Chapter 52: A Special Woman (1)

 

Silverna stood there, staring blankly until Helmut’s departing carriage vanished from view.

 

Everyone else had already turned around and gone back to their usual routines, but Silverna remained rooted to the spot.

 

Worried that she’d stay there until the carriage completely disappeared from sight, Anna gently tugged at her arm.

 

“Milady? Your eyes are going to fall out at this rate.”

 

“Hmm. It’s a strange feeling.”

 

“Why? You miss him already, even though you just said goodbye?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Oh my, so honest!”

 

Anna was flustered by the unexpectedly bold answer. Now that Isaac had left, Silverna didn’t seem to feel any need to hide her feelings.

 

Anna gave her a little warning.

 

“You’ll see him again at the Sword Festival anyway.”

 

“…….”

 

“In that case, you might as well have confessed again before he left.”

 

Hadn’t she intentionally acted like a casual friend all this time, paving the way for what might happen after the festival? Anna teased her with a mischievous grin, but Silverna let out a bitter sigh.

 

“If I did it now, I already know the answer.”

 

“...I’m sorry.”

 

Anna apologized, realizing she’d spoken too lightly about Silverna’s genuine feelings. But Silverna just brushed it off casually, saying it was no big deal.

 

“It’s fine. Besides, you’re right—we’ll be meeting again soon at the festival.”

 

“Exactly! And this time, you’ve got to grab hold of him for sure! I’ve even prepared a special outfit just for you, Milady.”

 

“...An outfit?”

 

“Yes! I noticed Isaac-nim seems to like the cute type.”

 

“…….”

 

Suddenly, Silverna put her hands on her hips, stuck her rear out a little, and winked.

 

“Is this… cute?”

 

“You look more like a middle-aged woman pretending to be cute.”

 

“I’m still in my twenties!”

 

Silverna stomped inside in a huff, while Anna burst out laughing.

 

“But really, Milady, where did you learn that pose?”

 

“Huh? W-Well, Sharen used to do it sometimes, you know. She’d say, ‘I’m cute!’ or something like that.”

 

“Pfft! Seriously? Huh, why didn’t I ever see that?”

 

“Anyway, why do you think Isaac likes cute girls?”

 

“Because Rihanna gives off a cute beauty vibe, right?”

 

“She does?”

 

Silverna pictured Rihanna’s perpetual stoicism and chilly demeanor. She found it hard to imagine what part of Rihanna anyone would call ‘cute.’

 

“Oh, Milady, we have to assume he likes the cute type! If it turned out he preferred something else, you’d have no chance.”

 

“What ‘something else’?”

 

“For example, if he liked, you know, small-chested women, there’d be no way you could win.”

 

“…….”

 

“That’s why you have to go cute. Try it: Kyaa!”

 

Anna suddenly lifted one leg, made a V-sign with her hand, and held it up by her eye. Silverna looked bewildered but imitated her awkwardly.

 

“Ky… ky-kyaa?!”

 

Her cheeks flushed red, and her ample chest bounced with the motion. Anna clicked her tongue at the sight.

 

“Tsk, if Isaac-nim saw that, he’d be a goner for sure.”

 

“I feel really embarrassed somehow.”

 

“The Sword Festival is your battleground. When you show him this side of you, he’ll think, ‘Huh? Was she always this cute?’ That’s the reaction we’re after, got it?”

 

“Ky-kyaa?!”

 

“See? Milady, you learn fast.”

 

Anna, who learned about romance only through books, and Silverna, who never had any such learning at all, continued chatting in their own way, preparing for the upcoming festival.

 

****

 

“Isaac-nim, what kind of women do you like?”

 

“…….”

 

Crackle, crackle.

 

It had been three days since they left the Malidan Barrier. Night had fallen, so they’d stopped the carriage to camp. Sitting around the bonfire, Jonathan suddenly asked this out of the blue.

 

“Tell me I just misheard you.”

 

Trying to steer the conversation elsewhere, Isaac dropped a hint, but the oblivious Jonathan just repeated himself, unbothered.

 

“No, I asked what kind of women you prefer.”

 

“...You do realize I’m a married man, right?”

 

“What does having a wife have to do with your taste in women?”

 

Is it because he’s half Transcendent? He could be unexpectedly sharp in areas one wouldn’t anticipate.

 

“I never thought you’d be interested in women. Why? Need some advice?”

 

Isaac was all ready to lecture him about devoting himself to knighthood under Helmut, but Jonathan just stared blankly and replied:

 

“Nah, I just wanted to ask. Back when I was at the church, this was the usual topic whenever the men got together.”

 

“…….”

 

“Besides, we’ve run out of things to talk about, haven’t we?”

 

He wasn’t wrong. Just a moment ago, the two men had been silently gazing into the fire, not saying a word.

 

“Jonathan, how about we spar a bit?”

 

Isaac stood up abruptly. Jonathan jumped to his feet and grabbed his greatsword. Isaac went over to the carriage and began untying a bundle.

 

Inside were several daggers—all crafted by Antonio.

 

He grabbed one and stepped in front of the bonfire. Seeing this, Jonathan furrowed his brow and pouted.

 

“You’re not using White Snow?”

 

White Snow, a sword forged from Frost Silver Light, was now officially named “White Snow” instead of “The Revered and Beautiful Goddess Silverna,” which was just too much to keep using.

 

“If I use the same weapon all the time, I’ll start relying on it too much.”

 

With a grin, Isaac replied, and Jonathan gulped, gathering his strength.

 

“Grrr—ooohhh!”

 

“What a commotion you make.”

 

Jonathan’s Red Aura, riddled with holes, thickened into a sticky swamp-like consistency. Because he was wielding the power of the Transcendent race, it had naturally taken on a hue closer to black.

 

“Today, I’m going to win!”

 

Though Jonathan’s fangs had grown razor-sharp and he shouted confidently, Isaac simply drew his sword and smiled.

 

“As long as you’re using Helmut’s style of swordsmanship, beating me won’t be so easy.”

 

****

 

A few days later.

 

“…….”

 

Upon returning to Helmut’s territory, Isaac found it in a completely different state than when he’d left. The rich scent of blooming roses seemed to fill the entire domain, and the sounds of people talking never ceased.

 

Heading toward Helmut’s mansion, they passed rows of bustling street stalls on either side of the road. It already felt like the festival had begun.

 

“Wow, this is my first Sword Festival. I had no idea it would be so lively!”

 

Jonathan looked around with an excited grin. Though he was nervous about handling the reins improperly, Isaac was also taken aback by the scene.

 

“It’s my first time, too.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. Four years ago, when I got married, it was after the festival had already ended.”

 

And in his previous life around this same time... his leg had been shattered, and he’d shut himself away from the world. It was a period he hated recalling more than anything, when he’d felt utterly pathetic.

 

“How about we look around a bit? Once we go into the mansion, we won’t have a chance to explore outside.”

 

At Isaac’s suggestion, Jonathan eagerly began searching for a spot to park the carriage. He borrowed a large tarp from a nearby vendor and covered the carriage, hiding it from sight.

 

“A festival, huh? This is my first time.”

 

“Really? It’s surprisingly fun.”

 

Isaac considered whether he should give Jonathan some pocket money, but remembered that he was a knight, after all. His wages weren’t lacking, so he simply hummed to himself while taking in the surroundings.

 

“Isaac-nim, have you gone to many festivals?”

 

“I used to go to some before I got married. Sometimes guests would drag me along, or friends would invite me.”

 

“Oh...”

 

Jonathan gave an admiring sigh before halting in his tracks, asking a question that had just crossed his mind:

 

“Those ‘guests’ or ‘friends’—were they women?”

 

“Why?”

 

“I don’t know. I just get the feeling they were.”

 

Isaac didn’t answer and kept walking, so Jonathan followed behind him with a sly grin.

 

“As expected from Isaac-nim. You’re not handsome for no reason.”

 

“We’re getting a bit too familiar, aren’t we? You sure are comfortable.”

 

“S-Sorry!”

 

Though Isaac scolded him, Jonathan couldn’t wipe the smile off his face. They wandered about the festival together, half amused, when suddenly—

 

“Ah, no, I didn’t do it on purpose!”

 

It was an unusual woman.

 

She stood out immediately: flawless skin suggesting she’d never known hardship, and blonde hair you’d see fairly often—yet there was an indescribable quality that made everyone else’s blonde look fake by comparison.

 

Her hair reached down to her waist, and her clothing and accessories had the rough look of a seasoned adventurer, creating a strange sense of mismatch.

 

It seemed she was in some kind of dispute with a street vendor.

 

“Tsk, tsk. You’re a grown woman; don’t cause trouble, huh?”

 

“I wasn’t trying to get out of paying.”

 

“Then?”

 

“There was just an accident I didn’t intend. It’s not that I don’t have money—I just don’t have it on me right now.”

 

“...What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“But obviously I can’t just walk away without paying. So I’ll give you something more valuable than money.”

 

More valuable than money, especially to a street vendor—what could that be?

 

“You say you sell crispy grilled skewers, but they’re not crispy at all. You used chicken, right? There’s nothing particularly special about it. Actually, it smells a bit gamey.”

 

“It’s also badly charred. Because you pre-cooked it and let it sit, it got cold, which makes the off-flavor even worse. Plus, since you grilled the skewer itself, I ended up with some splinters in my mouth while eating.”

 

“The seasoning on each skewer is inconsistent, the quality of the meat is mediocre, and for that quality, the price is definitely too high.”

 

“I have more to say, but this should be worth at least the price of one skewer—”

 

She winked, flashing the vendor a smirk.

 

“If you take my advice to heart and improve, your stall could end up being the most popular—!”

 

“Just give me the money, you little—!”

 

“Eek?! H-Hey, I just paid you with advice! Gah?! That hurts!”

 

The vendor grabbed her by the hair and yanked her around. The woman flailed, trying to figure out how to escape from his grip.

– – – The End of The Chapter – – –

 

[TL: Join Patreon to support the translation and to read up to 5 chapters ahead of the release: https://www.patreon.com/readingpia

 

Join Our Discord for regular updates and have fun with other community members: https://discord.com/invite/SqWtJpPtm9 ]