LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 17 - Silverna Is Busy
✦ Chapter 17 — Silverna Is Busy ✦
「Translator – Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
After the battle with the Transcendent.
The Malideen Wall, which was now revealed to be a grand demon beast nest, was bustling with activity every day.
Every day, scouting parties ventured beyond the Wall, and
every day, those left behind would watch them go, offering silent prayers for their safe return.
An unexpected calamity.
“Hmph.”
“Wish I could go back.”
The nobles, who were dispatched to the frontlines with the comforting assurance that a mere cluster of demon beasts was nothing to worry about, were now plagued by anxiety.
They were trapped in the heart of a historical disaster.
A twenty-three-year anomaly.
And the memory of the previous night, when they had been utterly powerless against the Transcendent being, was a fresh wound.
[Do not tell them.]
Isaac had told Ulderan and Syilverna everything he knew about the Transcendent beings,
but Ulderan had chosen to keep it under wraps for the time being.
The connection between the grand demon beast nest and the Transcendent was still unclear, and they were still in a state of lethargy, so if they were to reveal this information, it would only lead to more chaos.
He’d already informed the royal family about House Blackson’s betrayal.
It was only a matter of time before the royal family investigated their treachery.
“Hmph!”
In the midst of all this chaos.
Isaac was still going about his daily routine with satisfaction and dedication.
As a result of his recent success, Isaac was exempt from his usual duties on the Wall.
In special situations like this, where one more person was needed, Isaac was able to practice his sword skills alone, thanks to Silverna’s influence.
“There he is again.”
Having finished lunch, Silverna was watching Isaac from a distance.
He was currently sparring with Jonathan.
For days now, they had been relentlessly training, their days a cycle of sparring and drills.
And there was something peculiar about these sessions.
Isaac was practicing his sword skills with Jonathan.
“Master Isaac is… winning.”
Anna, who’d also joined her for lunch, handed her a cup of ginger tea.
“Hmm…”
Just as Anna had said, Isaac’s swordsmanship was easily outclassing Jonathan’s.
Jonathan, knocked to the ground again, picked himself up with a determined grunt, ready for another round; the man had an admirable amount of stamina.
Anyway,
defeating a knight of House Helmund, even a low-ranking one, was no small feat.
And yet, both Silverna and Anna wore conflicted expressions.
“We keep records of all spars between those dispatched. Currently, Master Isaac’s record stands at forty-one matches… two wins, thirty-nine losses.”
“…….”
“Jonathan’s record is seventeen wins and six losses, out of twenty-three matches.”
They hadn’t bothered to record Isaac and Jonathan’s spars, since it was an unofficial arrangement.
However, for a while now, Isaac had consistently had the upper hand in their matches.
“Of course, Master Isaac has been dueling mostly with noble knights who are skilled in sword fighting……”
Even then, there were a few among them who had lost to Jonathan.
Something about those records wasn’t adding up.
Silverna bit back a comment, sensing it was a line she shouldn’t cross.
“If you’ll allow me to be blunt, Milady…” Anna spoke up, scratching her cheek awkwardly.
“It’s as if Master Isaac has been training… specifically to fight House Helmund.”
“…………..”
“He makes short work of other nobles, even those who specialize in greatswords, but against those who use Helmund swordsmanship… It’s like he’s always a few steps ahead.”
“…………..”
“And that’s why, even though Master Isaac still lacks formal training, he can defeat Jonathan.”
“Haa…”
“Other people might be able to do it, but it’s a bit strange for the Helmund’s son-in-law to be doing it like this.”
It’s as if he’s spent his whole life accumulating knowledge solely for the purpose of defeating them.
“Enough, Anna. Leave it be.” Silverna sighed. “He’ll figure things out himself.”
It was disconcerting, to say the least, to imagine the son-in-law of House Helmund becoming a hunter who specialized in taking them down, but… It was his life, after all.
“Ugh!”
Just then, Isaac defeated Jonathan again.
“…… Let’s call it a day, Jonathan.”
Isaac sounded almost bored.
It seemed he’d grown accustomed to Jonathan’s fighting style, finding nothing new to learn.
He clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction.
Sensing an opportunity, Silverna made her way towards Isaac.
“I’ll go now.”
“Again? You’ve been spending a suspicious amount of time with him lately!”
“He’s my friend, what do you expect? And we’re working, not just fooling around! I’m helping Isaac with his swordsmanship manual. And getting some pointers myself, while we’re at it.”
Anna watched Silverna depart, sighing at her mistress’s blatant lie.
‘Does your face really light up like that when you’re just visiting a friend?’
Silverna’s smile, radiant enough to melt the snow, spoke volumes.
Wasn’t she constantly glancing at Isaac during lunch, searching for the right moment to join him?
‘Milady, please…’
He’s a married man!
As she watched Silverna leave, Anna thought to herself.
“Isaac, I’m here.”
Silverna greeted Isaac, who was wiping away sweat with a towel.
“You came again today, Silverna.”
Isaac greeted her cheerfully, and she returned his greeting with a playful smile.
“Haa, I’m incredibly busy, you know? You should be honored I’m even here.”
“Yes, yes, I know. You say that every single day.”
“You could show a little more gratitude. Who else would help you like this?”
She had become his sparring partner and research assistant for his swordsmanship manual.
As a result, ‘Isaac’s Sword’ had become a project they were deeply involved in.
“Alright, alright. Let’s pick up where we left off yesterday. Get in your stance, and try to counter this.”
“You’re still hung up on that move?”
They fell into familiar positions, exchanging blows with ease and familiarity.
A few minutes passed, and then,
Isaac paused, reaching for his notebook and settling down to resume writing.
‘He’s incredible.’
It was a bit unnerving, Silverna thought, watching Isaac delve deeper into the world of swordsmanship despite having told her he was studying Caldias spearmanship.
It was as if he were forging a path, entirely his own, from the ground up.
Perhaps this was the difference in talent between them.
“What about House Blackson?”
Still glued to his notebook, Isaac asked.
The treacherous house that had aided the Transcendent being.
As it turned out, there was a noble from their ranks among the dispatched, too.
Silverna shook her head. “Nothing out of the ordinary. The one here is still young… I doubt he knows anything about the Transcendent being.”
“…….”
Isaac didn’t say anything else, but continued to write with his pen.
He had interacted with the Blackson noble a few times as well, but he hadn’t noticed anything suspicious either.
She stared at him, her lips parting slightly as she hesitated.
She wanted to ask something, something she knew was a touchy subject.
“Rianna…”
The words tumbled out before she could stop herself, driven by impulse rather than reason.
“Umm?”
As she tried to shut her mouth, Isaac had already turned around to look at her.
It was too late to backpedal now.
She forced an awkward laugh, trying to play it cool.
“Rianna… she is quite skilled, isn’t she?”
Isaac, seemingly oblivious to her true intentions, returned his attention to his notebook, nodding briefly.
“Right, she’s the strongest in House Helmund besides the Patriarch himself.”
As the sibling with the most exceptional skills among the others, it was no surprise.
“I managed to beat her brother, of course. But I lost to Rianna! Though… I was exhausted that day!”
She quickly added, and Isaac let out a chuckle.
‘Objectively speaking… ‘ Isaac thought.
She was no match for Rianna, not yet. She had yet to reach her full potential.
‘But she’s working on it.’
Since their conversation about her spearmanship, she had been diligently searching for her own unique style, her own interpretation of the Caldias techniques.
“Rianna’s… She’s a remarkable swordswoman.”
Isaac clearly didn’t want to talk about her, but she, oblivious to his discomfort, continued to bring up her perceived rival.
“Actually, there’s a rumor that Rianna’s skills are a bit exaggerated. They call her the ‘Blood Rose’ but, compared to her brother Roengrin, she hasn’t accomplished much.”
“…….”
“But I’ve fought them both, and I know for a fact that the difference in skill between Rianna and Roengrin is immeasurable.”
“Well, you’re not wrong.”
Isaac paused in his writing, suddenly lost in thought.
“Did you know…?” he murmured, a humorless laugh escaping his lips as he reminisced.
“Rianna… she can cut through a river.”
“……Huh?”
Silverna stared at him, bewildered by his out-of-the-blue statement.
At her expression, Isaac grinned mischievously.
Silverna, however, was still none the wiser.
“What, is that some kind of metaphor? Are you describing her Red Descent in a roundabout way?”
“Haha, if that’s what you want to believe…”
Isaac chuckled, remembering the absurdity of the situation.
However, at his reaction, a flicker of realization crossed Silverna’s face.
“Wait, you’re serious?” she frowned. “Why would she need to cut a river?”
It was a genuine question.
If Rianna wanted to train, there were countless other ways.
Why go to the trouble of splitting a river in two?
At her question, which struck at the heart of the matter,
Isaac shrugged, dismissing it as a distant memory.
“It was a… marriage proposal.”
“What? What are you talking about?”
She asked again, but Isaac just shrugged it off, saying it wasn’t important.
“Anyway, do you have some time to spare? I could use your help.”
He asked, closing his notebook.
“What, again?”
Truth be told, she had plenty of time.
“Just a moment, I need to ask Anna something and then I’ll be back.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
“I’m doing this out of the goodness of my heart, you know? Don’t push your luck – I’m a busy woman.”
With that, she turned and headed towards Anna, who was waiting for her at a distance.
However, her heart fluttered with a strange sense of satisfaction.
‘Heehee… So he needs me, does he?’
She couldn’t deny the thrill she felt at seeing Isaac rely on her like this. It was… exhilarating.
🎕
The next day, at the same time.
Silverna, having finished lunch, sought out Isaac as usual.
‘Now where is Anna…?’
She’d been looking for her, which was why she was running a little late.
It wasn’t like Anna to simply disappear… but whatever it was, she could ask her later, once she’d met up with Isaac.
“You’re here, Silverna?”
“M-milady…”
Isaac, with a brighter smile than the day before, and Anna, who was standing awkwardly with a spear, greeted Silverna.
“What… What is going on here?”
Silverna asked, looking confused, and Isaac raised his index finger in response.
“You’re really busy, right? So, I asked Anna for a bit of help today.”
“…….”
“So there’s no need for you to strain yourself. I felt bad, taking up so much of your time lately.”
“Ah, right…”
Silverna stood frozen, nodding dumbly.
Her usual cheer was gone, and her gaze, cold and unreadable, fell upon Anna.
But Anna met her gaze unwaveringly, refusing to back down.
‘It’s for your own good, Milady!’
Having witnessed her mistress’s growing fondness for Isaac, Anna had decided to take matters into her own hands.
He was a married man!
The son-in-law of House Helmund, no less!
The idea of Silverna falling for him…
‘What a terrible future awaits us!’
It wouldn’t just be heartache.
The scandal would be enormous, her reputation in society torn to shreds.
“Well, then. It seems… you don’t need me today.”
Silverna’s words were as cold and lifeless as the northern wind as she turned to leave.
“That’s good, isn’t it?”
“I was actually quite busy today, come to think of it.”
“There were things I needed to do. And other things.”
“Well, it’s a good thing I don’t have to help.”
“Haha, right? It would’ve been such a bother.”
“R-right… Well then, Isaac, I’ll be on my way.”
“Yeah, okay. See you later.”
As she watched Silverna walk away, Anna felt a pang in her heart.
But she steeled herself; this was for the best.
“Anna, shall we begin?”
“Yes, Master Isaac.”
Anna did as she was asked, taking on the role of sparring partner, switching between stances and weapons as instructed.
Isaac, completely oblivious to the drama that had just unfolded, was making steady progress, absorbing knowledge like a sponge.
“…….”
Feeling a prickling sensation on the back of her neck, Anna turned ever so slightly.
There, at the edge of the training grounds, partially concealed by a tree, stood her mistress, her eyes narrowed, an unreadable expression on her face.
END of CHAPTER
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