The trio left Albrecht’s mansion after dinner. The day’s fatigue clung to all of them, but in a good way, the kind that came from hard, satisfying training.
“I’m really confused,” Lina said. “Where are Albrecht’s parents and relatives?”
“Yeah,” Vierna said “It was like the mansion was just him and the maid.”
Vierna thought about it. The way Albrecht approached them, spoke with them, even joked, did it mean something else? He was strong, no doubt. He had a grand mansion, maids, and basically everything she didn’t have. Yet she could not shake the feeling that he was deeply lonely. The question clung to her like a shadow, refusing to let go. Yet however she scratched at it, she knew that if Albrecht was ready to share, he would.
Before long, they reached the research facility and made their way to their chamber. There, Vierna and Lina took turns in the bath, letting the water rinse away the day’s sweat and fatigue.
“Lina,” Vierna said.
“Yes?”
“Let me wash your back.”
Lina blushed faintly. “Uh… sure.”
Vierna washed Lina’s back. The motion felt too familiar, as if her hands remembered something her mind did not. But from where? Not Elra—no, it had been with someone else. She tried to chase the memory, but it dissolved, leaving only the echo of a question that refused to be buried.
“Hey,” she said quietly, “what do you think of Albrecht?”
“He’s obnoxious and annoying, and the way he teaches us is like—”
“No, Lina. Please tell me what you really think.”
Lina paused. There was something in Vierna’s voice, quieter and more intent than usual.
“I can’t shake this weird feeling. Despite everything he has, it must be lonely.”
“Me too. I want to help him, in a way.” Vierna’s words slipped out softer than she intended, her gaze drifting away like trying to find a light in a moonless sky.
“Why? Sure, he’s kind to us, but honestly? We’ve only known Albrecht for a little while.” Lina crossed her arms, frowning.
“Lin, Albrecht is serving the Reich far more than we are right now. If we can make him happy, I’m sure his service will be better. In a way, that benefits all of us.”
“So you only want to be friends with him because it indirectly helps you serve?”
“Well, not only that. I also genuinely like the idea of the three of us hanging out, you know.” Vierna managed a small smile.
Lina looked at her. “Say, if Albrecht wasn’t in Silberchade but approached us like that, would you still want to befriend him?”
“Of course, Lina. Maybe not as strongly as I do now, but yes, I’d be fine befriending anyone.” Her voice was steady, without hesitation.
“Hmm you sounded like you only befriend someone if you have some motive.” Lina said as she observed Vierna washing her head.
“Well, befriending someone should give you some kind of benefit. At the very least, enjoying their company is a benefit in itself.”
“I didn’t think you’d be that pragmatic.” Lina looked at her with disbelief.
“Well, we’re living in that time, you know—war and everything. It seems logical if I think like that,” Vierna said as she washed Lina’s back.
They continued for a while, silence hanging like steam in the hot water.
“Hey… if I’m no longer useful to you, would you stop being my friend?” The words tumbled out before Vierna could stop herself. For all her talk of pragmatism, the thought of Lina actually leaving her made her chest ache.
“Yes.”
Vierna was shocked. She hadn’t expected that answer. She looked at Lina, fighting to hold back her tears; the prospect of Lina no longer being her friend was something she couldn’t stomach.
“Hahaha… of course not, Vierna. Like I said, you’re special to me. Whatever happens, I’ll stay your friend.”
“Please don’t do that again.” Vierna exhaled heavily. “I am a delicate girl with a faint heart, you know.”
“Haha, well that’s for you constantly teasing me about Albrecht.”
“Hahaha, as you wish Your Highness.” She teasingly said, reminding Lina that she claimed to be the monarch of Tray and Bread Kingdom.
The two continued their bath. When they were done, they got ready for bed, but Vierna went to her desk and lit a small mana light, just bright enough to read without lighting the whole room.
“You’re not going to sleep?” Lina asked.
“I want to read a little more. Sorry for the light.”
“No worries.” Lina stood up and walked over to her.
“Huh?”
“I need to take an example from you, so let’s read together,” Lina said, taking out the book Albrecht had given her during training.
They read in companionable silence. Lina studied her fire-elemental magic book, while Vierna went through a fencing manual. Every so often, Vierna got up to practice a stance she saw in the pages, and Lina would glance up to watch her.
After a while, both of them finally set their books aside and went to sleep.
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The next morning, the routine began again, but with one small change that caught Vierna’s attention. Albrecht’s wooden sword was gone. In its place, the facility provided her with a metal rod of the same length and weight. Its shape was similar, though it lacked any edge.
For two weeks, their routine stayed the same. In the mornings, experiments were conducted on their bodies—usually muscle enhancement, mana stimulation, and similar procedures. The pain was constant, and they were given no rest.
In one experiment where Vierna remained awake, the researchers replaced her muscle fibers with some rune inscribed materials. She knew this because they told her. Apparently, one of Arkmarschall Leopold’s order was to inform her exactly what was being done. Not that it changed anything. To Vierna, they were doctors determined to cure her, and whatever they told her, she would always smile and give her full consent.
Since then, her strength had improved a little; she could hold her sword much longer without the aid of enhancements. She lost feeling in several parts of her body. It didn’t bother her, though she mentioned it to the researchers, probably in the hope of helping their work, not because she wanted it repaired. If anything, the numbness helped dull the fatigue, making the procedure a win-win in her eyes.
Once the experiments were finished each day, they went to Albrecht. The Arkmarschall had allowed him to focus more on training the girls, though from time to time an officer would still arrive to brief him or request something.
Sometimes, after giving the girls specific tasks, Albrecht left them under Halwen’s supervision. Halwen never altered the drills; he simply observed to ensure they followed Albrecht’s instructions. The training focus was different, he taught Vierna ice-based Eidrecht and fencing techniques, while Lina was continuously drilled in fire-element spells. Occasionally, Albrecht also brought Lisa into the sessions, giving her a chance to practice alongside them. These moments led to brief conversations between her and the girls, slowly building familiarity.
He taught them only a few spells, insisting it was not about how many spells one knew, but how deeply one understood a spell. This meant honing the same techniques to mastery, studying the theory, the structure, the incantation, and even the significance of the name.
On occasion, people came to his house seeking mentorship. Albrecht did not outright refuse them; instead, he explained why he believed they would benefit more from a different mentor, often giving them recommendations. So far, however, he had not taken on any new students.
One afternoon, after finishing her procedure, Vierna returned to her room to find Lina lying in bed. Halwen sat nearby, a quiet presence.
“Lina, are you okay?” Vierna asked.
“Yeah—” Lina coughed into her sleeve, “today was a bit rough.”
“Her experiment today was to integrate her Grace more fully with her mana,” Halwen said. “It left her with some physical turmoil.”
The door opened.
The air shifted. A chill seeped into the room, not from the corridor’s draft, but from the man who stepped through. His uniform was immaculate, his boots soundless on the stone. His gaze swept the room once, sharp and cold.
Vierna turned, and to her surprise, The Arkmarschall himself.
“Arkmarschall Leopold,” Lina breathed, struggling to rise.
“Stay down.” His voice was firm, unyielding. “Status.”
“It’s okay, Arkmarschall. Just a bit of pain here and there,” Lina said with effort.
“I see.” He stepped closer, the weight of his presence pressing into the space. “Halwen, suspend Lina’s training for today.”
The order caught all three of them off guard. They had always thought Leopold was the type to push people past their limits, even when they were on the brink of collapse. Seeing this side of him—caring for his test subjects—was like a breath of fresh air for both Vierna and Lina. At least we’re not being worked to death, they thought.
“T-thank you, Arkmarschall,” Lina managed between coughs.
Leopold gave a single nod. “Halwen, you will administer Lina’s treatment yourself. Prioritize her recovery. Vierna, I’ll accompany you to Albrecht’s.”
As she heard those words, a wave of gratitude filled her chest. That the Arkmarschall would take such interest in her amazed her, yet part of her still fretted about burdening a man of his stature, already weighed down by duties. She almost spoke, but thought better of it.
With a nod, she tidied her belongings with practiced precision, her training blade, books, ink, and everything else, and storing them neatly within her storage spell. She hung her training blade at her hip and stepped out.
As they approached the stagecoach, the Arkmarschall motioned for it to depart. It seemed they would be walking to Albrecht’s instead. The distance was not far, yet the thought of seeing Leopold walking openly through the town felt strangely out of place.
The two walked together. To a passerby, they might have looked like a father and daughter. They moved without any escort, as if Leopold was certain this place would not or could not harm him. Several townspeople saluted him as they passed; he returned each with a curt nod, never slowing his pace.
Vierna noticed their expressions. The townsfolk looked at Leopold the way one looks at a ruler whose presence is constant, whose authority is woven into the rhythm of daily life.
When they reached a fountain, Leopold stopped.
“Rellgardt,” he called.
A mage appeared beside him in an instant, as if teleported. “Yes, Arkmarschall?”
“Inform the public works officer that this fountain’s water clarity is unacceptable. Have them investigate the cause. If it is human error, the responsible personnel are to be fined and dismissed.”
Vierna glanced at the fountain. To her eyes, the water looked perfectly normal, clear enough to drink without a second thought. She blinked, unsettled—was this the level of scrutiny expected of someone like Leopold? Or was it simply that his gaze saw flaws hers never could? A ripple of awe and unease passed through her.
“Understood, Arkmarschall,” Rellgardt said before vanishing again.
Leopold turned to her.
“Public service demands precision. Even the smallest lapse is unacceptable.”
Vierna nodded, awe flickering in her eyes. Leopold had noticed a flaw she would never have seen, his attention to detail cutting sharper than any blade. In a way, it inspired her — to see him not as some distant, untouchable figure, but as someone who actively involved himself in the lives of the people. The realization sharpened her resolve to serve with that same uncompromising standard.
The two continued their walk. When they passed a bakery, Leopold stopped and rang the bell.
“Yes, co— A-Ark…” The baker emerged from the kitchen, clearly startled to see the Arkmarschall himself standing at his counter.
“Cheese bread. And some sugar-coated bread,” Leopold said.
“I— Yes, Arkmarschall. Right away.”
She glanced at him. His expression remained the same impassive mask he always wore, yet the way he engaged with the town and its people revealed something unspoken about him.
“Here you go, Arkmarschall.”
The scent of fresh bread was unmistakable; this was straight from the oven, not the day-old stock in the display case.
Leopold paid in full. The baker looked as though he wanted to offer it for free, but whether out of respect or fear, he accepted the coins without protest.
The two resumed their walk.
“Never ask for anything for free. Pay what people are due,” Leopold said.
Vierna nodded again, a faint spark in her eyes. To her, paying people what they were owed was simply recognizing their worth, and never asking for anything free was just another way of not being a burden. She found herself matching his pace a little more closely, the corner of her mouth tugging upward at the thought that they saw the world the same way.
The pair continued on, but not long after the bakery Leopold stopped at a nearby public bench and sat down to eat his cheese bread. If not for the occasional salute from passersby, he might have looked like an ordinary one-eyed old man enjoying his lunch.
She stood uncertainly at his side until he gestured for her to sit. He handed her the sugar-coated bread without a word. Unsure how to respond, she simply accepted it and began to eat. They sat in silence.
When the last crumbs were gone, the two of them continued to walk until they finally arrived at Albrecht’s mansion. They were greeted by Lisa, whose visibly surprised but managed to stay calm with the Arkmarschall’s presence. Just as Vierna was about to follow Lisa inside, she spoke.
“Thank you for accompanying me, Arkmarschall.”
He gave a single nod.
“Vierna,” he said.
She turned to face him.
“Be useful.”
Without another word, the Arkmarschall walked away.
Vierna wasn’t sure what to feel, whether it was meant as encouragement or command but either way, she knew she would follow it.
Leopold for the chancellor of the Reich?
