# The Sword
The sword plunges down, scattering moonlight as it embeds itself. Powerful momentum, flawless posture.
"Excellent." Ivan nodded, deflecting with his axe and catching the blade.
*Clang!*
The blade caught on the axe's edge wobbled, losing its trajectory before falling. Ivan lifted the sword from where it had struck the ground and examined its condition.
"How is it?"
"This is acceptable."
"Hehe, what did I tell you? I said you'd learn quickly, didn't I?"
"Indeed."
Ivan nodded and tossed the sword back.
Isabelle precisely caught the spinning blade in mid-air and grinned.
"How would you rate me? Compared to my father when he was my age?"
"Compared to Maximillian, anyone on the continent would fall short."
Ivan couldn't help but smile at Isabelle's bold question.
He approached Isabelle, who was pouting with puffed cheeks, draped a towel over her sweat-soaked neck, and gently pressed down on her head.
"Don't get buried in the shadows of those who walked before you."
"Oh, what a cool saying! Did you come up with that?"
"No, Enrique told me that."
It was what she had told "Little" Ivan, who had been buried in the shadow of the previous king.
It's natural to admire someone. The world is vast, and there are many exceptional people.
But trying to imitate each of them one by one only results in awkward mimicry.
Enrique had told Ivan, and now Ivan was telling Isabelle:
Don't get buried in the shadows of those who walked before you; take your own steps toward your own path.
"Hmm. That's good advice, but somehow it doesn't match Professor Enrique's image!"
"Back then, Enrique was a serious person."
"What about you? Did you only say things like 'Hmm,' 'Indeed,' 'No,' and 'I'm busy' back then too?"
"Hmm..."
Those days, huh.
Ivan stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment.
"Not much different."
"That's so boring! Geez, really. Did your sense of emotion die during the war? What actually lives in your heart? Let me guess. Axes? Healing Potions?"
"Nonsense."
Ivan chuckled, ruffled Isabelle's hair once more, and stood up.
After the practical terrorism incident, Ivan had been training Isabelle every night.
The sequence of events needed some clarification. Strictly speaking, it was Isabelle who had cornered Ivan and asked for training.
It was special training to reach what they called the "Domain of the Transcendent."
"Come on, let's move to the next step. Hurry, hurry."
"Alright."
Isabelle sat cross-legged on the grass. She exhaled calmly and quietly closed her eyes.
"Hurry up and put your hand on me!"
"That's hardly necessary anymore."
"Oh come on, I'm still not used to it!"
The Domain of the Transcendent begins with flowing mana to strengthen the nervous system.
To develop the sense of projecting mana into the neural networks throughout the body. Initially, Ivan had placed his hand on her back to assist with mana exploration.
He would channel his mana to open pathways and guide her mana to help her get a feel for it.
Of course, this was just the most basic step. Even after getting the feel for it, actually operating it oneself is a separate issue, and even if one succeeds in strengthening, moving the body at that enhanced speed is yet another matter.
"Hmmmm..."
"Close your mouth and focus on the sensation."
"But hmmmm... it's so warm..."
When Ivan infused his mana, Isabelle went limp and sighed.
"Lately Yuri's been busy, and Essie's been busy too... Even when I want to rest, I don't have friends to play with..."
"This isn't rest time."
"Yes it is, it definitely is."
Isabelle looked up at Ivan through narrowed eyes.
With mischievous eyes, she glanced at him and smiled impishly.
"Are you working with me right now?"
"I'm teaching you."
"I'm going to call it resting. It's just time to play with you."
"I'll need to reconsider the intensity of the training."
Ivan was somewhat shocked. As someone with excellent self-awareness, he had maintained what he considered a strict, cold, and demanding level of education.
This was considered playing? Truly the daughter of Maximillian.
Ivan nodded briefly.
Seeing this, Isabelle made an expression as if looking at something terribly pathetic, then sighed. She stretched and stood up.
"Fine. Ugh, I learned a lot today too."
"Hmm."
"Oh right. You're still working as a secret agent, aren't you? I recently heard something strange."
"Strange story?"
"Yes! I'll tell you this. You know, Lord Dian saw a strange guy in front of our house a few days ago."
"A strange guy?"
"Yes! He was staring blankly at our house from a corner of the wall for a while, so he went after him wondering who it was, but lost him."
Ivan frowned at those words.
Dian, the guard officer assigned to her from the Tilles monarchy.
For someone like him to lose sight of a person... It meant they weren't just a student or civilian.
"Is he not one of your colleagues?"
"No."
The Counterintelligence Command doesn't work that way.
"I'll look into it. Don't worry about it."
"But... how can I not worry when someone is watching the house where I live?"
"That's for me to worry about. Students should focus on their studies."
"Ah..."
He really comes in strong sometimes.
Isabelle glared at Ivan's retreating back for a while before sighing with a "phew."
It's not easy. Really.
She smiled slightly and hugged the towel around her neck tightly.
Isabelle is being watched by someone.
Of course, it's not the Counterintelligence Command's doing. Not only does the Command not work that way, but Isabelle and the children of the Hero Party fall under Ivan's jurisdiction.
Dmitri would never do anything to disturb his sensibilities.
Ivan walked through the night streets, lost in thought.
-Someone, or some group, is watching the children of the Hero Party.
-One of Droan's five Jarls attempted a bomb attack on the academy.
Could there be a connection between these two incidents? The latter was clearly an attempt on Asidis's life.
If Asidis dies or gets injured, King Einarr would take action.
And Einarr and his brothers are the most powerful military force currently in Droan's mainland. If they move, Droan would be as good as an empty house.
That's what one of the Jarls is aiming for. A scheme to overthrow the kingdom in Einarr's absence.
'And Isabelle is involved in this?'
It could be an overreaction. They could be completely separate, unrelated incidents.
But Ivan had an uneasy feeling. And his instincts were honed through more than 20 years of war.
'As long as Mord is there, Asidis is safe at night.'
Mord had graduated from his orphanage volunteer work and returned to his position as Asidis's exclusive guard officer.
With him there, even if something were to happen, he could easily buy time until Ivan arrived.
Therefore, he had been somewhat calmly observing the situation after sunset.
'I'll watch Asidis during the day and Isabelle at night.'
Ivan organized his schedule as he headed to the director's office.
He never thought it would be easy from the start. He had to find a culprit that the Counterintelligence Command couldn't catch for two months.
Of course, the Command couldn't fully focus solely on this matter, but still. It's not easy for an individual to handle what a state agency's investigative power couldn't accomplish.
But as always.
Can it be done, or can it not be done? That question isn't important.
For the Annihilation Squad, only one proposition was truth.
Should it be done, or not?
If it should be done, don't hesitate. Just do it.
Ivan dismantled the booby traps set in the director's office one by one, returned to his seat, and turned on the mana lamp.
Until late at night, the sounds of organizing reports and adjusting ledgers continued without pause from the director's office.
Asidis trudged across the campus toward the bench.
The bench next to the Knight Department's outdoor training room was their hideout where she always ate lunch with Isabelle and Yuri.
Today was tiring too. Classes were difficult, classmates were cold, the world was harsh...
Asidis approached the bench, clutching her lunchbox bag tightly, when she suddenly froze.
"Ah, Essie! You came early today!"
"Wh-what...? What's...? What's going on...? Here...?"
"Oh, say hello! Starting today, he'll be eating lunch with us for a while. First time meeting him? This is my uncle!"
Isabelle laughed energetically as she patted "his" back.
"It's really hard to get to eat together, but when I met him today and asked if he wanted to join us, he immediately agreed. I don't know what's gotten into him, but he's graced us with his rare presence..."
Isabelle was chattering away with heightened excitement. Asidis couldn't hear a word she was saying.
She stared blankly at Ivan, then turned to look at Yuri sitting beside him.
-What's going on here?
-I'm curious too.
Aren't stalkers supposed to be the type who watch from a distance, fulfilling their creepy desires, somewhat passive but full of malice?
Why so boldly...?
She carefully sat down on the bench and took out her lunchbox. Then she glared at Ivan, who was quietly taking out his lunchbox container next to Isabelle.
Bella likes him so much, and he's trying to seduce another woman?
And his method of seduction is surveillance...? That's really the worst.
After enduring Asidis's gaze for a while, Ivan suddenly looked up.
Their eyes met briefly, and just as Asidis was about to lower her gaze out of fear...
"...?"
Something landed with a thud on her lunchbox, her precious chicken sandwich lunchbox.
"What... what is this?"
"Vegetables."
Ivan said as he took out lunchboxes and provided different diets to Isabelle and Yuri.
"You usually eat carbohydrates and protein... just bread and meat. It's a diet where nutritional balance can easily collapse. Make sure to eat vegetables, fruits, and nuts."
Ivan, being a thoughtful and considerate person, explained it in a way that even children in this pre-modern society could easily understand.
He runs an orphanage. And an orphanage is literally a place that takes in children who have lost their parents, feeds them, teaches them, and raises them.
Planning diets, managing schedules for rest and study, and maximizing children's talents, hobbies, and qualities were Ivan's "main job."
Feeling a kind of satisfaction, Ivan also distributed lunchboxes to Yuri and Isabelle.
"Wow, amazing! Thank you, uncle! If I had known, I would have prepared something too. I'm actually a really good cook. What do you think about girls who cook well?"
"That they cook well."
"I really want to kill him..."
Unlike the energetic Isabelle, Asidis looked at Ivan with terror-filled eyes.
'He's even monitoring what I eat every day...?'