I’m The Only Granddaughter Of The Strongest Duke [Novel] Chapter 52

Chapter 52

“Let’s end this. You are not the masters of the Ego Sword. It has not recognized
you. Sir Johan, one must learn when to give up.”

The Emperor spoke with a surprisingly kind voice.

Johan, who was still clutching Excalibur’s hilt and grunting with effort, looked
at the Emperor, then back at me. He spoke slowly.

“…My Lady.”

“Yes?”

“Did you, by any chance, place some sort of magic on Excalibur? I don’t mean to
doubt you, but…”

“You’ve got a lot of nerve, doubting my granddaughter right in front of me,”
Grandfather growled.

“But Duke!” Johan cried out, sounding wronged. “Please, listen to me. I am the
strongest man in the Empire. My swordsmanship may fall short of the Duke’s, who
is a Sword Master, but I have never once lost a test of pure strength! The same
goes for the others here! And yet, not a single one of us could budge this
blade. That clearly means…”

“It’s because Excalibur hasn’t recognized you ‘misters’ as his master. There’s
no magic involved.”
Heave-ho. I hopped lightly off my chair and walked over to stand in front of
Excalibur. The hilt was damp with sweat from how hard the Heroes had been
pulling.

[Kill me now…] Excalibur moaned, his voice filled with agony.

I gave the sword a pitying look, then reached out, gripped it carefully, and
pulled. The blade that wouldn't budge even with seven Heroes hanging off it slid
out of the floor as easily as a toothpick.

“See? I told you. Only the master can pull it. I am the master of this sword.
Excalibur has recognized me.”

“That’s impossible…”

“Why is it impossible? My Dad made this sword specifically for me from the very
start!”

I held Excalibur out toward the brown-haired Hero, Johan, the protagonist of this
world.

“If you find it so hard to believe, try holding it yourself.”

Johan took Excalibur with trembling hands.

On my signal, Excalibur exerted a massive amount of weight, crushing Johan’s
arms down. In the end, Johan couldn't even hold it properly and dropped it. The
sharp tip of the blade thudded straight back into the stone floor.

“See? This is my sword. I’m the only one who can carry it around. Unfortunately,
mister, you weren't chosen.”

“My Lady… did you know?” Johan asked hoarsely. “Did you know that no matter
what we did, we wouldn't be able to pull this sword?”

“…Huh? Well, obviously.”

Who wouldn’t know that? Excalibur had a master from the beginning. I had never,
not even once, hidden the fact that he belonged to me. Weren't the Heroes the
ones who ignored that and begged the Emperor to let them have it anyway? I had
simply given them the chance they asked for.

“You’ve made a fool of me.”

What is he talking about? I was so taken aback by this absurd turn of events
that I stared Johan straight in the eye.

“Listen here, Sir Johan.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

“I’m only eight years old. I haven’t even turned nine yet. I’m less than half
your height, and I probably weigh five times less than you do.”

“…”

“What would I gain by making a fool of you? And what could you possibly gain by
‘winning’ against me? All that would happen is that you’d become a shameful
grown man who went all out against an eight-year-old child.”

[Yes! Yes! Tell him! Preach!]
Excalibur, having been harassed by the Heroes for three hours, seemed delighted by
my scolding. He flashed brilliantly, cheering me on to say more.

“I gave you more than enough of a chance. You had three hours, Sir Johan, and
you couldn’t pull it.”

“…”

“That’s all there is to it! So don't take your anger out on me. My Grandfather
won't just stand by and watch.”

Having said my piece, I grabbed Excalibur and scurried back into Grandfather’s
arms.

The Emperor looked over the dejected Johan and the exhausted Heroes before
speaking.

“I truly wished to grant your request, but this is a pity.”

His voice didn't sound particularly pitiful at all.

“But since Excalibur hasn't chosen you a master, there’s nothing I can do. This is a
matter beyond my imperial authority. Even if I were to use my power to seize the
sword by force, could you even use a weapon you can’t even pull from the ground?
Likely not. And I have no desire to go down in history as a ridiculous Emperor
who robbed an eight-year-old girl. You should leave now. I will reward your
services in another way.”

At the Emperor’s gesture, the Imperial Knights entered in unison and carried the
slumped Heroes out. Johan, who remained standing until the very end, stared at
me for a long moment before turning abruptly and storming out of the Audience
Chamber.

“Eve, are you alright? Goodness, you didn’t have to step forward like that.”
Grandfather seemed worried about my confrontation with Sir Johan.

“I will make certain he is punished when the time is right. He acted discourteously
toward you, and I am obliged to hold him responsible.”

“No, Grandfather. It’s okay.”

When I gave him a bright smile, the Emperor spoke up, his voice sounding oddly
moved.

“Oh! Such a kind heart! As expected of—”

“He lost anyway! I’m a winner, and that Hero mister is a loser. That’s all that matters. The
words of a loser aren't worth listening to!”

A sudden silence fell over the room.

“…Pfft.”

A laugh sliced through the silence. I snapped my head toward the sound.

“You’re right, Eve Ferdinand.”

The one who had burst into laughter was none other than Lemartes. He had been
standing expressionless behind the throne, watching the "Heroes" struggle for
three hours, and now he was finally laughing.

He glanced at the door the Heroes had exited through, then back at me, nodding.

“The only thing that matters is that you won and they lost. They’ll probably go
back and grit their teeth over it. Losing to an eight-year-old noble lady…”

“Lemartes.”

The Emperor cut him off, turning to look at his laughing son with a stern
expression.

“Even so, Sir Johan is a man of great skill. He is to be your future instructor
soon. Refrain from such mocking behavior.”

“No, Father.”
Lemartes shook his head. Grandfather and I both stared at him, stunned by his
sudden defiance. Even the Emperor’s face stiffened slightly, as if he hadn't
expected this reaction.

Lemartes looked back firmly and spoke slowly.

“I cannot accept this man as my master; he cannot even pull a sword, let alone
communicate with it.”

“But, Lem! He proved his skill by defeating countless monsters. It is an
undeniable fact that he is the most outstanding Hero in the Calixte Empire. If
not Johan, who else could possibly be a teacher for a Prince?” the Emperor cried
out in exasperation.

Well, his majesty’s not wrong.
Even if Johan had just retreated in a rather pathetic fashion because he
couldn't handle Excalibur…
‘He’s still the protagonist of the book.’
And being the protagonist meant the world was designed for his success, and it
also meant his potential was limitless.