Axe and shield as my primary weapons.
Spear as a secondary. I use it for a lot of animals and other creatures, especially ones with screwed up collision that makes them hard to hit with an axe.
With an axe I mow down groups of NPCs, it doesn’t matter what kind they are or if they have shields.
Axes are better for AoE than swords, they smash through shields and they have a leap attack you can use to get the first strike on your enemies without fail, even against spear wielders. You can then finish your combo or dodge away if necessary. They also cause bleed, though it’s very minor compared to daggers.
The only real drawback is that axes have 0% armor penetration. But at higher levels, you can add +15% armor pen to them.
Javelins are the absolute worst weapons you could use in melee (and ranged). They have no heavy attacks, which are where the majority of your damage comes from. Heavy attacks also inflict debuffs upon your enemies.
I have a post in the following thread where I list the debuffs caused by each weapon. Maybe that could help you decide what you want to use.