The hall was silent as Isaac walked through it, among the eyes of Ironway Merchants.
Some were curious. Some seemed uninterested. Some looked down on him, while some others pitied him.
That's what it meant to be the wielder of an F-rank skill. That's also what it meant to be Nameless.
Isaac didn't react to those gazes. He dealt with those eyes with the same indifference he held in the academy. He had long grown past the phase to care about them.
That didn't mean he was perfectly fine, however. In the end, he too was a human being, and there were far too many factors to consider. Adversities after adversities continued to pour themselves on him, and although he didn't let their effects surface, they scratched him from the inside.
For the past two months, he couldn't sleep properly.
The death of Rick—it wasn't something that he could forget when it was his very own knife that took the man's life.
It wasn't that he was terrified. Rather, it was that the threat of death persisted. He went many nights sleepless. Mulled on choices at his hands. Reached a conclusion that the more he pried into the matter, the more danger he would put himself into.
He wished to be proactive, but [The Prism] told him that being reactive had the highest chance of survival at the moment. After all, dealing with his killers meant dealing with the entire renegade.
Therefore, he gritted through the months.
Sentiments. Logic. Impulse. Rationality.
Refrain your feelings. Act rationally. Minimize enemies. Be aware. Those were the voices that Isaac spoke to himself throughout.
Don't show your weakness.
He knew it well.
Don't trust anyone. Not even yourself.
[The Prism] always told him to be logical, because the emotional assessment of his current situation spoke of nothing but despair.
So that's what he did… or so he thought. In the end, he rarely acted logically—be it surviving until the last second in the Mechanism Room, emerging victorious against Silas Fulgur, making an enemy out of Aldric Zephyr, or ruining a chance to generate rapport with Reyn of Ironway Merchants.
Because he acted out of emotions, he was now facing consequences. People knew what he was capable of. People continued to belittle or pity him for his status, but rarely underestimated him. It was the worst outcome possible.
Walking out of the merchant hall, Isaac viewed the sky in silence, his feet coming to a brief stop.
Truth be told, beyond despair, there was loneliness.
There was no one by his side. There was no one whom he could place his trust in. Elara, Cassiopeia, Magnus, Vesper, Irine, Evangeline—none at all. Perhaps that was the reason why he continuously acted against the rational choices, why he faithfully carried the iron charm that Elara gave him.
He instinctively reached into his pocket. The charm wasn't there, because prior to his departure, he reasoned that the knife would be more than enough to replace the tool. He knew, however, the true reason why he didn't bring it with him.
Why don't I leave? In the past, he asked himself. The fact that National Academy required an attendance and led to years of mandatory service to military didn't matter. If remaining in the academy gave him no joy or purpose in life, what was the point?
It was just that… such thought would always be followed by more questions, if I were to leave, to where would I go? Why are there people trying to kill me?
And he found no answers to them.
Why are people judging me for something I had no control over?
No one would tell him anything. Everyone criticized him, but gave him no pointer to improve.
He was tired. Yet, there was no choice left to him but to continue moving forward. After all, should he run, those thoughts will persist for eternity.
He sighed. His thoughts were going all over the place.
Then, he remembered the matter of the tournament. Caldwin Pass. Aldric Zephyr. Ironway Merchants. Irine.
He looked down on his empty hands.
There are too many on my plate.
It was a decision that he already made before. In the tournament, he would lose on purpose. He won't repeat the same mistake of drawing further attention on him.
Isaac looked up. His head felt cleared up by a little. After a while, he finally resumed his walk. The sky was vast, and the road ahead was modest in comparison.
However, he didn't get to walk for long. He found that by the corner, Camilla was standing with her arms crossed, clearly waiting for someone.
And that someone seemed to be him, for whatever reason.
"Isaac." Camilla spoke, still in a foul mood. Her arms lowered.
"You've been waiting."
"I was."
"Why?"
"I need to talk to you about that girl." Camilla spat the word 'girl' in spite. "About how to get her off Aldric."
Isaac closed his eyes in reflex. Fatigue once again rushed into him, and he couldn't help but grimace. "Camilla." He spoke flatly, restraining his emotion.
She didn't seem to realize his internal exhaustion. Perhaps it was that he masked it well, or that she didn't care.
"She is a commoner, for god's sake! There is no way someone like her could become a member of House Zephyr—"
"Camilla."
"—besides, I would soon be anointed as the heiress of House Hedron. I mean, I have A-rank: [Mystical Swords]! If Aldric chooses me, it would mean an alliance unlike any other. House Zephyr would become the strongest among Five Pillars—"
"Camilla Hedron!" Isaac snapped. For the first time, in front of Camilla.
At last, Camilla stopped. Her eyes widened, clearly bewildered.
"I-Isaac Valerius of House Valerius, it is an honor to meet you."
The memory was vivid in him—the first day when he met Camilla. She stuttered. She was shy. She was someone who just put a step into the noble society, and was innocent back then.
"I am Camilla Hedron, but please call me Camilla. I am aware that our engagement was done without consent, but… I still want to be genuine."
The smile she gave him back then no longer existed.
Now, they were nothing to each other. Yet, every time she saw him, she continued to bother him. Be it an insult or glare, she always walked in his way.
"Why can't you leave me alone?" Isaac whispered in genuine confusion and frustration.
Camilla's eyes trembled. She forced a snort, "what—"
"What am I to you? A slave?"
She was silent.
"A peer?"
He was exhausted. He believed that she wanted nothing with him ever since that day, and yet, she continued to come in his way and pester him.
"Do you still love me?"
"Isaac Nameless!" Camilla reacted violently. "Watch your mouth, commoner!"
Isaac looked at her in the eye. He could identify the emotions that she was expressing on the surface. However, that didn't mean he knew what was exactly in her mind.
"You know what I am going through." In exhaustion, he muttered. "You weaponize my circumstances to mock me. Then, you expect me to help you."
"Don't overestimate—"
"How many times must I say this?" Isaac took a step forward. Subconsciously, Camilla took a step back. "Leave me alone."
Camilla shut her mouth. Stared at Isaac with her face falling apart, no matter how hard she tried to pretend calm. Her bewildered eyes met his tired ones. Her fists tightened.
"…You promised." She then whispered. "You promised that you wouldn't…"
"Promise." Isaac's eyes were aloof as they stared at the sky. "Yes. I promised. So did you." He muttered, "you broke it first."
She didn't say anything to that. Clenched her hands and looked down—as if she didn't know he would react this way, as if she was betrayed by him.
Isaac didn't have anything else to say, so he walked past her. Continued walking as if nothing happened. His face already masked his volatile emotion under the surface.
"How has your day been, Isaac?"
Their engagement once upon a time was nothing but a memory now. It was House Hedron that placed a formal complaint to render the marriage contract null, and House Valerius signed it.
The decision was made by none other than Camilla herself. She wished to cut her ties with him, and that's what she did.
Today, he didn't understand her. Frankly speaking, he wanted nothing from her. She would be nothing but a classmate, one whom he is to collaborate with on this project and nothing more.
Whether she was a part of her father's betrayal or not no longer mattered. The only case where it would matter was if she got in his way, and should that happen, he will deal with her.
He stared ahead; at the road he was walking toward. Took a deep breath.
As he released it, the wisps of bittersweet memories returned to where they came from.
…
During that night, Isaac sat across Vane, who had a map laid out on the table between them.
Randal acquired four rooms for each one of them, in the most expensive inn available in the town.
The assessor, Howe, was nowhere to be seen. Isaac assumed that he was monitoring them from somewhere where eyes didn't reach, through a method they didn't know.
Currently, as Randal and Camilla went to sleep, Isaac was asked by Vane to remain to discuss about the assignment.
"Hah," Vane sighed, "we aren't here for a casual trip. A Manafold Beast with a B-rank skill is substantial. And those two… forget it." Reaching for a pen, he began to draw a line on the map. "This is the route we took from capital to here, Mallow Town. Took us three days. According to the coachman, we will," he extended the line he just drew, "travel on this route. Will take us seven days. Ten days one-way, twenty days if we consider the return. It is just as you predicted."
"It is still the matter of predication until we actually experience it." Isaac remarked, "but it should be right."
"The road isn't what I'm concerned of." Vane circled the southwestern area of the map, at where the line that he drew ended. "Let's talk about the actual target in question, Red Wolf."
"It appears that you figured something out."
"Yes." Vane nodded. "Heliosphere is the ruin within a dry environment. A desert. Naturally, the ignition temperature is low." He revealed another paper underneath the map, which was the bounty poster that they acquired before the departure. " Its skill is, once again, B-rank: [Raging Fire]. It is known that the manifestation of pyrokinetic skill requires less mana in hot and dry environment. This can be a reason why it chose to reside in that barren land."
"One more." Isaac had a point to add on. "The land is barren as you said. Quite flat, with no mountains or hills. This means that wind is a factor."
"…Wind." Vane frowned. "Yes, fire and wind can be destructive when combined."
"Or," Isaac suggested, "they can work against each other."
Vane furrowed his brows, trying to understand what Isaac meant.
"Fire typically requires three sources to manifest: fuel, heat, and oxygen. Mana serves as the sufficient replacement to fuel and heat, and existing oxygen can be leveraged to further enhance the element. This is the reason why it is quite destructive when wind reinforces it." Isaac took the pen from Vane. Drew an arrow at the bottom of the bounty poster. "However, wind is more predictable than you'd believe. It is caused by the tendency of particles to go from high to low pressure, and the flow must be laminar for it to be significant. It means that the wind has a direction. By reinforcing the fire, we aren't just referring to its magnitude, but also the direction."
Before the arrow, Isaac drew a circle. "This is where we position ourselves. Such that," he wrote the letter R on where the arrow was pointing, "the beast faces against the wind. It will serve as a layer of protection."
"And whatever manages to push through…"
"You." Isaac pointed Vane out. "[Mana Siphon] takes care of the rest."
"[Mana Siphon]…" Vane muttered to himself as he looked at his hand. Clenched it. "I will be honest with you, Isaac. I have not mastered this skill yet." He sighed. "The fact that [Mana Siphon] is a passive skill doesn't mean that it can't be controlled. Rather, it means that even if it were to be active, it costs a miniscule amount of mana, lower than the rate by which its owner recovers it. If I attain higher degree of control over mana, I can shut it off completely."
Whenever he was near Vane, Isaac could feel the invisible force that was drawing ambient mana away from him. It meant that as he said, his [Mana Siphon] was at work, active against his will.
"I can defend, yes. But we need to practice on the formation. If you stand near me as you operate your skills, they may be absorbed into me instead." Vane shook his head, "same applies to others. This is the reason why I wanted to discuss and prepare with all of us present."
"Forget those two." Isaac said flatly. "You know very well they won't listen. They won't bother to work in team either. The moment we arrive at the ruins and begin the assignment, they would likely run off on their own."
"…I seriously hope that won't be the case." Vane sighed again. Then, paused as he looked at Isaac astutely, "anyway, let's not mess this up. There is nothing worse than letting our emotions get ahead of us."
___
Another day began in the academy. It was the same as ever to everyone except for the fact that the second-year higher class students were away due to their special assignments.
It meant that another day began to Evangeline, as the light shone into her room through the windows.
The day was peaceful at the surface. However, she knew very well that this peace was fabricated, that the current state of the kingdom was anything but peace.
The reason why she knew this was because she was aware of the situation in the east.
"Dear Evangeline,"
In her hands was the letter written by her father.
"Have you been well? I apologize for a late letter; things have been quite busy on my end."
Below, he explained how the civilians are leaving the land, how the number of active workers has decreased below the critical threshold such that the town is no longer sustainable.
Her face darkened.
"However, worry not. I believe I found a solution."
"…A solution?"
She paused on that. Then, moved to the next sentence.
"A hand arrived at us, one that is willing to help. They are none other than House Wason. Although they are lesser nobles like us, their affiliation with House Fulgur and generational wealth make them sturdier than any other lesser noble houses. They offered to give us a portion of their land that we can relocate to."
"House… Wason."
Land relocation. It sounded too good to be true. Because of that, Evangeline grimaced, for she knew that nothing was free in the noble society.
"They suggested a marriage alliance. The heir of House Wason has taken a liking in you. His name is Jax Wason—"
The memory flashed in Evangeline's mind. Two months and a week ago. Banquet. Public shame. Jax Wason.
Her breathing quickened. She couldn't finish the letter and closed it.
"Jax…" Slowly, she whispered the name, "Wason…"
She looked down. Found nothing but her legs that sat on the wheelchair.
She was at loss of words.