Morning breakfast.
There wasn't much different from usual.
Karen had bought some bread from the nearby bakery at dawn. On top of it were butter and honey jam.
If there was one difference today, it was the addition of savory grilled sausages.
"Ooh, this is delicious!"
"I heard it came from the royal palace, just for Isaac."
The sisters sitting on either side of him—Sharen and Liana—were also a bit different than usual.
"..."
Crunch.
The bread was fragrant and flavorful.
Karen had toasted it again after bringing it home, making it crispier and hotter.
Even the buttery richness and the sweetness of the honey jam paired well together, rousing the body from its sleepy state.
'Tastes good.'
Isaac thought to himself as he ate.
Today, he had skipped his usual early morning training for the first time in ages and even slept in a little.
'What do I need to do today…'
Normally, Isaac used the morning to mentally list and organize the tasks he had for the day.
He couldn't afford to waste time, as every moment was a step closer to looming crises. He always needed to be prepared.
'Today… what I need to do is…'
With a dazed expression, Isaac chewed his bread in silence, his mind drawing a blank.
'…Nothing.'
There was nothing he needed to do.
Isaac Logan.
It was the day after the war against the Transcendents had ended.
***
"…What's with you not holding a sword today?"
Sharen came bouncing over to Isaac, who was blankly staring at flowers in the garden.
"..."
He turned his head, trying to follow a butterfly fluttering behind him, but it eventually flew away.
"Tch."
As she grumbled, crimson energy began to gather in Sharen's palm.
Just as she looked like she might shoot at the butterfly, Liana appeared behind her and smacked her on the head.
"What are you doing?"
"…Helmut's even the strongest among bug tamers."
"That doesn't make it a good thing."
While Sharen looked genuinely disappointed, Liana stood beside her.
"What's wrong? You've finally found peace. I heard everyone's been busy these days."
"Yeah, that's true."
"If you just go outside, I'm sure people will be eager to greet you, to give you things. There are probably lots of people who want to get close to you."
"Probably."
"..."
Isaac's disinterested response made Liana realize that her words weren't helping much.
No—was there even anything that could help someone like Isaac right now?
This was something he had to resolve on his own.
"By the way, where's Silverna?"
Sharen waved her hands again at a butterfly that had come back and asked.
"She used to live here too, right?"
"Ah, Silverna."
Liana's lips briefly curved into a smile, but it faded quickly.
"She was taken to the palace. The Margrave said that since she's a Caldias, it would only be proper for her to stay there, and brought her with him."
"Oh-ho?"
"Honestly, he's so wise."
Now that everything was over, Uldren Caldias had swiftly removed Silverna from Isaac's side before she could try anything suspicious.
Liana was sincerely grateful for his wisdom.
"…What about the Grandmaster?"
Isaac, still blankly watching the flowers, finally spoke.
Now that he thought about it, where had the Grandmaster gone?
She had asked for a room and was given one…
"Ah! The Grandmaster—!"
Sharen started to answer, but at that moment, something dark and wobbly began to stagger through the garden entrance.
Half crawling in, it was the Grandmaster, being barely supported by another disciple, Damien.
"…She went out drinking. Said she was celebrating the victory."
Sharen added an explanation, though she didn't really need to—everyone could tell.
"Huuuh—!? Isaaac!?"
"Geez, Master! Please—just go sleep—!"
While Damien struggled to prop up the staggering Grandmaster, he spotted Isaac sitting in the garden—and quietly stepped back.
"Gah?!"
With a thud, the Grandmaster collapsed on the ground. The overpowering stench of alcohol clinging to her made it clear—she had spent the entire night celebrating their victory.
"Huhuhuh—! Why is the sky spinning?"
"…Because you're the one rolling on the ground, Grandmaster."
Sharen's muttered jab flew like a dagger, but the Grandmaster didn't hear it.
She was literally rolling across the garden lawn like a caterpillar.
"Ahem, fellow disciple? It seems I've got an urgent matter to attend to."
Damien began to sneak away backwards.
"Don't even think about it, senior. You've come this far—take responsibility till the end."
"Fellow Disciple, on the contrary, since I've done this much, it's time for you to fulfill your duties as a disciple, no?"
And with that, Damien spun around and bolted for the exit.
"What a scoun— I mean! I leave the Master in your hands, fellow disciple!"
"Senior!"
Sharen shouted desperately, but Damien's thieving agility hadn't gone dull. He weaved through the garden crowd with practiced ease and disappeared in no time.
"You scoundreeels! Why are you all standing upside dooown?!"
"…Because you're looking at them upside down, Grandmaster."
In the end, all that was left was the drunken Grandmaster sprawled out and humming on the ground.
Sharen approached and poked her with a stick, wondering if she could finally beat her in this state.
"Hnghah! Come here, my disciple Izaaack!"
"Kyaaah!"
The Grandmaster suddenly grabbed Sharen with both arms and pulled her into a hug.
She tightly clutched the struggling girl with both arms and legs.
"Hnnngh— You've gotten quite petite, haven't you?!"
"Petite?! I'm still growing! Ugh! That smell—!"
With her sensitive nose, Sharen desperately pinched it shut and squirmed.
"Liana, can you help me? I think we need to move the Grandmaster."
"I'll carry her. Just open the door."
Normally, the roles should've been reversed between a man and a woman. Isaac felt a bit embarrassed and was about to offer to carry her himself, but—
"Huh?! I can finally fly thanks to my disciple—!"
"Kyaah! What is this, sis?!"
Liana effortlessly lifted both the Grandmaster and Sharen with one hand and motioned with her chin.
"Lead the way."
"…Right."
Helmut's monstrous strength was surprisingly useful. Isaac thought that to himself as he led the way to the Grandmaster's room.
"Oh, this is kind of fun."
Sharen mumbled, still pinching her nose. The way she treated it like a game was sort of cute.
The Grandmaster was flopped onto the bed.
That finally freed Sharen from her grip.
"Next time, let Isaac carry her! Sis is too small—it was boring!"
Liana, who had been ignoring everything else, couldn't let that remark go.
"You're smaller than me, Sharen."
"I told you, I'm still growing!"
"There's no such thing as a growth spurt in Helmut."
"..."
It was a silent pressure, as if Liana were saying, "You're destined to follow the same path I did."
Grumbling, Sharen scurried out of the room like she was fleeing.
"Say it, Sharen. Admit it."
Liana chased after her.
The whole scene looked just like an ordinary pair of sisters bickering, and Isaac let out a faint chuckle as he turned to the Grandmaster.
"Snrk…"
The Grandmaster lay spread out.
Her clothes were a bit disheveled from the move, so Isaac carefully adjusted them and pulled the blanket over her.
"I had something I wanted to ask you… but you came back like this."
What Isaac felt was a hollow emptiness.
One could say he was just taking a break now that his goal was achieved…
But he couldn't shake the feeling of futility either.
"Hrrgh?! Speak, my disciple!"
"…I'll tell you next time."
"You rascal—!"
The Grandmaster squirmed and smacked her lips, grinning.
"You have no idea how proud I am of you!"
"..."
"At the tavern—hoo boy! I bragged about you all night! 'That one's my disciple!' I shouted!"
"Well… I don't feel bad, but I imagine the people listening must've suffered."
"Puhuhu! Let them suffer! You're the one who saved them, aren't you?!"
Technically speaking, Isaac hadn't done it alone, but he didn't bother correcting her.
After all, the Grandmaster wasn't in any shape for a rational conversation.
"Understood. For now, please get some sleep."
"Hrrngh, so now you're throwing out your Master, huh! Fine! I am old! And not even firm anymore! Bah! I'll just sleep!"
As the Grandmaster yanked the blanket over herself with a flourish, Isaac let out a soft chuckle and quietly stepped out of the room.
"Sleep well, Master."
"…You're really leaving?"
"..."
"Bah! Go on, go! Coward! Spineless brat! I taught you so much and—"
Fearing that listening to any more drunken rambling might shatter the respect he had for his Master, Isaac quietly closed the door.
The grumbling continued for a little while from inside, but soon enough, silence fell—she must have dozed off.
"Phew."
Leaving the drunken Grandmaster behind, Isaac returned to the garden.
He could hear Liana and Sharen bickering in the kitchen, but that wasn't what drew his attention.
It was the faint presence he'd felt in the garden.
At the entrance stood a guest both familiar and slightly out of place.
A towering figure so tall even Isaac had to crane his neck to see properly.
It was Uldren Caldias, known as the Guardian of the North.
Isaac gave a respectful greeting and cautiously asked:
"…To what do I owe the honor of your visit, Margrave?"
"Mm. I came because I have something to say. Baron Logan—your home's not bad for what it is."
Though small by noble standards, the house was neatly organized and charming in its own way.
And for a single adult man living alone, it was actually quite spacious.
"You're aware, aren't you? The victory banquet will be held a month from now."
"Yes. Princess Adeline decided that stabilizing the city was more important than raising a toast."
"Thanks to that, both I and Silverna are stuck here for a month."
"…Ah."
Given the great contributions Caldias made during the war, skipping the celebration wouldn't make sense.
Naturally, he was required to remain nearby, and it was clear he wasn't too pleased about being far from the North.
He looked like a bear displaced from its natural habitat.
"Well, there's work to be done—coordination for building a new wall and all. So I won't just be sitting idle."
"Do you need any assistance?"
Thinking he might have come with a request, Isaac asked politely.
But Uldren replied firmly.
"No, don't help. And don't bother coming to see me."
"…You came all the way here just to say that?"
"Did I tell you last time? That the 'Malidan of Silverna… is me."
"..."
"My daughter… she's as pure as freshly fallen snow. Incredibly so."
Fresh snow?
Was he really talking about the girl who kissed him out of nowhere and tangled tongues?
Maybe he meant a blizzard, Isaac thought, puzzled.
But Uldren continued on with something like a formal speech.
"There have never been any men around her. Just comrades. That's all. I just don't want her to mistake camaraderie for affection."
"Ah, I see."
"Her former maid Anna's been filling her head with nonsense. Now she's getting curious about weird things."
"..."
"Well, I'm sure you understand what I'm saying."
"…More or less."
So this is the Guardian of the North, Isaac thought. Today's really just full of disillusionment.
"Mm, good."
Uldren nodded in satisfaction and smiled.
"You've just finished a war against the Transcendents. I hope you won't choose me as your next opponent."
"..."
As he turned to leave, he suddenly stopped as if remembering something and gave one final warning.
"Don't tell Silverna I came to see you. She's been unusually headstrong lately…"