The Replacement of the Sword Hero

Chapter Seven: Departure

The next morning, when I awoke as early as I usually did, I took the sheets of paper out of my bag and began to draw some designs on them with a charcoal pencil. I took them to the weapon store and showed them to Erhard.
"You want me to make that? How can anyone even lift such a thing? I don't know if you've seen my forge, Sword Bro, but it's not even big enough to fit such a sword in it." I listened to his protests for several minutes.
"I'm sure you have friends you can call upon to help with projects like this. I'm willing to pay you ten gold pieces for it."
Erhard was silent for a while. "Sword Bro..."
I clapped him on the shoulder. "I take that as a yes then. A pleasure doing business with you." I left the sketches on his counter and walked out with a smile and a wave, leaving Erhard to despair over the designs.

I returned to the inn for breakfast, then took Eclair with me and headed to our next destination. At the edge of the town stood a tall clock tower, the location of the Three Heroes Church. It was visible from most of town, but the closer we got, the higher and higher it seemed to grow. The building had a large footprint with sloping rooves leading up to the clock tower that protruded from the centre. The doors to the building were open, and people came and went as they pleased.
A woman wearing a nun-like habit approached me and greeted me. "You must be the Sword Hero, correct?" She smiled at me politely but shot a dubious glance at Eclair.
"Yes, please do not mind my slave. I have forbidden her from profaning this church with her speech." I said and the nun smiled again and bowed her head.
"Please follow me." She led Eclair and I deeper into the church until we were in the centre, beneath the clock tower. Suspended before us was an enormous ornate hourglass. The contraption that kept it suspended was just as decorated, and the whole device emanated a holy, mystical feel.

Gazing upon it made me feel on edge, as if my instincts were reacting to it. A powerful shock of emotion coursed through my body as I raised my sword towards it. There was a high-pitched beep, and a beam of light shot out from my sword and illuminated a jewel that was affixed in the centre of the hourglass. A small clock appeared in the corner of my vision.

25:04:37

Right. They had said the next wave would be about a month from the day we were summoned, so the timeline checked out. Also, now that I was registered with the Melromarc hourglass, as long as I was in Melromarc at the time of a wave, I, along with my party, would be automatically transported to its location. Which, I knew, would be in Riyute village.
"Is that all, sir Sword Hero?" The nun asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"If possible, may I please have a sample of the hourglass sand?" I requested.
The nun left us momentarily and returned with a small bag of sand. I absorbed it into my sword.

Dragon Hourglass Sand Sword conditions met.

Dragon Hourglass Sand Sword C: ability locked:
equip bonus: skill "Transport Sword"
mastery level: 0

I thanked the nun for her contribution and turned to leave. Then I stopped in my tracks. A thought had just occurred to me. I turned back to the nun again.
"Say... You wouldn't happen to have a replica of the four holy weapons in your possession, would you?"
The nun paled, her polite smile stretched into a panicked grimace. She furtively glanced around seeking help.
"Come now, one of the holy heroes, the Sword Hero is asking you a question."
"Please wait, I must consult with the high priest." The nun desperately excused herself and strode away quickly. When she returned, she was accompanied by the high priest and an escort of acolytes. The high priest gave me a saintly smile and called out to me.
"Sir Sword Hero."
"Yes?"
"The rumours about you were true, it would seem. The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways."
"What rumours, may I ask?" I didn't like the sound of that.
The high priest smiled benevolently again and said. "It is rumoured that the Sword Hero's knowledge is at a level bordering on omniscient." His face was lit up extatically. "Truly, the Lord has blessed us with a hero of great power and wisdom. If he has revealed to you our most closely guarded secret, then it can only mean that he wishes for you to use it."