The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Family Wants A Divorce

✦ Chapter 13 — The Transcendent ✦

「Translator – Creator」

᠃ ⚘᠂ ⚘ ⚘ ᠂ ⚘ ᠃

The hour was late, not yet midnight, but the noble reinforcements, exhausted from rigorous training and the harsh frontier life, had long since succumbed to sleep. Now, roused from their slumber, they stumbled out to the training grounds, one by one, rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

Awaiting them was Silverna Caldias. Her expression was as dark as the pre-dawn sky. It wasn’t merely the lack of light that shadowed their faces but the gravity of the situation they were about to address.

Amid the disoriented nobles shuffling outside, a sleepy-eyed Jonathan hurriedly approached Isaac, “Lord Isaac, what’s all this commotion about?”

“I’m not sure. But one thing’s certain—it’s something serious.”

“This kind of commotion at the front lines… it’s unsettling.”

As a biting wind swept through, the murmuring nobles instinctively huddled against the cold, the chill silencing their chatter; however, thanks to the fur hat and gloves gifted to him by Silverna and Anna, Isaac managed to remain relatively warm.

As the crowd quieted, Silverna finally spoke.

“At approximately 23:20 hours, just fifteen minutes ago, a stranger approached the Wall.”

A mere fifteen minutes ago… the nobles stirred slightly at the announcement, murmuring among themselves about the recent event.

“He identified himself as a merchant from Holstein,” Silverna continued. “However, upon investigation, he was revealed to be a grave robber.”

A collective gasp rippled through the ranks. Holstein was a Kingdom renowned for its mastery of magic, but it was also notorious for its grave robbers. Empowered by modern magic, these thieves plundered the tombs of ancient royalty and nobility.

“This particular thief had looted Holstein’s imperial tombs and came to our Kingdom intending to trade his stolen treasures.”

A collective sigh of dismay rippled through the nobles; they immediately grasped the gravity of the situation— it had the potential to escalate into a diplomatic crisis.

One of the nobles, unable to contain himself, raised his hand. “If we caught the grave robber, can’t we just return the stolen goods and be done with it?” 

Interrupting their commander during a briefing was a serious breach of protocol. However, Silverna, taking into consideration their inexperience, chose to overlook the transgression.

“The critical issue isn’t just the theft. It’s the fact that this robbers stirred up a beast nest near the Malideen Wall on their way here.”

The rest was as predictable as it was grim.

The grave robber’s accomplices had all met a grisly end at the claws and teeth of the beasts, leaving the stolen treasures scattered amidst the carnage. And now, agitated and enraged, the beasts were laying siege to the very Wall they were sworn to protect.

“Our mission as a detachment is to recover the stolen treasures. Fortunately, they didn’t get far. However, the beasts are our biggest obstacle.”

In the distance, the faint sound of battle reached their ears — the clash of steel against claw, the roar of beasts, the desperate cries of men; the Wall was under attack.

“Our goal is to avoid combat wherever possible. If we must engage, we’ll keep it to a minimum and then withdraw immediately. Let’s move out.”

And with that, the noble reinforcements, their earlier confusion replaced with a grim determination, fell into formation and marched towards the looming shadow of the Wall.

The guards accompanying the noble reinforcements trailed behind their masters, their faces etched with displeasure. Still, they had no choice but to obey. Jonathan, sticking close to Isaac, voiced his confusion with a bewildered frown.

“Lord Isaac, why are we the ones searching for these stolen treasures?”

“To avoid diplomatic fallout,” Isaac explained patiently. “Do you really think Holstein would simply accept it if we told them their treasures were lost to beasts? They’d smell a rat.”

“But… that’s the truth, isn’t it?”

“Even if it is, how they perceive it is another matter entirely. What if they suspect we orchestrated the whole thing? That we hired the grave robbers and used the beasts as a cover-up to steal the treasures for ourselves?”

“But we didn’t do that!”

“Exactly. It’s not true. But that doesn’t mean Holstein won’t try to spin it into a diplomatic incident. Especially since the grave robbers came all the way here to trade their stolen goods in our kingdom.”

The implications were clear. Whoever possessed the financial means to purchase the stolen treasures from the royal tombs of Holstein was undoubtedly someone of considerable standing. The investigation would inevitably focus on high-ranking nobles.

And if a high-ranking noble were implicated in the theft of treasures from another kingdom’s royal tombs? It wouldn’t just be a diplomatic nightmare; it could very well be the catalyst for war.

“Ah,” Jonathan murmured, finally grasping the gravity of the situation, nodding his head in understanding.

“Managing such delicate matters,” Isaac continued, “is all part of being a Margrave. It’s about resolving potential conflicts before they escalate.”

Somewhere atop the Wall, amidst the chaos of battle, Ulderan Caldias was likely giving those beasts a run for their money.

As they exited through a gate unthreatened by the beast swarm, Jonathan, struck by another question, turned to Isaac.

“But why send the dispatched nobles out on such a dangerous mission? Isn’t this task too perilous?”

“Fighting beasts on the Wall is far more dangerous,” Isaac replied nonchalantly.

*BOOOOM!*

As if to emphasize Isaac’s point, a deafening crash echoed from the direction of the Wall, followed by the tremors of collapsing stone; the noble enforcements flinched, some instinctively ducking for cover while Jonathan also glanced nervously toward the commotion.

Isaac, however, continued speaking.

“We’re out here for a reason, you know. While most of these enforcements are promising Knights here to gain practical experience, their escorts are another matter entirely.”

“Ah!” Jonathan exclaimed, a look of understanding dawning on his face.

“See? Caldias doesn’t want to risk his noble enforcements, but their escorts? But technically, those guards are here to protect the dispatched nobles, not fight under Caldias’s command.”

Sending the dispatched noble out on this relatively safe mission was a clever way for Caldias to utilize the skills of their highly trained escorts in the defense of the Wall. Besides, the soldiers stationed at Malideen Walls were far more experienced when it came to repelling attacks on the Wall.

“It’s quite ingenious,” Jonathan admitted.

Isaac couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He already suspected Jonathan wasn’t particularly sharp when it came to such matters, but this was proving to be worse than expected; meanwhile, even as they passed through the towering gates of the Wall, a hint of discontent lingered on Jonathan’s face.

“It’s not fair,” he muttered under his breath. “We’re the victims here, yet we’re the ones cleaning up this mess.”

“Hmm?”

“Think about it. We didn’t do anything wrong, but now we’re tangled up with grave robbers, treasures, and diplomacy. It feels like we’re catering too much to Holstein’s whims,” Jonathan muttered, his lips forming a pout.

“If you’re trying to pin an unfair label on us, couldn’t our kingdom just respond strongly to it?”

Isaac chuckled, shaking his head at Jonathan’s youthful indignation. “Tell me, Jonathan,” he said, his eyes twinkling with amusement, “how old are you this year?”

“Twenty-two.”

“Well, Jonathan, though I may have only lived for two years longer than you,” Isaac said, his tone turning serious, “there’s one thing I’ve learned.”

“……………”

“If bowing our heads a little, if putting in a bit of extra effort, can prevent war? Then it’s a small price to pay.”

Jonathan’s brow furrowed slightly.

As a knight, he knew that avoiding war by being a bit more diplomatic was a good thing.

“You’d be surprised how often small diplomatic disputes escalate into full-blown wars. It’s our duty to extinguish those sparks before they ignite into an inferno.”

“Hmm… I suppose,” Jonathan conceded, though he still seemed unconvinced.

Despite being subjected to numerous hardships, Isaac wondered if Jonathan remained at Helmund out of a mix of admiration and a sense of heroism.

Isaac gently nudged Jonathan’s shoulder, offering sincere advice.

“Don’t worry, you’ll come to understand soon enough. Out here, on the frontlines, you’ll see firsthand that the peace our kingdom enjoys is built upon the sacrifices and hard work of those who came before us.”

“Is that so?”

“No, it’s not about taking up a sword by default. There are other ways to maintain peace, Jonathan.”

“Ah, I see. It’s a saying that Helmund can’t say out loud.”

“That’s why I’m not a good fit for Helmund.”

Isaac fell silent, and Jonathan followed suit, his expression unreadable.

Although he seemed dissatisfied, he didn’t slacken his duty as Isaac’s escort.

As they emerged from the Wall, the sound of their footsteps was the only noise, and the moonlight was barely sufficient to guide them.

‘Silverna is definitely a night owl,’ indeed.’

Following behind her footsteps, Isaac couldn’t help but notice that a skirmish had occurred.

A cart, not a carriage, lay broken in two.

It was clear they hadn’t planned to pass through the Malideen Wall. Instead, the robbers had taken a detour through the mountains. And since horse-drawn wagons couldn’t traverse the rugged terrain, they’d opted for a crude cart, pulling it themselves to reach this point.

“They sure went through a lot of trouble,” one of the guards muttered.

“What a mess,” another added.

“Look at the bloodstains,” someone noted grimly.

The disturbed snow was stained with blood, but there were no corpses; the beasts had likely devoured every last one of them.

The scene suggested not a battle, but a gruesome feast.

On the shattered remains of the cart lay a case—presumably the one that had contained the stolen grave goods.

And standing before it was a figure.

“Shh.”

Silverna, who had been leading the way, abruptly halted, her expression hardening as a jolt of apprehension ran down her spine. Gripping her spear tightly, she called out, her voice sharp with caution, “Who’s there?”

The figure, who had been shrouded in the shadow of the trees, turned slightly, as if only just realizing the spear pointed in its direction. 

“Ah.”

Under the dense trees, where the moonlight barely reached, its figure came into view.

The being stood at least two meters tall, its broad shoulders accentuated by a thick fur vest; thick, white fur covered its entire body. Though it walked on two legs, its face resembled that of a tiger. Its swaying tail and fearsome fangs were enough to reveal its inhuman nature.

The final blow was the massive greatsword strapped to its back.

“A demon beast?”

“What kind of demon beast looks like that?”

“He doesn’t look like a yeti. Is that… a tiger in human form?”

The nobles whispered in confusion, their voices tinged with fear. All eyes turned toward Silverna, the only one among them who lived in the North and might recognize the creature.

“…………….?”

But she only bit her lip and gripped her spear with both hands, bracing herself. Instinct told her that even a moment’s lapse in focus would cost her life.

Among the group, only Isaac recognized what the creature was.

‘A Transcendent.’

The creatures that had brought humanity to the brink of extinction with their boundless hatred for humans; they were intelligent, fiendish beings that had no capacity for mercy, compassion, or even negotiation.

He had thought there was still time before their emergence.

‘Have they already started moving in the north?’

Were they somehow involved in the disappearance of the grave treasures?

Whatever the answer, one thing was clear.

This wasn’t good.

Not good at all.

‘Silverna won’t stand a chance against it.’

Even with the nobles’ guards, their chances of victory were slim; that’s just the kind of threat a Transcendent posed; the Transcendents’ cold, blue eyes scanned the nobles, and it let out a low growl.

“Unfortunate for you.”

There was no trace of mercy, negotiation, or reason in those eyes; the creature’s only intent was annihilation. With a powerful leap, it launched itself forward, swinging its enormous greatsword in a wide arc.

*CLANG!*

“Kghhh!”

The sound of steel meeting steel echoed through the air as Silverna took the brunt of the attack, her knee buckling under the creature’s crushing strength.

“My lady!”

Anna, who had been guarding Silverna’s flank, reacted quickly, thrusting her spear at the creature. But the creature didn’t so much as flinch; the spearhead slid harmlessly off its thick hide, unable to pierce through.

*Thwack!*

With terrifying speed, it struck, its fist connecting with the shaft of her spear, snapping it in two like a twig. A backhanded blow sent Anna flying through the air, her limp body landing with a sickening thud in the snow.

“Pathetic humans,” the Transcendent sneered, its blue eyes blazing with contempt.

And now, its gaze swept over the terrified nobles, a cruel smile spreading across its face. “I’ll slaughter every last one of you.”

And as the night air filled with its chilling pronouncements, the hunt had begun.

END of CHAPTER

тяαηѕℓαтσя’ѕ ησтєѕ

Looks like the Wall has finally been breached by the White Walkers!!!

☩

If you liked the novel, do not forget to rate and review the novel on ⟿ NOVELUPDATES.

Also, if you cannot wait to see what lies ahead in the story, curious about what to unfold, you can now read the advanced chapters on the site.