"...."
Left alone, Princess Adeline quietly emptied the remaining wine.
The strong liquor burning down her throat, paradoxically, cleared her mind.
Rather, as time passed, Adeline found herself growing more awake instead of drifting into sleep.
[The problem was that you didn't need comfort.]
His words continued to linger in her ears.
She had tried to drown them out with alcohol, but no matter how much she drank, they refused to fade.
"Comfort… is unnecessary."
Before she knew it, the words that had hovered in her mind escaped her lips.
That was how much she had been thinking about him.
She dealt with many people.
She recruited talented individuals, provided them with what they needed, and governed, controlled, and commanded them.
At times, she became a benevolent goddess.
Other times, a ruthless tyrant.
Like a farmer harvesting crops, she seized people's hearts and made them hers.
And all of this had only one purpose—her kingdom.
Just as Princess Clarice was willing to sacrifice her rights, honor, and even power for the sake of the kingdom,
Princess Adeline did whatever it took to recruit useful talents and handle them accordingly.
If someone called her a villainess, she accepted it.
As long as it meant the kingdom could prosper.
In other words—
Princess Adeline comforting others and taking their hearts had nothing to do with personal feelings.
And yet…
"Haah."
A strange feeling arose.
She knew exactly why she felt this way.
Something that one cannot have always seems more tempting.
"Ah, really—"
What an incredibly enticing man.
***
"Baron, please be careful."
In front of Isaac's mansion,
Karen smiled as she saw him off, ensuring that all his belongings had been loaded onto the carriage.
"And don't forget to eat the lunchbox! I worked hard on it!"
"I will. Karen, take good care of the house while I'm gone."
"Yep! Leave it to me!"
Karen playfully saluted.
Trusting her, Isaac climbed into the carriage—where the Grandmaster was sprawled out, taking up two seats.
"This feels like we're going on a picnic."
At first, Isaac thought she was being sarcastic.
But seeing the corners of her lips subtly curl up as she gazed out the window,
It seemed the Grandmaster truly felt that way.
"It does, doesn't it?"
Isaac chuckled as he sat across from her and closed the carriage door.
The two were headed to Volten.
According to Isaac's deductions, a mercenary group called Belling Waltz, led by the third son of a southern knightly family, was rumored to be there.
Prurung!
With the crack of the coachman's whip, the horses neighed and began moving forward.
As the world outside the window blurred past, the Grandmaster murmured,
"The mercenaries are in Volten. And at the banquet, there was also the Baron of Volten, wasn't there?"
"That's correct."
"Hmm. Princess Clarice suspects that man. What do you think?"
"I'd say it's almost certain."
Isaac responded calmly, though with a hint of bitterness.
The Baron of Volten had seemed completely out of place at the banquet.
It was far more convincing to assume he had attended under the guise of terrorism.
Well, regardless of the reasons—
Once the mercenary group's location was identified to Volten,
He could no longer escape suspicion.
"What exactly are these 'patrons'?"
The patrons.
Isaac had never heard of them in his past life.
That meant one of two things:
Either they had all been wiped out before becoming known, or they had operated in absolute secrecy.
"No one really knows their true identities. But I do know they're wealthy individuals who support talented people."
"Support, you say?"
"Not just financially. They offer various forms of assistance. For instance, even in my case…"
The Grandmaster trailed off for a moment.
Then, as if nothing had happened, she continued speaking.
"The condition for becoming one of them was to find fellow members."
"...."
"In any case, once they crossed over to the Transcendents, we had no choice but to part ways. I have no intention of aiding the Transcendents."
Once again, questions arose.
The Grandmaster was, in truth, closer to a Transcendent than a human.
If Jonathan merely appeared human while harboring a Transcendent within,
Then the Grandmaster's appearance alone made it difficult to consider her a half-blood—she looked entirely like a Transcendent.
A Transcendent devoid of the deep-seated hatred they harbored for humanity.
'What could have happened to her?'
A past he had never heard of, even in his previous life.
Not only that, but also the matter of patrons.
Two things she had never revealed, even to her disciples.
Perhaps they weren't separate matters, but rather intertwined.
Isaac could only speculate.
"Hey—."
"You as well."
The Grandmaster cut him off mid-sentence.
Yet her gaze remained fixed on the window.
A sign that this was an uncomfortable topic.
"You're searching for your friend's family, aren't you?"
"...."
"Don't ask any further."
"Understood."
If that was her wish, so be it.
Isaac slowly lowered his head, then smoothly changed the subject, as if their conversation had never happened.
"When we arrive in Volten, don't forget that you're just an ordinary bodyguard."
"I know. But understand if I get irritated from hiding my ears and tail."
"Sorry, but I can't allow that."
"Hmm?"
The Grandmaster finally turned to meet Isaac's gaze, questioning his words.
In response, Isaac firmly drew the line, speaking coldly.
"I am a baron. And you are merely a bodyguard."
"...Are you bragging about becoming a noble?"
"I'm just stating the reality. You will have to use honorifics and act respectfully when we arrive."
"I speak this way even to the princess."
"That's because Princess Clarice is an exception."
"You have no sense of humor."
"I'm not joking. If a mere bodyguard speaks down to a baron, it will only raise suspicions."
At that, the Grandmaster knocked on the carriage wall.
"Coachman, pull over. We need to settle our hierarchy before proceeding. Don't worry too much—it'll be over quickly."
"...Are you trying to vent your frustration through force?"
"Get down and grab your sword. There should be a good sparring spot nearby—."
Watching the Grandmaster pretend not to hear him while casually looking out the window, Isaac let out a deep sigh.
***
Volten
Volten's first impression wasn't as bad as expected.
At a glance, it was merely a slightly dirty city.
The stains of the past remained like lingering scars, but in the present, Volten did not seem like such a terrible place.
Considering the city's infamous reputation within the kingdom, it wasn't just "not bad"—it was actually quite decent.
That was his initial impression, but as they moved deeper into the city, Isaac's expression grew more complicated.
'The atmosphere feels… off.'
It was difficult to put into words, but the city itself seemed shrouded in gray.
After observing for a while, Isaac realized it stemmed from the expressions of the people.
Most of them walked the streets with blank faces.
That was the unsettling aura weighing down the entire city.
"There's a very foul stench of drugs here."
The Grandmaster, with her keen sense of smell, immediately detected one of Volten's hidden filths.
Even the Baron of Volten himself had jokingly told Isaac that there was nothing to do here except deal with drugs—so it wasn't exactly unexpected.
"The kingdom prohibits narcotics, correct?"
"Some are permitted for medical use, but compared to other nations, the laws here are incredibly strict."
"As they should be. Drugs are never worth using."
The Grandmaster clicked her tongue in disapproval.
The carriage continued forward.
Occasionally, people outside smacked their lips while eyeing the carriage.
To them, outsiders seemed like an appetizing prey.
Even so, despite looking as if they were ready to halt the carriage and demand the passengers step out, they held back.
Did they have their own rules?
It feels like watching a stray dog on a leash.
It wants to run wild, but it can't.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the Volten Baron's mansion.
The mansion was quite massive. The black hue it carried gave it a majestic aura, yet within that grandeur, there was an eerie presence.
It felt like a warning, as If it would not forgive those who dared enter carelessly.
"Quite the difference for fellow barons."
"My mansion is quite decent as well."
"Sure it is."
"…Are you still sulking?"
Was she displeased that their relationship would be reversed the moment they stepped out of the carriage?
However, Isaac's question only seemed to fan her irritation.
"Sulking? Did you just say I'm sulking? Ha! In all my life, I have never heard such a thing! Truly!"
"...."
"My heart is as vast as the ocean, my character is as steadfast as a rock, and my mercy reaches the clouds like towering mountains. How dare you belittle me so?"
From Isaac's experience,
The Grandmaster was rather petty.
She had a tendency to sulk.
Isaac had no idea who had filled her head with such nonsense, but he decided to let it slide.
"Sure, let's go with that."
"'Let's go with that'?! Say it properly! Apologize clearly!"
"The Baron is coming."
Through the carriage window, the mansion gates opened, and Baron Volten emerged.
Seeing this, the Grandmaster bit her lip and whispered.
"We'll talk about this later."
'So it's not over yet.'
Isaac sighed as he opened the door, and apparently, even that sigh didn't sit well with her. She jabbed him in the back with her sharp nails.
***
Three days had passed since Isaac left.
Karen, the housemaid, remained in the mansion, diligently cleaning and maintaining it while waiting for the Baron's return.
'I hope he's safe.'
Her loyalty to the Baron had grown significantly.
She worried whether Isaac was hurt as she watered the garden's flower beds when—
"Hey, over here!"
At the garden entrance, a young girl with twin pigtails beamed brightly as she called out.
She was an adorable girl.
Her fresh and innocent smile had a heartwarming effect, but…
The massive sword strapped to her back was rather menacing. Yet, strangely, it suited her.
Karen understood instantly.
It was Helmut.
"H-Honored Lady of Helmut!"
Karen quickly rushed forward and bowed deeply.
She knew Isaac had once been Helmut's son-in-law,
But she hadn't expected someone from Helmut to show up like this.
"Mm! This is Isaac's mansion, right? He sure lives frugally!"
"Y-Yes, this is Baron Logan's mansion."
Sharen smiled in satisfaction and asked,
"Where's Isaac? Tell him to come quickly! He'll be so happy to see me!"
"T-That is…"
When Karen explained that Isaac had gone to Volten on a mission,
Sharen's expression gradually darkened.
"Ugh! I even sent a letter!"
'Huh?'
Karen recalled that a letter from Helmut had indeed arrived.
It seemed Isaac had simply forgotten about it.
"Volten, right?! Isaac is so dead!"
Fuming, Sharen immediately turned around and stormed out of the mansion.
"I'll hit him with one Crimson Flame Wave—no, at least three!"
The troublemaker of Helmut.
This was the moment Sharen set off for Volten.