I Am the Only Awakened One
“This should be the place… Yes, it must be.”
In the forest a short distance from the castle, I tucked the map I had been holding into my clothes and looked ahead. Beyond the shadows of the undergrowth, I saw a moss-covered stone wall rising from the ground. It seemed I had found the right place.
STEP, STEP.
As I approached, a relief carved into the stone wall came into view. The moss made it difficult to discern, but the image of an eagle perched atop a downward-pointing sword was unmistakably the crest of the Vermont family.
Recalling the note written on the map I had just put away, I placed my palm against the crest and pushed hard.
RUMBLE!
With a deafening grinding sound, the section bearing the relief sank inward. A moment later, the entire stone wall slid aside, revealing an entrance.
“Then shall we go?”
I took a deep breath with a long “Hoo,” steeled myself, and lit a torch. Then I took my first step into the darkness.
That was when it happened.
“Those without the blood of Vermont in their veins, halt and turn back. Your souls shall be severed from your bodies.”
I flinched and froze as the imposing voice suddenly echoed around me.
However, I sensed no presence in the darkness ahead, and the voice did not speak again. Perhaps it had been some kind of magical or ritual device left within the tomb.
Although it had startled me, I soon calmed myself and continued onward.
STEP, STEP, STEP.
Only the sound of my footsteps filled the dark, damp corridor. I could not hear so much as a rat or an insect. The walls illuminated by my torch were covered in reliefs carved in an exceedingly ancient style.
Ragna Vermont, the master of this tomb and the founder of our family, had been renowned throughout the world thousands of years ago.
He had mastered every weapon and every form of magic, possessed vast knowledge, and used his power to accomplish countless great feats. He had been both a hero and a superhuman.
However, death came for everyone equally, and Ragna had been no exception. Before reaching the end of his life, he had left his final words to his descendants.
-O descendant who can behold the silent guidance, you shall become my true successor. Let the one whose eyes have opened come to where I sleep. I shall take your hand myself and bestow my blessing upon you.
The words sounded like a riddle even at first hearing. Moreover, thousands of years had passed since then, so the family regarded them as nothing more than an ancient legend.
To me, however, they were not merely a legend.
‘Could the silent guidance… be referring to this?’
I glanced at the blue Status Window glowing at the edge of my vision and considered the possibility once more.
Ragna’s final words seemed to describe this ability. Although its explanations were incomplete, somewhat unhelpful, and often inaccurate, the word “guidance” was appropriate in the sense that it provided information.
‘And he said he would bestow a blessing… That must mean Ragna left something behind in this tomb for the successor who came looking for him.’
Of course, all my deductions could be wrong, and I might not be the successor mentioned in his final words. In that case, I would have to search for another path.
Either way, this was no time for idle thoughts. I needed to focus on what lay ahead. Steeling myself once more, I continued walking through the darkness.
Before long, the corridor ended, opening into a vast chamber. There was a high, domed ceiling, rows of torches burning along the walls, and a solitary stone coffin resting upon a dais.
That was all.
“This is everything…?”
There were no lavish burial goods or treasures to be found. For the tomb of the Vermont family’s founder, a man hailed as a hero, it was so modest that it felt almost empty.
On the other hand, that came as a relief. Rumors abounded that ancient tombs were guarded by magical constructs or undead guardians, but fortunately, I could not see anything of that sort.
“So, what am I supposed to do now, Ancestor Ragna?”
Even if I wished to unravel the secret of his final words, there was nothing that appeared capable of providing a clue. The only thing that caught my attention was the stone coffin standing alone in the center of the chamber.
Ragna was presumably interred within it, yet the coffin bore neither his name nor any decoration. Only the family crest had been carved clearly into its surface.
As though drawn by something, I approached the coffin and placed my hand upon it, just as I had done at the entrance to the tomb. I wondered whether it might cause something to happen.
At that moment, my vision flashed, and something appeared before me.
It was a pure white Status Window rather than a blue one.
[Welcome, Awakened One. Would you like to activate the Inheritance Module?]
[Yes/No]
My eyes widened in shock, and the strength drained from my legs, causing me to stagger.
The border of the white Status Window rippled as though it were aflame, and its sentence was perfectly intact, without a single missing section. I had never seen anything like it before.
‘So the silent guidance… really was referring to this.’
I soon calmed my pounding heart and stared intently at the white Status Window.
‘The Inheritance Module….’
I did not know what the words meant, but this was undoubtedly what Ragna had left behind. There was no reason to hesitate.
‘Yes.’
The white Status Window disappeared, and the lid of the stone coffin opened on its own with a deep, heavy sound. A beam of white light burst from within and soared into the air.
‘What is that? Armor…?’
Pieces of plate armor rose into the air within the beam of light. A helmet, breastplate, gauntlets, and sabatons gathered together and began assembling themselves from head to toe.
CLANK, CLANK, CLANG!
A moment later, the light faded. The armor had taken on the complete form of a knight and stood upright before me.
“Ha, at last… Welcome, Awakened One.”
I could not help but recoil in surprise at the low, resonant voice.
‘A Living Armor that can speak?’
A Living Armor was nothing more than an empty suit of armor animated through magical power. Such beings possessed neither a will of their own nor the ability to speak.
Then what was this?
“Are you Ragna’s spirit?”
“Incorrect. Ragna, that damned man… No, Lord Ragna entered his eternal rest thousands of years ago.”
“But you just appeared from inside the coffin. Besides, this is Ragna’s burial chamber….”
“This coffin is the Inheritance Module. It is merely a device designed to identify an Awakened One and summon me. Lord Ragna’s remains are interred in a separate chamber prepared for that purpose.”
Ah, so that was how it was.
Strictly speaking, this was not Ragna’s burial chamber. I had wondered why the tomb of the family’s founder, a man known as a superhuman, seemed so strangely empty.
“I am Doumar, a being created by Ragna. My duty is to manage this facility and assist the Awakened One in receiving his inheritance.”
“Help Text… No, Doumar, was it?”
It was a strangely awkward-sounding name. Ancestor Ragna might have been a great man, but it seemed his sense for naming things had left something to be desired.
In any case, countless questions were now circling through my mind. I composed myself, organized my thoughts, and continued.
“Very well, then let me ask you something. This ability called the silent guidance—did I inherit it from Ragna? Did Ragna possess the same ability?”
“Correct. Lord Ragna already possessed it when he crossed into this world from another world.”
“Another… world?”
“Lord Ragna was originally born in a world belonging to another dimension. One day, however, he crossed the boundary and came to this world.”
Unlike Doumar, who answered with perfect calm, I could not help but stare at him in astonishment.
‘Then does that mean the Vermont family descended from a dimensional traveler?’
I had heard of the concept of dimensional travel proposed by mages, but I had never imagined it could truly exist. Moreover, the founder of our family, Ragna, had been such a traveler himself.
The revelation left my mind momentarily numb.
‘Still, it makes sense. Perhaps he was able to accomplish so much precisely because he came from another world.’
Had he been able to leave behind such legendary achievements and earn recognition as both a hero and a superhuman because he had originally come from an entirely different world?
“However, as they richly deserved… No, regrettably, his descendants were unable to use the ability. Lord Ragna was disappointed, but he also foresaw that one of his descendants would someday awaken the talent. He left behind a clue that only the Awakened One could understand, naturally guiding that descendant to this facility.”
“I see. The clue must have been his final words.”
“Correct. He intended to leave everything to the Awakened One who came here in the future and successfully summoned me. At long last, someone who possesses the necessary qualifications has appeared before me. However….”
Doumar stopped speaking and looked me up and down.
“What is it? Is there a problem?”
“How should I put this? You appear remarkably… ordinary. So much so that I question whether you are truly suitable to become Lord Ragna’s successor.”
His genuinely troubled tone caused irritation to flare within me. In other words, I did not live up to his expectations of Ragna’s successor, and he found that disappointing.
‘Why did Ancestor Ragna create such an insolent creature?’
Had Ragna been standing before me, I would have demanded an answer.
Regardless of Doumar’s disrespectful attitude, however, his explanation had finally made everything clear.
Throughout the thousands of years that had passed, I alone had awakened the ability and earned the right to become Ragna’s true successor.
“Very well. In any case, you have summoned me, so I shall register you as an authorized user of this facility. What is your name?”
“Dieter. Dieter Vermont.”
“User registration is complete. Then shall we begin the first stage of your inheritance immediately, Awakened One?”
“What? Right now?”
His immediate proposal caught me somewhat off guard, but upon reflection, there was no reason for me to be surprised. I had come here precisely because I expected to obtain that power.
“Correct. The Trials of Inheritance will proceed through several stages. The first trial is intended merely to measure your fundamental capabilities, so there is no need to feel burdened.”
In other words, it was nothing significant, and I should attempt it immediately.
Very few things described in such a manner had ever turned out to be truly easy. I could not help but feel uneasy.
“Furthermore, you are Lord Ragna’s descendant. Though you may appear ordinary, you must surely possess capabilities and potential worthy of his bloodline. Would you not, therefore, be able to pass with ease?”
“Very well. I will do as you say and begin immediately.”
I decided to allow myself to be persuaded by his urging. Since I had already come this far, it seemed best to finish it without delay.
“Excellent. Then I shall begin the first Trial of Inheritance.”
A deep, thunderous sound rang in my ears as Doumar spoke.