Chapter 13 -----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: uly
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Dawn Dedication
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A week had already passed since the nobles arrived at the Mallidan Wall.
It felt like more had happened than expected, but that was just the early days.
The nobles were gradually adjusting to the North, while the Mallidan soldiers were forging their own bonds with them.
4 a.m., before the sun had even risen.
Silberna, handing off her shift, yawned and slung her spear over her shoulder.
"Yaaawn, so sleepy."
The arrival of the nobles hadn't made their shifts any easier.
If anything, with the beast hordes showing unusual activity lately, even dawn patrols meant waking up bright and early far too often.
"Young Lady."
Anna, who had been on shift with her, poked her head out from among the off-duty soldiers heading back and approached Silberna.
"Anna, I'm thinking of wheedling some soup out of the head chef before bed. Want to join?"
"No, Young Lady. More importantly..."
Anna leaned in close, whispering so the other soldiers couldn't hear.
"Why aren't you wearing your binding cloth these days? You know the troops are starting to whisper about it, right?"
"..."
As if she didn't know.
She could even feel the sidelong glances.
The Mallidan soldiers tried their best not to stare, but the dispatched nobles were downright blatant sometimes.
It was unpleasant, yet oddly wounding to her pride, making her stand even taller instead.
"Is it that obvious?"
Silberna glanced down at her chest.
She knew it was an enviable asset as a woman, but as a spear-wielding warrior, it was nothing but a hindrance.
"Very. Why the sudden change? You used to wear it even to bed because it bothered you."
"I did, but... well..."
Silberna let out a sigh.
She waited until the soldiers from their shift had passed by, then spoke up.
"Someone told me I should get used to these."
"Pardon?"
"Said I need to get accustomed to swinging my spear with them, since there'll come a time when I can't use bindings."
"Why couldn't you use bindings?"
"...Because they'll get even bigger."
Anna stared at Silberna with a blank expression.
It was rare to see her young lady blushing and averting her eyes like that—cute, really.
'Even bigger here?'
Bigger than even bindings could handle?
When she asked who would say such nonsense, Silberna hemmed and hawed before whispering.
"Uh, Isaac."
"What?!"
The name came out of nowhere.
"Isaac said changes in the body are something you have to accept. He said that's why he gave up on the Helmunt greatsword himself."
"Th-that's the same as this? Isn't that sexual harassment?!"
"Anna, what are you talking about? Isaac was just looking out for me."
"Even so."
Anna knew Silberna had been spending a lot of time with Isaac lately.
His understanding and depth of spear technique, shown on the second day in the training grounds, had been astonishing.
She'd even heard that a few Mallidan soldiers visited him regularly for advice.
And they raved about the tangible growth and high satisfaction.
"Anyway. I don't think he's entirely wrong. It's not just about them getting bigger—there might be times you can't wear bindings at all."
"That's true, I suppose..."
"What if they snap right in the middle of a fight?"
"I've lost count of how many shirt buttons I've sewn back on for you."
"Ahem, anyway, that's why—"
As the two headed back to their quarters.
A whoosh of air cutting through the training grounds reached their ears.
Both heads turned at once, and in the dim corner of the dark grounds, they spotted Isaac practicing his sword alone.
"Isaac?"
"Out again today, huh."
Anna added to Silberna's puzzled murmur.
"Every single day, training like that. He never misses morning exercises either."
"Doesn't he pull shifts?"
"Nope. And at night, his light stays on the latest. Know how many candles he's gone through in a week?"
As someone handling supplies, Anna would know.
"The soldiers are even saying, 'Are all Helmunt folks like that?' It's quietly motivating them."
"...Impressive."
Silberna muttered, staring blankly at him.
Seeing her like that, Anna felt a chill and quickly warned her.
"He's a married man! You know that, right, Young Lady? Rianna Helmunt's husband! Stick around him too much, and people will talk!"
They were rival houses, after all.
The Caldias only daughter making moves on the Helmunt eldest's husband? Gossipmongers would eat it up.
"I know, I know. I've never seen him as a man anyway. Just admiring the effort from someone who's grinding like me."
"R-right? That's all it is, right?"
"Don't worry about weird stuff."
With that, Silberna grinned, raised her hand high, and called out.
"Hey! Isaac! Burning the midnight oil—or dawn oil, I guess!"
Isaac, who had set down his sword and was crouching to scribble something, whipped his head around.
He waved back with a faint smile and a simple reply.
'He really is handsome.'
Anna decided to admit it.
No wonder he'd caught the Blood Rose's eye.
Sweat-slicked, he had a mysteriously sexy air that set him apart from the North's rugged men.
"But what's he writing down like that?"
Anna tried steering her thoughts elsewhere with a question, and Silberna tilted her head curiously too.
"Yeah, really."
What was he doing, suddenly stopping mid-swing to write?
The two hurried over to him.
"Dawn training, huh? Tough stuff."
"Good morning."
Isaac gave Silberna and Anna's greetings a short nod.
'Did we interrupt?'
Anna eyed him warily, sensing he wasn't thrilled.
"Whatcha doing? Let me see."
The North's wild young lady sidled right up to Isaac without a care and peered at his notebook.
"Swordsmanship manual?"
Isaac showed it freely.
He was curious what she'd think, after all.
"Hmm?"
"..."
Anna peeked over from the side.
Neat handwriting and illustrations explained things in precise detail, with improvements and fixes added page after page.
"Wait, are you writing this yourself?"
Not some existing manual, but composing a new one? Isaac nodded at Anna's question.
"Yeah, that's right."
"But... you're Helmunt...?"
Anna asked cautiously.
Isaac gave an awkward smile at the implication—could the Helmunt son-in-law use something other than their sword?
"I can't wield the Helmunt greatsword. Born with lacking strength."
"Ah, r-right."
It was only natural a commoner like Isaac couldn't match the blessed Helmunt genes.
"But Isaac."
As the mood grew awkward.
Silberna, engrossed in the manual, asked without looking up.
"What kind of sword is this even for?"
"..."
"Not a Helmunt greatsword, not a standard two-hander. Seems one-handed, but no shield either."
Silberna's observations were spot-on.
She'd grasped multiple points just from the text.
Impressed by her sharp eyes, Isaac smiled.
"Exactly. The sword I'll use... it's rare in the kingdom. It's my grand master's."
"Grand master?"
"I have one. Can't say more, though."
Isaac deftly changed the subject.
Silberna and Anna were intrigued, but he clearly wasn't opening up.
'If he knows the sword, then grand master. I always wanted to be just like you.'
Isaac had two people who'd shaped his swordsmanship profoundly.
Rianna Helmunt, who ignited his longing for the blade despite his beggar roots.
And his grand master, who showed it to him countless times until he was convinced it fit him.
"We're heading to the kitchens now to beg the head chef for soup. Want to come, Sir Isaac?"
Anna deliberately shifted the topic to cut the weird vibe.
"Yeah, let's! I've got some cheese stashed away. I'll ask him to throw that in too."
Silberna playfully tugged at Isaac, who followed with a helpless shrug.
"And hey. If you ever need help, just say so. If there's anything I can do."
Silberna added with a smile.
She'd keenly guessed how he'd been treated in Helmunt for not using their sword.
Isaac nodded, visibly touched.
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
Watching the two bond, Anna felt that nagging doubt again.
'Nah, no way?'
It couldn't be.
No matter how much of a young lady she was.
'Yeah, no.'
He was married, after all.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A woman with long black hair cascading down her back.
Wolf ears perked up atop her head, she bore a slender, crescent moon-shaped sword on her shoulder as she spoke.
"Call me Grand Master."
Her abrupt words drew puzzled looks from the disciples before her.
"Grand Master?"
"You've always been Master just fine."
"Some change of heart?"
All top-tier disciples, every one.
She pointed her staff at Isaac among them.
"That one's shaking my position. All of you running off to learn from him."
No one could deny it.
Isaac couldn't swing a sword himself, but no one knew weapons better.
And so, the master became the "Grand Master."
After sending all disciples away.
Alone with him.
The Grand Master perched on the windowsill, tilting her glass with a laugh.
Isaac apologized toward her.
'Sorry. I overstepped and caused you trouble.'
"What're you on about?"
She chuckled dryly.
"Don't misunderstand. Some disciples complained it bruised their pride learning from you."
"..."
"Kid, your talent is special. Maybe that's why the heavens took your leg."
'Grand Master, the reason I work this hard—'
"I know. You want a sword you can swing even with one leg missing."
But pity lingered in her eyes as she added.
"It's impossible. No matter how hard you try, real swordsmen will crush you."
His grip tightened on the staff.
His useless leg felt all the more hateful.
"Kid."
The Grand Master offered no comfort.
Just stated the truth plainly.
"It's a shame."
'Grand Master...'
"If only you'd come sooner."
She didn't look at Isaac.
Just gazed at the round moon far off, drinking to her solitude.
"Assemmmmble!"
Silberna's shout snapped his eyes open.
Waking like a seasoned soldier, Isaac bolted from bed and out the door.
In the hall, Silberna in full armor was mustering the nobles.
"Full gear to the training grounds in ten minutes!"
The urgency in her voice and actions made it clear—this was no drill.
The Mallidan's long night was about to begin.
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