Chapter 4: True Name
As we advanced, maintaining a distance that kept us neither too close nor too far from the three ahead, our pace was anything but swift.
Even though the three of them were taking the lead and defeating monsters, it was easy to imagine that the sheer number of foes they faced would take considerable time to eradicate, even with their skills.
And despite their efforts to clear the area, the immediate resurgence of Corpse Persons (Ghouls) and Bone Warriors made us realize, “If we let this go unchecked, it would have been a serious problem.”
“Hey, Son-in-law,” Row called out.
“What is it?” I replied.
“When you were part of the Hero Party, what happened to the Holy Sword?”
Even while we were on the move, conversation was necessary.
“What do you mean by ‘what happened’?” I asked, slightly confused.
“Well, you know… Who wielded it, whether it was used in battle like earlier, and other various details,” Row explained.
I’m not slow on the uptake! Hmm, Row is curious about the Holy Sword, which means—I think I’ve figured it out!
“Could it be,” I said, puffing out my chest with pride.
“Could it be?” Row tilted her head in confusion.
“Could it be that you were the former wielder of the Holy Sword, Sensei?”
In response to my flawless deduction, Row sighed and placed a hand on her forehead. “Son-in-law, how did you come to that conclusion…”
Ugh, I’m not slow on the uptake at all!!
Setting that aside for now, we were discussing how the Holy Sword had been handled up until now.
“For the first six months, the Hero was the one using it. But honestly, he was barely able to wield the sword, so most of the time he just stood behind Saintess Mika, arms crossed within her barrier, giving what could barely be called commands. So, at that time, the Holy Sword was treated like any other decorative item. After a while, during the boss battle in the Mirror Labyrinth, I borrowed it from the Hero. I used it for a little over a year until I passed it on to Sword Saint Eris.”
To me, the Holy Sword was an unbreakable and sturdy weapon, but looking back, I might have been quite disrespectful towards it. Especially during the boss battle in the Mirror Labyrinth, I felt like I was using it more like a blunt instrument.
The Crystal Humanoid was impossibly hard, to the point where I wished I could avoid it altogether. Even though I had managed to cut through the Deadly Series back then, my skills and strength barely scratched that thing. So, I had no choice but to repeatedly slam the Holy Sword against the same spot to accumulate some damage. In that sense, the Holy Sword was completely a blunt weapon.
I truly apologize, Holy Sword.
But that aside, the presence of the Holy Sword was indispensable as we traversed various labyrinths. During that time, when I was struggling, it was the Holy Sword that remained by my side unchanged—though perhaps that thought is a bit too sentimental.
“Son-in-law, I want to ask you something,” Row said hesitantly.
It was rare for her to take such a modest stance. She was likely about to ask something so obvious that it felt inappropriate to inquire.
“What is it? Feel free to ask anything.”
You don’t need to hold back anymore! We’re close, aren’t we?
“You wielded the Holy Sword for over a year, right? So, do you know its True Name?”
True Name…? What’s that?
“Legend of…?”
“Wrong.”
“Legs?”
“Wrong.”
“Partner of Kana?”
“Wrong.”
“Manners?”
“Wrong.”
“Rare?”
“Stop it, stop it!! You idiot!!”
“Ugh!”
Finally, Row resorted to physical force (a smack on the head) to silence me (self-inflicted).
“The True Name refers to the ‘true name’ inscribed upon that existence.”
“True Name…”
Row began to speak of something quite profound. I was trembling in fear, worried that I would be questioned about my treatment of the Holy Sword.
This is bad! This is bad! Ash didn’t interrupt but was listening intently.
“Legendary equipment would possess a True Name.”
Row then turned to me, seeking confirmation.
“And the current Sword Saint—Eris, was it?”
Both Ash and I nodded in unison.
“That item she possesses also has a proper True Name.”
Row continued, “The Holy Sword passed down in the Arcana Kingdom—its True Name is Guardian Sword Rifire.”
Rifire? Re:FIRE?
“I don’t know all the wielders of Rifire, but I know the first person who used this sword.”
“What kind of person was that?” I asked.
Row seemed to reminisce as she replied, “He was a serious person, almost to a fault. Yet, he had a sense of humor. In fact, he was the one who named the Holy Sword’s True Name.”
Wow! Even the important figures of the country only referred to it as the Holy Sword, so this was the first I’d heard of such a story.
“There might have been some reason that the records were lost. But that’s a moot point. This world is entirely different from the one you came from. The importance of records and the difficulty of preserving them are different as well.”
When I thought about it, that made perfect sense. The cultures themselves were different.
“But even considering that, I wish they had at least passed down the Holy Sword’s True Name—because, you see, Son-in-law, there are equipment that cannot unleash their full potential without knowing their True Name.”
“Wait, seriously—”
“Yes, seriously. The Holy Sword cannot fully utilize its abilities without knowing the True Name, Guardian Sword Rifire.”
The possibility that the Holy Sword was merely a blunt weapon because I didn’t know its True Name was a bit too real… Seriously?
“And that ability is—” Row was about to explain when the three ahead of us suddenly changed their movements.
“Omi, Row,” Ash called out to us.
“I recognize this feeling,” she said.
I had experienced this sensation far too many times.
“Even though we’re only on the second floor—here comes the boss room.”
I couldn’t tell if they were preparing in front of the room or confirming something, but the three of them had paused for a moment—now, at this very moment, they stepped into the boss room.
“Shall we go as well?”
Row declared that we would continue our conversation later.
After a brief delay, we burst into the room. We quickly spotted the three of them.
In front, swinging her sword, was Sword Saint Eris. She was fighting valiantly to protect her two companions and, if possible, to eliminate the enemy with her own hands.
A little distance away, Mage Angelica was chanting a spell to defeat the boss.
And beside her, visibly pale and trembling with exhaustion, was Mika.
But more than anything… more than anything else—what the three of them were facing was a nightmare for me, a monster I never wanted to encounter again.