I Returned with the Cheat Holy Sword

There had been someone who picked a fight with her at the Imperial Banquet.
So she killed them.

……
“……”
…It wasn’t *that* big of a deal, was it?

“How is that not a big deal?”
What kind of brain did someone have to have for their first murder to be considered nothing special?
In response to that incredulous remark, the Holy Sword grumbled, almost sullenly.

The person deserved to die in the first place. Just look—until I met you, they’d been wielding the Holy Sword without issue, hadn’t they?
“…That’s not the point.”
The problem wasn’t whether the person deserved it.

The problem was that she had killed someone just because she was angry—at that age.
A person’s personality is the sum of their experiences. The fact that this incident had become just a minor, forgettable blip in her memory meant that her perception was already dangerously warped.
The real issue was that she’d gotten away with it cleanly.

There’d been no emotional wall left to remind her that what she did was wrong.
And the way Gray inside the Holy Sword reacted now proved it.
Carlyle had thought she was starting to soften—but clearly, she was still someone whose emotional foundations were built on mountains of unresolved damage from childhood.

So, what do you plan to do?
What else?
Stop it at all costs.

Carlyle could tell instinctively—this was one of the key triggers that could most drastically change Gray’s personality.
But.
“Well, the goal is correction, after all.”
He let out a sigh as he spoke.

“I have to show her there’s another way to handle things.”
That "way" would probably require him to attract some attention.
The key was creating a situation where she wouldn’t get angry—and that was going to be his job.

Basically, all he needed to do was make sure the atmosphere stayed calm enough that she could handle any provocation peacefully.
[System Log]
The Hero’s curiosity toward you has intensified in a positive direction.

Trait [Hero’s Companion] is activating.
A new “Positive Trait” is being added!
[ ★ Trust 5.1% → 5.1% ]

Reward granted!
Open the Trait Tab to check it!
[ The “Holy Sword” has unlocked an additional function! ]
[ Continue building your relationship with the Hero to unlock more functions! ]

He scrolled through the interface that had opened previously when he earned the trust reward.
Well, in that sense—
The skill he needed to take was obvious.

“Hero.”
What is it.
“Aren’t you kind of… overpowered?”

That thought came naturally when he looked at the next skill.
[Skill Info]
◆ Noble Etiquette

As a member of «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» the prestigious Chasefield family, Gray Chasefield has received rigorous education in all forms of noble etiquette. If you so choose, no noble in the Empire will ever be able to find fault in your conduct.
The fact that something like this existed as a skill just showed how thoroughly she’d been trained.
It was a little terrifying, honestly.

To think she’d mastered etiquette to such a precise degree—yet still chose to behave like a menace out in public…
……
Judging from the fact she didn’t even try to deny it, he knew it was true.

***
It wasn’t her first time at an Imperial banquet, but the storm cloud hanging over Gray’s face showed no sign of clearing.
“…Dear, are you feeling unwell?”

“Everything.”
“……”
Of course, Gray wasn’t the type to mince words just because the person talking was her father—but still, that merciless tone was something even Lionel hadn’t gotten used to.

Though, naturally, Lionel was also the kind of man who would just laugh it off.
“Still, you seem to be in a slightly better mood than before.”
“…Excuse me?”

“Normally, you wouldn’t have even answered. But ever since that Carlyle fellow showed up around you, you’ve seemed… a little softer.”
If before, just making eye contact would get someone torn apart by a wild beast, now she was more like… a wild beast that would only attack if you got too close.
Either way, her temper had definitely mellowed compared to before.

“……”
Gray clamped her mouth shut, saying nothing.
How should she put it…

She didn’t want to admit it, but—
“…He’s… kind of useful.”
Ever since that guy showed up, it really did feel like her usual annoyance had decreased.

He was a weird one.
He always knew what she needed. What she liked. Without her ever saying it.
That was why she brought him to the banquet in the first place.

As she recalled that, Lionel’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“W-what did you just say?”
“……”

“U-useful? You just said someone else was useful? You? Talking about another person like tha—”
“Father. You’re being loud.”
“……”

Lionel was instantly sunk in one hit and stayed silent all the way to the banquet hall.
“We’ve arrived. Let’s go.”
“……”

She stepped down from the carriage holding her father’s hand.
At once, all eyes in the hall turned to her.
“She’s the youngest ever to be granted the Holy Sword—”

“That must be the famous—”
“……”
The Hero’s superhuman hearing picked up every single conversation in the banquet hall as if it were being whispered right beside her.

The attention directed at her was something she’d long grown used to—like air.
But the problem was, not all of what she heard was simply harmless interest.
“She’s lobbying the Orthodox Church using her ducal family’s influence—”
“Bet she seduced them with that pretty face—”
“There’s even a rumor she flirted with the Prince—”
“They say her achievements were fabricated—”
“……”
Yeah.

This is why she hated Imperial banquets.
Because they left her exposed to the malice of people she didn’t even know.
Gray’s expression twisted.

She was no stranger to the petty jealousy of vulgar worms.
But—
Why the hell was it pissing her off this much?
It was getting harder to just ignore it like she used to.

‘…Ah, I get it.’
After some thought, she arrived at a conclusion.
You deserve to be happy.

Because some guy had said that to her.
Because some guy had given her the idea that she didn’t have to live a life constantly pulling in attention wherever she went—that there might be another path.
Because some guy had told her that she, too, had the right to live like a normal person—not be treated as something “special.”

Because of that, she had come to understand that reactions like those… weren’t normal.
…And that’s why she was so angry.
While she chewed on that thought, another sentence reached her ears.

“Looks like she came without an escort again.”
Among nobles, who you bring as your escort to a banquet is a surprisingly significant indicator.
Who supports you is often seen as a direct reflection of your status.

So, the more eye-catching and elegant your escort, the better.
In that regard, she did have her ever-loyal attendant, Vespa—but she couldn’t be used as an escort.
Reliable and thorough, yes.
But at the end of the day, she was still just a maid. She didn’t stand out.

“Well, she’s already infamous as a total brat. No decent escort would want to go near her.”
And that wasn’t exactly wrong.
The type of high-class escorts meant to elevate their master’s standing wouldn’t even dream of dealing with Gray’s temper.

Not that Gray cared about such things in the first place.
Let them whisper all they want.
It’s not like any of them had the guts to say it to her face.
But—

“The Duke must suffer. Always having to bring that vulgar daughter of his to these events.”
“Does she not even consider that she might be a burden to her family? That’s the kind of behavior that ruins reputations.”
“……”

She glanced sideways at her father.
The idea that she might be causing trouble for him… that, at least, didn’t sit well with her.
“It’s alright, dear.”

“……”
The Duke would always brush it off with words like that.
But in this moment—when her emotions were running hot—it didn’t help.
It didn’t make her feel any better.

The gossipers around her were really pissing her off tonight.
‘…Maybe I should just massacre them.’
Should she just grab one of those whispering bastards by the hair and slam them into a wall?

If she made an example of one, wouldn’t the rest shut up?
“—Wait, who is that?”
Just as she was spiraling in that direction, a new sentence pierced her awareness.

It didn’t take long to figure out who they were referring to.
“…What the?”
She murmured blankly.

Carlyle—dressed impeccably in formal attire—was kneeling in front of her, offering his hand.
The perfect gesture of a gentleman escorting a lady.
“……”

“……”
The noble girls who’d been whispering just moments before instantly clammed up.
He radiated such poise and class that their tongues were tied.

He wasn’t some sculpture-perfect pretty boy or a wealthy heir dripping in luxury.
In fact, if anything, his looks leaned more toward “what’s a peasant doing here?”
But—
In every one of his movements, there was a quiet dignity.
A refinement that only the royal family—or those close to it—could exude.

One glance, and it was clear:
This man was not some common nobody.
“My lady. Shall we?”
“……”

What the hell is with this guy.
He had this kind of talent, too?
Where the hell did he learn court etiquette like this?

Gray blinked slowly.
“How many things are you hiding from me, exactly?”
“I told you, didn’t I? You’ll regret it if you toss me away.”

“…Hmph.”
She scoffed, but took Carlyle’s offered hand.
What could she say?

Honestly, most of what he did struck her as annoyingly showy—but the murmurs around her had vanished completely, and that was satisfying.
…It was something she never could’ve seen on her own.
“Well done.”

The small mutter slipped from the corner of her lips.
“What was that, my lady?”
“Don’t grin at me like that. Unless you want to get kicked in the face.”

“……”
***
[System Message]

▶ Trait [Hero’s Companion] is activating.
▶ The “Rehabilitation List” has been partially updated!
[ ★ Human Hatred 95% → 90% ]
▶ Reward granted!
▶ Open the Trait Tab to check it!

[System Message]
▶ You have met the condition for a “Key Event.”
▶ The Hero’s first “Cognitive Shift” is approaching.
▶ How you handle this event will greatly impact your relationship with the Hero!