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The Swordplay of Mist and the Revelation of Stars

【The Night of Vestas】

The mining town of Vestas was softly enveloped by moonlight, delicate as thin silk.

The forests of the Endoval Duchy sank into deep stillness,

with the distant hoot of an owl drifting through the trees.

Mist melted into the faint glow of gas lamps,

and the curtain of night seemed to quietly herald the onset of a trial.

At the base of an ancient oak stood a boy—

Radix Brightmore Spencer, raising a greatsword with both hands.

His short, tousled white hair swayed in the night breeze,

and his golden eyes held a silent resolve.

A star-shaped pendant reflected the moonlight,

while his simple cloak spoke of the sword saint lineage flowing in his blood.

The fifteen-year-old heir of a baronial house

faced a singular destiny on this singular night.

Before him loomed Lugna Sebastian Valheim, crown prince of the Sperbia Empire.

The massive figure, dubbed the “Lion Beastman,” was shrouded in mist,

exuding a majestic yet ominous presence.

A cursed bracelet pulsed red,

sharp claws faintly slicing the air.

His tail stirred the breeze, and the forest rumbled lowly.

His voice carried the foul stench of Sperbia.

Casting aside the courtesies of old nobility, he wove exaggeration and scorn into words to manipulate others—

his speech perfectly embodied the cunning of a trickster and the arrogance of a prince.

“Lugna, what are you scheming in Vestas?

If you call yourself a king, cease hiding behind petty tricks!”

Radix brandished his greatsword, shouting sharply.

His cloak flared, and the pendant caught the night’s light.

Lugna manipulated the mist, his form blurred as he retorted,

“A mere boy dares defy me? Pathetic drivel.”

A thunderous laugh shook the forest, his claws flashing.

The cursed mark glowed eerily, and a ruler’s composure oozed from him.

“My oath won’t waver in this measly fog!”

Radix leaped, his greatsword tracing an arc through the air.

It parried the claws, sparks tearing through the mist.

Lugna’s tail snapped an oak, trees creaking.

Dust rose, and the forest trembled faintly.

“Guided by the goddess’s revelation, my path

won’t be blocked by the likes of you!”

Kicking a fallen log, he closed the distance,

ears attuned to the mist—rustling leaves, the babbling stream, and the whoosh of claws.

“Taste the sword of Shigenryu!”

The greatsword’s strike rang with a metallic clang.

But Lugna’s claws grazed his shoulder, tearing his cloak.

A red streak seeped out, and Radix endured the pain in silence.

From the depths of the mist, Lugna’s mocking laugh echoed.

“Sink into Sperbia’s shadow, child.

I am the king—absolute, unmatched by any!”

Radix dropped to one knee, clutching the pendant tightly.

In that moment, the star-shaped gem flashed,

and an emblem on his chest began to pulse.

His golden eyes wavered, a deep resolve coursing through his veins.

“Your arrogance will be shattered in the goddess’s name!”

Rising, he raised his greatsword to the heavens.

The blade glowed with the goddess’s light.

“This strike bears the will of the stars!”

A white radiance surged from the sword’s swift descent.

The flash pierced the mist, searing the night enveloping the forest.

Infused with the stars’ roar, it struck Lugna directly.

The forest was bathed in light, trees swaying.

Lugna still laughed.

“Absurd! I, Sperbia’s overlord,

stopped by the likes of you?”

But his voice was swallowed by the torrent of light.

And the towering shadow scattered like dust.

As the light faded, silence returned to the forest.

Radix thrust his sword into the ground, steadying his breath.

“If you call yourself a king, at least surpass this sword, Lugna.”

Yet Lugna’s parting words—“Sperbia’s shadow”—lingered in his heart.

Clutching the pendant, he felt a faint warmth in his palm.

Beyond the mist, red eyes flickered briefly.

They signaled that this battle was not an end, but a beginning.

【The Bond of Siblings】

As the night deepened at the ancient oak, a gentle presence drew near.

Mare Brightmore Spencer approached her brother quietly.

Her long white hair was tied high,

and a dress reflecting the stars melted into the moonlight.

A star-shaped pendant swayed, her blue eyes holding serenity and compassion.

The nineteen-year-old baronial lady—her presence was like hope illuminating the darkness.

“Radix, you’re safe?”

Her voice, soft as a spring breeze, brought calm to the darkness,

though a faint shadow lingered in her smile.

A subtle tremor ran through the slender hand clutching the pendant.

Was it the weight of their family’s legacy?

Wiping sweat from his brow, her brother sheathed his greatsword.

“Sister, the beastman king appeared here.

‘Sperbia’s shadow’—those words won’t leave my mind.”

His golden eyes betrayed a hint of unease,

but his sister’s warmth enveloped it.

Mare silently placed a hand on his shoulder.

“The Holy Knights will protect Vestas. No need to worry.”

Her voice was gentle, yet tinged with an overly bright note—

a mask sometimes worn by those bearing fate’s burden.

Radix leaned against the oak,

touching the pendant lightly.

“It was a strangely vivid dream…

That mocking laugh keeps echoing in my ears.”

A bitter smile curved his lips,

his gaze into the misty depths holding a distant shadow.

Mare smiled, gently cupping Radix’s cheeks with both hands.

“It’s because the Holy Knights’ entrance exam is near.

You’ll overcome it.”

Her words carried trust and prayer for her brother,

but the pendant’s faint warmth whispered of an impending storm.

“Dreams are mirrors of the heart.

Your sword will surely find your own answers, Radix.”

“Your words are etched in my heart, Sister.

A mere beastman king? I’ll defeat it myself.”

Light returned to Radix’s eyes,

his fist clenching with strength.

Mare’s smile faintly lit the veil of night—

yet a small shadow in her heart lingered, unvanished.

【The Radiance of the Square】

Morning mist gently cloaked Vestas’s square,

a silvery veil enveloping the world.

The faint glow of gas lamps melted into the fog,

and in a quiet corner of the serene town, signs of awakening softly stirred.

At the center stood

Freida St. Clair Pembroke—

a girl with meticulously braided black hair,

a floral ornament from her father swaying as she proudly wore a crimson cotardie.

Her blue eyes burned with pride and fire,

her dignity as a knightly house’s daughter commanding the square like a queen.

“Hey, Radix!

That gloomy face of yours is seriously annoying!”

Her voice, as if to dispel the mist, rang out.

“With my spirit, I’ll blow that mood away in a flash!”

Beneath her bravado, a faint plea to be noticed flickered.

To her wish, Radix Brightmore Spencer offered a quiet smile.

Within him dwelt a soul aged fifty-two years—

a man who died at thirty-seven on Earth,

now living fifteen years in the land of Orlog.

His short, tousled white hair danced in the morning breeze,

his golden eyes reflecting seasoned wisdom and gentle resignation.

“Freida, your passion is a blaze piercing the overcast sky.

But before drawing your sword, learn to temper that fire.

As a knightly house’s daughter, isn’t your… speech a tad too fierce?”

Beneath soft mockery, warmth for her well-being shone through.

Freida instantly pursed her lips, puffing out her cheeks.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I’m perfect as I am!

Abandon my true self? Absolutely not!

And you always treat me like a kid, but I know proper high-class etiquette!”

Her blue eyes held pride, frustration, and a hidden affection.

Radix shrugged, gently patting her head.

“A charming girl—like a spring tempest’s vigor.”

His gesture lacked romantic hue,

carrying instead a grandfatherly fondness.

Yet Freida’s passion undeniably lit a corner of his heart.

“What’s that!? Stop treating me like a kid!”

Masking her anger, she raised her bow high.

“Anyway, your swordsmanship—Shigenryu, right?

Show me how amazing it is!

…Or are you teasing me to steal my heart!?”

Beneath her taunts lay a desperate wish not to be abandoned.

Then appeared Mare Brightmore Spencer—

her long white hair tied in a high bun,

a star-shaped pendant gleaming at her chest, a lady of serene smiles.

“Radix, fate is unyielding, but…

her earnest heart will someday carve open the future.”

The pendant in her hand trembled faintly.

Her sisterly gaze affirmed Freida’s passion.

Radix asked,

“Sister, you seem out of sorts this morning?”

Mare’s blue eyes gazed softly into the distance.

“True strength… shines only after surpassing trials.”

Her voice held kindness, tinged with faint regret.

But Freida, as if to shatter the mood, raised her voice.

“Radix, ditch that lame face, it’s so uncool!

With my arrows, enemies are done in one shot!”

Her confident expression faltered,

perhaps feeling Radix’s gaze again treated her as a child, her lips pursing.

“You looked at me like that again, didn’t you!?

I’ll absolutely show you my true strength!”

Radix chuckled, shoulders shaking.

“Freida, your arrows are fiercer than a beastman king.

But before piercing my heart, take down our foes first.”

His irony blended gentle resignation with deep affection.

“Hmph, Radix!

I’ll make you notice me, just you wait!

Get ready for my arrows!”

Her voice rang clear across the misty square.

In the depths of her eyes, the flame of love burned quietly but surely.

Mare smiled.

“Truly dazzling… Freida’s affection.

Radix, I hope you can weather this storm?”

Her tone carried a sister’s embrace and a secret wish.

Radix narrowed his eyes, responding quietly.

“Even you, Sister?

Freida, the next foe is a beastman king.

My heart, I’ll guard with this sword.”

At his chest, the star-shaped pendant quietly warmed,

and the unseen gears of fate began to turn, one by one.

【The Goddess’s Trial】

That night, Radix was drawn to the edge of sleep,

guided to a sacred realm far beyond mortal reason.

The sky was rent by thunder,

the scent of roses and myrrh enveloping the forest trees,

stars singing in the heavens,

and moonlight transformed into golden flames.

Then, the goddess of love and beauty—Venus—descended.

Clad in iridescent silk, her garb shimmered like the Milky Way,

a crown atop her head gleaming with stardust’s radiant light.

Her voice, a blend of thunder’s roar and lyre’s melody,

shook the depths of the soul.

“Bearer of the stars’ grace.”

With that single utterance, the forest held its breath, time itself stilled.

Radix stood in the void, sword in hand.

His white hair danced in the night breeze,

his golden eyes meeting the goddess’s divine majesty head-on.

“Goddess Venus, what do you ask of me?”

Venus raised a finger,

and a pendant glowed in response to celestial light.

“The land of Orlog is now shrouded in the darkness of seven kings.

You are the one to alter that fate.

My divine power shall be etched upon you.”

With her words, a sacred seal burned into Radix’s chest.

The rhythm of the stars took root in his blood,

his will trembling beyond the bounds of flesh.

“I grant you the Light Arrow of Judgment. Behold.”

The void split, and a pure white light surged forth.

It was an arrow bearing the stars’ wrath,

a symbol of divine retribution.

Radix’s eyes widened, his voice trembling as he shouted,

“This…! The brilliance I saw at Livermore’s lab,

used to guard President Transom!

Could this be the power of a goddess!?”

Venus smiled,

yet her smile did not shy from the weight of destiny.

“This power is sealed until you surpass your trials.

Will it become a blade of destruction or a key to paradise?

Your soul shall determine its worth.”

The dream was suddenly cloaked in darkness.

Vestas’s mining town was engulfed in flames,

the screams of women and children tearing the night.

Men gripped swords, staking their lives against roaring foes.

Mare lay fallen in the ashes, unconscious.

“Sister…!”

Radix’s anguished cry faded into the sky with fire and blood.

At that moment, the pendant flashed,

and the goddess’s voice resonated in his soul once more.

“Seek the ancient labyrinth hidden beneath the forgotten hill.

The key to the Light Arrow lies there.”

He awoke, breathing heavily,

sweat on his brow, clutching the pendant tightly.

“A goddess’s revelation…

Then Sperbia’s shadow is but a prelude to be severed by my sword!”

Outside the window, mist crept,

and red eyes peered intently at him.

It was as if the darkness itself questioned his resolve.

【A New Dawn】

Morning mist quietly enveloped Vestas’s valley.

In the center of the square, Radix gripped his sword, muttering to himself.

“In the name of Goddess Venus,

I will conquer these trials.

The beastman king’s shadow, I’ll shatter its ambitions with my sword!”

His silver hair gleamed in the sunrise,

his golden eyes brimming with steadfast resolve.

The pendant at his chest warmed faintly,

pointing to the path of fate.

And the red eyes lurking in the mist’s depths

quietly vanished.

The night in Vestas was merely a prelude.

Radix, Freida, Mare—

their bond would soon ascend into a grand tale revolving around the divine key.

And now, the unseen gears of fate

began to turn silently.

【Afterword】

Thank you for reading this far!

How did you find the first chapter of The Reincarnated Divine Sword The Goddess of Mist and the Ultimate Trial?

This time, we witnessed the breathtaking clash between Radix and Lugna, as well as the majestic appearance of the goddess Venus. Radix’s cry, “This strike bears the will of the stars!” and Freida’s passionate “I’ll show you my spirit!” really cranked up the story’s intensity, didn’t they? Mare’s kindness and hidden shadow also left quite an impression. Which scene or character moment hit you hard? Please let me know!

Next time, the mists of Vestas will weave even deeper, and we’ll see how Radix and his companions face new trials—what are “Sperbia’s shadow” and the fateful key hinted at by the goddess’s revelation? The gears of the story are quietly turning. Stay tuned!