The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Household Wants A Divorce-Chapter 30: Laughter

Early dawn.

Under the darkness, the Malidean Wall entered a peaceful slumber.

At its furthest corner, a light flickered softly, like a match facing the wind.

It was Antonio, smoking a cigar in front of the blacksmith’s workshop before starting his day’s work.

He exhaled the smoke, feeling bitter as he recalled his yesterday outburst at the margrave’s.

“I already knew he wouldn’t give me, but I feel more disappointed than I thought.”

Helmont, the incarnation of the sword bestowed by God.

To forge something that could defeat them with his own hands would be a blacksmith’s great honor.

Not wanting to miss this opportunity, Antonio considered other options.

“It’s strange...”

In fact, when his apprentices first heard this story, they tried to stop him.

They argued that there was no way a man who hadn’t shown any real feats could beat Helmont after being given a sword.

Even Antonio couldn’t refute that argument after hearing it.

Because this was quite literally just an investment based on purely his intuition.

But I want to try.

However, he was strongly drawn to Isaac more than anything ever before.

That guy...

Has vision...

The young boy seemed certain that he’d be able to accomplish what he was aiming for in the distant future.

Paired that with his deep understanding of the sword—different from others—and an oddly violent greed.

Antonio didn’t know where that greed came from, but he knew what it was like. Desperate, and tenacious. It was as if he was possessed by the ghost of someone who died without being able to wield a sword.

Of course, if mere tenacity could beat Helmont, anyone would have beaten them, but...

“Antonio.”

A low female voice, hidden in the dawn air, entered his ears.

“My lady?”

There was Silverna, standing with her spear slung over her shoulder.

“Are you going on duty?”

Antonio asked, putting out his cigarette. Silverna shook her head slightly.

“No. I have something I want to ask.”

“To me?”

She hesitated for a moment, but soon after she carefully opened her mouth, worried that others might just hear her.

“Why are you so obsessed with Isaac’s sword?”

“Huh?”

“He’s growing stronger, that much is certain, but he isn’t so great that it warrants you making him a sword with Argentite.”

Isaac had grown, that was for sure.

Before anyone knew it, he netted one of the highest win rates in sparring among the dispatched nobles.

And in physical training, unlike the beginning when he was close to last place, he was now in a leading position.

He was showing steep growth to the point that many people were stimulated by him, but...

If one were to ask if he was good enough to receive a treasure like the Argentite, the answer was no, he wasn’t.

“Hehehe.”

Antonio swallowed, regretting the fact that he threw his cigarette away.

“You can say that I’m just challenging myself. The tachi he wants me to forge is something I’ve never forged before.”

“...”

“Also, he challenged me, so of course I’d take up on that challenge. I know I’m not at the age to do something like that, but what do you know? I did that anyway.”

That answer wasn’t satisfactory, that was for sure.

But for some reason, Silverna sympathized with it.

She had similar thoughts herself, which was why she seeked Antonio out in the first place.

“Antonio.”

Having made up her mind, Silverna handed over her spear.

“Use this.”

“My lady?”

Silverna’s spear.

A weapon made using Argentite.

“I’m sorry to ask you to melt down the spear you made, but you can do it, right?”

“My lady, you’re saying something irrational right now, no matter what—”

“I don’t think someone who went to the margrave and picked a fight with him out of nowhere has the right to say that.”

“...”

Antonio closed his mouth.

Hiding her smile beneath the darkness of the dawn, Silverna continued.

“Please.”

That was when Antonio realized that the emotion contained in her voice weren’t the same ones as his own.

Her hidden affection left him speechless, and he could only receive the spear from her.

“Thank you.”

Silverna said before going back the way she came.

What a strange feeling.

Silverna honestly diagnosed her own state.

Even though she had given up her precious spear, instead of being content, she felt sorry since this was all she could do.

This was probably what affection was.

What unrequited love was.

“It’s enough.”

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She looked up at the sky with a bright smile.

Beyond the Malidean Wall, the rising sun had already peeked out, shining on her as if praising her.

“Although I can’t walk by his side...”

I’ll be content that I’d be of some help to help you walk the path you’re walking.

“It’s enough.”

I’ll be satisfied with my love just by seeing you grow.

“This is enough!”

The wind swept through her hair as if responding to her refreshing shout.

A refreshing day had begun.

*   *   *“Sharen.”

“Sister?!”

Early morning.

Sharen was startled by Rianna, who had barged into her room.

She then remembered that Rianna was staying in the maids’ room. Her shoulders perked up, worried that her sister might just take this room from her.

“W-What’s the matter?!”

But, ignoring Sharen who got scared unnecessarily, Rianna just handed her something that looked like a neatly folded envelope.

“This is my opinion about Isaac’s sword. I’ve written it down.”

“Ah.”

Relieved that her room was safe, Sharen received it.

She thought about opening it for a second there, but she decided to just pass it to Isaac.

“I heard that you’ll be operating outside like other reconnaissance teams now.”

“Hm? Ah, yes. Our methods to assassinate the giants are becoming predictable, so we decided to do normal reconnaissance team missions full-time.”

“I see.”

Complicated emotions brewing behind Rianna’s answers.

She then patted her little sister’s head gently.

“Be careful, Sharen.”

“S-Sister?”

“I’d go with you, but I don’t think that’ll be possible. I’d stand out.”

“Um?”

“So please. Protect Isaac for me.”

At Rianna’s request, Sharen nodded with sparkling eyes..

“Of course! Don’t worry, Sister!”

Since this was the first time she had asked for something like this, Sharen answered excitedly in a loud voice.

Seeing her like that, Rianna felt her heart lighten a bit too.

Was she originally such a bright child?

She hadn’t noticed it when they were staying in Helmont.

All this time, she thought her little sister was just an immature kid who didn’t know her place.

She never thought that she’d be so happy just from getting her head patted once.

“Sharen.”

So, Rianna decided to go a bit further.

“Yes?”

“When using the Inferno Surge, you’re worried about the color of your Crimson Essence becoming lighter, right?”

“H-How did you know?!”

Sharen’s Crimson Essence sometimes had a pinkish hue, and she had been concerned about this for a while now.

Because normally, Helmont’s Crimson Essence had a bright red color, just like a rose.

“Don’t get too caught up in that. That color will become your own unique Crimson Essence.”

“B-But Father’s doesn’t—”

“You’re not Father.”

“That’s...true...?”

“Don’t worry. Just let it flow naturally. Helmont’s sword isn’t about following or becoming something that’s already there.”

Because Helmont...

Wasn’t one who strived to be great.

But one who would become great no matter what.

Not one who tried to do something forcibly, but one who burned their being into their swords.

“Don’t get trapped by a preconceived motion. That mindset is the reason why Father...doesn’t acknowledge any of us.”

“...”

“Were my words difficult to follow?”

Sharen shook her head.

“No! I’ll do my best! Thank you, Sister!”

“Alright.”

Sharen excitedly packed her sword.

Though she seemed ready to go, Rianna wasn’t done yet. Once again, she nagged her with the same words that she had told her over and over before.

“Also. You absolutely must not tell anyone about anything related to Isaac and me. Don’t make any slip of the tongue.”

“I told you already! I know! Why do both you and Isaac act like I’m stupid?”

She said that, but I still feel uneasy.

*   *   *“Nothing special for today. Since we’ve worked hard, they assigned us an easy mission.”

In front of the rear wall, facing the kingdom.

While the front was in the midst of a fierce battle, the rear was completely peaceful. Since this part of the wall was just used as an entrance to the inner wall, it seemed completely new.

“We’ll be going to the nearby villages to collect taxes.”

Hearing Silverna’s boastful words, everyone tilted their heads. They all wondered if this really was necessary, considering that the Great Colony was here.

“Why are we doing that?”

Sharen raised her hand and asked. Silverna nodded, saying that it was a good question.

“Actually, we’re not really going to collect taxes. I mean, even if we are, it’ll only be snacks at most.”

She smiled, resting her spear on her shoulder.

“Our real purpose is to do a comforting patrol, kinda. It’s been a big fuss everywhere since the Great Colony was revealed, so we’ll be going here to reassure them that everything’s gonna be fine, since we’re here to protect them.”

“Ah? That sounds annoying...”

“Keep your mouth shut when we get there. Captain’s orders.”

Sharen’s right to speak was revoked in an instant.

“Anyway, that’s it. We’ll be going around, telling the village chiefs not to worry. Also, since I am a Cardias, we going there will have a stronger effect.”

Since they had been rampaging on the frontlines, this mission was essentially a break for them.

“Alright, let’s make this quick!”

Silverna pointed to the tied-up horses nearby.

And so, Reconnaissance Team 5 was about to leave the fierce battlefield they had been in for a while for one day.

While everyone was tying their luggage to the horses, Anna quietly approached Silverna.

“But my lady, where’s the spear you usually use?”

“Huh? Umm, I left it behind. I thought I’d get used to using different spears too.”

“Hm? Is that so? That’s unusual for you.”

“I don’t think I’ll need to swing a spear much today anyway.”

No matter how well Anna knew Silverna, she couldn’t have expected that she would have asked for her spear to be melted down.

“I see.”

So, Anna just passed it off as nothing special.

The other team members were also getting on their horses while having light conversations.

“We did things like this in Helmont too.”

Mounted on his horse, Jonathan said so to Isaac with a smile.

“We used to visit nearby villages to deal with bandits or Demonic Beasts whenever they appeared.”

“Right... We did, huh?”

For a moment there, Isaac’s expression darkened.

Meladik interjected in his place.

“Wouldn’t bandits and such not dare to come near Helmont?”

“I thought so too, but these guys were so uneducated and ignorant that they didn’t even know it was Helmont’s territory.”

“My goodness, that’s why they could only end up as thieves.”

An extremely noble-like answer came out of Meladik’s mouth.

It showed how everyone just lived in different worlds.

In any case...

They started moving together, riding their horses towards the nearby village.

*   *   *The first place they headed was Andes Village.

Although it was the first, it was actually the farthest one from the wall.

Their plan was to visit the farthest village first and return while passing through the others sequentially.

“...My waist hurts.”

On the horse, Isaac muttered while tapping his waist.

There were three swords hanging at his waist.

Two tachi and one falchion.

He carried two tachi because they were test versions and broke so easily, and the falchion was the weapon he’d use when even those broke.

“You’re carrying quite a lot. Don’t you think it’s excessive?”

Anna said with a chuckle, which prompted a bitter smile out of Isaac.

“I guess I’ll be going around like this until I receive a proper sword.”

“Let’s hope Master Antonio succeeds.”

“Still, these are lighter than a Helmont’s greatsword.”

“Is that so?”

Anna looked at Jonathan and Sharen’s greatswords with surprised eyes. From her expression, it seemed like she was curious enough to try and lift them later.

Silverna, who was riding her in the lead, interjected with a cough.

“Ahem, he should complete it soon. Antonio is an amazing blacksmith.”

“Doubt it. It’ll take more time.”

“No! Don’t underestimate Antonio! He’ll definitely make something incredible!”

“...”

He wondered why she was being so insistent, but Silverna just shrugged her shoulders without elaborating.

A little later. The moment Reconnaissance Team 5 entered Andes Village.

“...Everyone, get down.”

Smelling a terrible lingering scent, Silverna quickly gave out that order.

A damp, thick smell of blood emanated through the area, accompanied by the loud buzz of flies

Although the Malidean Wall never really had that many casualties, it was still the frontline.

But the smell of decaying corpses and swarming maggots here was far worse than the frontline.

As everyone entered with weapons in hand, they were welcomed by piled up corpses of villagers.

“The corpses are still relatively new.”

“Their eyes, or hands are gouged. Is there a specific reason for this?”

Isaac and Anna coolly assessed the situation.

While the others were either unable to contain their rising anger or were panting heavily.

“Kek.”

But then, a sound echoed from behind, and they turned their heads.

The source of that sound was one of the companions.

“Kekek.”

At that moment.

The words of a certain Helmont’s Knight came to their mind.

[He’s an unpleasant man.]

The truth was that they weren’t bullying him just because he was the youngest of them all.

After all, Helmont’s knights would value chivalry the most.

[We often go to support nearby villages, but...]

“Kekekek.”

[Sometimes we’d see the villagers in an unfortunate state...]

“Kekekek...hiiic...Keuhhuhuh!”

[Every. Single. Time. Especially...when there are many victims...]

“Aha! Ahahahahah! Ah, shit! Kekeke! Ahuhuhuhuk!”

[That guy...would start laughing. As if he’s enjoying it.]

Isaac doubted whether the man standing before him was really the naive knight he had been traveling with.

No, actually, he even doubted that he was a human.

Especially when...

“Kuhahahuk! Cough! S-Sorry-! Ahahahat!”

He laughed his head off, covering his mouth with both hands as he was seeing this scene.

Moreover, he wasn’t trying to hold back his laughter.

He was just trying to stop it from coming out too loudly.

A bright smile formed in his mouth, as if natural.

Just like with the laughter, he wasn’t trying to suppress it, but rather hide it.

“Hiiic! Huha! Hu... Kehuk! Khihihik!”

He tried to bend over and covered his face, but...

Jonathan’s creepy laughter showed no signs of stopping.

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