Chapter 48: The Chaos of Helmut

 

“What is this…….”

 

The moment Isaac stepped inside to check the present from Rihanna, an exclamation slipped out of his mouth.

 

He’d been told it was a bundle of monster intestines, bones, and hides—something that would practically reek of decay—but…

 

Once he actually entered the room, the air was filled not with rotten odors but with a thick, fragrant smell of mana.

 

He could feel the energy coursing through his body, his skin growing dewy.

 

Was this really the kind of environment a corpse from such a vicious monster could create?

 

On the desk sat monster byproducts, and next to them, a massive bone propped upright.

 

Considering the creature’s size, the quantity wasn’t huge, but even this much was invaluable.

 

Byproducts from monsters like Bricalla commanded astonishing prices in and of themselves.

 

“Maybe it’ll be possible after all.”

 

Gathering up the byproducts along with the rose elixir he’d received from Lohengrin, Isaac stepped outside.

 

He walked toward Vivian with a hopeful stride. Originally, he had planned to visit him for a routine checkup the next day, but the byproducts from Bricalla sparked a wave of excitement that urged him to act immediately.

 

“Not happening.”

 

Vivian responded as if the answer were obvious.

 

“…….”

 

The acrid smell of disinfectant in the infirmary snapped him back to reality.

 

“If it were that easy, the Magic Tower would have figured it out ages ago. Aren’t you seeing the world a bit too simplistically?”

 

“…….”

 

“I told you before—using potions for something like this has already been thoroughly researched at the Tower. A person’s constitution isn’t something that changes so easily.”

 

“…….”

 

“If just eating something beneficial automatically increased everyone’s mana capacity, why would we even talk about talent, or screen people to become mages?”

 

Maybe he felt annoyed.

 

Or perhaps he was still upset because Isaac hadn’t listened closely to him last time.

 

In any case, Vivian began a litany of complaints.

 

“So you shouldn’t treat this lightly. Still, leave the intestines and the rose elixir here. I’ll at least ask an apothecary I know to look into it.”

 

After about ten minutes of lecturing on talent, mages, and human constitution, he finally said he’d contact an apothecary.

 

One might wonder why he didn’t just agree to help from the start, but compared to how he used to dismiss everything as a waste of time, the fact that he’s even entertaining the idea shows some progress in their relationship.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Leaving the medical ward, Isaac checked the remaining materials.

 

He hoisted a bone twice the length of an adult man’s arm onto his shoulder and rolled up the hide like a scroll, hooking it onto the bone.

 

He was reminded of the times he used to fish occasionally while manning the oars.

 

It looked sort of like carrying a fishing rod—though he’d never been very good at fishing.

 

“Isaac. I was wondering where you went.”

 

Silverna, who was looking for him after stopping by his lodging, came upon him outside.

 

“What’s up?”

 

He thought she might have something important to say, but instead she held out something entirely unexpected.

 

“Here, take this.”

 

“What is it?”

 

Resting on her palm was an earring with a slight silver gleam.

 

There wasn’t much of a design—just a simple shape.

 

Because Isaac had once wielded a sword made of Frostsilver Ore, he recognized immediately what it was made from.

 

“This is Frostsilver Ore, isn’t it?”

 

“Yep. I made it with what was left over after forging your sword.”

 

“…….”

 

Frostsilver Ore, even in earring form, was still incredibly valuable.

 

He was about to refuse, but Silverna forcibly slipped it into his pouch.

 

Because he was holding that bone, he couldn’t really fight back.

 

“You can wear it around sometime.”

 

“And what if people recognize it?”

 

Earrings are accessories usually meant to be seen. While he’d managed to get approval to carry around the sword, wearing something like an earring felt more problematic.

 

“Who outside of the North would even recognize Frostsilver Ore?”

 

“…….”

 

She wasn’t wrong.

 

It wasn’t exactly common. At best, only royalty might identify it.

 

‘Still, accepting something like this…’

 

Isaac’s expression darkened, prompting Silverna to give his shoulder a light pat and flash a grin.

 

“Can’t we keep it casual? I’ve moved on and don’t mind any of this now, but are you still going to read meaning into every single thing I give you?”

 

“Silverna.”

 

“If it’s that big a burden, you can hand back the sword too. I guess that’d look like a wedding dowry or something, huh?”

 

“Khmm.”

 

Isaac reflexively angled his body to shield the sword hilt, blocking any attempt to retrieve it.

 

‘Right. Silverna wants to stay friends, so there’s no need for me to make this awkward.’

 

She said she’d sorted out her feelings, and it would be rude of him to keep fussing about it.

 

So Isaac decided to accept her kindness honestly.

 

“Thanks. I’ll put it to good use.”

 

Earrings, huh?

 

He’d never worn them in his previous life either.

 

‘Well, life is about trying new things.’

 

It’s only his second chance at life; why not have a few more experiences?

 

‘Anna was right.’

 

Meanwhile, Silverna, watching Isaac accept her gift, cheered inwardly.

 

Nowadays, Isaac kept up such a firm guard—using his “I’m a married man” stance to maintain a certain distance. And the more Silverna tried to push, the more likely it was he’d pull away.

 

Hence her new strategy, courtesy of Anna, code-named “We’re Just Friends.”

 

[My Lady, remember how Miss Rihanna first grew close to Isaac? They caught each other’s eye while she was rowing the boat as him ferryman.]

 

[You’re in a much better position now. You’ve fought side by side, trusted each other with your lives. Friends can become lovers, and lovers become spouses—that’s how it goes.]

 

[Stay close to him. You’ve already given him a sword, so you’re in a favorable position. Keep showering him with gifts so it’s hard for him to refuse you later.]

 

[Then, the moment he’s free, you snatch him up!]

 

Though Anna’s approach was rather aggressive, it actually appealed to Silverna.

 

Last time in the infirmary, she’d briefly lost her nerve, feeling like an intruder between Isaac and Rihanna and bolted out.

 

But now that Rihanna was gone, Silverna found it much easier to put her feelings in motion. With a bright smile, she made a suggestion.

 

“I’m off duty right now. Want to go grab a beer?”

 

A natural suggestion, and Isaac accepted it with a visibly lighter expression.

 

“Sounds good. I actually have something I want to discuss.”

 

“Discuss?”

 

Isaac shrugged the shoulder where the bone was slung.

 

“I’ve got an idea about how to use this.”

 

“An idea?”

 

“Look, if raising your internal mana is difficult, why not find a way to draw it in from an external source—”

 

Before they knew it, the two were lost in conversation, sharing opinions. Laughing and chatting as they strolled side by side, they made a surprisingly fitting pair.

 

.

.

.

 

A few days later, Rihanna and Sharen returned to the family’s main estate, which felt lighter in atmosphere than its usual imposing weight.

 

It was because villagers near Helmut had arrived with tents, preparing street stalls.

 

From royalty to commoners, everyone came to see the Sword Festival. Certain nobles received invitations—those guests would stay at the Helmut mansion—but not having an invitation didn’t prevent anyone from viewing the festival.

 

Such was the openness of the Sword Festival.

 

Within Helmut, the Sword Festival was treated as quite a solemn event. But in the nearby towns, it was a once-in-four-years chance for a big payday—a festival through and through.

 

So, the road leading to the mansion was already lined with stalls, and there were even early-arriving visitors enjoying themselves.

 

Arandel allowed it all.

 

Some worried this would diminish the festival’s gravitas, but Arandel was confident: if something so minor undermined the event, that was on them. Besides, with a duty to show Helmut’s swords to the masses, they embraced the festival-like direction that drew people in.

 

When the carriage pulled up in front of the mansion, Rihanna and Sharen got out.

 

“Yaaawn! My body’s so stiff,” Sharen said, stretching side to side.

 

She deliberately avoided looking at Rihanna. Their father’s severe punishment was coming, and she didn’t want to get dragged into it.

 

“Uh, should we go say hello?”

 

“Yes, Milady,” Kelsey replied.

 

Acting as though she was talking to Kelsey, Sharen gave Rihanna a little nudge to go on. As Sharen signaled that they should hurry inside, Rihanna slowly started walking forward—

 

“Big sisterrrrr!”

 

A voice they hadn’t heard in about a month. Sharen’s face soured as she turned toward the source, while Rihanna’s formerly placid gaze grew wide.

 

“Big sister! You’re finally back!”

 

A tall, handsome man—Helmut’s third son, Alois—approached with a bright smile to greet Rihanna.

 

“I’m here too, you know,” Sharen muttered.

 

But Alois was focused solely on Rihanna.

 

“Are you alright? You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? If you had told me, I would have gone with you! You must have had such a hard time!”

 

“…….”

 

“I had a hard time too,” Sharen mumbled to no avail.

 

“Father is extremely angry, but it’ll be alright. I’ve thought up an excuse we can use!”

 

“Mother has returned?”

 

“I got hurt too…” Sharen tried again.

 

“Yes! She’s back!”

 

Completely ignoring Sharen, Alois paid her no mind. Offended, she finally stalked inside with Kelsey, leaving them behind.

 

“So, she’s really here,” Rihanna remarked quietly.

 

“Your timing is perfect. Father is currently meeting the guests Mother brought. So if you just memorize the script I made and follow it exactly—!”

 

“Guests?”

 

“Yes! I heard they’re from Blackthorn!”

 

For a moment, Rihanna’s eyes wavered. Without hesitation, she turned and retrieved her greatsword, Ragnabel, from where it was stowed on the carriage.

 

“Big Sister?”

 

Rihanna looked ready to march straight into the mansion, then—

 

“Ah, right. Almost forgot.”

 

Just in case.

 

Whoosh!

 

Her greatsword traced a wide arc. Since it was still in its scabbard, it acted more like a blunt weapon than a blade.

 

Crunch!

 

And just like that, both of Alois’s legs were crushed.

 

“Gaaahhh!”

 

Alois screamed in agony. Caught so off guard he couldn’t even defend himself, he fell to his knees.

 

“Ugh… B-Big Sister?! What on earth—?!”

 

“I can’t have you running off.”

 

“Wh-what?! Guh… W-what do you mean?!”

 

“You said you had an excuse ready for Father, right? For my sake.”

 

Passing her suffering younger brother, Rihanna walked on into the mansion.

 

“You’d better also be prepared to explain why you tried to harm my husband…”

 

All Alois could do was writhe on the ground, the pain in his broken legs and his sister’s low warning echoing mercilessly in his ears.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

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