A short while later, modest market tents were set up in the central plaza of Benhaim Village, and the villagers began to gather one by one with food in their hands.
Though they were called villagers, most of them looked rough or seemed to have a story behind them.
There were none of the kind and warm-looking aunties you'd normally imagine, no kids tagging along on errands, nor gentle old folks gazing affectionately.
There was soup with unknown ingredients, roasted potatoes with herbs, dried jerky, and a thick meat stew of unidentifiable origin.
The warm, steaming food served on coarse dishes looked quite decent.
It was immediately clear that this was the best meal they could prepare with what they had.
'The Primordial Transcendents really are something else.'
Even though it was their first meeting, they'd pulled together everything they had to prepare a meal.
"It smells so good…"
Sharen plopped down beside him, warming her hands over the steam rising from the soup.
The cold from the Malidan Wall still clung to her, but it melted away completely now.
"Isaac, happiness really isn't much. Just a bowl of warm soup can make you happy."
Isaac chuckled at Sharen's murmured words.
Relative happiness could really mess with a person's emotions.
For example, if someone who couldn't use a leg regained it, the joy would be immeasurable.
"..."
"Ha."
"How moving."
The Northern soldiers, overwhelmed by their first proper meal in a long time, were on the verge of tears, sighs of admiration escaping their lips.
But of course, they couldn't express it too openly.
On the surface, they were sacrificial offerings brought to be used in a ritual.
Even while eating, they had to maintain an air of gloom and despair, which seemed to be quite a burden.
It was hard to control the corners of their mouths when their bellies were filling and fatigue was melting away.
The same was true for Liana.
She ate silently with a blank expression, but there was a subtle sense of relief in her demeanor.
As if the tension had finally lifted, she placed her greatsword across her lap and ate atop it.
"I'll eat here too."
Silverna approached with her plate in hand. On it was a generous portion of meat stew.
"This stuff's really tough. I don't even know what kind of meat it is."
"Probably a beast that only lives around here?"
Isaac and Silverna naturally continued the conversation.
Still, Silverna kept stealing anxious glances at Isaac.
"Anyway, thanks. If you guys hadn't come, we would've died at the Malidan Wall."
"…I couldn't just leave you there."
Isaac still felt somewhat dazed. It felt like a dream that they had actually saved the warriors at the Malidan Wall.
At the very least, now Silverna wouldn't have to abandon her name and live only as Caldias.
"Eat quietly."
Liana, who had been silently listening beside them, put a piece of meat in her mouth with a fork.
It was a reminder to tone down the lively conversation since the villagers were watching.
Of course, Isaac, being Isaac, picked up on her true intention.
"What? We weren't being that loud. A bit of small talk during meals is actually polite."
Silverna, however, seemed to take Liana's comment as picking a fight.
Naturally, Liana wasn't the type to clarify misunderstandings.
"If that's how you feel, go eat somewhere else."
A blunt tone.
'She's in an even worse mood than usual.'
Isaac knew the reason, but he chose to stay quiet.
Bringing up the "Silverna kiss incident" would only stir things up.
"Go somewhere else? Nope."
Silverna pointed the tip of her fork at the Caldias couple.
Like the other Northerners, Uldren was in a similar state.
Warm food and a proper rest were melting away the fatigue from his body.
Especially since his lower body had frostbite, he had set up near the large pot of stew to warm his legs.
"Ahem, I can eat on my own."
"Shh, stay still."
"Everyone's watching."
"Oh hush."
Uldren was being fussed over and fed by his wife, Selene.
As the Margrave, he was embarrassed and tried to refuse, but the resolute Selene just smiled and fed him.
Silverna didn't like it.
"Watching your parents show affection is more uncomfortable than I thought."
She muttered, sneaking glances at Isaac and Liana.
"Not all married couples are like that."
"Hey."
Liana glared at Silverna, clearly annoyed.
Silverna just laughed it off as a joke.
"Now that you mention it, I don't think you and Isaac ever really showed affection."
Sharen chimed in mid-meal.
Liana sighed as she looked at her, head tilted in thought.
"You don't need to know."
"There probably wasn't any to begin with."
"Hey."
Liana glared at Silverna again, who had butted in once more.
She seemed bothered by Silverna's constant jabs.
But that was just Silverna's way of expressing affection in her own way.
After all, she and Liana weren't exactly in the kind of relationship where she could just come out and say "Thanks for coming to save me."
"…We did express it in our own way, kind of,"
Liana mumbled in defiance.
"Huh?"
Isaac looked at her, puzzled.
"…"
Did we?
Faced with that look, Liana clammed up and blushed.
"D-Don't you remember? We used to secretly hold hands and stuff."
"O-Oh! Right, we did."
Liana pouted, her lips sticking out.
Isaac, feeling her accusing stare—as if asking how he could forget—quietly lowered his head and pretended to savor his soup.
As far as he remembered, it was during their first year of marriage.
Back then, they'd sneak in little displays of affection here and there.
From Liana's point of view, it had only been about four or five years.
But from Isaac's perspective, at least fourteen or fifteen years had passed since then.
'It's harder to remember than you think.'
You couldn't really blame him for that.
"Let's think about what to do next."
After taking another spoonful of soup, Isaac spoke.
All three women immediately turned to stare at him.
"…"
"Look at him trying to change the subject."
"You wanna taste some Transcendent sorcery?"
"Ahem. I was thinking maybe we should stay here for a few days. We don't really have anywhere to stay if we head outside anyway."
In times like these, it was important to not back down and just keep going with what you wanted to say.
Eventually, Liana and Silverna followed along and shifted the conversation.
"Yeah, that's probably for the best."
"We can also try to figure out how to get back from here."
Whatever the case, it was a strange and otherworldly land.
To gain any useful information, they'd need as much interaction as possible.
***
The place Rankellon and the villagers of Belhaim had given them was an abandoned livestock shed.
It had been a long time since any animals were kept there, so aside from the lingering dusty air, the usual smell of fur and filth had long faded.
In their hands, each of them held a single blanket.
Originally, they hadn't even planned to provide that—until Sharen shouted,
"You wanna taste some sorcery?! You wanna be sacrificed instead?!"
Thanks to that, they managed to get the blankets.
For reference, Liana and Sharen were given separate lodging.
One of the villagers' homes had been cleared out for them to stay in.
Since they were mistaken for members of a "Primordial Transcendent," it was only natural they'd be treated with special care.
Even during the earlier meal, Rankellon had come by in a fuss,
Demanding how they could be expected to dine with "those kinds of people."
Anyway, even though it was just an old stable, everyone was genuinely happy to finally have a place to lie down. They were so exhausted that they probably wouldn't move for the rest of the day.
"I'm seriously so happy right now."
Anna, another person Isaac had rescued and Silverna's aide, smiled and relaxed her shoulders.
"Thank you. I don't think I had the chance to properly thank you before."
Anna bowed politely.
"Don't mention it."
"Isaac! Over here!"
Silverna had already claimed a corner and was arranging a pile of hay, setting it up nicely. She laid a blanket on top, creating a makeshift bed that was surprisingly cozy.
"..."
As Isaac stood there awkwardly, Anna nudged him forward with a firm poke to the back.
Isaac gave her a resentful look, but she was already humming a tune and walking away to find her own spot.
As Isaac hesitantly approached, Silverna, sitting on the blanket, looked up and smiled.
"I'll lay my blanket underneath, and you use yours to cover us."
"You mean… share one blanket?"
"Comrades do it all the time."
"With Anna? She's a girl."
"So what?"
"..."
When did she get so bold? Slightly flustered, Isaac gave in to Silverna's confident energy and sat down beside her.
A brief silence followed.
Like a newlywed couple sitting awkwardly on their bed on their first night.
Silverna lightly tapped Isaac's thigh with her finger and asked,
"So? You don't feel anything?"
"Feel what?"
He decided to play dumb. Bringing up the kiss now would only make things more awkward.
"Really?"
Silverna looked at him with a hint of disappointment, but Isaac didn't budge.
"..."
"Just going to pretend it didn't happen?"
"Silverna."
"Should I do it again?"
"…Don't threaten me like that."
She crossed a line once and now was acting like it was nothing. Still, as she quietly leaned on him and rested her head on his shoulder, her cautiousness made it hard for Isaac to reject her.
"I just… I'm thankful. That you came to find me like this."
"..."
"Really, thank you. Honestly… you were amazing."
Silverna smiled softly. Feeling a lump in his chest, Isaac pressed his lips together.
There were still so many things to worry about.
Was Damien able to protect the Grand Master safely?
With the northern wall gone, was the frontline still holding?
Was there even a way back?
All sorts of thoughts crossed his mind.
But just for now, Isaac decided to forget them all.
"…Isaac."
Silverna turned her head gently.
Her breath touched the bridge of his nose, and the emotion in her gaze was closer to a plea than anything else.
This time, slowly.
And very carefully.
Silverna approached, as if seeking confirmation of his feelings.
"Ahem!"
And then came the interruption—Uldren Caldias.
"..."
For a moment, it seemed like sparks flew in Silverna's eyes. The kind that erupt from the clash of swords.
Having recovered a bit after a meal, Uldren looked down at Isaac and spoke.
"Thank you for coming to save us, Isaac."
"You've always protected the kingdom, Margrave. I was honored to repay that, even once."
Isaac tried to stand, but Silverna's arm held him down, forcing him to sit awkwardly again.
Uldren didn't seem to mind much.
"The Wall of Malidan has always been the guardian spirit of our kingdom, but now that it's fallen… there's nothing we can do."
Uldren spoke with a heavy heart, then continued naturally.
"Did you know my daughter also has her own Malidan Wall?"
"..."
"That'd be me. Uldren Caldias."
"..."
"The Wall of Malidan crushes any approaching Beasts."
"Uh—"
Isaac wanted to offer an excuse, but there was nothing convincing to say.
"Should I crush you with that wall right now?"
This mad overprotective father.
The pressure Uldren exuded was on par with the time he froze himself to defend the inner city gates.
"Please go away already!"
Unable to endure her father's tyranny any longer, Silverna clung even tighter to Isaac's arm and shouted.
"The mood was nice!"
"M-Mood!? In a situation like this—!? Silverna! Come sleep on our side!"
"No! I don't want to see you and Mom snuggling!"
"Th-That's just what married couples—!"
Uldren tried to explain himself.
But the moment Rankellon stepped inside, a sudden silence fell over the stable.
A strange thought crossed Isaac's mind.
Do they truly harbor no hatred toward humans?
He felt his sense of reality being shattered, uncomfortably so.
The transcendent race he knew were those who despised humans, hunted them, and used brute force to dominate.
They were monsters who flew in to plunder what humanity had.
That's what he had always believed—
A belief forged from experience, and cemented by the blood of comrades lost on the battlefield.
A village of sinners.
Sinners among the transcendent race.
What crimes could they have committed?
Being driven out to a place that wasn't even a prison—
It all felt… unnatural.
Isaac stared intently at Rankellon.
As Rankellon scanned the room, their eyes met—and Rankellon strode straight up to him and said,
"Beloved slave. There you are. Your master is calling for you."
"..."