LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 26 - Sleet
✦ Chapter 26 — Sleet ✦
「Translator – Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
“Sister?”
Shauren’s voice was barely a whisper, her words trembling with disbelief.
She was so bewildered that she doubted whether the scene before her eyes was real.
Logically speaking.
Why would Rianna be here?
“Welcome back, Shauren.”
But with just that one phrase, she froze completely.
This was definitely the real Rianna Helmund.
The unique, extraordinary killing intent that only her sister could emit was dominating the room.
‘Kelsei!’
She tried signaling her maid for help with her eyes, but Kelsei could do nothing but hang her head.
“Sister? How…how did you get here?”
“Is that really important right now?”
“It-it is important! Father will be furious if he knows you’re here!”
“Yes, he probably would be,” Rianna agreed, nodding slowly.
“But I don’t really care.”
An expression that genuinely showed complete indifference.
This was quite contrary to how Rianna usually minded Arandel’s moods.
‘What’s going on?’
This made her even more confused.
Rianna’s behavior was completely out of character.
It seemed like she was deliberately trying to incur the family head’s wrath.
“Shauren.”
But whatever the case.
For now, she could tell her sister was quite angry.
‘As if I’m scared of her!’
Shauren, refusing to be intimidated, decided to treat Rianna as she always had.
“What do you want, sister?! If you’ve come all this way, there must be something important you need to tell me!”
“Ah, my lady.”
“Stay quiet, Kelsei. I’m here representing the Helmunds at Malideen Wall. But sister, you’re here ignoring father’s orders! I have the right to question-!”
“Did you enjoy your time with Isaac?”
“Sister…”
Shauren’s bravado evaporated instantly, her shoulders slumping as she mumbled a pathetic excuse for a response.
“You know, Shauren. He is my husband.”
“…………….”
Though she wanted to add ‘for now,’ but Rianna’s gaze was so intense, so full of barely contained rage, that she wisely decided to keep her mouth shut.
“It might appear to outsiders as nothing more than a brother-in-law and sister-in-law getting along…”
Rianna took a step closer, her movements slow and deliberate. Her crimson eyes, usually soft and gentle, now shimmered with a cold, unsettling light.
“But I know what feelings you harbor.”
“S-sister…”
She looked up at Rianna, now almost in tears.
“Don’t do this, Shauren.”
Rianna spoke bitterly while removing a strand of hair stuck to her cheek.
“I don’t want to see him suffer because of Helmund anymore.”
“Sis-ter?”
Only after she got closer did Shauren finally realize what emotion lay within her sister.
“That’s enough-“
Deep regret.
🎕
“Understood.”
“Yes?”
“I see. I also understand.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it. Just treat me like a friend, okay?”
“Is that a monologue?”
Watching Silverna continue muttering to herself as she sits beside her, Anna looks perplexed.
‘Why is she acting so strange?’
“This isn’t like me. Right, I need to stop acting so awkward.”
While Anna was racking her brain, trying to understand what had gotten into Silverna, the answer, quite unexpectedly, presented itself.
“Are you an idiot?! You call yourself a Helmund Knight with such pathetic control over your Red Descent aura?!”
“I-I apologize!”
“…………..”
The next morning, at the training grounds.
Shauren was berating Jonathan, her voice laced with disdain as she critiqued his clumsy attempts to control his Red Descent aura.
And while watching those two, Isaac was taking notes on various things.
Now, holding a pen and writing on a note, his actions were almost expected, almost natural.
Was he researching Helmund’s swordsmanship, perhaps? He seemed particularly focused, jotting down every word of Shauren’s impromptu lecture on Red Descent aura.
“Ahem, Isaac?”
Silverna approached him, her demeanor uncharacteristically awkward.
“Ah, Silverna.”
Isaac greeted Silverna and Anna with a brief nod before turning his attention back to his notes.
Sensing her hesitation, he spoke first.
“Hey, do you have a hair tie? My hair’s gotten longer than I thought, so…”
“I see. You really do have long hair.”
His hair had indeed grown longer, reaching almost to his shoulders.
Anna, ever prepared, pulled a hair tie from her pocket and offered it to Isaac.
“Can you tie it up?”
“Yeah, sort of.”
In his past life, he often spent time cooped up in a room writing books.
When his hair grew long, he’d tie it back with a small knot like this.
After Isaac neatly tidied up his hair, Silverna looked at him with a stern expression, as if he’d done something terrible.
“You, you, you die!”
“……Why?”
“My lady?”
“Your hair…tied up like that…”
Silverna seemed to struggle to find the right words, her hand flying up to cover her mouth as if trying to physically restrain herself from saying something she might regret.
“Go talk to the blacksmith! He’s waiting for you, like we said.”
“Ah! Like we talked yesterday!”
The moment Isaac jumped up and hurried towards the blacksmith’s, Silverna and Anna’s gazes followed him, oblivious to the awkward atmosphere.
The Malideen Wall blacksmith’s workshop was located in the most secluded part of the Wall. The constant clanging of hammers and the ever-present scent of foul smoke and molten metal made it an undesirable location for most, but it was one of the most important facilities on the front lines.
And if one were to ask where the warmest place in the North was, the answer would undoubtedly be the blacksmith’s workshop.
“A rather dramatic-looking woman, isn’t she?”
“Huh?”
Isaac was taken aback by the blacksmith’s blunt assessment as he stepped inside the workshop, his senses assaulted by a symphony of noise and heat.
The blacksmith clicked his tongue disapprovingly, his hammer clanging against the anvil as he surveyed Isaac.
“To think that Lady Silverna would ask me to craft a sword for such a…soft-looking fellow,” he grumbled, shaking his head.
“Show some respect. I am a guest of Helmund.”
“A blacksmith operates on conviction and stubbornness. Don’t I have the right to choose who wields the weapons I create?”
“I take it you don’t care about the payment then?”
“That’s why my wife nags me so much.”
The blacksmith chuckled heartily, his booming laughter echoing through the workshop. His arms, which were bare except for a sleeveless shirt despite being in the north, showing clear scars from burns and sword cuts.
“Anyway, since Lady Silverna asked, I’ll believe that you will forge my sword.”
“Tch, fine.”
A faint smile appeared on the blacksmith’s face. These types of craftsmen usually had terrible personalities, but their skills were undeniable; they often had an artistic temperament and considered their weapons to be their own works of art. Therefore, they always strive to showcase their best skills, regardless of who the customer is.
And as a blacksmith affiliated with Caldias, his skills were naturally exceptional. After all, he’s been working tirelessly in the front lines, hammering away every day without rest.
His apprentices in the back also seemed to be highly skilled, exuding an air of expertise.
“I brought a design.”
The blacksmith snatched it from his hand, his eyes scanning the intricate design.
“Wow, this is quite something! An amateur like you, and you want me to make a sword based on this design?”
The blacksmith’s careless tone stopped abruptly. His apprentices, who were hammering away, looked at him in confusion, seemingly surprised by his reaction.
The blacksmith slowly looked up at Isaac, his eyes filled with a serious and heavy atmosphere.
“…Did you come up with this design?”
“Not exactly. I received advice from several people.”
A sword was essential for a swordsman, and having a good sword was also a reflection of the swordsman’s skills.
Isaac’s past life wasn’t just about studying sword techniques; he also learned about swords and other weapons. He would often seek guidance and advice from many blacksmiths about swords.
“It’s an unusual sword.”
“Technically, it’s called a ‘Dao’.”
“A ‘Dao’? Hmm, it’s unusual. It’s similar to the sword you have, but different.”
Isaac smiled wryly. This was because the ‘to’ was a weapon used by the Transcendents.
“It doesn’t seem like it would be suitable for a contest of strength, but it’s light, so it might be useful for something else.”
“That’s why I want to use it. Because I lack strength.”
Isaac honestly confessed his intentions.
By acknowledging his own limitations, Isaac was, in a way, accepting his own weaknesses.
“It looks like it’ll snap in half after a few swings.”
“If that’s the case, then it’s the blacksmith’s fault for making it poorly.”
“Humph.”
“That’s why I entrusted this to the best blacksmith in the North, but if you’re not confident, I’ll take my business elsewhere.”
“Such a childish provocation,” the blacksmith chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement as he clenched his fist. “And I’m quite fond of childish things.”
He had become a master blacksmith because he never backed down from a challenge. It was in his blood, a fiery determination that fueled his passion for his craft.
“Just wait. It may take a few trials and errors, but I’ll get it done.”
“I look forward to it.”
Isaac knew it would take time to perfect the design. The war with the grand demon beast nest was far from over, and he was willing to be patient, to collaborate with the blacksmith to create the weapon he needed.
As Isaac turned to leave, the blacksmith paused, a thoughtful expression on his face.
“You’re…a Helmund, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“I doubt they’ll allow you to wield anything other than a greatsword.”
Isaac chuckled, his gaze meeting the blacksmith’s.
“Isn’t the purpose of a sword to cut?”
“Hmm?”
“The moment I wield a greatsword, it ceases to be a weapon. It becomes nothing more than a burden.”
“………….”
“I need a sword.”
The blacksmith looked at Isaac with a serious expression, then slowly approached him and offered his hand for a handshake.
“I’m Antonio. You should know the name of the man who will craft your true sword.”
“Isaac,” he replied, shaking the blacksmith’s calloused hand.
🎕
Back at the training grounds, where Isaac had been moments before…
“Hey, you fool! Can’t you even do this? It’s basic!”
“Ah, s-sorry…”
Jonathan’s whimpers, echoing through the training grounds as Shauren relentlessly drilled him, provided the perfect cover for Anna to discreetly approach Silverna.
“My lady, what’s wrong?”
“Anna…”
Silverna muttered to herself, then poured out her thoughts like a complaint.
“You were right.”
“My lady?”
“I… I think I might like him.”
“………….!”
Anna’s eyes widened in shock.
She instinctively glanced around, making sure no one was within earshot.
Shauren and Jonathan were too focused on their training to notice, and the only other person in sight was a maid with a mask covering her face. Anna judged that they were far enough away not to be overheard.
“My lady, you absolutely cannot tell anyone about this. Do you understand?”
“I know… That’s why I’m only telling you.”
“Sigh…Okay. But he’s already married, my lady. And a Helmund, no less. Love is a noble thing, but we’ve both seen how it can ruin lives.”
“I know…”
Silverna’s shoulders slumped, her spirit crushed.
Anna, her heart aching for her mistress, pulled her into a warm embrace, gently patting her back.
“Oh, my lady. What are we going to do?”
“Anna…am I…weird?”
“No, my lady. You can’t control who you fall in love with. It’s just…just…”
Anna paused, struggling to articulate her thoughts; then, her voice trembling with barely suppressed emotion, she whispered:
“It’s just…a little too late.”
The weight of her words felt like a heavy stone in her chest.
It was a good thing she could take a break today. She would use this time to calm her mind and sort out her feelings.
‘Ah, the heavens are indeed indifferent.’
The first snow of her lady’s love…
…had turned into a miserable sleet.
END of CHAPTER
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