Chapter 50: To The Watch Fort

Elias put on the light-plated armor.

The armor was considerably lighter than the heavy sets he had seen worn by ordinary knights, and once he had fastened the final strap around his waist, he moved his shoulders and arms several times to test its flexibility.

Nothing restricted his movements.

He raised both arms, twisted his torso, and bent his knees before performing several sword motions with The Lastbane. The plates shifted quietly against one another, and thanks to the strips of rubber Erick had attached around their edges, there was barely any sound.

Elias nodded with satisfaction before stepping toward the large mirror hanging against the wall.

The crimson-haired young man in the mirror wore light silver-gray armor that covered his chest, shoulders, forearms, thighs, and shins.

His crimson hair fell naturally around his forehead, and the sword hanging at his waist gave him a considerably more martial appearance than his usual noble attire.

Elias tilted his head slightly.

"Not bad," he mumbled.

He turned sideways and examined the armor from another angle before moving his arms again.

"It is actually quite comfortable."

Erick, who had been watching from nearby, nodded proudly.

"I told you I know my craft," he said. "The armor won’t slow you down, and the plates will absorb enough force to keep you alive against weaker monsters."

Belthon glanced toward the armor and nodded as well.

"It should be sufficient for a ranger."

Erick then walked toward a nearby rack and retrieved a plain-looking sheath.

Unlike the sword itself, the sheath appeared completely ordinary, with dark leather covering its surface and a simple metal frame reinforcing its edges.

He handed it to Elias.

"Here."

Elias accepted it before examining the sheath.

"This is good."

"Of course it is," Erick said. "Now put this around your waist."

Elias wrapped the sheath belt around himself and tightened the buckle until it sat comfortably against his waist. He then carefully placed The Lastbane inside it.

The sword slid into the sheath with a smooth metallic sound.

However, the distinctive dragon-shaped pommel remained visible.

Erick held a piece of red cloth before Elias and said, "Wrap that around the pommel."

Elias looked at the cloth and frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I said so," Erick stated seriously.

Elias frowned before shrugging. "Whatever."

He didn’t particularly care how it looked, and since Erick seemed serious about it, he followed the man’s instructions.

He wrapped the red cloth around the pale dragon head several times before tying it securely.

The distinctive shape disappeared beneath the fabric, leaving only a small portion of the hilt visible.

Erick nodded approvingly.

"Much better."

Belthon glanced toward the sword before looking at Elias.

"Are you ready?"

Elias nodded.

"I am."

Erick waved them away.

"Then get out of my armory. I have important work to do."

Belthon raised an eyebrow. "All you are going to do is sleep."

"Exactly," Erick replied without shame.

Elias couldn’t help laughing softly as he and Belthon walked toward the entrance.

"Come back alive," Erick called after them.

Elias glanced over his shoulder.

"I will."

"Good," Erick said, before immediately returning to his mattress.

The two men left the armory, and the noise of the city once again surrounded them.

The streets remained crowded, although the atmosphere had changed considerably since the church bell first announced the spatial rift.

Carriages moved through the roads while city guards hurried between buildings, and groups of commoners gathered along the sides of the streets to watch the members of the relief order pass.

Belthon walked beside Elias at a steady pace.

"We have to walk to the watch fort," he said.

"Okay," Elias nodded.

Watch forts were sturdy, fort-tower-like buildings constructed near the city wall. They contained the chambers and facilities used by the knights responsible for overseeing and protecting the wall.

As they continued walking, Elias occasionally glanced toward the distant wall.

The massive stone structure was still several minutes away, but the tall towers built along its length could already be seen above the rooftops.

Belthon suddenly looked toward Elias’s waist.

"You have obtained a fine sword," he said. "But make sure not to tell its name to anyone."

Belthon himself didn’t know that one of the seven Crucible Swords was called Lastbane, but there could be people who did know that, and revealing its identity could become dangerous for Elias.

Elias, however, was unaware that the sword in his hand was a legendary relic, so he couldn’t quite understand why Belthon was worrying. Still, he didn’t question it and simply nodded.

It wasn’t like he was losing anything by not yelling the name of his sword through the streets.

"Good," Belthon mumbled.

A carriage passed them, its wheels rattling against the stone road, while several commoners standing nearby watched Elias and Belthon with expressions of relief.

"Are they heading toward the rift?"

"They must be!"

"It’s all because the City Lord reacted so quickly."

Elias heard the comments but paid little attention to them.

A thought suddenly appeared in his mind.

’Can I store it in my inventory?’

The system had told him that he could store anything within that space, but he had never actually tested whether weapons could be placed inside it.

His curiosity quickly won.

Elias casually reached toward the hilt of the sword.

’Store this sword.’

The next instant, the sword vanished from its sheath.

Elias’s eyes widened.

He immediately felt that the sheath had become considerably lighter.

’It worked.’

Excitement flashed through his eyes as he quickly opened his Inventory.

The familiar orange interface appeared before him, displaying the grid of stored items.

His gaze immediately moved toward the fourth square.

A description appeared before his eyes.

[Lastbane]

[Grade: S]

[A sword forged from an ore star melted by the Intent of a Sword Transcendent and shaped by the spirit of a Paragon monster. The spirit of the slain resides within it, waiting for its worthy master to call for it.]

[Current Master: Elias Crimson]

[Spirit Status: Dormant]

Elias stared at the description for several seconds.

’What did I pick up...?’

As he thought deeper about the description, seven peculiar swords brushed against his memory.

The Crucible Swords.

Elias’s expression briefly became thoughtful.

’Could it be...?’

He quickly dismissed the possibility.

’There is no way a Crucible Sword would be in a small city like Kilmir.’

"It must be something else," he whispered.

Belthon glanced toward him.

"What?"

"Nothing," Elias replied casually.

He looked ahead again before mentally giving another command.

’Take out Lastbane.’

The sword instantly returned to his sheath.

Elias smiled.

The system’s Inventory was truly useful.

He could carry weapons without actually carrying their weight, and if necessary, he could even retrieve them instantly during battle.

He continued walking while focusing on the road ahead.

After about five more minutes, the massive city wall finally came into full view, and beside it stood the eastern watch fort, its sturdy stone tower rising above the surrounding buildings.

Elias narrowed his eyes as he looked toward it.

Six figures wearing light armor were already standing near the watch fort.