LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 6 - First Writing
✦ Chapter 6 – First Writing ✦
「Translator – Creator」
᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃
Lately, rumors had been swirling around the Malideen Walls faster than ale down a thirsty soldier’s throat. They provided a welcome distraction from the biting cold, made time fly by during watch duty, and even spurred the usually taciturn soldiers into lively chatter.
There were two main topics of conversation. The first, naturally, was the demon beast nest.
“The demon beast nest is holding out longer than expected.”
“There are some beasts we’ve never seen before. They aren’t particularly threatening, but we should call in beast scholars from the capital to investigate—”
“Repairs on the wall are ongoing every day, but we might need to adjust the schedule. There have been ambushes timed during repair hours.”
It wasn’t unusual for beast hordes to gather outside the Malideen Walls. However, this particular horde had lingered for an unusually long time, forcing them to request reinforcements from the kingdom’s nobility.
The second hot topic, unsurprisingly, revolved around the Helmund son-in-law who was expected to arrive soon in response to their request.
“Helmund? Is Helmund really coming?”
“Aren’t they supposed to be preparing for the Sword Festival? And they’re coming here?”
“I heard they’re sending their son-in-law. And knowing them, the poor sap’s probably a Helmund too.”
“Those muscle-brained oafs are resorting to such underhanded tactics. What a disgrace!”
Inside Malideen Walls, within a small tavern, a buzz of conversation filled the air. Built by the lord himself for the soldiers stationed at the front lines, it was a testament to Margrave Ulderan Caldias’s consideration for his men.
It was essentially the Malidan front line’s lounge and war room rolled into one.
Amidst the knights, a figure with hair as white as snow sipped on juice instead of ale.
Silverna Caldias, the margrave’s only daughter, chuckled and clicked her tongue.
“What a shame. I was hoping their eldest daughter would come.”
“Oooooh!”
As expected of our Lady Silverna!”
“Even that Helmund Blood Rose would have crumbled before your spear, Lady Silverna!”
Cheers echoed from around the tavern.
Silverna gestured for them to settle down, then took hold of her spear beside her.
Anna, her aide seated across the table, stood up quickly to follow her.
“Our watch starts soon!”
“Good luck, Lady!”
“Give ’em hell, Lady Silverna!”
“Sure.”
She responded nonchalantly and headed outside.
“Achoo!”
The chilly wind ruffled her cloak and tickled Anna’s nose as she followed.
“Brrr, it’s freezing even though it’s April.”
“It’s always like this here.”
The moment they stepped outside, the colossal wall loomed before them. The abnormal chill clinging to the Malideen Walls never truly abated.
As they walked alongside the wall towards their post, Anna continued to chatter.
“Say, Lady Silverna, you don’t actually have to stand watch yourself, do you?”
Ulderan Caldias was the margrave and the lord of this land.
As the Margrave’s only daughter, Silverna wasn’t obligated to stand watch like an ordinary soldier. However…
“I’m a soldier defending this wall. Of course, I have to stand watch. And Anna, you’re only saying that because you don’t want to stand watch with me.”
“……..…”
Anna’s face flushed red as Silverna hit the mark.
“I told you to just stay as a maid. Why did you insist on learning the spear to tag along?”
“But… It’s my duty to serve you, Lady Silverna! It’s been that way since we were children!”
“I never imagined you’d follow me all the way to the barracks.”
With a faint smile, Silverna and Anna reached the wall, braving the biting wind.
After receiving the handover from the previous shift, they climbed up onto the Wall.
Unlike the front line, duty on the rear wall was rather relaxed; there was no chance of a demon beasts attack from this side. Hence, the number of soldiers stationed here was minimal.
“Duty at the rear wall is a bit boring.”
“The others actually love being assigned to the rear wall. They say it’s peaceful.”
“But there’s no excitement.”
Yawning, she flipped through the list of travelers handed over during the shift change.
Most of the names were nobles.
They had requested reinforcements from the noble families, and these names represented their response to the Malideen Walls’ request. However…
“Tch.”
She clicked her tongue in skepticism.
“Look, Anna. Drake Moore, Hyrrendal, Blackthorn, Silverbrook. The famous families all seem to have sent their least-known members.”
“Haha…”
“The front line is basically their training ground for future prospects?”
“Well, there’s no safer place to gain practical experience than Malideen. They can also pick up some spear skills.”
“Tch. Why did we call for unnecessary support? Why should we help these nobles who are looking to advance their interests?”
“We have no choice, right? The law mandates calling for noble support if the demon beast nest persists for three months.”
“It’s ridiculous! Are we the ones fighting outside? We’re guardians of the Wall! All we need to do is smash the beasts’ heads into the wall until the nest naturally dissolves! And just because it takes a bit of time—”
“Yes, yes, we all know that. But there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“The imperial family deliberately avoids abolishing that law. They’re using us to train young nobles!”
“Then we’re contributing to the Kingdom. Wow, great.”
“…Anna, is this because of what I said earlier?”
Anna silently checked the list. Everyone had arrived except for one crucial family.
“Helmund’s not here yet?”
“If they were, there’d already be rumors.”
Given how remote this place is and how everyone has been together for years, news travels fast; the soldiers guarding the wall never took a step back, standing firm. But their words were lighter than the falling snow.
“Rihanna’s husband… I’ve never seen him.”
“Oh, you didn’t attend the wedding. You had just lost to Lady Rihanna.”
Silvernia flared up instantly.
“I didn’t lose! I was just exhausted from fighting the eldest first!”
“And the eldest daughter was much stronger than the eldest son, right?”
“To an incomparable degree.”
Silvernia clicked her tongue, then a thought struck her.
“To think a commoner melted the heart of that woman, colder than our northern winters. I have to admit, I’m curious.”
“I heard he was a ferryman who worked the river crossing. Apparently, he was quite handsome and well-spoken, very popular with the ladies.”
“A ferryman?”
“Yes! That’s why their marriage was the talk of high society, a love that transcended social status! So romantic, don’t you think?”
“Romantic, huh.”
Having met Rianna Helmund in person, Silverna couldn’t imagine a woman less suited for the word ‘romantic.’
“A carriage from Helmund is arriving!”
At the soldier’s cry, a sly smile spread across Silverna’s lips as she dashed off.
“L-Lady Silverna?! You mustn’t! They’re guests who came in the name of the Helmund!”
“If they’ve come to the Malideen Walls, they follow the Caldias way. Romantically.”
A mischievous glint flickered in her eyes, now fixed on the approaching Helmund carriage, opulent even from afar.
𓇘
The main gate groaned as it opened, mimicking the roar of a slumbering giant.
Walking alongside the carriage, Isaac cautioned Jonathan.
“Jonathan, don’t show fear. The moment you cower without reason, you’ll be disrespected even more.”
“R-right. I am a rose of the great Helmund family, after all.”
It wasn’t a bad mindset to have. He hadn’t asked for it, but he was representing the Helmund family, whether he liked it or not.
“Welcome to Malideen Walls.”
As they entered, a soldier greeted them with a sardonic smile. Technically, everyone here was under the command of the Caldias family. They were bound to harbor some animosity towards those from the Helmund family.
‘And Silverna made those dismissive remarks on top of that.’
It would be no surprise if the other soldiers treated them with contempt.
‘No wonder the family head didn’t want to send anyone.’
Imagine if the eldest, Roengrin, had come here; the moment the gates opened, he’d have drawn his greatsword and started causing havoc.
And Silverna, after subduing him, would have established a clear pecking order.
“The accommodation for the nobles dispatched is in that building over there. If you have any discomfort—” the soldier said, pointing to a shabby building, subtly testing their reaction; perhaps some of the more naive nobles would have taken offense to the state of their lodgings. But in the end, they would have all obediently settled in.
This wasn’t a place where they could afford to tolerate the tantrums of spoiled young nobles.
“It’s fine. Let’s go, Jonathan.”
“Yes!”
Isaac headed towards their quarters, leading the carriage alongside Jonathan, who was trying to puff out his chest and feign confidence.
“Huh?”
The soldier, well-acquainted with the Helmunds’ trademark arrogance, stared blankly at Isaac’s retreating figure, baffled by his unexpectedly meek response.
𓇘
“You’re telling me they didn’t cause a scene?”
“In fact, they were incredibly courteous. I-it was rather unsettling.”
Atop the wall, Silvernia, who had been gripping her spear ready for the expected chaos, wore a perplexed expression.
“The provocation didn’t work.”
“Though he’s a commoner by birth, it seems he has some self-control.”
She had assumed that, being affiliated with Helmund, Isaac would share their demeanor.
“To think he would actually stomach being called a pipsqueak.”
“So, what will you do now? You know it’ll be troublesome if he causes a ruckus at the noble accommodations, right?”
“I know. I’m not a thug either. If he’s being gentlemanly, there’s no need to treat him harshly.”
“Then—”
“But still.”
Silverna, her spear slung over her shoulder, grinned mischievously.
“We should let our esteemed Helmund know exactly what this place is like.”
“My lady?!”
Just as she was about to storm off the Wall towards the guest quarters, Silverna abruptly stopped in her tracks, a thoughtful look washing over her face.
“I’m on duty, aren’t I? Almost made a mistake.”
“…….……”
“I’ll pay them a visit after my shift!”
𓇘
The guest quarters weren’t too shabby. At the very least, he had a room to himself.
Jonathan and the other attendants were housed in a separate building next door. Isaac had caught a glimpse of it on their way in; it looked more like a barracks with one large room for everyone.
“Compared to that, this is fine.”
His room might’ve been modest, but it had everything he needed: a bed, a desk, and a chair; it wasn’t that different from the guest rooms back at the Helmund manor, so he had no complaints.
After unpacking his belongings, he retrieved the paper, ink, and quill he had brought with him.
‘At least they haven’t frozen.’
Seating himself at the desk, he began to write.
Wielding his sword through words.
Silent Sword, Isaac.
Countless people had addressed him with those words, their voices laced with respect. Yet Isaac had never wished for such a title.
That was why, in this life, the very first book he chose to write was none other than…
‘My Sword.’
A manual for himself, and himself alone.
In his past life, he had penned dozens of books on swordsmanship. But not a single volume, not a single sentence had been for his own benefit.
‘This is… exhilarating.’
Having thought it over hundreds, thousands of times, theories he abandoned due to his crippled right leg began to flow onto the page.
‘It’s exhilarating!’
The barriers of reality had confined his knowledge, but now, they were nothing but faded lines in the sand, erased by the relentless tide of time.
The ink-black characters, his elegant script, the rhythmic scratching of the quill against parchment…
‘This is too exhilarating!’
His heart raced with excitement, his hand moving faster and faster, as if possessed by the sheer joy of creation.
[Isaac, you’re like a child reaching for the stars. You know it’s impossible, yet you keep reaching out.]
‘Grandmaster, you were right.’
Back then, he had denied it; he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge the tragic truth: though his heart yearned to wield a sword, fate had dealt him a hand that could only grasp a quill.
‘I haven’t given up, not even for a moment.’
The realization that he could finally use the knowledge he had accumulated for his own sake filled him with a joy so profound that he lost track of time.
The sun had set, and darkness enveloped the world outside. But within his room, there was no trace of gloom.
For Isaac’s eyes blazed brighter than any star in the night sky.
END of CHAPTER
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