It’s been a week since the nobles were dispatched to the Malidan Wall.
Seems like a lot has happened, but that’s just the beginning.
The nobles are slowly adapting to the north, and the Malidan soldiers are also building some kind of bond with them.
It’s 4 a.m., and the sun hasn’t risen yet.
Silbern Caldias, who’s on duty shift, yawns and slings her spear over her shoulder.
“Yaaawn, I’m sleepy.”
Just because the nobles arrived doesn’t mean the duty hours got any easier.
In fact, with the recent frequent movements of the demon beast hordes, even during dawn duty, they often have to get up quickly.
“Miss.”
Anna, who was on duty with her, popped out from among the other soldiers heading off duty and approached Silbern.
“Anna, before you sleep, I’m going to ask the chef to make some soup. Wanna eat together?”
“No, Miss. Actually…”
Anna leaned in close, whispering so the other soldiers wouldn’t hear.
“Why haven’t you been wearing your compression gear lately? You know the soldiers are talking about it, right?”
“……”
How could she not know?
She could even feel their subtle glances.
The Malidan soldiers try not to look, but the dispatched nobles sometimes stare outright.
It’s unpleasant, but oddly enough, her pride makes her act even more boldly.
“Is it that noticeable?”
Silbern glanced down at her chest.
As a woman, it’s an excellent feature, but as a spear-wielding warrior, it’s honestly just cumbersome.
“Very noticeable. Why the sudden change? You used to wear the compression gear even when you slept because it bothered you.”
“I did, but… well…”
Silbern sighed.
After waiting for the soldiers on duty to pass by, she spoke up.
“Someone said it’d be better to get used to this.”
“Huh?”
“They said I should get used to wielding a spear with a bigger chest. That there might come a time when I can’t wear compression gear.”
“Why wouldn’t you be able to wear it?”
“…If it gets bigger, I won’t be able to.”
Anna stared at Silbern with a blank expression.
Her lady, who rarely blushed, was now avoiding eye contact, which was kind of cute, but…
‘Bigger than this?’
So big that even compression gear can’t handle it?
When Anna asked who said such nonsense, Silbern hesitated before whispering.
“Uh, Isaac.”
“WHAT?!”
The sudden mention of a man’s name was too unexpected.
“Isaac said I should accept the changes in my body. He said he had to give up the Helmunth greatsword for the same reason.”
“Is… is that even the same thing? Isn’t that sexual harassment?!”
“Anna, what are you saying? Isaac was just looking out for me.”
“No, even so…”
Anna knew Silbern had been spending a lot of time with Isaac lately.
His understanding and depth of spear techniques, which he demonstrated on the second day at the training grounds, were impressive.
In fact, some Malidan soldiers even go to him for advice.
They say his growth is noticeable, and they’re very satisfied.
“Anyway, I don’t think he’s entirely wrong. It’s not just about my chest getting bigger, but there might be times when I can’t wear compression gear, right?”
“That’s true…”
“What if it snaps during a fight?”
“I’ve lost count of how many buttons I’ve sewn back on your shirts, Miss.”
“Exactly. So, anyway—”
As the two walked back to their quarters, the sound of something cutting through the air came from the training grounds.
Both turned their heads and saw Isaac, alone in a corner of the dark training grounds, swinging his sword.
“Isaac?”
“He’s out here again today.”
Anna added to Silbern’s question.
“He comes out like this every day to train. He even attends morning exercises without fail.”
“Doesn’t he have duty shifts?”
“Nope. And he’s the last one to turn off the lights at night. Do you know how many candles he’s taken in the past week?”
Anna, who’s in charge of supplies, knew all about it.
“Even the soldiers are talking about how the Helmunths are all like that. It’s kind of motivating.”
“…Impressive.”
Silbern muttered, staring blankly at Isaac.
Seeing her like that, Anna had a chilling thought and quickly warned her.
“He’s a married man! You know that, right, Miss? Especially to Riana Helmunth! If you stick around him too much, people will talk!”
Their families are rivals, after all.
The idea of the only daughter of Caldias making moves on the husband of the Helmunth heiress would be juicy gossip for the rumor mill.
“I know, I know! I don’t see him as a man. I just admire him as someone who’s working hard like me.”
“R-right? That’s all it is, right?”
“Stop worrying about weird stuff.”
Silbern laughed and waved her hand, greeting Isaac.
“Hey! Isaac! Working hard this early, huh?”
Isaac, who had been crouching and writing something, quickly turned his head.
He gave a faint smile and waved back briefly.
‘He is handsome, though.’
Anna admitted it to herself.
There’s a reason he’s called the Blood Rose.
His sweaty appearance was oddly sexy compared to the rugged northern men.
“But what’s he writing over there?”
Anna tried to shift her thoughts and asked, while Silbern also tilted her head in curiosity.
“Good question.”
What could he be doing, suddenly stopping mid-sword swing?
The two of them scurried over to Isaac.
“Working hard this early, huh?”
“Hello.”
Isaac nodded briefly at Silbern and Anna’s greetings.
‘Did we interrupt him?’
Anna tried to gauge his mood, but…
“What are you doing? Let me see.”
The carefree northern lady casually approached Isaac and peered at the book he was writing in.
“A swordsmanship manual?”
Isaac showed it without hesitation.
In fact, he wanted to hear her opinion.
“Hmm?”
“……”
Anna peeked over from the side, reading along.
Anna.
The explanations are incredibly detailed with beautiful handwriting and illustrations, and as you flip through the pages, improvements and security points are added.
“Wait, are you writing this yourself?”
In response to Anna’s question about whether he was writing a new manual instead of using an existing one, Isaac nodded.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“But… the Helmunth family?”
Anna asked cautiously.
When Anna asked if Isaac, as the Helmunth family’s son-in-law, could use something other than their swords, Isaac awkwardly smiled.
“I can’t wield the Helmunth greatsword. I’m naturally a bit lacking in strength.”
“Ah, right, of course.”
It was only natural that Isaac, who came from a commoner background, couldn’t keep up with the blessed genetics of the Helmunth greatsword.
“But Isaac.”
Amid the awkward atmosphere.
Silberna, who had been intently reading the manual, asked without looking up.
“What kind of sword are you even assuming for this?”
“……”
“It’s not the Helmunth greatsword, and it’s not a regular two-handed sword either. It seems like you’re wielding it with one hand, but you’re not holding a shield.”
Silberna’s observation was spot on.
Even just by reading the text in the manual, she had noticed several details.
Isaac smiled, impressed by her sharpness.
“Right, the sword I use… it’s a rare weapon in the kingdom. It’s the sword my master uses.”
“Master?”
“Yeah, but I can’t go into detail.”
Isaac deliberately avoided the topic.
Silberna and Anna were curious, but Isaac didn’t seem inclined to elaborate.
‘If I can wield a sword, Grandmaster. I wanted to be like you no matter what.’
There were two people who had a significant influence on Isaac’s swordsmanship.
Riana Helmunth, who inspired his longing for the sword when he was just a fisherman.
And the Grandmaster, who made him believe that this was the sword for him after seeing it multiple times.
“We’re going to the chef now to complain about the soup. Do you want to come, Isaac?”
Anna deliberately changed the subject to lighten the mood.
“Yeah, let’s go! I have some cheese I stashed away. Let’s ask them to add that too.”
Silberna playfully tugged at Isaac, and he reluctantly followed.
“And hey, if you ever need help, just say so. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll help.”
Silberna added with a smile.
She had subtly noticed how Isaac, who couldn’t use the Helmunth sword, might have been treated in the Helmunth family.
Isaac nodded, seemingly touched by her words.
“Yeah, thanks.”
Watching the two exchange friendship from behind, Anna couldn’t help but feel that something was off.
‘No way, right?’
It couldn’t be.
Even if she was a lady.
‘It can’t be.’
He’s a married man, after all.
* * *
A woman with long black hair.
With wolf ears perked up on her head, she carried a long crescent-shaped sword on her shoulder and spoke.
[Call me Grandmaster.]
The sudden statement made the disciples standing before her question her.
[Grandmaster?]
[We’ve been calling you Master just fine until now?]
[Did something change in your heart?]
Each disciple was highly skilled.
Among them, she pointed at Isaac, who was leaning on a cane.
[Because of him, my position is in danger. You all keep going to him to learn.]
No one could deny it.
Even though he couldn’t wield a sword, Isaac was more knowledgeable about martial arts than anyone else.
Thus, the woman who was once a master began calling herself ‘Grandmaster.’
After sending all the disciples away.
Left alone with Isaac.
The Grandmaster sat by the window, sipping wine and smiling.
Isaac apologized to her.
‘I’m sorry, I think I overstepped and made you uncomfortable.’
[Huh? What are you talking about?]
The Grandmaster replied with a hollow laugh.
[Don’t misunderstand. I said that because some disciples felt their pride hurt learning from you.]
‘……’
[Child, your talent is very special. So perhaps the heavens took one of your legs.]
‘Grandmaster, the reason I work so hard is—.’
[I know. You want to create a sword that can be wielded even with one leg missing.]
But the Grandmaster’s eyes were filled with pity for Isaac.
[This is impossible. No matter how hard you try, you’ll be helpless against real swordsmen.]
Isaac’s grip tightened on his cane.
His useless leg felt particularly resentful.
[Child.]
The Grandmaster didn’t comfort him.
She simply stated the truth.
[It’s a pity.]
‘Grandmaster……’
[If only the connection had been a little faster.]
The Grandmaster didn’t look at Isaac.
She just gazed at the distant full moon, drinking in solitude.
* * *
“Wake up!”
At Silberna’s shout, Isaac’s eyes snapped open.
Awakened, Isaac quickly got out of bed like a seasoned soldier and left the room.
In the hallway, Silberna was gathering the nobles, already clad in armor.
“Assemble at the training ground in full gear within 10 minutes!”
The urgency in her voice and actions made it clear that this wasn’t just a routine drill.
The unusually long night of Marridan was about to begin.
