The Acknowledged Vanguard, Helmont
The mere words "Vanguard: Helmont" were enough to reassure so many and stir their expectations—the atmosphere in the conference room made that abundantly clear. It was a heart-pounding moment, truly. Arandel Helmont nodded silently at the princess's proposal.
"We accept."
"Phew."
"Oh."
"Ah, Arandel as the vanguard..."
Exclamations erupted here and there. The nobles now brimmed with deep interest and anticipation at the news that Helmont itself would take the field in this battle. Not to mention, their sense of crisis toward Black Hand had plummeted dramatically. The room's mood lightened in an instant—even Clarice, who had orchestrated it, seemed a bit taken aback.
"...I want in on this too."
"Father?"
Uldiran Kaldias, seated across from him, smacked his lips. Bound for the North, he seemed to regret not standing on the same battlefield as Arandel.
"Ahem, yes. In any case, I leave it to you. Especially with young Isaac—I beg you to handle his deployment with care, for the boy was undisputed the absolute star of the recent Sword Festival, after all.
Crunch!
"It's a matter of symbolism. Just having you together will hold immense value."
A grinding of teeth echoed from the side. Roengreen, humiliated by the princess's words, hung his head low. Veins of deep rage bulged around his eyes, but he couldn't muster a retort.
"If you lost, stay quiet."
Lianna warned him in a low voice. With Galeniya gone, she had clearly stepped up to rein in her brothers.
"Hmph."
But this time, even Arandel held his tongue. He simply gazed silently at Isaac and Lianna.
"The two are scheduled to divorce."
He dropped the bombshell just like that.
"...!"
"...!"
Lianna and Isaac's eyes widened simultaneously. The divorce talk had been pushed back amid the Sword Festival aftermath, but no one had imagined it exploding here, like this.
"Pardon?"
Not just the other nobles—even Clarice gaped unprincesslike, staring at Arandel.
"Wh-what did you just say?"
As everyone floundered in shock, only Silberna smirked secretly and flashed Lianna a thumbs-up where no one could see.
"...!"
Lianna caught it, biting her lip hard as if itching to snap back, but she swallowed it down and refocused on the conversation.
"The two are set to divorce soon."
Arandel added flatly, sending Clarice clutching her forehead and staggering. On the verge of fainting, she was steadied by her guard knight Heirad from behind.
And then.
"What kind of nonsense is this?!"
Clarice lashed out fiercely.
"Divorce?! No, divorce?! Do you think that makes any sense right now?!"
"It's Helmont's affair."
"Helmont is about to become the kingdom's national power! Divorce in this situation?! And divorcing the son-in-law who thrashed Roengreen?! This is ins—!"
Clarice nearly spat a curse. But Arandel stood firm.
"It's already decided."
"Do you have any idea what people will say about Helmont?! 'They ditch their own bloodline winner! Helmont's honor is in the dirt! Helmont isn't what it used to be. The next heir lost to a commoner!' That's the kind of talk that'll spread!"
"...!"
You know why absolutely no one among the factions dared to make a fuss when Isaac won the Sword Festival? It was strictly because he was operating under the banner of Helmont! Even as a son-in-law, he carries the Helmont name! We can't have whispers of 'the kingdom's sword has fallen'—is that what you want?!"
"However, it's decided."
"Decided—! Ah, damn...!"
In the end, the young princess toppled backward in a faint.
"I really hate Helmont... I wanna go home..."
With her final mutter, the meeting wrapped up for now.
"You two, come here."
As everyone filed out of the conference hall, Clarice—still slumped in her seat—beckoned Lianna and Isaac with a flick of her hand.
Silberna, trailing Uldiran, glanced around slyly and sidled up beside Isaac. Clarice ignored her and pressed on.
"Listen up. These Transcendent bastards have shown up. They're openly recruiting our nobles, even attacking the festival where I was. Total chaos, right?"
"...!"
"...!"
"Answer me."
"Yes."
"That's right."
Clarice nodded and continued.
"Black Hand's betrayal could breed distrust toward the entire kingdom—we failed to keep them in check. In times like these, our powerhouse nobles need to hold the center firm."
But.
The nobles among nobles. The kingdom's final bulwark and deterrent to war.
"If Helmont wavers now, it's not just a personal lovers' quarrel we can brush off."
"...!"
"...!"
"Why drag internal drama into a time when the kingdom's fighting enemies? Think of the Helmont name."
Isaac knew all too well. That's why he'd held his tongue these past three days.
But did that mean he wanted to stay with Helmont?
Not in the slightest. I want out right now.
The problem was the Transcendents. Unlike his previous life, they'd been exposed to Isaac from the North far too early.
Thus, the Helmont divorce's ripple effects hit harder than expected. To prevent humanity's extinction by Transcendents like before, swift suppression was essential. The situation was far better than his past life—they'd detected and begun the purge before the Transcendents' full assault.
But conversely, the tangled mess amplified the divorce's impact on the political landscape.
"Now, you two—face each other."
"...!"
"...!"
"Hurry up."
At the princess's irritated whine, Isaac and Lianna hesitantly turned to face one another. A faint blush colored Lianna's cheeks—the expression on Silberna, standing behind, twisted instantly.
"Hold hands."
"Princess..."
"Just do it!"
Clarice wasn't usually this pushy, from what Isaac knew. Her days at Helmont must have maxed out her stress.
Isaac and Lianna cautiously clasped hands. The divorce rings on their left ring fingers touched skin to skin.
"Apologize to each other."
"...Sorry."
"No, I'm sorry. Truly."
Lianna apologized with a faint smile. The sincerity rang clear to anyone.
"See? Marital spats are like trying to cut water with a sword. Even Helmont can't slice a river, right?"
"...Rivers can be cut, though."
Isaac's addendum made Lianna duck her head shyly. Clarice snapped in annoyance at the quip.
"Kiss."
"Princess."
"Now. Kiss. Am I not a princess? Should I issue a royal decree?"
Isaac, baffled by the absurdity, tried to pull away—but Lianna's grip held firm, surprisingly strong.
"...!"
A glance at her showed her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, yet her lips slightly pursed forward.
"Hey."
"N-no, it's a royal command."
Lianna stammered, blushing furiously.
"It's been forever since... the last one..."
She whispered softly, but alas, no kiss followed.
Because Silberna's hand wedged between them.
"Stoooop! I have a solution!"
Silberna declared, glaring daggers at Lianna.
"Isaac can divorce! Kaldias will take him!"
"...!"
"...!"
Hand on her chest, Silberna spat excitedly, flecks of saliva flying.
"Even if Helmont crumbles, Kaldias will stand tall! The Mallidan Wall guarding the North will prop up the kingdom in Helmont's stead—!"
"...!"
Clarice gawked at her blankly, mouth agape. Then, as if searching for something, she glanced around fumblingly.
Failing to find it, she kicked off her shoe and gripped it.
"It's you!"
She hurled it straight at Isaac.
"You're the problem! You! How far are you gonna go, you married man—!"
The three emerged into the garden. A whirlwind had just passed, leaving them dazed amid the rose-scented air. Silberna spoke first.
"Making them hold hands and kiss during a divorce? That's too much."
Lianna flinched beside her.
"Right? Isaac?"
"...Well, yeah. But I get the princess's position—"
"What?"
Isaac sighed under Silberna's gangster-like glare. By now, he couldn't miss it.
"You knew about the divorce."
"...!"
The pieces from Mallidan Wall clicked perfectly into place. Her affection and skinship had been excessive for mere friends, but she'd brushed it off as fine since he was married—using him as a shield.
"Who told you?"
"Sh-Sharen."
Isaac had suspected as much, yet worry gnawed at him for Sharen, still holed up in her room.
I should go talk to her.
No matter how vile Galeniya, Sharen had effectively lost her mother to her father. A child couldn't escape that trauma unscathed.
"Sharen's still in her room?"
"Yeah, with Edel right now."
Edel Helmont, Helmont's youngest at just 15—a harsh reality even for him.
As Isaac turned to head there, an overwhelming presence emerged from the mansion: Arandel Helmont and Uldiran Kaldias. The two mirrored opposites. Isaac suddenly sensed a similarity in the atmospheres of their daughters flanking him.
"...!"
Arandel planted himself before the trio. Uldiran scowled, as if robbed of his spot.
Arandel hadn't spoken to Isaac in three days, too busy quelling the Sword Festival chaos. Now, with things settled...
"Black Hand subjugation. Join me."
"...I'm no longer Helmont."
"Urk!"
Isaac had no idea why Uldiran groaned, but he answered flatly anyway. Arandel, expression unchanging, replied.
"This isn't as Helmont."
"...!"
"It's because this swordsman intrigues me."
For a moment, everyone but Isaac widened their eyes in shock. Arandel's personal interest—separate from Helmont—was headline-worthy. For the man who had beheaded his wife, it marked a shift.
"...You must know Helmont isn't the only one wavering."
Isaac wouldn't refuse the divorce. At his words, Arandel countered boldly.
"After Black Hand, the world will see that your ties won't shake Helmont."
In other words: raw, overwhelming might to flaunt Helmont's enduring strength—don't worry.
Uldiran, arms crossed beside him, frowned.
"It's not just distrust in Helmont. You know what Isaac means right now."
Helmont's top heir candidate. Roengreen crushed. He'd even unraveled Helmont swordsmanship. Word was spreading like wildfire after just three days.
"For now, with you here, it's fine. But the moment the delayed family head is named post-Sword Festival, Helmont's name won't hold the same weight."
Perhaps from their rivalry. Uldiran voiced concern, but Arandel fixed Isaac with a steady gaze.
"Is Helmont the only one bearing the kingdom's weight?"
No one could deny Helmont—Arandel specifically—bore the heaviest load.
"If I step down, someone will fill the void."
Not necessarily one person. Not necessarily Helmont.
That intent pierced Isaac.
"Haha! What're you saying, still in your prime!"
Uldiran laughed, clapping Arandel's shoulder at the ominous words. Anyone else would've lost an arm, but as a peer, Arandel let it slide.
"I planned to join Black Hand anyway."
Whatever—Transcendents first. Isaac intended to go regardless of divorce, so he said as much.
"Your sword won't be needed."
Arandel shook his head.
"Watch. Learn. Prove it."
"...!"
"Whether your blade can crush the Helmont name."
The final words rumbled like a warning. Yet his heightened tone and smirking lips betrayed excitement.