Right Before the Clumsy Northern Rally Speech
Silberna Kaldias stood at a distance, watching the soldiers assemble in the training grounds as they awaited the family head. Her maid and adjutant, Anna, who stood right behind her, wore a grim expression.
“The beasts aren’t letting up.”
“……I’ve seen and heard the reports myself.”
“It’s unnaturally persistent. If this keeps up, we might be looking at a major horde, miss.”
“Haa.”
Her sigh carried a heavy mix of frustration and worry. If it was truly that serious, it would mark the first major beast horde in a whopping twenty-three years—enough to trigger a second noble conscription.
“For now, keep the soldiers’ mouths shut. We can’t have the ragtag new nobles panicking over horde rumors and ruining everything.”
“Yes, miss.”
As their conversation ended, both women’s gazes naturally turned to the training grounds. To lift the somber, heavy mood, Silberna flashed a grin and asked,
“What do you think the rally speech will be like?”
Her eyes immediately locked on Isaac, standing among the nobles. Even surrounded by nobles who’d eaten well, dressed finely, and slept in luxury, his handsome features stood out brilliantly. That made him easy to spot.
“Wasn’t there much time to prepare? Still, he could’ve at least whipped up a standard pep talk script.”
“That’s exactly the problem. Listen up, Anna—this is your master’s scheme.”
“……I enlisted in the army, so the Mallidan Wall is my master now.”
Ignoring Anna’s retort, Silberna launched into an exaggerated explanation.
“A run-of-the-mill noble would’ve gotten a lukewarm reception at best, but this is a Helmont giving the speech. The soldiers will be on the edge of their seats, eyes wide, hanging on every word.”
Before an audience already prejudiced against him, even mediocrity could turn poisonous.
“What about the nobles? The dispatched ones seem unhappy that a commoner-born guy was elected as their representative.”
Sure enough, several nobles were already standing askew, refusing to align properly.
“It’s a power play. It’s their way of saying they’re not getting the respect they deserve here.”
It was a golden chance for Isaac Helmont to openly show how hostile the Mallidan Wall was to them—and a clever way to humble the arrogant nobles. Silberna shot Anna a look that screamed praise me quick.
“Ah, the family head’s coming.”
“An honor to escort such a splendid lady? Thanks.”
Uldiran Kaldias and the two headed to the platform. Taking their places behind the family head, they stood silently, waiting for the rally speech to begin.
“Oh, here he comes.”
“Miss, shh.”
Silberna felt a strange twinge as Isaac ascended the podium with a far better expression than expected.
What’s this?
He couldn’t possibly be oblivious to the hostile atmosphere all around him. Yet there he stood, bold as brass. Did he have some ace up his sleeve?
Isaac’s opening words from the podium left Silberna utterly flustered.
“Warrior, be great.”
“Follow your duty.”
“Warrior, simply be great.”
“Huh?”
A small gasp escaped Anna beside her. In contrast, Uldiran and Silberna clamped their mouths shut, staring intently at his back.
“On my way here, I wondered about the truth hidden in those words: ‘be great.’ Truth be told, as you all know, ‘great’ is a rather abstract concept.”
That was it. Heat rushed to Silberna’s head.
“The nerve—”
Her teeth ground together with a grit, her hostility toward Isaac surging to its peak.
Daring to question the creed of their founding patriarch, Wolfdrun—words synonymous with his beliefs—uttered by some Helmont outsider? And right in front of the family head, no less? The primal urge to beat him senseless welled up, and even family head Uldiran Kaldias radiated a murderous intent.
But as the speech progressed, that changed bit by bit.
“Those born to greatness are outshone by the one who makes the ordinary great—that is what truly deserves awe!”
A statement that could be seen as aimed straight at the Helmonts, and her boiling rage faltered, losing direction.
“This! This very thing you all hold in your hands!”
When he gripped his spear, it flustered her.
“If someone declares they’ll master the martial arts, I’ll shout it from the rooftops!”
“Behold the North! Gaze upon the spear of Kaldias, soaring to the continent’s greatest heights atop that towering wall!”
Praising Kaldias’s spearsmanship brought a lump to her throat. Kaldias’s spear arts were universal, learnable by all—and thus often dismissed. Every time someone said the family head was strong not because of the spear, but simply as a warrior, it ignited her fury.
“You who wield Kaldias’s spear! As Wolfdrun’s last words decreed, simply be great warriors!”
A shiver raced through her body.
The nobles who overlooked and dismissed them. And among them, the man from the Helmonts—their polar opposites.
“Great guardians of Mallidan’s forefront.”
He saw them. Acknowledged them. Called them great. With genuine passion in his voice, it pierced straight to Kaldias’s heart, long mocked amid the North’s harsh struggles.
“To share this momentous occasion, let us observe a moment of silence for the great martyrs who’ve fulfilled their duty and now rest in this land—”
He even honored the nameless soldiers lost to the North’s chill.
“A brief moment of silence.”
As eyes closed and heads bowed, those who’d defended the Mallidan Wall simply shut their eyes, lowered their heads, and barely held back the hot breath rising in their chests.
* * *
“Sniff.”
“……Miss, are you crying?”
As the event wrapped up and the nobles lined up for training, Silberna hurriedly wiped her eyes at Anna’s question and shouted,
“N-no, I’m not! Something got in my eyes!”
“…….”
“Ugh, embarrassing.”
Silberna was wracked with guilt right now. She’d forced a man who respected and recognized Kaldias more than anyone in the kingdom onto that podium just to mess with him once.
“Anna, sniff. What do I do?”
“What do you mean? Just treat him well from now on.”
“How can I? I feel so bad.”
“Sigh, it’s fine. From what I saw yesterday, he seems straightforward and refreshing—good qualities.”
At Anna’s words, Silberna’s gaze shifted to Isaac, who’d begun running laps for the physical fitness test.
“Eek, what now? I think I’m starting to like him more and more.”
As Silberna grumbled, a startled Anna cried out,
“Miss?! That guy’s married! Helmont son-in-law! Don’t forget!”
“No! Who said anything about liking him as a man?! I mean as a person, he seems decent.”
Just recognizing Kaldias’s spear had skyrocketed her favor toward him. And who could blame her? He’d openly and proudly affirmed one of the most precious parts of her life—carrying the name of their rival house, Helmont, on his shoulders no less!
“Yeah, right? Honestly, I get it. I’m proud of Kaldias’s spear too, after all.”
“Right? Ugh, why does he look so damn good?”
“Miss, watch your words. Rumors could twist it into you seducing the Helmont son-in-law.”
“……That’d be the worst.”
Silberna’s face twisted in horror. Having served her for years, Anna felt relieved at her reaction.
She really doesn’t see him romantically.
Of course—her miss had shown zero interest in men, like snowflakes in the North. Surrounded by so many, they were comrades and fellow warriors, nothing more. Soldiers, not man and woman.
“Still, maybe I can look after him a bit? He’s Helmont stock, so a little special treatment wouldn’t hurt.”
“Miss……”
“Ah, I just wanna do something nice.”
Leaving her fidgeting miss behind, Anna watched Isaac jogging and offered,
“How about a fur hat? It’s cold here, and coming from Helmont, his cold-weather gear might be too thin.”
“Great idea! Oh, perfect. We’ve got leftover yeti hide from last time, right?”
“Yes, I’ll have the craftsman make it.”
“Make it a hat.”
“Hat and gloves.”
“Two things?”
“I should give him some too.”
“…….”
“…….”
As mentioned earlier, Anna was also a soldier of the Mallidan Wall, trained in Kaldias’s spear.
* * *
34th place.
That was his ranking from the jog to test basic fitness. 34th out of 37 dispatched nobles—essentially dead last. Some nobles didn’t even make martial arts their profession, after all.
At this point in my old life, I’d pretty much given up on training.
There had been a time when he’d relentlessly built his strength and stamina, desperately trying to swing a Helmont greatsword as a son-in-law.
Impossible.
Like a chick chasing a stork and ripping its leg. Realizing the impossibility, Isaac gradually abandoned his efforts, and on their fourth wedding anniversary, losing a leg plunged him into total despair.
But now was different.
Running like this feels great.
Moving his body felt refreshing. After years as a cripple, being able to run made the world feel renewed, his mood exhilaratingly clear.
Knowing it wasn’t impossible provided more motivation than he’d expected.
“All flash and no substance.”
“Acting all high and mighty, but just a commoner in the end.”
“What good’s sweet talk? At that level, he’d just flail in bed.”
“Pfft, enough. Embarrassing.”
The nobles’ mockery reached his ears, but Isaac paid it no mind. His head was full of thoughts on revising the manual he’d been writing late into the night just for himself.
Moving more fluidly than expected. Good grip in the soles too. Gotta tweak the draft later. Looking back, I was passively avoiding overtaxing the lower body on purpose.
During a brief break, catching his breath while lost in thought.
“Ahem.”
A soldier acting as instructor sidled up and cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Hm?”
Isaac looked up curiously, and the man glanced at the other nobles before discreetly handing over a towel from his pocket.
“In the North, you gotta wipe sweat quick. Leave it, and you’ll catch a cold easy.”
“Ah.”
Isaac took the towel sheepishly, and the soldier beamed at him before heading off.
“Mm.”
The towel was warm, steam rising faintly. Meanwhile, the other nobles shot sharp glares as they wiped sweat with cool towels brought by their squires or aides.
“Whoa, 34th is rough.”
This time, a higher-ranking officer approached, tilting his head and squatting in front of Isaac.
“It’s the shoes. Hard to run on snow, right? You could wrap chains, but better to get proper northern boots.”
“…….”
“What do you say? Want me to recommend a good craftsman? Mention my name, he’ll cut you a deal.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Speak freely. You’re a noble, even in training.”
“……Yeah. Thanks. I’ll go buy some.”
He had the money; boots were no issue.
Training resumed, but their fussing didn’t end.
“Thermal underlayers are a must. Got an unused one—want it?”
“This broom’s for snow clearing. Looks just like a spear, right? Oh, know this? Kaldias spear basics—”
“Stretching’s key. Body stiffens fast in the cold. For injury prevention.”
“You okay?! Slippery! Medic! Meee-dic! Oh, not that bad? Good. No shame—we fall plenty too.”
Faced with instructors being too helpful, Isaac could only chuckle wryly.
Naive, maybe?
He appreciated the kindness, but wasn’t this level of overt coddling a bit clueless?
And then another clueless one appeared.
“Ahem, ahem. The speech was impressive, Isaac.”
Silberna arrived with an awkward cough. Isaac greeted her smiling, and she hurried over, glancing around.
“You’ve got an eye. Others dismiss it as basic, but basics are what matter most. That’s why they underrate Kaldias. But you saw it—Kaldias spear arts are the result of deep research and intricate—”
“Miss, enough. You’re scaring him.”
“Ahem, s-sorry.”
Silberna retreated awkwardly. In her stead, Anna approached with a gentle smile and politely explained their visit.
“The family head invites you to dinner this evening.”
“The border lord?”
“Yes, if that’s alright?”
It was a formality; refusing wasn’t an option. Isaac nodded.
Silberna and Anna left delightedly. Or tried to—then turned back.
“Tch, head’s a bit small. Size-wise—”
Silberna grabbed Isaac’s head with both hands, turning it this way and that to check.
“Surprisingly refined hands, miss. I’ll order a size smaller.”
And Anna measured his hand size.