The Holy Kingdom's Investigator
After spending days turning the Great Library of the Holy Kingdom upside down alongside Princess Isabel, searching through every document related to the Holy Sword, the only thing that came up was a note that it had been repaired by the Dwarf Kingdom.
Apart from that, the records contained nothing but the glorious achievements of the past Heroes and the exploits of the Holy Sword, with not a single unfavorable account of the Sword breaking or the Hero being injured.
In general, these historical records only contained what the powerful or the victors wanted to include, so... it was only natural that there was nothing else.
Even as I made daily rounds between the villa where I was staying and the Great Library, I never once responded to the Emperor's summons. Instead, through Princess Isabel whom I had met at the Great Library, I exchanged letters with the Emperor.
Of course...
Since the Crown Prince Alex had been so deeply shocked that day, he had not come to see me for a while, but according to what Isabel heard, he seemed to be doing well.
Time passed...
The investigation team that had set out from the Holy Kingdom arrived at the Imperial Palace, and I was finally heading to the Imperial Palace's conference room instead of the Great Library.
An investigation into the expulsion of the Hero's party...
By the time enough time had passed since I left the Hero's party, my memories were starting to blur.
I wondered if I would be able to handle the investigation well.
According to what the Emperor and Princess Isabel had said earlier, since the Empire had already decided not to impose any punishment, the Holy Kingdom or the Elf Kingdom would only conduct an investigation and would not be able to do anything like punishment.
But when I saw the Holy Kingdom's investigation team entering through the Imperial Palace's main gate, it seemed they had come prepared with a prisoner transport carriage used for escorting criminals.
"Her Highness Lowell is entering."
The soldier's voice announcing my entrance echoed through the conference hall, and every person's gaze in the room focused on me.
In this conference hall, most of the people seated were the Holy Kingdom's priests dispatched as investigators and the Holy Knights assigned to escort duties, while on the Empire's side, the Crown Prince Alex was sitting in their place instead.
"Hmm... Do you know the reason why we have come here today?"
"Yes."
The first to speak to me among the Holy Kingdom people seated in the conference room was an old man in priestly robes, and then a storm of questions began to pour out.
"According to the report, do you admit that you caused discord within the party due to disobeying the Hero's orders and committing treason?"
"No."
Disobeying orders? Treason?
It was obedience-disobedience to save a brat who was dying in a dungeon and bring him along, and calling him stronger so he could grow stronger was treason?
It was something that shouldn't be said in this place, but because it was so absurd, I unconsciously lifted one corner of my mouth and let out a dry laugh.
"Whuff! Then do you have any rebuttal?"
"Yes."
It seemed the priest was displeased with my attitude, as he let out a dry cough before continuing, and I rose from my seat to give my rebuttal.
"First, I have done nothing wrong. Disobeying orders? I disobeyed the last dungeon I left the party in, Eldiva Dungeon. Do you know what happened there?"
I began to explain exactly what had happened that day to the priest, recalling the events from before I left the party.
"I was surrounded by monsters and on the brink of death, but I barely secured a route and took the party members out. Disobeying orders? Would you have them perish right there on the spot?"
"... "
"Treason? I just pointed out something. Was calling out that they shouldn't retreat because they would all die if they did treason?"
When I unconsciously raised my voice while recalling old events, the people gathered in the conference hall started murmuring and talking to each other,
and a different priest beside the one who was lost in thought after hearing me opened his mouth in his place.
"Pointing out and treason are clearly different, but you, who are a member of the Hero's party and not even stronger than the Hero, pointing out the Hero is sufficient grounds for treason."
The priest spoke to me with a distasteful sneer...
Hearing that his words were as bad as his expression, I almost lost my composure for a moment, but I let out a deep sigh and calmed my boiling anger.
"Then, is the Hero strong? If that so-called strong Hero disappeared at the third floor of the Kubera Dungeon instead of the thirtieth floor and created that party? They say he still hasn't woken up... "
"Wh-what... that is..."
"It seems the priests of the Holy Kingdom, who should have spoken up if the Hero was wrong, instead gathered around me and questioned me without a word in front of the Hero."
"... "
After finishing my words, I sat back down in my seat and gulped down water to soothe my parched throat,
and the priest who had been on the receiving end of my counter also looked at me a few times, then busied himself flipping through innocent documents and pretending not to notice.
"Your Highness Lowell, may I speak as the Holy Knight and former master of the Hero?"
At that moment, the Holy Knight in gleaming white armor entered between the priests and addressed me.
The figure I remembered...
The Holy Knight who was called the best swordsman of the Holy Kingdom, Albert, looked no different from the priests seated beside him despite his appearance, but he showed no sign of haste or raised voice when handling a sword.
"Yes. Please speak."
"From what you just said, it seems you were speaking as if Her Highness is stronger than the Hero..."
"Yes. That is correct. I do not deny it."
"Ah.. Yes. Then may I confirm that?"
The Holy Knight's words about confirming whether I was stronger or weaker than the Hero...
It was practically challenging a duel for pride from the perspective of someone who had been the Hero's master.
"I am not particularly inclined to spar with swords either, but if it is necessary to prove my claim, I will gladly accept."
With that, Holy Knight Albert truly confirmed whether I was stronger than the Hero,
and I set off with him to the Imperial Palace's training ground to prove my claim that I was stronger than the Hero I spoke of.
*
In a twist of fate, the duel between Holy Knight Albert and me, which turned the entire Imperial Palace's knights, nobles, and even the Emperor into spectators...
The priest and the other priests were also standing beside the Emperor, watching our duel.
If I had known this would happen, I would not have given Raypeir to Cariel...
The moment I realized there was no sword for me when I went to duel Albert, I hurriedly borrowed one from the knights in the training ground,
but because it was a sword used by male knights, its weight was heavy and the blade was thick, making it difficult to use my speed advantage.
"Is it all right? Your Highness?"
"Hm? Why?"
"Your swordsmanship looks a little awkward. It seems you are not using the sword you usually use."
"Yes. It is not the sword I usually use, and it feels unfamiliar, but it should be enough to prove my skill against Albert."
Holy Knight Albert smiled as he watched me swing the borrowed sword back and forth to get used to it.
"Why are you so amused?"
"I could not help but laugh at how confidently you are acting. If I have offended you, I apologize."
"We shall see if you can still smile after the duel."
"Do as you like..."
WHOOSH! BOOM!!!
Albert let out a long breath, drew his massive greatsword that he had prepared, and slammed it into the ground.
The size was so immense that even when the greatsword was stood up, the tall Holy Knight's figure was hidden behind it, and it was so large that I worried if he could even wield it properly.
"I will take the offensive first. If you wish to give up now, it is not too late. Say so."
"I, too, say whenever you wish to give up. Holy Knight."
Albert let out a faint laugh upon hearing my words, raised his greatsword into a defensive stance, and since there was nothing else I could do, I readjusted my grip on the sword and immediately launched my attack.
KWANG!!!
My first attack was blocked by a huge burst of sparks between Albert's greatsword and my own, and it felt more like striking an iron ingot with my sword rather than clashing with another sword, and the shock was transmitted more strongly to me than to Albert, making my hands tingle.
"Well, then... here I go."
Albert turned his body from the defensive stance with the greatsword and lifted it for a counterattack.
WHOOOOOOM!
He had only swung the greatsword once in the air, but the shockwave that cut through the air made my ears ring.
WHOOSH! WHOOOWHOO!!
The Holy Knight's greatsword, now even stronger for having taken the momentum, was brought down as if it would split my body in half...
CRASH!!!
I knew the Empire's knight's sword could withstand an attack of this level.
But...
CRACK!
A crack started in the center of the blade and spread, breaking completely.
If I had noticed even a little later, I would have been split in half by the greatsword charging straight at me after my broken sword.