41 - The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Family Wants A Divorce

**Chapter 41: The Desired Divorce of the Helmont Family** “Hah! Hah!” “They’re getting away!” On top of the wall. Despite having repelled yet another wave of monstrous beasts, the soldiers could only sigh in a manner more akin to complaining rather than feeling relief or joy. It's been over a month since the territory was discovered to be a large settlement. Even for the soldiers of the Malidean Wall, the relentless daily assaults were taking a toll on their mental and physical strength. Recently, the frequency of attacks had increased to the point that they sometimes occurred twice a day. The battle before the encounters with beasts shifted to a struggle against sheer exhaustion. “…This won’t do.” Silvanna, the captain of the fifth reconnaissance team, muttered quietly, leaning on her spear. She seemed to have some thoughts on the intensified attacks by the beasts lately. “…….” Amidst the fatigued soldiers stood Rihanna Helmont, upright and dignified. Her red hair fluttered in the wind blowing over the wall. Without a hint of weariness, she silently gazed at the beasts beyond the barrier, embodying the greatness associated with the name Helmont. Slowly, Rihanna turned her head. Among other soldiers, a man with tied-up black hair sat wearily, casually chatting with nearby comrades. Though quite a distance away, their conversation reached her ears crystal clear. “That was a close call.” “Thank you, Sir Isaac. Had you not pushed me, I might’ve been knocked out by that rock.” “No worries, you saved me last time, didn’t you?” “Did I?” “Was it not you? I’ve had so many of these encounters my memory’s all jumbled.” While he and the soldiers laughed it off lightly, the nature of their dialogue was anything but trivial. And right beside Isaac lay two broken swords. That said, it was that dangerous—enough for two swords to be snapped. Is everything truly alright just staying like this? As her thoughts deepened... Boom! Crack! “Oh, what was that?” “Lightning? Was that lightning?” “For a second, I thought it was another beast.” Beyond the mountain range. Rihanna’s eyes widened as she witnessed a bolt of lightning strike from a cloudless sky. --- "It's dangerous as it stands.” Inside the strategy command tent. The first company commander of Malidean Wall appealed earnestly to Ul Diran seated at the high table. “The situation is chipping away at us. Not only are the numbers of injured increasing, but morale within the wall is low.” Swinging spears and slaying beasts day by day. Watching comrades, who were jesting with you just yesterday, fall prey to an incoming boulder today. The oppressive weight of the frontline was heavier than ever on their shoulders. “The beast horde shows no sign of decreasing. From seeing beasts from other distant regions, it seems like they've rallied from the far exterior.” “Hmm.” The baron of the fringes stroked his beard, seemingly having similar thoughts, while examining the map intently. “As a commander, I implore you to make a decision.” As soon as the commander’s report and suggestion concluded, another company commander on the opposite side raised his hand to speak. “Sir, the primary purpose of the Malidean Wall is defense. Though injuries are increasing, the number of beasts we’ve exterminated is countless.” “Abandoning the advantageous formation and going out to hunt? The risks are immense. Moreover, the identity of the beast that leads hasn't even been unveiled yet. Moving out is premature.” Both their statements carried valid reasoning. Despite their opposing views, they showed a mutual respect born from leading soldiers on top of the wall. “Hmm.” Ul Diran was naturally deep in thought. Whether to continue this attrition war, whose end was uncertain, or to take advantage of the reduced beast numbers and sortie out to root them out. Silvanna bit her lips, hesitant to speak, knowing her role was merely to lead the fifth reconnaissance team. Thus, she restrained herself, merely tapping her foot restlessly. “What would Sir Rihanna’s opinion be?” Ul Diran consulted Rihanna, the representative of the dispatched nobility. The surprise question directed at the Helmont herself led her to gaze quietly at Ul Diran. “Just moments ago—” Ul Diran Caldias was indeed this sort of man. As she reminisced inwardly, she articulated her thoughts. “After the beasts retreated, I sensed a faint magical energy from the bolts of lightning that struck several times.” “Hmm?” “Tsk.” A subtle murmur broke out among those present inside the tent. It had eluded everyone else, a detail unnoticed. Typically, one might dismiss it as nonsense— 'Of course, it's Helmont.' 'No telling, really.' 'This complicates matters.' It was not merely the weight of her name that complicated matters, but the sheer mystery surrounding their physiology that did. Helmont spoke, so it likely wasn't nonsense. But, how could a decision be made solely by trusting one person? “I suspect it might be the doing of the beast gathering the horde for this grand settlement.” Ignoring the reactions of those around her, Rihanna calmly laid out her thoughts. “By going there, could we find it?” “I cannot guarantee, but... I believe at the very least an investigation is warranted.” --- Clang! The clear resonance of blades rang across the training grounds. It had become Isaac's designated spot. Isaac's sword swung in a perfectly straight line, while Sharen’s greatsword followed suit, aiming for a similar trajectory. Isaac, leaping like a rabbit, spun mid-air. Sharen’s greatsword passed underneath, missing him entirely. As he attempted a strike at her neck upon landing— “Oh, Scarlet Blast!” Sharen’s desperate cry came just a moment after her greatsword emitted a crimson wave. When the wave struck Isaac in mid-air, his body was propelled away before he could land. “Sir Isaac! Oh no! Sir Isaac!” Jonathan, who had been watching the duel, couldn't help but make a fuss as he rushed over. Isaac rolled across the training yard. When he finally stopped, he quickly lifted his head and shouted, "I told you not to use the Scarlet Blast!" "Heh, a Helmont never admits defeat!" Despite having claimed before the duel, "[Scarlet Blast? Hmph, I wasn’t even planning to use it]," Sharen had unleashed it mercilessly when she found herself in danger. "Phew, it's fine. I kind of got the hang of it," said Isaac, dusting himself off as he stood up. Sharen, who had approached with small, awkward steps, was about to apologize when Isaac asked something else instead. “How was it?” “Huh?” “I mean, how was the swordplay? Didn't I at least hold my own until you used the Scarlet Blast?” “…….” She didn’t want to admit it, but Isaac was right. Even Sharen had struggled quite a bit matching Isaac's swordplay. Of course, one could argue that without the Scarlet Blast, Helmont would be missing half of its power. But still, the fact that Isaac, who couldn't even wield a sword properly a month ago, had caught up to half of Sharen's level spoke volumes. "Just be honest. Tell me how it felt, unfiltered." Upon Isaac’s insistence, Sharen pondered and then hesitated slightly before responding. “I was annoyed.” “…….” “It was irritating. It felt like Isaac knew exactly how I would wield my sword.” “…….” “You remember, right? After the third clash, when I deliberately increased my speed?” “Yes, I noticed.” “But Isaac seemed to know that I’d get angry and speed up, and you reacted to it?” She was right; it had been expected. Knowing Sharen, Isaac had anticipated she would try to show the difference in their skills at that moment, and indeed, she had. “It annoyed me... It’s just—I was tired! It had only been 30 minutes since we finished defending the wall when you suddenly wanted to duel—!” Sharen pouted, making excuses like a child, uncomfortable with how thoroughly she had been figured out. Conversely, Isaac was very pleased. Two swords now stood as a testament to him besting the Helmont. Sparring with Jonathan had begun to feel tedious, and now, he was able to claim victory, at least in judgment, over Sharen. ‘Of course, things change when she uses the Scarlet Blast.’ Jonathan’s clumsy Scarlet Blast was manageable, but once Sharen employed hers, the difficulty spiked dramatically. Thus, Isaac found himself deeply reflecting on aspects related to aura as he proceeded. “…….” “…….” An unexpected pair. Rihanna and Silvanna were walking toward them. Neither glanced at the other, yet they moved in the same direction, rendering them walking together accidentally. “Wow, those two really don’t match,” Sharen mumbled. Glancing at Sharen, Isaac remembered something he had intended to ask. “Sharen, you haven't mentioned anything about me and Rihanna to Silvanna, right?” He asked because Jonathan was there, but Sharen flinched before responding indignantly. "Do you think I'm stupid?! Like I’d ever spill something like that?" “Really, you haven’t?” “No! I’m not stupid, you know!” * * * “Hey.” As Silvanna walked toward Isaac, who was bickering with Sharen, she called out softly to Rihanna. “…….” Rihanna showed no immediate reaction, but noticing that she was listening wasn’t difficult for Silvanna. “We should exclude Isaac from the upcoming deployment operation.” Silvanna’s statement turned Rihanna’s head, catching her full attention. Then. “That’s wise.” Rihanna nodded in agreement. “If the beast handling lightning on that scale is involved, even approaching it would be dangerous for Isaac.” “Yes, we are on the same page.” They acknowledged Isaac’s effort and were convinced of his potential to become a great swordsman in the future. However. “It’s still too soon.” “Agreed.” The two women had decided it was too early for him to set foot on their battlefield. “…….” “…….” United, for the first time, in wishing for the safety of one man. * * * That evening. After hearing from Anna that someone at the forge was looking for her, Silvanna hurriedly threw on a robe and made her way over. Evening activity was unusual at the forge due to the noise, so Silvanna’s steps were brisk. “Finally?” Silvanna arrived, greeting Antonio with a bright smile. Isaac’s upset face, upon hearing her words earlier about being left out of the operation, still lingered in her mind. She thought gifting him a sword would quickly cheer him up. “Here so soon?” "Skip the pleasantries. Is it done? Show it to me!" As Antonio sought to calm the impatient Silvanna, he sighed. “Ah, it’s almost ready. But that's not why I called you here.” “What is it, then?” Her shoulders, which had been brimming with anticipation, suddenly slumped. Excitement swiftly shifted to disappointment. “Then why did you call?” “There’s a leftover chunk of Frost Silver. What should I do with it?” Antonio held a finger-sized blue-green ore. “I thought you’d take it without a word.” She expected him to pocket it without a mention, considering it was Antonio. “With this amount, what do you propose to make?” Antonio seemed disappointed. A larger piece, he perhaps would have taken for himself. “Hmm, with this much—” Rolling the Frost Silver in her hands, Silvanna pondered. Then, as an idea struck her, she hesitated before posing a discreet question. “Hem. Antonio? Err, could you make a ring, perhaps?” “…….” “Oh, no! Just saying! Wouldn't it be nice to wear it as a memento?” “One of my students used to craft adornments... Might be feasible for a single ring.” A less than hopeful answer. ‘Well, yeah, I guess I went overboard. Not like there's anywhere to wear it now, anyway.’ Even as she vowed to control herself, her mouth was already suggesting something else. “How about an earring? Like a single-piece style.” Since she usually tied her hair up, her ears often ended up showing naturally. “That should be possible.” With Antonio's indifferent response, Silvanna beamed and handed the Frost Silver back to him. “Please, make it not too flashy but with a tranquil feel. That would suit it nicely.” “…Understood.” Antonio decided to take the commission with a mindset to just hammer away, pretending not to have seen or heard anything out of the ordinary.