<strong>Chapter 112: Now, You Are…</strong>
* * *
In the southern territory of Karelia, within the walls of Tepello Castle, deep worry was etched on the face of its lord, Lunarien Iniag.
“Has it… really happened?”
“Yes.”
About thirty soldiers had been executed publicly for violating military laws.
It seemed Lunarien’s opinion that execution was excessive had been ignored.
Of course, violating military law was wrong.
The issue was – no matter how it was considered, the punishment seemed far too harsh.
A minor mistake costing someone their life was undeniably cruel.
Especially since recent recruits were essentially any man who could move his limbs, leading to inevitably low morale and poor training.
All this was the will of the sovereign, Makana Karelia.
No, Lunarien was well aware by now that it wasn’t her will.
“It’s the will of the strategist, Vanessa.”
Since she gained control over the nation’s military power, the application of military law became stricter, and the intensity of training significantly increased.
A strong army was a good concept. In a state of war, Lunarien too thought emphasizing the sternness of military law was natural.
But-
Executing for a mere thirty-minute tardiness seemed excessive.
Among those who died, few truly deserved death.
Even whipping would have raised questions, let alone taking lives for such trivial offenses.
It was almost like a reign of terror.
Vanessa’s reign of terror, bolstered by Karelia’s prestige.
Despite various murmurs within the Karelia army, everything was buried under the pretext of “preparation for war.”
Given the southern continent had been in a delicate balance without war for so long, there was a plausible justification to raise the morale and training level of soldiers and generals.
“Lord.”
“Speak.”
“The sovereign does not seem to think highly of you, Lord Lunarien. You are not in a position to afford unnecessary compassion, they say.”
At the words of the man before her, Lunarien replied with a bitter tone.
“The will of the sovereign, you say?”
“…Their will is effectively the will of the sovereign.”
The man knew this was Vanessa’s intention, not Karelia’s.
However, he could only speak in such terms since Vanessa was backed by the revered figure of Karelia.
“Understood.”
“Then, I’ll take my leave.”
After the man left the audience room,
Having finished her day’s duties, Lunarien headed towards the mansion where she was staying.
“You’ve returned, Lady Lunarien.”
Upon arrival, Charlotte, a relative of Cain with golden eyes, greeted Lunarien who had returned from the castle.
Seeing no need to share her worries with her, Lunarien tried to maintain as bright an expression as possible.
“How was your day?”
“I feel like I’m making progress in swordsmanship. Not as skilled as my brother, though.”
The three children Cain had asked her to raise:
Francis, Charlotte, and Violet.
“Just as Cain said, ‘They will surely be of help,’ the three showed remarkable talent as soon as they adapted to Lunarien’s mansion.
Francis with a spear.
Charlotte with a sword.
And Violet, showing clear potential as a scholar.
Francis possessed overwhelming talent in spear techniques, to the point where it wouldn’t be an overstatement to call him the reincarnation of Kremten Al Kaski, famous in the old empire for his spearmanship.
He had already surpassed the level of ordinary soldiers and showed abilities on par with several generals active in the Karelia army despite his age.
Charlotte was no less impressive.
Her mentor, Tifa, had often praised her, saying she would undoubtedly surpass her to become a great general once she grew up.
Given her honest nature, she likely truly believed in Charlotte’s talent.
While the older siblings excelled in martial skills, the youngest, Violet, showed exceptional strategic and tactical insight.
In fact, since her prediction that “Serpina’s army will no longer attack Brans’s army,” there had been no battles between the two states.
From Serpina’s perspective, leaving the frontline as is without attempting to occupy more territory would prevent Brans’s army from concentrating their efforts, thereby inflicting greater damage, was the reasoning she provided.
“Did you think about what we discussed last time?”
“Yes, we’ve thought about it, and all three of us came to the same conclusion.”
Charlotte spoke with her head bowed.
“We’re fine without enrolling in the academy.”
Lunarien had wanted to send them to the academy.
She thought it would be a more valuable experience for them to study with many others rather than just stay in her mansion as retainers.
“Why not? You are all undoubtedly talented, but experiencing as much of the world as possible will be beneficial. Don’t worry about the tuition.”
“Of course, that could be possible… but my uncle said we need to protect Lady Lunarien. We must be a support to you when the moment of opportunity arrives.”
Uncle, she meant Cain.
Lunarien smiled awkwardly in response.
“Even so, if I consider what’s best for you…”
“It’s really okay, Lady Lunarien. Tifa is a great mentor to us, and Violet believes that honing her observational skills by your side will be more beneficial than accumulating theoretical knowledge in the academy. Please consider our wishes.”
“…If that’s what you wish, I won’t insist further. But if you change your mind, let me know anytime. I have enough funds to sponsor your education at the academy.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
After the somewhat heavy conversation, Lunarien changed the topic to something lighter.
“By the way, you’re dressed up nicely today?”
“Oh, that’s because…”
Charlotte blushed, a girlish expression on her face.
“There’s a festival in the square today.”
“Oh, right.”
Lunarien seemed to recall hearing something similar.
To alleviate the gloomy atmosphere caused by excessive conscription, it was suggested that this festival be held on a larger scale than usual.
“So, if you permit, I was thinking of going-”
“You don’t need my permission for that. Please, go and enjoy.”
“Ah… th-thank you.”
Charlotte, usually mature for her age, showed her youthfulness in moments like these.
After sending off Charlotte,
Lunarien sank into quiet contemplation.
A festival.
Come to think of it, they had something similar to a harvest festival at Zelant Castle.
It was the first successful harvest after a typhoon, and happiness was evident on the faces of all the territorial residents.
At that moment… holding Swen’s hand, they danced together.
Though much time had passed since that day, Lunarien had never once forgotten that moment.
The wind-swept golden wheat field.
The air, atmosphere, smell, and the food offered by the territorial residents that day.
And Swen’s face as he held my hand and danced together…
“Swen…”
Was he still with Brans’s army?
She had always been worried since hearing that Brans’s army was being overwhelmingly defeated by Serpina’s, but she believed everything would be alright because he promised to return.
Therefore, it wasn’t right to waste time worrying needlessly.
When the opportunity comes, she must seize it at all costs.
Only then could she stand proudly before Swen.
“Please, stay safe and survive.”
As Lun
arien entertained these thoughts, a question brushed through her mind.
What could Swen be doing now?
* * *
Knock, knock, knock.
“Come in. You don’t need to knock.”
At my words, the door opened, revealing-
The golden-haired sovereign herself.
Her distinctive hairpin and shimmering locks made her seem less like a tyrant and more akin to a goddess.
“You seem quite at ease, Swen.”
“Serpina has been unexpectedly accommodating.”
“Unexpectedly, huh.”
Serpina let out a slight chuckle.
Even her laughter seemed unfairly beautiful, almost like cheating.
That day.
Since the envoy was sent to negotiate “Release Anima in exchange for Swen,”
Airen, Reika, and I had been confined in a guesthouse prepared by Serpina, living day by day.
Though it was a confinement, it was bearable. There were private baths and toilets, and meals were provided regularly.
There were windows to let in light, and the beds were comfortably soft.
Certainly, it was much better than being dragged into some underground dungeon.
The only downside was not knowing how Reika and Airen were doing.
“So, what brings you here today?”
“I came to fulfill a request you made and to share some news.”
A request.
Right, I had made a request to her.
“Airen Juliet and Reika Nighthart are doing well. They were curious about you.”
“What did you tell them?”
“That they’re heartbroken, refusing to eat and starving themselves.”
Her eyes formed crescents as she spoke.
This woman, surprisingly, knew how to joke.
It didn’t matter much to me, but I was worried she might unnecessarily harm them. Seems like my worries were unfounded.
“…If both are doing well, that’s good.”
“However, since I’ve granted your request, I’d like you to answer my question now.”
“I’ll answer if I can.”
“Reika Nighthart. I didn’t expect Jinor to have such a young daughter.”
The Nighthart family must be well-known.
Certainly, there was an age gap. Being an adopted daughter made sense.
But of course, that wasn’t the only reason she brought it up.
“Is she a ‘magician’?”
Her direct question caught me slightly off guard, but I managed to maintain my composure… or so I thought.
“You even manage to be startled.”
“…”
How did she notice, even though I thought I hadn’t changed my expression?
“It’s nothing. Recently, the walls of Hisfil Castle collapsed. It was due to an unexplained explosion. At that time, there were sightings of a woman with pink hair. It must’ve been your doing, right?”
“Joking a bit too much, aren’t you? A magician, in this world?”
“Coming from a man known as the ‘White-haired Magician,’ that sounds quite amusing.”
She said, laughing again.
Her laugh was enchantingly feminine.
“And if she is a magician, why does she bear the ‘Nighthart’ name? Jinor must’ve recognized her talent and adopted her as his daughter. A story too dull for my taste.”
Hearing her words, I was genuinely surprised.
She was right.
Serpina was indeed astute.
It made sense why she dominated over half of the game world.
Her ability to apply flexible thinking in an era where magicians hadn’t prominently emerged was impressive.
Yet, what stirred me wasn’t her intellect but her charm, which might feel unjust to her in some foolish way.
“Anyway, that’s your answer.”
“Yes.”
“Well, it’s not entirely satisfying, but… it’ll do. We’ll have plenty of time for deeper discussions from now on.”
What?
Startled, I looked at her face.
Then she… approached me closely, bringing her face right in front of mine.
The strong scent of her perfume aggressively invaded my nostrils.
“The game is over, Swen. This is my victory.”
At the result of our bet disguised as a game…
“Yuri Brans has abandoned you. You know what that means.”
Whispering into my startled ears.
With a deadly poison mixed into her dazzlingly beautiful smile, as if swearing an eternal vow together.
As if she were a bride promised in marriage, she softly said.
“Now, you belong to me.”
