The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knight’s Rampage Through Another World
The interior of the dungeon resembled the structure of what you might call ancient ruins.
A passageway about two meters wide and three meters long led to various rooms of different sizes, occasionally interspersed with staircases.
Essentially, the further you progressed, the deeper you descended underground.
The internal structure was primarily stone masonry. While the specific architectural style was unclear, an aura of solemnity and tranquility permeated the space, somehow reminiscent of a temple.
If this were Japanese-style, it would probably feel horror-like, but since it’s a Western-style temple, just walking through it makes you feel adventurous—it’s strange how that works.
Incidentally, in the Blaze of Glory scenario, dungeon exploration occupies a significant portion of the gameplay, aside from boss battles and events.
This is, of course, because gaining the dungeon’s ‘blessing’ allows you to strengthen the protagonist.
However, this ‘Sword-made Dungeon’ favored by the Vader family was inaccessible within the game itself.
This is because the story’s setting is the ‘Royal Capital’ and its immediate surroundings. In contrast, the Vader territory, home to one of the heroines, Alissa, is far from the battlefield and lies in what could be called the frontier from the Royal Capital’s perspective.
Therefore, entering this dungeon is a first-time experience for me.
Though the dungeon’s structure itself seemed largely unchanged from what I’d played in the game.
At most, perhaps because the deity worshipped here was different, the patterns carved into the walls, the jars scattered about that seemed like burial goods, and the design of the candlesticks illuminating the dungeon interior differed from other locations.
But there was something shared in common.
That was the presence of monsters.
“…There it is.”
Clack, clack. I spotted a ‘Golem’ approaching with a hard, clattering sound.
It was a design that felt oddly cute—a pottery jar, like unglazed earthenware, with arms and legs sprouting from it.
Its size reached about my waist.
While a decent size for a jar, its slow, clumsy movements didn’t feel threatening.
What did they call it in the game…
I can’t recall, so I’ll just call it a ‘Pot Golem’ for now.
It seems the thing hasn’t noticed me standing right in front of it.
Indeed, I can’t make out any organ resembling eyes on the Pot Golem.
That leaves sound, vibration, or perhaps magic… as the means it might perceive me.
I retreated carefully, trying not to make a sound, and hid around the corner.
I gripped the hand axe slung at my waist, holding my breath and preparing to fight.
The Pot Golem seemed to be patrolling the corridor, steadily approaching me.
It showed no sign of noticing me at all.
And then, as it reached the corner—
“Sssshhh!!”
I channeled magic power through my body in one swift surge.
The next instant, I leapt out from the corner and swung the hand axe down with all my might.
—CRASH!
The pot golem shattered with a high-pitched sound.
Fragments that had been the golem moments before scattered, making a dry, rattling sound.
The fragments didn’t regenerate or start moving again; they simply faded away, as if seeping into the dungeon floor.
Seems I managed to defeat it.
“Phew… That was surprisingly easy.”
After all, this was my first battle against a monster since being reincarnated into this world.
The satisfying sensation of the hand axe shattering the pot golem lingered in my hand as a faint tingling.
A sense of accomplishment welled up inside me, and I couldn’t help but let out a creepy little chuckle.
“Alright, let’s keep this momentum going.”
The next encounter was yet another clay golem.
This time it was humanoid, like a clay figurine, wielding a sword and shield.
This one’s got to be called a clay figurine golem.
But just like the jar golem before, it showed no reaction upon seeing me.
Probably these golems here lack vision altogether.
Once again, I defeated the enemy using an ambush tactic.
Sure enough, the clay figurine golem was hollow inside like the jar one, and it seemed easy to take down with a hand axe.
Besides, no matter how many swords or shields they wield, if they can’t hit me, they’re useless.
After progressing through the dungeon for a while like this.
Passing through several halls and corridors, descending stairs several times.
As I gained depth, I defeated or bypassed various clay golems that gradually grew stronger and harder.
Traps weren’t entirely absent, but they were straightforward gimmicks like stepping on a button-like protrusion on the floor, causing arrows to shoot out from holes in the wall.
Unless someone was incredibly careless, no one would fall for them.
That said, I recalled past casualties being killed when I accidentally triggered a trap switch during monster combat, only to be pierced through the vital spot by an arrow. So, I cleared it with the utmost caution.
After all that, I arrived at a vast space resembling a temple.
Its size was roughly comparable to a middle school or high school gymnasium.
Thick pillars were embedded into the walls on both sides, supporting the arched ceiling.
At the very back of the temple chamber were stairs, and atop them, a small altar could be seen.
And upon that altar… sat a single girl.
She was a mysterious girl with beautiful silver hair cut to shoulder length.
Her lonely expression, staring blankly into the void, even felt divine.
She appeared only slightly older than me.
Probably around fourteen or fifteen.
Her features were delicate, blending childlike innocence with a hint of maturity.
She wore a short, hooded robe-like garment over her slender frame, from which her long, slender limbs extended.
Well, hooded robes are only tied at the sides with cords, right?
Because of that, well… quite a bit of white skin and the base of modest curves… are rather clearly visible.
Well, this is the kind of world we’re in, so it can’t be helped.
And… judging from the situation, she seems to be our clan’s guardian deity, ‘Sword-Maker-sama’.
I never imagined such a beautiful girl would be our deity.
Wait, was ‘Sword-maker sama’ even a goddess to begin with?
Blaze of Glory is certainly a game for gentlemen, but dungeon cores usually took animal forms.
For instance, the first dungeon core the protagonist encounters in the story was definitely shaped like a giant eagle.
…No, but that’s only talking about cores encountered in the game scenario.
Even among named characters, many who possess ‘Divine Protection’ never have their dungeon cores’ appearances described.
Take our very own Alissa, for instance—the dungeon core that bestowed upon her the ‘Storm-Thunder Greatsword’… the ‘Sword-Crafting Goddess’ right before me is one such case.
“…Hm?”
Noticing my gaze, she turned to face me.
Her eyes were a deep emerald green, almost hypnotic.
“Ho, a challenger?”
She spoke in a voice like rolling bells, but her expression quickly turned puzzled.
“It feels much sooner than last time? Or perhaps my sense of time has dulled. …You, are you Alissa’s son?”
Wait, if I were Alissa’s child, how old would she have been when she bore me?
I kept that thought to myself, kneeling before the altar and bowing my head.
She was the Dungeon Core—a god in this world.
I didn’t want to be rude on our first meeting.
“I am Gerald, Alissa’s younger brother. Sword-Maker-sama, it is a pleasure to meet you for the first time.”
‘Hm, her younger brother, is it? No need to be so formal.’
Swordmaker-sama said this with a smug look, then hopped down from the altar.
A soft thud sounded, and my vision was filled with a pair of slender white legs.
When I looked up, Swordmaker-sama was looking down at me with interest.
“Come to think of it, Aaron had a son as well as a daughter. Let me get a better look at your face.”
She crouched down, reached out, and gently lifted my chin.
Then she leaned closer, peering intently into my face.
Whoa… Sword maker sama, your eyelashes are long… or rather, aren’t you just too good-looking?
Well, I mean, you are a god, so having perfect features is probably to be expected.
After thoroughly examining my face, she released her grip.
Then, with a light flip of her body, she floated up and dashed onto the altar.
She sat down, resting one knee on the edge of the altar, and spoke in a solemn tone.
“Hmm. Your features aren’t bad. You have the strength to reach this far.”
She nodded after saying that, then asked something else.
Somehow, it was timidly, as if she were afraid.
“By the way… do you already have a betrothed?”
“…Huh?”
What kind of question is that?
I don’t get her intent, but whatever.
It’d be pointless to mess things up here and upset Sword-Master-sama.
“No, I don’t have one at the moment.”
I answered honestly.
Or rather, there’s no way someone like me would have such a thing.
As a premise, in this world, marriage partners are usually decided around age ten between nobles or knights from neighboring domains.
Sometimes even before birth.
So-called political marriages.
But this Gerald, until ‘I’ regained my memories, was a flawless, perfect playboy.
Well, apparently until around age five, he was supposed to marry the young lady from the neighboring domain… but when the old me rebelled and it became uncertain whether I’d ever become the head of the Vader household, the engagement was swiftly called off.
The women of this world… no, precisely because they’re from this world, they judge a man’s future prospects with an extremely harsh eye.
Well, I suppose it was actually her parents who had that harsh gaze.
…Wait a minute.
Could it be that to receive the ‘blessing’, you need to have a fiancée?
If they tell me, ‘We cannot bestow the sword upon one who has no one to protect’… I’ll cry.
But after the Swordmaker-sama scrutinized me for a while… she murmured ‘Very well’ with satisfaction.
…Did she just lick her lips? Or was that my imagination?
Anyway, her earlier remark didn’t seem like a jab at being single.
I exhaled a silent sigh of relief.
She continued.
“Then I shall ask. —Gerald, what kind of sword do you desire?”
The answer was already decided within me.
I locked eyes with her as she sat upon the altar and slowly wove my words.
“What I desire is—the ‘God-Slaying Sword’.”