"Good morning, Baron Logan."
"Mm, good morning."
"Have you been swinging your sword since dawn again? I'll prepare some water for you to wash."
About two months had passed.
Isaac, who had been practicing swordsmanship in his mansion's courtyard since early morning, greeted the arriving maid, Karen, with an awkward smile.
The title Baron Logan still felt unfamiliar to him.
As he watched the maid walk inside, his gaze naturally took in the mansion.
Compared to Helmut, calling it a mansion felt like an overstatement. But for Isaac, living alone, it was more than enough.
It was clear how much Princess Clarice had gone out of her way to provide for him.
"Phew."
Morning training was no longer a choice but a necessity.
If he skipped it, his body felt stiff. By now, Isaac had developed a strong desire to maintain this routine.
Some people asked if doing it every day wasn't too exhausting.
But the sword was something built up over time.
Even a single day spent idle felt like a waste.
He had been given a new opportunity.
He had seen the swords of countless formidable opponents.
Isaac wanted to make the most of this chance—to reach the very limits of his potential.
After finishing his morning training, Isaac washed up with the water Karen had prepared and sat at the dining table.
Looking at the simple meal set before him, a smile naturally formed on his lips.
"Thank you, Karen."
"Hehe, it's worth preparing when you say that."
Karen chuckled as she left to tend to other tasks.
At first, she had been flustered by how Isaac treated her.
She had told him he didn't need to be so polite and that she was simply doing her job.
But Isaac couldn't do that.
He wanted to treat her well.
He had explained that he, too, was of common birth.
But in truth…
There had been someone he had wanted to treat like this.
A seat had been prepared.
But the person was no longer here.
I should go pay my respects today.
This morning, I miss your voice more than ever, Millie.
***
Having a mansion in the capital, Evergard, was undeniably convenient.
It had a dedicated training ground, made visiting gravesites easier, and provided easy access to all kinds of goods.
The blacksmiths, in particular, were excellent.
If the grumpy northern blacksmith, Antonio, heard that, he would explode in anger.
Here, however, the craftsmanship was top-notch, and the forge was equipped with the latest tools.
Unlike the frontlines, where only practical weapons were forged, this place also crafted decorative pieces for nobles.
As a result, the blacksmiths here had a better understanding of aesthetics—and their work reflected that.
The only drawback was speed.
They could never match Antonio's pace, who was constantly pushed to his limits at the frontlines.
After commissioning a custom piece at the blacksmith and paying his respects to Millie, Isaac returned home.
On the way back, he let out a dry chuckle as he spotted a man standing in front of his mansion.
"Sir Heirad, you've come again."
"Sir Isaac, please talk to her. The etiquette instructor is going to kill me today because she postponed again."
"Mm, that's not really something I can help with."
"Sigh. She doesn't even attend the lessons, yet she have all the time to wander around…"
Brushing past the sighing Heirad, Isaac stepped inside.
In the garden, Clarice was already there, looking around, accompanied by the Grandmaster, whose ears were covered by a beret.
"Isaac! Where did you go?"
"Sniff sniff, the cemetery, I see. The scent of incense lingers on you."
Princess Clarice and the Grandmaster
"You should have told me. I would have waited."
"It was not a planned visit."
"I had no choice. I ran away, but I had nowhere to go."
Karen, the maid, quickly brewed tea and carried it outside. A garden so small it was almost embarrassing. She began setting up a small table and chairs tucked into a corner.
The three naturally walked toward the table, continuing their conversation.
"Sir Heirad begged me to persuade you, Your Highness. He wants you to stop wandering around."
"Wandering? Haah, Heirad is always so stiff-minded, too much of a knight for his own good."
Clarice grumbled as she sat down.
"Don't you think so? Do I really look like I'm just playing around? I'm having a significant impact on state affairs, you know."
'She hasn't changed one bit.'
Karen hesitated to pour tea into the princess's cup, looking uncomfortable. Instead, someone else took the teapot from her.
Startled for a moment, Karen quickly bowed in gratitude and stepped back.
"…What's this? Are you seducing the maids now?"
"Huh."
At the princess's words, the Grandmaster chuckled as he placed a piece of pastry in her mouth. Apparently, amused by her tone.
Isaac let out a sigh as he poured the tea.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"That's your problem, Isaac. If you're good-looking, you should be more mindful of your actions. Women turn into fools when they fall in love."
"…"
It was difficult to outright refute her. The Grand Master picked up another snack and chuckled softly.
"You're a baron now. Haven't you had marriage proposals coming in?"
"Ahem."
That wasn't wrong.
He was finally free.
Isaac had become a hot topic in high society.
He had personally executed Arandel Helmut, was a key figure in the next generation, and had close ties to the princess.
Even his exploits in the Great War were being re-examined. To other nobles, Isaac was a tempting fruit, ripe with potential.
In the past, they would have avoided him out of fear of Helmut's influence.
But now that Helmut's power had waned, there were quite a few nobles showing interest in him.
"People are talking because you're staying in the capital. That's why I told you—I could grant you land. I told you not to accept just an honorary title."
"I'm not worthy of such a thing."
Isaac had already refused an offer of land.
He had no desire to be a great noble—he only wanted to be a swordsman.
"And as for marriage… I'm not going to do it."
Marriage.
It wasn't appealing.
There were multiple reasons, but in the end, he had no intention of going through with it.
"Hmm, is that so? Well, I've actually been looking for a marriage partner myself. It's an incredibly powerful political move, so I should use it while I can."
Princess Clarice spoke indifferently, as if she were talking about someone else's marriage, not her own.
"It may seem peaceful now, but I know this won't last long."
Beneath the surface, tensions with the Transcendents were still high.
Unlike in his past life, where they had risen in rebellion nationwide as soon as Arandel died, they were lying in wait this time.
It was clear they were watching for an opportunity.
"This is the time to set things in order. We can't afford internal turmoil over succession disputes."
At the princess's calm words, the two men gave bitter smiles.
That statement was the very reason Clarice sought escape.
The Kingdom of Albion had only two princesses.
The eldest, Adeline Seraphia Legardia.
And the younger, Clarice Evangel Legardia.
The Legardia royal family was divided into two factions.
A royal family with no prince. The current king could no longer produce an heir, so unless something drastic happened, the throne would inevitably pass to a queen.
"I need to prevent nobles who dislike my sister—or those who look down on her—from gathering around me. The best option is for me to marry into another country entirely."
The covert war with the Transcendents was in full swing.
To solidify the authority of the monarchy, Clarice sought to compress the succession structure in advance and unify the nobles.
By giving up her own claim.
"Oh, right, Isaac. There's a party tomorrow evening. I was going to send an invitation, but since you're here, I'll just tell you directly."
Clarice naturally shifted the topic away from the heavy discussion.
A party? Out of nowhere?
"Well, you never know when someone might suddenly side with the Transcendents. My sister says it's a way to keep the nobles in check."
"Is it also a way to keep me in check?"
"No, of course not. It's because someone you've been looking for is likely to attend."
"Someone I've been looking for?"
"Baron Volten."
Clarice smiled.
The Grandmaster tilted his head, not understanding.
Meanwhile, Isaac's eyes slowly widened before he nodded without hesitation.
"I'll be there."
Volten.
A lawless region, practically abandoned but never fully let go.
People from there were constantly looked down upon.
There was a reason why people said, "Whatever you do, avoid the back alleys of Volten."
And that place…
Was Millie's hometown.
'There's a chance.'
Millie had said her family went missing during the Volten Revolution.
Isaac wanted to search for them, just in case.
If they were still alive, he at least wanted to help them visit their graves.
"Alright. But be careful. Baron Volten rose to his title by suppressing that very revolution. In a way, he earned his rank through sheer ability—just like you."
"..."
"Surviving in a ruthless place like Volten means he must be formidable. You shouldn't underestimate—"
Clarice suddenly paused and let out a soft chuckle, as if realizing something absurd.
"Wait… who am I even saying this to?"
A self-deprecating smirk.
Then, a smile filled with trust as she looked at Isaac.
"You're the one who survived Helmut, after all."
*
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[TLN]
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