Wow. What kind of powers do they have?
“Alpha’s is quite well known. It gives its user the Demigod skill.”
“What does it do?” Fran asked.
“Basically, it grants the user superhuman strength.”
“That’s it?”
I’m sure it’s powerful, but… Sounded kind of simple, too.
“Well, it increases your stats, enhances your physical capabilities, levels up your skills, stuff like that.”
Hmm. Sounds boring.
“Doesn’t sound strong,” said Fran. Certainly not strong enough to be called a superweapon.
“I suppose you’re right. You can say it’s the most straightforward out of all the Godswords. But it multiplies your stats by ten. Your vision is magnified, giving you the ability to see through any concealment. Your hearing can eavesdrop on any part of the country. To top it all off, all your skills get maxed out. How does that sound?”
Very…strong. Ten times the stats, the physical prowess of a god, and the ability to express the user’s full potential. No wonder it was a Godsword.
“Legend states that it can slay a hundred men with one swing, break through castle walls with two, and split a mountain in half with three.”
Sounds like a myth, but if we’re talking Godswords, I wouldn’t be surprised.
“Even more terrifying is Alpha’s effective duration. Its user can maintain that superhuman state for more than half a day.”
Half a day was enough for a monster of that scale to ruin an entire country. At the very least, it could polish off a capital or two.
“Berserk has similar properties. Increased stats, enhanced physical prowess, increased skills. The only difference is that it’s more powerful.”
More powerful than Alpha?
“In terms of raw strength, yes. But Berserk always sends its users into an insane frenzy, slaughtering friend and foe alike. When the effects wear off, its user dies.”
Jeez, that sounds rough. But can’t you just have an army escort Berserk’s user into battle? The Godsword was as powerful as it was inhumane, but you could treat its user like a suicide bomber.
“Ha ha. If only things were so simple. What happens after Berserk annihilates the enemy?”
Take the Godsword away, I guess.
“And how do you plan to get close enough?”
Let them go crazy and grab the sword when they’re done. Surely there was no danger in taking the Godsword away from a corpse.
“All right. But the enemy probably has the same idea, and there is no guarantee that you could recover it before them.”
I see. If they messed up, the enemy might get to the Godsword first.
“Not only that, but Berserk also lasts for over half a day. There are records of the user destroying the enemy’s capital, then turning on his own cities. The memory is still fresh, even though it happened a long time ago. You have to be ready to die alongside your enemy if you want to use Berserk.”
A continent locked in a stalemate of Godswords. Best to keep our distance. Now I understood why the five swords—Alpha, Berserk, Diablos, Gaia, and Ignis—weren’t on Aschtner’s list. No one would be eager to part with their Godsword, no matter how much money you gave them. Taking them away by force would be downright impossible.
So that’s why they’re looking for the missing ones.
“All the nations of the world are looking for them. I’m not sure how they got a hold of this information…”
The list contained more detail than Lumina’s:
War Carriage Sword Chariot
Said to have the shape of a baton. Produces golems of all shapes and sizes, along with the power to control them. Golems are made of metal, capable of flight, and can fire beams of light. According to stories from the Gallerian war, Chariot summoned a thousand golems the size of human heads and destroyed a hundred ships with a coordinated volley. Last known location: Continent of Capur.
Sword of Wisdom Cherubim
Known to be destroyed, but its fragments may prove valuable. Properties unknown. According to our research, the sword is decorated with the motif of a four-winged angel. Fragments are most likely located somewhere in the kingdom of Granzell.
Searching Godsword Explorer
Has the shape of a monocle. Said to be able to understand all information across the land. Further details about its power are unknown. Last known location: Continent of Capur.
Gaolgate Sword Hel
Details unknown. Said to have been used five hundred years ago in the continent of Chrome. Location where it was last used is now desolate and unfit for life. Said to have the power to control poison.
Cruel Dragon Sword Lindworm
Has the shape of a sword. Further details unknown.
Lunar Sword Moonlight
Said to grant its user the power to reflect myriad attacks.
Not much was known about the swords other than Chariot. And they didn’t know where any of them actually were.
“Very interesting,” said Dias. “If they’re collecting broken Godsword pieces, they might be in the early stages of research.”
What can they do with that research?
“Who knows? They probably think it’s worth it. Still, keeping this kind of stuff a secret from the government is a major faux pas.”
House Aschtner might be suspected of treason, even if what they were doing wasn’t illegal.
“Excellent evidence,” said Dias. An evil grin flashed over his lips. Not something I wanted Fran to imitate.
Well, it looks like Dias has a long day ahead. We should get going, Fran.
“Sure.”
“Sorry to keep you so long. I’ll call if I find anything new.”
“Hm.”
We said our goodbyes and left. Almost right away, a group of suspicious individuals approached, as if they had been waiting for Fran. It was almost like an ambush. The four figures couldn’t look any more suspicious if they tried—their faces were covered by their gray, hooded robes. They looked like mages with the sticks they held in their hands. In fact, they looked like they just stepped out of a fairy tale.
“What?”
Fran put her guard up. The four mages split up and pointed their sticks at the sky. A man came through this four-staff salute. He wore a gold-hemmed
