The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Household Wants A Divorce-Chapter 7: Moment of Silence

Isaac continued to write until night had come.

Before he realized it, it was already time for dinner.

“Phew.”

Although he felt a slight headache from concentrating for too long, the sense of accomplishment he felt overrode that pain.

He opened the window, letting the cold air in.

Despite it being April, a chilly wind with a touch of coldness brushed against his cheeks.

“Whoops.”

The wind almost blew the paper away, prompting him to hurriedly catch them all, and then...

He noticed the rose-patterned vial placed next to the desk.

It was none other than the Roselixir that Lohengrin had given him before leaving.

He heard stories that drinking this elixir of Helmont would enhance physical abilities.

Usually, such things would put a strain on the body, so unless one had blessed genes, drinking something like this carelessly could cause problems.

But this one’s pretty diluted...

When he was considering whether to drink it or not...

Knock knock knock.

A knocking sound came from outside.

He bundled up and organized the papers he had been writing on, then he opened the door.

Behind the door was Silverna Cardias with her striking snow-white hair—reminiscent of white snowflakes.

“I greet you again, I’m Silverna.”

“I’m Isaac Helmont.”

She has short hair now, huh?

Back in his previous life, her hair had been long enough to reach her waist, but now it only reached her shoulders.

“Your welcome was quite impressive. I felt the spirit of Cardias in it.”

“It was because of my great desire to see Helmont’s lightsword. Please forgive my rudeness.”

“If that’s the case, that’s unfortunate. I’m merely a son-in-law, I can neither wield a greatsword nor show you a lightsword.”

“I’ve committed an even greater discourtesy then.”

Their gazes crossed.

Fake smiles were plastered on both their lips.

After throwing away all the pretense, their conversation just now actually went on like this:

‘Your welcoming was quite rude.’

‘So what? Deal with it.’

‘I am.’

‘You really are a little punk.’

Silverna let out a graceful smile and was about to say something with her fake smile when...

“Let’s stop with the pretense, Silverna Cardias.”

With Isaac stealing the initiative from her, Silverna’s smile gradually faded, turning into a blank expression.

Then, as the corners of her mouth curved up again, a spirited response full of competitiveness crept back into her face.

“Seems like we’ll be able to communicate better than I thought. And here I was, worried that my cheeks would cramp from forcing a smile for too long.”

“You were the one who started it back at the wall. You can only blame yourself for that.”

“Anna was the one who advised me. She said speaking politely to you would irritate you more.”

Anna?

Isaac’s gaze moved past Silverna’s shoulder.

At the end of his gaze was a slightly shorter woman than Silverna, standing in front of the door.

She was Anna, bowing her head in greeting.

So that’s Anna.

The best friend Silverna had missed so much.

A woman who, though was a maid, learned the spear and joined the army with Silverna.

In his previous life, she met an unfortunate fate and died when the Malidean Wall was breached.

“You were the one who seduced Rianna, no? Your face is quite handsome, but I heard that’s not all?”

Silverna smiled meaningfully.

“I heard you’re also quite eloquent? So, can I ask you to make a ‘rally speech’ tomorrow? Surely the tongue that managed to seduce the Blood Rose could do at least that much?”

“A rally speech?”

“Since most of the dispatched nobles have arrived, from tomorrow onwards, we’re going to start field dispatches along with simple training. So, we need someone to rally everyone together.”

“Are you sure it’s okay for me to do it?”

“Aren’t you a Helmont? Even if you’re a little punk, no one would dare to oppose a Helmont.”

“Alright, sure.”

Isaac readily accepted the request.

Because he had a good idea.

Perhaps annoyed by his seemingly untroubled appearance, Silverna added one more thing.

“My father will be attending too, so you’d better prepare well, okay?”

“Okay, got it. Is that all you have to say?”

“Huh? Uh... y-yes, that’s it.”

“Alright then. If that’s all, can you let me rest? I haven’t fully recovered from the journey yet.”

Actually, rather than not having recovered from the journey, he just wanted to quickly go back and continue to write.

There would be plenty of time to teach Silverna what he wanted to teach her.

The Sword Dance Festival was still 2 months away, so he didn’t need to be in too much of a hurry.

Hearing Isaac’s dismissal, Silverna hesitated for a bit, but eventually, she stepped forward.

“Hey, uh...”

Then suddenly, shrugging her shoulders, she whispered quietly.

“Does Rianna Helmont, uh, act cute in front of you and stuff?”

“...”

Seeing Isaac making an expression that seemed to ask, ‘What kind of question was that?’, she hurriedly added, seemingly embarrassed.

“Y-You know, I’m just curious! The Rianna Helmont I know doesn’t seem like the type who’d do something like that!”

“Yeah, she doesn’t.”

“Then, what does she call you? Darling? Honey? Sweetheart?”

“Isaac.”

“...”

Their gazes met for a bit.

Silverna nodded, as if showing her understanding and went outside.

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“See, Anna? I told you there’s no way that woman could be smitten with a man!”

“The romance has been crushed by the harsh and cold reality...”

Isaac let out a slight smile as he heard their voices in the corridor. Then, he picked up his pen again.

*   *   *The next morning.

Numerous people gathered at the training ground.

Except for those who had to be on defense duty, all the soldiers of the Malidean Wall stood in neat rows and columns.

Their dense formation resembled that of a thick shield.

Its grandeur was indescribable, and from it, it was clear that these people were proud of their duty to protect the kingdom.

“I-I heard that you’re the one who’ll give out the rally speech, Sir Isaac. I-If it were me, I’d be too nervous to even step forward.”

Jonathan looked around, flustered, perhaps due to the cold.

Isaac let out a sigh and slapped his back.

“Stay still. Stop fidgeting.”

“Yes, Sir! I’m sorry!”

They were standing in the line for dispatched nobles.

Unlike the neat-looking line that the Malidean Wall’s soldiers beside them lined up in, these people just looked like a ragtag bunch.

Most of them had no real combat experience, but they were promising talents whose potential was recognized by their families.

“Wow, t-that’s the real Uldiran Cardias.”

Isaac’s gaze turned to the side at Jonathan’s words.

At the end of his gaze was a man with an even larger build than Arandel, the head of Helmont.

His white hair was all tied, looking as striking as his well-groomed beard.

He was none other than the Giant of the North, Uldiran Cardias.

Following behind him was his only daughter, Silverna Cardias.

Uldiran sat in the chair behind the podium. That signaled the start of the event.

Such events usually followed a similar routine.

First, everyone saluted the kingdom’s flag.

Then, they sang the national anthem, followed the formal ceremonies, and so on.

“Next, a rally speech from the representative of the nobles, Sir Isaac Helmont of the Helmont Family.”

Before Isaac knew it, it was time for his rally speech.

The gazes directed at him were, naturally, not friendly.

Cold stares flew from the silent Malidean soldiers standing in orderly ranks.

As people of Cardias, it wasn’t a wonder that they’d dislike a Helmont like him.

But it wasn’t just them who felt this way.

The dispatched nobles also openly voiced their complaints.

“Haaa, what is this even?”

“Are they serious? They’re giving Helmont a chance to boost their ego?”

“That guy’s hair is black, though.”

“Cardias really has lost it.”

“Letting Helmont do something like this—they’re out to intimidate us, huh?”

While they understood that Helmont was a great family, they too, were nobles of distinguished families.

Hence why they felt they had the right to express their dissatisfaction with Cardias for their whims of selecting a commoner-born son-in-law as the noble’s representative.

But, their dissatisfied gazes and voices didn’t faze Isaac as he stood on the podium.

It’s heavy.

The numerous soldiers and nobles were captured in his eyes.

However, even their gazes were incomparable to Uldiran Cardias’ gaze that was pressing down on his shoulders from behind.

It’s as heavy as Arandel’s.

In the public’s eyes, Arandel was said to be slightly superior to Uldiran, and there was a chance that it was true.

But in reality, they were actually so evenly matched that the outcome of their fight could be determined by how well they felt during the morning of the fight.

A purple gem was placed on the podium.

Isaac, bringing his mouth close to the gem that was enchanted with a voice amplification spell, calmly spoke his first words.

“Warrior, be great.”

He didn’t bother to say any greetings.

And instead, he said that brief sentence.

But, that brief sentence was enough to garner the full attention of everyone there.

“Follow your duty.”

Because that sentence was...

“Warrior, simply be great.”

The words of the founding head of Cardias.

A famous quote from Wolfdrün Cardias, the Margrave who directly commanded the construction of the Malidean Wall.

Indeed. Helmont’s representative had just...

Uttered words that were equivalent to the Cardias’ family motto—their sworn rival’s motto,

“As I came here, I wondered about the truth contained in the phrase ‘be great’. After all, as you all know, the word ‘great’ is somewhat abstract, isn’t it?”

At that moment, murderous intent pressed down on his entire body.

Pressure poured in from all directions.

Especially the pressure from Uldiran behind him. It was so fierce that it felt like a spear tip would pierce his heart if he relaxed even a little.

How dare...

A Helmont disrespect our beliefs?!

But Isaac just calmly received the glares that felt as if they could pierced his skin and continued his speech.

“And so, I pondered, what makes one become great? Is it by protecting the kingdom from the Demonic Beasts onslaught? By guarding the great wall?

“Is it by swinging a huge greatsword to slaughter our enemies in one strike? Is it by upholding honor and beliefs to eradicate all injustice within? Is it by making our enemies surrender through eloquence?

“Ah, of course, one could consider those as ‘great’. In fact, they are ‘great’.”

The dispatched nobles glared at Isaac with fierce eyes.

They sent him irritated looks, as if telling him to read the room.

And gazes, begging him to just shut up.

The atmosphere in the training ground turned extremely ominous.

It was to the point where the training ground was enveloped by heat that overcame even the northern cold.

“However, I came to think of this.

“True greatness... Is to include the common people within that frame.”

Isaac clenched fists.

His voice, filled with sincerity, flowed smoothly.

“Those born noble from birth, blessed by the goddess in their bloodline. Those born that way praise themselves as great.

“But, they are great because they happened to be born in a great position. It’s only natural. But what about those who embraced the common people, turning them into great men? They are the ones who are truly worthy of reverence!”

The atmosphere took on a strange tone.

‘Those who are great because they were born in a great position.’

That description fitted Helmont the most, if anything.

Because their innate superhuman strength and physical abilities were something that could be called blessings from the goddess.

“And today, right here, I have witnessed such greatness. Henceforth, I will make you all bear witness to it too!”

Snatching up a spear decorating the bottom of the podium, Isaac raised it high and shouted.

“This is it! The very thing you all are holding in your hands!”

The soldiers’ gazes turned to the spears they were holding.

Their expressions that were filled with anger just now, seemed to have vanished without a trace, replaced by bewilderment.

Isaac smiled faintly and shouted.

“If someone says they want to learn martial arts! I will shout!

“Look to the North! To the top of that high wall! Look at the spears of Cardias, rising most greatly on the continent!”

The public evaluation of Cardias’ spear is simple.

It was faithful to the basics, comprehensive, and easy to learn.

Given the small population of the north, the Cardias made it so anyone could learn it.

And that was why it was looked down upon.

Because anyone can learn it.

The story of how the margrave only daughter’s maid was able to learn the spear and joined the army together with her master proved that.

Though I, never having properly wielded a sword, was called the Ink Sword.

As the Ink Sword who had compiled numerous books, I dare to declare.

When it comes to the potency of their martial arts.

The Cardias is second to none.

“You who hold the spear of Cardias! Follow Wolfdrün’s last words, simply be great warriors!

“Remember that even a greatsword cannot cut down hundreds, thousands of spears!

“And I know! That you great ones! Even if your necks are severed, your hearts pierced, you will not take a step back!”

Because that’s what exactly happened.

I know it all too well.

The woman who shouldered all their deaths and lived as Cardias, abandoning her own name, told me so.

“Great guardians, protector of the Malidean Front.”

Isaac lowered his voice calmly.

“Let me express my gratitude for your pure and faithful sacrifice.”

A gentle smile formed on Isaac’s lips.

“And for the great patriotic martyrs who have already fulfilled their duty, and have been granted eternal peace.”

Slowly...

He closed his eyes.

“A moment of silence.”

As Isaac bowed his head.

In an instant, the Malidean guardian soldiers all bowed their heads.

I’m glad.

A few years from now.

To everyone in front, who, despite the kingdom’s strategists expressing their certainty that you would all fall in five days, you still held out for a whole month without any support, putting those strategists to shame.

I’m truly glad... That I have the chance to express my gratitude like this.

Thank you, for protecting all of us.

Thank you, for holding on until your last breaths.

Your struggle is a testament to your greatness.

Though it’s very late.

Once again, I express my gratitude.

In this moment of silence.