As the final rays of sunset vanished, silence once again enveloped the imperial storehouse.
It wasn’t a dream.
Roka stared at the iron sword still lodged in the earth. When she next grasped its hilt, it slid free with ease. But sothing had changed. The once mighty blade, which had felt like an extension of her own will, now seed hollow.
“Thank you.”
Roka bowed her head, gratitude filling her voice. The Swordsman Without a Master, a stranger, had shared so much with her, and though his whereabouts were now unknown, one thing remained certain.
She vowed that if she ever attained the mastery he envisioned, she would seek out any trace of him. Until then, she could only hold onto her gratitude.
He had said that a dao would suit better than a sword.
Roka’s eyes road over the storehouse brimming with every imaginable weapon. In a world where evading misfortune was a rare blessing, Heron had not only guided her. He had left behind the ans for her journey ahead.
She gently put the iron sword back, grateful for his lessons. Then, with determined steps, she began her search for a dao, a blade that would truly resonate with her spirit.
Woong!
Her eyes locked onto a dao shimring with a gentle, moonlit glow. Its surface as if crafted from pure moonstone, radiated a quiet yet potent light. In that mont, the lunar magic within Roka awakened, humming in a vibrant response.
This was the Moonlight Sword.
Her eyes then shifted to the naplate beneath the blade, where an elegant script told its storied past.
The dao wielded by Teresia, the Lunar Lady, Master of Moonlight.
When Roka’s fingers brushed the Moonlight Sword, the blade burst into a soft lunar glow. Wherever her hand caressed its surface, the tal turned almost translucent with light.
Crafted by ancient dwarven hands, the Moonlight Sword was one half of a legendary pair. When wielded alongside its twin, the Twin Wheel Sword, its power surged to unimaginable levels.
The dwarves, master artisans of old, forged these weapons to bring the essence of the sun and moon to the earth.
As the embodint of the moon, the Moonlight Sword had now found its way into Roka’s grasp.
Just as Roka lifted the blade, entranced by its beauty and aura, a deafening explosion erupted outside, and the ground beneath her trembled.
The dwarven legacy’s ssage rang clear in her mind. The Moonlight Sword was hers to wield, but a sudden quake outside made her pause. It drew her attention to the disturbance beyond.
“Wh-what’s going on?”
Roka poked her head out of the storehouse and asked the old treasure keeper, hiding her confusion. Was the clamor outside connected to her unveiling of the Moonlight Sword?
“Well, I’m not sure. It doesn’t sound like it’s coming from the palace. You’d best return quickly; I’m about to lock this place down.”
He didn’t think anyone was attacking the storehouse, but he still had to be ready. When he saw that Roka had picked a dao, he kept watching the surroundings.
“That’s the Lunar Lady’s true Moon Blade. A fine choice for soone so young.”
“Is it good?”
“You’re asking after picking it yourself? Of course, it’s good. However, there’s a catch, the Moonlight Sword is only one half of a pair. On its own, it remains incomplete, unable to reach its full potential without the Twin Wheel Sword. Yet, rember, the Lunar Lady herself beca a legend wielding just this blade.”
“The Twin Wheel Sword?” Roka asked absentmindedly.
“I don’t recall seeing it here. Where might the Twin Wheel Sword be?”
“If the Empire possessed both the Moonlight Sword and its twin, they would be hidden away, guarded more securely than any relic on display. It’s nearly impossible to find both in one place.”
“So, where is the Twin Wheel Sword, then?”
“It fell into the hands of the Demon King, Grimudo, long ago. No one could take the Twin Wheel Sword from him, so the two daos could never be in one person’s hands.”
The old treasure keeper chuckled, revealing the truth to Roka.
He wasn’t worried about her knowing, after all, there was nothing she could do. If it were that simple, the Empire’s mightiest would have reclaid it long ago.
“To us, the Twin Wheel Sword is a priceless treasure, but to Grimudo it was nothing more than a trivial toy, a dog bone, if you will. He fed it to a monster. The Twin Wheel Sword is probably inside the Monster King.”
The Phoenix is a blazing nightmare, spewing ceaseless fire. Regardless of an army’s size, they would be reduced to ashes, as futile as ants attempting to douse a river of lava.
Of course, they feared Grimudo, but fundantally, even the might of a single Phoenix was more than any force could hope to withstand.
“Monster King?”
Noticing Roka’s interest, the old man’s eyes lit up.
Feeling bored, he sat by the treasury door after locking it and called Roka over. Staying alert, he sensed the commotion was outside the palace, not inside, out of his responsibility.
“Yes, the Phoenix. It’s the Demon King’s most trusted servant, the bringer of destruction. He rely directs the monsters to do his bidding.”
When it ca to Grimudo and the monster, he was the right person to speak about them. After all, few had encountered such beings and survived to tell the tale.
Unaware of the old man’s storied past, Roka appeared disinterested, silently listening as he recounted tales of his youth while she longed for the conversation to end.
“Oh my, have I taken up too much of your ti?”
“No, it was helpful.”
“Just try to show a bit more interest next ti.”
Hermit Geher’s laughter echoed through the forest as, with a casual flick of his finger, a wall-hung sickle sliced through the air with a sharp rip before landing at his side.
“Back then, people called Lunar Lady Teresia the Master of Masters. But it’s just a title. Anyone can call soone above all the other Masters that.”
Roka’s ears drooped as she braced herself for another dull tale, only to be taken aback by the unexpected turn in his words.
“Since you’ve beco the successor of such a woman, I’d like to see your skills. Would you train with to fully absorb what we’ve discussed?”
“Successor? ? But I’ve never even t her.”
Roka’s eyes widened. She didn’t know what ‘successor’ ant.
Wasn’t it akin to becoming a disciple? Yet, how could she possibly be the Lunar Lady’s successor? It would make more sense if she were Heron’s disciple.
“Perhaps You never t her, but the dao has. The dwarves made weapons that were alive. It ans the Lunar Lady’s techniques are inside it.”
This was never intended as a duel.
For Geher, sparring with Roka was akin to an adult racing a child.
Winning would be expected, and losing would be embarrassing—it would an admitting he was getting too old. There was no honor in such a contest.
“I’ll teach you how to use the power. It’s not just for you, , but so I can witness the Lunar Lady’s moon dao techniques in action.”
This was clearly a lesson rather than a fight, which pleased Roka. Although she had chosen the Moonlight Sword, she still struggled to wield it properly.
The Swordsman Without a Master had said a dao would be correct for her, but this was Roka’s first ti holding one. Geher couldn’t help but smile.
“I grew up on a farm. I spent most of my life working in the fields and didn’t leave the village until I was older, and I only took a pickaxe with .”
“Why?”
“I’d rather dwell on that. Suffice to say, I’ve seen it all, from a simple farr forced to live by the sword, to mastering every weapon I could get my hands on. Not to boast, but I can handle almost any weapon.”
In his youth, he was known as Hans, the rcenary King, Hans. He mastered basic weapons like spears, swords, axes, hamrs, and polearms, and rare weapons like claws, staves, fans, and whips, earning the title of Weapon Master.
After Grimudo defeated him, he abandoned that life and beca the hermit Geher. Yet his skills remained, he remained an expert in daos as well.
“Well then, let’s see what you can learn.”
Roka sensed his influence even without knowing his full history.
There was no reason to refuse soone of his stature. From Ardein, she knew that a master’s guidance was far superior to venturing alone.
“I won’t be responsible if that sickle breaks.”
While Roka prepared herself, the old man chuckled softly.
“This sickle? I picked it up during a night out, planning to use it in the yard. Now, let’s see if your impressive dao can even leave a mark on it.”
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