"..."
The next morning.
As Isaac slowly opened his eyes, he curled up in response to the throbbing pain that engulfed his entire body.
It felt like a long time had passed, but the battle with Helik, the Primordial Helmut, and the escape from the Malidan Wall had only happened yesterday.
Or perhaps more than a day had passed.
In truth, ever since he crossed over to this side, his sense of time had become dull.
'The sky here is always dark, so I can't tell what time it is at all.'
When they escaped from the Malidan Wall, it had felt like a lot of time had passed.
In this place without a sun, darkness alone marked the passage of time.
He got up and looked around the empty room.
There were only two rooms in the house.
Last night, Liana and Sharen had debated who should sleep with Isaac, but he firmly insisted on sleeping alone.
As a result, the two sisters ended up sharing a room.
"Hmm…?"
A strange and unique scent tickled his nose.
At first, he thought it was unpleasant, but as he got used to it, he realized "earthy" was a better way to describe it.
When he stepped outside, he saw Liana and Sharen sitting around the table where they'd had refreshments the day before.
They seemed to be waiting for Isaac and were setting the table for breakfast.
"Isaac! You're up!"
Sharen greeted him brightly.
"Come sit. Rankellon brought food for breakfast."
Liana spoke calmly as she laid out the food on the table.
"..."
He always thought the phrase peaceful daily life didn't suit a place like Helmut at all.
But watching this scene… it wasn't so bad, surprisingly.
Breakfast was similar to yesterday.
However, the soup was a bit unique.
It was the source of the scent he initially found unpleasant.
"Does this have medicinal herbs in it too?"
"Seems like it. I think they're trying to take care of us in their own way."
"They put herbs in everything, honestly."
Sharen stuck out her tongue and grumbled.
Today was the day traveling peddlers were coming, and a market would be set up in the village.
So the northern warriors would have more time to rest, and the plan was to explore the market, soak in the village atmosphere, and learn more about the Transcendents.
[What good does hating humans do?]
"..."
Rankellon's words still echoed in his ears.
Because they were sincere, they caught him off guard.
But at the same time, it almost felt too favorable toward them.
Slurp.
Drinking the soup, Isaac again turned over the lingering sense of discomfort in a corner of his heart.
***
Following the main road the group had entered through yesterday, merchants laid out their mats and unpacked their bundles, settling in quietly.
It was completely different from what he had imagined a market would look like.
There was none of the usual bustle—no loud footsteps, no boisterous haggling.
On the contrary, the place was eerily quiet.
The voices of negotiations were low and discreet. The merchants all seemed to have their faces half-covered, glancing around warily.
'So that's why Rankellon told me to cover my face.'
Before coming to the market, Isaac had received a wide-brimmed hat. Now he absentmindedly fiddled with the brim.
They called it a sakkat—he remembered seeing one on a fellow disciple of the Grandmaster.
Suddenly, the image of the Grandmaster flashed in his mind, and a heavy weight settled over his heart.
'I wonder if the Grandmaster is okay.'
After all, she had crossed swords with the very comrade she'd long been searching for. The Grandmaster must be feeling a complex swirl of emotions right now.
As he was about to sink into those thoughts, Sharen gently tugged at his sleeve.
"Isaac, look over there."
Pulled from his thoughts, Isaac followed Sharen's pointing finger.
"They say it's a potion that erases memories."
"…A potion that erases memories?"
What Sharen was pointing at was a small, slender flask.
On the front of the flask, it clearly said 'Potion that Erases Memories.'
The large Transcendent sitting beside the flask gave the group a meaningful nod.
"We all have things in life we wish we could forget, don't we?"
"…"
For a moment, Isaac felt his heart waver.
But it was only for a moment.
That's because he caught sight of the labels on the other bottles displayed next to the flask.
Potion that sends you to paradise.
Potion for escaping life.
Potion to be taken at the final moment of life.
Potion that awakens even the dying.
They were all absurd and suspicious claims.
Liana wrinkled her nose at the strong scent wafting from the corks.
"It's liquor. And really strong at that."
"Miss, you must have quite the nose. Are you from that clan?"
The merchant must have mistaken her for a scent-sensitive Transcendent.
He didn't say anything more after that.
The merchants in this market didn't try to cling to customers or force bargains.
They simply sat silently, waiting for people to approach them of their own accord.
'Is it because this is a village of sinners?'
Perhaps that's why it felt more like a black market than a normal one.
'Getting information won't be easy.'
Isaac quietly looked around.
Liana didn't look pleased either under her wide-brimmed hat.
There were a variety of items displayed on the surrounding bundles,
But they were either too unfamiliar, uninteresting,
Or had such exaggerated effects that they only raised suspicion.
Necklace of the Dead.
Bell of Silence.
Colorless Snack.
Sharen seemed intrigued by the mention of snacks,
But shook her head as soon as she saw it.
"That looks disgusting. Probably tastes like chewing on rocks."
They weren't the kind of items one could buy casually anyway.
Isaac glanced over at Liana while listening to Sharen's grumbling.
"Disappointed?"
"Yeah. Not the kind of market I expected."
They hadn't come to the market to buy things.
What they wanted was information and intel.
But in this kind of atmosphere, there was no way they could learn anything useful.
"If there's nothing else to see, let's go to Nureumdol! I told him to wait outside.
He's probably still there."
"…Yeah, let's do that."
It wasn't like he was some warhorse…
But since they'd just left him at the entrance,
Isaac felt a little guilty imagining Nureumdol standing there waiting the whole time.
When they reached the entrance,
They saw Nureumdol talking with a woman—unexpectedly.
"Yes, that's right! I was the one who guided them here! Since the great ones seemed to be in a bit of a bind, I put my stone brain to work and helped them out!"
"…"
The woman quietly listened to Nureumdol.
She wore a wide-brimmed hat, had short hair cut neatly to her shoulders,
Was tall—taller than Isaac—and carried a massive greatsword in one hand.
The moment he saw her, Isaac's eyes widened.
'The Grand Master's…'
She was a fellow disciple.
The woman once known as "Number 2" was now talking with Nureumdol.
Just as she began to turn her head, seemingly having sensed Isaac's group—
Whoosh!
Liana's greatsword was already swinging.
A flash of motion.
Liana had already deemed the woman an enemy, and her strike was without hesitation. Despite the size of her massive blade, her movements were swift.
But Number 2 was no ordinary opponent.
A longsword longer than a person's height was drawn from its sheath in the blink of an eye.
'She drew at that speed—yet not even a gust of wind stirred.'
That alone was proof of skill rivaling the Grand Master's.
However, she hadn't completely blocked the attack.
After receiving Liana's full-force blow, she was pushed back, her feet digging into the ground.
Ssshhhh—!
Dust kicked up, and smoke rose from the woman's heels.
"Haa—"
Lowering her sword slowly, perhaps from the stinging in her hands after taking Helmut's brute strength head-on, she let out a deep sigh.
"Tsk. With all these distinguished guests showing up back to back… It's like I've used up all my life's fate right here."
Her tone was completely different from before.
It could've been described as relaxed—but to Isaac, it felt more frivolous than anything else.
Watching Liana, still holding her sword steady and full of tension, the woman sighed again.
"Does your bloodline not understand the concepts of patience or conversation?"
"..."
The more she spoke, the more bewildering it became.
Back when they crossed swords, she hadn't been like this.
She'd kept silent, projecting the aura of a loyal assassin devoted to her master.
Now, she felt more like an eccentric old man from the neighborhood.
'Come to think of it, the Grand Master was kind of like this too…'
Solemn when teaching or wielding a sword, but surprisingly sloppy in daily life.
Her tendency to sulk easily only added to the impression.
"It's not working hours right now. There's no need to fight, and I'd rather not draw my sword for no reason."
She spoke like someone clocking out from work, then pointed a finger toward Isaac, who stood a bit farther away.
"You there—Disciple of Number 10. Good timing. I've been meaning to meet you."
Her voice wasn't hostile—rather, it held curiosity.
Recalling the last time they crossed swords and she'd held back her words, Isaac stepped forward.
"I wanted to meet you too. Since you're my master's fellow disciple."
"Isaac?"
Liana turned toward him, worried, but Isaac shook his head.
"It's fine. If she wanted to do something, she would've already."
Someone on par with the Grand Master.
Liana might hold out, but victory was uncertain.
The woman didn't deny it—just shrugged, confident in her strength.
After handing his two swords to Sharen, Isaac cautiously held out his hand for a handshake.
"I'm Isaac Logan."
"…So you're Number 10's disciple—and brave too, huh? Approaching me like this while I'm still armed."
Despite her words, she lightly took his hand.
"I have no real name. But if it makes things easier, just call me Nameless."
"..."
Hearing that, Isaac thought to himself—
Maybe that's the same reason why the Grandmaster never revealed her name either.
"Had my master been here, I wouldn't have let you off. But coincidentally, I'm alone today."
Nameless glanced around the village and gave a wry smile.
"Still, what a strange place you've run to."
"You mean Benhaim Village?"
"Yeah. Hm… There's quite a bit I could say, but to begin with…"
Scratching her cheek, Nameless added quietly:
"The people of this village—
They're harmful to both worlds."
"Harmful?"
"Yes. They're the kind you should be pointing your blade at."
To Transcendents—and to humans alike.
*
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[TL Note]
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