"What?"
At first, he couldn't comprehend what he had just heard.
No, was there even anyone who could understand this upon first hearing it?
Isaac had even lived there himself.
From its length to its height—
The overwhelming Malidan Wall.
If someone had told him it had collapsed or been breached, he would have asked again for confirmation.
"It disappeared. It was erased."
Hearing this, he found it impossible to understand, let alone accept.
But the deeply troubled expression of Princess Adeline, her darkened face, radiated a sense of crisis he had never seen before.
"I can't believe it either. With the wall gone, the losses are becoming catastrophic."
The princess placed a hand on her forehead and shook her head.
She had no choice but to acknowledge the reality and come up with a plan,
No matter how much she wished to deny it.
For her, it was an immense source of stress.
"But we have to accept it."
With a deep sigh, Princess Adeline resolutely declared once more, as if forcing herself to accept the truth.
"The greatest wall that protected us… has disappeared."
***
"Baron, you've returned!"
Back at his estate.
Isaac felt guilty for leaving Karen alone to guard the mansion for so long,
But he had no time to return her warm welcome with a smile.
Karen understood this as well, so she simply greeted him and offered him a cup of tea to help him relax.
"You've worked hard."
"Yeah, thanks, Karen."
As he took a sip of tea, Isaac fell into deep thought.
The hot liquid sliding down his throat helped him calm down a little,
But the moment he thought about the Malidan Wall, he found himself unable to relax.
'How is this even possible?'
One whole month.
In his past life, the Malidan Wall had endured for a full month without any reinforcements or support.
This was why Uldren Caldias was so widely praised.
Unlike Arandel, he was a different kind of great man.
Yet, now, the wall had disappeared in just one day.
According to reports from nearby villages, the wall had been there just the day before.
But after the Transcendents launched a sudden attack in the morning, the wall was gone by the next day.
'I can't believe it.'
His head felt dizzy.
As long as they had held the Malidan Wall, the chances of losing the war had been significantly lower.
Never had he imagined that the enemy would use such an inexplicable method.
[The transcendents are full of mysteries. That's why I feel uneasy.]
Clarice was right—the unknown is terrifying.
They didn't know where these beings had come from,
Yet they possessed an unfathomably deep history and traditions.
Perhaps he had underestimated their true depth.
'What I saw may not have been everything.'
He had witnessed countless tragedies and shocking events in his past life,
But that didn't mean he had seen everything the transcendent beings were capable of.
As soon as he realized that, a wave of unease washed over him, and he shut his eyes tightly.
Clatter.
Without a word, two figures entered the mansion.
Sharen Helmut and the Grandmaster.
"Isaac! Are you going to the North?! I want to come too!"
"Haa, kid, I told you I had something to say first. Be patient."
As the two bickered upon entering, Isaac took a moment to relax his expression and steady his breath.
'Yes, Silverna and the Margrave won't go down so easily.'
The real concern right now was themselves.
With the wall gone, the northern beasts had begun moving south, expanding their territory.
Not only did they have to deal with the transcendent beings, but now they also had to fight off the beasts.
The Grandmaster immediately took a seat across from Isaac.
"Ugh! I was going to sit there!"
Pouting, Sharen pursed her lips and plopped herself down on Isaac's lap instead.
"Hmph."
"We need to have an adult conversation. Why don't you go somewhere else for a bit?"
"Isaac, you're going to the North, right? Then put my name on the list too, okay?"
"Are you ignoring the words of an elder?"
"A list? What list?"
Isaac, however, was more interested in what Sharen had to say than in the Grandmaster at the moment.
Perhaps pleased that Isaac was showing interest, Sharen smiled brightly and answered right away.
"Princess Clarice said she's mobilizing troops to head north in three days! I'm going! You're coming too, right, Isaac?"
Having been in the North, he knew it well.
The beasts constantly pounded against the wall, day and night.
And now that the wall was gone, they would rampage even more freely.
"I've heard that the North is already half-destroyed. They say we can no longer even reach the location where the Malidan Wall once stood."
"That bad…?"
If that many beasts were flooding in, the situation up there must truly be dire.
"It's fortunate that their numbers were reduced in the Great Colony. Otherwise, it could have spread into an even bigger disaster."
When the Grandmaster spoke, Sharen grumbled but clenched her fists and stood up again.
"You're coming too, right, Isaac?! I'm telling you in advance—The North is our home ground!"
Isaac couldn't quite understand why Sharen considered the North her home ground.
"Of course, I have to go."
He had too many things to confirm—
The beasts pouring into the North,
What had happened to the Malidan Wall,
And whether Silverna was safe.
Isaac nodded.
"Okay! Then I'll go add your name to the list! We have to be on the same list so we don't get separated!"
With that, Sharen quickly ran outside.
Having barely returned to the mansion, they were already preparing to leave again, making Isaac sigh with a wry smile.
Now that they were finally alone, the Grandmaster immediately spoke.
"What do you think? Based on what you told me, the Malidan Wall held for at least a month without any reinforcements."
"That's correct. There's no doubt about it."
Isaac could say this with certainty, having been with Silverna—the only real survivor.
Her past life had been very different from the wild girl she was now.
That meant she had endured a harsh and tragic time.
"What baffles me even more is—if that was possible, why didn't they do it in the previous life? Why…"
"Hmm… In fact, I find something else even more puzzling."
"The Transcendents not making a move? That's what you mean, right?"
"Exactly."
The wall had disappeared.
And yet, according to reports, only the beasts were surging southward.
If the Transcendents had made a move, the destruction wouldn't have stopped here—it would have been far worse.
"I have a feeling the disappearance of the wall and the inactivity of the Transcendents are connected."
"They suffered damage as well?"
"Yes, something along those lines."
"Hah… This phenomenon must be the result of sorcery, then?"
"Most likely."
"Speaking of which, I personally believe that your regression is also a form of sorcery."
"…I think so too."
There were too many strange aspects to it.
It wasn't magic—he had no ties to the Magic Tower, and he had never heard of a spell that could manipulate space-time like this.
Calling it sorcery felt odd, yet sorcery was filled with so many unknowns that it seemed more plausible.
Besides, in his past life, Isaac had encountered sorcery far more often than magic.
"Well, no point in talking about it here—we won't get any answers. Just frustrating ourselves."
A sigh escaped them.
Whatever the case, they had to go there to find out.
"I should start making preparations. I need to have a talk."
"A talk? With whom?"
"Hm? I have someone I trained before you. He turned out to be quite useful, so I took him in as my disciple—"
"..."
Now that he thought about it,
Isaac had never heard of or met another disciple of the Grandmaster in this life.
"Is his name Damien, by any chance?"
"Hm? How do you—Ah, I see. You knew him before your regression? He may have been a thief, but he proved quite—"
"That bastard is a traitor."
"..."
"Because of him, the gates of the stronghold we had seized were opened."
"..."
The Grandmaster blinked blankly, then scratched her head and asked,
"Swear on your name, is this truly the truth?"
"Yes, that much is certain."
"Haaah, I suddenly feel like smoking."
Smacking her lips, the Grandmaster let out a sigh and slowly closed her eyes.
"I thought returning to the past would be a blessing, but it seems one can't help but carry countless burdens."
Isaac understood what she meant, so he nodded and let out a sigh as well.
"Killing someone because they will betray you in the future… It's a rather bizarre line of reasoning, don't you think?"
Killing Damien over something that hadn't even happened yet.
It was indeed a strange concept.
"Perhaps he only betrayed us because of how dire the situation was at the time. It was the final battle, and death was all but certain."
"Hmm, yes. That does make sense."
"I'll leave the decision to you, Grandmaster."
"Ignorance was bliss, after all."
The Grandmaster clicked her tongue and pulled out a cigarette from her robes as she got up from her seat.
"I'll be off now. No need to see me out—you have a guest."
"Pardon?"
Without another word, the Grandmaster left.
Just as she said, someone was standing at the entrance.
"Baron Logan!"
And that someone called out to him in an exceptionally loud voice.
"I can't say I envy your busy life."
With a small chuckle, the Grandmaster walked past the man at the entrance and left.
Meanwhile, Isaac naturally turned his attention to his visitor.
"Ah, Baron Logan!"
It was a young man.
One who exuded an unmistakable aura of nobility.
His neatly trimmed mustache stood out, adding to his distinguished look.
Isaac could tell immediately—this man was a swordsman, and a skilled one at that.
The subtle yet commanding presence he exuded spoke volumes about his abilities.
"I am Reian Leviath of the Leviath family! Surely, you must have heard my name?"
"Ah, the Magic Swordsman…"
A sword Isaac could never wield.
The Leviath family, known for their mastery of mana and aura, were called the "Magic Swordsmen."
The man's sudden visit left Isaac baffled, but Reian Leviath, in contrast, was full of energy, his gestures and speech exuding an almost excessive flamboyance.
"I've come to ask you for a favor! Naturally, I'm prepared to compensate you accordingly!"
"That's… quite unexpected."
"Ahaha! Our Magic Swordsmanship style is known for its dazzling and intricate strikes! I suppose it manifests in our behavior as well!"
That wasn't a compliment…
In any case, the Leviath family was indeed renowned for their swordsmanship.
So, at the very least, listening to what he had to say wouldn't hurt—
"Tell me about Liana Helmut's preferences."
"...What?"
The sheer absurdity of the request left Isaac momentarily speechless.
As he blinked in disbelief, Reian smiled triumphantly, as if he had successfully caught him off guard.
"I will be joining the northern expedition. I've heard that by order of Princess Adeline, Liana Helmut will be heading north as well!"
"Liana is…?"
"That's why I wish to know! Her taste in men, her hobbies—anything!"
"You're not saying…"
"Yes! I wish to marry Liana Helmut! You were her former husband, were you not? So—"
"Get lost."
For once, Isaac didn't hesitate—he simply raised his middle finger and issued an eviction order.