The dawn before the sun rises.
Today, as usual, Isaac is swinging his sword alone in the training grounds.
This training, now a part of his daily routine, has become a habit that clears his foggy, sleep-drenched mind.
‘Scout team.’
Last night, at Silberna’s request, Isaac joined the scout team.
Facing the dangerous situation of going beyond the walls, he still didn’t refuse.
‘With my skills, I’ll probably just hold them back, right?’
‘Combat ability isn’t the top priority for the scout team. We’re not going to fight; we’re going to gather information and make judgments.’
‘In that sense, Isaac, I highly value your eyes and judgment. It’s not a strange suggestion at all.’
Isaac thought it could be mutually beneficial.
Like other nobles, Isaac also lacked real combat experience.
Going out with the scout team would make it easier to sense the flow and atmosphere of real battles.
‘Hoo, I still wish I had a better sword.’
He slowly lowered his sword.
A standard-issue sword, the kind even regular soldiers receive.
Since he couldn’t use the greatswords at Helmunth, this was the sword he received upon arriving here.
As Isaac exhaled with a bitter expression, his white breath briefly obscured his vision.
Then, a giant of a man appeared at the edge of the training grounds.
Even in the pre-dawn darkness, his presence and size made it easy to recognize who he was.
Uldiran Caldias.
The border lord approached Isaac.
Isaac greeted him politely, and Uldiran acknowledged it with a casual wave before stepping forward.
“Anna told me you come out here every dawn to train. It’s true, huh?”
“I’m still lacking in many ways. That’s why I’m constantly striving to keep up with others.”
“You’ll realize that those efforts aren’t so easily dismissed once they accumulate.”
Isaac smiled faintly at Uldiran’s praise.
From the border lord’s perspective, he’s called the guardian deity of the north.
But Uldiran himself doesn’t carry himself with that much weight.
Considering Silberna’s roots of mingling freely with ordinary soldiers, it’s easy to understand.
“Actually, I came here to see you.”
“Me, sir?”
“I heard you’ve been chatting with Silberna lately. She’s been visiting the noble quarters quite often.”
“……”
Isaac closed his mouth awkwardly.
What parent would be happy to hear their daughter is visiting a married man’s room every night?
“At first, I thought about giving you a good scolding. One of my knuckle sandwiches usually knocks people out.”
He raised his thick fist.
But his tone was warm.
“However, after seeing Silberna training last night, I changed my mind.”
“……”
“She’s improved a lot. Even I, her father, barely recognized her.”
A complex emotion lingered in Uldiran’s eyes.
“You must’ve helped her, right? I could tell at a glance.”
“May I ask how you knew?”
“It reminded me of Helmunth.”
Uldiran’s face broke into a mischievous, childlike grin.
“Of course, it’s not that she’s copying their swordsmanship. It’s just that a special person became even more special. That’s why I said it reminded me of Helmunth.”
In her past life and now, she rapidly improves with just a few hints or pieces of advice.
She’s the type to act faster than she thinks.
“The Caldias tradition of ‘a spear for all’ was actually holding her back. She thought it wasn’t the Caldias Spear Technique if she swung the spear according to her own instincts.”
“……”
“‘Moving forward isn’t about abandoning, but about continuing,’ wasn’t it? She came to me laughing and babbling about what you told her.”
A gentle smile formed on Uldiran’s lips.
His kind demeanor made Isaac unconsciously let his guard down.
“My daughter is indebted to you. Thank you.”
“I’ve also learned a lot from Silberna.”
At Isaac’s response, Uldiran slowly turned his gaze and pointed toward his mansion.
“Northern warriors don’t express themselves with words alone.”
“Huh?”
“Let’s go together. My storage has quite a few useless but valuable items.”
He gestured toward Isaac’s sword and laughed.
“Looking at that, I think you need something else, don’t you?”
“……!”
Uldiran had immediately noticed Isaac’s dissatisfaction with his current sword just from briefly watching his training.
“They say a great swordsman shouldn’t be picky about their sword, but you know what? There’s nothing as sensitive to swords as Helmunth.”
“Is that so?”
“Haha! Once, I was about to spar with that Arandel guy—”
* * *
Early morning, after the sun had risen.
A satisfied smile lingered on Isaac’s lips in the training grounds.
A snow leopard fur hat and gloves gifted by Silberna and Anna.
Boots that wouldn’t slip even on snowy paths.
And finally, a long, wide-bladed sword named Pulsun hanging at his waist.
“You’ve become a proper northerner, huh?”
At Silberna’s words, Isaac shrugged.
Especially the Pulsun at his waist—it was a high-quality sword gifted by Uldiran.
It wasn’t exactly the shape he wanted, but it was far better than the standard-issue sword.
The ‘Sword of Isaac’ he was writing about was based on a single-edged sword, and Pulsun fit perfectly.
“Yaaawn, I’m sleepy.”
At that moment, a twin-tailed girl trudged into the training grounds.
Sharen Helmunth.
She looked tired, perhaps from a change in sleeping arrangements, yawning repeatedly as she approached the two.
Sharen was also a member of the scout team Silberna had envisioned, chosen purely for her skills, regardless of her family background.
“Have you two eaten breakfast yet?”
“No, not yet. We were going to grab a quick bite after getting our positions set.”
“I ate some snacks.”
At Silberna and Sharen’s answers, Isaac pulled out sandwich ingredients he’d prepared earlier from the dining hall.
He spread his cloak on the ground and sat down to make sandwiches.
“It’s better to fill your stomach a bit before heading out. You never know what might happen outside.”
At Isaac’s words, Silberna hesitated but accepted the sandwich.
“You’re right. I guess I was nervous thinking about leading the scout team.”
“What about me?”
Sharen asked if there was any for her.
Isaac glanced at her and quickly made one to hand over.
“Well, since Isaac made it, I wasn’t expecting much— What!? This is really good!”
Sharen’s attitude changed instantly as she devoured the sandwich like a starving beast.
“I used to eat this a lot for lunch when I worked as a laborer. The key is getting the jam ratio just right.”
Even a simple sandwich could be delicious if you put in the effort.
“So this is how you seduced my sister.”
As Sharen muttered with her cheeks stuffed, Isaac opened his mouth to say something but eventually just nodded.
“Yeah, this is how I seduced her.”
Honestly, back then, it was definitely seduction.
He remembers trying all sorts of lines and gestures, wanting to make things work with her.
It’s a cringe-worthy memory.
“So you’re giving me the same thing you used to seduce Lianna?”
Silberna, holding a half-eaten sandwich, said with a smirk.
Looking down at the sandwich, Isaac hurriedly explains.
“Don’t read too much into it. I just wanted to make sure we at least had something to eat.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
Even as she said that, Silbern cautiously started eating the sandwich.
* * *
Riana’s morning started later than expected.
‘Sigh.’
It was because her dreams were unsettling, and she often had nightmares.
A morning that started a bit later than others.
But it didn’t matter.
She was only disguised as a maid, not really one, so sleeping in wasn’t a big deal.
Though sharing a room with other maids was a bit of an unusual experience.
Riana checks under the bed, which is more like a large wooden box than a proper bed with cushions.
A sword wrapped in bandages waits lonely for its owner.
Ragnabel.
Riana’s greatsword.
After confirming it was safe, she quickly washed up and stepped outside.
Just like yesterday, she hid herself thoroughly.
Outside the lodging, the closest thing Riana could see were the soldiers of the Malidan Wall, each busily moving about.
Looking a bit further, she could see nobles training in the training grounds.
And even further, under the rising sun, stood the sturdy Malidan Wall.
‘It’s cold.’
The chilly weather.
Just as she was starting to feel bored, having nothing to do for the first time.
The cold northern air made her hands tingle, and suddenly, old memories came flooding back.
Before the two of them got married.
“We talked about the north, didn’t we?”
A blue river served as the backdrop.
The water was unusually calm that day, so they spent some time on a boat.
Two people sitting face to face on a small boat.
Sharing a sandwich they had split in half, the conversation flowed as they digested it.
It was so sweet, they didn’t even need tea or snacks.
[When you’re in love, everything looks good.]
Isaac said with a smile.
Is that really true?
So, does that mean everything about you looks good to me now?
Riana swallowed her thoughts and said something else.
‘That’s nonsense.’
[It’s true. There’s a reason they say love is magic.]
‘Be realistic.’
[I’m being quite realistic. When you’re with someone you love, everything you do, everywhere you go, looks good.]
Having no experience, Riana could only keep denying it.
Before they knew it, the two of them started a back-and-forth conversation on the floating boat.
‘What about the north? It’s freezing there.’
[Then we’ll just hold hands.]
‘What about the humid weather in the east? Just being together would be annoying.’
[I’ll make us a cool drink. Let’s sit in the shade and spend some time together.]
‘It’s going to rain. It’s the rainy season.’
[We’ll share one umbrella. I don’t mind if my shoulder gets wet.]
‘……Did you practice this somewhere?’
[Well, call it the power of love?]
Isaac laughed, embarrassed by his own words.
That sight was so cute, Riana almost laughed along.
But.
Isaac, a commoner boatman.
Riana Helmunth, from a prestigious noble family.
The gap between them struck her again, and Riana’s expression darkened.
[What’s wrong-.]
‘Helmunth.’
Looking straight into Isaac’s worried eyes, Riana asked.
‘What about Helmunth?’
The cold of the north.
The heat of the east.
A place incomparably harsh.
This time, Riana was sure Isaac wouldn’t be able to answer, and she felt bitter.
But softly.
Isaac took her hand and smiled.
[You’ll be there.]
‘……!’
Riana bit her lip and bowed her head deeply.
Her face was hidden by her flowing hair, and Isaac didn’t say anything more to embarrass her.
She was so embarrassed.
Her face felt like it was about to burst.
That was the kind of memory it was.
“Good thing I’m wearing a mask.”
Back in reality, Riana muttered to herself awkwardly.
As she cooled her flushed face with the northern wind, she spotted three people squatting in a corner of the training grounds, eating sandwiches.
‘Isaac and Silbern?’
Her younger sister was there too, but Riana didn’t pay much attention.
Quietly, she sneaked closer to them.
No need to get too close.
The great Helmunth’s body had excellent hearing.
It started with Sharen.
“Give me another one. It’s delicious.”
“Make it yourself.”
“Tch! I’ll make it even tastier!”
“With simple ingredients, it’s surprisingly good. I thought sandwiches were all the same.”
At Silbern’s last words, Riana flinched.
Sandwiches?
‘Isaac’s sandwiches?’
That’s the food we used to eat during our little dates on the boat.
He even made it for breakfast on our 4th wedding anniversary.
“…….”
A strange feeling welled up in her chest.
Riana thought she knew what it was, but decided not to put it into words.
‘He’s gotten close to Lady Caldias, even on the wall.’
The conversation continued to reach Riana’s ears as she stood there, feeling deflated.
“Strictly speaking, the sandwiches we used to eat tasted a bit different. The ingredients are different, and the preparation is too.”
“Really? You’re proud of it?”
“Of course.”
“Slurp slurp.”
Sharen’s slurping made it hard to hear, but Riana felt some tension ease from her shoulders.
‘Yeah, that’s right.’
The sandwiches we ate on the boat were special.
Not something you can easily taste in a place like this.
“So, the taste of love? Something like that?”
Sharen, with jam smeared all over her mouth, asked.
At 17, she seemed quite interested in such things.
‘Well, you could say that.’
Riana nodded, thinking that even if it wasn’t now, it definitely was back then.
“Grow up. Love has nothing to do with it. It’s tasty because the jam and meat are good.”
“…….”
……Just as she was about to nod.
Riana turned her head sharply and stared at Isaac.
“There’s no such thing as the power of love! Don’t be fooled by romance!”
“Okay, okay! Stop talking! You’re being too serious, it’s scary! Don’t get in my face!”
“Reality! Marriage is!”
