Chapter 85: A Sulky Person

“…”

Now alone, Princess Adeline silently emptied the remaining wine.

The strong alcohol sliding down her throat worked the opposite as it intended, further sobering her mind.

As time passed, the less she was inclined to sleep.

[I don’t really need to be comforted, Princess.]

Isaac’s words kept echoing in her ears.

She tried to chase them off by getting herself drunk, but no matter how much alcohol she took, they kept on echoing, as if haunting her.

“Doesn’t need to be comforted, huh…?”

Before she knew it, she uttered those words aloud.

And she thought about him more and more.

The princess had handled countless people before this.

She recruited outstanding individuals, gave them what they needed, ruled, dominated, and subjugated them.

Sometimes, she’d become their benevolent goddess.

While other times, she’d become a merciless tyrant for them.

Like a farmer harvesting her crops, she took people’s hearts and made them her own.

All for the sake of the kingdom.

Just as Clarisse was willing to sacrifice her rights, honor, and even power for the kingdom.

Adeline recruited talented individuals she deemed beneficial to the kingdom by any means necessary and ruled over them.

At this point, she’d accept it if someone were to call her a villainess.

If that was the price she had to pay to make the kingdom prosperous, then so be it.

Conversely, this also meant…

Whenever she comforted others and captivated their hearts, there were no personal emotions of hers involved.

And yet…

“Haa.”

This time, she felt a strange sensation.

And she knew why she was feeling that way.

Indeed, things that one couldn’t have always looked more appetizing than the reverse.

“Seriously…”

Such a tempting man.

“Be careful, my lord.”

In front of Isaac’s mansion.

Karen, who had loaded all the luggage onto the carriage, saw him off with a smile.

“Make sure to eat the lunch I packed on the way! I worked hard to prepare it!”

“Alright, alright. Take good care of the mansion while I’m gone.”

“Yes! Leave it to me!”

Karen saluted playfully as she said so.

Entrusting her with the mansion, Isaac boarded the carriage, where the Grandmaster already sprawled her legs across the two seats.

“It feels like we’re going on a picnic.”

At first, he thought she was being sarcastic.

But seeing the corners of her mouth slightly raised as she looked out the window, it was clear that she genuinely felt that way.

“I suppose so.”

Isaac smiled as he sat opposite her and closed the carriage door.

Their destination was none other than Volten.

Following Isaac’s deduction, they sniffed out a mercenary group called ‘Belling Waltz’, led by the suspected third son of a Southern knight, in Volten.

Whip!

Following the coachman’s whip, the horse neighed and moved forward.

Seeing the world outside the window passed by, the Grandmaster asked softly.

“The mercenary group is in Volten, and in that banquet, Baron Volten was there too, right?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… Princess Clarisse suspected him, but what do you think?”

“I’m almost certain.”

Isaac muttered bitterly.

Baron Volten, whom he had met at the banquet, was someone who didn’t fit in such a setting at all.

It was more believable that he was there to participate in the terrorism.

Regardless of the reason…

The moment they found out that the mercenary group was in Volten, there was no way he could be free from the investigation net.

“Who are those ‘Sponsors’ anyway?”

The Sponsors.

Isaac had never heard of this group in his past life.

That could only mean two things.

Either they all died before he heard of them, or they operated with such secrecy that he never heard them.

“I don’t know much about them. All I know is that they’re wealthy people who support talented people.”

“Support, you say?”

“You know, financial support, and other things, of course. In my case, for example…”

The Grandmaster paused.

Then, as if it was nothing, she continued.

“In exchange for becoming one of them, they said they’d help me find my schoolmates.”

“…”

“Anyway, since they chose to side with the Transcendent Race, I had no choice but to cut ties with them. I have no intention to help the Transcendent Race.”

Hearing that, another question arose.

Biologically speaking, the Grandmaster was closer to the Transcendent Race than to humans.

Compared to Jonathan, who had a human body with a Transcendent blood mixed inside…

The Grandmaster’s appearance was so close to that of the Transcendent Race’s that it was difficult to consider her mixed blood.

She was like a Transcendent without their innate hatred towards humans.

I wonder what happened to her?

Even back in his previous life, she never told him about her past.

Of course, she didn’t say anything about the Sponsors either.

That made two things she hadn’t revealed to her disciples.

Which made him think that these two weren’t separate stories, but totally related.

But, right now, he could only speculate.

“Um—“

“The same goes for you.”

The Grandmaster cut him off.

However, her gaze was still directed out the window.

The atmosphere turned a little awkward.

“You’re looking for your friend’s family, aren’t you?”

“…”

“That’s why, don’t ask any more.”

“Understood.”

If that’s what you want, sure.

Isaac bowed his head, before skillfully changing the subject as if the previous conversation had never happened.

“When we get to Volten, don’t forget that your position is that of an ordinary guard.”

“I know. Just keep in mind if I get too irritated from hiding my ears and tail.”

“Sorry, but I can’t.”

“Hmm?”

The Grandmaster finally met Isaac’s eyes, wondering what he was talking about.

Then, Isaac coldly declared to her, as if drawing a line.

“I’m a baron now, and you’re just a guard.”

“…Are you bragging right now?”

“I’m just telling you the truth. When we get there, you need to use polite speech with me. Treat me with respect.”

“Pfft. I speak this way even to the princess.”

“That’s because Princess Clarisse is unique.”

“Your joke isn’t funny.”

“I’m not joking. If they see a mere guard disrespecting a baron, they’ll get suspicious.”

Hearing that, the Grandmaster knocked on the carriage wall.

“Driver, stop the carriage for a moment. We need to establish our hierarchy before we get to our destination. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”

“…You know you can’t just vent your frustration with force just because you’re annoyed, right?”

“Shut up. Get out and grab your sword. There should be a place nearby where we can duel—“

Isaac just ignored her, looking out the window while sighing as the Grandmaster continued to ramble on.

Volten didn’t seem as bad as expected. That was their first impression of it.

On the surface, it looked just a slightly dirtier city than normal.

It didn’t look like a bad city at all, all the dirty stuff felt like a stain left from the tragedy of the past.

Considering its notorious reputation, the ‘not bad’ impression was lifted all the way to ‘good’.

But that was just the first impression. As they went deeper into the city center, even Isaac’s expression became more subtle.

The atmosphere is a bit…

It was difficult to express in words, but it was as if the city was tinged in gray. At least that was what he got from the people’s expressions.

Most of them were walking the streets with expressionless faces.

That was the source of the strange discomfort that made the entire city look depressing.

“The foul smell of drugs is thick here.”

Meanwhile, the Grandmaster immediately noticed one of Volten’s ugliness with her keen smell.

Although, considering the joke Baron Volten told Isaac that there was nothing to do here except indulging in drugs, this was probably within the expected range of this place.

“Don’t the kingdom prohibit drugs?”

“They allow some for medical use, but compared to other countries, the regulation on it is quite conservative.”

“Which means, these are all illegal uses of them.”

The Grandmaster clicked her tongue as she said that.

Their carriage moved forward unhindered. Occasionally, there were people glancing at it while licking their lips.

It seemed as if they considered outsiders to be some kind of tempting prey.

However, even though they looked ready to stop the carriage and force them to get out, they didn’t.

It made Isaac suspect that they had some sort of rules for this.

Like leashed wild dogs.

They wanted nothing more than to run wild, but were unable to do so.

After a while, the carriage stopped in front of Baron Volten’s mansion.

The mansion was quite massive. Its black hue exuded grandeur, but there was also a bleakness within it.

There was an imposing presence surrounding it, like a warning not to enter carelessly.

“You two have the same rank, but the difference in your mansions are clear.”

“Hey, mine is nice enough. In its own way.”

“Sure it is.”

“…Are you still upset?”

Is she still mad that our relationship will be reversed the moment we step out of the carriage?

Unfortunately for Isaac, his question only further provoked her anger.

“Upset? Did you just say I’m upset? Huh, this is the first time someone ever asked if I’m upset. Seriously…!”

“…”

“My heart is like the ocean, my character as straight and firm as a rock, and my benevolence is said to reach the clouds like a mountain range. How dare you depreciate me so casually like that.”

From what he knew.

The Grandmaster was a sulky person.

She tended to get upset easily.

He didn’t know who filled her head with those nonsenses, but Isaac decided to just let it go.

“Alright, alright. I’ll take your words for it.”

“Take my words for it?! Why don’t you start by apologizing properly first?!”

“The baron is coming.”

At that moment, the mansion doors opened, and Baron Volten came out.

Seeing this, the Grandmaster bit her lip and whispered to him.

“We’ll talk about this again later.”

It’s not over yet, huh?

Isaac let out a sigh as he opened the door, but even that seemed to displease the Grandmaster, who poked his back with her sharp nail.

Three days had passed since Isaac left.

Karen, the maid, who remained at the mansion, was diligently cleaning and tending to it while waiting for the baron’s return.

I hope he’s safe.

Lately, her loyalty to him had greatly increased.

She was watering the flower bed in the garden, worrying if he might get her when…

“Come out!”

At the entrance of the garden, a girl with pigtails called out with a bright smile.

She was a cute girl.

There was something in her youthful, bright smile that made one’s heart feel warm, but…

The greatsword on her back carried a somewhat grotesque atmosphere, yet it strangely suited her.

When Karin saw her, she immediately knew.

The girl was a Helmont.

“L-Lady Helmont!”

Karen quickly ran over and bowed her head. She knew that in the past, Isaac was Helmont’s son-in-law, but…

She never expected someone from Helmont to openly visit him like this.

“Hmph, is this really Isaac’s mansion? He’s quite frugal it seems!”

“T-This is Baron Logan’s mansion, yes.”

Sharen then asked with a smile.

“Then, where is he? Tell him to come quickly since we haven’t met for a long time! He’ll be really excited to see me, I bet!”

“A-About that—“

After she heard that Isaac was currently in Volten for a mission, Sharen’s expression gradually distorted.

“W-What?! I-I sent him a letter before this!!”

H-Huh?

Karen remembered that a letter had indeed come from Helmont, but it seemed like Isaac had forgotten about it.

“He went to Volten, right? I’m going to look for him!”

Fuming, Sharen immediately turned around and left the mansion.

“I’m going to give him at least two—no, at least three Inferno Surges!”

Helmont’s tomboy.

That was the moment when Sharen Helmont made her way towards Volten.