“Big sis?”
Early in the morning.
The third son, Alois, who was training, found his sister kneeling alone in the garden.
‘How can she be so beautiful?’
Just her turned back exuded grace, and her red hair felt more noble than theirs.
Alois truly loved his sister.
Just taking a step toward her made his heart race.
‘It would have been a much better atmosphere if roses were blooming.’
Smirking, Alois walked lightly toward her.
“Big sis, skipping training so early in the morning?”
He whispered softly, ensuring no one would overhear their secret meeting.
However, Lianna didn’t answer, her head still bowed.
‘Huh?’
In front of her, a single blooming lilac.
Seeing it, Alois frowned and sighed.
“What on earth are the gardeners doing?”
Alois, who seemed to understand why Lianna was here, grumbled.
“Big sis, I’ll make sure to tell the gardeners to manage things properly. Don’t worry too much—”
“Alois.”
Alois instinctively took a step back.
A chilling aura in Lianna’s voice made him momentarily terrified without realizing it.
“Yes, yes? Big sis? What’s wrong?”
“This flower is one I’ve been growing.”
“…You?”
“Yes, so don’t touch it carelessly.”
“Ah, understood.”
Though he answered, Alois tilted his head in confusion.
The Lianna he knew wouldn’t plant something like lilacs, especially not in the family garden.
“Phew.”
Lianna slowly rose and turned around.
“I should go train.”
As she passed by Alois, he noticed her reddened eyes.
Alois felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him, his hair standing on end.
‘Big sis, were you crying?’
It was a sight he had never seen before.
He was so shocked he wondered if the person before him was really Lianna.
“Huh.”
Alois, without realizing it, grinned widely and quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
He was excited.
The tears of his unshakable, fortress-like sister.
Her suffering, buried in sorrow.
It was the first time he felt such a thrilling sensation.
‘Is it because of Isaac?’
Alois quickly pieced together the situation.
That lilac probably had something to do with Isaac too.
‘If I ask the gardener, I’ll find out soon enough.’
But that wasn’t important right now.
Alois deliberately followed Lianna with quick steps, pretending to be oblivious.
“Big sis, have you decided on your next marriage partner?”
Lianna stopped abruptly.
Her cold gaze was filled with thinly veiled anger and murderous intent.
‘She’s going to explode.’
Alois forced a friendly smile, suppressing the excitement rising in him.
“After all, staying divorced for too long isn’t good. Of course, remarrying right away doesn’t seem great either—”
He deliberately kept provoking her.
It was the first time he’d seen his sister react so emotionally.
Alois was curious about how Lianna would respond.
“But someone like you, big sis, would have plenty of suitors. So just forget about Isaac.”
There was no reason for her to get angry.
Would she grieve instead?
Would she run away, saying she didn’t want to hear it?
“Anyway, he was an unworthy man. In fact, isn’t it better for Isaac to be divorced now?”
This was sincere.
If Isaac hadn’t brought up the divorce, he would’ve been in big trouble.
Because the family head had approved Lianna’s pregnancy.
‘The thought of big sis having that bastard’s child is just—’
Unable to bear it, Alois had planned to drop a chandelier on him.
Though it failed.
But since Isaac left on his own, it turned out well.
“Honestly, as a commoner, it must’ve been tough for him to hold on in the family—”
“Alois.”
A flat voice.
Lianna had returned to her usual expression.
Pretending to be disappointed, Lianna calmly suggested to him.
“Let’s spar.”
“…What?”
“Morning training. Let’s spar. It’s been a while since we last did.”
“……”
“I’ll see how much you’ve improved.”
“W-wait, big sis.”
A flustered Alois called out to Lianna.
If they sparred now, he had no idea what kind of disaster awaited him.
He never imagined she’d vent her anger like this, so Alois tried to say something, but—
Before he knew it, Lianna had drawn her crimson greatsword, Ragnabel.
“Follow me, Alois.”
A red aura emanated from Lianna’s entire body—the unique sword energy of Helmunth, known as ‘Crimson Descent.’
The crimson energy, though called sword energy, enveloped her like armor, her long hair swaying as if dancing.
“……”
Alois, who had crossed the line in his excitement, had no choice but to grab his sword and head to the training ground with a sullen face.
* * *
‘She’s a crazy swordswoman.’
Holding his throbbing head, Alois reluctantly made his way to the training ground.
The cold morning air of the north pierced his lungs, slightly easing the lingering effects of the poison wine he drank yesterday.
“Lord Isaac, are you alright?”
Jonathan approached with a worried expression.
It seemed he could tell Isaac wasn’t looking too good.
“I’m fine. But Jonathan, how did I get back to my room yesterday?”
It wasn’t a joke—he genuinely couldn’t remember.
He was having a heated discussion with the Caldias ladies about spearmanship, and the atmosphere was great.
But after drinking the wine Anna kept pouring, he blacked out at some point.
“You really surprised me yesterday. Lady Silbern helped you back to your quarters. I was so worried I waited for you, Lord Isaac.”
“…Is that so? Sorry.”
Isaac sighed, slapping his forehead with his palm.
The lingering smell of alcohol in his sigh made him grimace.
‘It reminds me of the time I drank with the Grand Master. I ended up overdoing it without realizing.’
But Isaac had been genuinely excited too.
Uldiran Caldias was a hero he hadn’t met in his past life.
A great general who held out for a month against the Transcendental Tribe’s invasion without the kingdom’s support.
The thought of drinking with him had elevated Isaac’s spirits more than he expected.
“I should apologize to Silbern too.”
While thinking about whether I made any verbal slip-ups yesterday.
“Uh, Sir Isaac.”
“Hmm?”
“I feel like saying this might be a bit… out of line.”
Jonathan, nervously gauging the situation.
With his hands neatly folded, he bows his head and offers his advice.
“Sir Isaac, you are Lady Lianna’s husband, right? So, um, it would be best to minimize contact with other women…”
“…Right.”
“I’m sorry! I apologize for overstepping!”
Isaac stops Jonathan, who looks like he might even kneel if left alone.
“No, you’re right.”
“Th-thank you!”
Although they plan to divorce, they haven’t yet.
And since only the direct line of Helmunth and the cooks know about it, it was a sensible suggestion.
Isaac absentmindedly fiddles with the ring on his left ring finger, deliberately changing the subject.
“Jonathan, are you joining us for training too? I heard that knights or escorts who come as aides are immediately put on duty.”
Unlike the dispatched nobles who need to have their basics checked due to the influx of promising talents.
Those who assist the nobles are all exceptional and are immediately assigned to wall duty.
“No. I’m on afternoon duty, so I came to assist you, Sir Isaac. I also plan to do some personal training.”
Honest and simple.
With a bright, country-boy smile, Isaac pats Jonathan on the shoulder and encourages him.
“Why me!”
A voice filled with resentment echoes from the training ground.
The group of nobles gathered for morning training.
One of them steps forward and shouts at the officer acting as the instructor.
“Are you disrespecting the Drakemore family? Just because you know how to handle a spear?!”
“That’s not it.”
‘Drakemore?’
Like Helmunth, they were a famous swordsmanship family.
Of course, their status was far below Helmunth’s, but they were still not to be ignored.
“We didn’t dispatch you nobles just for wall duty. You’ll have escort missions, reconnaissance, supporting nearby villages, and more. Our roles are diverse.”
Even if they’re rookies, they’re still nobles.
The instructor calmly responds, even though the situation is practically a mutiny.
“So? What are you trying to say? Did anyone say they wouldn’t do it? Did anyone refuse?”
“……”
“It’s just annoying that you treat us like idiots and make us do this basic training. Yesterday, I tried to endure it, but… today, you’re making us do the same basic training again?”
A subtle sense of agreement spreads among the dispatched nobles.
“You couldn’t properly handle the demon beast horde, so we’re here. And you treat us like we’re being tested because of your incompetence? You can’t even come up with a solution to the horde?!”
The atmosphere grows tense.
Even if they’re nobles, this is crossing the line.
But the other nobles behind Drakemore’s fool support him, making it hard to act recklessly.
If they mishandle this, they could turn the entire influential nobility against them.
“Ha!”
A short-haired woman snorts, grabs her spear, and walks onto the training ground.
Silbern Caldias.
With a competitive smile, she stands before Drakemore’s noble.
“Your name?”
“Meladik Drakemore.”
Meladik subtly places his hand on his sword.
Seeing this, Silbern’s lips twitch.
“You’ve got some sense. Draw your sword. Let’s see if you really have the skills to survive on wall duty.”
This is the northern way.
From the moment the chaos started, this outcome was already foreseen.
Eventually, all eyes focus on the two.
“Jonathan, watch Silbern’s spear technique closely. It’ll be very helpful.”
“But I use a greatsword?”
“Don’t be ignorant, just watch.”
“Yes, sir!”
Jonathan salutes and watches the duel with wide eyes.
‘It’s nostalgic.’
Isaac smiles faintly, crossing his arms.
In his past life, he first met Silbern a few years later than now.
So.
After the Malidan Wall fell to the Transcendental Tribe, and thanks to everyone’s sacrifices, he alone survived.
She had abandoned the name Silbern and lived as Caldias, until the Grand Master brought her.
‘I was so shocked.’
When he first saw her spear technique, it was like being introduced to a whole new world.
He followed her around with a cane, constantly asking questions.
“It’s not for nothing that I praised her as the great spear technique.”
“I see!”
Isaac casually adds to Jonathan, smiling as he looks forward to a good show.
The duel begins.
Meladik lasts only five exchanges before falling on his backside, dropping his sword.
At the same time, the soldiers cheer.
“As expected of the lady! You’re the best!”
“Amazing! That was a perfect spear!”
“The great Caldias!”
On the other hand, the dispatched nobles’ morale plummets, and resentful glances pour toward Meladik.
Jonathan also praises her.
“Th-that’s amazing. So that’s the Caldias Spear Technique!”
While Jonathan is gushing, Isaac is shaking his head.
“No…”
“Huh?”
“No, no…”
“Wh-what do you mean?”
Flustered by Jonathan’s question, Isaac blurts out his true feelings.
“No! That wasn’t it! That was just… just trash, wasn’t it?!”
What on earth did he just see?
Was that?
Was that really Silbern’s spear?
His bewildered shout echoes loudly.
And then.
“What?”
Unfortunately.
The harsh northern wind carried his voice right to Silbern’s ears.
