"Is this a Divine Artifact?" Olivia asked, gazing at the exquisite weapon before her—something that seemed more like a work of art than a tool of war. "And it's just... stuck here like this?"
Though Olivia was the one asking the questions, Montgomery, who had been captured and brought here, looked utterly bewildered. "What?! You're saying this is a Divine Artifact?"
In truth, to the Kingdom of Ukel and the Kingdom of Green Eagle, this was simply a strange weapon that had fallen from the sky—they had no idea what it actually was.
Tensions between the two kingdoms had long been simmering. Ukel's recent defeat by the Grand Duchy of Augustus had further destabilized its domestic situation, creating an urgent need for an external outlet for their frustrations.
Amidst these factors, the sword became the final spark that ignited the war.
Olivia and her companions suspected the sword was a Divine Artifact solely because of Tribios' prophecy: seven yet-to-appear Heroes and their Seven Divine Artifacts. With such a peculiar weapon suddenly appearing from the heavens, the likelihood of it being a Divine Artifact seemed overwhelming.
Of course, no one answered Montgomery's rhetorical question. He swallowed hard and said, "We'd love to take it, but the problem is, we can't even budge it! This sword won't come out at all!"
After a pause, Montgomery muttered to himself, "Damn, damn! Is it really a Divine Artifact? If I lose something like that, I'm finished..."
To be honest, Montgomery didn't really understand what "Divine Artifact" meant. But it sounded incredibly powerful. He thought for a moment: Well, no one else knows it's a Divine Artifact. If I keep quiet, maybe it won't be a big deal?
Just then, he saw a soldier scrambling past, fleeing in a panicked roll from the side.
Montgomery: "..."
After a brief silence, he firmly memorized the soldier's face, already sentencing the man to death in his mind.
Meanwhile, Tribios said to Olivia, "A Divine Artifact embedded in stone, only those recognized by it can draw it. Isn't that a common story? Why don't you give it a try? See if you can pull it out?"
Olivia replied, "Huh? Is there really a story like that?"
In Tribios's previous life, such stories were commonplace, but in this world, they were clearly unheard of. This was the first time Olivia had ever heard such a tale, and she couldn't help but show an eager expression as she stepped forward to approach the longsword.
The sword stood upright, its blade embedded in a small, protruding stone. Olivia gripped the hilt, took a deep breath, and slowly began to exert force. Even as she gritted her teeth and her cheeks flushed crimson, the sword remained utterly unyielding.
"Failed?" Tribios observed the scene, unsurprised. This must be the Hero's weapon, and Olivia might be the Demon Lord. Of course she can't pull it out.
"No luck. Guess I'm not worthy?" Olivia finally gave up, lowering her head and stepping back. Tribios then stepped forward to try her hand.
As she gripped the hilt, she could still feel a faint residual warmth. Tribios gradually increased her force, but the sword remained utterly unyielding.
"Still no luck?" Tribios pondered. So how exactly does this sword test the wielder's worthiness? Does it scan the person's essence as they try to draw it, or was it predetermined from the moment the sword fell that only one destined individual could ever pull it out?
Tribios took a deep breath, this time even channeling her divine power into her hands. But in the next instant, she felt a similar force emanating from the sword, opposing and neutralizing her own power.
At that moment, Tribios was certain: this sword was truly one of the Twelve Divine Artifacts. But where on earth did it come from?
She gazed skyward, where not a single cloud marred the azure expanse. Only the blazing sun shone down, its rays illuminating nothing else.
"You're not worthy either?" Jay clicked his tongue in frustration and stepped forward, gripping the hilt. "Heave-ho—!!!"
But no matter how loudly he shouted, the sword remained stubbornly fixed in place.
Watching this scene unfold, Montgomery couldn't help but feel a flicker of relief. If these people couldn't draw the sword, they would eventually have to leave empty-handed. In that case, he would still have succeeded in guarding it and even gained vital information: "This is a Divine Artifact, and only the chosen one can draw it." Far from failing in his duty, he would have accomplished a great deed!
Tribios was also pondering the same problem. If neither of them could pull the sword out, what would they do? Leave it behind and return empty-handed? That was too frustrating!
It felt like holding a winning lottery ticket for the grand prize, only to faint from excitement and wake up after the redemption period had expired.
At that moment, Tide approached, seemingly preparing to try drawing the sword himself. But his massive frame dwarfed the ordinary-sized one-handed sword, making it look like a mere dagger in his hand.
Tide first attempted to pinch the hilt with two fingers, but his armored gloves made his fingers slip. After a moment's pause, he clenched his entire right hand around the sword—blade and hilt—and began to exert force.
Crack—crack—
Visibly, the ground beneath Tide's feet began to sink, while the earth around the sword's position cracked and splintered.
The sword appeared to be embedded in a stone, but in reality, that stone was connected to the ground beneath like an iceberg—what they saw above the surface was only a small part of a much larger mass hidden beneath.
The stone was no different, but with Tide's immense strength, the ground cracked open, and the sword—along with the massive stone it was buried in—were all uprooted in one swift motion.
Boom!
The stone was at least ten meters long and four to five meters wide—a massive, irregularly shaped object. The Divine Artifact stuck into it resembled a toothpick piercing a watermelon.
But even more absurdly, Tide was now gripping that toothpick and hoisting the entire watermelon aloft!
Seeing this, Tribios suddenly recalled a saying: 'The child lacks the right, but the child has the strength.'
The others nearby were equally stunned. Olivia stammered, "Um... so does this mean Tide qualifies or not?"
Montgomery, utterly dumbfounded, exclaimed, "This... is this even possible?!"
Though the process was bizarre, Tribios had achieved her objective. She immediately opened a massive Century Gate and declared, "Let's go. It's time to retreat."
-
Meanwhile, a small group of people had secretly arrived on the outskirts of the Grand Duchy of Augustus. The leader removed her hood, gazing in astonishment at the city before her. She murmured, "This is... the Grand Duchy of Augustus?"
If Tribios had been present, she would have immediately recognized this woman as Duchess Witch's Hat of the Kingdom of Ukel. Due to the Grand Duchy of Augustus's strict secrecy, the Kingdom of Ukel had been unable to extract any useful information from the Augustus population.
Moreover, the Grand Duchy of Augustus forbade any Ukel citizens from crossing the Century Gate into their territory. Over time, this naturally aroused the Kingdom of Ukel's suspicions.
Why are you hiding everything so carefully? What are you plotting behind the scenes?
Driven by these concerns, Duchess Witch's Hat began her investigation. Having been caught by Tribios in the Grand Duchy of Augustus once before—though she had remained indoors the entire time—she distinctly remembered that the temperature was much colder than in Ukel, indicating that the Grand Duchy of Augustus must lie to the north of Ukel.
Duchess Witch's Hat first dispatched several agents to investigate the northern regions. Meanwhile, she herself went to the Ukel Kingdom's Library, hoping to find any information about the Grand Duchy of Augustus.
After immersing herself in the Library for two full moons, she finally unearthed a long-forgotten historical record. Though it didn't mention the Grand Duchy of Augustus, it did refer to an individual named Augustus.
It was an extraordinary coincidence that this record was found in the Kingdom of Ukel. Had she searched in the Library of any other nation, she would have undoubtedly come up empty-handed.
"Led slaves in a northward escape...?" she mused. "Does this mean this nation was likely founded by those escaped slaves?"
Because this historical record was so ancient, Duchess Witch's Hat felt no personal connection to it. Yet it served as a vital clue. The Kingdom of Ukel had dispatched troops to pursue the fleeing slaves. By eliminating all regions where Ukel soldiers had searched, the remaining potential locations for a nation's founding narrowed dramatically, reducing the search area by many orders of magnitude.
This time, Duchess Witch's Hat led the expedition herself. After more than ten moons of relentless searching, she finally arrived at this colossal city.
The Duchess cast a mass Invisibility spell on her team, allowing them to infiltrate the city effortlessly.
Upon entering, their first impression was stark: the atmosphere here was utterly different from that of the Kingdom of Ukel!
In the Kingdom of Ukel, everyone wore long faces and tattered clothes, looking gaunt and undernourished.
In stark contrast, the common folk here radiated smiles, dressed in clean, tidy clothes, and appeared remarkably healthy!
The Witch's Hat and her companions exchanged glances, temporarily suppressing their bewilderment. They sought out the nearest tavern—a place teeming with chatter, ideal for gathering intelligence.
Within a single afternoon, they gleaned some of the city's fundamental truths:
Anyone who worked, regardless of status, could earn a respectable wage, easily covering their basic needs for food and clothing!
Children could attend school for free, learning to read and write. Recently, the Holy Maiden had even announced plans to establish a Magic Academy to promote the study of magic!
Most importantly, this city had neither nobles nor slaves! The nation operated entirely under the leadership of the Holy Maiden and the Princess, aided by a group of officials known as "Public Servants"!
These so-called "Public Servants" were a job title. Anyone literate and passing a series of examinations could apply to join!
They served as the Holy Maiden and Princess's "hands," executing their will and implementing new laws and policies.
Duchess Witch's Hat exclaimed in shock, "This... this... it's utterly absurd! Incomprehensible!"
The Grand Duchy of Augustus's governance defied her wildest imaginings. She never dreamed a nation could function in such a way.
Without the presence of nobles, the laws of Augustus were far more equitable. Without the layers of exploitation inherent in a noble system, both the commoners and the state thrived in unprecedented prosperity. Without nobles vying for power with the king, his word reigned supreme, unchallenged.
This was a nation of absolute centralization, where the entire populace moved in perfect unison, united by a single purpose!
Through conversation, it became clear that nearly everyone harbored a fervent, almost fanatical trust in the Holy Maiden and the Princess. They would eagerly obey any command, which explained why the Kingdom of Ukel had been unable to extract any information from Augustus's merchants.
After her initial shock subsided, Duchess Witch's Hat felt a deep, bone-chilling terror, trembling uncontrollably. She couldn't imagine how powerful this nation already was. If it continued to strengthen at this rate, what hope would the Kingdom of Ukel have for survival in another decade or two?
Or, more accurately, how could the nobles of the Kingdom of Ukel survive?
Duchess Witch's Hat wasn't foolish; she instantly grasped the irreconcilable conflict between the nation and its noble class, and the near-absolute appeal the nation held for the common people.
"We must return immediately," Duchess Witch's Hat declared. "We must bring this news back to the Kingdom of Ukel!"
For added safety, she chose to travel on foot. Although Duchess Witch's Hat possessed teleportation scrolls, she remembered the Demigod of Passage, the Fat Duke's tale of escaping via teleportation only to be recaptured, and she dared not use them.
Though returning on foot would take far longer, it was undoubtedly the safer option.
Time continued to flow. Although the Divine Artifact had been intercepted and stolen by Tribios, Montgomery's deliberate concealment ensured that no one yet realized the sword was a Divine Artifact.
The war between the Kingdom of Ukel and the Kingdom of Green Eagle raged on until three months later. Despite fierce battles just the day before, the two sides suddenly shook hands and agreed to peace, engaging in negotiations that lasted seven days.