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Chapter 116: Become my blade.
Chapter 116: Become my blade.
"Here… I have broken the curse." he said, with the blade stretched forward.
Eh?
Artoria focused her gaze on the blade, and there was no doubt in her mind.
"Excalibur?!" she exclaimed. "Explain yourself! How did you get Excalibur? And how are you able to lift it? Am I going crazy? Or dreaming?"
"Hehe, nothing like that, a dream would be far too much of a stretch. It's something quite simple, really—" Ha Joon waved his hand as he spoke, "I just created an even stronger version than the one you have."
Artoria's soul cracked.
"Y… you created…?"
"Hmm, uh-huh…" Ha Joon nodded with a teasing smile. "Come on… go on, try it. Here, here."
Artoria took another look at the blade, seeing how identical it was to her Excalibur, even the mana was the same.
"How were you able to… make Excalibur… oh god." She sat on the bed, gripping her head as she tried to calm down. "Making a holy weapon is unheard of."
If anyone else had approached her the same way Ha Joon did, she would have undoubtedly ignored them and told them they were talking nonsense.
The same didn't apply to Ha Joon, since she knew him to be full of surprises. Doubting his words now would simply be her lying to herself.
With his pinky finger in his ear, Ha Joon looked to the side and responded, "You know, the usual… just take the blade already, you're asking too many questions."
Aahooooo~
Artoria took a deep breath.
"Okay, let's say you did make a duplicate Excalibur. How is that supposed to help with the curse? Even if I use this one you've brought, which I highly doubt is any stronger than the original, how would I break this curse without facing the punishment?"
°°°°°
"There's a punishment?!" he yelled, his hand on his head.
"Of course there is… didn't I mention that before?"
"You most certainly did not!"
Now Ha Joon was the one sitting on the bed, trying to catch his breath.
Artoria watched him mumble continuously about his effort going to waste and other related stuff.
"You're even more serious about this than I am, it would seem." She leaned back a bit. "The curse has to do with me not being able to conceive a child, probably a way for Excalibur to tell me there's no way out."
'Whether she wields the holy blade or not, giving birth is still out of the question for her. For a holy blade, it sure makes it seem like a deal with the devil.' Ha Joon looked to the ground.
"I wouldn't have minded it a few years back if I wanted to step down as King. But that isn't the same right now. For the first time in a while, I'm thinking of what I want, and that is to be a good wife… to you."
Ha Joon's heart raced, Artoria's words echoing in his head as she continued.
"Growing up, the pretty dresses girls my age wore always caught my eye. They were so pretty to look at, they made everyone look so doll-like. I wanted to dress like that. Being a king never allowed me to embrace that side, my duty came first. Now, I have an excuse to put on any type of dress, and that is simply because you came into my life, Ha Joon."
She looked at him, with a perfect smile on her face. "And the only reason I am this comfortable and free right now is because I'm getting married to the most trustworthy man in the world."
Ha Joon gripped his chest, falling flat on the bed.
'Ahh, she killed me with cuteness! Who knew such words could ever leave her mouth? Is this what all soon-to-be-married couples do back in my former world?'
He looked at her, and she never once evaded his gaze… almost like his very presence was giving her all the joy she could ever need.
'I wonder… will my parents be proud of this? If they could see what their son has become?'
He jerked up.
'Nah, screw them! I'm finishing this right here and now.'
He stood up, looking at Artoria with newfound motivation.
"Artoria!" he called out.
"Y... yeah…"
"I know a way to break the curse for good, but I'll need you to trust me."
'Yes, that's right. While I was trying to add qualities to the blade, Ceil mentioned something about it. Can't believe I'm just remembering it now… it should work. It has to work.'
Artoria stood up. "Trusting you isn't an issue, you've proven that countless times."
"Good."
He stretched the blade towards her. "Now, make a contract with this Excalibur, right now."
"What about—"
"Don't worry about it," Ha Joon chimed in. "Only one all-powerful Excalibur can exist in one world. The others will be considered unfit. And I can guarantee you mine is the stronger one. If you make a contract with it, the world will be forced to break the contract with the weaker one. Trust me, it will work… probably."
"You're not even sure?!"
"Just do it! We'll worry about the consequences later." He moved the blade even closer to her, mischief glinting in his eyes.
Artoria stared at the blade for a while, and with a sigh, she conceded.
"Fine."
She grabbed the blade by the hilt and raised it to head level, the tip pointing upwards.
The process of making a contract with a holy weapon isn't complicated.
It takes three important steps.
The first step is to allow the energy flowing from the holy weapon to settle inside you, taking over every inch of your magic circuits.
The second is for you to pour your mana into it, enough to completely subdue its own energy and tame it.
And the last step is to exact your dominance over the blade.
"I, Artoria Pendragon, command you to become my blade and serve as my weapon of glory during the battles I face."