17 – 17. Silbern is Busy

After the fight with the Transcendent.

The Malidien Wall, now known to be facing a massive swarm, was frantic every day.

It wasn’t just about standing guard on the wall, but also dispatching reconnaissance squads daily.

Everyone, each day, watched the backs of those squads heading out to check on the dangers outside, praying for their safety.

An unforeseen disaster.

“Haa.”

“I want to go back.”

The nobles, who’d come on dispatch, light of heart after being told a demon swarm was nothing to worry over, now wore darkened faces.

A calamity from history, returned after twenty-three years.

They were afraid, to be in its very heart.

And last night, the time they spent utterly defeated, unable to even resist the Transcendents, was etched in them like trauma.

[Don’t tell them.]

Isaac had told Uldiran and Silverna what he knew about the Transcendents.

But Uldiran had decided not to publicize it.

They hadn’t yet determined if the great swarm was connected to the Transcendents, and he figured, given how helpless everyone already felt, such news would only lead to deeper chaos.

As for the Blackthorn house, the Royal Family had already been contacted.

Their betrayal was probably being verified by the Crown, step by step.

“Hoo-up!”

Amidst everyone’s busyness.

Isaac, at least, was finding each day fulfilling and satisfying.

Having been recognized for his recent accomplishments, Isaac was granted leave from wall duty.

Even now, when every hand was needed, Isaac was permitted to practice swordsmanship alone – this was thanks to Silverna’s strong sway.

“He’s at it again, that one.”

Silverna, having finished lunch, was observing Isaac from a distance.

Isaac was sparring with Jonathan.

They had been repeating the sparring and training, every day for days.

But there was something unusual-.

“Master Isaac is winning,”

Anna said, handing Silverna ginger tea after their meal.

“Slurp.”

As Anna said, Isaac’s sword was taking Jonathan down too easily.

Jonathan, face fallen, rose again, claiming he would challenge again.

The man was something else, stamina-wise.

Regardless.

Even if he was bottom rung, to defeat a knight of Helmund, that was something.

But the two of them wore troubled faces.

“There’s a log of matches between the dispatched folks, and Isaac-nim, it says he’s at 2 wins and 39 losses out of 41 fights.”

“……”

“For reference, Jonathan’s at 17 wins and 6 losses out of 23.”

Isaac and Jonathan’s spars weren’t official, so they weren’t strictly recorded.

But, aside from the very beginning, Isaac was mostly dominating Jonathan.

“Of course, Isaac-nim did mostly spar with the nobles who are skilled….”

Among them, there were certainly nobles Jonathan had defeated.

Wasn’t it a strange record?

Silberna wanted to voice her thoughts, but it felt like something she shouldn’t say, so she kept quiet.

“If I were to speak for the young lady,”

Anna said, scratching her cheek awkwardly.

“Isaac-nim… he seems like someone built to fight Helmut specifically.”

“……”

“He handles nobles who use greatswords just fine, but against a Helumt, it’s like he’s reading their moves several steps ahead.”

“……”

“And that’s why Isaac-nim can win against Jonathan even with his lack of training.”

“Haa.”

“It’s one thing for anyone else, but it’s different coming from Helmut’s son-in-law.”

It’s like…

he’d been gathering knowledge all this time just to bring down Helmut.

“Enough, don’t worry about it. He’ll figure it out.”

Helmut’s son-in-law growing into a hunter specialized in hunting Helmut.

It felt unsettling, but it was Isaac’s life after all.

“Kkueak!”

Just then, Isaac knocked Jonathan down again.

“……You should stop for now.”

Isaac, already familiar with Jonathan, clicked his tongue, as if judging there was nothing more to learn from him.

Seeing that, Silberna turned to Isaac.

“I’m off.”

“You’re going again? You’ve been sticking together too much lately!”

“We’re friends, aren’t we. And what’s it, just hanging out? I’m just helping Isaac with his manual. And maybe, I’ll get some advice too, while I’m at it.”

Watching Silverna walk away, Anna let out a worried sigh.

‘Is that how someone looks going to see just a friend?’

She was already wearing a smile bright enough to melt the cold wind.

And wasn’t she already here, watching him, constantly gauging the right timing to approach Isaac?

‘Oh, dear god.’

He’s married!

Anna wanted to shout it out.

“Isaac, I’m here.”

Silverna greeted Isaac, who was wiping away sweat with a towel.

“Silverna, you came again today.”

Seeing Isaac’s warm greeting, Silverna replied with a sly smile.

“Haa, I’m really busy, you know. You begged, so I had no choice, right?”

“Yeah, I know. Do you have to say it every day?”

“Be more grateful. Who else is there to help you out here but me?”

Silverna had been Isaac’s sparring partner and research aid for his swordsmanship.

The “Isaac’s Sword” manual he was writing was already deeply connected to her efforts too.

“Alright, do you remember what we were doing yesterday? Get into position and take my attacks.”

“You’re still doing that?”

The two of them wielded their swords and spears, now with practiced ease.

After a few minutes.

Isaac told her to wait, and squatted down to continue writing with his pen.

‘He’s amazing.’

While telling Silverna she was carrying on the Caldias spear techniques.

Isaac himself was going through the beginning of swordsmanship, seeing that made Silverna feel a little like there was a wall.

Isn’t this what they meant by a difference in talent?

“How’s Blackthorn?”

Isaac asked, still holding his pen.

Blackthorn was the noble family that had helped the Transcendents.

There was even a Blackthorn among the dispatched nobles.

“No particular movement. The one here’s still young, maybe didn’t even know about the Transcendents?”

“……”

Isaac kept his pen moving, offering no other words.

He’d tangled with a few nobles dispatched from the Blackthorn house himself, but hadn’t noticed anything out of the ordinary either.

Silberna, who had been staring down at Isaac with a blank look, parted her lips.

There was something she wanted to ask, and though she knew it was a sensitive topic, she hesitated.

“With Rianna—”

A single word, closer to instinct than thought, escaped Silberna’s mouth.

“Hmm?”

She hurriedly tried to cover her mouth, but Isaac had already heard, turning to look at Silberna.

Too late.

Silberna paused for a moment, then asked with an awkward smile,

“Rianna’s skills are exceptional, right?”

Thinking it was nothing much, Isaac nodded, returning to his writing.

“Yeah, she’s the strongest in Hellmunt, aside from the head.”

She possessed unparalleled skill even among her siblings.

“I easily beat the eldest son too, but I lost to Rianna. Of course! I was exhausted, but still!”

Adding that hurriedly, Isaac chuckled softly.

*‘Judging coldly.’*

The current Silberna was no match for Rianna.

It was safe to say Silberna hadn’t blossomed yet.

*‘But she’s putting in the effort.’*

After hearing Isaac’s words last time, Silberna was also striving to find her own Caldeas.

“Rianna is, well… a formidable swordswoman.”

Isaac, not really wanting to talk about her, tried to brush past it with vague words.

But the oblivious Silberna rambled on about her rival.

“Actually, there are rumors that Rianna’s skills are somewhat exaggerated. Though they call her the Blood Rose, she hasn’t shown anything compared to the eldest son, Roengreen.”

“……”

“But having faced her myself, I know. There’s an immeasurable gap between Rianna and Roengreen.”

“Well, yeah, that’s true.”

Isaac paused his hands, staring blankly at the earth.

“You know what?”

Recalling the past, Isaac chuckled hollowly.

“Rianna could part a river.”

“…Huh?”

Silberna looked up, puzzled by the sudden words, and Isaac grinned, finding her expression funny.

But Silberna still didn’t understand.

“What, a metaphor? Is it a poetic way of saying she subdued a river?”

“Haha, think of it that way if you want.”

He chuckled again at the absurdity of the memory.

Silberna noticed Isaac wasn’t joking, her brow furrowing with curiosity.

“Why would she part a river?”

It was a simple, pure question.

If you were training, you just train, there’s no need to part a river.

At the piercing question.

Isaac brushed it off, the memory already faded, and answered listlessly.

“It was a proposal.”

“What? What are you talking about?”

Silberna kept asking, but Isaac brushed it off as unimportant.

“Alright, got more time? Can you help a bit longer?”

Isaac closed the book and asked.

“Ah, again?”

She had the time, actually.

“Tsk, hold on. I’ll go ask Anna real quick.”

“Please do.”

“This is gonna be tough. I’m busy, you know.”

Silberna purposely turned away, heading towards Anna who was waiting in the distance.

“Hehe.”

The fact that Isaac needed her, was holding onto her like this, it felt good to Silberna.

* * *

The next day, the same hour.

Silberna ate her lunch, just the same, and went to find Isaac.

‘Where’s Anna?’

It felt odd, not seeing Anna, and looking for her had made her a little late, but still she’d come to Isaac.

“Silberna, you’re here?”

“Ah, Miss.”

Isaac smiled brighter than yesterday, and before him, Anna stood awkwardly, clutching a spear.

“What… what’s going on?”

Silberna asked, a bewildered look on her face, and Isaac gave a thumbs up in reply.

“You said you were busy. So, I asked Anna for a favor today.”

“…”

“So you don’t need to spend the time helping today. I felt bad that I’ve been taking up so much of your time recently.”

“Ah, okay.”

Silberna stood stock-still, nodding her head.

She stared at Anna, expressionless, unlike her usual self.

But Anna stood firm, not backing down.

‘It’s for the young lady!’

Anna knew that Silberna was growing fond of Isaac, a special measure of her own.

A married man.

What if Silberna fell in love with Isaac, who was even the husband of Helmont’s eldest daughter?

‘I can only see the worst future!’

It wouldn’t end with just heartache, how much would Silberna be pointed and gossiped about in society.

“Ah, I see. Well… I guess you don’t need me today.”

Silberna turned away, her voice dry and cold like the chill of the north.

“Yeah, that’s a relief.”

“Truth is, I was busy. I was pushing myself a bit.”

“Had to do this. Had to do that.”

“Ah, good that you’re not needed.”

“Haha, a relief. It was quite a bother.”

“Right then, Isaac. I’ll be going.”

“Ah, thank heavens, thank heavens.”

Watching Silvarna’s retreating figure, Anna felt her chest ache, but she held it in.

“Anna, shall we begin then?”

“Yes, I understand.”

Taking the pose and weapon Isaac wanted, she became his sparring partner.

Through this, Isaac himself was in the process of realizing and understanding something.

“……”

A prickling sensation ran down her spine, and she glanced back.

At the edge of the drill field.

Silvarna was hiding behind a tree, staring intently.