"Phew!"
He let out a long breath.
Amidst the intense clash, he felt as if a unique energy was flowing through his body—though it might have been just an illusion.
The swords in his hands clung tightly to his palms, refusing to let go. The sensation enveloping his entire body was extraordinary, yet it did not feel repulsive.
He wanted to relish this lingering sensation a little longer, but—
"Grrrgh!"
The dark aura emanating from the Sword Demon began to intensify.
Like a wild beast howling and thrashing, its violent movements almost caused him to collapse from exhaustion.
"Oh my."
The Grand Master swiftly approached, catching him before he could fall and helping him stand again.
Yet, even as he supported him, her gaze remained fixed on the Sword Demon, who was kneeling in agony. She seemed to be contemplating whether to decapitate the him on the spot.
However, she soon abandoned the thought.
"He's about to explode. If I cut him anywhere now, the condensed energy will burst out instantly."
"In that case…"
"We must run. There is no chance of him surviving."
It was true.
Even the Sword Demon himself seemed to know he could not escape death.
Despite writhing in agony, he clenched his arms, desperately trying to swing his sword one last time.
"My grudge and karma… for my kin—!"
But his body only trembled.
Lacking even the strength to lift his massive sword with one hand, he could do nothing but cough up blood.
"Let's go."
He had expected only some assistance in walking, but instead, the Grand Master picked Isaac up entirely.
"D-Do we really have to go like this?!"
Isaac, uncharacteristically flustered.
Finding his reaction amusing, the Grand Master chuckled before dashing past the Sword Demon.
"Just shout for the others to flee."
"…Understood."
Following Isaac's call, the knights hurriedly retreated.
Some carried the wounded, while others dragged the bodies of their fallen comrades as they rushed out of the mansion.
Meanwhile—
"My kins—!"
A scream, almost like a wail, erupted behind them.
The dark aura wrapped around the Sword Demon exploded, scattering in all directions.
A violent gale surged forth.
It was not just wind—it carried the weight of accumulated resentment and karma.
The heat within it was searing, akin to fire, and it felt as if it was rotting their very skin upon contact.
"Uwaah!?"
Silverna, who had been running alongside them, was suddenly lifted off the ground.
Even the Grand Master, who was carrying Isaac, lost contact with the earth.
"Hold on tight!"
"…!"
Isaac wrapped his arms around the Grand Master's neck.
He was practically clinging to her. As they tumbled through the air several times, losing all sense of direction, the Grand Master managed to land flawlessly.
Amid the scattered crowd, she alone remained standing—an imposing sight.
However, as she held Isaac in both arms, she failed to notice that her hood had fallen back.
"T-That's—!"
A startled exclamation rang out.
It likely came from one of the soldiers waiting outside.
"She's a Transcendent!"
"She's the woman who fought Lord Arandel!"
"Prepare for battle!"
Even as the cursed black wind and dust filled the air, and fingers were pointed at her, the Grand Master kept her gaze fixed on the ruined mansion.
The once-imposing Blackson estate was now nothing but debris.
Seeing the remains of the Sword Demon, who had been unable to withstand his own karma and had self-destructed, she clicked her tongue.
"A tragic end, even for an origin of the sword."
Only one thing remained—a massive blade embedded in the ground, standing tall like its master's final pride.
A cursed sword that had ultimately devoured even its wielder.
"Arrest her!"
"Surround her! Now!"
After offering a brief moment of respect to the fallen warrior, the Grand Master turned back to reality.
The soldiers encircled her.
Isaac, who had barely managed to stay conscious, seemed to have finally succumbed to exhaustion and passed out in the raging storm.
"Heh, still much to learn."
The Grandmaster looked down at him and let out a bitter smile before slowly setting Isaac down.
"Don't be nervous."
Raising both hands, she shrugged.
"I surrender."
***
"Princess!"
Isaac, having woken up, ignored Silverna's attempts to stop him and rushed to Clarice's tent.
Inside, the princess was speaking with her bodyguard knight, Heirad. However, instead of finding Isaac's sudden entry rude, she welcomed him.
"Isaac! You're awake!"
Clarice hurried over to check his condition. She already knew he wasn't seriously injured, but she wanted to confirm with her own eyes.
However, Isaac had more pressing concerns.
"I heard that the Grand— I mean, that person has been captured."
"…Yes, that's right."
Clarice's expression immediately darkened.
"You must have been briefed already, but she was a key force in this operation. She played a crucial role in subduing the Transcendents—"
"I know. I heard it all. I was told that without her, defeating Blackson would have been impossible."
They had barely avoided a complete disaster at the last moment.
The chilling thought still sent shivers down Clarice's neck.
"But Isaac, you understand, don't you? From my position, this was necessary."
"…"
"She was the one who removed Arandel, our strongest warrior, from the battlefield."
Isaac understood.
A princess had to act with logic rather than emotion.
And the fact that she had the appearance of a Transcendent played a significant role.
He knew that his agitation was due to his personal connection to the Grandmaster.
But even so, his emotions refused to settle.
"Please stay calm. I've spoken with her as well. She will be accompanying us to Evergard for trial."
"A trial…!"
Isaac's heart pounded at every word, but in contrast, Clarice remained eerily calm.
"I've heard her explanation regarding this incident, and I understand that she didn't intentionally try to harm Arandel. She seems to have something she wants to hear from you."
"…"
"I see her as a crucial witness in this war against the Transcendents."
"A witness…?"
"Yes, we need to learn more about them."
Clarice's eyes gleamed with determination.
Gone was her usual lighthearted arrogance—this was a sign of how seriously she viewed the Grandmaster.
"Isaac, we still know far too little about them. Where did they come from? Why did they suddenly appear out of nowhere? How long have they existed? And their combat capabilities are beyond anything we could have imagined."
Clarice had always been curious by nature.
Despite being a princess, she personally ventured into battlefields to gather firsthand information.
To her, the Transcendents were an enigma—strange, secretive, and utterly baffling.
"They have their own swordsmanship. Instead of magic, they use something called sorcery. They even have an organized military force. That means they have a history."
So then—
"Where did they come from?"
Clarice's question was impossible to answer.
Even Isaac had never figured it out in his past life.
In his previous life, the Transcendents had launched a sudden, overwhelming assault, throwing the kingdom into chaos.
There hadn't even been time to ask questions.
If not for Caldias holding the line at the Malidan Wall for a month, they wouldn't have been able to organize any defense at all.
Had that wall fallen, the kingdom would have been annihilated without ever learning anything about the Transcendents.
But this life was different.
Clarice's curiosity had taken deep root, and she viewed the Grandmaster as an invaluable source of information.
Before the invasion had even truly begun, she was preparing to learn about them.
"I already made an offer. If she provides intelligence on the Transcendents' invasion, we will not only reduce her sentence but also offer her rewards."
Hearing this, Isaac realized that the trial was nothing more than a formality.
Feeling relieved, he took a step back.
Seeing his reaction, Clarice smiled gently and said,
"They say warriors grow close after crossing swords. I guess it's true?"
"Well… you could say that."
He answered awkwardly, and Clarice shifted the conversation.
"This Blackson operation—you did an outstanding job achieving your objective, Isaac."
"I only stepped in at the last moment."
"Isn't that the case for everyone except Arandel?"
With a smile in her eyes, Clarice slowly approached Isaac.
"Silverna told me. The reason you know so much about the Transcendents is because the person who raised you as a child was a half-blood, right?"
"...."
A lie he had told during his interrogation in the North.
"From what I've heard, your master and that person seem to be close friends. I've decided to help find them."
"Ah."
"In a way, it's like finding your parents!"
Clarice placed her hands on her waist with a determined smile, seemingly expecting praise. But Isaac could only offer a bitter smile and a nod.
The misunderstandings kept piling up.
Stepping out of the tent, Isaac made his way toward the carriage. Clarice had told him he could see the Grandmaster if he wanted to.
The Grandmaster was already seated inside. The carriage was covered with a canopy, making it dark inside and preventing visibility from the outside.
Entering, Isaac found the Grandmaster clicking ber tongue.
"Are you alright?"
"Hah, it should be me asking you that question."
The Grandmaster chuckled.
"I'm fine."
"Good, that's a relief."
A brief silence fell between them.
It was Isaac who broke it first.
"I heard you're going to Evergard."
"Isn't it a coincidence? Our destinations have aligned."
Since he was heading to Evergard with Silverna to train and check on Alois, he would naturally end up traveling with the Grandmaster as well.
"Take care of my belongings. It'll be a headache if they get damaged."
The Grandmaster was referring to the Great Tachi she has entrusted to him made Isaac nod.
There was something he wanted to say.
When should he say it?
As he hesitated, taking a deep breath to speak—
"Isn't it fortunate?"
The Grandmaster preempted him with a faint smile.
"The princess of the kingdom herself has offered to help find my fellow comrades."
"...."
"I heard you don't even know where your own master is."
"...."
"Haha, it's a good thing, isn't it? You should look forward to reuniting."
Isaac's mouth naturally closed. No, it was forced shut.
Because every word from the Grandmaster seemed to plead for him to do so.
In the end, Isaac left the carriage without saying much.
A heart that could not let go of comrades and friends.
"...."
Just earlier, Isaac had asked the princess to have Millie, who was buried in an unmarked grave in Helmut, relocated to a cemetery managed by the capital's church.
'I'm no different....'
Seeing the Grandmaster struggle so desperately, he found himself unable to say anything.