"This is..."
At the sight, Loki instinctively opened her eyes wide. Ais even took an involuntary step forward, an irrepressible tremor of emotion appearing in her eyes. Watching Aestus Estus slowly rise into the air, she forced the name that haunted her dreams from deep within her throat.
"Xianjing..."
Pure, sacred, powerful-it seemed that everything beautiful in the world could be bound to the Sacred Sword that girl had become.
The girl known as the Sword Princess actually began trembling at the sight of Aestus Estus, something she rarely did.
She stared at the Sacred Sword with dazed, bewildered eyes, then gradually shifted her gaze to Roland, who held it.
Had anyone else seen Ais lose her composure like this, it would surely have caused an uproar in Orario. But now, Roland had stolen all the Sword Princess's radiance.
"It's Xianjing! One of those legendary..."
"A hero! A living hero!"
No Adventurer could possibly have never heard the heroic legends, and that was precisely why Roland's appearance stunned them.
The crowd erupted.
The spectators, already surprised and curious at the turn of events, seemed to ignite in an instant. A clamor surged like an ocean tide. Many Adventurers hurried outside, glancing back reluctantly as they went, ready to inform their Familia's patron deity of the news.
Other than the smiling Roland, the only person present who could still remain composed was Loki, whose eyes were now fully open.
"Ais!"
Her stern voice roused Ais, who had stopped in her tracks and stood rooted to the spot in utter astonishment.
"Draw your sword. This child isn't joking. You can't afford to hold anything back in this fight."
As though she had realized something, intense emotion welled up in Ais's crystal-clear eyes. With the utmost solemnity of her life, she drew the