"Wanna die? Hand it over."
"B-Big sis?!"
Of course, Edel tried to resist.
He was the acting head of the family, currently responsible for House Helmut.
No matter how close they were as siblings, her making unreasonable demands—and expecting him to comply—was absurd.
So Edel had no choice but to stand his ground.
"No matter what you say, I can't allow it, sister! This is not something you can force through!"
"Liana unni already gave permission, okay?! You're just a stand-in! Don't act out!"
"Then let the head of the family come and formally strip me of my authority! I will not back down, sister!"
"Hah!"
This little punk?
While Sharen had grown by enduring all kinds of hardship outside, her younger brother hadn't exactly had it easy inside, either.
He bore his own struggles and burdens.
It was Edel who had somehow managed to steer the declining Helmut back onto a stable course.
A talent no other Helmut possessed.
Liana had recognized that Edel inherited their mother's political acumen. That's why she had entrusted him with the acting head position.
Brushing off his clothes, Edel stood up resolutely.
"I'm not who I used to be, sister. I won't give in to your tantrums anymore."
"I've never thrown a tantrum at you."
"..."
Sharen had indeed made some pretty unreasonable requests to others before, often throwing fits to get her way.
Even the Nuremdol had helped her just because she kept whining.
But that was only when the other person was stronger than her or the situation was exceptional.
Clench.
Sharen tightened her fist as if in warning.
Edel flinched and took a step back.
"I don't take orders from anyone weaker than me."
With that shout, Sharen charged at him. Edel quickly twisted his body to escape.
Unfortunately for him—
There was no way someone who had been holed up with paperwork could overpower someone who had been training and fighting outside nonstop.
Crash!
Edel was caught and knocked to the ground.
Sharen climbed on top of him to make sure he couldn't escape, readying her fist to reestablish the sibling hierarchy.
"Brother A-Armin! Brother Armin—!"
Edel called out desperately.
The only family member still at home was their second brother Armin. At that moment, he was Edel's last hope.
Helmuts have sharp ears.
"Edel?"
From inside the mansion, Armin heard Edel's cry and rushed out.
Armin Helmut.
Though he was the younger brother of the eldest, Lohengrin, and Liana, he had always had a relatively weak presence within the Helmut family.
"Sharen? What the—when did you get here?"
He looked confused, seeing Sharen pounding on Edel.
"Just now!"
"Help me, Brother!"
Responding to Edel's plea, Armin hurriedly pulled Sharen off him.
Irritated, Sharen snapped at Armin for treating her like a child.
"What the hell?! Don't treat me like some brat!"
"Shut up! Edel is the acting head right now!"
"And you're proud you lost that title to the youngest, even though you're the second son?!"
"I'm pissed too, you bitch!"
"B-Bitch?! Take this—Flame Fist!"
Even so, Armin was technically the third strongest person in House Helmut.
Just as Lohengrin could withstand Sharen's Flame Fist, Armin should've been able to do the same.
"Guhk?!"
Surprisingly, Armin couldn't endure Sharen's attack and collapsed to the floor.
"Huh?"
Sharen looked down at her hand in surprise.
Armin, also caught off guard, stared at Sharen in disbelief.
"You—what the hell? What have you been learning?!"
"Huh? Nothing that amazing."
She had just been swinging her sword and training really hard.
Of course, her trainers included Isaac—once known as the Silent Sword and a sword-obsessed stalker of Helmut techniques—as well as the Grandmaster, and even Liana Helmut herself.
You could say Sharen had cherry-picked the best instructors of this era in swordsmanship.
"…I guess I'm kinda super strong now."
She wiggled her fingers and muttered to herself.
She kept losing to the Primordial Transcendents, in sparring matches with Isaac, got beaten up by the Grandmaster, and couldn't even touch Mu-myeong.
So Sharen hadn't yet realized how strong she had truly become.
Among her group, she was the weakest.
But the people around her were all at the peak of the world.
She was only a relative weakling.
"Suddenly, I'm feeling pretty good."
"..."
"I guess I'm not some weakling after all."
Just as Sharen, newly aware of her strength, was getting cocky and looked ready to overpower the Helmut estate by force—
"That's enough."
The Grandmaster, who had been watching everything unfold from behind, stepped in with a sigh.
It was fine to show off and gain confidence, but now wasn't the time for that.
After all, this wasn't why they had come in the first place.
"You're Edel, correct?"
"W-Who are you?"
"I'm called the Grandmaster. Your sister and Isaac's mentor."
"Wait, you were my teacher too?!"
"…Then spit back everything I taught you."
"Bleh!"
Sharen stuck out her tongue and made a fake spitting gesture. The Grandmaster just accepted it without reaction, then turned to Edel.
"I understand the situation. But perhaps you should try seeing it from a different perspective."
"…A different perspective?"
Having finally found someone he could reason with, Edel slightly relaxed. It was an unintended blend of carrot and stick.
"Think of it as an investment. Once everything's over, you'll get your return."
"An investment? In Baron Logan?"
Edel fell silent, pondering.
Not as the eldest daughter's husband, but as the acting head of the Helmut family—he weighed the worth of Baron Logan.
"I know Baron Logan's reputation has been on the rise lately. But we're the Helmuts. A prestigious family with history and tradition."
"…"
"Yes, we're shaking a bit right now. But even so, handing over something like Jingol Steel or Roselixer—our pride—to a mere baron is too much."
"You little—!"
Sharen tried to charge at him again, but the Grandmaster caught her and covered her mouth with her hand.
With a subtle tone and look, she urged Edel to continue, as if to say, "Go on. You're on the right track."
Edel cleared his throat and continued.
"Even if it's an investment, giving that much to just a baron is ridiculous. But—"
"Yes, but?"
"He's the noble who's been on the very front lines against the Transcendents. His results have been solid. And most importantly… for a time, he carried the name of Helmut."
"Hmph."
"Fine, I'll invest. Baron Logan has the worth and justification."
The Grandmaster smirked at Edel's words. He might be acting head of the family, but in the end, he was still just a kid.
Whether it was because of Isaac, Liana, or both—it was clear emotion had played a role in his decision.
Watching all this, Sharen slapped the Grandmaster's hand away and asked—
"Hey, if you were going to agree anyway, why did you talk in circles like that? So annoying."
"You might not understand, sister, but in the position of family head, justification and procedure matter. Just saying 'okay' outright would damage the dignity of House Helmut."
"Is that so?"
Sharen tilted her head in confusion as Edel sighed and spoke.
"Just go inside and have some snacks."
Insulted by that remark, Sharen lunged at Edel again.
***
After a long time, he had returned to Evergard.
Upon hearing that Isaac had come back, Princess Clarice immediately rushed to his mansion.
She had sneakily planned to meet him first, before anyone else—but when she arrived, only the maid Karen was there to greet her.
"Where's Isaac?"
"Uh… I'm not sure. Actually, he left right after arriving."
"Left immediately?"
"Yes."
Karen's embarrassed response made Clarice frown as she stepped back outside.
Where would someone go right after arriving in Evergard without even resting?
Clarice's steps were firm and without hesitation.
Where would Isaac go first upon returning to Evergard?
The answer was obvious.
'A fool would assume it's the blacksmith.'
Sure, he'd come back to get a sword—so many would think he'd gone to the forge.
But that was only if you didn't know Isaac Logan.
Though rational, he was once more sentimental than anyone.
Clarice's feet took her to none other than the Evergard National Cemetery.
In a quiet corner of the grounds.
A gravestone, more modest and humble than the others.
[The time we spent together was truly a happy one, my friend.]
With those graceful words etched in stone, Isaac sat before the grave, speaking as if he were a child chatting with an old friend.
"It was amazing. A real giant. I used to think beings like that only appeared in fairy tales."
"His personality was completely different from his appearance. So strong, yet… he loved peace. I thought that was what true strength looked like, so I tried to follow his example—but it didn't go too well."
"Feels like this long battle is finally coming to an end."
With eyes gently closed, Isaac smiled faintly.
"When the time comes, I'll bring a good bottle of liquor, Millie. Let's drink together."
Of course, the very first thing Isaac Logan did upon returning to Evergard—
—was visit his long-lost friend.