Asher approached the sword. He looked at the hilt long enough to be wielded by two hands and marvelled at the design.
"They say the sword was forged with the blood of a mythical beast, named EL. It's a sword that has lasted for hundreds of years and the spirit of the beast attacks those that try to draw it out of the sheath. I lured a hundred knights, enticing them with ownership of this sacred-ranked sword. Some diamonds and even a sacred knight came.
The sacred knight died, the diamond knights also perished and after 20 gold-ranked knights died, the others refused to try."
Alex and Nero were shocked.
"Your Lordship, we shouldn't be in this room."
Alex took a step forward but Asher dismissed him with a casual wave of his hand.
"He said if I try to draw the sword, the spirit of the mythical beast will kill me but I don't plan on drawing it."
Claude was taken aback by Asher's words.
Before his eyes, Asher unstrapped the sword from the leather belt and swung it a couple of times with the scabbard on.
He deftly spun the longsword and delivered a thrust toward the obsidian statue. The sword opened a large hole through the obsidian statue, a statue made completely out of stone several times stronger than the hardened bricks used to build Nineveh's walls!
"Even without unsheathing the sword, it's still a powerful weapon."
Asher caressed the horn scabbard with flickering eyes. "This horn is also a precious forge material. This sword must be crafted by a saint-grade blacksmith. I don't think any blacksmith of a lower grade would use such precious beast knight parts, especially the horn for a scabbard."
Alex and Nero looked at themselves. There was concern in their eyes as that sword seemed like a cursed weapon but they couldn't do anything except advise their lord.
"Mortal Blade. To have such an unseemly name, it must have a past."
Alex held his tongue since Asher currently spoke to Claude.
"Oh, it does. The unknown blacksmith that forged it left some words on the scabbard."
Asher examined the scabbard and saw it. Small, tiny words written on the scabbard!
One had to know this was a diamond-ranked material! To inscribe such tiny words so neatly on it spoke volumes of the capability of this unknown blacksmith.
"Forged by a mortal to power a mortal and slay the slayers of mortals. A nemesis of immortals and terror to the creatures of the depths."
When Asher said the last word, he lifted up his head.
"It was made 500 years ago."
He knew this because, from the writing, the blacksmith wanted something gone and the only thing that came from the depths and were known to rise and rise again—an army that did not have an end—were the abyssal creatures!
"It was found 250 years ago, and since then it has no wielder."
Asher ran his finger from the hilt to the tip of the sword. The scabbard only had a sharp, pointy tip, meaning it could only be used for stabbing like a lance.
He wrapped his fingers around the hilt and he swung it over his shoulder.
"I appreciate your gift."
Claude chuckled. He knew it was a sword that no one could wield except those of higher ranks but those people sought weapons of their ranks. However, he believed it might find use in Asher's hands; after all, the young baron was a mysterious fellow.
After a day of rest, Claude sent letters to Baron Scarlet and Baron Tyre while Asher and his King Swordsmen rode for Zebulun's territory. He was bent on completely destroying Jordan Zebulun, first for being an unfaithful man with whom people could trade and, secondly, because he was an ally of both the imperial family and count William.
Jordan was a shrewd man and Asher would use his cunningness to Count William.
A farmer lifted up his head from the field and pointed at the distance. It wasn't snowing anymore and the land was dry, which was why he could see the dust cloud on the horizon.
Other farmers, both men and women, stood up.
"Is it Lord Jordan's troops?"
"Can they raise that amount of dust?" Another retorted with a question.
All of a sudden, they heard the sound of horns from the walls; it was from Jordan's soldiers.
Some bull warriors rushed out and stood by the gates.
Instantly, some wise farmers began to run toward the gate, while the dull ones followed only after they heard the sound of hooves hitting the ground.
Someone dared to attack their lord!
Asher's hair billowed in the wind as he closed in on the walls. The Mortal Blade was in his right hand and his feet were on his mount's back. The same for his BloodBlades and 50 King Swordsmen.
He bellowed as arrows were shot from the walls toward them. After deflecting three arrows, Asher leaped off his horse, flying over 5 meters and landing on the wall's walkway. He swung his sword horizontally, slamming down three archers.
A bull warrior at his right swung his axe downward but Asher deflected it and slammed his fist against the warrior's face, throwing him off the wall.
Some archers faced him and he began to deflect their arrows.
His BloodBlades landed. Nero unsheathed his twin blades and moved like a phantom as he cut down any breathing thing on the left while Alex faced the right. The King Swordsmen also landed, unsheathed their swords, and began to attack those close to them.
Asher held his sword in such a way that the tip pointed downward as he walked on the walls. His men were taking care of the soldiers so he lacked those to fight.
A small dust rose up as he jumped down the wall and landed on the ground. He stood right before the gate and faced a company of bull warriors. They charged toward him.
The first one received a kick that launched him backward with a force that took 10 others with him! Asher spun his sword, dodged a bull warrior's strike and swung his sword, unleashing a semi-circular crimson light that took down 5 bull warriors.
All of them were silver-ranked!
The number of silver-ranked warriors Jordan had showed how wealthy he was.
Asher unleashed his battle force. His speed and strength increased, causing him to cut down the company before his men began to jump down the wall.
Asher turned to Nero.
"Open the gates. Alex, come."
Nero went for the gates and as he opened them, the other 50 King Swordsmen rode in.
Meanwhile, Asher and Alex followed a different path and vanished.