LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 8
✦ Chapter 8 ✦
「Translator – Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
Just before the motivational speech…
Silverna Caldias was standing a distance away from the bustling training grounds, waiting for her father’s arrival, observing the soldiers assembling. Her aide and former maid, Anna, stood behind her, her expression grim.
“The beasts… their numbers aren’t dwindling.”
“…I’ve seen and heard that too.”
“It’s unnatural. Lady Silverna, at this rate… we might be looking at a large-scale horde.”
“Sigh.”
The worry seeped into her voice.
A large-scale beast horde…It had been 23 years since they’d last faced such a threat. It meant the possibility of a second wave of noble reinforcements, adding further strain to their already burdened resources.
“For now, make sure the soldiers keep this under wraps. The last thing we need is a bunch of greenhorn nobles panicking about a potential large-scale horde.”
“Yes, Lady Silverna.”
Once their conversation ended, both directed their attention naturally to the training ground.
Trying to lighten the somber mood, she smiled and asked, “What do you think the motivational speech will be like?”
Her eyes easily found Isaac standing among the nobles. His features, refined from years of luxury, stood out even amidst the other nobles, making him easy to spot.
“Don’t you think it’s a bit unfair? I’m sure even he needs time to prepare something, even if it’s just a standard, encouraging speech.”
“That’s precisely the point, Anna. Pay close attention, and you might learn a thing or two about your Master’s strategic mind.”
“…Technically, I’m enlisted now. The Malideen Walls is my master.”
Ignoring Anna’s remark, Silvernia began to elaborate with a pretense of grandeur.
“If it were given by an ordinary noble, it’d be shrugged off, but it’s Helmund’s speech. The soldiers will listen intently, even with poor expectations.”
In front of a crowd already harboring hostility, even the most innocuous statement could be twisted against you.
“And the nobles? The dispatched nobles seem upset that a commoner-born was chosen as their representative.”
Already, a few nobles could be seen standing sloppily, not aligned in rows.
“It’s a subtle reminder of their place. A gentle nudge to let them know they’re not in a position to demand special treatment here.”
For Isaac Helmund, it was an opportunity to show how antagonistic Malideen Walls could be towards them and to humble the proud nobles—a brilliant maneuver, Silvernia believed. She glanced at Anna, expecting praise.
“Oh, Master is arriving.”
“Honored to have such an outstanding lady, thank you.”
The two of them fell into step behind Ulderan Caldias, making their way towards the platform. As they stood behind her father, a silent presence flanking him on either side, Silverna couldn’t help but smirk in anticipation.
“Oh, here it comes.”
“My lady, shh.”
A strange feeling washed over Silverna as she watched Isaac approach the podium, his expression far more composed than she had anticipated.
‘What is this?’
He had to have sensed the palpable hostility radiating from the crowd. And yet, he carried himself with an air of confidence that bordered on audacity. It was as if he was certain of himself, certain of his words.
Her confusion deepened as he began his speech, his opening lines catching her completely off guard.
“Warriors, be great.”
“Follow your true calling.”
“Warriors, simply be great.”
“What…?”
The small gasp from Anna beside her contrasted with the silence of Ulderan and Silverna, who kept their focus intently on Isaac.
“As I journeyed here, I found myself questioning the true meaning behind those words: ‘be great.’ After all, to be great is somewhat abstract, don’t you think?”
And just like that, Silverna felt a surge of anger.
“How dare he—”
She gritted her teeth, her animosity towards Isaac intensifying.
How dare this Helmund outsider, this stranger to their ways, question the very words that embodied the beliefs of their first patriarch, Wolfdrun? And right in front of her father, no less!
An almost primal urge to silence him, to strike him down, surged within her. She could sense a similar rage emanating from Ulderan.
And yet…
As the speech progressed, a strange shift occurred.
“True greatness lies not in inheriting a prestigious lineage but in uplifting others, in empowering the ordinary to achieve extraordinary feats! That is something truly worthy of awe and reverence.”
Those words, clearly directed at the Helmunds and their perceived arrogance, somehow cooled the fires of her anger, leaving behind a sense of bewilderment.
“This! This is true greatness! The very same greatness that rests in your hands!”
When he had seized that spear, she’d been confused.
“If someone asks me, ‘What does it mean to pursue the way of the martial arts?’ I will tell them this!”
“Look to the North! Look upon that towering Wall! Behold the spears of Caldias, the most formidable force on this continent!”
And when he had declared the Caldias spear technique to be great, praising them… an unexpected wave of emotion welled up within her.
The Caldias spear technique was often dismissed as simplistic, disregarded for its universality. Every time she heard someone say that her father was only strong because he was an exceptional warrior, not because their spear techniques were anything special, she’d feel a surge of frustration.
“You, who wield the spears of Caldias, who uphold the legacy of Wolfdrun, are all great warriors!”
A shiver ran through her body.
Nobles who failed to recognize or blatantly ignored them.
Yet here stood a man from Helmund, their stark opposition, acknowledging them.
“To the valiant guardians of the Malideen front lines…”
He saw them.
He acknowledged them.
He called them great.
His words were imbued with genuine passion, seeping through the cracks of their hardened hearts, warming them from within like a comforting fire amidst the harsh northern frost. –
“And to honor this significant moment, already having fulfilled their duty and now resting in this land, let us—.”
He even acknowledged the nameless soldiers who had perished in the unforgiving North.
“Observe a moment of silent contemplation.”
The moment he closed his eyes and bowed his head…
The protectors of Malideen Walls, their eyes closed, heads bowed…
They could barely hold back the torrent of emotions surging through their chests.
𓇘
“Sniff.”
“…My lady, are you crying?”
As the event concluded and the nobles lined up before beginning their training, Anna noticed Silvernia hastily wiping her eyes with her hand.
“N-no, I’m not crying! Something just got in my eye!”
“………….”
“Oh, dang it, sorry.”
Silvernia felt a pang of guilt.
This man, who more than anyone else in the Kingdom recognized and respected Caldias, was someone she had forced onto the podium simply to give him a hard time.
“Anna, sniff, what do I do?”
“What do you mean, what do you do? Just get along well with him.”
“How can I? I feel bad.”
“It’s fine, really. Judging from your conversation yesterday, he seems like a decent and straightforward guy. He’ll understand.”
Following Anna’s words, Silvernia’s gaze drifted to Isaac, who had begun running laps around the training ground for a physical assessment.
“Oh, what do I do? He’s starting to grow on me.”
As Silvernia whispered to herself, Anna, surprised, exclaimed beside her.
“My lady?! That man is married! He’s Helmund’s son-in-law! You mustn’t forget that!”
“No! Who said I like him as a man?! He seems decent as a person.”
Her opinion of him had skyrocketed simply because he acknowledged Caldias’s spear.
How could it not?
He had just acknowledged and praised something she held dear, something she considered a fundamental part of her identity.
And he had done so as a Helmund, bearing the weight of their rivalry on his shoulders!
“Well, true. It’s natural to have a favorable opinion. After all, I too am proud of Caldias’s spear.”
“Right? Why does he suddenly seem so charming?”
“My lady, watch your words. If rumors spread carelessly, people might say you’re trying to woo Helmund’s son-in-law.”
“…That would be terrible.”
Silvernia’s expression turned horrified.
Having known each other for years, Anna was reassured by Silvernia’s reaction.
‘She really doesn’t see him with romantic feelings.’
‘So those aren’t romantic feelings, after all.’
Admittedly, her mistress had never shown any interest in men. Surrounded by soldiers, she viewed them all as comrades, as fellow warriors.
They weren’t men and women, they were soldiers, united in their duty.
“But surely, we could at least make him feel welcome? He’s a Helmund, but maybe we could… I don’t know, give him some special treatment?”
“My lady…”
“Oh, come on! I just want to do something nice for him.”
Anna observed her mistress, fidgeting impatiently, her gaze still glued to Isaac as he ran. After a moment of thought, she offered a suggestion.
“How about a fur hat? It’s cold here, and if he’s from Helmund, his cold-weather gear might be thinner.”
“Good! Ah, good. We had some Yeti fur left over from last time, right?”
“Yes, I’ll have a word with the artisan and have them make it.”
“Tell them to make it into a hat.”
“A hat and gloves.”
“Two gifts?”
“I should give him one too.”
“…………..”
“…………..”
As mentioned earlier, Anna was also a soldier who had learned the spear at Malideen Walls.
𓇘
‘34th place.’
This was the rank Isaac received in the recent run conducted to assess basic physical fitness.
Out of 37 dispatched nobles, placing 34th was essentially last. Among the nobles, some did not pursue martial arts as a profession.
‘Around this time, I had nearly given up on training.’
There was a time when he had put in relentless effort to build strength and stamina.
He had tried desperately to wield Helmund’s greatsword as a son-in-law.
‘It was impossible.’
It was like a sparrow trying to chase a stork, only to end up with its legs torn apart.
Realizing the impossibility, Isaac gradually gave up his efforts, and fell into complete despair when he lost one of his legs on his 4th wedding anniversary.
But now it was different.
‘It feels good to run like this.’
It’s refreshing to move my body.
Having lived as a cripple, being able to run felt so good; it felt like the world had changed.
The fact that it was not impossible was a greater motivation than I thought.
“All talk, huh.”
“Yeah, acting all high and mighty but just a commoner in the end.”
“What’s good in charming with words if that’s his level? Must have been floundering in bed.”
“Pfft, stop it. You’re embarrassing him.”
The sneers of the surrounding nobles were audible, but Isaac paid them little mind. His thoughts were preoccupied with revising his personal manual he had stayed up late writing last night.
‘I move more fluidly than I thought. My feet grip well. I must revise my draft. Looking back, I might have written it too passively, avoiding excessive strain on my lower body.’
During a short break, while catching my breath and lost in thought…
“Ahem.”
One of the soldiers in charge of instructing approached quietly and cleared his throat.
“Hmm?”
Curious, Isaac looked up. Glancing around to ensure the other nobles weren’t watching, the soldier discreetly handed him a towel.
“You need to wipe off your sweat properly in the North. Leaving it be can easily lead to a cold.”
“Ah.”
As Isaac awkwardly accepted the towel, the soldier smiled brightly at him and walked away.
“Hmm.”
The towel was warm, steam gently rising from its surface.
As the other nobles, who were wiping their sweat with cold towels brought by their servants or aides, shot sharp glances in his direction…
“Huh, 34th place is quite something.”
This time, an officer who seemed to be of a higher rank approached. Tilting his head, he crouched down in front of Isaac.
“It’s the shoes. Difficult to run on the snow, right? You can get chains for them, but I recommend buying a pair of boots specifically designed for the North.”
“………………”
“How about it? Shall I introduce you to a good craftsman? Mention my name and you’ll get a good price.”
“Sure, okay.”
“Relax. We’re in the middle of training, but you’re still a nobleman.”
“……Alright. Thank you. I’ll go and get myself a pair.”
Money wasn’t an issue; he could afford a pair of boots.
The training resumed, but their meddling didn’t end there.
“Thermal undergarments are a must. I have some I haven’t used; should I bring one for you?”
“This is a broom used for snow removal. Doesn’t it look just like a spear? Oh, and did you know? The foundation of Caldias spearmanship is-”
“Stretching is crucial. Your muscles cramp up quickly in the cold. It’s for injury prevention.”
“Are you alright?! It’s slippery! Medic! Medic! Oh, it seems you’re alright? That’s a relief. No need to be embarrassed. We trip often too.”
Watching the instructors being almost overly helpful, Isaac couldn’t help but let out a hollow laugh.
‘Do they think I’m naïve?’
He appreciated their kindness, but wasn’t it a little tactless to be so blatant about it?
And then.
Another person lacking finesse appeared.
“Ahem, the speech was very impressive, Isaac.”
It was Silverna, entering with an awkward cough.
Seeing her glancing around nervously, Isaac greeted her with a smile, prompting her to quickly approach.
“You have a discerning eye. Others tend to belittle the basics, but in truth, basics are the most important. It’s ignorance of this that leads people to underestimate Caldias. But you are different. You understood very well. The Caldias spear technique, you see, is intricately woven with immense research and—”
“My lady, please. You’re overwhelming him.”
“Uh-huh, s-sorry.”
Silvernia retreated awkwardly, and Anna, stepping in for her lady, gently explained the reason for their approach with a courteous smile.
“The lord has invited you to dinner tonight.”
“The Margrave has?”
“Yes, would that be alright with you?”
Although this was merely a formality, not attending was not an option.
Isaac nodded in agreement.
Silvernia and Anna left, pleased with his response.
Or rather, they attempted to leave but returned.
“Hmm, your head is a bit small. The size—”
Silvernia held Isaac’s head with both hands, turning it this way and that to check the size.
“And your hands are surprisingly fine. I’ll order one size smaller.”
And Anna was measuring the size of his hand.
END of CHAPTER
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