Sharen's Chaotic Frontline Arrival
The carriages rolled past the Mallidan Wall at the very front lines, guided by the soldiers. Amid the bustle of Helmont knights unloading cargo and being shown to their quarters, a small girl with twintails strode forward confidently, leaving everyone behind. Her bold steps, as if she owned the place, led straight to her brother-in-law.
"Isaac!"
"Sharen... you really came."
Isaac had been surprised when he first heard she was coming. He hadn't thought the tomboy would volunteer for the battlefield. But seeing her now, he realized he'd been completely wrong.
She's here for fun.
She was even more scatterbrained than he'd imagined. Even in the midst of a crisis with the great swarm, she treated coming to the Mallidan Wall like a picnic or an adventure.
Sharen unleashed a machine-gun barrage of words.
"Where are you staying, Isaac? Got a spot next to you? Without you around, I'd have to boss the maids around, and I feel bad doing that willy-nilly."
"......"
"It's better if you're nearby while I'm here. That way I can send you on errands!"
Her treating him more conveniently than the hired maids left him with an incredulous expression. Sighing at the prospect of exhausting days ahead at the Mallidan Wall,
"Hey, kiddo."
Silberna, who had been watching from Isaac's side with arms crossed, glared at her.
"This is a battlefield. If you're gonna act like a child, get lost right now."
Isaac bit his lip to stifle a laugh.
Sharen, meanwhile, widened her eyes and flailed her arms dramatically, shouting,
"What?! Do you even know who I am? I'm Sharen! Helmont's second daughter!"
"Kaldias's eldest daughter, Silberna."
"Kaldias—"
She froze mid-retort upon hearing the family name, her mouth agape. She rolled her eyes toward Isaac for confirmation. He nodded, and Sharen coughed awkwardly, stepping back.
"K-Kelcy? What'd you say? Geez! Why call me all of a sudden?!"
"No one's calling you, Sharen."
Isaac corrected her, and Sharen flushed red, pouting her lips.
"Y-You did! Helmonts have great ears! R-Right? You called Kelcy?"
She glanced behind her, but only empty wind blew—no one was there. Her personal maid, Kelcy, was too busy unloading luggage to cover for her embarrassment.
"......"
Sharen tucked her lips inside and fell silent for a moment. Silberna quickly added,
"Command structure is everything on the battlefield. If you're gonna keep strutting around like that, grab a sword right now. Win against me, and I'll hand over command."
"Oho?"
Sharen bounced on her toes and spun around to face them again, her twintails even smacking Isaac lightly—every move brimming with energy.
"If I win, you'll give me command? You sure about that?"
"Of course."
Silberna uncrossed her arms, gripped the spear slung over her shoulder, and stepped forward.
"Ha!"
Sharen smirked mockingly and retreated a step.
"Fine! Let's do this!"
"......"
"You look down on Helmonts?"
Sharen backed up another step.
"Think I'm young and cute, so no skills?!"
She sure walks backward well, Isaac thought.
"Didn't Isaac tell you?! The Helmont prodigy succeeding the Blood Rose?!"
"......"
"The Princess of the Roses!"
"What?"
She was too far now for her voice to carry clearly. Silberna had long since shouldered her spear again and recrossed her arms.
"Nooo! I'm tired from the journey today, and it's getting chilly! Plus... I gotta sharpen my sword! Too bad!"
"......"
"......"
Sharen's back hit the carriage she'd arrived in. As the two stared at her in bewilderment, she yelled in embarrassment,
"S-Stop staring!"
She huffed and stomped toward the luggage compartment to grab her greatsword.
"Ow! Who hit my head?!"
She emerged from the carriage rubbing the back of her head, looking pitiful after apparently getting smacked.
"Jeez!"
Clutching her head with both hands, she finally ran off to find Kelcy.
"What was that? Is she really Lianna's little sister?"
Silberna, still baffled, asked Isaac.
"......"
Isaac's gaze was fixed on the maid he suspected had secretly whacked Sharen. Her hair was tied up, and a mask fully covered her face.
"Isaac?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry. What'd you say?"
"Weird girl. Total opposite of Lianna."
"She's got a strong personality, that's for sure."
Isaac snapped back at Silberna's call but kept glancing at the carriage. The mysterious maid was already gone.
No way.
Harboring subtle suspicion, Isaac continued chatting with Silberna.
* * *
"......"
Evening. In his room, Isaac reviewed his Sparring Log. Thanks to his relentless daily training, he was improving steadily, but he kept whipping himself harder.
I can't just accept defeat now because of lacking stamina.
When he'd lost a leg and become crippled, effort was like pouring water into a leaky jar. But not anymore. Even if small, he filled the jar called Isaac through ceaseless work, pondering daily.
"Yawwn."
A yawn came from behind. Isaac turned slowly to see Sharen lounging on his bed, reading a book.
"......When are you leaving?"
"Hm?"
Not taking her eyes off the book, she popped a cookie in her mouth.
"I told you, Kelcy's still setting up my room. You're alone anyway, so it doesn't matter, right?"
"You trying to annoy me?"
Sharen blinked blankly at him, then chuckled dryly, set her book down, and shot to her feet.
"You've grown up, Isaac. Been out so long your common sense is gone?"
She clenched her fists and glared. Her rippling twintails showed she was serious.
Isaac stood from his chair without backing down.
"Sorry, but as you know, I'm divorcing in a month. Know what that means? No reason to bend over backward for you anymore."
"Ha! Bend over backward? More like crushed under my power! Is that some northern joke? Not funny."
Their gazes clashed. Tension built, neither yielding—until surprisingly, Sharen backed off first.
"Tch! Be grateful to Father!"
She grabbed her book and snacks to leave.
"What? Did the family head say something about me?"
"Yeah! Don't mess with Isaac because of outsiders' eyes!"
"......"
"Treat him properly as a brother-in-law. Tch, hate leaving the mansion for this."
Grumbling, she paused at the door, hand on the knob.
"Hey, Isaac, can I ask something?"
"Ask? You? Me?"
Her serious expression was new, so Isaac waited silently. She spoke cautiously.
"Star cookies. Where do you buy them?"
"......"
The tension deflated instantly.
"No! The star cookies you bring me! I searched everywhere and can't find who sells them."
"Sigh."
"I'm serious! You know how bad I wanted them? My hands shake! You didn't drug them, right? Feels like addiction!"
"You're crazy."
Isaac sighed. Star cookies were what he brought whenever she whined for snacks.
"Tell me quick! Soon as the swarm's over, I'll go buy some!"
Bouncing impatiently, she urged him. Isaac asked incredulously,
"You really searched for them?"
"Next village! Village after that! Nearby cities! Scoured everywhere—no star cookies!"
"Figures."
Because...
"Milli bakes them."
Sharen narrowed her eyes and snapped peevishly,
"Milli? Shop name? Where? Details."
"Cook Milli. In the Helmont kitchen."
"......Huh?"
"Every time I went to get your snacks, she pitied me and baked them fresh. Made them often since you liked them."
"S-So that means..."
No need to scour villages or drag herself to the Mallidan Wall for Isaac.
"I could've just eaten them at the mansion?!"
"Yeah, exactly."
Isaac delivered the cruel truth lightly. Sharen collapsed, pounding the floor in outrage.
"Aigoo! M-Me! Why'd I come all this wayyy! Aigoook!"
Enough to cry over?
Seeing her bawl, Isaac thought she was still just a kid. At 17, she was immature even for her age.
Mid-tantrum, the door flew open. Silberna stood there.
"......"
She'd come to chat, but Sharen's racket echoing down the hall had her fuming again.
"You again? Enough already. This isn't just for you—other nobles too."
(Silberna stayed elsewhere, FYI.)
"Show some consideration for the shared nobles. Rooms are cramped as is."
Hers was three times bigger.
"A-Ahem! Got a bit excited!"
"......"
Silberna glared, arms crossed. In her casual attire, her chest stood out more. Sharen blinked, then yelled,
"I'm going!"
She huffed past Silberna, then whipped around to shout at Isaac,
"Bringing other women to your bedroom already?! I'll tell Sis everything when I get back!"
"Hey!"
Startled, Isaac called after her, but she bolted like she'd seen a ghost.
And then.
"Already?"
Silberna tilted her head at the odd phrasing.
"Sigh, no. Nothing."
Isaac brushed it off and sat.
"What brings you here?"
Wondering her reason this late, he asked. Silberna stared down the hall where Sharen fled, quietly closed the door, and said,
"Starting tomorrow, I'm leading the recon team. The swarm beasts are starting to move."
"......"
"So, Isaac."
Her voice carried the weight of deep deliberation as she made her request.
"Could you join my command?"