I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

The knight in white armor looked at Victor with a scornful smile, the sound of his laughter echoing off the imposing staircase that led up to the matrix of the Church of Light. Victor stood his ground, his eyes fixed on the knight as a group of guards gathered a short distance away, watching the scene.

"What makes you think you can just show up here and demand an audience with the heroine Rosalyne?" The knight shook his head. "She can’t be bothered with trivial matters from strangers who show up out of the blue."

Victor felt a growing warmth in his chest, a mixture of frustration and determination. He knew that this meeting was crucial. "My name is Victor Shieldman," he began, trying to keep his voice calm and steady. "Believe me, the heroine Rosalyne will want to hear what I have to say."

The knight stepped forward, spear in hand. "I told you, the Heroine does not receive visitors. If you continue to insist, I will be forced to escort you out of here by force. We will not tolerate disturbances in front of the Matrix."

Victor took a deep breath, feeling the tension in the air. He knew he had to tread carefully. He looked away for a moment, taking in the colorful stained glass windows that adorned the cathedral’s facade. The epic tales and divine miracles depicted there reminded him of the battles he had fought, the sacrifices he had made.

"It is not my intention to cause a disturbance," he said, his voice low but firm. "But I can’t just leave." He took a step forward, trying to show his resolve without sounding threatening. "I just need a moment with her."

The knight frowned, clearly irritated by Victor’s persistence. "You really don’t understand the situation, do you? I can’t allow a stranger to enter the cathedral and meet with the pontiff of the Church of Light. Leave immediately or we’ll remove you by force."

Victor didn’t back down. Instead, he slowly drew Elban’s black sword from its sheath and held it in front of him so that the knight could see it clearly. The blade glinted in the morning light, its eerie glow reflecting off the marble walls.

The guards immediately widened their eyes and drew their swords as well. "You idiot, you’re going to die right now!"

"There’s no need for violence," Victor said calmly, stopping the guards’ momentum. "This is the sword I’m here for. Look at that..." He pointed to a mark at the base of the blade, an intricate symbol that seemed to glow with a light of its own.

The knight narrowed his eyes and studied the mark carefully. "That... that mark," he murmured, clearly surprised. "It is Rosalyne’s mark. Only she can forge weapons with that symbol."

Victor nodded and held up his sword. "Exactly. This sword was forged by Rosalyne. I’m sure she will remember this sword and understand the urgency of this meeting."

The knight hesitated, the determination in his eyes beginning to falter. He glanced at the other guards, who were watching the scene with expressions of confusion and curiosity. Finally, he took a step back and lowered his spear. "Very well. I’ll take you to her. But know that I’ll be watching your every move."

Victor nodded and carefully put the sword down. "Thank you. I promise I won’t cause any trouble."

With that, he followed the knight to the great doors of the cathedral, feeling a temporary relief mixed with the tension of what was to come. The doors opened with a deep creak, revealing the interior of the matrix of the Church of Light. The main hall was vast, with high vaulted ceilings and rows of polished wooden pews. The smell of incense permeated the air, mingling with the soft sound of chanting echoing off the stone walls.

Victor was led down the center aisle, past worshippers kneeling in prayer and priests busy with their daily duties. The presence of the knight at his side seemed to dispel any questioning, but he could still feel the curious and suspicious looks upon him.

The main hall seemed to stretch on forever in front of Victor, with its soaring arches and majestic stained glass windows. The dark wooden benches were perfectly lined up, each carved with delicate details depicting scenes of ancient miracles and legendary battles. The polished marble floor reflected the multicolored lights that pierced the stained glass windows, creating a spectacle of color that danced to the rhythm of the candle flames.

Victor couldn’t help but feel a weight on his shoulders as he walked down the center aisle. Each step he took seemed to echo through the hall, marking his presence in an almost tangible way. He passed a group of priests discussing in low voices near a table full of ancient scrolls and books. They stopped their conversation and watched Victor with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion, but none of them approached.

As he advanced, Victor noticed a series of marble statues lined up along the walls. Each statue represented a hero or important historical figure from the Church of Light, their expressions etched in stone seeming to convey both wisdom and courage. There was a statue of the jovial Aluella, Max, Rufie, Karla, and so on.

Victor paused for a moment in front of one statue in particular, depicting a knight with a raised sword and a determined look. He couldn’t help but feel a bond with this figure, a silent connection of warriors facing seemingly impossible battles. After all, the statue belonged to Helban, the reason he was here.

Finally, the knight accompanying him stopped in front of a smaller door next to the main altar. He knocked twice, and a soft voice answered from the other side. "Come in."

Victor felt his heart race. He knew he was about to face one of the most important moments of his journey to this city. With a gesture from the knight, he entered the room.

The room he entered was simply divine, with walls covered in tapestries that told stories of great deeds and miracles. In the center of the room was a large table covered with parchments and writing implements. Behind the table stood a female figure, dressed in a red gown adorned with iron elements. Her white hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her red eyes shone with a keen intelligence.

"Rosalyne," the knight said, bowing slightly. "This man, Victor Shieldman, has an urgent appointment for you. He possesses a sword forged by your hands."

Rosalyne looked up at Victor, almost afraid. "Victor Shieldman..." she repeated, as if testing the name on her stunned lips. "Are you the... real Victor Shieldman?"

In Victor’s vision, time didn’t seem to have come for Rosalyne as it had for Victor. She had gray hair, like him, but her gray hair had been that way since she had received Aela’s blessing. Rosalyne was still youthful, even in her body and face. Maybe that’s why she didn’t believe it at first sight when she saw Victor, so much older, in front of her.

Victor nodded slowly. "Yes, it’s me. Time has passed differently for each of us, Rosalyne."

She nodded slightly, still absorbing the reality of his presence. "Knight Dante," she said, turning her attention to the guard beside Victor. "Can you leave us, please? I have much to discuss with Victor." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The knight hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he assessed the situation. "Lady Rosalyne, with all due respect, I’m not sure it’s wise to leave you alone. We don’t know this man’s true intentions."

Rosalyne sighed, showing enduring patience. "I appreciate your concern, but I’m sure I’m in no danger. Victor would not harm me."

The knight still seemed undecided, but with one last suspicious glance at Victor, he bowed and left the room, closing the door behind him. The sound of the door closing echoed through the silent room, leaving Victor and Rosalyne alone.

Victor finally allowed himself to relax a little, his shoulders slumping as he approached the center table. "Anyway, to make a long story short, I’m not here for me, and I’m not here for anything you might be thinking."

Rosalyne frowned, slightly concerned. "Then why are you here? Why reappear after so many years?"

Victor took the sword from its sheath and placed it carefully on the table. The black blade was like no other.

"This sword is..." Victor started to say, but was interrupted by the pontiff.

"It is the sword of Elban. How did you...?"

"Nearly two months ago, before this harsh winter had begun, I happened to be passing through Agocester."

Immediately, Rosalyne connected all the dots and topics. She knew that Agocester was the town where the hero Elban had sacrificed himself to seal away a powerful demon called Gravisk, a demon that was a necromancer and could have caused all the destruction in that village. At the time of Elban’s sacrifice, the sword was stuck to the ground and no one was strong enough to pull it out, as it was the main key to the seal and even touching it was dangerous.

"You..."

"Don’t worry, I didn’t just break the seal, I killed Gravisk."