“Pardon?”
At first, they couldn’t quite understand what they had just heard.
Then again, is there anyone who could possibly grasp it on the very first hearing?
Even Isaac, who actually lived there, couldn’t believe it.
Its length, its height—
Everything about the Malidan Barrier was overwhelming.
Even if soone told him it had been breached or collapsed, he would have asked again to make sure.
“It literally vanished. It disappeared.”
Hearing this, Issac couldn’t understand it at all. Accepting it seed just as difficult.
Yet Princess Adeline wore a deeply troubled expression, one unlike anything anyone had ever seen.
Her face was grim, exuding a sense of crisis she had never witnessed before.
“I can’t believe it either. Ever since the Barrier disappeared, the losses have been trendous.”
With one hand on her forehead, the princess shook her head.
She hated the reality but knew she must accept it and figure out a plan.
To her, this truth must be causing imnse stress.
“But we have no choice but to accept it.”
Princess Adeline let out a heavy sigh and spoke again, as if urging Issac to face the truth.
“Our greatest shield… has disappeared.”
***
“My Lord Baron, you’ve returned!”
Issac was back at the mansion.
He felt guilty toward Karen, who had kept watch over it alone for so long, but he didn’t have the energy to return her greetings with a smile.
Karen must have known how Issac felt; she simply said hello and brewed so tea to calm his nerves.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Yes, thank you, Karen.”
Isaac took a sip of the tea, sinking into his thoughts. The hot drink soothed his throat slightly, but—
Whenever he rembered the Malidan Barrier, no amount of effort could fully calm him.
‘How on earth is that even possible?’
An entire month.
In his previous life, without any external support, the Malidan Barrier had withstood an entire month.
That was precisely why Uldiran Caldias was so widely revered.
He was considered a great figure, albeit in a different way from Arandel.
Yet it disappeared in just a single day.
According to information from a nearby village, it had definitely been there up until the previous day.
But after the Transcendents began their assault that morning, by the next day the Barrier was gone.
‘This is impossible to believe.’
It made his head spin.
Issac had thought that as long as they held the Malidan Barrier, their odds of losing the war would be greatly reduced.
He never imagined they would resort to sothing so bizarre.
[They’re so full of mysteries that I’m even more uneasy.]
Clarice had said the unknown is frightening.
These beings ca from who-knows-where, carrying a deep history and tradition.
It struck him that he might have underestimated their depth.
‘What I saw might not be everything.’
Issac had seen countless tragedies and shocking scenes in his previous life, but that might not represent the entirety of the Transcendents.
The thought made him reel, and his eyes shut tight.
Clunk.
Then, two people entered the mansion without a word—
It was Sharen Helmut and the Grandmaster.
“Isaac! You’re going up north, right?! I’m coming too!”
“Haa, you little rascal. I said I have sothing to discuss. Wait your turn.”
The two of them bickered back and forth as they walked in together. Isaac took a mont to relax his features and breathe.
‘Yes, Silverna and the Margrave won’t be taken down so easily.’
Right now, what they should be worried about is themselves.
With the Barrier gone, the northern monsters would surge south.
They have to deal not only with the Transcendents but also with those beasts.
The Grandmaster sat down imdiately across from Isaac.
“Ugh! I was about to sit there!”
Sharen, grumbling, stuck out her lower lip and plopped herself onto Isaac’s lap.
“Hmph.”
“We’re going to have an adult conversation now. Go on.”
“Isaac, you’re going north, right? Then tell them to put my na on the roster with you.”
“You dare ignore an adult’s words?”
“The roster? What roster?”
Truth be told, Isaac was more curious about Sharen’s words than about what the Grandmaster had to say.
Pleased that she had Isaac’s attention, Sharen imdiately explained with a smile:
“Princess Clarice said they’ll be assembling troops so they can depart north in three days! I’m going, so you’re coming too, right?!”
Having stayed in the north before, Isaac knew.
The monsters relentlessly assailed the Barrier at all hours.
Now that the Barrier was gone, they would run even wilder without hindrance.
“I hear the northern lands are already half-devastated. Word is, we can’t even approach the forr location of the Malidan Barrier.”
“That bad…?”
If monsters were swarming at those numbers, the north must be in utter chaos.
“Fortunately, their massive nest was sowhat thinned out, or it could have spread even further.”
When the Grandmaster chid in, Sharen grumbled. But she clenched her fist and sprang to her feet again.
“Isaac, you’re going too, right?! I’m saying it in advance—north is basically our ho turf now!”
Isaac wasn’t sure why Sharen considered the north her ho turf, but—
“Yes, I have to go.”
From the newly surging monsters to the mystery of what really happened to the Malidan Barrier— Not to ntion whether Silverna was safe—there was so much to confirm. Isaac nodded.
“Okay! Then I’ll go sign us up on the roster! If we’re both on it, we won’t get separated!”
With that, Sharen dashed outside.
Isaac gave a wry smile, realizing he’d barely returned ho before he’d have to leave again.
At last, only the two of them remained. The Grandmaster spoke imdiately.
“What do you make of this? You said the Malidan Barrier had held for at least a month without aid.”
“Yes, that’s correct. I’m certain.”
Since Isaac had spent ti with Silverna, effectively the only survivor from that place, he could speak with confidence.
In his previous life, Silverna was drastically different from the mischievous person she was now.
They had endured a desperate and tragic ti together.
“I’m even more perplexed. If they were capable of such a thing, why didn’t they do it in my previous life…?”
“Hmm, in truth, there’s sothing else that makes even more suspicious.”
“Why the Transcendents aren’t making any moves. That, right?”
“Precisely.”
The Barrier had disappeared.
But according to reports, only the monsters were flooding south like a deluge.
If the Transcendents had truly mobilized, it would never have ended at just this level. The damage would have been far worse—no question about it.
“Seems to there’s so connection between the Barrier disappearing and the Transcendents not moving.”
“You an they suffered enough damage themselves?”
“Yes, sothing along those lines.”
“Huh. Pulling off such an outlandish feat—it must be so kind of ritual.”
“Likely so.”
“Speaking of which, I personally suspect your regression might also be a form of ritual.”
“…I feel the sa way.”
There are many parts Issac find suspicious, but it doesn’t quite feel like magic. He was not particularly connected to the Mage Tower, nor have he heard of magic that can twist space and ti this way.
It’s strange to think it’s ritual, but rituals are so unknown and mysterious that he lean toward that explanation more.
Besides, in his previous life, Isaac encountered rituals more often than magic.
“Well, talking about it here won’t give us any imdiate answers. It’s just frustrating.”
All they could do was sigh.
Whatever it was, one thing was certain—they would have to go there themselves to find out.
“In the anti, I should get ready. There’s soone I need to speak with.”
“Speak with? Who might that be?”
“Hmm? Before I took you on, I’d already picked up another disciple. He turned out to be quite useful, so I made him my student—”
“…….”
Now that he thought about it, Isaac had never heard or t any other disciple of the Grandmaster in this world.
“Could his na be Damien?”
“Hmm? How do you kno—ah, you knew each other before your regression? He was a thief, yes, but quite skilled—”
“That bastard is a traitor.”
“…….”
“He’s the reason the gates of the town we’d captured were opened from inside.”
“…….”
The Grandmaster blinked blankly, then scratched her head and asked:
“You swear on your na this is the truth?”
“Yes. That part I can guarantee.”
“Huh, this makes crave a smoke even more.”
Clicking her tongue, the Grandmaster let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.
“Good grief… I used to think regression sounded wonderful, but it sure forces a person to carry a lot of burdens.”
Isaac understood exactly what she ant, so he nodded in agreent and let out a sigh of his own.
“It’s quite unsettling logic, isn’t it? Killing him simply because he’ll betray us in the future.”
Putting Damien to death for sothing he hasn’t done yet is rather strange, after all.
“Maybe he only betrayed us because the situation back then was so dire. It was a final battle we were all fated to lose, anyway.”
“Well, yes. That’s possible, too.”
“I’ll leave the decision to you, Grandmaster.”
“Ignorance was bliss, I see.”
Grumbling, the Grandmaster took out a cigarette from within her robes and rose from her seat.
“I’ll be off now. No need to see out—looks like you’ve got a visitor.”
“Pardon?”
Just like that, the Grandmaster departed.
As she’d ntioned, soone stood at the entrance—
“Baron Logan!!”
Issac knew because they shouted so thunderously for him.
“I can’t say I envy how busy you are.”
With a faint chuckle, the Grandmaster walked out, passing the man at the entrance without another word.
Isaac naturally turned to face the visitor who had co looking for him.
“Ah, Baron Logan!”
He was a young man, clearly exuding an aristocratic air.
What stood out even more was his neatly trimd, stylish mustache.
Issac could tell at a glance he was a swordsman—and a skilled one at that. The aura he gave off spoke volus.
“I am Rayahn Leivice of the Rayahn! Surely you’ve heard my na before?”
“Ah, the Magong Sword…”
It was a sword that Isaac could never use.
The Rayahn earned the na ‘Magong Sword’ because their technique revolves around mana and aura.
Isaac couldn’t hide his confusion at this man’s sudden visit. In keeping with his flashy appearance, Rayahn Leivice had a flamboyant deanor and speech, barreling ahead like a whirlwind.
“I’ve co with a request! Naturally, I’ll pay whatever it’s worth!”
“…This is all rather abrupt.”
“Aah! Our Magong Sword is famous for its flamboyance, and for striking swiftly and subtly at our opponents! I suppose it shows in everything we do as well!”
That wasn’t a complint, Isaac thought.
Still, the Rayahn was also renowned for its swordsmanship.
At least hearing him out was good.
“Please, tell about Rihanna Helmut and her tastes.”
“…I beg your pardon?”
Isaac was so taken aback that no words ca out.
Noticing Isaac’s stunned expression, Rayahn grinned in satisfaction, as though his ambush had succeeded, and elaborated.
“I’ll be joining the northern expedition. I heard from Princess Adeline that Rihanna Helmut would be heading north, too!”
“Rihanna will…?”
“So I want to know! What kind of man does Rihanna Helmut like? What are her hobbies?”
“You’re telling —”
“Yes! I want to marry Rihanna Helmut! Weren’t you once her husband? So—!”
“Get out.”
In a rare mont, Isaac raised his middle finger and told the man to scram.
– – The End of The Chapter ––
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