Has “the true king” returned or is there an antiquities thief on the loose? France's legendary sword, Durandal, has mysteriously vanished after spending 1,300 years wedged inside a rock, 32 feet off the ground. This sword, akin to France's version of King Arthur's Excalibur, was reported missing from the clifftop village of Rocamadour last week.

Before its recent theft, Durandal allegedly belonged to Roland, a famous knight in French literature. The 80-centimeter-long sword was no ordinary blade; it was fabled to be "indestructible" and capable of slicing through giant boulders with a single strike. Its long-lasting legend made it an iconic part of the village, drawing tourists and medieval enthusiasts alike.

Local police are treating the incident as a theft, launching an investigation into how such a well-secured and awkwardly located artifact could have been stolen. The sword was lodged in the wall, secured with a metal chain, next to a sanctuary with limited access, making its disappearance a perplexing mystery. Mayor Dominique Lenfant expressed the communal heartbreak, saying, "Rocamadour feels stripped of a part of itself. Even if it is a legend, the destinies of our village and this sword are linked."

The legend of Durandal is as grand as the sword itself. According to myth, Emperor Charlemagne received the sword from an angel and passed it on to Roland. In a dramatic attempt to prevent the rival Saracens from capturing it, Roland tried to break Durandal on a rock before his death in the Battle of Roncevaux Pass. When that failed, he threw it into the air, and it miraculously traveled hundreds of kilometers before embedding itself in the rock face of Rocamadour.

Rocamadour, located about 100 miles north of Toulouse, was voted France’s favorite village in 2016. Now, the village now faces the daunting task of recovering their historic sword and with it, a piece of their very soul.

As the investigation continues, the villagers hold onto hope that Durandal will be returned. Until then, Rocamadour remains a place of legend, now with an added layer of mystery. Who knows? Maybe the sword is on another miraculous journey. Wherever it is, one thing is certain: Durandal’s legend is far from over.

Read more about this developing story from Metro.