I Returned with the Cheat Holy Sword

Taking care of children younger than herself was not something particularly difficult for Vespa.
After all, she had served the worst child in the world for so long; just looking after kids was nothing at all.
“Unni, what do you do?”
“What’s your relationship with the Hero?”
“You seem close with Mr. Carlyle!”
And if the children were this lively and sociable, to the point one would hardly believe they were daughters of powerful households, then being with them wasn’t all that unpleasant.
In fact, when she had first heard they were young ladies from influential families, she had expected it to be difficult—maybe not as bad as with Gray, but still troublesome. Yet they were much more well-mannered and kind than she had anticipated.
…If you left out the part where they had just been clinging to Carlyle a moment ago.
“All right, all right, I’ll take your questions one at a time.”
Vespa answered with a benevolent smile.
The lively atmosphere quickly gave way to introductions as well.
Red. Yellow. Green. The young ladies introduced themselves in turn.
Nina, Anna, Carla.
Of course, their full names were far longer, but they cheerfully granted permission to use those shortened versions.
And so, in the empty factory district, suddenly a cheerful chatter of young women’s voices filled the air.
“Unni, were you a Yoram student too?”
“We’re entering Yoram next year!”
“That makes you our senior!”
“But, we still haven’t heard your introductions.”
“Ah, we are—!”
According to them, Nina was the daughter of the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anna the granddaughter of the Captain of the Imperial Guard, and Carla the eldest daughter of the Minister of Manufacture…
“…”
Vespa realized these girls were far more extraordinary than she expected.
She had been chatting idly, only to realize she was speaking with children of such families that she found herself breaking into a nervous cold sweat.
At this level, if Carlyle hadn’t associated with them at all, that in itself would have been impossible to handle.
In terms of power, they ranked just beneath the Duke of Chasefield and the March Baron of Foheiven.
And given that their families held current high-ranking posts, the pressure they carried was no less.
…Wait, and they were sent out here with no protection?
Realizing anew what sort of children she was with in this place, Vespa felt a pang of # Nоvеlight # gloom.
Surely, their very presence here was their families’ way of trying to forge some kind of connection with Carlyle.
Which, in turn, meant Carlyle had become that important to so many people.
The last thing I need is more competition…
In the brief time she looked away, he had once again piled up connections and made himself famous among people.
“…”
Vespa grasped the hem of her skirt tightly.
Mr. Carlyle, you’re really popular…
In truth, she often thought it would be stranger if he wasn’t.
He was the kind of man who always appeared as if from nowhere whenever an incident broke out, handled the situation, and vanished without a trace.
To Vespa, however, he was the one person she could rely on above all others.
…Whenever he was by her side, she found strength.
I’m… such a worthless person…
If Carlyle hadn’t been the one to reach out his hand to her, when no one else ever cared—
If she hadn’t mended her relationship with Gray, if she hadn’t realized she had talent in magic and grown in that direction—
-Who were you again?
…Then, as before, she would have remained a nobody to anyone, to everyone.
Just an irrelevant person, unnoticed.
That was why.
The one who had changed her into someone else, Carlyle, was precious to her beyond measure.
And so—
She was afraid.
That with so many people piling up ties with him around here, someday, just like before—
She might return to being someone precious to no one.
Not to the young ladies, not to Carlyle.
As before, living and dying in the background, forgotten, a nothing—

“Unni?”
Vespa blinked and raised her head abruptly.
Nina was looking up at her curiously, right beneath her.
“Are you all right? You don’t look well.”
“...Ah, no, it’s nothing.”
Vespa shook her head with a forced smile.
“I was just… thinking a little about Mr. Carlyle.”
“...Are you not on good terms? Did we bring up something we shouldn’t have—”
“N-no! No! It’s not that I’m on bad terms with Mr. Carlyle! On the contrary—”
Vespa hurried to deny it, then abruptly shut her mouth.
…There was, in fact, a word that had instantly come to mind.
But her fragile heart couldn’t possibly let it escape her lips…
“…?”
And as Vespa blushed and fidgeted, the traffic-light trio looked at her with puzzled expressions.
They studied her for a moment—then Nina, Anna, and Carla exchanged glances in an instant.
Immediately afterward, all three voices rang out at once, as if they had understood everything.
“Aaah—”
Children were quicker on the uptake than expected.
There was no mistaking such a blatantly obvious reaction, one even a fool would notice.
“Tell us how that happened!”
“Wasn’t there anything heart-pounding?”
“Give us a fun story—!”
The three girls rushed at Vespa, squealing with excitement.
Like children begging their teacher for her first-love story, leaving Vespa dizzy, eyes spinning, and flustered.
H-how am I supposed to explain this…
She forced an awkward smile, sweating profusely.
Couldn’t something—anything—happen to get her out of this situation…?
And then it did.
…In the worst way imaginable.
----!!!!!
From inside the factory district, an ear-splitting roar exploded.
It was the kind of sound that made Vespa and the traffic-light trio freeze and turn in shock.
A sound so terrifying, it made the tiny hairs on their skin stand on end.
And from the place where that sound erupted came—
“…My Lady?”
No matter how you looked at it—
It was Gray’s magic.
***
Opportunities to speak with Gray were, in truth, not as frequent as one might think.
In everyday life, she was always busy.
Training, studying, or dispatched somewhere to handle tasks.
As a Hero, she could hardly avoid being busy, and thus chances for leisurely conversation were rare.
Which was why—even if one didn’t feel like saying certain things at such a time—
It meant one couldn’t afford to let the opportunity slip.
“…When are you going to apologize?”
“…?”
While searching through the factory district, Carlyle suddenly spoke up, making Gray tilt her head.
“Apologize? For what?”
“For Princess Illia.”
“…”
Gray’s expression twisted as she realized what he meant.
Back then—
When the First Prince and Second Princess had instigated her to kill Illia, she had abandoned the girl instead of defending her.
“It seems Her Highness was quite deeply hurt.”
Though the girl never spoke of it, it was clear that incident had left trauma in the young princess.
When Carlyle had broached the subject before, her face had darkened at once.
He understood the reasons, but emotionally it was harder to accept.
“…Why should I apologize?”
“…”
…Still a master at producing the worst possible answer.
“My Lady.”
“At that time, that was the right judgment to make.”
“…”
“If the same situation came again, I’d make the same decision.”
“…But in truth it was nothing but a false accusation. Doesn’t that give you sufficient reason to apologize?”
“…Why should I?”
Gray scratched her head blankly as she said it.
This woman—
With Carlyle, she had developed a degree of humanity.
But when it came to anyone else, she still had a long way to go.
“It’s a matter she has to understand. That’s what a Hero does in such a situation.”
“Why be so stubborn, my Lady? It’s not as if apologizing will cause any great harm.”
“I just don’t want to apologize for something I did right. Trying to kill an innocent girl was my fault, but I have no intention of apologizing for my actions themselves.”
Gray answered stubbornly.
“If I judge it necessary, I’ll sacrifice anyone. If it means saving many more people. Don’t interfere with me on that.”
“Then what about an apology as a friend?”
“…”
At Carlyle’s words, Gray hesitated.
Her lips worked soundlessly, then she turned her head away.
“You may have your convictions as a Hero, but wrong is still wrong, isn’t it?”
“…”
“Princess Illia cried a lot.”
At that, Gray scratched her head irritably.
“…Fine, fine, I’ll do it later.”
…Still arrogant, but—
She agreed to it. As she always did, in the end.
[A considerable step forward.]
Who’s saying otherwise.
As he exchanged such remarks with the Holy Sword—
Gregory, following behind and listening in, burst into laughter and spoke.
“It seems the Hero depends quite a bit on this brother of his.”
With a gentle smile, Father Gregory cut in softly.
His eyes still moved back and forth between Carlyle and Gray with interest.
Gray, on the other hand, turned red with embarrassment and cursed under her breath.
“Depends, my ass, this son of a—”
“No, no, it’s simply fascinating.”
Gregory chuckled still.
“To think the Hero, so inhuman in reputation, would empathize this much with someone.”
“…What?”
At the subtle implication in his tone, Gray’s eyes narrowed.
…As though she sensed something unpleasant.
“Well, isn’t it strange? Fascinating.”
And with those words, he extended a finger.
“To so openly show a weakness like this.”
It was a light motion.
And precisely because of that, Carlyle reacted far too late. Gray too.
“…”
Carlyle blinked down slowly at his own abdomen.
Gregory’s outstretched finger was—
Buried deep in his stomach.
As if he had been stabbed with a knife.
“How strange, that you could fall for the same method twice and still leave yourselves so defenseless.”
Carlyle, with a coin-sized hole through his stomach—
Staggered, and collapsed.
“—”
Gray’s pupils contracted.