[V7C27] Adult Consideration (Practical Edition)

Isaac Walker, the self-proclaimed disciple of the Silent Witch, took care of a few tasks sent by Wildianu during his stay in Sazandol, all while continuing his personal magical research.

In addition, he also handled all the housework, as well as cooking for Nero. He spent his time quietly for the most part, but recently, something new had been added to his daily routine.

“Walker, are you ready?”

“Yeah, anytime.”

With a practice sword at his waist, Isaac was facing off against Anthony in one of Sazandol’s vacant lots.

Meanwhile, Anthony only held the hilt of a sword; the blade was nonexistent. However, after chanting a short spell, an icy blade extended from the hilt of his sword with a crisp sound.

This was a spell for creating magic swords, commonly employed by the knights of Randall. Though the icy blade had been dulled, taking a strike would still be quite painful.

“Now then… here I come!”

Anthony let out a shout, and in the next moment, he flew at Isaac with great force.

Isaac calmly parried the ice blade without being intimidated by the overwhelming pressure that Anthony exuded, despite his friendly demeanor moments ago.

If he was up against a magic sword of lightning or fire, he would not be able to parry without sustaining damage. However, this training assumed his opponent was a regular swordsman.

(The difference in strength is clear in a head-on clash. Unless I deflect the force properly, I could end up with an injured wrist. Dodging is an option too, but…)

While keeping an eye on his rear, Isaac went for a parry rather than the more effective option of dodging. Unfortunately, this was a task more easily said than done.

“Eiya!”

With a powerful war cry, Anthony swept his blade horizontally. The wide swing meant his torso was exposed. It seemed to be the perfect opportunity to dive in for a counterattack, but this was a trap.

Isaac distanced himself instead, causing Anthony to put on a wicked smile.

“Why did you miss that chance, Walker?”

“In a real fight, winning would be pointless if I end up dead too.”

“I see you noticed my intention. Then how about this…!”

Anthony swung his blade again. Isaac wanted to step back to avoid the attack, but he couldn’t afford to retreat any further.

Instead, Isaac took a step forward and attempted to parry Anthony’s blade, aiming for the man’s throat. However, the weight of Anthony’s blade placed more stress on his wrist than anticipated, and his attempt failed. As a result, Anthony’s ice blade was now pointed directly at Isaac’s neck.

“The match is over.”

“…Yeah.”

Isaac let out a sigh and stroked his aching wrist.

Meanwhile, Anthony observed the damage to his ice blade and muttered in admiration.

“You really are skilled, Walker.”

“But I can’t possibly match up to you.”

“There’s no need for modesty. I can tell after clashing swords with you so many times. You always act as if you need to protect someone behind you.”

Isaac stopped stroking his wrist and turned to Anthony with wide eyes.

(He noticed?)

In his childhood, Isaac was first taught the style of swordsmanship for protecting Prince Felix. His duty was to stand in front of his master and defend him.

Thus, he was not allowed to draw enemies too close, or deflect blows to his rear. Even if such strategies were the most effective path to victory, winning would be meaningless if it brought harm to the person he was protecting.

But then, Isaac had his face reconstructed following Felix’s death, and all of those habits were corrected.

The Second Prince, Felix Arc Ridill, required the swordsmanship to annihilate his foes. He must cut down everything standing before him, showcasing overwhelming talent and power——a royal style befitting the future king.

And indeed, he did it well. Everyone praised Prince Felix’s swordsmanship.

However, now Isaac wanted to correct the princely style to the way it used to be. He desired a sword not for victory, but for protecting. That was why he decided to train with Anthony.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to hold back or anything.”

Isaac had only asked Anthony to accompany him in sword training, without revealing his circumstances. However, Anthony laughed heartily without taking any offense.

“Don’t worry about it. My sword and yours exist for different purposes. Mine is for cutting through the vanguard to break the enemy formation. Yours is for protecting someone behind you. There’s no distinction of rank or value between us.”

Anthony was definitely a slob, as well as a troublesome man who refused to listen to others, but his swordsmanship was top-notch. Clearly, he had military experience.

As Isaac pondered such thoughts, Anthony asked a sudden question.

“By the way, Walker, did you happen to have a period when your right eye was injured?”

For a moment, Isaac’s heart skipped a beat. He reflexively lifted his right hand to touch his bangs.

Hiding his right eye behind his bangs was a childhood habit, but this habit had been corrected when he swapped with Felix.

“…Why do you ask that?”

“Your reflexes are astoundingly good, but I noticed a slight delay in reacting to attacks from the right. Also, based on my observations, you have a habit of using your left eye to see things on your right side. This led me to believe there was a time when you lost the use of your right eye.”

Isaac was astonished. No one had ever pointed that out before, not even the veteran knights who trained him in swordsmanship.

Since Anthony had noticed so quickly, perhaps he was even more exceptional than Isaac gave him credit for.

“…Thank you for pointing that out. It seems I still have habits which require fixing.”

After expressing his gratitude, Isaac held up his sword at the ready. Anthony smiled and followed suit.

“You know, I’m in a bit of a slump lately too! Today, you had better accompany me until I’m satisfied, Walker!”

＊　＊　＊

While clashing blades with Isaac Walker, Anthony Winkel secretly marveled to himself.

There were few swordsmen of Isaac’s caliber in the Randall Knights, especially not at such a young age. To tell the truth, he wanted this talent in his squad.

Fighting to protect someone behind you shackled you with movement restrictions. Nevertheless, Isaac had managed to keep up with Anthony.

(…It’s just as Michel said.)


“I believe Walker-kun is a retainer for someone of high status.”

Michel, Anthony’s younger brother, had said this after the drinking party a few days ago.

As a member of the division specialized in intelligence operations, Michel had an excellent eye for observation.

Throughout the entire party, he had been observing the young man whose handsome face made him look completely out of place.

“When eating, the first thing he did was grab a taste of all the dishes.”

“That doesn’t sound particularly unusual.”

Teodor, who had been playing with their dog, responded casually, but Michel shook his head and continued.

“His first bite was small, placing a bit of food on his tongue without chewing immediately, checking for any numbness. Then, he would wait a bit before trying the next dish, likely to confirm that there were no unusual reactions. He’s made a habit of poison-testing.”

There were only two types of people who would perform poison-testing that often. Either he descended from a noble house of considerable standing, or was the retainer of such a noble.

“Also, Walker-kun had full awareness of everyone around him. I tried to surprise him a bit by sneaking in from his blind spot, but he saw me coming. That’s not a skill ordinary people can master. That means he’s probably a bodyguard or retainer for someone with a pretty high status.”

“I see, so Walker must be the retainer of the Silent Witch, Monica Everett.”

During the incident in which they captured Samuel Throth, the criminal who deserted the Randall Knights, Anthony had learned that the young girl Monica was actually the Silent Witch.

As a side note, that girl was also their youngest brother’s future wife, making her Anthony’s future sister-in-law.

“Which means Walker is protecting our future sister! He is practically a younger brother to us! Once Monica marries Robert, let us welcome Walker into our home with open arms!”

As another aside, they learned that Walker was having love troubles at the recent drinking party. They even knew that the woman he loved was someone he had sworn loyalty to. Yet for some reason, they hadn’t even considered the possibility that the target of his love might be Monica Everett.

Perhaps Isaac Walker’s extremely handsome face was what caused this misunderstanding. His undeniable good looks and charm would be capable of captivating any younger lady, so surely, the woman who evaded him must be an older beauty——likely a former employer or something similar.

By the way, Michel had also witnessed Cyril Ashley taking Monica away at Samuel Throth’s establishment. However, he perceived Cyril as “probably Monica’s guardian or one of her colleagues in the Seven Sages!” He held the firm belief that the Silent Witch was his brother’s future wife, and thus, their younger sister. This was set in stone.

Despite their exceptional powers of observation and insight, the famous knights of Randall known as the Winkel Brothers always ended up losing their edge when it came to a situation involving their younger brother.

＊　＊　＊

After finishing his sword training with Anthony, Isaac declined the invitation to join them for a meal. This was because Monica was scheduled to return from her guard duty with Princess Cecilia in the capital.

Although Isaac diligently cleaned the house every day, he wanted to clean more thoroughly and prepare a warm meal for Monica upon her return.

(Her favorite sautéed white fish is a must… I also want some baked pastries with nuts. And I need to replenish the coffee beans…)

To capture the attention of the girl one loved, it was essential to polish oneself——this was Anthony’s advice. However, Isaac believed that winning someone over through their stomach was also incredibly important.

That said, reflecting on the past six months, Isaac couldn’t help but feel that he had captured Nero’s appetite rather than Monica’s.

Someday, though, he wanted to hear Monica say, “Ike’s cooking is the best.” This was his modest goal.

Isaac arrived at Monica’s house while mentally writing the shopping list, only to hear a clacking sound coming from within.

His first thought was that Nero might be chasing a mouse, but he opened the door to find Monica wearing an apron, an unusual occurrence. For some reason, she was staring back at Isaac, frozen as a statue.

“Ike!?”

“Welcome back, Monica. You’re back earlier than expected.”

“W-W-Wait, please, just five more minutes! Please sit and wait!”

“…Huh?”

Ignoring Isaac’s confusion, Monica took a memo from her apron pocket and scanned it desperately.

“Okay, I tried to clean, though there wasn’t much to do… then I prepared the bath, changed the sheets, and chilled the drinks, so now I just need to reheat the meal. I failed with the mini flame magic last time, so I’ll use the oven on low heat…”

My master is being as cute as a newlywed bride, Isaac muttered silently in his heart.

Meanwhile, Monica had jogged into the kitchen, so Isaac followed at a leisurely pace and peeked inside.

He found Monica peering into the oven with a seriousness reminiscent of conducting magical experiments. Inside the oven was a chunk of meat marinated in a sauce made with spices and fruits. A tantalizing aroma wafted from within.

“Monica, since marinated meat is prone to burning, it’s better to move it a little farther from the heat.”

“R-Right.”

Monica carefully adjusted the meat, with such caution that it made the watcher anxious, then wiped the sweat off her brow. She seemed entirely absorbed in her task.

Apparently, she had been measuring the time down to the second. Isaac could hear her muttering things like, “Another 180 seconds…” while alternately looking at the clock and the oven.

But Isaac, with his experience in cooking, judged that the meat’s surface would definitely get burnt if left in the oven for another 180 seconds.

“I think you can stop the heat now. The residual heat will be sufficient.”

“R-Residual heat…? That’s an advanced technique…”

“Don’t worry, all you need to do is turn it off.”

Following Isaac’s instructions, Monica turned off the oven and let out a deep breath. She looked as though she had overcome a mountain in her magical research.

Or so he thought, until Monica looked up with a start.

“S-Sorry. I forgot to say welcome back. Welcome back, Ike!”

“Yeah, I’m back. By the way, Monica, you just returned from the capital, right? You can let me handle the rest…”

However, Monica interrupted him by vigorously shaking her head. Then, she straightened her posture and cleared her throat.

Apparently, she had cleared her throat forcibly change the topic, but sadly, the feeble sound did not do much to that extent.

“Um, Ike, I have something to say as your master…”

“Yes? What is it, Master?”

“You haven’t, um, been quite yourself lately.”

Isaac flinched slightly.

Indeed, Isaac had come into contact with Imperial spies and learned about the promise Monica made with the Black Lion Emperor. Apparently, he had failed to conceal his unease.

As Isaac swallowed down the bitter feeling welling up in his mouth, Monica continued with a serious expression.

“Surely, you must be tired from traveling between your territory and Sazandol. So, please take your time to rest. The bath is ready, I’ve laid out some brand new sheets, the drinks are chilled, and once the meal is done reheating, everything will be perfect. So, um…”

Monica paused, looking like she was desperately searching for her next words. Suddenly, she raised her face, remembering what she wanted to say.

“If there’s anything I can do, please feel free to let me know! Okay?”

＊　＊　＊

This was Monica’s attempt to replicate Lionel’s consideration for Princess Cecilia.

Instead of prying into the melancholic Cecilia’s troubles, Lionel had comforted her. That was why Cecilia felt comfortable enough to confide in him.

Monica had noticed that Isaac was troubled about something. She wanted him to talk to her and rely on her if possible. However, forcibly questioning him was not the right approach.

Instead, Monica wanted to comfort Isaac and create an environment where he would feel safe to confide, just as Lionel had done for Cecilia.

She even made a detour to the Dudley Butcher Shop on her way home, buying Isaac’s favorite type of meat. Combined with the bath and clean sheets, she had fully prepared the environment for Isaac to rest easy.

(And, um… oh right, what Prince Lionel said!)

Monica spoke the words as if delivering a heated catchphrase.

“If there’s anything I can do, please feel free to let me know! Okay?”

Perfect. She had nailed it.

As Monica secretly clenched her fists in satisfaction, Isaac smiled.

“Well then, can I ask for a little favor?”

“Of course!”

Hearing Monica’s enthusiastic response, Isaac sat on the sofa and patted the space beside him, gesturing for her to sit there.

Monica mumbled a slight “excuse me” and sat next to him, as Isaac leaned ever so slightly against her. It was just enough for their shoulders to touch.

“I want to hear about your experiences in the capital. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Um, yes. Let’s see…”

Monica explained everything she had experienced over the past few weeks, sometimes waving her hands to gesture out events.

Of course, she could not talk about the part where Princess Cecilia was rejected by the mirror. Instead, she spoke about her visit to the Albright residence, her tea party with Cecilia, her new friend named Karina, and the cute wooden carving she received.

The Monica of the past would never have thought about sharing her experiences, but now there was so much she wanted to tell Isaac about.

“And then, Princess Cecilia was like…”

Monica had been speaking with unusual eloquence, but eventually, her eyelids started to grow heavy. Having prepared the bath and other things immediately after her return trip from the capital, Monica was completely exhausted.

It had initially been Isaac leaning against her, but now, Monica found herself leaning on Isaac’s shoulder, gently dozing off.

She was currently putting everything she learned about adult consideration into practice. As the cool and reliable master, she could not possibly sleep here… But despite her best attempts to rub her eyes awake, Monica’s head grew heavier and heavier.

“Good night, Master.”

Just before losing consciousness, Monica felt something soft touch her cheek.

＊　＊　＊

Monica began dozing off in the middle of her stories about the capital. Isaac carefully adjusted the direction of her fall, placing her head on his lap.

Isaac suddenly recalled the boy from his childhood who lived next door. He had been a little older than Isaac, and treated him like a younger brother. Every time he learned something new in school, he would immediately come over and brag to Isaac about it.

Today’s Monica had been exactly like that boy. To put it bluntly, she seemed like a child who was eager to put what she just learned into practice.

Phrases like “please feel free to let me know” did not usually come out of Monica’s mouth.

(She must have learned some things in the capital.)

Surely, Monica had put a lot of effort and thought into preparing the bath, bedding, and meals. Though clumsy, her consideration made Isaac very happy.

Everything here had been prepared for him and him alone.

(Let me have you all to myself… at least for now.)

As Isaac entertained such unfair thoughts, Nero appeared from the window in the form of a black cat. Apparently, he had been lured in by the smell of the meat.

“Oh? You’re already back, Sparkles.”

“Nero, could you come over here for a moment?”

“Yeah?”

Nero jumped onto the sofa’s armrest and alternately looked at Isaac and the dozing Monica.

Monica seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep. Staring into her youthful face, Isaac frowned a touch of sadness.

The past him was able to give her a playful kiss, but now he didn’t feel like he could. Once he crossed that line, he probably wouldn’t be able to restrain himself.

Thus, Isaac lifted Nero and used his front paws to gently press Monica’s cheek.

“Good night, Master.”

Her rhythmic breaths were a sign of her deep slumber. Apparently, she had fallen completely asleep.

Isaac continued pressing Nero’s paws against her cheek with a melancholic smile.

“Oi, what am I being made to do?”

“It’s complicated. Please understand.”

“What the hell…”

Nero squinted up at Isaac with an expression of disbelief, until Isaac finally put Nero back down on the armrest.

“Actually, I have a concern… Nero-senpai.”

“Yeah? Ask me anything.”

After buttering up the black cat by addressing him as ‘senpai’, Isaac quietly voiced his question.

“What can I do to become Monica’s number one?”

“You? Being Monica’s number one? Ain’t happening. Give it up.”

Bluntly denied, Isaac fell silent. Meanwhile, Nero snorted and continued.

“After all, Monica loves me the most!”

“…”

“Because I’m the strongest and the cutest, of course! Too bad, you can’t beat me without becoming a cat yourself…”

Isaac smiled and heavily stroked Nero’s tail in reverse. The startled black dragon jumped up, screaming, “Hongyarabubo!” as he rolled around on the floor.

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