type saintly swords, but neither has any combat capability."
"Swords without combat capability?"
"The Far-reaching Sword is a spear that allows the owner's voice to reach others far away, and the Teleportation Sword enables spatial teleportation."
"…?"
"So, basically, one gives the ability to talk to people far away, and the other to warp to different locations."
"…That does seem quite useful, though…"
"What's the use of talking to someone far away? And with teleportation, you can only move to places you've been before. It's quite draining. In that case, isn't the Pegasus Sword Sleipnir more convenient? That saintly sword can take you anywhere instantly."
"I see…"
The Far-reaching Sword Gjallarhorn, which allows communication with distant people.
The Teleportation Sword Draupnir, which enables warping to different locations.
Both are saintly swords with benefits and strengths that are hard to grasp. However, that's precisely why it seems terrifying.
Especially the seemingly unremarkable Far-reaching Sword Gjallarhorn.
When I consider its potential uses, it might actually be the most frightening of all."
"At least now I understand all the saintly swords' abilities. Next, I need to figure out how to find and collect them…"
This knowledge should prevent me from being too shocked when encountering new saintly sword wielders, but the fact remains that my own combat and physical abilities are no better than those of an ordinary person... in fact, I'm so weak that I'd likely lose in a fistfight with an average old man.
Without strong allies nearby, I'm certain to be instantly killed if attacked by a saintly sword wielder.
That's why it's crucial to ally with as many saintly sword users as possible and keep an eye on those who are hostile.
Especially Cineraria, the wielder of the Underworld Sword I met recently.
Her saintly sword can manipulate any dead body, regardless of what creature it once was.
If she were to control the corpses of powerful monsters, our numerical advantage would mean little.
"Well, nearly half of the saintly swords are already in the hands of your allies, so let's take our time. Four of the remaining six aren't suited for combat."
"…It's like chess."
I mutter this as I resume playing chess with Holly.
"Every piece has its advantages and uses. Even the most powerful queen can be easily taken under the right circumstances."
"Ufufu... I think your queen might be a bit too strong, which is its own problem."
I still feel strong resistance to treating Shion and other friendly divine sword owners as mere chess pieces.
But as powerless as I am, there's no other way to survive.
Just like a king who can only escape step by step.
Chapter 2: The Hero's Tutor
In the royal castle of Pendragon, the capital of the continent of Alsgard, while the hero Shion was busy practicing swordsmanship, I, with nothing to do and no desire to do anything even if there was, was aimlessly wandering the corridors.
Then,
"Don't make me say it again, Iris. If I said no, it's a no."
"Instructor… I think you're worrying too much."
I heard such a conversation.
Looking over, I saw Iris and Instructor Cattleya facing each other in the corridor, engaged in some sort of heated argument."As always, the two of them were dressed in tailcoats of blue and red, respectively, with the saintly swords of the divine sword hanging at their waists.
I've never seen Iris, a top student at the Royal Officer Academy since our student days, and Instructor Cattleya engaged in a serious argument.