Silbern stood still, watching Helvint’s departing carriage until the very end.
Already, all the other people had returned to their usual routines, but Silbern remained in her place.
It seemed like she would continue to stay there until the carriage was completely out of sight, so Anna gently took her arm.
“Miss? You’ll pop your eyes out.”
“Hmm, it’s a strange feeling.”
“Why? Are you already missing him after just parting ways?”
“Yes.”
“Wow, you’re so honest.”
The unexpectedly bold response left Anna flustered. It appeared that with Isaac now gone, Silbern no longer intended to hide her feelings.
“Anyway, you’ll see him again at the Swordsmanship Festival.”
“…”
“Rather, why didn’t you confess again?”
After all, they had deliberately maintained a close friendship to lay the groundwork for what would come after the Swordsmanship Festival.
Anna had laughed mischievously when she said it, but Silbern exhaled bitterly in response.
“You already know what his answer would be if I do it now.”
“…I’m sorry.”
Anna apologized for carelessly speaking about Silbern’s genuine feelings.
But Silbern brushed it off as if it were nothing.
“It’s fine, and you’re right. Anyway, I’ll see him soon at the Swordsmanship Festival.”
“That’s right! Let’s make sure to get him then! For you, I’ve even prepared a special outfit.”
“…An outfit?”
“Yes! From what I’ve seen, Isaac seems to favor cute women.”
“…”
Suddenly placing her hands on her waist, pulling her hips slightly back, and winking, Silbern asked,
“Am I cute?”
“You just look like an aunt trying to act cute.”
“I’m still in my twenties!”
Begrudgingly walking inside, Silbern muttered, and Anna followed behind giggling.
“But Miss, where did you learn that?”
“Well, Sharon used to do it sometimes. She would say ‘I’m cute!’”
“Puhehe! Really? I wish I could have seen that.”
“But anyway, why does Isaac favor cute types?”
“Isn’t Rianne the type of cute beauty?”
“Her?”
Thinking of Rianne, Silbern found it hard to agree. Where was the cuteness in her usually expressionless and somewhat cold demeanor?
“Really, Miss, you should think about it this way: if he likes cute girls, you have a chance. But if he had a different preference, you might not stand a chance.”
“Like what?”
“For example, if he liked petite women, you’d definitely lose.”
“…”
“Therefore, you need to give off that cute vibe. Try practicing it—bee!”
Suddenly lifting one leg, Anna formed a ‘V’ with her fingers at the side of her eye.
Awkwardly watching her, Silbern hesitantly followed suit.
“B-Bee?!”
Her face turning bright red and her chest heaving, Anna teased her:
“Tsk, if Isaac had seen that, it would have been a direct hit.”
“I feel so self-conscious right now.”
“The Swordsmanship Festival will be the moment of truth. You have to make Isaac feel, ‘Hmm? She was this cute all along?’ Do you understand?”
“Bee?!”
“Indeed, Miss. You learn fast.”
Anna, who had learned about romance from books, and Silbern, who hadn’t even learned that much, exchanged various stories, each preparing their own way for the Swordsmanship Festival.
“Master Isaac, what kind of women do you prefer?”
“…”
Tap, tap.
It had been three days since they left the Malidan Wall. They were camping, with the sky darkening, and their carriage parked. Sitting around a campfire, Jonathan suddenly asked an unexpected question.
“Did I hear that wrong?”
Despite his attempt to casually divert the topic, Jonathan repeated it unabashed.
“No, I asked about your preference in women.”
“…Do you even know that I’m married and you’re asking this?”
“Preferences in women and a spouse are not so closely related, are they?”
Was it because he was of Transcendental heritage? Jonathan sometimes displayed an unexpected perceptiveness.
“You seem interested in women. Why? Need some advice?”
Isaac was preparing to answer by saying that he became a knight of Helvint to control his instincts, but instead, Jonathan stared blankly at him and replied.
“I was just curious. When I was in the church, these kinds of topics often came up during conversations among the men.”
“…”
“Well, we don’t have much else to talk about.”
It was true to some extent; they had just been silently warming themselves by the campfire.
“Jonathan, how about some practice?”
Bolting up, Isaac suggested as Jonathan immediately stood up, fetching his greatsword. Isaac opened the bundle on the carriage to retrieve several blades.
These were all crafted by Antonio; there was little point in carrying them if there was no one who could use them.
Holding one, he stood by the campfire. Watching this, Jonathan frowned and stuck out his lips.
“Aren’t you going to use Snowflake?”
The blade Snowflake, forged from frost silver light, had been acquired after Isaac had struggled greatly to convince Silbern about its name. No matter what, “The esteemed and beautiful goddess Silberin” was just too long-winded.
“It’s easier to depend on the sword if I keep using it.”
Smiling, Isaac replied, causing Jonathan to draw a deep breath and stiffen his muscles.
“Kwooo!”
“Let’s go.”
As Jonathan’s crimson energy began to seep, creating a sticky, swamp-like consistency, its color a darker black due to the use of Transcendental power.
“I will win today!”
Sharpened teeth flashing, Jonathan boldly declared, but Isaac, drawing his sword, smiled and replied.
“As long as you wield Helvint’s sword, it won’t be easy to defeat me.”
A few days later.
“…”
Returning to Helvint’s territory, the atmosphere had completely changed from when they had departed.
The fragrance of blooming roses permeated the entire estate, and the voices of people continuously echoed.
Following the path towards Helvint’s mansion, on both sides, the stalls were bustling with customers, as if the festival had already begun.
“Wow, this is my first Swordsmanship Festival! I never imagined it would be like this!”
Jonathan grinned, looking around while Isaac, carefully controlling the reins, widened his eyes in surprise.
“I’ve never been either.”
“Really?”
“Well, by the time I got married four years ago, the Swordsmanship Festival had already passed.”
And around this time in his previous life, with his damaged leg, he had isolated himself in his room. It was a time he did not wish to remember, when he regarded himself as utterly pathetic.
“How about we take a quick look around? Once we enter the mansion, we won’t be able to explore.”
Taking Isaac’s suggestion, Jonathan immediately began searching for a place to park the carriage. Borrowing an unfolded tent from a nearby merchant, he covered the carriage to hide it.
“A festival! This is my first.”
“It is? Surprisingly fun.”
Isaac thought about maybe giving Jonathan some pocket money but remembered he was also a knight with a sufficient salary. He hummed along and strolled around.
“Master Isaac, do you often attend festivals?”
“I went a few times before marriage. It was usually because guests invited me, or friends would call me along.”
“Ooooh…”
Stopping in admiration, Jonathan curiously asked.
“Were those guests or friends women?”
“Why do you ask?”
“No reason, it just feels that way…”
Walking silently, Jonathan smiled slyly and followed.
“Master Isaac, good looks aren’t for nothing, are they?”
“I feel like we’re getting too close. This is quite convenient.”
“I apologize!”
Even as he said that, the subtle smile did not leave Jonathan’s lips. They moved together, browsing the festival when…
“No, this wasn’t my intention.”
A peculiar woman stood out. Her striking appearance and clear, flawless skin suggested someone who had never endured hardship.
Though her blond hair was common, her presence made everyone else seem like mere replicas, indescribably distinct.
Her hair reached her waist. Her clothes and accessories suggested she could be a seasoned adventurer, making her look incongruously out of place.
Taking a closer look, it seemed she was having a heated argument with a stall owner.
“Now, now, it’s troubling for a grown young lady like you to act in such a manner.”
“I’m not trying to avoid paying!”
“So?”
“It was an unintended mishap. I’m not without money; I simply lack cash at the moment.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’d be wrong for me to leave things like this, so I’ll give something of more value than money.”
“More valuable than money?”
The stall owner was confused.
“These grilled meat skewers are advertised as crispy, but they’re not at all. You used chicken, didn’t you? There’s nothing particularly special about it. It even has a hint of ammonia.”
“The charring is too strong and because the skewers were pre-cooked, the ones I got were cold, which worsens the taste. Moreover, I even ate some pieces of the wooden skewer that had been overcooked.”
“There are also issues like uneven seasoning on each skewer, poor quality of meat, and pricing too high compared to the quality.”
“There’s more I could say, but I think it’s worth more than the value of the skewer itself—”
She flashed a mischievous wink and gestured to the stall owner.
“If you take my advice and improve, you could probably become the most popular stall!”
“Give me my money, you hag!”
“Aaah?! Excuse me?! Didn’t I just pay?! Ow! That hurts!”
The stall owner had grabbed her by the hair, leaving the woman flailing about, trying to figure out how to escape.
