<strong>Chapter 103: Encounter (1)</strong>
—
A few hours ago.
Pant, pant, pant, gasp…
Awakening from her sleep, Reika wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
As her consciousness gradually returned, she checked her surroundings and realized she was in her own room.
“A dream…?”
It had been a horrific nightmare.
Not a dream about herself, but one featuring Swen.
He was walking into a pit of fire by his own volition, a strangely bizarre and unsettling dream.
No matter how much she tried to call out to him, her voice couldn’t reach him.
Trying to follow him but unable to reach him, she struggled until she realized it was a dream.
“Why did I have such a dream…?”
She wasn’t prone to dreaming often, especially not nightmares like this.
Hence, a sense of unease naturally began to sprout in the mind of the twenty-year-old maiden.
“Could something be happening…?”
She hadn’t seen his face for the past few days.
The thought that something irreversible might happen continued to complicate her thoughts.
Biting her nails in worry, she remembered her father was home today.
Perhaps he could shed some light on the situation.
After changing her clothes quickly, she went straight to his study to inquire about the matter.
“Swen, you say?”
“Yes. I was just wondering when he might visit next, I was curious about his schedule…”
“What’s the matter? Didn’t I tell you that you don’t need to worry about magic training for a while?”
Reika had been progressing rapidly in her magic training, but after a recent incident, it was decided that it would be best for her to stay home and focus on meditation.
Even without him, she could manage meditation on her own.
“It’s just…”
Jinor looked at Reika, who was struggling to articulate her thoughts, with a peculiar expression.
“Do you miss him?”
“…What?”
“Are you asking if you miss seeing him?”
Hearing that, Reika’s face visibly reddened.
Was her adoptive father someone who would ask such things?
Though he had always been kind, asking something so personal was a first, leaving her flustered and stuttering as she tried to express her innermost thoughts.
“Ah, no, it’s not like that, I just… had a strange dream…”
“A dream?”
Reika explained the nightmare she had experienced to Jinor.
It felt odd discussing such a personal topic like a dream with her father for the first time.
“Hmm… Is that so.”
“How is Swen these days? Is he undertaking any special missions? If there’s anything I can help with, I’d like to assist him. Of course, only if you permit it…”
“…”
After a moment of contemplation, Jinor slowly nodded and muttered to himself.
“Indeed, today is that day.”
Today was the day Swen was set to travel to Hisfil Castle, where Serpina was currently staying, for negotiations.
Whether Reika had a restless dream or not wasn’t of much importance to Jinor.
Although Reika had the irregular ability to use magic, she wasn’t someone who could foresee the future or anything of that sort.
While there’s a belief that dreams hold mysterious insights, Jinor wasn’t one to place much meaning on them.
Considering Swen’s case , he knew of methods to use magic to glimpse into the future, but he did not believe his daughter possessed such abilities.
After organizing his thoughts, Jinor turned to Reika and asked in a very serious tone.
“So, even with all this, do you still wish to follow him?”
Reika pondered upon hearing this.
If it were merely a diplomatic mission Swen was embarking on, perhaps there was no need for concern.
But having had such a dream, she felt an unease that she couldn’t shake off, fearing she would regret doing nothing if something were to happen to Swen.
He was the one who had given her a glimpse of freedom for the first time.
He showed her that life was worth living, even without resorting to magic.
With that thought, the decision wasn’t too hard to make.
“Yes. If I can be of any assistance, I would like to accompany him.”
“Is that so.” Jinor nodded and replied in a calm voice.
“Return to your room and prepare for departure. I will send some servants to you. Just follow their instructions.”
“Yes, thank you…!”
—
“So, that’s what happened?”
“Yes…! So, I came out to the castle to wait for someone to escort me, and then I saw the person I had met before…”
That was how this peculiar duo came to be.
At that moment, Airen approached me and asked,
“Swen.”
“Yes?”
“The command may come from the sage, but isn’t it risky to take a seemingly ordinary girl into enemy territory?”
“Ah, it’s okay. Miss Reika is much stronger than she appears.”
“Really? She doesn’t seem like someone who’s accustomed to the battlefield…”
I considered explaining that she could use magic, but I felt Airen trusted me enough without needing such details.
Eventually, she’d find out on his own.
“Don’t worry. She’s stronger than me.”
“Is that so…? Well, if Swen says so… And with me around, what’s there to worry about?”
Airen gave a slight smile, seemingly pleased with my confidence in him.
“Exactly. With Lord Airen here, I have nothing to fear.”
“Hmm.”
With that, we boarded the carriage, setting off for Hisfil Castle, where Serpina was staying.
The journey seemed long, but with these two by my side, I felt it wouldn’t be too bad.
The only issue was Reika’s shyness around new people.
Though she had met Airen once, it was a brief encounter, almost like meeting a stranger…
“Can she manage well?”
To my surprise and contrary to my worries,
“Lord Airen, have you been wielding a sword since you were young…?”
“Yes. It was the only path for me.”
“Wow… That’s impressive. Your aura must come from training since childhood.”
Reika quickly started conversing with Airen.
The way she looked at him, her eyes sparkling with admiration, reminded me of someone meeting their idol.
From stumbling over her words to fluently engaging in conversation, she had come a long way.
“Ah! By the way, the tea at your waist… that’s black tea, right?”
“Hmm? You can tell?”
“Yes! It goes best with sweet snacks. We have something similar at home, but with a slightly different flavor.”
“Interesting. That’s quite a fascinating topic.”
As they delved into their world of small talk, I interjected,
“You two seem to have become fast friends.”
“Ah…”
Reika then turned to me, her face flushing as she apologized,
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to exclude you…”
“Felt left out, Swen?”
“Airen, you too?”
Airen chuckled, clearly enjoying the situation.
Her mood was visibly lifted, evident from her playful banter, which was rare for her personality.
Thinking about it, this might be one of the few times she’s engaged in conversation with a peer.
The battlefield, predominantly a male space, might have made such interactions rare for her.
Watching them get along so well was heartwarming.
If “peace” could be visualized, it would probably look something like this.
I recalled my solo trip to negotiate with Lunarien’s army, contrasting it with the present.
Jinor’s words echoed in my mind,
“While a sword and shield are useful, having someone who can wield magic by your side could be even more advantageous.”
If Airen accepted my proposal, becoming my wife, and if I took Jinor’s suggestion to include Reika as well…
Could this peaceful scene continue indefinitely?
For the first time, I considered the possibility of a life with more than one partner might not be so bad.
“This is the place.”
Returning to Hisfil Castle, the previously damaged walls looked repaired and tidy.
Serpina is here, then?
“Was Serpina inside the castle when I used magic last time?”
After bribing a guard for entry, we stepped into the tense atmosphere of the castle.
Having been under Brans Army’s control for a long time, it was unlikely the locals had quickly warmed up to Serpina, especially after the recent events involving the castle walls.
With these thoughts, we approached the castle’s main entrance.
“Serpina is inside, huh.”
Swallowing nervously, Airen’s voice broke the silence,
“Swen?”
“Yes?”
“Are you nervous?”
“Me? Nervous?”
“Yes. You seem different than usual.”
Was it nervousness I felt, given our mission was simply for negotiations, or was it because our counterpart was Serpina?
Feeling Airen’s hand on my shoulder, she reassured me,
“It’s okay, Swen. Don’t worry. I’m here with you. I will protect you.”
Her assurance meant the world to me, coming from the person I trusted the most.
I smiled at her,
“Airen, please take care of Miss Reika for me.”
“Of course. Take care, Swen.”
With a heart full of mixed emotions but determined to face whatever awaited, I stepped into Hisfil Castle.
