Right before the motivational speech.
Watching the soldiers gather in the training grounds from afar, Silverna Caldias stood waiting for the head of the family to arrive.
Standing right behind her was Anna, her maid and adjutant, wearing a dark expression.
"The beasts aren't decreasing."
"…I've seen and heard it too."
"It's strange. Almost unnaturally so. If this keeps up, we might be looking at the possibility of a great lair of beasts, my lady."
"Haah."
"If it's true, then it would be the first appearance of a great colony of beasts in 23 years, potentially prompting a second summons for the nobles.
"First, make sure the soldiers keep their mouths shut. If all those random nobles hear about the 'grand colony' and start panicking, things will only get worse."
"Understood, my lady."
With the conversation over, their gazes naturally shifted back to the training ground.
To lighten the somber and serious mood, Silverna offered a sly smile and asked,
"What do you think of the motivational speech?"
Her eyes caught sight of Isaac standing among the gathered nobles.
Isaac, standing amidst the nobles accustomed to the best food, clothing, and accommodations, his appearance stood out, making him easy to spot.
"Wasn't the time too short for him to prepare? Still, I suppose he could manage to draft a formal speech."
"That's the problem. Anna, listen carefully to your master's brilliant plan."
"…I'm in the military now, so technically the Malidan Wall is my master."
Ignoring Anna's comment, Silverna began explaining in an exaggerated manner.
"If some ordinary noble had given the speech, the soldiers would have barely paid attention. But this is Helmut. The soldiers will be glaring at him, listening to every word he says."
When addressing an audience already predetermined to dislike you, even mediocrity can be a deadly weapon.
"And the nobles? The dispatched nobles seem to resent having someone of common origin elected as their representative."
Several nobles, already standing out with their poorly arranged lines and crooked postures, could be seen on the field.
"They're playing a game of dominance. They're showing that they won't grant him the same respect."
This was both an opportunity to expose how hostile Malidan's Wall was toward Isaac Helmut and a chance to humble the arrogant nobles.
Silverna looked at Anna expectantly, clearly expecting for praise.
"Oh, the head of the family is coming."
"I'm honored to serve such an extraordinary lady? Thank you."
Together with Uldren Caldias, Silverna headed toward the podium.
Positioned behind their lord, the two stood silently, waiting for the motivational speech to begin.
"Oh, here he comes."
"My lady, shh."
Watching Isaac climb the podium with an unexpectedly good expression, Silverna felt a peculiar sense of intrigue.
What is this?
Surely, he couldn't be unaware of the hostility surrounding him. Yet, standing there with such confidence… did he have something up his sleeve?
But Silverna's confusion deepened with Isaac's very first words.
"Warriors, be great."
"Follow your duty."
"Warriors, simply be great."
"Huh?"
Next to her, Anna let out a small exclamation. In contrast, Uldren and Silverna sat with their lips pressed tightly shut, watching Isaac's back.
"On my way here, I was curious about the true meaning behind the words 'be great.' After all, it's rather abstract, isn't it?"
Hearing this, Silverna's face flushed with anger.
"How dare he—!"
Grinding her teeth audibly, her hostility toward Isaac surged to its peak.
To dare invoke the words of the first lord, Uldren—words that represented his very convictions—and question their meaning?
And to do so in front of the lord himself?
The urge to strike him down on the spot rose instinctively. Even Uldren Caldias, the lord, harbored an intense murderous aura toward Isaac.
However…
As the motivational speech progressed, the tide began to shift.
"Rather than those born into greatness, it is the act of elevating the ordinary into something extraordinary—that is truly worthy of reverence."
What could have been interpreted as direct criticism of Helmut instead caused the once-burning fury to waver, leaving Silverna and Uldren uncertain of their next move.
"It's this! Exactly what you're holding in your hands!"
The moment he grabbed the spear, they felt confusion.
"If someone said they wanted to learn martial arts, I would shout!"
"Look to the North! To that high wall! To the great Caldias' Spear that soars above the continent!"
When he called the spears of Caldias' great, an indescribable emotion welled up within them.
Caldias' spear techniques are universal, meaning anyone can learn them. But for that very reason, they're often looked down upon.
The argument that the head of the Caldias was strong not because of their spear techniques but because of their own exceptional abilities only added fuel to the fire.
"To those of you who hold the spears of Caldias! To the warriors who follow the legacy of Uldren, the great founding lord!"
A shiver ran through their bodies.
While the other nobles overlooked and dismissed them, even the man from Helmut, who was at the farthest opposition to them, had recognized and acknowledged their worth.
"To the great guardians of the Malidan frontlines!"
He acknowledged them, recognized them, and praised them as great.
The sincere passion in his voice pierced through the hearts of Caldias' warriors, who had been struggling against the cold of the North.
"To commemorate this meaningful moment, let us honor the great fallen heroes who fulfilled their duty and now rest in this land."
He even paid tribute to the nameless soldiers who had withered away in the North's bitter cold.
"A moment of silence."
As they closed their eyes and bowed their heads, those who had guarded the Malidan Wall could only barely hold back the surging emotions in their chests.
***
"Sniff."
"…Miss, are you crying?"
After the event ended, and while the nobles were getting ready to begin their training drills,
Anna's question caused Silverna to hurriedly wipe her eyes and shout,
"I-I'm not crying! Something just got in my eye!"
"…Okay."
"Geez, how embarrassing."
Silverna now felt a pang of guilt.
A man who respected and acknowledged Caldias more than anyone else in the kingdom,
And yet, she had been the one to forcibly push him into giving that speech just to mess with him.
"Anna, sniff, what should I do?"
"What do you mean? Just treat him well from now on."
"How can I do that? I feel so bad."
"Goodness, it's fine. From what I saw yesterday, he has a neat and straightforward personality. It's refreshing."
At Anna's words, Silverna's gaze shifted to Isaac, who was now running laps on the training field for a stamina test.
"Geez, what should I do? I think I'm starting to like him more and more."
When Silverna grumbled, Anna, startled, raised her voice.
"Miss?! That man is married! He's Helmut's son-in-law! Don't forget that!"
"No! Who said I like him that way? I just think he's a good person."
The fact that he recognized Caldias' Spear so openly and boldly had dramatically raised her opinion of him.
And how could it not?
One of the most precious things in her life had been acknowledged and respected so proudly by someone,
And not just anyone, but someone bearing the name of her rival house, Helmut!
"Well, yes. Honestly, I feel a sense of admiration, too. After all, I also take pride in Caldias' Spear."
"Right? Ugh, why does he suddenly seem so appealing?"
"Miss, watch your words. If strange rumors start spreading, people might say you're trying to seduce Helmut's son-in-law."
"…That would be the worst."
Silverna had a look of utter disgust on her face.
Having spent years together, Anna felt reassured by Silverna's reaction.
'She really doesn't see him in a romantic way.'
Well, to begin with, her lady showed about as much interest in men as a snowflake on a hot day.
Despite being surrounded by so many men, she viewed them all as comrades and allies.
Not men or women—just soldiers.
"Still, isn't it fine to give him a little extra care? After all, he's from Helmut. A bit of special treatment should be okay."
"My lady…"
"Ah, I want to do something for him."
Watching her restless lady, Anna, who had been staring absentmindedly at Isaac as he jogged, offered an idea.
"How about a fur hat? It's cold here, and if he's from Helmut, his winter gear might not be very warm."
"That's perfect! Oh, I love it. Didn't we have some leftover yeti fur from last time?"
"Yes, I'll ask the craftsman to make something with it."
"Tell them to make a hat."
"I'll also have gloves made."
"You're giving him two things?"
"I'll take care of that."
"…"
"…"
As mentioned earlier, Anna, too, was a soldier stationed at the Malidan Barrier, trained in the spear techniques of Caldias.
***
34th place.
That was Isaac's ranking in the run they had just completed as part of their basic fitness test.
Out of 37 dispatched nobles, being 34th was effectively last place. After all, some of the nobles here had no real connection to martial arts.
'At this point in my life, I'd pretty much given up on training.'
There was a time when Isaac had worked tirelessly to build his strength and stamina.
Back then, he'd been determined to wield Helmut's greatsword as a proper son-in-law, pushing himself relentlessly.
'But it was impossible.'
Like a sparrow trying to keep up with a stork, he had overreached and torn himself apart.
Once he realized it was impossible, Isaac gradually gave up. By the time of his fourth wedding anniversary, he'd lost a leg and sank into utter despair.
But now, things were different.
'Running like this feels good.'
The act of moving his body felt exhilarating.
For someone who had lived as a cripple, the sheer ability to run made the world feel fresh and invigorating.
Knowing that something wasn't impossible was a much greater motivator than expected.
"Talks big, but look at him."
"Yeah, all that boasting, and he's just a commoner after all."
"What's the point of sweet-talking if that's all he can do? he's probably useless in bed too."
"Pfft, stop it, he might hear."
Isaac could hear the jeers from the other nobles, but he paid them little mind. His thoughts were preoccupied with revising the training manual he'd been writing late into the night.
'My movements feel more fluid than expected. My feet grip the ground well. I need to revise the draft when I get back. Looking back, I think I wrote conservatively, avoiding techniques that placed excessive strain on the lower body.'
During a short break, as he caught his breath and pondered, a soldier acting as an instructor approached him hesitantly.
"Ahem."
"Hmm?"
Curious, Isaac looked up, and the soldier, after glancing around at the other nobles, discreetly pulled out a towel from his pocket and handed it over.
"In the North, you need to wipe your sweat properly. If you leave it, you'll catch a cold easily."
"Ah."
Feeling a bit awkward, Isaac accepted the towel. The soldier gave him a bright smile and walked off.
"Hmm."
The towel was warm, with steam gently rising from it. As other nobles wiped their sweat with cold towels brought by their attendants or aides, sharp gazes turned toward him.
"Hmm, 34th place is a bit much."
This time, a senior officer who seemed to hold some rank approached and crouched in front of Isaac, tilting his head in thought.
"This is a footwear issue. Running on snow is difficult, isn't it? You could wrap chains around your shoes, but it's better to buy proper boots made for the North."
"…"
"How about I introduce you to a good craftsman? If you mention my name, he'll give you a discount."
"Sure."
"Speak casually. Even if we're in training, you're still a noble."
"…Alright. Thanks. I'll go buy some."
Isaac figured he had enough money to buy boots.
The training resumed, but the soldiers' fussing didn't stop.
"Thermal underwear is essential. I have an extra set I don't use; should I give it to you?"
"This is a broom we use for clearing snow. Doesn't it look like a spear? Oh, by the way, did you know? The basics of Caldias' spear techniques are—"
"Stretching is important. Your body stiffens quickly in the cold, so it's to prevent injuries."
"Are you alright?! It's slippery! Medic! Medic! Oh, you're not hurt that badly? That's a relief. Don't be embarrassed; we fall all the time too."
Watching the overly attentive instructors, Isaac couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
'Should I call them naïve?'
He appreciated their kindness, but their blatant fussing seemed a bit clumsy to him.
And then, another clumsy person appeared.
"Ahem. That speech was quite impressive, Isaac."
It was Silverna, who entered with an awkward cough. She glanced around nervously, but when Isaac greeted her with a smile, she quickly approached him.
"You've got an eye for things. Most people dismiss the basics, thinking they're unimportant, but in truth, the basics are the most crucial. Those people mock Caldias because they don't understand that. But you're different. You truly get it. Caldias' spear techniques, you see, are actually—"
"My lady, please stop. You're overwhelming him."
"Ahem, s-sorry."
Silverna awkwardly stepped back. Anna, her attendant, stepped in with a polite smile and explained the reason for their visit.
"The Margrave has invited you to join him for dinner tonight."
"The Margrave?"
"Yes, would that be alright?"
This was a formality. Declining wasn't really an option.
Isaac nodded, and Silverna and Anna smiled with joy as they left.
Or so it seemed.
They returned moments later.
"Hmm, your head is a bit small. The size—"
Silverna grabbed Isaac's head with both hands, tilting it this way and that, assessing its size.
"Your hands are surprisingly delicate. I'll order one size smaller." Anna said as she measured Isaac's hands.