I Returned with the Cheat Holy Sword

Now that I think about it again—
Gray clearly had no concern whatsoever for how her words might come across to others.
Maybe it was because she’d lived her whole life without ever feeling the need to explain herself to anyone.

In that sense—
"…My lady."
"What?"

"Shall I stop cleaning here?"
"Fine. You can go."
Gray, reading a book with her monocle on, waved her hand dismissively without even making eye contact.

Apparently, that meant get lost now that you’re done.
Carlyle tilted his head as he stepped out of the room, having spent the entire day in the same space as Gray, complying with each of her demands one by one.
She hadn’t once looked him in the eye during cleaning, and only flicked her gaze around vaguely when he reported that the task was done.

There hadn’t been even a shred of human interaction.
"…"
So sharing a room with her probably amounted to no more than reducing the time needed to assign him work.

Compared to the shocking first impression she’d given him, this was honestly—
"Feels like she just wants a servant attending to her 24/7…?"
[Correct.]

"…"
Why would she describe something like that in such a terrifying way?
Sharing a room, really?
"…Is it okay for her to let a man into her room this easily?"

[Think it over. Do you truly believe you're even the slightest threat to me?]
"…"
[If anything, it’s a case of overestimating your own importance.]

Fair enough.
Even if Carlyle were to harbor impure thoughts, Gray could quite literally wring his neck and dispose of him like a chicken.
"So she just wants to wring a little more work out of me, huh."

[…That’s not the only reason.]
"Sorry?"
[Think carefully. We’re talking about me here. Me. The supreme embodiment of dysfunction. Does it sound like someone like that would let another person into their room so easily?]

"…"
[This is no small thing.]
…That’s true.

It was shocking enough to hear her criticize herself, but more than that—it made sense.
[It means she no longer feels the need to be on guard around you. She sees you fully as someone on her side.]
Even if someone posed no threat to her, Gray typically regarded others as little more than insects. The fact that she could share a space with someone without complaint was, in and of itself, a good sign.

After a brief pause, the Holy Sword added with a sigh.
[She probably also intends to bring you with her to the Academy.]
…That part, he already knew well.

Due to several reasons, the number of attendants allowed to accompany someone to the Academy was extremely limited—one or two at most. And naturally, those few would be expected to remain in close proximity to their master at all times.
They had to be accustomed to assisting in all aspects of daily life.
Carlyle smirked and summoned a window in front of him.

[System Log]
▶ You’ve successfully handled a ‘Critical Event’!
▶ Trust has increased dramatically. [ ★ Trust 5% → 40% ]
▶ Reward granted!
▶ Check your Traits tab to claim!
▶ Your relationship with the Hero has undergone a major shift.
▶ This will significantly influence future events.
▶ The Hero no longer sees you as a threat.
▶ The Hero now wants to bring you to the ‘Academy’!
It was the same window that had appeared ever since they returned from the banquet, and he had a good idea what it referred to.

The Academy inside the Imperial Knights—commonly known as the “Cradle.”
A prestigious institution that had produced numerous peerless warriors—an academy that had become a symbol of the era.
Its renown spanned the entire continent. Even nations that often clashed with the Empire and growled at its borders frequently dispatched their best talents to the Cradle.

The surprising part, though, was that even with such prestige, Gray had entered so obediently.
"You actually had things to learn at a place like that?"
[I did.]

That she replied immediately with such conviction was itself telling.
[I was far more immature than I seemed, in many ways. Not just in personality, but in capability as well. The Cradle is what wiped away most of that.]
Carlyle’s eyes widened in surprise.

The Empire’s Academy… was it really that exceptional?
Enough that even the strongest human in existence would say she learned a lot there?
[It’s not like I only have fond memories of the place.]

But then the Holy Sword brought up something else.
[Back when you stopped me from killing Anastasia at the banquet.]
"Yes?"

[I genuinely didn’t think there was anything wrong with cutting her down. Not until you corrected me.]
"…"
[It's only natural—I am who I am now because of the path I took. But still… most of the ‘experiences’ that turned me into the rampaging lunatic you met were from my time at the Cradle.]

In other words—
Most of the events that turned her into this destructive sociopath happened there.
“Then I definitely need to go.”

After Carlyle had corrected her behavior during what would have been her ‘first kill,’ he’d already noticed small changes in her actions.
She still threw punches before words when something pissed her off, but now… she at least tried to hold back. Even if only slightly.
Honestly, it was kind of astonishing. No matter how young she was, the changes were coming faster than expected.

[…Isn’t the outcome still the same, though? She ends up hitting someone anyway.]
“Still, for someone like you who used to treat everyone equally like a bastard, that’s real progress.”
[An egalitarian, am I?]

“You didn’t discriminate. Man, woman, noble, commoner—if someone pissed you off, you treated them all like shit.”
She truly was an equal opportunity brute.
To think that even the tiniest shred of self-restraint had been instilled in such a person—that was one hell of a development…

[…You’re not wrong.]
Gray agreed without hesitation, and Carlyle chuckled softly as he added:
"Still, even realizing now that you were in the wrong is something. I think that’s pretty amazing."

[…What did you just say?]
A baffled voice echoed from the Holy Sword.
Considering how Carlyle usually treated her, it was a predictable reaction—but he was being genuine.

"I’ve never thought otherwise, honestly. You really are amazing."
He understood that better than anyone—he’d fought using that strength firsthand.
If someone was born with that kind of power and had to control it on their own from the start, they could’ve easily ended up far worse. The power given to the Hero was enough to twist a person’s very nature.

And yet, through all those loops and every timeline, there was one thing Carlyle had come to believe without a doubt:
…This woman—no matter how twisted or broken her personality became—still fought to the very end against humanity’s enemies.
She fulfilled her duty.

"Looking back… that’s actually incredible."
[…]
"Exactly what happened to you in the past, I still don’t know the full picture… but I can guarantee this much—you’re not the worst. I promise."

[Then go fix the version of me over there. Don’t try to sedu... correct me now.]
…She told him not to seduce her.
Carlyle smirked and translated the word Gray had swallowed halfway ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) through.

"Hero."
[What is it.]
"You’ve got a real ego problem."

[…If I had a body right now, I’d kick you.]
"You don’t, so I’m saying it. Are you stupid?"
[…]

As the Holy Sword ground her teeth in frustration, Carlyle stroked his chin, lost in thought.
"But there might be a bit of a problem."
[What kind of problem.]

"I definitely felt it last time—if I keep getting involved with you, no number of lives would be enough. I need to get stronger."
It wasn’t wrong. Sure, the Holy Sword would tell him what kind of disasters were coming, but resolving them was always entirely on Carlyle’s shoulders.
And just sticking close to someone like the Hero, whose existence ran on an entirely different scale, meant his current state was woefully inadequate to even protect himself.

And on top of that, there was this—
[System Log]
▶ The ‘Gray Cardinal’ is taking an interest in you.
▶ Consider adding the subject as a potential ‘Instructor’ candidate!

‘…What the hell is this shady bastard now.’
Apparently, that little body-twist Carlyle pulled at the banquet left quite the impression.
And judging by everything he knew about this person, nothing good would come from getting entangled with her.

For a number of reasons, increasing his own combat capabilities was no longer optional.
He would get dragged into something nasty.
[…But seriously. After all those regressions, you never once thought about making yourself stronger?]

"Of course I did. Do you have any idea how hard I tried?"
He really did try everything.
And yet, the reason Carlyle ultimately gave up on all of that was simple.

"No matter how much I trained, it was always more efficient to just give you a bit more support instead."
From an overall combat perspective, pouring every good resource and benefit into the one person overflowing with talent gave much better returns than any growth Carlyle could achieve himself.
"You don’t remember? I gave you everything I had. Every last thing I could offer."

[…You did, that’s true.]
In the previous round, he had given the Hero all his rare elixirs, top-tier gear, every possible means of advancement.
But this time… things need to be a bit different.

Now that Carlyle possessed the ability to almost completely replicate the Hero’s strength, he had no reason to avoid growing stronger himself.
Especially now that it was confirmed there were beings above even the Demon Dukes—he couldn’t afford to hold back.
"Is there any way I can power up immediately? Seems like it’d be best to get ahead of things fast."

Currently, there were three skills from the Holy Sword available for him to unlock.
Not a small number. They might be enough to cause a major shift.
[But you know… these ‘skills’ that are now being added to me.]

Out of nowhere, the Holy Sword brought that up.
[I’m not sure what logic is behind how they’re being added, but—are they replicating the abilities I used to have?]
"Yeah, that’s more or less how it works."

[…Hmm.]
Hearing that, the Holy Sword fell silent in thought for a moment.
[Then try pulling up the ones I’m about to list. If you can retrieve them, do it.]

After hearing the list that followed, Carlyle looked at the Holy Sword with disbelief.
"…These? What would I even do with these?"
From Carlyle’s perspective, the skills she mentioned had zero synergy with each other.

He couldn’t even imagine what use he’d get out of them.
But the Holy Sword replied calmly, without a hint of irony.
[Mark my words. You’re not the only one who’s regressed.]

"…What are you talking about now?"
[Everyone has regrets. Even someone who was once humanity’s protector.]
"Come again?"

[‘If I could go back, I’d do this better. I wouldn’t do that—I’d do this instead.’ Those kinds of regrets. They apply to my own growth too.]
Things you can only see after you’ve achieved them.
If the Hero was now someone who had “completed” her growth, then she would also clearly understand how to best utilize everything she’d built up.

[I’ll pass on all the theory I’ve accumulated to you.]
"…"
Huh.

Wait a second.
‘…Now that you mention it, that makes sense.’
Carlyle wasn’t the only one starting over.

Everything that the former protector of humanity had built up was now with him.
And at the core of his current strength was the ability to inherit the Hero’s powers.
He would be learning how to wield the Hero’s abilities directly from the completed Hero herself.

Which meant—there was no greater synergy than this.
[You have my word as humanity’s strongest. You will become more powerful than anyone—faster than anyone.]
And then came the next line—

[Powerful enough to become a milestone even for the ‘me’ that exists in this timeline.]
A sentence that carried a spine-chilling weight.