Inside Heim Castle, Hel was quietly sipping the red tea in her hands when Anna came running over, her face pale.
"Young master, four people have come, asking to see you. Two of them are beastmen."
"Very well. Please have them wait in the reception hall."
Hel slowly set down her tea, adjusted her clothes, and walked toward the reception hall. At her waist hung the broken Holy Sword Durandal, now placed in a new scabbard so it looked like a complete sword.
When Hel arrived at the entrance, Anna led the visitors to the door.
"Good evening. How may I assist you all in Heim Castle?"
Hel politely opened the reception room door, guiding them inside. As she did, the hilt of her sword was inadvertently revealed.
However, while Hel greeted them warmly, one of the visitors quickly jumped forward, impatience in his eyes.
"Kid, we don't have time to waste on pleasantries. I just want to know one thing—do you know what happened outside?"
The eagle beastman's sharp eyes locked onto Hel as he stepped forward. Since entering the city, he felt an uneasy sensation in his chest, making him even more irritable.
He wanted to quickly understand what had happened and leave this place to report back.
Before Hel could answer, the knight maiden beside him drew her sword and severed the eagle beastman's other wing in one swift strike. Her gaze was icy as she spoke:
"Who gave you the courage to threaten our people in the territory of the Knight Empire?"
"Wha—you crazy woman! Do you know what you're doing?!"
The eagle beastman's scream immediately drew the attention of the others.
The wolf beastman quickly drew his curved blade, eyes scanning the surroundings for ambushes, while the old master Paracelsus grew increasingly tense.
He was just a poor old mage who had sacrificed part of his life—couldn't he live out his remaining years in peace without such terrifying things happening?
He watched the wolf beastman carefully, fearing an unfair sneak attack.
"You must be talking about that white flash outside," a voice interjected unexpectedly.
Hel calmly walked to the knight maiden and handed over her sword.
"I don't know exactly what happened outside. Heim Castle is under full lockdown, and if something did occur, it was probably caused by the sword's original owner."
"This… really is…"
The knight maiden didn't lower her sword, but her other hand lightly touched the hilt of the broken sword in Hel's hand.
"…The Holy Sword Durandal? How is it here?"
"It was given to me by a passing knight who said he wanted to find a suitable heir for this sword."
"I see…" the knight maiden said with some relief.
However, the wolf beastman quickly sheathed his blade and jumped out of the window without looking back. As he jumped, he kept shouting into his wolf tooth necklace:
"Holy Knight Roland is not dead. That strike earlier—it was him…"
The eagle beastman, left behind, looked embarrassed. He glanced at the knight maiden holding her sword, then at the old master scrutinizing him, nervously swallowing.
"Ah, hahaha, since everything's clear, I won't stay long."
He quickly followed the wolf beastman, struggling awkwardly in flight due to his missing wings.
"Then I'll see them off."
The old master sighed helplessly at the knight maiden's gaze and also flew out the window.
Soon, only Hel and the knight maiden remained.
Seeing everyone leave, the knight maiden looked Hel in the eyes with sincere concern:
"Child, can you tell me where the knight who gave you the sword went?"
"He said he wanted to find an angel. I told him the angel had already left for the Knight Empire. If I'm not mistaken, he's on his way there."
"I see… thank you."
The knight maiden's face brightened, but she hesitated when she looked at the sword in Hel's hand:
"Although Uncle Roland entrusted the Holy Sword Durandal to you, it is still a Holy Sword. It could easily attract unwanted attention…"
Hel thought: So they do want this sword. Luckily, I anticipated this, which is why I brought out the broken sword as a decoy. Even though it was once a Holy Sword, its current broken state makes it harmless.
Hel slowly drew the sword, and the knight maiden's next words came:
"Would you be willing to become my disciple and travel with me to the Knight Empire…"
As she spoke, the broken sword's hilt slowly emerged from the scabbard.
Her smile froze, and her next words got stuck in her throat.
Hel felt a bit awkward, thinking about how to explain, when the knight maiden suddenly grabbed the broken sword in disbelief. She muttered:
"I-It can't be… how is this possible? This sword shouldn't be broken! What kind of enemy did Uncle Roland face to reduce the unbreakable Holy Sword to this state? No… he's not looking for an heir. He simply wants to pass on his legacy. I have to find him…"
She handed the broken sword back to Hel, ran to the window, but then turned back and threw her necklace to Hel before leaping out again.
"Even though it's broken, the sword could bring trouble. This is my token. If you encounter difficulties, take it to any church—they will help you."
Watching her instructions fade into the distance, Hel looked at the smashed window and muttered helplessly:
"Why do all these Saint-tier experts like climbing through windows so much?"