After arriving at Evergard, Isaac had been leading quite a busy life.
It was busy, yes, but because it was part of daily life, it felt peaceful.
He would observe the swordsmanship of the royal guards, visit the outer church to speak with Sister Helia Bell—Jonathan's mother—or meet with Princess Clarice to help lift her spirits amidst her hectic schedule.
At the same time, to avoid losing the feeling of wielding a sword, he made it a habit to wake up early every morning to train.
Three days passed like that.
And now, it was the day of maid Karen's wedding.
Isaac was getting ready at the mansion to attend. While putting on clothes Karen had chosen for him in advance—
"Get over here!"
"Hm?"
A sharp voice rang from the mansion's front gate. But the speaker didn't even wait for Isaac's response and came stomping inside.
Twin-tailed red hair.
It was Sharen Helmut.
When Isaac opened the door, behind Sharen stood a man he hadn't seen in a long time.
"Jonathan?"
"Isa—!"
"Isaac-nim—!"
Jonathan pushed Sharen aside and flung himself into Isaac's arms. Sharen, who was pushed to the side and leaning against the doorframe, stared at Jonathan with a dumbfounded expression.
Her mouth hung open, as if she couldn't believe she'd lost the spot she meant to take for herself.
"It's really been so long! You have no idea how much I missed you! Oh right! I'm sorry! I should be calling you Baron Logan—!"
"Crimson Flame Wave!"
Sharen's fist jabbed into Jonathan's side, bursting forth with a wave of crimson fire.
"Gurgh!"
Jonathan tumbled sideways, rolling across the ground.
Once he was out of the way, Sharen dove into Isaac's arms again.
"Isaac! I beat up Edel and brought back both the Jingol Steel and Roseelixer! I did great, didn't I?!"
"…Did you say you beat him up?"
"He's been acting all stuck-up ever since he became acting head of the family! So I gave him a bit of… education!"
Isaac couldn't help but feel sorry for Edel, tormented by his sister—especially since Sharen wasn't exactly the sharpest when it came to giving lessons.
"And what about Master? You went with him, didn't you?"
"Oh, she said something about going to the mountains. You know, that thief guy? She went with him to clean things up."
"Damien, you mean?"
"Ah, right! Damien! Yep, him!"
She had apparently lived in the mountain range before meeting them.
She must've gone back to retrieve something she'd left behind.
It was a bit of a shame, but she'd probably be back soon anyway.
"Ugh… So, where are you going? You look super dashing today."
"Huh? Oh! Isaac, did you dress up like this just because you knew I was coming?"
"Of course not…"
When Isaac explained that today was Karen's wedding, the two kids suddenly lit up with excitement.
"A wedding?! Then there's gotta be delicious food, right?!"
"Oooh, food!"
"By the way, Isaac! We were in such a hurry to get here that we didn't even eat today!"
"I even skipped meals so I could bring Roselixer and Jingol Steel to Baron Logan as fast as possible!"
"Ah! I'm starving!"
"There's definitely going to be lots of good food at the wedding, right?!"
"Isaac, you can go on ahead! We'll just stay here and suck on our fingers! Right?"
"Why don't we just drink the Roselixer? We're starving anyway?!"
"Should we? Isaac will go eat something tasty anyway—"
"Fine, just come with me."
"Yay!"
"Hooray!"
Watching the two high-five, Isaac felt a headache coming on.
He knew they had gotten close during the northern expedition, due to the large beast colony.
But the noisy excitement and chaos he hadn't felt in a while were almost dizzying.
The wedding was to take place at the Evergard Grand Cathedral.
It was said that seven out of ten people living in Evergard got married there.
In particular, weddings held at the cathedral were supported by the state so they wouldn't be financially burdensome.
Even though it was a once-in-a-lifetime event, Karen insisted on keeping things frugal and would excitedly explain all the things she had researched to Isaac.
'I didn't even think about stuff like that when I got married.'
Helmut wouldn't have cared about such things. They didn't even hold their wedding at a cathedral, but in the banquet hall of the Helmut estate.
Anyway—
Among the crowd entering the cathedral, Isaac held the two and said,
"Don't cause a scene, got it? It's Karen's wedding. We're just here to congratulate her and go home."
"I've been to places like this even more than you, Isaac."
"I… this is practically my first time. I'm really nervous!"
"Then Sharen, keep an eye on Jonathan."
"Oh! Got it! Jonathan! Stick right behind me! Don't go wandering around or fooling around, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Isaac nodded in satisfaction.
He'd learned how to handle Sharen to some extent now.
If you give her something that sounds like an important task, she'd puff up with pride and take it seriously.
'Since Sharen will be busy watching over Jonathan, she won't be running around on her own. That makes things easier.'
That was wisdom.
Upon entering the cathedral, a fresh scent greeted them.
A high-vaulted ceiling, sunlight shimmering through stained glass, and a space filled with the fragrance of flowers.
'No wonder people prefer weddings at the Grand Cathedral.'
The preparations were meticulous, no doubt due to their extensive experience with weddings.
There was a calm and reverent atmosphere as well.
What stood out the most was the large number of guests.
'I think her husband was the second son of House Noland.'
Before working at Isaac's estate, Karen had also worked at the royal palace, and it was said they had naturally fallen in love while working together.
House Noland wasn't particularly distinguished.
But in the chaotic world of nobility, just being clean of scandal was a major virtue.
They were known for staying neutral without tying themselves to any specific faction.
Because of that, many provincial nobles were among the guests.
And the moment they saw Isaac and Sharen, they immediately approached, seeing an opportunity.
"Oh my! Baron Logan! Good day to you!"
"Well, well, if it isn't Lady Helmut herself gracing us with her presence!"
Isaac and Sharen stood out naturally, drawing attention.
For nobles, attending such events was less about celebration and more about networking, so Isaac responded politely and calmly.
"Oh my, isn't this Lady Sharen? Compared to last time, you've—"
"Who the hell are you?"
"..."
Of course, there were some close calls with Sharen, but Isaac managed to smooth things over.
In most cases, people would just awkwardly dismiss it as "Well, she is a Helmut…"
Originally, Isaac had meant to go greet the bride, but with the nobles' greetings never ending, he ended up not seeing Karen and just took his seat.
"Now then, welcome to this special occasion—"
The ceremony began without incident.
Karen was beautiful, and her husband looked reliable.
Love was practically dripping from the way they looked at each other.
Isaac suddenly recalled his own wedding and smiled bitterly.
'She was really beautiful that day.'
An already stunning woman, made even more radiant with makeup and dress—he remembered how he couldn't take his eyes off her.
The image of her wearing a rose crown on her head was seared into his memory.
"Hah… No one showed up after all."
"Right? Tch. So much for the noble banquet club members."
As the ceremony progressed, murmurs from the nobles could occasionally be heard. It was understandable—some parts of the event were slow.
But—
'Hm…?'
Isaac couldn't dismiss what he heard as simple chatter.
"Even if the princess favors her, this is a bit much."
"Weren't there a few people in debt to House Noland?"
"Right. But now that they're close to the princess, they think they've made it."
Isaac frowned.
He could tell they were badmouthing nobles who didn't attend the wedding.
'The banquet club… must mean Princess Adeline's circle?'
The conversation had a strange tone, almost like it was deliberately being guided toward the topic of the princess.
At that moment, the officiating bishop opened a sealed envelope made of fine stationery.
"Now, this is a congratulatory message sent by Her Highness Princess Adeline Seraphia Legardia for the newlyweds."
At the mention of a message from the princess, both Karen and Noland's expressions brightened.
Even the nobles who had been gossiping immediately clammed up, embarrassed.
As silence fell over the cathedral, the princess's words began to echo through the bishop's voice.
"Even amidst the busy affairs of state, I'm glad to be able to remember such a joyful moment like this."
"While serving the kingdom remains my highest duty, I am reminded once again that even the small, personal aspects of life deserve to be respected."
"...?!"
Isaac almost stood up from his seat without realizing it.
What… what did she just say?
The nobles, too, began whispering in confusion, and Karen's expression stiffened.
"I would also like to thank all the distinguished guests who have come today. It's lovely to see everyone setting aside their formal roles to gather in such a warm setting."
"Those of you who bear heavy responsibilities in your respective positions have set them aside to grace this place with your presence, making it all the more meaningful."
"I hope that today's wedding will not only be a meaningful day for the couple but one that someday bears fruit for the kingdom as well."
"Just as everyone does their best in their own roles, I hope these two will also live proudly as members of the kingdom in their new roles."
"My sincere congratulations to you both."
Clap, clap, clap.
The round of applause that followed the speech was fragmented and awkward—an exact reflection of the room's mood.
"Hey, Isaac… Didn't that sound a bit sarcastic?"
Even Sharen, sitting next to him, tilted her head and asked.
It didn't sound sarcastic.
It 'was' sarcastic—plain and sharp.
And not just sarcastic—she had used Karen's wedding as a platform to clearly mock the provincial nobles who had gathered there.
If even Sharen noticed, then naturally the rest of the nobles…
"Ahem."
"What the hell is going on…?"
"Set aside our duties?"
They were now being made to look like people who had abandoned their responsibilities just to come have fun at a wedding.
The provincial nobles' expressions were rapidly souring.
***
"…Maybe I should've held it in a bit longer."
Jonathan, who had stepped out earlier to use the restroom, was now stuck in the hallway, unable to re-enter because of the crowd.
While lingering in the corridor, he started to sense something strange about the atmosphere inside.
"…What's going on?"
The expressions of people around him were darkening, and the background chatter was growing louder.
Just as Jonathan tried to hop up and get a look inside—
Grab!
His wrist was caught, and he was instantly slammed up against the hallway wall.
The overwhelming strength.
The coldness of the grip made him question whether it was even human skin.
"...?!"
Jonathan stared breathlessly at the beautiful woman who had pinned him to the wall in an instant.
Pale skin, blood-red lips.
But beyond her beauty, an unnatural sense of wrongness bled through.
His instincts screamed at him.
'She's one of the Transcendents!'
He tried to resist immediately and shout—
"Aah."
The woman smiled brightly, nodding with certainty.
"My little brother."
"L-little brother?!"
"You've grown up so pitifully."
"…What?!"