Bang!
"Phew!"
While Isaac and Liana were taking turns showering, Silverna was drinking beer at the tavern prepared for the soldiers within the fortress.
"Hmm? Why does it taste so good today?"
"You said you were tired, my lady."
Anna, who was keeping her company, sighed as she ordered another beer. While she worried about Silverna, she didn't outright stop her from drinking, knowing how she felt.
"Hey, barkeep, did you add honey to this today?"
"How could I afford to put something that expensive in the beer, my lady?"
"Then why is it so tasty?"
'She's already a bit drunk.'
Leaning heavily against the table, Silverna let out a long sigh. Anna decided to listen to her complaints tonight, noting her flushed cheeks.
'Maybe this is for the best.'
Anna knew Silverna hadn't fully let go. If her feelings were so easy to extinguish, she wouldn't have struggled this much in the first place.
But now that Liana Helmut was here, it might be a good opportunity for Silverna to sever those feelings once and for all.
"My father used to say, 'When life is bitter, alcohol tastes sweet.' Do you think that's why?"
"You just wanted to say that, which is why you've been repeating how sweet it is."
"…"
Silverna silently lifted her beer mug again, but since it was already empty, she lowered it with a hollow sigh. Just then, the beer Anna had ordered arrived, and Silverna began drinking it like water.
"It's okay, my lady."
Anna patted her on the back, trying to comfort her.
"You weren't going to end up with him anyway, right? It's better to have clarity than to suffer endlessly."
"You make it sound so easy!"
'She's drunk.'
Normally, she'd have put up her pride and agreed, but not today.
"Have you ever felt like this, Anna? Tell me! Have you?!"
"Why are you dragging me into this? And for the record, I'm quite the expert in romance!"
Silverna's jaw dropped at Anna's unexpected response.
"What?! You've been in a relationship? You're always complaining about how busy you are cleaning up after me, but you've been sneaking off and doing whatever you please?!"
"No matter how busy I am, I still have a right to my personal life. You're the one who told me to maintain it."
"I said to maintain your privacy, I didn't tell you to secretly suck and lick behind others' backs!"
Thud!
Silverna slammed her beer glass onto the table. The barkeep's face stiffened but, perhaps not wanting to get involved, he pretended not to see it.
"Suck and lick? What a vulgar way of expressing it..."
"The vulgar one is you, Anna!"
This was absurd. If she weren't her lady, Anna might've smacked her on the back of the head.
"Hah… I haven't actually been in a relationship."
"…Huh?"
"You know those romance novels? The ones the merchants from the capital bring in? I get a few of those from someone I know. I've read a lot of them."
Anna scratched her cheek awkwardly, clearly embarrassed, while Silverna let out a small, mocking laugh.
"What? And you call yourself an expert? You're no different from me."
"At least I don't pine after a married man."
"…"
Silverna's lips tightened into a thin line. Seeing her face crumble into a slight pout, Anna quickly patted her shoulder in a panic.
"Oh no! I'm sorry! That was too harsh! Don't be upset! I got carried away and said something stupid!"
"No, it's fine…"
Even as Anna apologized for her slip, Silverna shook her head and steeled her expression with newfound resolve.
"Say more."
"Excuse me?"
"I need to fully understand how wrong I've been. Say more."
"…Are you serious?"
"Yes, I'm serious."
Though her cheeks were flushed from the alcohol, there was an undeniable sincerity in Silverna's tone. Anna hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.
"Honestly."
Gulp.
"They looked so perfect together."
"Gah!"
Silverna clutched her chest.
It always hurts more when someone points out something you already know deep down, rather than some far-fetched statement.
"They had that 'perfect couple' vibe, you know? Like they were handpicked by the gods to be together."
Clench.
"There's a reason their love story made waves in society for so long. A love that transcends status—Helmut and a commoner. Add their outstanding looks to the mix…"
Anna glanced at Silverna, gauging her reaction.
"Someone like you shouldn't interfere in something like that, right?"
The sound of gritted teeth seeped out from Silverna, who immediately gulped down another mouthful of beer, as if trying to stuff her words back down her throat.
Looking at her now, it became clear just how crazy she had been.
And it raised one particular concern.
"Hey, Anna."
"Should I stop talking?"
"No, it's not that."
Silverna motioned for Anna to lean closer. As Anna tilted her head, Silverna whispered quietly.
"…Are you insane?"
Anna's face turned to shock as she stared at Silverna.
"You melted your spear? That spear?!" And give it as a gift?"
The spear made from Frostsilver, the symbol of Caldias.
A weapon forged from a material that practically embodied Caldias itself.
And she was melting it down to make a weapon as a gift for Helmut's son-in-law?
"Well, I mean… Isaac's working so hard, I thought I should at least help out a little…"
Fidgeting with her fingers, Silverna mumbled timidly.
Anna slapped her own forehead and groaned in despair.
"They've already started melting it, haven't they?"
"Um… probably."
"And even if we asked them to stop now, they wouldn't return it, right?"
"…Probably."
"Well, of course not. They're the same person who barged into the Margrave's place and caused a scene. No way they'd give it back now."
"Wh-what should I do? It'll look fine if I just give it, right? It won't be weird, will it?"
"Who wouldn't think it's weird? Caldias giving Helmut a sword made of Frostsilver?"
"…."
"Especially when his wife is standing right there! Argh! That's basically a declaration of war!"
Silverna buried her face in her hands.
"I'm such an idiot."
"You're more than just an idiot."
"Anna…"
"'Idiot' doesn't even begin to cover it. Think of something worse."
"…."
Unable to contain herself, Anna sprang up and started smacking Silverna on the back.
"No matter how clueless you are, how could you even think of doing something like this?! And then act like you've moved on?! Just thinking about it makes me furious!"
"Ahh! Stop, Anna! I'm a noble!"
"Fire me! Go ahead and fire me! Ugh, I'm done worrying about this nonsense!"
After venting for a while, Anna slumped back into her seat, nodding as if she'd made a decision.
"There's only one solution left."
"What is it?"
"You use the weapon yourself."
"…."
"That's the only option. Why not take this opportunity to try something other than a spear?"
Silverna sighed, brushing off the absurd suggestion. Anna wasn't serious, so she let it slide.
"But, you know…"
Suddenly, a conversation with Nortemus from earlier came to mind.
"Isaac's sword… Didn't the Transcendents say it was their style of swordsmanship?"
"…Yeah."
"They said it was their blade type too. And Isaac seems to know a lot about them."
"And their spells too?"
"That's right."
"That's why Father ordered Liana and me to investigate tomorrow."
Of course, although it was called an investigation, both parties would likely answer honestly without much to hide.
Since most matters here depended on Uldren's discretion, it probably wouldn't escalate into a serious situation.
At that moment—
Clatter!
The door swung open, and in walked a girl with twin braids.
"Hey, bartender! Give me something strong!"
"My lady…"
The appearance of Sharen Helmut, who looked completely out of place, and her maid, Kelsey, drew attention.
Inside the tavern, only Silverna and Anna were present, making it inevitable for the newcomers to stand out.
"Huh?"
Naturally, Sharen moved toward their table and joined them.
"So you really came here to drink, huh?"
Seeing Sharen casually take a seat, Silverna let out a small laugh.
They had initially been at odds, but after fighting side by side on the battlefield, they now saw each other as comrades.
"Do you even drink alcohol?"
Curious, Silverna asked, thinking Sharen seemed more like someone who'd prefer sweets. Sharen grinned and answered proudly.
"I'm quite the drinker!"
With that, she exchanged a few words with the barkeep and even began preparing the drink herself.
"Kelsey is particularly good at making drinks. They go great with snacks."
"Really?"
Silverna considered asking for a drink when Kelsey brought over a glass.
It was a reddish-orange color, different from beer.
Sharen took a sip and smiled brightly.
"Mmm! It's delicious! Maybe because today was so exhausting, I feel like I'll get drunk fast!"
"…Let me have a sip."
"Nope."
Sharen pouted her lips but then handed the glass over reluctantly.
Silverna took a small sip.
'…This is orange juice, isn't it?'
Curious, she glanced at Kelsey standing behind Sharen. Kelsey simply pressed a finger to her lips and smiled gently.
Orange juice with snacks.
It seemed like a good combination, though it had a faint tangy kick, but it doesn't seem to be alcohol.
"Tastes good, right? Kelsey makes it by using concentrated orange juice, like grape wine!"
"Yeah, it's good."
Returning the glass subtly, Silverna let out a sigh, regaining her composure, and asked,
"So why are you here?"
"Stress! It's just so frustrating to be treated like an idiot!"
Sharen's voice rose as she sipped her "drink," clearly thinking she was getting drunk.
"What's bothering you?"
Although the unexpected visitor seemed out of place, it wasn't unpleasant. It gave Silverna an excuse to brush past the topic of her own unrequited love.
"Both Isaac and my sis keep repeating the same thing over and over! Do they think I'm dumb or something?! It's so annoying!"
"Huh?"
"I mean, why on earth would I go around talking about them getting divorced? It's the opposite—they keep nagging me to be careful, and it's them who look like idiots! Ugh!"
"M-My lady!?"
At that moment, Kelsey, who had been standing behind Sharen, urgently interrupted.
Kelsey didn't know about the divorce either, but anyone could tell that Sharen had just blurted out something she shouldn't have.
"Huh? Wait, what did I—"
Sharen froze mid-sip.
Her red eyes darted around, gauging the reactions of the two people in front of her.
Both of them were staring at her with their mouths agape.
Thud!
"I'm drunk! Super drunk! I'll be going now! See you tomorrow?!"
Sharen shot up in a panic and bolted out of the tavern.
"Wh-What do I do? My sister's going to kill me! Kelsey, what do I do?! Help meee!"
Her voice, full of fear and desperation, echoed as she fled.
Back at the table where the two were left, silence lingered for a long while.