The Sword Saint's Judgment

"What did you say, Elfride?"

"You said that Abel is more like a true hero than I am. Have I spoken nonsense?"

Elfride had no intention of retracting her words. In truth, the path Revius was walking looked far more like the behavior of a typical noble than that of a hero.

Yet Revius could not swallow that statement so easily. Especially since he viewed commoners as inferior beings worse than nobles.

"Are you claiming that I am worse than a mere commoner, Elfride?"

"Who said your skill was lacking? It was your mindset that was inferior...."

"So that means a commoner is better than me, is it not!?"

"...That is exactly why I can only evaluate you this way."

Revius let out a hollow laugh.

"I wonder why you despise commoners so much. Did it bother you that I slightly belittled that peasant hero?"

"Is it not already wrong to belittle one another among heroes? After all, if you think just a little, you will realize whether I was wrong or you were."

Revius had stopped pretending to control his expression. His irritation was clearly written across his face as he addressed Elfride.

"Ah~ I see. That peasant was quite handsome, wasn't he? Is that the reason? Did Elfride fall for that peasant?"

"...You are crossing a line, listen to me. Even if you invited me as a guest of the Minerva Kingdom, do you intend to insult the daughter of the Bathory family?"

"Insult? Elfride, you insulted first. To evaluate me as worse than some peasant like that, what words could possibly be more insulting!?"

"Stop saying peasant, peasant... Abel is a hero just like us! There is no reason to treat him that way!"

The tension between Revius and Elfride had grown steadily higher. At first, the voices carried only to Revius's companions nearby, but now they had grown loud enough for others at the banquet ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to notice the quarrel.

At that moment, a woman dressed in an olive-green priestess robe standing behind Revius shouted.

"Stop it, both of you!"

She was the Saint of Storms, Celine, the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Saint of the Ludria Church traveling with Revius. Celine had criticized the two heroes raising their voices at a public event.

"This is the birthday party for His Highness, the Crown Prince of the Vesta Kingdom. It is not the place for two people to fight with their voices raised like this at a public event, is it not!"

Her words were correct. So Elfride closed her mouth in agreement with Celine, but Revius did not stop.

"...Celine, do not interfere."

"Hero Revius, please stop as well. If this continues, it will be a nuisance to His Highness Serhio."

"Celine, I told you not to interfere!"

Revius now shouted at Celine herself. His companions Natalie and Sonia did not dare to stop him, watching the situation. From their reactions, it seemed this was not the first time.

Elfride let out a hollow laugh.

"He is utterly shameless."

"What did you say? How dare you speak to me like that...!"

Deep disappointment and anger welled up in Elfride as she watched the man who traveled with her Saint ignore even her words. In that state of mind, she removed her right gauntlet and threw it at Revius.

"...What are you doing?"

"You can see, can't you? You are a noble who boasts like this, so you would naturally know what I mean."

Duels. The hero Elfride had challenged the hero Revius to a duel.

"Pick it up. You won't refuse, right? I'll teach you how to fix that head of yours."

"...h."

The joyful atmosphere of the banquet had cooled in an instant. Other nobles were now watching the conflict between Elfride and Revius, whispering in surprise as Elfride threw the gauntlet.

"Stop, stop. What exactly is going on?"

Amid that harsh atmosphere, one person stood out as the only one capable of intervening. A man who possessed the position and ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠authority to easily speak out. It was Crown Prince Serhio.

"Lady Bathory, what disrespect is this toward the guests?"

"Forgive me, Your Highness. I could not bear to watch him insult a fellow hero and behave so arrogantly."

"...What does that mean? Insulting a fellow hero?"

Revius countered Elfride's words with indignation.

"Did I insult Lady Elfride? I was speaking of Hero Abel."

"...If it is Hero Abel, are you referring to the new hero who recently appeared in the Mars Empire?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I only spoke of the fact that Abel is a commoner."

Elfride snapped in anger at Revius's absurd excuse.

"Your lies are transparent as running water. Did you think I wouldn't know you deliberately belittled Abel?"

"Enough, Lady Bathory. Calm yourself."

Crown Prince Serhio had understood the situation. He knew Revius Grospell's personality well. Everyone knew he was quite arrogant.

'It seems Lady Bathory could not tolerate Revius deliberately speaking ill of a fellow hero.'

Technically, one could point out the fault. It would surely be deemed Revius's mistake, but Serhio did not want to do so.

Regardless of Revius's personality, he was the hero representing the Minerva Kingdom. Elfride was the hero representing the Vesta Kingdom. If their conflict deepened, it could easily escalate into conflict between nations.

'That cannot be allowed.'

"Lady Bathory, Prince Grospell, both of you, stop here and apologize to each other. Leaving aside who was right or wrong, quarrelling with raised voices at such a place is a fault of both of you."

"......."

"......."

Elfride and Revius looked at each other for a moment. And since they shared the same thought, they apologized without a word.

"My apologies."

"I apologize."

"Um, good. Let's stop fighting and enjoy the banquet. Everyone, the mood has calmed. Let's play some lively music!"

They could not ignore the Crown Prince's mediation, so they apologized to each other, but the two had already begun to hate each other inwardly.

Revius, now furious, left with his companions without greeting, and the remaining Elfride let out a deep sigh. In Elfride's mind, a voice echoed.

[Hey, are you okay? Why are you so angry, unlike your usual self? Honestly, you knew Revius was like that anyway.]

Luna's words were right. Elfride knew well that Revius did not look favorably on commoners, the people outside the nobility. Yet she had endured it then, but somehow she could not now that Abel was involved.

That was a question Elfride herself wondered about. Why?

Perhaps because she wanted to get closer to Abel. Otherwise, she would not have been this excited.

But if she spoke her true feelings directly, she knew it would be mocked, so Elfride offered a plausible excuse.

"...I simply did not want to see a hero belittled as a true hero. That is the fact that such actions are performed by heroes as well."

[...Hmm, but now is also the time to get used to it, isn't it? The guy chosen by that guy wouldn't be normal anyway.]

"That is correct, but...."

Elfride could not refute Luna's words. The Holy Sword she wielded, with its form of a single-edged dagger, was an extremely strange sword among holy swords.

The most unholy of holy swords. The name of that sword was the Holy Sword of Joy.

#

"Damn it!"

Clang! The flower vase in the room shattered. It was not an accidental drop but the result of Revius throwing it in a fit of rage he could not control.

Revius had remained in that state since returning to his quarters. He was expressing his anger at Elfride's treatment of him in this manner.

Seeing this, Celine fidgeted anxiously.

"I must stop the hero...."

"Enough, Celine."

Natalie and Sonia stopped Celine. These were Revius's companions, each taking the roles of archer and thief in the party. They gave Celine serious ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠advice.

"You know Revius cannot be stopped once he starts like this. Just give up."

"Right, then you'll be the only one scolded?"

Natalie and Sonia spoke as if worrying about Celine. But Celine shook her head.

"...I am fine. And the hero must not be like that. He is a hero who saves people."

"...Sigh, we were definitely scolded."

Celine stepped forward to stop Revius.

"Hero, this is not our home. Everything here belongs to the Vesta royal palace. Please stop and calm your anger...."

"Celine, I told you to shut up!"

Slap! The sound echoed through the room, shocking Natalie and Sonia. When their gaze fell on Celine, her head was turned sideways.

"You find my words amusing, huh!? I have told you not to interfere several times, but why do you keep interfering, you damned girl!!!"

Revius shouted at the top of his lungs, grabbing Celine's cheek.

Celine felt wronged. She had only wanted the hero to behave a little more heroically. Yet when she tried to stop him, this was the result.

She had expected to listen to her words as usual. But to be slapped on the cheek?

Tears welled up. Though she was not the true Saint, she was still the Saint traveling with the hero, representing the Ludria Church.

How could he ignore people like this? She had not even expected good treatment, but she had not wanted this either.

"...sniff!"

Celine ran out of the room, clutching her swollen red cheek. Natalie and Sonia hurriedly called after her, but Celine's steps did not slow.

"...What are we going to do with her, Revius?"

"Leave her! She'll come crawling back on her own. Damn, useless girl always acting all high and mighty."

"...Hey, calm down~. You know Celine was just worrying about you."

Natalie soothed Revius with a carefree laugh. Revius narrowed his brows slightly.

"Natalie, do not side with that woman in front of me."

"...Ah, okay. Who said I was siding with Celine?"

Seeing Natalie's confusion, Sonia approached Revius and asked lightly.

"Are you taking revenge? Want me to lend you my body?"

"...Yeah, that might be better. The more I break, the more troublesome it will be."

#

"Hero, is it all done over there~?"

"Just a moment, I will finish this and go!"

It's been a while since I last sawed; it's not going as well as I remember.

I had been helping with the village reconstruction. Among the tasks, I was sawing logs with a saw when Chloe came and suggested eating first before continuing, so I intended to finish this and go.

But the Saint approached sneakily and handed me a rice ball.

"Open your mouth. I'll put it in."

"I was trying to finish this and leave...."

Still, since she offered it, I had to eat it. I opened my mouth wide, and the Saint smiled while giggling.

"Fufufu♡ You look like a baby bird right now. Here, Mama will give you some~♡"

"...Not eating?"

"It's a joke♡"

I ate the rice ball the Saint handed me in one bite. Then, resuming my sawing, I asked the Saint.

"By the way, where are the others going?"

"You can say you all finished. Don't you think you're even more stupid for asking like that♡"

"...I didn't ask because I'm stupid."

By the way, I need to learn to read. I don't have time. After chewing and swallowing the rice ball, I asked the Saint again.

"Then where are we going next?"

"We're going straight to Athens. We can reach there in one day by taking a carriage immediately after arriving at the border."

"The main road is quite close to the border."

"There are such places, and the Minerva Kingdom has well-developed roads. That's why carriages can go fast."

"Oh ho."

There were countries with well-developed roads back in the day, like the Roman Empire. Even without modern asphalt, as long as the roads were paved, there would be no jolting.

"Then there won't be any head bumps on the carriage roof."

"That's right~♡ I was worried because you, a hero who is as smart as a gorilla, might become even more stupid♡"

...Damn it.

"Want more?"

"...It's almost all done. I'll eat this."

"...The hero is good at sawing, isn't he?"

When I was living alone in my quarters, I made bookcases and did everything myself. Buying completed ones was expensive....

"I know a bit."

"Hmm, impressive. If asked to cut wood, some could do it, but I couldn't saw at all."

...You don't even need a saw. You can just slash with spiritual power, right?

"Have you tried? Judging by what you said, you couldn't."

"I tried once when I was doing relief activities and wanted to help for a bit, but it didn't work."

"You need the technique."

After finishing the sawing and taking off the gauntlet, I sat next to the Saint. For some reason, the Saint's body twitched.

...Why is that?

"Can I eat all the rice ball?"

"...It is all yours. You can eat like a pig♡"

"It looks delicious, yum yum."

I playfully retorted, and the Saint giggled. Is it fun?

I picked up a rice ball and asked the Saint about writing.

"Saint, when are you going to teach me how to write?"

"...Shall I teach you now? Just a little using the break time."

"Oh, yes. That would be good."

The Saint gathered branches around and wrote letters on the ground with a stick.

What is she writing? It looks like words, with spaces between them.

"Hero, do you know any words here?"

"No."

"Then I'll teach you one by one~♡ First, this is the word 'fool'."

"...Um, yes."

I was not sure why she started with 'fool', but I said I understood. Fool is written like this.

The Saint moved the branch and pointed to the next letter.

"Can you guess what this is?"

"I don't know."

"Fufufu♡ This is the word 'stupid'."

"...Huh?"

...Damn girl.

She asked me to teach letters, but what is she teaching me?

"Then what is this?"

Fool. Stupid. Those were words the Saint often used when teasing me. The number of letters matched 'fool', and since it was a word she frequently used, that must be....

"...Useless?"

"Correct! You have good learning ability, hero~♡"

"...You are teaching it properly, right?"

"Teaching familiar words first helps most in learning to read."

Yeah, it is familiar. Very familiar.

...Damn girl, it's all because of you!

"This is the word 'hero', and this is the word 'saint'. Please look carefully and remember~♡"

"...Yes."

The Saint pointed to each word and explained to me one by one. Thanks to her, I learned how to write various words like chimpanzee, gorilla, goldfish, and trash.

...I should just learn from someone else.