The Holy Sword
For a long time I lived in the imperial palace's great library, searching for information about the Holy Sword's material. The most promising material I found was...
From a ballad recounting legends about a hero from somewhere on the continent...
"The hero born on the Sacred Mountain that the gods revere was the one who came to save us with the sword forged from the stones of that place."
If I could only find the stone from that Sacred Mountain, it would be only a matter of time before the Holy Sword appeared for me as well...
There was just one problem.
I didn't know where that Sacred Mountain from the legend was...
It would have been fine if it had been listed as some place name, and I could have searched for it by asking around...
On this vast continent...
Even among all those mountains...
To search for a sacred mountain...
I had tried searching for information about that Sacred Mountain, but with just those two words, the books in this great library were far too numerous.
At that moment,
While looking for additional materials about dwarves for more information, I unexpectedly came across it—information about a dwarf family that managed the Holy Sword.
In ancient times, unlike today when the Holy Kingdom managed the Holy Sword, the dwarves were responsible for its maintenance and upkeep,
And the dwarf family that did that maintenance and upkeep still existed.
The Goldtimeor family.
Even now, as the dwarf kingdom's sustaining family, they had deep history and legacy, and they still provided much support for the extermination of the Demon King's army.
Thus, with the materials I had prepared over the past few days, I headed for the emperor...
It was an age when I could leave whenever I wanted, but since I had to protect my friend the emperor's pride, I first visited his study under the pretense of a report.
"Your Majesty, Her Highness Lowell has arrived."
Nodding at the imperial palace knight guarding the entrance to the emperor's study, I naturally made my report, and soon familiar voices from the emperor came from inside.
"Enter."
With that, I entered the study...
Since the marriage issue with Alex, I had decided to break ties completely and had not responded to any summons, and I had no intention of doing so in the future either...
Now that Alex's matter had been resolved, I appeared to show my face.
"Lowell! How long has it been since I called you and you didn't even think of coming!"
"I am leaving."
"Eh...?"
Even when I entered the study, the emperor who had been overjoyed and at a loss for what to do...
In fact, when I said I was leaving, he stood there with a dazed expression as if he had been slapped hard on the back of the head.
"Eh... Where to?"
"To the Dwarf Kingdom, to look for a sword that's useful to me."
"If you need a sword, why didn't you say so? I can send someone to ask the dwarves for you."
"It's not an ordinary sword."
"It's not an ordinary sword?"
I showed the emperor the materials I had prepared at the great library, and the emperor pushed his own documents aside and began to thoroughly peruse the materials I had given him.
"Hmm... the Holy Sword..."
The emperor, not expecting materials about the Holy Sword to exist, looked closely at the materials with a somewhat serious expression unlike before.
"Going to the Goldtimeor family means I can make a Holy Sword like that of the hero?"
"No, the ability of the Holy Sword is to receive the power of the gods, but what I am looking for is a sword made of the same material."
"A sword made of the same material as the Holy Sword... so what will I help you with?"
"A carriage and a passage permit."
The Dwarf Kingdom was not a place anyone could enter at will.
Only those who had received an invitation letter from a member of the royal family or nobility of that kingdom, or those who had a passage permit granted by the emperor of a current allied empire like mine could enter.
Moreover...
Elves like me...
Since the relationship between the Elf Kingdom and the Dwarf Kingdom was so poor...
If I went there alone without the emperor's passage permit, I might be treated like the Demon King's army.
"Hmm... a carriage and a passage permit aren't that difficult..."
"But?"
"Don't you plan to take Alex with you?"
"....."
Staring fixedly, the emperor's intention made me silently glare at him, but even he couldn't stand the sharpness of my gaze and hurriedly apologized.
"I see. I see. Sorry. I won't say it, but go together."
"I already resolved the matter with Alex. So if you call me for something like that in the future, either break ties with me or..."
"Tch... using that as leverage... Ah~ Even if my daughter-in-law becomes one, it'd be nice~"
The emperor still had lingering feelings, glancing at me with a changed expression...
"Don't worry. There will be no such thing."
All that remained was to defeat the Demon King on the front lines right after making the sword in the Dwarf Kingdom and returning to the original world...
To give up that and live here in this form would be nothing short of madness.
"Even when I confessed in the past, you threw me away without mercy, and now it's the same."
"....?"
The emperor's confession...
Since I had come into this body midway, it wasn't something I had directly received, but upon recalling the memories, a similar memory surfaced.
"Even if a loose person like Alex becomes emperor and is swayed by those around him, if a resolute female emperor like you helps at his side, I could die in peace..."
"There are many human women who are more resolute and have superior abilities than me. Find one among them."
"Huh..."
The emperor suddenly let out a snort, whether it was a laugh or mockery, and walked to the table where the whiskey was placed and poured it full into his glass.
"Why are you laughing?"
"Who else in the world can speak so boldly in front of an emperor like me..."
"We are friends, after all..."
"No. Even when you were little, you did the same to our father, the previous emperor."
The young emperor's story...
As for me now, I had no idea what kind of impression my personality must have made on others at that time, but the emperor recalled the era and sank into deep reverie for a long while, then headed somewhere.
And he took out a sword that looked pre-prepared and brought it to me.
"The sword used by the previous emperor, your father."
The sword the emperor handed over was mostly painted black, with gold accents here and there, so overall it didn't look entirely pitch black.
I couldn't understand why such a precious sword was in the hands of the emperor, his son and friend, rather than his father's grave...
But the emperor extended the sword, giving me a signal to take it.
"Why... give me this sword...?"
"Yes. I heard you were in a difficult situation because you had no sword to use now, so use this sword first. Well... you can break it if you want."
I took the sword the emperor offered. The feel was heavier than it looked, which didn't sit well in my heart, but...
Clang...
When I drew the sword, the blade that appeared inside looked heavy enough.
Although it had a unique pattern engraved on it, what was most striking was that it was so precisely made that even from the side of the sword, one could predict the master's level of skill of the blacksmith who forged it,
Seeing how many times it had been hammered and folded repeatedly to compress it to this level, it looked like it had been made by a blacksmith of the highest ability among the dwarves.
"Well... even so, it's the late emperor's heirloom. Is it all right to just give it to me like this?"
"It is the late emperor's will, so you don't have to worry and use it."
"A will?"
"The body returns to a handful of dirt when it dies, but he said to never let the sword rust. That way, when someone appears to save the world someday, it can at least be used in a hurry."
Most kings or historical figures in books I knew placed their used items or treasures in their graves during life...
Moreover, most had the desire to bury their attendants or concubines alive and own them even after death...
This sword, despite its treasure value, seemed to have been an incredible idea to leave behind the precious sword he had used alongside his in the war to some other person through a will.
Looking at the condition of the sword...
The material and the smelting method used to make it were different from ordinary swords, so its quality was also superior...
It was probably the best sword I had used until now, after the Holy Sword itself.
"Thank you. I will use it well."
"Then come back safely. If anything happens, I will send someone often."
"Yes."
I immediately put the sword into the magic pouch to avoid anyone else recognizing it as soon as I left the emperor's study.
Of course, I didn't know how well the skills I had used with this sword would hold up, but compared to other swords I had used until now, my heart felt a little more at ease.
Thus, on my way to the room to prepare for leaving tomorrow with a light heart...
"Her Highness the Empress Dowager?"
I stopped at the familiar voice from behind and turned around.
"Where are you going...?"
"I have been to the late emperor's study regarding leaving."
"Leaving... you say?"
"Yes. The investigation about being expelled from the Hero's Party is also over. There are things to look into in the Dwarf Kingdom, and now I must do my own work."
At my words about leaving, Alex suddenly looked dejected...
"Will you come back again?"
"Well... someday... I will, right?"
Honestly, I didn't know if I could come back to the empire again.
If I went straight to the front lines from the Dwarf Kingdom, I would return to the original world immediately after killing the Demon King...
If the plan failed even then, when I returned to this empire, I might return as a corpse.
"Then please be careful, Your Highness. I will be waiting."
Alex greeted me as if I would return to this place again,
"But,
"Yes. Thank you during that time. Your Highness the Crown Prince. Please study hard and become a wonderful emperor."
I gave Alex my final greeting.
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