Even after returning from Evergard, Isaac had no choice but to stay quite busy.
The victory celebration banquet was just around the corner.
Since he planned to depart immediately after receiving his title and territory, he had to settle his affairs in Evergard.
One of them, of course, was the mansion.
"…You're really leaving, aren't you?"
Karen, the maid, said bitterly as she tidied up the interior.
Isaac, too, felt a mix of regret and guilt.
"I'm sorry. You've done so much for me, but I barely did anything for you in return."
"No, that's not true. You were the best employer I've ever had. You even spoke to the princess in advance so I could return to the royal palace."
He had brought Karen from the palace, so returning her there felt like the right thing to do.
But in truth, most employers didn't even bother with that much.
"What I regret is that I wasn't able to properly serve such a good master. You were away most of the time."
"Same here. I had plans for this mansion… things I wanted to do."
Like making a study, setting up a sparring ground, or planting a garden.
Isaac had a lot he wanted to do here, but now that he would be moving to Volten, it was all for nothing.
"Are you really okay with me not coming with you to Volten? I don't mind. I'll go and serve you there."
At first, he had considered taking Karen with him. But she was newly married—he couldn't ask her to live apart from her husband.
Especially not from Isaac's perspective.
"Treasure the time you have now."
"…My lord."
"There may come a time when you and your husband aren't as passionate as now. But that's not unusual. We're human—emotions fade."
"…That's kind of a scary thought."
"But that doesn't mean love has faded. A new kind of emotion will fill its place."
Karen mumbled to herself, and Isaac gave her a bittersweet smile.
"What I mean is, when that time comes, I hope you won't say things like, 'It's not the same as before,' or 'I don't love this person anymore.' Even if the emotion changes form, the foundation remains the same."
"…That sounds complicated, but I understand. I guess I'll come to understand it more as I live."
"I hope so."
"My lord, you always sound so wise for your age."
Karen didn't know about his regression, so Isaac just smiled faintly.
The mansion was nearly cleaned out.
Meaning he didn't have much time left in Evergard.
***
On the day of the victory banquet.
It began at noon and was set to continue until late evening, so Isaac was already dressed in his stiff and formal dress uniform from early morning.
Due to his physical build and swordsmanship style, he rarely wore conventional armor, but mentally speaking, armor felt more comfortable than this outfit.
"…What?"
Helmut's sisters and Silverna, who were staying at the royal palace for the banquet, weren't here at the moment. Only the Grandmaster was present, and she sighed with a troubled expression.
"That woman, Mu-myeong. She says she's coming."
"Coming where?"
"Volten, where else?"
"…"
"As your true and only Master, and as a fellow woman, I must say—she's no good."
"…Isn't she your fellow disciple?"
"Time changes many things."
The Grandmaster brushed it off casually. She clearly didn't like how Mu-myeong called Isaac "my dear disciple."
"But how did you know?"
"I sent Damien to the Magic Tower while you were in Volten. I figured they ought to be informed too."
That was fast.
The Magic Tower was quite far away.
"Sigh… Isaac, I'm worried. If people like Mu-myeong and Damien stay in Volten, just how much worse will things get…"
"…"
"You know Mu-myeong loves to drink, and Damien has been into gambling ever since his thieving days—"
"…"
"I managed to keep them in check as their Master and peer until now, but once they're in Volten, who knows what will happen?"
"You're the one who spends all day drinking in Volten, too—"
"Do not talk back to your Master."
"…Right."
Perhaps embarrassed by her own words, the Grandmaster cleared her throat awkwardly, her tail drooping slightly.
"Ahem, well… in my case, it was because I was celebrating your victory—and also relishing the satisfaction of surpassing my former Master—"
Let's stop listening here.
In any case, while half-tuning out her grumbling and self-justifications, Isaac thought to himself.
Of course, it was a good thing those two were coming.
Even as the lord who would soon govern Volten, their presence wasn't bad at all.
'I was thinking of forming a local security force—'
A security force trained by the Grandmaster and Mu-myeong?
That would easily be among the top combat forces in the kingdom.
And although Damien had once been a thief, he was full of various experiences and practical knowledge.
In a place like Volten, he'd have plenty of opportunities to show his usefulness.
'Not a bad idea.'
Isaac genuinely thought so, and began considering what roles to assign the two once they arrived in Volten.
The royal hall was already bustling with nobles, their conversations filling the room. Each of them wore faint smiles on their faces—it was a celebration for a good cause, after all.
On days like this, people made an effort to avoid unnecessary conflict, acting even more cautiously than usual.
In the middle of the hall bloomed two beautiful flowers.
One was named Helmut.
Representing a red rose, she wore a crimson dress, surrounded by a large retinue of Helmut knights.
Rather than enjoying the banquet, the knights seemed more focused on protecting Liana and Sharen, encircling them at a respectful distance.
"Paaang—!"
Sharen's playful antics as she scurried around collecting snacks were unusually pure for someone associated with House Helmut. The nobles found it endearing, though some coolly concluded that Helmut's once-overwhelming presence had somewhat softened.
The second flower was Caldias.
A rare bloom that only grew in the North, so the central nobles couldn't help but admire Silverna's appearance.
It was unusual for a member of Caldias to attend unless it was a truly major event.
Even Uldren and his wife had come along.
"..."
This side was even more tightly guarded than the Helmut knights, fiercely glaring at anyone who dared to flirt with the flower.
"Please stop, it's embarrassing."
"Are you embarrassed by your father?"
"A little."
"...!"
Wounded, Uldren sulked over to his wife—only to be met with sarcasm:
"Trying so hard to block your daughter's prospects—is that what makes you the North's guardian?"
Crushed by his wife's jab, he drank with a gloomy face.
And then, there was one woman who couldn't quite be called a "flower"—such a term would be too irreverent.
Unlike her elder sister who had yet to appear, Clarice Evangel Legardia was already chatting casually with the nobles.
Known for her mischievous streak, she always disguised her true personality in public gatherings like this.
Currently, she was greeting some esteemed foreign guests—
None other than King Raphael and Queen Del of the Kingdom of Brentarion.
"My apologies for not attending your wedding."
"Not at all. We understand how chaotic things were in your kingdom."
They had nearly gotten married themselves once, and rumors abounded about their poor relationship, but now they conversed as if nothing had happened—much to the confusion of the watching nobles.
Clarice smiled at Queen Del. The humble days when she ran a bakery were now long gone.
"You look good together."
"Thank you. I've worked hard for this. Though I do sometimes miss those simpler days when I only had to greet customers."
Clarice could somewhat relate.
Traveling incognito and living as a regular tourist had its perks—just following her feet with no real worries.
"..."
Even as she spoke, Clarice kept stealing glances toward the entrance.
Noticing this, Prince Raphael gave a gentle smile and offered her a bit of advice.
"Princess, just a tip—sometimes it's better to deal with the fallout after you've acted."
"…Pardon?"
"Like I did. When I first declared I'd make Del my queen, people absolutely lost their minds."
Clarice had been present at the time, so she was momentarily flustered.
But she quickly realized what he meant.
And so—
The most beautiful yet untouchable flowers of the banquet hall—
They all, almost comically, had their gazes tilted toward the entrance like petals swaying in the wind.
Soon after—
The star of today's banquet arrived.
Baron Isaac Logan.
Usually not one for dressing up, his natural charm stood out even more tonight—and it wasn't by accident.
Handsome men, when dressed up, didn't just look good—they looked better.
For men like him, dressing up didn't just add flair—it multiplied their appeal.
Isaac's calm entrance, marked by his confident gait, was more than enough to make hearts flutter.
He looked like a protagonist straight out of one of those illicit romance novels traded discreetly on the streets.
"Hmph."
Noticing the surrounding reactions, Clarice frowned slightly, prompting Raphael to chuckle.
"Looks like you've got some competition. More flowers seem to be eyeing the bee than expected."
"He's unbelievable. I told him to dress moderately—what, is he here to flirt with everyone?"
Grumbling, Clarice nevertheless couldn't take her eyes off him.
"Seriously! Now that he's leaving Evergard, it's like he's just setting people's hearts on fire before walking away! He's an arsonist. Hey, Heirad, arrest him."
"I surrender. Please arrest me instead—for disobeying a direct royal command."