Two women stood face to face in an empty clearing.
Liana Helmut and the Grandmaster.
'Well, this is a situation I never even imagined.'
Liana from her past life might have been different, but the current Liana was clearly at a disadvantage against the Grandmaster.
However, at the same time, he was curious to see what she could show against such an opponent.
The siblings approached him hesitantly.
Sharen and Lohengrin.
"So, Isaac is finally being offered as a prize. I'm still not ready to join that level… and Silverna isn't here either."
Sharen muttered, while Lohengrin watched with an intrigued gaze.
"Damn it. If there's going to be a duel, they should have called me too."
Lohengrin had seen the Grandmaster's skill firsthand at Blackson.
The thought of Liana facing her stirred both jealousy and anticipation.
Isaac felt the same way—excited to see how it would unfold.
"Don't use all your strength. There's still work to be done tomorrow."
"I understand."
The Grandmaster placed her hand on the greatsword at her side. The crimson blade, as if waiting for the inevitable strike, took its stance.
Clang!
In an instant, the long blade of the greatsword was unsheathed, lashing out like a whip and striking Liana's sword.
Liana staggered backward, her expression betraying her surprise at the unexpected strength behind the attack.
"Stay focused. The Helmut clan has sharp eyes, don't they? You better keep up."
What followed was a breathtaking display of swordplay.
The fierce yet graceful exchange of strikes between the two beautiful women captivated everyone around them.
People began to gather.
As all eyes focused on the mesmerizing duel between the two women—
"Hmm."
He was dressed so casually that Isaac hadn't even noticed him until he was standing right beside him.
With his hands clasped behind his back, Eisenwolf watched the duel before turning to Isaac.
"Today, your achievements have been great."
"I merely did what had to be done."
"Don't be so modest. If you put it that way, it would mean the rest of us failed to do our duty."
It was merely a formality, so Isaac didn't bother arguing and simply nodded.
"Have you heard the current situation?"
"Yes, I heard that you are considering a retreat."
"Hmm. We were more ignorant and stubborn than we thought."
Eisenwolf turned slightly, looking at Isaac as he asked—
"You've been fighting the Transcendent since the Great Colony incident, haven't you?"
"…Unintentionally, yes."
"From the Sword Festival to Blackson, even Arandel, who fell to sorcery—you've personally dealt with them all."
There was a hint of bitterness in Eisenwolf's gaze.
Today's ambush had not only been a wake-up call for the Blue Wave Society.
It had also left a deeper impression on the old warrior than expected.
"Hmm…."
He seemed to have something to say but hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it.
In the end, he simply patted Isaac's back.
"Peace may seem like a given, but it stands on the sacrifices of soldiers. I always tell my grandson that."
A self-deprecating smile crossed his face.
"And yet, I myself have taken the peace you've fought for too lightly."
"Sir Eisenwolf…."
A deep emotion welled up inside Isaac.
His battle against the Transcendent was not for glory, but to prevent the world from falling into the despair he had once witnessed.
A world that no one remembered.
A burden that only he carried, something he believed was his responsibility alone.
He had never expected gratitude.
Of course, Eisenwolf knew nothing of his past life.
Yet, even this small moment of appreciation filled Isaac with a sense of fulfillment and quiet elation he had never felt before.
"That's why I want to formally seek your advice now. The northern reclamation will inevitably lead to another clash with the Transcendent."
"When you say advice, you mean—?"
"There are voices calling for us to withdraw our forces. At first, it may seem cowardly, but I find it to be a rather rational choice. We never know when or where the enemy might strike our main camp."
"...."
"What do you think?"
"I believe we must not retreat."
Calmly, he expressed his opinion.
Eisenwolf neither rebuked nor showed surprise—he simply listened.
"Of course, it's true that this is a difficult situation. If just a few more of these creatures were to drop into our unit, it would be dangerous. If they were to fall into the rear during battle, the damage could be irreparable."
However—
"At the same time, we've found a clue. If those things can distort space like that, then I believe it explains how the Malidan Wall suddenly disappeared."
"The Malidan Wall was moved somewhere?"
"Yes."
We cannot retreat here.
We must not go back.
In my past life—
The Malidan Wall had held out for a full month without any reinforcements.
And then, they fell.
'I won't let that happen this time.'
Isaac clenched his fist.
"The soldiers of the Malidan Wall… they must still be fighting somewhere."
"..."
"They're waiting for us."
He knew the risks.
If they got swept up here, the main force could suffer a devastating blow.
"We have to go rescue them."
He could not allow those who had devoted themselves so completely to meet the same fate again.
***
Malidan Fortress City
There was no sunlight—only the cold air spreading through the tavern.
Inside, many soldiers had gathered.
Among them was Uldren Caldias, a man far too close to his soldiers for a Margrave.
In a crisis like this, titles and ranks meant little.
Here, in the Malidan Wall, everyone was just a warrior, a soldier.
"How much food do we have?"
"If we ration it strictly, about five days' worth… but even then, it's barely enough to keep from starving."
The quartermaster responded with a guilty expression.
"And weapons?"
"We can maintain them at best. We've set aside what we could from our fallen comrades."
At the words of the blacksmith, Antonio, everyone let out bitter sighs.
No matter how short they were on weapons, having to use the belongings of those who had fought to the death was painful.
Under normal circumstances, they would have refused outright, but right now, they had no choice.
Antonio's words were followed by the report of Vivian, the assigned mage.
"The magic on the Malidan Wall will last no more than two days. This place lacks mana, so it will be difficult to sustain it."
For now, they were surviving thanks to the cold released by the Wall's climate-altering magic.
But in two days, the enemy's assault would surely begin again.
Would they be able to hold out when that time came?
Would they be able to stop them?
As such doubts spread through everyone's minds—
"We must endure to the end!"
A woman, Silverna, the Young lady of Caldias, spoke out firmly.
"Reinforcements have arrived! The kingdom has sent troops to find us. So…! We just have to hold on!"
The soldiers looked puzzled at first, but then Uldren followed up.
"She's right. The primordial transcendent we captured today mentioned Baron Logan."
"...!"
" S- Sir Isaac?"
"Is that true?"
The soldiers' eyes wavered.
There wasn't a single person in Malidan who didn't know Isaac.
During the Great Colony, he had left a deep impression on them all.
"The kingdom has sent reinforcements to save us. So do not lose hope! Guardians of Malidan! There shall be no retreat for us!"
Cheers erupted inside the tavern.
With only a single sip of lukewarm beer allowed, they shared it amongst themselves to boost morale.
Meanwhile, Uldren stepped outside.
He made his way toward the underground prison where the captives were held.
It was too dark even for torches, filled only with ragged breathing.
Bound in heavy chains, unable to move even an inch, was the Black Hound.
Drooling, he glared at Uldren as he approached.
"The blood of the Primordials… your resilience is truly exceptional.
If you were an ordinary human with wounds like that, you'd be dead by now."
Uldren spoke calmly, but Black Hound scoffed.
"Uldren of Caldias, do you really think you can escape our wrath?"
"I don't understand why you're so angry. If you just keep yelling without explaining, how am I supposed to know?"
Feigning composure, Uldren responded smoothly. The sound of rattling chains echoed through the dark. Black Hound, enraged, struggled against his restraints.
"Grrr! I'll tear you apart with my teeth!"
"I'd like to confirm something."
Without any change in expression, Uldren calmly pressed on.
"While scouting the nearby area, I found traces of a village. Compared to the kingdom's architectural style and way of life, many things were different."
"..."
"At first, I thought it was just some isolated place that had been transported here, but—"
That wasn't the case.
This place wasn't some independently created space meant to isolate the Wall.
"Is this… your homeland?"
A land devoid of light, swarming with grotesque beasts, barren soil where not even a single blade of grass could properly grow.
"Hah, are you enjoying your stay in our homeland?"
At a time when many theories were being proposed about the sudden appearance of the transcendent race, Uldren Caldias was the first to arrive at the correct answer.
"I see."
He had already been convinced. He had only come here to confirm it.
Black Hound realized there was no point in hiding the truth and spoke bluntly.
"We Transcendents—"
But it didn't stop there. The hound continued, its voice laced with mocking disdain.
"—thought that without Arandel Helmut, wiping out humanity would be easy."
"Hmm? That man is certainly impressive—"
"We never even considered you a threat."
Uldren fell silent.
Was it his reaction that made Black Hound amused? A sneer crept into his voice.
"Arandel's rival? The only one who can stand against him? What nonsense. You know it yourself, don't you?"
Compared to Arandel Helmut—
"You're nowhere close."
"..."
"If Arandel were here, he would've already pushed past the Malidan Wall."
"..."
"He would have wiped us out entirely. That man single-handedly took down five of the Primordial Bloodline."
And that was despite his weakened body due to illness.
A sneering chuckle slithered through the darkness like a predator savoring its prey.
"Guarding a small northern wall suits you well. That's all you'll ever be."
"..."
A moment of silence passed.
Then, a third voice shattered the tension in the darkness.
"Father! The enemy is trying to break through the wall again! They're dragging some kind of grotesque structure with them!"
Silverna burst in urgently.
Uldren nodded calmly and turned away.
"I'll be right there."
His steady footsteps echoed through the silence.
Behind him, Black Hound sneered once more.
"In the end, you have no answer, do you?"
The Black hound's sneer seemed to chase after him—like the sound of Arandel's footsteps.