The dawn had yet to break.
Once again, Isaac was alone on the training grounds, swinging his sword.
This routine, which had now become a part of his daily life, helped clear his drowsy mind each morning.
"Reconnaissance squad."
Last night, Isaac had accepted a request from Silverna.
He was now tasked with serving as part of the reconnaissance squad.
Though this would mean facing the dangers of venturing outside the defensive walls, he hadn't refused.
'With my skills, I might just end up holding everyone back.'
'Combat ability isn't the highest priority for the Reconnaissance squad. We're not going out to fight; our job is to gather information and make judgments.'
'In that sense, Isaac, I value your sharp eyes and judgment. I don't think it's a strange suggestion at all.'
Isaac felt that it could be mutually beneficial.
Like many other nobles, his real-world combat experience was somewhat lacking.
By joining the Reconnaissance squad, he could better understand the flow and atmosphere of real battles.
'Hoo, the sword still feels lacking.'
Lowering his blade slowly, Isaac examined it. It was a standard-issue sword, the kind provided even to regular soldiers.
The greatsword at Helmut was too much for him to wield, so he had been given this sword upon arriving here.
As a faint sigh escaped his lips, a white puff of breath briefly obscured his vision.
At that moment, a large man appeared at the far end of the training grounds.
Even in the pre-dawn darkness, his imposing presence and stature made it easy to identify him.
It was Uldren Caldias, the Margrave.
He approached Isaac.
Isaac offered a polite greeting, which Uldren casually acknowledged with a wave of his hand before stepping forward.
"I heard from Anna that you're always the first to train every morning. So it's true?"
"I still have much to improve, so I simply strive to catch up to others."
"If you keep at it, you'll realize one day that it's not so simple to speak of such things so lightly."
Isaac smiled faintly at Uldren's praise.
As the Margrave, often called the guardian of the North,
Uldren wasn't one to carry himself with unnecessary gravity.
When one considered Silverna's roots of mingling freely with the common soldiers, it became easy to understand.
"Actually, I came here to meet you."
"Me, sir?"
"I hear you've been having various discussions with Silverna lately? She's been frequenting the nobles' quarters quite a lot, hasn't she?"
"..."
Embarrassed, Isaac remained silent.
What parent would be pleased to hear their daughter visiting the room of a married man, sneaking out every night?
"At first, I intended to give you a good scolding. Normally, one strike from my fist is enough to knock anyone out."
Uldren raised his thick fist, but his tone was gentle.
"However, after watching Silverna train last night, I changed my mind."
"..."
"She's improved a lot. So much so that even I, her father, could barely recognize her."
There was a flicker of emotion in Uldren's eyes.
A complex blend of feelings.
"You helped her, didn't you? I could tell right away."
"May I ask how you knew, sir?"
"Because it reminded me of Helmut."
Uldren grinned mischievously, like a child playing a prank.
"Of course, I don't mean that she's imitating their swordsmanship. Rather, extraordinary people grow even more extraordinary. I said it looked like Helmut because of how she carried herself."
In both his past life and the present,
She had always been the type to show rapid growth with just a few hints or pieces of advice.
She was someone whose actions often outpaced her thoughts.
"Caldias' tradition of wielding the spear for the people ended up holding her back. The moment she swung her spear based on her own instincts, she must have thought it was no longer Caldias' spear technique."
"…"
"Progress isn't about discarding; it's about carrying forward. She came to me smiling and boasting about what you told her."
A faint smile formed on Uldren's lips. His warm demeanor made Isaac feel like he could let his guard down.
"My daughter owes you a debt. Thank you."
"I've learned a lot from Silverna as well."
At Isaac's response, Uldren slowly turned his gaze, pointing toward his mansion.
"A northern warrior doesn't express gratitude with words alone."
"Pardon?"
"Come with me. I've got plenty of valuable but unused items in my storage—"
He gestured at Isaac's sword with his chin, smiling.
"Judging by the looks of it, you need something better than that."
"…!"
Despite only watching Isaac's training briefly, Uldren immediately discerned his dissatisfaction with the current sword.
"People often say a great swordsman shouldn't be picky about their weapon, but you know this, right? There's no one as particular about their swords as the Helmut."
"Of course."
"Haha! Once, I was about to spar with that rascal Arandel, and—"
***
Morning, just after sunrise.
A satisfied smile lingered on Isaac's face as he stood in the training grounds.
He was now equipped with gifts from Silverna and Anna: a snow beast leather hat, gloves, boots that allowed him to walk on snowy paths without slipping, and finally, a wide-bladed sword named Pearlsun strapped to his waist.
"You're starting to look like a proper northerner, haven't you?"
At Silverna's remark, Isaac shrugged. Especially notable was Pearlsun, a sword of excellent quality gifted to him by Uldren.
Although it wasn't his ideal weapon, it was far superior to the standard issue sword he had been using. The broad single-edged blade closely matched the design Isaac envisioned for "Isaac's Sword" in his writings.
"Yawn… I'm so sleepy."
At that moment, a twin-tailed girl trudged into the training grounds.
Sharen Helmut.
She seemed exhausted, likely from sleeping in a new environment, as she yawned repeatedly while approaching the two of them.
"Did you both have breakfast?"
"No, not yet. I was planning to grab something simple after scouting our positions."
"I had snacks."
While Silverna and Sharen responded, Isaac pulled out sandwich ingredients he had prepared earlier from the dining hall.
Spreading his cloak on the ground, Isaac sat down and began assembling sandwiches.
"It's better to have at least something in your stomach. You never know what might happen out there."
At Isaac's words, Silverna hesitated for a moment before accepting a sandwich.
"You're right. I guess I've been a bit nervous since I was put in charge of the Reconnaissance squad."
"What about me?"
Sharen asked, implying she wanted her share. Glancing at her, Isaac quickly made a sandwich and handed it over.
"Well, it's not like I had high hopes for something you made—wait, what?! This is delicious!"
Her attitude shifted instantly as she devoured the sandwich like a person possessed.
"This is something I used to make for lunch when I worked as an ferryman. You've got to pay close attention to the ratio of jam to make it good."
Even a simple sandwich had become delicious through Isaac's persistent efforts.
"So, this is how you Wooed my sister."
Muttering with her cheeks stuffed, Sharen gave Isaac a sidelong glance. Isaac opened his mouth to protest but eventually just nodded.
"Yeah, this is how I Wooed her."
Back then, it was true. All he wanted was to get closer to her, so he had tried everything he could— throwing all kinds of line, hoping to impress her
It was a cringe-worthy memory.
"And now you're giving me the same thing you used to win over Liana?"
Silverna muttered as she stared down at the sandwich she had taken a bite out of. Isaac hurriedly explained.
"Don't read too much into it. I just want us to have something to eat, at the very least."
"Yeah, I know."
Despite her words, Silverna began eating her sandwich more carefully than before.
***
Liana's morning started later than expected.
Sigh.
She often had restless dreams, frequently plagued by nightmares.
A morning that began slightly later than others, but it didn't matter. She wasn't truly a maid, only pretending to be one. Sleeping in wasn't a major issue.
Sharing a room with other maids was an unusual experience, though.
Liana checked under the bed, which was more of a large wooden box than a proper bed.
Wrapped tightly in bandages, her greatsword waited for her, silent and lonely.
Ragnavel.
Her greatsword.
Satisfied that it was safe, Liana quickly washed up and headed outside, once again concealing herself completely.
The view outside her quarters revealed the soldiers of the Malidan Wall moving busily about their duties.
Farther out, nobles training in the drill yard caught her eye.
Even farther, under the rising sun, stood the formidable Malidan Wall.
It's cold.
The chilly weather pricked at her senses.
With nothing to do for the first time in a while, she found herself thinking:
'I'm bored.'
As her hands grew numb from the cold, old memories began to surface.
Before the two of them were married.
"You once told me about the North."
A blue river formed the backdrop of her thoughts.
The water was unusually calm that day, allowing them to spend some time together on a small boat.
Sitting face to face in a small rowboat, They shared a sandwich, using the meal as an excuse for a conversation so sweet that neither tea nor dessert seemed necessary.
[When you're in love, everything looks beautiful.]
Isaac had said with a smile.
'Was that really true?'
'Is that why everything about you seems so beautiful to me now?'
Liana swallowed her inner thoughts, choosing to say something else.
"That's Nonsense."
[It's true. That's why people call love a kind of magic.]
"You need to be more realistic."
[But I am being realistic. When you're with someone you love, anything you do or anywhere you go feels wonderful.]
Having no prior experience with love, Liana could only refute his claims repeatedly.
As their conversation turned into a back-and-forth exchange, the boat drifted gently along.
"What about the North? It's freezing there."
[Then we'll just hold hands to keep warm.]
"The East is humid. Just being together would be irritating."
[I'll make a refreshing drink for you. Let's sit under the shade and pass the time.]
"What if it's the rainy season? It will rain, you know."
[Then we'll share one umbrella. It's fine if my shoulder gets a little wet.]
"…Have you been practicing these lines somewhere?"
[Let's just say it's the power of love.]
Isaac laughed sheepishly, seemingly embarrassed by his own words.
Finding his flustered laughter cute, Liana almost laughed along but stopped herself.
But then reality intruded.
He was Isaac, the commoner ferryman.
She was Liana Helmut, a noblewoman from a prestigious family.
The gulf between their statuses forced its way back into her mind, and her expression darkened.
[What's wrong—]
"Helmut."
Cutting off Isaac's concerned question, Liana met his gaze directly and asked,
"What about Helmut?"
The North's freezing cold.
The East's unbearable heat.
Both paled in comparison to the hardships of her home.
This time, she was certain Isaac would have no answer.
But gently, he took her hand and smiled.
[Because you'll be there.]
"…!"
Liana bit her lip hard and hung her head low. She hid her face behind her falling hair, and Isaac, sensing her embarrassment, refrained from saying anything further.
It was a memory of when her face felt like it was going to explode from the heat of embarrassment.
"Good thing I'm wearing a mask."
Returning to the present, Liana muttered to herself, trying to ease her awkwardness.
As the cold northern wind cooled her flushed face, she spotted three figures crouched in a corner of the training yard, eating sandwiches.
'Isaac and Silverna?'
Her younger sister was there too, but Liana didn't pay her much mind. Silently, she moved closer to them, careful not to make any noise.
She didn't need to get too close.
The body of a Helmut was extraordinary, even in its hearing.
It was Sharen who started speaking.
"Give me another one. This is good."
"Make it yourself."
"Tsk! Mine would taste even better!"
"These are simple ingredients, but they taste surprisingly good. I used to think sandwiches were just sandwiches."
At Silverna's comment, Liana flinched.
Sandwiches?
'Did Isaac make those sandwiches?'
Wasn't that the food they used to enjoy together on the boat during what could only be called dates?
Even on their fourth wedding anniversary, Isaac had made her sandwiches for breakfast.
"…"
A strange emotion welled up inside her. Liana thought she knew what it was but decided not to put it into words.
'Even on the walls, he's gotten close to Lady Caldias.'
Feeling dejected, Liana's ears continued to pick up their conversation.
"Technically, it tastes a bit different from the sandwiches I used to make. The ingredients and preparation are different, after all."
"Really? You seem pretty confident."
"Of course."
Chew, chew.
The sound of Sharen noisily chewing made it hard to hear, but Liana felt the tension in her shoulders ease a bit.
'Right, of course.'
The sandwiches they had shared on the boat were special. They weren't something you could easily find in a place like this.
"What is it, the taste of love or something?"
Sharen, her mouth smeared with jam, asked curiously. At seventeen, she seemed quite interested in such matters.
'Well, you could say that.'
Even if it wasn't true now, at the time, it certainly had been. Liana nodded to herself—
"Grow up. Love? That's nonsense. It's tasty because the jam and meat are good."
"…"
—only to freeze mid-nod, snapping her head toward Isaac in shock at his words.
"There's no such thing as the power of love! Don't be fooled by romantic nonsense!"
"Okay, okay! Stop already! You're so serious all of a sudden, it's scary! Don't get so close to my face!"
"This is reality! Marriage is!"