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chapter 31
“Uh… I mean, I was trying to find the location…”
Still dazed, I trailed off.
The first thought that flashed through my mind when I saw him angry was absurdly simple: So you’re human too.
That was how vivid his expression was. I felt as though it would linger in my thoughts for quite a while.
I stared at him blankly, like someone who had just witnessed a stone statue suddenly come to life.
His face, distorted with worry, was so unfamiliar and startling that it left me momentarily breathless.
While I gawked at him, Arvan quickly returned to his usual impassive expression and let out a small sigh.
“Ha… Is the passage leading to the Holy Sword located on the cliff?”
“…No. It’s not.”
“Then why were you standing in such a dangerous place?”
His voice was neatly composed as always, and his face looked no different than usual—but his eyes had darkened.
“There’s a mechanism below the cliff that opens the passage. If you press it, the way opens…”
“Where is it? I’ll do it. Please step back, Lady.”
“O-Okay….”
I carefully studied his face again.
I couldn’t help feeling disappointed that he had already returned to that emotionless expression.
It was the first time I’d seen him so vividly alive—if only it had been a smile instead.
Suppressing my regret, I crouched down and ran my hands along the cliff face as I explained.
“If you feel along the cliff like this, you’ll find a part that’s smooth instead of rough like the other rocks. Press that spot firmly.”
“I said I will handle it, so please, step away from the cliff.”
He put peculiar emphasis on the word please as he repeated himself.
Without another word, I retreated.
He knelt on one knee in my place and moved around for a while before finally stopping.
“I believe I’ve found it.”
As Arvan stood and brushed dirt off his clothes, a tremendous roar exploded behind me, followed by a massive cloud of dust like a bomb going off.
Kuuuuung—BOOM!!
“Cough, cough! What is—cough!”
I coughed violently, tears even forming in my eyes. In the meantime, Arvan calmly stepped beside me, covering his nose and mouth with his sleeve, looking perfectly fine. Somehow that felt unfair.
Still coughing, I followed his gaze and quickly understood what had happened.
A massive stone slab—like the entrance to an underground bunker—had lifted from deep beneath the ground when the mechanism activated. The pile of dirt that had covered it had scattered everywhere in the process.
The dust still clouded my vision.
“Lady, are you alright?”
You’re asking that now?
“Yes… I’m fine.”
“The Holy Sword—is it below?”
Arvan stared at the dark stone staircase revealed beneath the slab. I couldn’t even see the end of it.
“Yes, yes. It should be down there.”
“Any hazards?”
“This used to be a temple, so there aren’t any dangerous traps. Originally there were several steps to open that stone door, but I think they were destroyed when the temple collapsed.”
“I see. Then I’ll go down first. Please wait here for a moment.”
At that, one of my eyebrows twitched.
He just said it was safe—why was he trying to leave me behind?
“I’ll go too. What if a monster appears while I’m alone? It’s safer if we go together.”
Honestly, I was more curious than worried about monsters.
After hesitating briefly, he nodded, apparently deciding I had a point.
“For safety, please follow behind me.”
“Yes! I will.”
Arvan glanced at my enthusiastic response and began descending the stairs.
It was pitch black, making it impossible to tell how far down the staircase went.
After descending several dozen meters, lights along both sides of the stairs flicked on automatically, illuminating the path.
‘Wait… are those motion-sensor lights?’
Without stopping, I glanced back. One by one, the distant lights began switching off.
The way darkness slowly swallowed the staircase from behind reminded me of a scene from a horror movie, sending a small chill down my spine.
‘Ugh… I’m terrible with ghosts.’
Feeling uneasy, I moved closer behind Arvan.
How deep did they dig this place? Why are there so many stairs?
In the silent space, only our footsteps echoed eerily.
As the temperature dropped the further we descended, I felt my fingertips grow cold.
“Your Grace, isn’t it chilly down here?”
When I spoke, I noticed faint breath fogging in the air. I blew lightly—sure enough, white mist formed.
“My breath’s showing. It wasn’t even that cold outside….”
“It seems the temperature drops as we descend. Are you very cold?”
“No, I can manage. I’m dressed warmly.”
“If it becomes difficult, please let me know.”
“Why? If I tell you, will you take your clothes off for me?”
I asked teasingly.
“I will escort you back to the knights and return alone.”
“……”
This man… I was joking, and he’s being completely serious.
The absurdity of it dispelled the last traces of fear.
As I grumbled internally, Arvan suddenly stopped.
I nearly crashed into his back.
“Why did you stop so suddenly? I almost fell!”
“It appears we are nearly there, so I wished to confirm.”
Peering over his shoulder, I could only see a few steps ahead. Everything beyond was swallowed by darkness.
“…I can’t see anything.”
“If you look closely, you’ll notice there are no more stairs further down.”
I squinted and stared hard, but my eyes only hurt. I saw nothing but blackness.
‘If he really sees something, then either I have night blindness—or he’s abnormal.’
Even as we continued descending, the end remained unseen. Just as I was convinced he must have been mistaken—
Arvan took one more step forward, and suddenly the entire area flooded with brilliant light.
At once, countless lights switched on overhead. I squeezed my eyes shut, then slowly reopened them.
Glancing upward, I saw what looked like thousands of lights densely filling the domed ceiling.
They were so bright it felt like standing under a spotlight at an idol concert.
The space was enormous—at least the size of a soccer stadium—shaped like a vast dome.
And completely empty.
‘Why make such a huge space for nothing?’
Just then, something caught my eye.
At the center of the wide clearing, a sword presumed to be the Holy Sword stood embedded in the ground.
From afar, it looked ordinary. No more, no less.
Even up close, aside from being somewhat ornate, it didn’t feel particularly special.
In fact, the silver dragon statue coiled around the scabbard created a far more mystical atmosphere.
The dragon wrapped protectively around the sword as it stood embedded in the floor.
Whoever crafted it had such skill that it seemed ready to open its eyes and move at any moment.
Perhaps it was because the legend of the First Emperor mentioned receiving a dragon’s blessing.
“Your Grace, what do you think this dragon is made of? It’s incredibly well-crafted. Can we take it?”
“If you wish.”
Arvan answered absentmindedly as he reached for the Holy Sword.
He gripped it and pulled—
And with surprising ease, like yanking up a radish, the sword slid straight out.
It had seemed firmly embedded, yet it came free so effortlessly that I felt oddly deflated just watching.
Well, the goal was achieved. The Holy Sword was in his hands.
Still… this ending feels anticlimactic.
‘How should I put it…? There’s no impact.’
I had imagined something grand—a powerful aura, an awe-inspiring ancient relic beneath a temple.
“Lady, step back!”
While I was openly disappointed, Arvan suddenly moved in front of me, shielding me as he raised his guard.
I stood there, bewildered by his sudden shift in demeanor.
Then, from somewhere that was neither him nor me, a third voice echoed.
“Master! And you, human who devoured my mana! Nice to meet you! So nice! Waaah! I’m finally awake!!”
A high-pitched voice like that of a child rang out from below.
I stiffened, on full alert.
With a small fluttering sound, the owner of the voice peeked over Arvan’s shoulder—
It was the dragon statue I had just been admiring.
Alive.
And wearing an adorably cute expression that made my tension feel ridiculous.
‘…What is that?!’
That dragon statue was alive?!
And why does a reptile have such expressive facial features?!
I was silently horrified.
