The Son-In-Law Of A Prestigious Family Wants A Divorce - Chapter 62



61. Sword Emperor (8)

“Isaac……”

Rianna’s eyes widened into perfect circles.

That the center of a cheer powerful enough to shake mountains and sky was her own husband filled Rianna with a strange, warm pride.

More than that, the thought that even leaving Helmun, he would be readily accepted by others put her mind at ease.

“That’s a relief.”

Isaac was no longer someone who needed to be protected.

Just being acknowledged by Arundel Helmun, it was likely Isaac’s reputation amongst other nobles was rocketing skyward.

She could practically taste the hunger of other nobles, they would descend like vultures the moment they heard Rianna and Isaac had divorced.

“……”

The mere image of countless women vying for Isaac’s affections caused a pang of heartache.

Even so, Rianna clapped and celebrated along with everyone else.

‘This is the best farewell Helmun could give.’

She didn’t know how far he would go, but she sincerely hoped Isaac would spread his wings and soar from now on.

Rianna snatched at her mother, who was attempting to rise from her seat.

“Stay seated.”

“……Rianna?”

Galenia’s eyelid twitched as she gazed at her daughter, who had suddenly seized her arm.

She was about to scold her for her impudence, but Rianna did not release her grip.

“Waiting for the Sword Emperor is the Princess’s courtesy towards Helmun.”

“……”

“I don’t know what you are planning to do, Mother. But do not cause Helmun to fall any further.”

Her final request, as a daughter to her mother.

Rianna had sensed the ominous shift in Galenia’s demeanor and intervened,

but conversely, Galenia’s lips stretched into a cruel, sly grin.

“Rianna, can you accept this situation? That Helmun’s swordsmanship, which should have been the greatest, was so easily countered by a mere commoner?”

“But that is the truth. Isaac overcame it fairly. And clearly, he has pointed the way for Helmun to move forward.”

That was probably why Arundel was reacting the way he was.

“Mother, it’s over now.”

With a sigh, Rianna made her declaration crystal clear.

Through conversation with Isaac, it became clear that even the princess, Clarice, suspected Galenia.

In truth, from that moment, Galenia was already finished.

“I should have been bedridden back then.”

Galenia knew her tail had been stepped on as far back as Milli.

It wasn’t for naught that she was the mistress of the Hellmund estate; she already received information about most incidents and accidents within the mansion.

And she had a rough premonition about her own future as well.

“Mother?”

“Never once have I been pleased with him, your husband.”

*Crack!*

In an instant, goat horns sprouted from Galenia’s forehead.

Simultaneously, black power poured out of Galenia’s body, pushing Rianna away.

“Ugh!”

“Be still, daughter.”

“But why-!”

Rianna’s voice was swallowed by the sound of wings unfurling.

Bat-like wings spread wide from Galenia’s back, and her pupils had long since turned black, the whites vanished.

The situation was so sudden that no one reacted.

Arendel raised his head, looking up at his wife.

“……”

“……”

The couple remained silent.

And then, a grotesque scream.

“Kieaaah!”

“What! What’s going on!”

“These b*stards are insane!”

“They’re suddenly stabbing people! Ru, run away!”

Transcendent beings, hidden among the nobles and the crowd, revealed themselves and began to hunt humans.

One against a thousand.

Literally, a single transcendent being massacred dozens of humans.

With a single gesture of their hand, they claimed the lives of two or three humans, and this place, lit by lamps, was quickly transformed into a place of screams and splattered flesh.

“The Fall of Helmont is upon you!”

Galenia’s cry echoed, long and intense.

If the duel between Isaac and Loengreen was the downfall of swordsmanship just moments ago.

This was, quite literally.

A fissure cracking through the very name of Helmont.

“Mother, why… why this?”

Rianna watched, utterly unable to comprehend.

Galenia was the one who loved Arandel more than anyone, and who had striven to make Helmont honorable above all else.

To do this here meant Helmont’s honor would plummet into the earth.

“M-Mom?”

“Mother?!”

The children of Helmont could only look up at the sky, bewildered.

Especially Sharen and young Edel, barely fifteen, were on the verge of tears.

Yet Galenia’s gaze was fixed on one person, and one person alone.

Isaac.

In many ways, she was ensnared.

Millie’s sacrifice to protect Isaac had solidified his belief that Galenia was a Transcendent.

And when Isaac revealed this to Princess Claris, it ultimately exposed Galenia as a collaborator with the Transcendent.

From that point on, much had gone awry.

However, she never intended such a radical emergence. Nor did she plan to unveil the Transcendent she had deliberately kept hidden.

The Transcendent, equally bewildered, nevertheless fell in line with Galenia’s lead.

It was as if they had been waiting for this, killing humans, and killing them again.

As if it were their ordained work.

Perhaps they had been suppressing and enduring their desires all along, hidden among the humans.

“Kreeeeeeaaagh!”

Crack!

Galenia snapped off one of her own horns.

As the dark energy began to coalesce, she, who had never properly wielded such power, chose the path of rampage.

The breaking of the horn unleashed the energies dormant within her, erupting all at once.

And at Galenia’s bidding, those energies surged forth, directed solely at Isaac.

Just now finishing his sparring match, Isaac was spent.

Loengreen lay collapsed before them, quite unconscious and soon to be caught in the blast, but Galenia showed no hesitation.

Because.

This attack would be stopped.

*KWA-aaaNG!*

The dark aura vanished so utterly, without purchase. Swallowed whole by a scarlet aura like a great lion devouring its prey.

Arendal Hellmunt himself, standing before Isaac, had blocked Galenia’s attack.

‘As I thought…’

Tears streamed from Galenia’s dark eyes.

Arendal *had* to become a Transcendent.

He believed it was the only way to survive.

And so, Galenia had desperately wanted to entrust the family to Rianna and leave with Arendal.

She’d been refused, but still, Galenia clung to a sliver of hope, desperate to flee Hellmunt with Arendal, yet.

‘Now, you will *never* leave, will you?’

A man who had marched forward his entire life, now stood stock-still.

He had seen the path forward, once more.

The excitement, the agitated air emanating from Arendal’s face.

Because of the other possibilities Isaac had shown him, Arendal would now remain in Hellmunt until his dying breath.

He would pursue the sword to the very end.

That was Arendal Hellmunt.

That was the man she loved.

So, what should Galenia do?

The answer was only one.

* * *

*KWA-aaaNG!*

The inky aura, more intense than expected, surged forth, and Isaac was momentarily taken aback.

He had no strength left in his body, even walking was an ordeal.

Amidst the chaos swirling around him, fueled by Galenia’s sudden actions.

It was a man, impossibly, who had stepped in front of him.

A broad back, steeped in the light of the encroaching enemy.

A crimson so deep and savage, it seemed to declare all other scions of Hellmund pretenders.

Many may have gasped at Loengrin’s crimson aura just moments before.

Yet, the instant they beheld Arundel’s, a question arose: could these truly be the same thing?

Arundel was simply that overwhelming.

‘I can’t win.’

Isaac had seized victory from the eldest son, but he was certain.

Arundel, quite literally, could sever him with a mere flick of the wrist.

And this very man was now protecting him.

“Impressive.”

Without so much as a glance in his direction, Arundel spoke.

His wife stood before him, an apostate of humanity, a being transcended.

Yet, it seemed to hold no sway over Arundel.

“Isaac!”

Then, a beat late, Rianna arrived, hurrying after Arundel.

She seized Isaac in a desperate embrace, relieved to find him unharmed.

“I’m so glad, so very glad.”

“Rianna.”

“You did well… truly, you were magnificent.”

Such a sight could not fail to resonate within Isaac’s heart.

The wife whose recognition he craved most, the father-in-law he held in such high esteem, both standing to defend him.

Their acceptance of him, for the first time in his life, gifted Isaac a thrill he’d never known.

The onslaught ceased, the screams of the crowd subsided.

The knights of Hellmund moved swiftly to quell the uprising, subduing the transcended.

The sudden ambush, after its brief flash of ferocity, had proven a misstep for the invaders.

“What is the reason for Hellmund’s greatness?”

Arundel tilted his head slightly, addressing Isaac and Rianna.

Rianna bristled, about to retort, asking what he meant by that. But Isaac smiled and answered.

“Because it exists.”

“Hmph.”

A smile touched the corners of Arundel’s mouth.

“Indeed.”

How so.

How could you offer a response so perfectly pleasing to the heart?

A knight of Hellmund, the one tasked with tending to Arundel’s blade, approaches and kneels.

He presents the greatsword as if offering tribute, cradling it in both hands, which Arundel then takes.

‘The very air has shifted.’

The instant he grasped the true sword, a delusion arose, that all around had fallen silent.

A crushing, oppressive weight.

Merely being near him induced an intense pressure, making it hard to breathe.

Rianna clutched Isaac tighter, seeking to shield him.

“By its very being, it is magnificent.”

Hellmund need not strive for greatness.

For they are hailed as such simply by walking the path they desire.

Thus, there is no need to chase after another. They must not proceed with their back turned.

Hellmund, it means to tread one’s own path, wholly.

The eldest son failed to grasp this, and ultimately suffered defeat as merely an imitation of Arundel.

“Having witnessed something fine-“

Strength surges into Arundel’s hand as it grips the greatsword.

“I shall treat it well.”

Arundel swings the greatsword.

The sword that Loengreen pursued reveals its true form.

The Crimson Annihilation Strike.

To shatter, to tear, to burn, to obliterate – Arundel’s single stroke.

Yet, Isaac alone recognized it here as the Crimson Annihilation Strike.

Because.

No one could ever conceive that it was the same as the Crimson Annihilation Strike shown by Loengreen.

So utterly different was its dimension.

* * *

Watching Arundel wield the sword against her without the slightest hesitation, Galenia smiled.

‘Just as I thought.’

Everything had already crumbled.

Doubt that began with Millie had reached the Princess.

The mistress of Hellmund betraying humanity – it would spread as common knowledge.

Furthermore, Arundel favored Isaac, so he would never leave, never follow her.

‘Now, all I can do for you is….’

To die.

And at Arundel’s hand, directly.

Only then could Hellmund bear a little less responsibility.

Arundel was unchanged.

For the sake of the sword, he would even kill his wife.

For the greatness of Hellmund, he wielded his sword against his wife.

‘If you can still, remain as you are-.’

That was why Galenia had come to love him.

‘I shall, die.’

Ruin in love.