Chapter 137: Mixed-Blood

A week after their return to the human world.

When he was prepared to depart, he sensed someone’s presence, coming up from behind him.

From the scent, he could tell that it was Silverna.

A woman who, even her scent suited the North well.

“Isaac.”

At her call, Isaac turned around. Her complexion looked way better than before and she seemed to have regained most of her former liveliness, but she spoke out with a gloomy expression on her face.

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. Lord Eisenwolf ordered me to take Nameless to the Magic Tower to find out more about sorcery.”

They had only been waiting for the royal family to give their permission before they could move.

What they were planning to do was to get the Magic Tower to research the sorcery that was cast on Nameless’ body.

Originally, they planned to keep her around as a prisoner.

But, thanks to Princess Clarisse, who had pulled some strings to push through an order at Isaac’s request, they managed to prevent that and get this result instead.

“Are you—”

“I have to stay here, in the North. I have to protect this place, after all.”

The Malidean Wall had disappeared.

But they had been sending supplies to rebuild the great wall to the North.

Still, rebuilding it so it would regain its former glory wouldn’t be an easy task.

Nevertheless, a smile bloomed on Silverna’s face. Her dignified and steadfast appearance truly resembled the snow-covered flowers that bloomed proudly in the North.

“From now on, the legend of Cardias will start anew. Starting with me.”

She pounded her chest with her fist.

Her confident appearance as she proclaimed her bold ambition gave the listener this sense of assurance.

It was a beautiful sight.

Looking at her, a smile bloomed on Isaac’s face too.

“Yes. You’re amazing, after all.”

They were talking about a heavy matter, but Isaac’s heart felt relaxed.

That was how much trust he had in her.

Silverna placed a hand on his shoulder and let out a faint smile.

“So, Isaac, you don’t need to worry about the North. Just go and come back safely.”

“…”

“I thought I’ve grown, but in the end, facing them, I was powerless.”

“You are not. No one would call you powerless.”

No one here didn’t know how much Silverna had done.

However, it was true that in the end, she was thoroughly defeated by that woman who had called herself ‘Bloodfiend’.

“Compared to the enemies you are gonna face. I am powerless.”

She clenched her fists in frustration, but even her gloomy eyes didn’t show any signs of yielding.

“And, I don’t know why, but before I realized it, it feels like I’ve started chasing after you.”

Is that really the case?

Isaac hadn’t sparred with Silverna yet, but he noticed her remarkable growth.

It seemed like her struggle to protect the Malidean Wall had accelerated her growth.

“Don’t worry. You’ll save Rianna, I’m sure of it.”

She approached him and embraced him. Though she was a Northerner, her hug was warm.

“…Silverna.”

“I don’t want to win you over while that woman is away.”

She patted his back a little forcefully. It stung a little, but that was just how the Northerners showed their affection.

“Got it?”

“Yeah…”

“Good. Phew, I swear if I keep clinging to you, I’d end up following you.”

After that, she turned around and walked out of the tent.

“You can do it, Isaac.”

Her words of encouragement lingered.

He really felt at ease being with her, which proved how close of a friend she was to him.

After that, he started packing again.

That was when he heard bickering voices coming from outside.

“What were you thinking, young lady?! That was a losing heroine’s line!”

“W-What?! H-How is that a losing heroine’s line?! That was a relaxed victory declaration!!”

“…”

It was Anna and Silverna, seemingly arguing over something.

“Have you not read the novel I lent you?! You just uttered the second heroine’s line! Word by word!”

“W-What?! S-Second heroine?! Are you suggesting that I’ll end up as a concubine?! Me?! A Cardias?!”

“You were the one who said that, young lady! Seriously! This is why people who’s never been in love—”

“…”

Anna didn’t know what to say anymore.

But, she quickly came up with something else.

“Seriously, young lady, your interaction gives off the atmosphere of close friends of the same sex! Anyone who heard it would only think that you two are friends!”

“Isn’t that a good thing? That means we’re comfortable with each other.”

“Being comfortable with someone you like means you won’t feel the butterflies in your stomach or your heart pounding loudly whenever you’re with him!”

“…Is that how it is?”

“Ugh, it’s over. You’re done, young lady, you’ve lost. Don’t come crying to me when Sir Isaac finally remarries that woman.”

“Okay, that’s just mean!”

…Can’t they go somewhere else to talk about this?

Isaac was still packing inside the tent. He heard their exchange even if he didn’t want to.

At that moment…

Flap!

Silverna stormed inside, her face bright red.

“Ugh!”

Then, she kissed him.

“…!”

Startled, he opened his eyes wide. His body tensed at her sudden move as he tried to flee backward.

But she caught his waist with one arm.

Then, though its movement was awkward, he could feel her moving her tongue inside his mouth.

“Mmmfh?!”

His eyes went even wider and he tried to push her away, but she grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest instead.

“Mmmmff?!”

The soft sensation he felt beat anything that he had ever felt in Helmont.

Before he knew it…

He was trapped in that position, unable to run away.

She’s using Aura for this?!

When he noticed the Aura on her hand, a frown appeared on his brows.

He sent her a glare, in which she met with a shy smile.

‘Stop.’

‘No.’

As their tongues were intertwining, the two began to talk through their eyes.

‘Let me go.’

‘Your tongue tastes sweet. What did you eat?’

‘…Sharen’s cookies.’

‘No wonder.’

‘Let me go already. Why are you using your Aura for this?’

‘Use your demonic energy then.’

‘…Just don’t go overboard.’

‘Move your tongue too.’

In the end, he resigned to his fate since he couldn’t escape her.

It was only after the Grandmaster and Nameless entered the tent looking for him did he finally get released.

“Phew. Bye bye!”

Smack!

As Isaac was about to leave, Silverna slapped his butt, with a mischievous grin.

He stared at her in disbelief, in which she covered her mouth and snickered like a perverted old man.

“Oh, my bad~”

Embarrassed, he sent her a glare.

“Hey. You’ve realized that you’ve crossed multiple lines already, right?”

At that, Silverna raised her hand and shook it.

“What? Do you hate it?”

“…”

Isaac clenched his mouth shut.

Earlier, when his hand was stuck on her chest…

He didn’t know what got to him, but his hand moved. And right now, Silverna was imitating that movement with her hand.

“See you later. I hope you can be more honest with yourself next time~”

Silverna waved while smiling.

After that, he went to his horse, Ravenfall, but there was already someone waiting there.

“Isaac! Let’s go!”

“…”

It was none other than Sharen.

Seeing her being here as if it was already a done deal, Isaac decided to just accept it.

She knows about my regression too anyway.

With Sharen seated in the front, he took Ravenfall’s reins.

“Hurry up. There are a lot of things I want to say to you.”

Sitting on top of her own horse, the Grandmaster urged him.

“Hoaahm.”

Meanwhile, Nameless yawned, seemingly tired.

“…Somehow, I’m stuck with this scary group…”

Damian, the Grandmaster’s disciple, rounded up the party.

And so, this rather unique party marched towards the Magic Tower.

Isaac thought that he’d be able to rest for a bit on the way.

“Do you still not get it? There’s a reason why the saying, ‘Men and women shouldn’t sit together after they turn seven!’ How can a swordsman fall into the temptation of lust?”

The Grandmaster went on with no sign of stopping.

She mentioned everything that had happened; from the moment with Nameless the other day, to the moment when Isaac and Silverna kissed.

It was clear that she was just venting her discontent.

“As a master, I have to correct my disciple’s shortcomings. Hence why I’m pointing this out—”

“Yes…”

“Just look at your senior brother, Damian. He has been silently honing his swordsmanship all this time. But you! You’re drowning in your lust—”

When is she going to stop…?

His expression gradually worsened as her rambling went on. He even suspected that she wouldn’t stop until they reached the Magic Tower.

“Wolololololo.”

“…”

Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from the front.

When he looked down, he saw Sharen, sticking out her tongue while moving it around.

“…What are you doing?”

The Grandmaster also noticed what she was doing, asking her that in her bewilderment. With a smile, Sharen said.

“Practice kissing!”

“…”

“…”

“This is how it’s done, right? You taught me so, Grandmaster!”

-Wolololololo.

Seeing her continuing her antics, Isaac just faked a cough and changed the subject.

“Anyway, there’s something I want to ask.”

“Say it quickly. Also, stop that kid, she’s making me feel embarrassed.”

“Wolololololo—”

Keup.

He covered Sharen’s mouth with his hand.

“So, your schoolmates. Are they all mixed-bloods?”

“…”

At that question, the Grandmaster clenched her mouth shut. Meanwhile Nameless, who was reading Isaac’s book on swordsmanship, turned his head to look in their direction.

“There’s no need to hide this anymore, no? I’m curious.”

The Grandmaster paused for a moment before eventually letting out a sigh.

“You’re right. In the Lotus Valley, where we used to live, there were ten mixed-bloods raised as the Trasncendents’ weapons and test subjects.”

Ten people.

Number 1 to 10.

If he remembered correctly, Nameless was Number 2 while the Grandmaster was Number 10.

“They gathered 10 mixed-bloods there?”

“Nope. They forcibly created 10 mixed-bloods and let them stay there.”

“…”

“That’s why they didn’t treat us like people.”

Naturally, a question arose.

“But, why?”

The Transcendent Race was superior to humans in most aspects.

So, there was no real reason for them to go through the trouble of creating mixed-bloods and training them.

“There are powers that only humans could use.”

The Grandmaster clicked her tongue before letting out a sigh.

“Mana and Aura. They want those.”

Isaac was suddenly reminded of Helric, who tried to mimic Helmont’s Aura and swordsmanship.

So their obsession towards such things runs deeper than I thought.

“Those are considered as the most powerful things that humans could wield. So, they want to know if a human who has Trasncendent’s blood could also wield them.”

“So, can you—”

“Are you really gonna ask that? Have you seen me use mana, even once?”

No.

Not even once.

Only then did Isaac feel that the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.

“Wanna know how they treated us when we lived there?”

The Grandmaster pulled out a cigarette from her bosom and put it in her mouth.

Usually, she’d try her best to refrain from smoking near Isaac and Sharen, but it was clear that she wouldn’t be able to go on without taking a whiff.

She continued. Her words were even more bitter than the cigarette smoke she puffed up.

“Because we have humans’ blood running in our veins, they treat us like we’re animals. They only fed us twice a day, but they worked us to death every day.”

Nameless turned her head and increased her horse’s walking pace.

It seemed like she didn’t want to remember those days.

“Funny, isn’t it? They created mixed-blood children on their own and yet they treated them so harshly.”

Fuuu…

Along with the cigarette’s smoke, the Grandmaster released her pent-up feelings.

“And so, we had a dream.”

“…”

“We dreamed that us, the mixed-blood that they so despised, would someday surpass them.”

To surpass the Transcendent Race with human’s strength.

That was their dream.

The dream that the ten mixed-bloods of Lotus Valley once shared.