Chapter 52: A Special Woman (1)

Silverna stood still, watching Helmut's departing carriage until it disappeared from view.

Everyone else had already turned away and returned to their daily lives, but she remained in place. Seeing this, Anna gently grabbed her arm, worried that Silverna might stay there until the carriage was completely out of sight.

"My lady? Your eyes might fall out at this rate."

"Hmm, I feel strange."

"Why? You just said goodbye, and you already miss him?"

"Yeah."

"Oh wow, you're being really honest."

Anna was taken aback by Silverna's unexpectedly bold response. Since Isaac had already left, Silverna didn't seem to see the need to hide her feelings anymore, so Anna offered a word of caution.

"You'll see him again at the Sword Festival anyway."

Silverna remained silent.

"If that's the case, why didn't you just confess again?"

She had been maintaining a friendly, casual relationship with Isaac all this time, laying the groundwork for after the Sword Festival. Anna smirked playfully as she spoke, but Silverna let out a bitter sigh before replying.

"If I confess now, I already know what his answer will be."

"…I'm sorry."

Realizing that she had spoken too lightly about Silverna's true feelings, Anna quickly apologized. But Silverna brushed it off casually.

"It's fine. Besides, you're right. I'll be seeing him again soon at the Sword Festival."

"Exactly! Let's make sure to grab his attention then! I've even prepared a special outfit for you, My lady."

"…an outfit?"

"Yes! From what I've seen, Sir Isaac seems to like cute girls."

Suddenly, Silverna placed both hands on her hips, slightly pushed her hips back, and winked.

"Am I… looking cute?"

"Honestly? You look like an older lady trying too hard to act cute."

"Hey! I'm still in my twenties!"

Fuming, Silverna stormed off inside while Anna burst into laughter.

"But my lady, where did you even learn that pose?"

"Huh? Oh, from Sharen. She used to do it sometimes while saying, 'I'm so cute!'"

"Pfft! Really? Ah, how did I never see that?"

"But wait, why do you think Isaac likes cute girls?"

"Because Lady Liana has that 'cute beauty' vibe."

"Her?"

Thinking of Liana, Silverna found it hard to agree. With her perpetually cold and expressionless demeanor, Silverna couldn't see anything cute about her.

"Oh, my lady… You have to believe he likes the cute type. If his taste was something else, you wouldn't stand a chance."

"Something else? Like what?"

"For example, if he preferred small-chested women, you'd have no hope."

"…."

"So you have to go for the cute vibe. Try this, 'Piiikyaa!'"

Anna suddenly lifted one leg, made a peace sign with her hand, and placed it near her eye.

Silverna stared at her in disbelief for a moment before hesitantly mimicking the pose.

"Pi... Piikyaa?!"

Her face instantly turned red, and her ample chest jiggled slightly.

Clicking her tongue, Anna sighed.

"Tsk. If Sir Isaac had seen that, it would've been an instant win."

"Why do I suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of shame?"

"The Sword Festival will be the battlefield. When Isaac sees you, he should think, 'Huh? Was she always this cute?' That's the goal, got it?"

"Piiikyaa?!"

"As expected of you, my lady. You learn quickly."

Anna, who had learned about romance from books, and Silverna, who had never even learned that much, exchanged various conversations as they prepared for the Sword Festival in their own way.

***

"Sir Isaac, what kind of women do you like?"

"...."

Crackle.

Three days had passed since they left the Malidan Wall.

As night fell, they had stopped their carriage to camp. Sitting in front of the bonfire, Jonathan suddenly asked an unexpected question.

"I must have misheard you just now, right?"

Isaac tried to brush it off and steer the conversation elsewhere, but Jonathan, oblivious as ever, repeated himself without hesitation.

"No, I asked about your taste in women."

"…You do realize that I'm a married man, don't you?"

"That doesn't necessarily have anything to do with your preferences, does it?"

Was it because he was a half-Transcendent? He had an oddly sharp sense in the most unexpected areas.

"I didn't think you had any interest in women. Why? Do you need some advice?"

Isaac was prepared to say something along the lines of 'What business do you have with women when you became a knight of Helmut to suppress your instincts?'

But Jonathan simply stared at him blankly and answered,

"I was just asking. Back when I lived at the church, conversations like this were common among the men."

"...."

"There's really nothing else to talk about right now, is there?"

He wasn't wrong.

Up until a moment ago, the two had just been sitting in silence, staring at the bonfire.

"Jonathan, how about we spar a little?"

Isaac abruptly stood up.

Jonathan immediately got to his feet as well, grabbing his greatsword.

Isaac unwrapped a bundle he had stored in the carriage.

Inside were multiple blades—

All of them crafted by Antonio, weapons that would have just been collecting dust otherwise, so Isaac had taken them.

Gripping one in his hand, he stood before the bonfire.

Jonathan frowned and pursed his lips at the sight.

"Aren't you going to use Baekseol?"

Baekseol (白雪 — White Snow), a sword forged from Frostsilver.

It was the name of the sword Silverna had managed to exchange after much effort, flattering and coaxing him during their remaining time together.

After all, he couldn't keep using the name "The Revered and Beautiful Goddess Silverna" forever.

"If I keep relying on it, I'll become too dependent on my sword."

Isaac smiled as he replied.

Jonathan swallowed and tensed his body.

"Guooooooo!"

"What a fuss."

Jonathan's crimson aura, full of holes, began to thicken like sticky mud.

The color, closer to black, was naturally due to his channeling of the Transcendent race's power.

"Today, I'll be the one to win!"

Jonathan shouted boldly, his fangs sharpening.

But Isaac simply drew his sword and smiled.

"As long as you're wielding the sword of Helmut, beating me won't be so easy."

***

A few days later.

"...."

The atmosphere of Helmut's estate had completely changed from when they had left.

The scent of blooming roses permeated the entire estate, and the sound of people's chatter filled the air without pause.

The road leading to Helmut's mansion was lined with bustling street stalls, already welcoming customers as if the festival had begun.

"Wow, this is my first time experiencing the Sword Festival, and I never imagined it would be like this!"

Jonathan looked around with a bright smile. Isaac, though careful not to pull the reins incorrectly, also widened his eyes in surprise.

"This is my first time too."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I got married four years ago, after the festival had already ended."

Back in his past life, around this time, his leg had been crippled, and he had shut himself in his room, avoiding everyone. It was a time he wished to forget the most—a period when he had considered himself utterly pathetic.

"Shall we take a quick look around? Once we enter the mansion, we won't be able to see the outside."

At Isaac's suggestion, Jonathan eagerly looked for a place to park the carriage. He borrowed a large, unopened tarp from a nearby merchant and covered the carriage to keep it hidden.

"A festival… This is my first time."

"Really? They can be quite fun."

Isaac considered giving him some pocket money but then remembered that Jonathan was a knight. His salary wasn't lacking, so he simply hummed as he looked around.

"Have you been to many festivals before, Sir Isaac?"

"I used to go before I got married. Sometimes guests would invite me, and other times, friends would call me along."

"Oh…"

Jonathan let out a sound of admiration before stopping in his tracks and asking curiously,

"Were those guests and friends women?"

"Why?"

"No reason. It just seems like they would be."

Isaac didn't bother answering and simply kept walking. Jonathan, grinning, followed behind.

"As expected of Sir Isaac. It's no wonder you're so handsome."

"I think we've gotten too close. You're way too comfortable now."

"Sorry!"

Despite his words, Jonathan's smile didn't fade. Chuckling, they continued to explore the festival together.

"Ah, no. I didn't mean to do that."

It was a rather striking woman. Her appearance stood out instantly, and her flawless skin suggested she had never experienced hardship.

Her blonde hair was a common color, yet something about her made everyone else around her seem fake in comparison.

Her hair reached down to her waist, and her clothing and accessories, such as her belt, made her look like a seasoned adventurer. However, that only made her seem more out of place.

It seemed like she was in the middle of a dispute with a street vendor.

"Hey, a grown woman like you shouldn't be causing trouble like this."

"It's not like I'm trying to avoid paying."

"Then what?"

"It was just an accident. It's not like I don't have money—I just don't have it right now."

"…What is she talking about?"

"But I can't just leave like this, can I? So instead, I'll offer you something even more valuable than money."

What could be more valuable than money to a street vendor?

"You're selling these as 'crispy meat skewers,' but they're not crispy at all. You used chicken, didn't you? There's nothing particularly special about it. In fact, it has a bit of a gamey smell."

"The burnt taste is also quite strong. Since you pre-cooked the skewers, they've gone cold, which makes the taste even worse. Plus, since you grilled the skewers together, I ended up chewing on splinters from the stick itself."

"The seasoning is inconsistent from skewer to skewer, the meat quality isn't great, and for what it is, the price is way too high."

"I could say even more, but I think I've already given you feedback worth more than the price of a skewer—"

The woman playfully winked and gestured smoothly at the vendor.

"If you take my advice to heart and improve, you might just become the most popular stall—"

"Just give me the damn money, you brat!"

"Ahhh?! W-Wait! I already paid with my words, didn't I?! Aghhh! That hurts!"

The vendor grabbed her by the hair. The woman flailed around, struggling to break free.