<strong>Chapter 114: The Fate of a Wanderer, Pointing Towards Serpina’s Army (1)</strong>
*
After seeing off Serpina returning to the castle, I headed to the location she had provided.
Explaining the situation to the guard, I opened the door and finally managed to reunite with them.
“Swen!”
“Swen…!”
“Everyone is safe, I see.”
It felt like a long-awaited reunion, even though it had only been a few days.
It seemed I wasn’t the only one who felt that way, as they seemed incredibly happy to see me.
Especially Iren… she seemed a bit teary.
“Iren, calm down.”
“But… Swen. I thought I might never see you again… Sob.”
“Why wouldn’t you see me again? It’s not like Serpina is going to eat me.”
Well, since I’ve decided to serve her, you could say I’ve been “eaten,” in a manner of speaking.
“But, Swen, when I asked about you… they said you were so heartbroken that you refused to eat… I was so worried.”
“… ”
Did she actually say that?
Serpina is truly an enigma.
“Swen… you must take care of yourself… If you don’t eat, your health will suffer…”
Though she was crying, her concern for me touched my heart, making me feel unexpectedly moved.
Iren was always mature and dependable, but sometimes, she showed this childlike side.
“Ah, Iren… there, there, stop crying…!”
“Sniff.”
It seemed more fitting for Reika to be the one sobbing, yet here they were, roles reversed, which was somewhat amusing.
After calming Iren down,
I finally got to understand how they had been faring.
“Have you two been staying together?”
“Yes. Serpina allowed us to. Initially, we were separated, but when we expressed our concerns… she said if we didn’t mind staying together, she would arrange it.”
Serpina seemed entirely different from her reputation, even more humane than Yuri, perhaps.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes… the meals were regular, and having Iren with me… But did you really stop eating…?”
“No, I’ve been eating well, so don’t worry.”
I looked at both of their faces, briefly wondering if my absence made things awkward for them.
But considering these two had become fairly close since sharing a carriage ride, it made sense.
People tend to gravitate towards those they are compatible with, quickly becoming friends with little effort, whereas with others, discord is inevitable.
In this regard, it seemed their compatibility was quite good.
Once Iren had calmed down a bit,
I finally broached the main topic.
“Yuri… decided to exchange you for Anima’s release…?”
“It seems so.”
“That’s how it is, then.”
Iren looked notably shocked by Yuri’s decision.
After all, from a logical standpoint, it’s uncommon to exchange one general, especially an envoy, for another.
“So, in the end, you were abandoned.”
“It seems that way.”
Iren’s gaze held a mix of pity and a sense of camaraderie.
Considering, she too was once abandoned by her original lord, Lynn.
It’s not uncommon for people to make irrational decisions, some of them being high-ranking individuals.
“Ah, I…”
Reika, struggling to join the conversation, received a reassuring hand on her shoulder from me.
“Eek…!”
“Reika, calm down and listen to me without misunderstanding.”
“Ah, um…!”
Her eyes wide in confusion, I spoke as clearly as I could.
“I feel terrible for having you suffer because of me. I’m truly sorry.”
“No? Oh, no… that’s… okay.”
“I’ll arrange for you to be safely sent back to Balhart Castle immediately.”
“…Eh?”
Her bashful demeanor shifted to shock, looking at me like a betrayed kitten.
I had anticipated this reaction, hence my warning not to misunderstand.
“That is, not because you’re unnecessary or unhelpful… but because I am no longer affiliated with Aeshers Army.”
“What? That means…!”
I nodded at Reika’s astonished look.
“Yes. From today, I’ll be working under Serpina.”
“That makes sense… Returning to Aeshers Army now wouldn’t be welcoming, after all.”
Iren quickly understood, her sharp mind grasping the situation.
“So, it seems we can’t continue together. Unfortunately.”
“That’s… but.”
Reika spoke in a barely audible voice.
“Then… what about Iren?”
“Right. Iren, what will you do?”
Though her decision seemed predictable, it was still worth asking.
As expected, her immediate response was clear.
“Didn’t I say? I will stand by you, Swen, no matter what. I too will serve under Serpina.”
“Aren’t you worried? After all, our new sovereign has a notorious reputation.”
“If you’ve chosen to serve her, whoever she may be, she will be my sovereign too.”
I anticipated this response but hearing it made me feel oddly proud and ticklish inside.
“Alright. I’ll speak to Serpina… I mean, our sovereign. Given your excellence, Iren, she’ll likely accept you, so don’t worry too much.”
“Mhm.”
While Iren, as a warrior, had the freedom to choose whom to serve,
Reika was bound to Jinor, so we had no justification to keep her with us.
“Then I too…!”
“Reika. I’d like to stay with you, but if anything were to happen to you, I couldn’t face Jinor.”
“It doesn’t matter…! I want to be with you, Swen…”
“Of course, it matters. It’s only natural.”
“No! Really… it’s fine. So, please.”
Reika desperately tried to express herself.
“I have permission! From my father… permission!”
“…What?”
“When leaving, he said to stay by your side if necessary… So, I can stay here…! I’m not serving anyone. With my father’s permission… it’s fine, right…!”
Her tone was uncharacteristically firm,
But upon reflection, her words made sense.
She was merely practicing magic in Jinor’s estate, not officially part of Aeshers Army.
If anyone had authority over her, it was her father, Jinor… and if Jinor had given his blessing, there was no need to send her back to Balhart Castle, was there?
“…Is that true? You’re not lying, right?”
“Of course…! I, I don’t lie… I mean, I understand if I seem unreliable, but…”
“No, if you’re not lying, that’s enough. Then… stay with us for the time being.”
“As Swen says, Reika. If we’re with you, you can at least be safe.”
Receiving Iren’s reassurance seemed to lift Reika’s spirits.
“Swen… Iren…!”
While comforting Reika, thoughts of my old sovereign surfaced.
Not Lynn, not Yuri, but the one person who truly believed in me – Lunarien.
Though no news had reached me yet, if I could return to Lunarien’s side at the moment of her uprising-
With Iren the warrior and Reika the magician,
Both would be immensely helpful.
And seizing the
right moment to propose to Iren.
And afterward… to Reika, would that work?
I’m still unsure about Reika’s feelings, so proposing might be premature.
Although the engagement was complicated by recent events…
Spending time together should give me a sense of what to do.
Thus, we came under the wing of the northern tyrant, Serpina.
For Iren, it was her third sovereign; for me, it was my fourth.
* * *
“I’ll come back soon.”
After Swen left the room, Iren sat on the sofa, lost in thought.
He had mentioned that Serpina would soon assign them roles, so they were to stay in this guesthouse in the meantime.
Being technically imprisoned wasn’t so bad, as the accommodations were decent enough.
To be honest, that was the least of my concerns.
The real issue was… not asking him about that particular question.
“I didn’t ask… about the marriage talks.”
I was curious about the talks with Reika, but more so about why she mentioned things like “Iren being the first wife.”
According to her, “based on Swen’s stories, I could only think that way”… but what exactly did he tell her to make her say that?
“Swen…”
Becoming not just his ally but his wife.
Iren had long given up on the idea of finding love and starting a family.
Navigating battlefields and taking lives was her calling. Being able to take a life meant she could also lose hers.
To die and leave behind loved ones wasn’t an option, so she vowed never to love anyone, dedicating her life solely to her sword and lord.
But.
The thought of becoming Swen’s wife made her heart flutter.
Though initially overwhelmed, upon reflection, she realized…
If Swen wished for it… she wanted to be his wife.
She wanted to have children who resembled him.
A life dedicated to a man who recognized her when no one else did, who always relied on her while being her pillar, didn’t seem so bad.
Only then did she truly understand.
She was in love.
Given the upheaval of changing sovereigns, it wasn’t the right time to bring it up, but…
“Next time… I’ll make sure to ask.”
As Iren indulged in her unusually girlish dilemma,
Reika’s concerns were a bit more grounded.
“I’ve said it, but… what now?”
While it wasn’t a lie that Jinor had given his permission,
She worried if not contacting him might cause him concern.
…Though he didn’t seem the type to worry excessively, she still owed him gratitude for raising her.
“Maybe sending a letter would be best.”
Telling him she was with Swen… should be okay.
It felt like just yesterday she couldn’t leave the house, but since meeting Swen, she’s been regaining her freedom.
If her father demanded her return now…?
“Though I’ve never defied him before and it scares me… I should prepare a polite refusal… just in case.”
Externally fragile and timid,
She didn’t want to lose the freedom she had just begun to enjoy.
A freedom nearly gifted by her magic mentor-
-And in the presence of someone she wanted to spend more time with, even the most vulnerable woman can find strength.
