Chapter: The Future
「Well then, let’s continue our lesson on the divine swords today. Last time, we learned about their names, abilities, and locations, right? Does everyone remember?」
「?? Yes, Winal-sensei! ??」
「That’s wonderful.」
Our teacher Winal-sensei is a carefree, silver-haired elf with an ample bust. As you can imagine, she’s always been incredibly popular among the students.
I remember the underclassmen making a fuss about her resembling the protagonist of some manga or another.
「Okay, let’s start with a short review. Since today is the 13th, I’ll pick on... Mark-kun. How many divine swords are there?」
「Twenty-six in total!」
「Correct. Well done.」
The blue catkin Mark, my childhood friend who was seated in front of me, gave the teacher a lively answer. He must be around at that age where boys start admiring mature women.
I could only sigh upon seeing this pitiful side of him. Come to think of it, he did say something about having a thing for older women.
「Next question, how many of them do we know the whereabouts of?」
「Twenty!」
「Also correct. Since the number of sealed Evil God Fragments has fallen significantly in the current era, most divine swords are under strict surveillance to prevent them from being used for war. The managing countries are obligated to display them publicly every year, so the wielders cannot simply take them out on a whim.」
Personally, I’ve only seen the divine sword Chariot, since the Raydoss region holds a festival on the day of the display. All the academy students have gone to see it at least once.
「Among the six with unknown whereabouts, the most peculiar is the Blade of the End, Zero. Although we’ve verified its name via the Oracle skill, its existence has never been confirmed in written history.」
The teacher wrote “Zero” onto the whiteboard.
「Next, Orietta-san. Four of the unlocated swords have a common trait. Can you tell me what that is?」
「Um... Ignis, Gaia, Krystalos, and Tempest are constantly wandering in search of their next wielder.」
「That’s right, and they also share the same creator. These four divine swords have carved their names into history multiple times, but they always appear out of the blue.」
Winal-sensei continued lecturing as she added the names of those swords to the list.
「That is because they travel the world on their own in search of a wielder. What’s more, they appear as ordinary swords to anyone unfit to wield them. Certainly sounds like the beginnings of a grand tale, doesn’t it?」
The boys of the class started to stir, probably all fantasizing about getting chosen by a divine sword themselves. I must admit I had such fantasies when I was a kid too.
No, I suppose it’s only natural for black catkin to have such fantasies. Our racial attachment to the divine swords is unparalleled.
「A few others such as Lindwurm and Valkyrie also tend to wander, but we have a grasp on their current location. However, they will vanish again once their wielders pass away. The Adventurer’s Guild posts a quest to search for them every few decades or so, turning it into quite the event.」
I remember Grandpa saying he participated in one of the divine sword searches, but in the end, it seems the wielder came forward on their own.
「Okay then, what about the last unlocated sword? Fran-san, I’m sure you know the answer, right?」
「Yes.」
The teacher called my name next. Yeah, I kinda saw this one coming!
「Fran’s Master, the Master Blade.」 This chapter is updated by nov(e)(l)biin.com
「What?」
「So you really don’t know where the divine sword is?」
Honestly, this is a question we black cats get all the time. But come on, you’ve known me since we were kids, and you still have to ask?
This dumbass...
「Of course not.」
「Oh, okay. Well, I guess someone like you wouldn’t know anything about a divine sword.」
「Just drop it!」
He does have a point though. We may share the same name, but I’m just an ordinary girl. How could I possibly compare to the legendary hero Fran?
I only chose to study magic here since it’s useful for finding a job. I’ve always been awful at swinging a sword, and my grades are closer to the bottom than the top. A few people have praised my decisiveness, but that’s about it. Even if I’m lucky enough to stumble upon a divine sword, there’s no way it would actually choose me as a wielder.
「Still, aren’t there rumors about it being hidden in the Black Cat Training Grounds?」
「They’ve already searched every nook and cranny of that place, you know.」
The Black Cat Training Grounds is a dungeon that only black cats can enter, said to have been created by Fran using the power of Fran’s Master.
Apparently, she made the dungeon right under Schwarzkatze to help train the black cats there. Ancient heroes sure knew how to get things done.
「But there’s always a chance, right! Aren’t you heading into the Black Cat Training Grounds this summer?」
「Yeah, just for a little when I return home.」
「Damn, I wish I could go too. If you really find the divine sword, you better show it to me!」
「Yeah, sure. Big if though.」
Literally millions of black cats have explored that dungeon throughout the ages. How am I supposed to find what they couldn’t, under a time limit of a few days?
But, well. If by some chance I do find something, I might as well brag about it to my friends.
Thinking about it that way, I’m starting to look forward to my return.
「The Black Cat Training Grounds...」
I wonder what kind of place it is. What encounters will I experience? What is waiting for me there? I’m getting excited already.
For some reason, I have the feeling something good will happen. It’s as if I could hear the footsteps of lady luck.
Author Activity Report
I started TenKen in September 2015, and it ends with this chapter. Thank you, the readers, for supporting me over the past eight and a half years.
I truly enjoyed writing this work, and reading all of your feedback gave me strength. While bringing it to an end does feel a bit melancholic, I believe it’s best to conclude it at a good stopping point, as originally planned.
Now let me talk about my post-conclusion schedule (maybe a bit of an oxymoron). I intend to post some side stories to coincide with the second season of the anime, and possibly other projects as well.
Of course, TenKen will still continue in other forms of media. I know everyone is eagerly awaiting the second season of the anime, so please rest assured that it is proceeding as scheduled. That said, I don’t know when the exact broadcast date will be. As soon as I get an update, I will inform you all through activity reports and other mediums. In the meanwhile, feel free to watch season one again as it is now available for free.
Also, I’d like to complete the Characters page since I left it unfinished. It might take a while until I have some free time, but I’ll get to it eventually.
The light novel version will naturally continue as well. As I’ve mentioned a few times before, the ending will be slightly different, so please give your continued support.
As for my future plans, I plan to start posting a new work once my dental treatment is completed. This is something I have been preparing for a few years now, so it’s not like I’m overworking myself or anything. It should start around the middle of March, so please check it out if you are interested.
-Yuu Tanaka, February 2024