It wasn't yet midnight, but the nobles, exhausted from their harsh training and duties, roused themselves from sleep and began to gather one by one in the training yard.
Waiting for them there was Silverna Caldias.
Her expression was dark—not just because of the late hour but due to the severity of the situation, which was evident from her grim demeanor. Her hardened face seemed to forewarn the difficulties ahead.
Amid the disorganized group of nobles who had stumbled outside after being abruptly woken, Jonathan, still groggy-eyed, hurried over to Isaac.
"Sir Isaac, what's going on here?"
"I'm not sure. But it's clear that something serious has happened."
"It's unsettling to see such commotion at the front lines."
The cold wind swept through the group, silencing the chattering nobles as they instinctively huddled against the chill.
Thanks to the yeti-hide hat and gloves gifted to him by Silverna and Anna, Isaac was at least somewhat warm.
As the noise subsided, Silverna finally began to speak.
"Everyone, at approximately 11:20 PM—about 15 minutes ago—a stranger approached the Wall."
The incident had happened mere minutes ago.
"The man identified himself as a merchant from Holstein, but upon investigation, we discovered he was actually a grave robber."
Holstein was a kingdom particularly renowned for its advanced magic, but it was equally infamous for its grave robbers. Using the kingdom's developed magic, these thieves frequently plundered the tombs of past royalty and nobles.
"He had robbed Holstein's royal tomb and came to our kingdom to trade the stolen goods."
Some nobles let out sighs of dismay, immediately recognizing the potential diplomatic crisis this could spark.
"Since we've captured the grave robber, can't we just return the stolen goods?"
One of the younger nobles raised a hand and asked.
Interrupting a commander's briefing was out of line, but given the inexperience of the group, Silverna didn't bother reprimanding him and answered instead.
"The important issue is that these robbers disturbed a Beast Lair while approaching the Malidan Wall."
What followed was predictable.
The other grave robbers were all devoured by the beasts, and the stolen goods were lost.
Now, enraged beasts were rampaging and attacking the Malidan Wall.
"As a special unit, our task is to retrieve the stolen grave goods that the robbers had taken. Fortunately, the location isn't far, but… the problem is the beast lair."
From the distance, the sounds of roaring and tremors could be heard.
It was clear that an intense battle was underway at the Malidan Wall.
"Minimize combat as much as possible. If fighting is unavoidable, engage only briefly before retreating. Move out immediately."
Following Silverna's orders, the nobles began marching in orderly lines. Their personal guards, though visibly displeased, had no choice but to follow.
Jonathan, walking alongside Isaac, asked with a puzzled expression,
"Sir Isaac, why are we the ones retrieving the stolen goods?"
"Because if we don't, we risk being falsely accused diplomatically. Do you think Holstein would simply believe that their grave robbers were killed by beasts and the treasures lost?"
"But… isn't that the truth?"
"It is the truth, but accepting it is a different matter entirely. What if Holstein accuses us of secretly hiring the grave robbers and faking a beast attack to steal the goods ourselves?"
"But that's not true."
"No, it's not. But Holstein could still use this as an excuse to make a diplomatic issue out of it. Especially since the grave robbers came to our kingdom to trade the stolen goods."
If Holstein investigates, the only people who could afford to buy such royal treasures would be high-ranking nobles.
And if a high-ranking noble is suspected of coveting the royal tomb's treasures?
It would immediately escalate into a diplomatic crisis—or worse, war.
"Oh."
Finally understanding, Jonathan nodded in agreement.
"This is the kind of thing a margrave has to deal with. The margrave steps in to resolve issues before they spiral out of control."
Isaac imagined that Uldren Caldias was currently atop the Malidan Wall, furiously swinging his spear. As they exited through a gate that hadn't yet been overrun by beasts, Jonathan, seemingly puzzled by another thought, turned to Isaac with a question.
"Why are the dispatched nobles being sent outside? Isn't this a dangerous mission?"
"Fighting beasts on top of the wall would be even more dangerous."
Boom!
As if on cue, a loud crash echoed from the direction of the wall. The startled nobles either turned their heads or crouched in fear.
Jonathan, though similarly alarmed, turned back toward Isaac, who continued speaking.
"The reason you're being sent out is obvious. Most of the dispatched nobles are promising rookies sent here to gain field experience, but the bodyguards are a different story."
"Oh!"
"Right? Caldias wants to utilize the skilled bodyguards as part of the combat force. But technically, their mission is to protect the nobles they were assigned to, not to follow Caldias' direct orders."
By sending the nobles outside, Caldias could turn their bodyguards into part of his operational strength. Besides, defending the wall was a specialized task for the soldiers permanently stationed in Malidan.
"That's… rather clever."
Isaac had anticipated that Jonathan wouldn't be particularly sharp in these matters, but his reaction was worse than expected.
Even as they passed through the fortress gates, Jonathan didn't seem entirely convinced.
"We're the victims here, yet we're the ones doing all the hard work."
"Hmm?"
"Don't you think so? We were just minding our own business, and now we're caught up in this mess with grave robbers, relics, and diplomacy. We're bending too much to Holstein's whims."
Jonathan pouted slightly, his lips protruding in frustration.
"If they're trying to frame us unjustly, shouldn't our kingdom take a firm stand?"
Isaac chuckled wryly and asked, "How old are you again this year?"
"I'm twenty-two!"
"Right, Jonathan. I may only be two years older than you, but there's one thing I've learned."
"…."
"If we can avoid war by bowing our heads a little and putting in some extra effort, then it's worth it."
Jonathan furrowed his brow slightly. As a knight, he understood the desire to wield his sword, but…
"Wars often start over trivial diplomatic issues. It's our responsibility to extinguish those sparks before they grow into flames."
"Hmm, I still don't quite get it."
Isaac placed a reassuring hand on Jonathan's shoulder and offered heartfelt advice.
"You'll understand better as you see things for yourself. The peace of this kingdom is built on the sacrifices and efforts of people like these."
"Is that so?"
"Keeping the peace doesn't always mean drawing your sword, Jonathan."
"…It feels like something that shouldn't come out of Helmut's mouth."
"Which is probably why I don't quite fit with Helmut."
Isaac didn't say any more, and Jonathan, though seemingly dissatisfied, silently followed. Despite his apparent discontent, his focus on guarding Isaac didn't waver.
Before long, they were outside the wall.
The only sounds were the crunching of snow beneath their feet and the faint light of the moon guiding their way, allowing for a stealthy advance.
"Silverna's night vision really is exceptional."
Simply following behind her led them to the scene of the incident without encountering any beasts.
A cart, not a carriage, lay partially destroyed.
It was clear they hadn't been planning to approach Malidan Wall directly but had intended to take a detour through the mountains. Since a horse-drawn carriage couldn't traverse the rugged terrain, they had opted for a rural cart, likely pulled manually to reach this point.
"It's troublesome."
"Oh, what a mess."
"Look at the bloodstains."
Though the scattered snow was soaked with blood, there were no corpses to be seen.
The beasts had likely devoured them all.
It was clear that rather than a battle, it had been an act of feeding.
Atop the shattered wagon, which appeared to have once carried the burial goods, lay a damaged case.
And standing before it-
"Shh."
Silverna, who was leading the group, swallowed nervously, her expression tense.
Gripping her spear tightly, she called out cautiously,
"Who's there?"
The man, only now realizing the spear was pointed at him, tilted his head slightly.
"Ah."
Under the shadow of dense trees, where the moonlight struggled to reach, his figure emerged.
A body roughly 2 meters tall.
Broad shoulders clad in a thick leather vest.
White fur densely covering his entire body.
He walked on two legs, but his face resembled that of a tiger.
His swaying tail and fearsome fangs made it clear-he was no human.
Lastly, strapped to his back was a massive greatsword.
"A beast?"
"What's with that appearance?"
"Doesn't look like a yeti. A tiger in human form?"
The nobles whispered in confusion.
Expecting Silverna, who had lived in the northern regions, to identify the creature, all eyes turned to her.
"..."
But she merely bit her lip, gripping her spear with both hands and assuming a battle-ready stance.
Her instincts warned her that even a moment's carelessness would result in the creature lunging at them.
Among them, the only one who recognized the creature's identity was Isaac.
'A Transcendent.'
Beasts that had brought humanity to the brink of extinction.
Intelligent beasts filled with nothing but hatred for mankind.
He had thought it would be some time before they appeared, yet-
'Have they already been active in the north?'
Could they be connected to the burial goods incident?
Whatever the case-
It was dangerous.
Extremely dangerous.
'This isn't an ordinary opponent. Silverna can't handle this alone.'
Even with the nobles' escorts, victory was far from assured.
Such was the nature of the Transcendent.
The creature's piercing blue eyes swept over the nobles as it let out a low growl.
"Unlucky, aren't you?"
It harbored no mercy, no negotiation, no intention of conversation.
With its thick legs, it leapt forward, swinging its enormous greatsword in a wide arc.
Ka-aaang!
"Urgh!"
Silverna, who intercepted the attack, was forced to her knee under the overwhelming strength of the creature.
"My lady!"
Anna, who had been assisting nearby, thrust her spear in desperation.
But the creature didn't even flinch as the spear struck its side.
The thick hide deflected the blade, causing it to slide off harmlessly.
Crack!
With a single punch, the creature shattered Anna's spear in two.
Then, swatting her away as if she were an insect, Anna's body was flung into the air and tumbled across the snowy ground.
"Pathetic humans."
The creature's blue eyes once again fixed on the nobles.
"I'll slaughter you all."
With a menacing growl, the hunt began.