Chapter 57

"Oh, they're here."

After the Zeronity disappeared, the Inheritance Shrine appeared at the center of the room.

And it happened right after that.

"The Sword Trial [Inheritance of Will] has been cleared."

"The Challenger will be granted the [Will of the Sword Emperor] as a reward for clearing the trial."

"The Inheritance is now complete."

"You have obtained the skill [Will of the Sword Emperor]."

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[Will of the Sword Emperor] Lv.1

- Sword Skill

- When equipped with a sword, all parameters except HP and MP increase by 10%.

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The long-awaited system sound echoed, and upon hearing it, I clenched my fist firmly.

"Alright! Now I've successfully obtained the [Will of the Sword Emperor]. Creating original skills is difficult, but the performance is outstanding. After all, a skill that unconditionally boosts stats is rare."

By the way, this time's Inheritance of Will is an original trial created by players, so no experience points are awarded. If that were possible, players could create low-difficulty trials relative to their level and let other players farm experience points.

"Well, enough reminiscing. Since the goal has been achieved, let's head back... huh?"

I suddenly noticed something.

The number of people who have obtained skills from the original Inheritance Shrine is marked, and it currently reads '7/10'. The numerator is the total number of people who have obtained the skill, and the denominator is the maximum number of people who can obtain it.

However, according to my memories from my previous life, only five people obtained the [Will of the Sword Emperor]. Including me this time, the total should be six people...

"Hmm, did I count wrong? Or..."

It's concerning, but no matter how much I think about it, I won't find the answer. I switched my focus and set off on the return journey.

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Zeros Sylphied

Gender: Male

Age: 15

Crest: [Crest of Nothingness]

Level: 45

HP: 242/450 MP: 58/225

Strength: 80

Endurance: 60

Speed: 76

Intelligence: 52

Luck: 45

Status Points: 0

Original Skill: [Will of the Sword Emperor] Lv.1

Skills: [Parry] Lv.2, [Slash] Lv.2, [Magic Arrow] Lv.1, [Magic Ball] Lv.1, [Dark Enchant] Lv.1, [Scout] Lv.1

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◇◆◇

I retraced my steps and returned to the capital, Arrendymia. I had been away from the capital for over a day.

Then, I headed back to the inn—

"…Zeros?"

Shuna greeted me. For some reason, even though we hadn't seen each other for just a day, I felt a strange sense of nostalgia.

"I'm back, Shuna."

"Yeah. Welcome back, Zeros. Did you achieve your goal?"

"Yeah. I successfully learned the skill I aimed for."

"That's great! I'm glad."

Shuna smiled and said this, but her expression and words seemed to hide a hint of sadness.

Seeing Shuna like this, I remembered the battle with the Zeronity's phantom. When I was about to be overwhelmed, I thought of Shuna and found a way out.

Maybe the excitement from that moment still lingered. I suddenly blurted out my thoughts.

"But, you know..."

"Huh?"

"This time, it was a trial that could only be done solo, so I went alone... but at some point, I thought it would have been nice if Shuna was there."

"!"

After saying that, I finally realized what I had just said.

"What am I saying? I said I would go alone, and now I'm saying this... Sorry, forget it."

"...No, that's not easy to forget."

"Huh?"

When I looked up, Shuna was there, blushing and scratching her cheek, but she was smiling.

"Actually, while you were gone, I did some thinking. Zeros is amazing, and thanks to you, I've become stronger... but, I wondered if I'm really needed, even if I'm not there."

"...Shuna."

"That's why... I'm really happy that Zeros said I'm needed."

"...I see."

I never thought Shuna had such concerns. It was my fault for overlooking it.

I looked at Shuna and spoke my heart sincerely.

"I need you, Shuna. I want you to stay by my side, always."

I said this hoping to alleviate Shuna's worries, but...

"..."

"What's wrong?"

Shuna just stared at me silently. It was a glare, but why did she make this face now?

As I was thinking this,

"Ugh, here we go again... Zeros is such a fool."

"Shuna?"

She continued with a scolding, but there was no malice in her words. Shuna's cheeks, which she turned away from me, seemed to be the same color as her hair.

Despite this exchange, a few days later, the day of the Academy entrance exam finally arrived.

It's Zeros' fault, it's Zeros' fault.

To be honest, in the original plot, the end of the first chapter was supposed to be here. Due to the length and the good cliffhanger with the duel with Dione, it ended up in its current form, but as a result, this chapter has a sense of conclusion.

However, please rest assured that the story will continue.

Next time, it's finally the entrance exam. Stay tuned!

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would be a great encouragement. Thank you very much!