Chapter 158: Sincerity

“Ahem.”

Isaac let out an awkward cough, trying to break the tension.
He discreetly pushed Rianna toward the Grandmaster.

“I don’t want to. I want to stay with Isaac.”

“That’s enough, come here. The adults are talking, are they not?”

“I’m an adult too—.”

Rianna was dragged away by the Grandmaster. After a brief commotion, things settled down.
They’ll probably head back to their lodgings.

“…Every rose has its thorns, I suppose.”

Isaac couldn’t help but be impressed by Rayan Levice’s words.
His unwavering demeanor, even after hearing something like that, was admirable.
I wonder if his fame as a swordsman in my past life stemmed from this kind of tenacity.

After sending the rest of his party ahead, Isaac resumed the conversation.

“What’s the situation in the Northern Region?”

When Isaac asked as if nothing had happened, Rayan answered promptly.

“Can’t say it’s good, can’t say it’s bad. Peculiar situations arise every day. Thanks to that, we nobles of the Cheongnyu Association have become as seasoned as battle-hardened veterans.”

“The Primeval Transcendents are still appearing.”

Rayan’s smug demeanor didn’t feel like an empty boast.
But it was hard to compare it to the weight of Marlin’s short remark.

“That’s right. Those damned Primeval Transcendents keep popping up at all hours.”

Rayan added, continuing the explanation Marlin had started.

“It just… it never ends. I get that it’s the price for taking down the Malidean Wall, but they really show no sign of stopping.”

“…The Primeval Transcendents are probably more anxious. Their numbers are already small, and their losses are steadily accumulating like this.”

They were far outnumbered.
So they wouldn’t like their casualties piling up bit by bit, like clothes getting soaked in a drizzle.

The Levice siblings, who had been listening, spoke at the same time.

“But why the formal language?”

“You can speak comfortably—”

I guess they’re siblings for a reason.*
*The two made eye contact. He had naturally thought Rayan would speak first, but…

“You can speak comfortably with us.”

“…?”

Unexpectedly, Rayan stepped back, allowing Marlin to speak.

“We’re comrades-in-arms, after all.”

Marlin mentioned their time fighting together in the Northern Region. He was only now realizing how much weight the man named Isaac held for the siblings.

But it was only natural.
In a way, wasn’t Isaac their savior?
After all, they had survived the appearance of Helix and the indiscriminate offensive of the Primeval Transcendents thanks to Isaac’s tactics.

…This is making me feel a little guilty.

Isaac couldn’t forget that day’s battle either. But the reason the weight felt different was that, for him, most of the battles he had fought so far had been life-or-death struggles.

He had fought from terribly disadvantageous positions more than once or twice, so it hadn’t left as strong an impression on him as it had on the siblings.

But that didn’t mean he would refuse their goodwill. After all, Isaac was a man with manners.

“I appreciate that.”

As he spoke again, his tone softening as he offered a handshake, the siblings accepted with a smile.

Inside his room.
Even though the night was deep, Isaac was not yet asleep.
He would have to stay at the Magic Tower to resolve Rianna’s Vassalization.

It could take longer than expected, or conversely, it could be a short time.

This was because, surprisingly, the Magic Tower had already made some progress in its investigation of Sorcery.
It seemed the daily struggles of the Magic Tower Master and the Mages with the Sorcery afflicting Nameless hadn’t been in vain.

So, there was talk of attempting a new approach tomorrow by combining Sorcery and Magic.
He didn’t know what it entailed, but since they were going to try, he planned to go along.

He was still in the middle of writing about the Royal Guard’s Imperial Guard Sword.

It’s interesting. A swordsmanship style that’s this flashy yet surprisingly practical.

Designing a swordsmanship style based on the premise of wearing sturdy armor from the outset was more enjoyable than he’d thought.
This was especially true since he had never designed a style for Royal Guard-level swordsmen in his past life.

Thump, thump.

Just then, a heavy knock echoed.

Thump, thump.

The sound came again.
When Isaac opened the door, Rianna was standing there in handcuffs.

“…Did you knock with your head?”

Rianna nodded, looking embarrassed.
The thought of her headbutting the door because she couldn’t use her hands almost made him laugh.

“What is it?”

Rianna mouthed something.
But no voice came out.

“Ah, right.”

As Isaac removed the necklace from her neck, her voice returned.

“I need to use the restroom, Isaac.”

“…”

“I almost broke down the door.”

“Let’s go, quickly.”

It was an aspect he hadn’t considered.
Because the Silence Magic prevented her from speaking, she couldn’t even voice such a basic need.

This is difficult.

With that thought, Isaac took Rianna to the restroom.
Afterward, Rianna naturally entered Isaac’s room.
Isaac, too, didn’t find it particularly strange.

“…Were you writing?”

“Yeah, the Royal Guard swordsmanship. There are still some parts I want to improve.”

At Isaac’s words, Rianna glanced toward the notebook he had been writing in.

The atmosphere in the dark room was warmer and more comfortable than he had expected.
He had never imagined he would be able to feel this kind of atmosphere with Rianna again.

It was like that with the regression, but life truly had a way of taking Isaac to unexpected places.

“Isaac, listen. I’ve been thinking.”

“…”

Rianna’s form, gazing at the moonlight outside the window, seemed to be deliberately avoiding his gaze.

Her white skin was flushed red.
She looked embarrassed, but there was no hesitation in her words.

“I… I want you to be my master.”

“…What are you talking about?”

It wasn’t entirely out of the blue.
He understood the intention behind her words and how the conversation had led to this point.
But he still needed to ask again.

Rianna, too, calmly continued her explanation.

“The Blood Demon said it. It’s a way to take the authority. It’s not a way to undo the Vassalization.”

“…”

“Of course, I’m talking about a scenario where things go our way.”

“You mean if we successfully kill the Blood Demon?”

“That’s right.”

Rianna nodded calmly.

“In conclusion, if the Vassalization can’t be completely undone… I want to entrust myself to someone I can trust.”

“…And that’s me?”

“Yes. I think you know by now how much I trust you.”

As if embarrassed by all the things she had said until now, Rianna bowed her head even lower.
But that was how much she trusted the man named Isaac.

“It’s not about asking you to take responsibility for me. It’s just… if I have to entrust my future life to someone, I want it to be you. You can treat me like a maid, I don’t mind. Of course, if you don’t want to, I’m not forcing you.”

But I hope it’s you.

Rianna’s hesitant manner as she spoke could only be sincere.

And Isaac was not unaware of the resolve Rianna had mustered to say this.

But.

“The Vassalization will be undone.”

Isaac declared calmly, but firmly.

“You will be free, bound to no one. That’s why we came to the Magic Tower.”

The Blood Demon may have said the Vassalization couldn’t be broken, but that was a story limited to Sorcery.
If Magic was added to the mix, there might be another way.

“And there’s something I’ve wanted to say to you.”

Isaac thought this was the perfect opportunity.
There was something he had thought about several times in the carriage on the way to the Magic Tower.

“I’m going to act as if I never heard anything you said after you were Vassalized.”

“…!”

Rianna’s eyes widened.
The love confessions, which could be called passionate.
The thought of them all disappearing like bubbles made her heart ache.

Is he drawing a line?*
*As that thought occurred to her, Rianna’s heart suddenly felt tight.

Her chest hurt.

Knowing that she would end up pouring out even these feelings, Rianna wanted to put the necklace with the Silence Magic back on right away, but…

…on the contrary, a gentle smile graced Isaac’s lips.

“As you know, saying things like that requires a great deal of resolve.”

“Y-yes, it does.”

That was why I haven’t been able to say anything until now. I’ve only been able to convey my true feelings by borrowing the tool of Vassalization.

“You know as well as I do that having sincere feelings and conveying them are two completely different things.”

“…Yes. I know… all too well.”

That no matter how much you like or love someone, it’s meaningless if you don’t express it with words.
Rianna Helmont, in fact, knew this better than anyone.

And at the same time, she realized the true meaning behind Isaac’s words.

“I… I haven’t changed at all, have I.”

She was, in fact, the same as before.
She was pouring out her words because of the coercive situation of Vassalization, but that wasn’t what she truly wanted.

“So, Ria, I will absolutely undo your Vassalization.”

Isaac slowly approached and gently caressed her cheek.
As if responding to his touch, Rianna turned her head, pressing her cheek against his hand and gently closing her eyes.

“The things you want to say, and the things you should have said. Say all of it… with your own true will. When that time comes, I… I will seriously think about it again.”

At Isaac’s words, Rianna fought back tears and nodded.

“Isaac, you’re so cool.”

“…”

“I really love you.”

“Can you leave now?”

Rianna blushed, looked apologetic, and nodded.