Chapter 61: Azurine Blade
"Hey," Herald said, his voice calm, "I have a gift for you."
My brow furrowed in surprise. A gift? From Herald? The non-chalant warrior, the centuries-old avenger who had just casually beheaded my adopted father and slaughtered his guards? The man who spoke of violence and vengeance with such dispassionate clarity? The idea of him giving a gift was so out of place, so utterly out of character, that it almost made me laugh. It felt like a wolf offering a lamb a bouquet of flowers.
Herald, seemingly oblivious to my internal bewilderment, reached into a small, nondescript box that had been resting on a nearby crate. From it, he pulled out something that looked utterly out of place in this medieval setting. It was a small, sleek object, no larger than my forearm, resembling nothing so much as a sword hilt nestled in a minimalist, almost futuristic sheath. The sheath itself was made of a dark, smooth material that had lines that were clean, almost impossibly precise. It looked like something from a sci-fi movie, not a fantasy novel.
Herald held it out, his eye fixed on me. "The cult is strong, Disciple. Very strong indeed. And I may not always be around to protect you. That is why I am giving you this." His voice was devoid of any warmth. "Make no mistake, this is not an act of kindness. See it, rather, as a general equipping his soldier with a superior weapon, so that he may be more effective at killing the enemy. This blade will make you better at fighting the cult."
My gaze was fixed on the strange hilt. It felt... alien. Powerful. My mind, still reeling from the unexpected nature of the ’gift,’ struggled to comprehend its purpose.
Herald, with a swift, practiced motion, unsheathed the hilt from its minimalist casing. And then, something truly intriguing happened. From the back of the hilt, where a blade shouldn’t have been, a shimmering, ethereal blue light erupted. The light fused, solidifying, forming into a blade. It was like glowing blue glass, coming together, piece by piece, forming a perfectly proportioned sword. It pulsed with an inner luminescence, a vibrant, almost living blue.
Mudrel, who had been leaning against a rough-hewn table, suddenly straightened, his eyes wide with a rare display of genuine awe. "It’s an S-tier sword artifact!" he breathed, his voice a low, reverent whisper. "The Azurine Blade!"
My jaw dropped. An S-tier sword artifact? My mind reeled. I already knew Herald possessed the Mythic Dragon’s Eye, an S-tier artifact. But to be given another S-tier artifact? This was overkill. Why would he give me such a weapon? A weapon of this caliber was continent-shaking. It was a power that could turn the tide of wars, capable of unimaginable destruction. It felt like giving a child a nuclear launch code.
Mudrel, seemingly oblivious to my internal shock, walked towards the Azurine Blade, his gaze fixed on its shimmering form. "You may not know this about me, Kai," he began, his voice filled with a strange, almost nostalgic pride, "but before I led the revolution, I was something of a treasure hunter. For artifacts, of course. This blade... it was my finest keep. The jewel of my many years of hunt." He reached out, his calloused fingers hovering inches from the glowing blade, as if afraid to touch its ethereal surface. "For me, it’s the perfect offensive and defensive weapon. I, in my years, wasn’t able to bring out the full potential of the Azurine Blade. But under Herald’s tutelage, I am sure you will."
Herald, holding the now fully materialized Azurine Blade, turned and offered it to me. The blade pulsed with a soft, inviting hum, radiating a cool, almost comforting energy. I reached out, my fingers brushing against the hilt. It felt strangely light, perfectly balanced, an extension of my own hand. The blue glow illuminated my face, reflecting in my wide eyes.