I Returned with the Cheat Holy Sword

“If you say one more weird thing, I’m seriously going to get mad.”
[...I haven’t even said anything yet, dear.]
Gray snorted and replied.

“You always say stuff like ‘go find a boyfriend’ or ‘when are you going to start dating’ every time we talk, Dad.”
[Well, that’s true.]
“I’m not interested. I’m not doing it.”

[But what if—]
“Even if I end up losing all the good guys, I still don’t care.”
[... ]

Hmm.
Having your daughter read you like a book wasn’t exactly a pleasant feeling.
Then again, he had said similar things too often, so maybe it was inevitable.

Still, there was always one secret weapon he could pull out in moments like this.
[Then what about young Carlyle?]
“...”

Gray’s lips clamped shut.
Annoyance overtook her entire face. She could just see Lionel smirking on the other end of the comms device.
“We get along just fine.”

The instant he heard her sulky voice, Lionel broke into a wide grin.
To the average observer, it might’ve just looked like she was irritated—but to a father, it was obvious.
It wasn’t that she disliked Carlyle—her reaction came from a certain frustration she felt toward him.
And judging by how Gray had been behaving toward Carlyle lately, it was easy to figure out the reason behind that frustration.

She typically reacted this way whenever it seemed like Carlyle was giving more attention to someone else.
[Carlyle hasn’t been around you much recently, has he?]
“There’s nothing I can do about that. I’m the Hero.”

Ever since the large-scale demon incident in the Imperial Capital, the nobles of the empire had been stricken with fear.
And to calm their anxieties, Gray had been shipped around all over the place—largely under Felix’s coordination.
Because of that, she’d been too busy to even see Carlyle’s face lately.

She didn’t like it, but she accepted it as inevitable.
The title “Protector of Humanity” inevitably came with political baggage.
In fact, one could say Felix was managing things as efficiently as possible to prevent future scandals.

“...”
…But still, that was one thing.
The growing number of people clustering around Carlyle lately was another—and it didn’t exactly put her in a good mood.

Especially...
—Can’t I bring him with me?
—No, Lady Chasefield.
—Why not?
—Because I won’t be able to focus on my work if he’s there.
—...
—Until I fully identify who that man is, don’t bring him in front of me again. Understood?
Even Felix, who was dragging her all over the place, had shown that kind of attitude—and it pissed her off to no end.

He had been like that ever since Carlyle revealed parts of his past.
‘...I don’t like it.’
She really didn’t like the way Felix acted whenever he brought Carlyle up.

People liked to say Gray was just some wild animal with no social sense, but that wasn’t true.
She wasn’t clueless—she just didn’t care.
In that sense, what she saw in Felix was—

Even if he sounded like he was being cautious around Carlyle, the real emotion underneath was interest.
He was thinking: what if this person is more important than I initially thought?
He didn’t want to bring Carlyle in until he was perfectly prepared and could leave the best possible impression.

That was the right way to interpret it.
“.........”
Why are there so many people trying to get close to him?

As that thought reached her, Gray’s face began to twist into something much darker.
The kind of expression that would make nearby people instinctively give her a wide berth—like a beast baring its fangs.
And then, driving the final nail into her mood was none other than Lionel on the other end of the line.

[Gray. Listen carefully.]
“—Forget it. You’re just going to say the same thing again anyway.”
Gray answered bluntly.

“I told you—I’m not interested in romance or any of that crap. Whatever he does is his own business.”
In response to that...
Came a question that pierced her like a blade to the chest.

[Would you really be okay with losing him?]
“...”
Gray went completely silent.

[I know you’re not big on romance, and that’s fine. But I think it’s time you were a little more honest with yourself.]
Because if you’re not...
Then you’re going to regret it later.

[I hope you’ll at least follow what your heart tells you.]
Even if she wasn’t sure yet.
Even if she had no confidence in whether she could handle those kinds of emotions.

Even if she thought she didn’t care about that sort of thing.
Was she really okay...
With Carlyle pushing her to the side and getting close to someone else?

“.........”
Gray remained utterly silent.
The silence made Lionel smile wryly on the other side of the comm.

Well.
He wasn’t sure whether to feel grateful or anxious about it, but—
The only subject that this uncontrollable daughter of his didn’t get angry about was when they talked about Carlyle.

That had to mean...
She’d started to value him quite a lot.
And that sort of thing—

Could sometimes become a double-edged sword.
It wasn’t hard to imagine what might happen if someone like her—who couldn’t regulate her emotions—ended up mishandling those feelings.
‘...Poor Carlyle. He’s in for a rough time.’

But in the end, Carlyle was the only one who could walk that path.
Even her father had never managed to truly change Gray through influence alone.
So all Lionel could do...

Was be there to support her when she needed guidance.
So that—whatever form their relationship took—it would end well.
[Oh, by the way, dear. That reminds me.]

And with that—
He shifted to a topic that might, in some form, contribute to that “progress.”
[There’s something I need to tell you.]

“Huh?”
[There’s been a summons. From the Imperial Family.]
“...”

Gray’s expression completely vanished from her face.
***
– Specialty Info

◆ Family of the Sword Saint
Due to cultural values in the Sacred Nation, people from one’s hometown are bonded through deep camaraderie—but among them, family is considered life’s highest purpose.
Panhyma Acha Oren, a prodigious swordfighter from the Far East, is the head of a fallen noble house and has long searched desperately for her only surviving sibling.

Perhaps she is also looking for someone she can embrace as a new family member.
Help her achieve that purpose and become someone truly special to her!
▶ “Growth Tasks” unlocked.
▶ Completing tasks will yield rewards!

...Hmm.
It was the fourth time he’d seen a window like this, so it didn’t exactly surprise him. Just another oh, so Panhyma gets one of these too kind of moment.
The problem, however—

Was what was written under the growth tasks.
[※ ‘Instructor’ progress is determined by the subject’s satisfaction with each new experience. Give them their firsts!]
[※ Accumulate favorability through shared experiences!]
“...”

From what he’d seen so far, this whole Instructor Skill thing worked by helping others overcome their weaknesses and being rewarded in return.
In that sense, it did make sense that Panhyma came with this kind of condition.
She was someone who’d spent her whole life training with the sword. She had virtually no life experience beyond that—something he’d heard repeatedly.

Among the things she lacked experience in, the most frequently mentioned was—
—...Romance?
—Never done it before.
—I’d like to try it at least once before I die...
He still remembered how she’d said that while nervously fidgeting.

And how she’d kept sneaking glances at Carlyle while saying it—he’d just thought she must be really embarrassed and left it at that.
[Idiot.]
‘...’

[Idiot. Moron. Dumbass.]
‘...What the hell is this about now.’
[I have a policy of not talking to idiots.]

‘...’
The Holy Sword was berating him again for no reason, but in any case—
This Trait was giving off serious vibes.

...Like the system was actively nudging him to flirt with her.
After everything with Vespa, it only made him more nervous.
Still—

‘It’s not like I’m not going to help her.’
That was something to worry about later.
For now, helping Panhyma find her brother was a priority.

Whatever happens during that process—he’d deal with it when it came.
“...I’m sure it’ll work out.”
“What’s going to work out?”

“...”
Before he could finish the thought, Vespa—who was beside him scrubbing plates—tilted her head curiously.
They were doing the dishes after Gray’s meal.

“It’s nothing. More importantly—”
Carlyle let out a deep sigh.
“You should rest. You’ll wear yourself out.”

Strictly speaking, both of them were attendants. Doing this kind of work was part of their job.
‘...Didn’t she used to just stay out of it?’
Gray’s temper was notoriously hard to handle. Keeping up with her required both Carlyle and Vespa to be constantly on their feet.

Especially Vespa, whose stamina wasn’t great—she usually conked out early, and dish duty like this was typically his job.
...But now, she was right beside him, helping as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
What could he say?

Maybe he was overthinking it, but...
It felt like she was forcing herself to stay at his side. Just to be near him a ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ little longer.
“I’m fine. The more I move, the stronger I’ll get!”

She smiled brightly as she said it, leaving him without a retort.
‘...If she collapses, the Hero’s going to yell at me for not managing her properly.’
As he was thinking that—

A voice came from the doorway.
“Ah, there you are.”
Noble blood will always be noble.

Carlyle gave a dry smile as he saw Gray stride into the kitchen.
“Young Lady? Is something the matter?”
She was the type who refused to even step into the kitchen for hygiene reasons. For her to show up here herself was highly unusual.

“You. Keep this weekend free. You’re not taking any classes right now, right?”
“Well, that’s true, but... what’s going on?”
“Someone from the Imperial Family is coming to Yoram. I need someone to help attend to them.”

“...”
“You and me. Just the two of us.”
Carlyle’s face went stiff.

The Imperial Family.
Imperial Family, huh...
[...Sounds like a damn devil is coming.]

‘Hero, that’s a bit harsh.’
Carlyle sighed inwardly.
‘Apologize to the devil.’

[...Apologies, devil.]
He could say this with absolute certainty—it would not be a pleasant experience.
As Carlyle thought that—

He wasn’t the only one having a negative reaction.
“Um, Young Lady...”
Vespa spoke up hesitantly.

She glanced between Carlyle and Gray, clearly nervous.
“...Just the two of you?”
“It might be dangerous. I heard their visit isn’t just a formal inspection. There might be combat involved.”

Which is why... you’d best stay behind.
That was what Gray meant as she shrugged.
Likely, the decision had considered Vespa’s personality. Regardless of her abilities, it was obvious that Vespa avoided combat.

That’s why—
What came out of her mouth next was completely unexpected.
“Could I come with you?”

“...”
“...”
Not just Carlyle—even Gray stared at her in stunned silence.

“...Huh?”
...And Gray’s voice, when it finally came out, was filled with a whole mix of emotions.