A Divine Commission was an exceptionally rare message issued by the System to only a handful of Awakeners. Not many had ever received one, but those who did often spoke of the extraordinary rewards they gained after completing it. Some had obtained powerful abilities, others had received rare items or opportunities that changed the course of their lives.
Because of this, Divine Commissions were considered once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Many Awakeners dreamed of receiving one, believing that following its instructions could lead to something far beyond what ordinary quests could offer.
Aksibilian stared at Macarius for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
"But how?" he asked. "No, no, wait. That’s not the right question."
He rubbed his forehead, trying to put his thoughts in order.
"If you’ve received a Divine Commission related to this war, does that mean we’re supposed to take part in it? Then why didn’t you tell me earlier? I wouldn’t have even tried to stop you, man!"
Macarius blinked at him.
"Wait. Why are you suddenly agreeing with me? Weren’t you against it just a moment ago?"
"That’s because I thought you were acting out of some misplaced kindness toward these people!" Aksibilian replied, throwing his hands up. "You met them three days ago, and suddenly you’re ready to throw your life away by going to war in someone else’s place. I thought you’d become an idiot!"
"Wait. Are you saying I’m an idiot because I wanted to do something good for someone I recently met?"
"Not exactly..." Aksibilian looked away for a moment. "But something along those lines."
Macarius stared at him.
"Then what about you?"
"What about me?" Aksibilian asked, his eyebrows drawing together in confusion.
"You didn’t even know who I was, yet you saved me. And I saved your life because I thought you were a good person. Now you’re telling me I’m an idiot for trying to do something for people who might be good, too?"
Aksibilian opened his mouth, then closed it again.
"Hey, Macarius. That’s different."
"How?"
"Because this time, you have a reason to do it!" Aksibilian said, his voice rising slightly. "I’m not disagreeing with your decision anymore. What I was worried about was you volunteering for a war on behalf of someone you barely know, even though you can hardly fight properly!"
He paused, looking directly into Macarius’s eyes.
"I know you might have that Tower Blessing that keeps you alive, but how long do you think you can rely on it? Your body still gets hurt. You still feel pain. And you can still die. You need to think about yourself sometimes, man."
His anger had faded, leaving something much more genuine behind it. Aksibilian wasn’t trying to stop Macarius simply because he thought the decision was foolish. He had already seen how recklessly the young man could put himself in danger, and he had no intention of watching him do it again.
Macarius lowered his gaze.
Aksibilian wasn’t entirely wrong. He knew almost nothing about these people. He had no memories of his past, no family to return to, and not even the faintest idea of what kind of person he had been before losing everything.
Perhaps he had once been selfish. Perhaps he had been kind. Perhaps he had been someone entirely different.
He simply didn’t know.
But that didn’t mean he had to remain that way.
Not knowing who he had been didn’t mean he couldn’t decide who he would become.
"I understand that," Macarius finally said.
He raised his head, his expression quieter but more determined than before.
"I’ll find a way to grow stronger somehow. And I think going to war might be a better opportunity for me than simply hunting monsters."
Aksibilian watched him without answering.
For a few seconds, the room fell silent. The faint sounds of the household drifted through the walls, but neither of them paid attention.
Finally, Aksibilian sighed.
"Okay. Then I’ll be going with you, too."
Macarius looked at him, slightly surprised.
"You’re coming with me?"
"Did you think I’d let you wander into a battlefield alone?" Aksibilian gave him a tired look. "I’d rather keep an eye on you before you do something even more stupid."
Macarius’s lips curved into a small smile.
"Thanks."
"Don’t thank me yet." Aksibilian leaned back slightly, then his expression turned serious again. "What did the Divine Commission actually say?"
Macarius paused.
He recalled the strange message that had appeared before his eyes. Even now, remembering its words gave him an unfamiliar sensation, as though he had glimpsed something far beyond his understanding.
Then he began to recite it.
DIVINE COMMISSION
The Threads of a Fated Encounter
"Every fate is woven from countless threads. Some lead to salvation, others to ruin. Yet there are threads that must never be severed."
A Golden Pillar has been lost from the sight of the Tower. Among the Seven Golden Pillars, one awaits beyond the tangled threads of fate.
Seek it.
But before the path may be revealed, you must stand upon the stage where countless destinies converge.
A war approaches.
Enter the battlefield. Walk among those whose lives are bound by the coming conflict, and face the enemy whose fate has been intertwined with yours.
The first seal shall open only when the war has reached its conclusion.
Commission Seals
First Seal: Locked
Condition: Complete the War of the Northern Frontier.
Second Seal: Locked
Condition: Undisclosed.
Third Seal : Locked
Condition: Undisclosed.
Three seals. Three trials. Only those who discover the path may reach the end.
Aksibilian remained silent after hearing the message.
His eyes moved over the words Macarius had repeated, particularly the parts concerning the Seven Golden Pillars and the fated enemy.
"...A war, a Golden Pillar, and some enemy whose fate is tied to yours?"
He slowly rubbed his chin.
"That’s quite a commission."
Macarius nodded.
"There’s something else, too. It says there are three seals. But it only tells me how to unlock the first one. I have no idea what the other two require."
"Naturally." Aksibilian leaned back and let out a long breath. "The System couldn’t possibly give you straightforward instructions. That would be too convenient."
He glanced at Macarius again, his expression turning thoughtful.
"Still, if this is really a Divine Commission, then there’s probably more to this war than what those soldiers announced."
Macarius looked toward the window.
Outside, the town was still troubled by the decree. People were discussing the soldiers’ demands, worrying about their families and the supplies they would have to surrender.
The war had already begun to affect their lives, even before a single battle had reached their doorstep. And somewhere beyond the northern frontier, an enemy awaited him.
When they finally left the room, Grandpa was waiting for them on the first floor.
He looked up as the two descended the stairs. Judging by his expression, he had been hoping Aksibilian would somehow manage to talk some sense into Macarius. Unfortunately, the look on Aksibilian’s face suggested that the conversation had gone in a rather different direction.
"Grandpa..." Aksibilian began.
He glanced briefly at Macarius before continuing.
"After discussing it, we’ve come to a conclusion. We’ll be going to the war instead of you."
For a moment, Grandpa simply stared at him.
Then his expression changed.
"What?!"
His voice echoed through the house.
"Have you two completely lost your minds? I already told you that you don’t need to do anything for me!"
He stepped closer, looking from Aksibilian to Macarius as if expecting at least one of them to reconsider.
But neither seemed willing to change their minds.
And so, what followed was practically an entire day of arguments.
Grandpa tried reasoning with them, then scolding them, and eventually even tried appealing to their sense of responsibility. Aksibilian argued that he was an Awakener and could handle himself, while Macarius remained stubbornly silent whenever Grandpa directed his frustration toward him.
By the time evening arrived, Grandpa had seemingly exhausted every argument he could think of.
He still wasn’t happy with their decision.
But he had finally accepted that he wouldn’t be able to change their minds.
The following morning, Grandpa called for both of them.
"Come with me. There’s something I want to show you."
He led them through the house and toward a small staircase descending beneath the first floor. The narrow passage was dim, and the wooden steps creaked beneath their weight.
They eventually reached a storage room beneath the house.
It was filled with old furniture, wooden boxes, farming tools, and various belongings that had probably been left untouched for years.
"Grandpa, why did you bring us here?" Aksibilian asked, looking around.
Grandpa didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he walked toward a large wooden chest sitting against the wall.
"Since I’ve failed to convince either of you not to go to war..." He paused and placed a hand on its lid. "I at least want to make sure you two have a better chance of surviving it."
He opened the chest.
Inside were several pieces of old equipment, carefully arranged and covered with cloth. Despite their age, they had been preserved remarkably well.
Grandpa reached inside and picked up a suit of armour along with a small helmet. He brushed away some dust before handing them to Aksibilian.
"This belonged to my younger brother. He was a great man."
Aksibilian accepted the equipment and examined it.
"Your younger brother? But... isn’t this a special type of armour? The kind usually made for Awakeners?"
"Yes. It is."
Grandpa nodded.
"We had people like you in our world, too."
"People like us?" Macarius asked, tilting his head slightly. "What do you mean?"
Grandpa looked at him for a moment before answering.
"I don’t remember exactly when it started. But ever since I was a child, there have been adventurers who entered the Tower and climbed its floors. As they continued ascending, they became stronger and earned more money. Some eventually reached a point where they could live comfortably without worrying about their livelihood ever again."
His gaze drifted toward the chest.
"My brother and I used to dream about becoming adventurers ourselves. We thought that if we entered the Tower and climbed high enough, we could leave our poor lives behind and finally live the way we wanted."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"We were young. We thought anything was possible."
He paused.
"But we never reached that dream. After the sixth floor, there was no way for ordinary people like us to climb any higher."
His smile slowly disappeared.
"I also lost my brother on the sixth floor."
The room fell quiet.
Grandpa lowered his head for a moment before reaching into the chest again. This time, he took out a sword.
He held it carefully, almost reverently, before extending it toward Macarius.
"Here. Take this."
Macarius accepted it.
The moment he saw the sword properly, his eyes widened.
"...This sword."
Its blade was beautifully crafted, with a refined shape that seemed both elegant and practical. The metal reflected the dim light of the storage room, while the carefully designed guard and grip gave it an unmistakable sense of craftsmanship.
It didn’t look like an ordinary weapon.
It looked like something that had been made by someone who understood exactly what a sword was supposed to be.
"It’s so beautiful," Macarius murmured, turning it slightly to examine the blade.
"Yes, I know," Grandpa replied.
He gave a small, almost nostalgic smile.
"Because it was mine."
"Yours?" Aksibilian looked at the sword with renewed curiosity. "This sword belonged to you? How did you get something this extraordinary?"
Grandpa looked at the weapon for a while.
Then he let out a quiet sigh.
"That’s a long story..."
His fingers brushed against the old chest.
"It was a gift from my wife."
Macarius looked down at the sword again.
At that moment, a familiar translucent window appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations you have gained Epic Grade sword – Vigilia!]
SYSTEM
[Vigilia]
EPIC GRADE SWORD
A sword once wielded by a renowned hero and adventurer.
Forged by the hands of a diligent craftswoman, its beauty is matched only by the dedication poured into its creation. Though time has passed, its edge remains true.
Additional Effects:
Willpower: +5%
Strength: +5%
Some weapons are made to kill. Others are made to carry the will of those who wield them.
Macarius blinked.
"...Epic grade?"
He looked at the sword again, then at Grandpa.
He had just received a weapon that had once belonged to a great adventurer. And judging by the System’s description, it was far more valuable than its appearance alone suggested.
But what caught his attention most was its name.
Vigilia.
It sounded strangely fitting for a sword that had been preserved for so many years. Macarius tightened his fingers around its grip, feeling its weight settle naturally in his hand.
Meanwhile, Grandpa continued looking at the weapon with a distant expression. For him, it wasn’t an Epic-grade sword or a valuable piece of equipment.
It was a memory of someone he had loved.