I Returned with the Cheat Holy Sword

Where there’s light, there’s always shadow.
It was good that he managed to avert a crisis that could’ve spiraled into something extreme—but now, the real problem was the fallout that might follow because he had dealt with it too well.

System Log
▶ Subject ‘Felix’ is taking a deeper interest in your past!
So now the Gray Cardinal was apparently developing a keen interest in his past.

“……”
Hmm.
Not that there’s actually anything to dig up, but still.

He must’ve made some kind of association based on the excuse Carlyle had thrown together on the spot.
“Hero. Do you know anything about Cardinal Felix’s past?”
[Hard to say… He’s always been the sort who avoids talking about himself. I doubt I’ll be much help there.]

Even the Holy Sword wasn’t likely to be useful in that regard.
Which left only one option.
“…Shall we just accept it if something blows up later?”

[At last, you’re learning to make rational decisions.]
Whatever happens, happens.
Judging by how personally rattled Felix had seemed that day, there was a good chance this was tied to something emotional and private.

He had also handled Carlyle with extreme caution, so it was likely not going to turn ugly.
His real focus should be elsewhere.
Primarily—

[Things will be quiet for a while, but they’ll be back eventually.]
This was about the demon worshippers who had blatantly summoned a demon.
For them to unleash a demon so openly in the capital—honestly, it was surprising a bigger incident hadn’t already happened.
“Of course, even if it was just a lesser demon, it’s still a demon, so it’s no small matter… Still.”

Even summoning a low-tier demon required a number of sacrifices that defied imagination.
Most likely, they’d been “collecting” victims for a long time—people outside the safety nets of society.
Which meant it was nearly impossible to grasp how long they’d been active or how widespread their network was.

And then—
Carlyle had discovered just one stronghold by accident that day, and even there, a demon had been summoned immediately.
They still didn’t know if there were more like it elsewhere.

…It left a bad taste in his mouth.
The feeling that somewhere, something far bigger was still lying in wait.
[On the flip side, they probably didn’t expect their summoned demon to be repelled without causing any damage. Like you said—even if it’s a lesser one, a demon is still a demon.]

“Hm.”
[They’re likely going to lie low for a while, preparing a real strike.]
That was a reasonable assumption.

Which meant Carlyle’s job now was to build up enough strength to crush them when they showed up again.
So then.
How to strengthen himself…

There were roughly three ways.
Carlyle’s own growth
Gray’s growth

Growth of the companions around him
Among those, the third stood out most.
Come to think of it…

During the trial exam, he’d met a girl named Letty, and that encounter had triggered a quest involving Vespa and something called a “divine spirit.”
Even that alone was fairly high priority, but then there was also the spear he saw during yesterday’s events—that too was worth revisiting.
-System Log
▶ A new event has been generated related to ‘Hero’s Companion’!

A companion-related quest, huh…
He wasn’t exactly sure what it entailed, but there were only three possible candidates.
Vespa, Panhyma, Drexler.

Any one of them would be a great person to reach early. All three would eventually become pillars supporting the united human army.
If only I could meet any of them a bit sooner.
Carlyle let out a bitter smile.

Unlike Vespa, who was always nearby, the other two were from places far outside the Empire. At this point in time, he had no idea where they were or what they were doing.
Then that leaves…
Vespa’s upgrade was the only one he could currently pursue.

But even that had its problems.
-Quest Info
◆ The Ingram Family’s Longstanding Wish
The prestigious Ingram family of mages has conducted long-standing research into the “Will of the World” and the “Otherworld.” Now, within your companion, they have glimpsed a fragment of their wish.
Fulfill their ambition, forge a bond, and strengthen both your companion and yourself!

※ This quest is extremely difficult. Full power assessment recommended before starting!
“……”
…All of that was fine, but what really mattered was the warning at the end.

If he brought Gray along, he could probably brute-force it somehow—but even then, he didn’t want to suffer losses before even fighting a demon.
…I’ll need to think this through.
No matter which path he took, there were too many restrictions in place.

Unless he found a perfect shortcut that could bypass those limits all at once, it would be tough to progress.
Which meant—there was only one thing he could realistically do right now.
“I should go take my lesson. With Headmaster Sior.”

For now, the fastest way for Carlyle to grow stronger was to awaken the various functions sealed inside the Holy Sword.
And lessons with Sior were, in that regard, the most efficient method.
[Ah, yes. I highly recommend it.]

…Strangely enough, even the Holy Sword was egging him on for once.
That was unexpected. This sword normally couldn’t care less about that sort of thing.
[I just got a little pissed, that’s all. Watching some brat strut around like she’s hot stuff.]

“You mean the young lady?”
[Who else but that tiny little runt.]
“……”

[…And it doesn’t help seeing you always tangled up with her either.]
“…Why does that bother you…?”
In the first place, if they didn’t train this timeline’s Gray properly, the world was doomed. That was the whole reason Carlyle was doing any of this.

[Reason and emotion don’t always align, you know.]
“What the hell is that supposed to mean—?”
Suddenly, his whole body jolted.

The Holy Sword had forcibly channeled mana into his circuits.
“What the hell was that?!”
[Punishment. For being an idiot.]

“……”
…What?
***

But then, the moment Carlyle came face-to-face with Headmaster Sior, he was hit with news like a bolt from the blue.
“…Class is canceled today? Seriously?”
“Something urgent came up,” Sior said with a shrug.

Damn. That was unfortunate.
Carlyle needed to use every bit of time as efficiently as possible. Unexpected changes like this were always a pain.
“Normally I’d just send another professor—but this one’s a little unusual.”

“What kind of situation is it?”
“There’s some guy causing a ruckus at the front gate. The staff can’t subdue him. Says he’s too much for the average faculty member to handle.”
“…Isn’t that kind of thing normal at Yoram?”

With all the promising talents from various countries gathered in one place, Yoram was like a powder keg. Incidents were more common than calm days.
So a bit of chaos wasn’t exactly surprising.
But that was precisely why what Sior said next struck him as strange.

“He’s a type of person I’ve never seen before. Not one of our students.”
“…Excuse me?”
“He’s shouting something in a completely unknown language. Wearing clothes I’ve never seen before either. I’ve never seen anything like it—not in any country with diplomatic ties to the Empire.”

“……”
“And the guy’s just smashing everyone nearby with the flat of his blade. Not a single opening for conversation. He’s skilled, too. Not easy to bring down. I figured I’d handle it myself—it’s less of a hassle.”
Oh.

Oh?
Carlyle blinked slowly.
He’d heard someone described like that once before.

He was sure of it. It was when he’d met a certain someone from the past.
“……”
And if it really was that person—

Then being able to “retrieve” them now would be a godsend.
So that’s why all these ‘companion quests’ are popping up…
Carlyle suppressed a grin.

Unlike Vespa, who was always nearby, the others had come from places far outside the Empire. Right now, no one knew where they were.
So if it was her—
“Is she blonde, by any chance?”

“……”
Now it was Sior’s turn to blink blankly.
“…How did you know that?”

“She uses a weird sword, with only one edge sharpened.”
“…And how do you know that?”
A dao. A curved, single-edged blade.

Completely different from the longswords used in the Empire.
Good. If this much matched, there was only one more thing to check.
Carlyle cleared his throat and asked the “biggest clue” of all.

“…And, um, does she have… big breasts?”
“……”
Sior gave Carlyle the same look he’d given him when he spouted nonsense about turning a sword into a person.

“Student. I already had my doubts back when you started babbling about humanizing weapons. Are you, by any chance… just completely ruled by hormones?”
“…It’s important information.”
…It really was.

If the person causing trouble was who Carlyle thought it was, then this was an unmistakable trait.
“……”
Faced with Carlyle’s dead-serious reaction, Sior grimaced and relayed the question through his communicator.

The person on the other end also sounded uncomfortable, but answered anyway.
“They said they’re big. Even though she’s wrapped them tight in bandages, they’re still obviously big.”
…Yup.

“Then I think I can help. I know her.”
“You know her?”
“I know her very well.”

Of course he did.
Blonde, incomprehensible language, strange outfit, bust bound in bandages but still impossible to conceal.
It all matched exactly.

“Really? What’s her name?”
“Panhyma Acha Oren.”
Carlyle dusted off his clothes and stood up.

“A swordswoman from the Far East, second continent.”
And also—
The vanguard of the Hero’s party. The one known as the “Sword Saint.”

Jackpot.
A perfect shortcut that wiped away all the obstacles to quest progression ended up right in his hands.