<strong>Chapter 120: The Capital Aingardt (2)</strong>
Al Kaski?
That was a name I recognized.
“Could it be…?”
“Yes.”
Jenis wore a slightly smug expression.
“The promising talent of Serpina’s forces and a general who has been making significant contributions in various fields, the second sibling of Irian Al Kaski… that’s me, Jenis Al Kaski.”
I wasn’t sure about the significant contributions, but I remembered him getting scolded by Serpina for stepping out of line.
There was no need to bring that up in front of him.
Anyway, looking closely, the familial resemblance to Irian became apparent.
Short black hair.
I thought Irian had a pretty delicate appearance, but Jenis looked even more fragile.
Their eye color was similar too, clearly indicating their blood relation.
“Do all the men in that family look like beautiful courtesans?”
While Irian looked delicate but unmistakably male, Jenis had a face that, if he wore a wig, could easily pass for a woman’s.
And he wasn’t particularly tall either.
“You said your name was Swen, right? It might be odd to say this upon our first meeting, but your hair color is unique.”
“I often hear that.”
I was slightly tense, wondering if rumors of the white-haired magician had reached him, but fortunately, he didn’t pry further.
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime. Oh, and here’s some advice from a senior: if you want to succeed here, it’s not enough to just do as you’re told. You need to produce visible results to get to where Serpina is.”
“Thank you for the advice.”
“Right. There’s a shop about a ten-minute walk from here.”
As he excitedly continued explaining various things, I thought:
“How much did he want to play the senior role?”
Feeling oddly touched by his eagerness, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to get along with him, provided he wasn’t a confirmed villain.
Responding with a smile seemed to open him up further, as he became all the more eager to help me out.
He really didn’t seem cut out for these troubled times.
“Anyway, let’s do our best to support Serpina in reuniting the continent once more. You got that?”
Reuniting the continent.
From Serpina’s perspective, conquering this land would be considered reunification, inheriting the legacy of the Aingardt Empire.
That made me think this might be a good opportunity.
“Jenis.”
“You can call me senior if you want!”
“Senior Jenis. Do you believe Serpina can unify the continent?”
Jenis looked at me as if the question was incredibly odd.
“Of course, she can. Why do you ask? Don’t tell me you think Serpina can’t unify the continent?”
“I was curious to hear your thoughts.”
Grateful for Jenis providing the perfect question, I quickly entered it in my mind.
“Can Serpina von Aingardt unify the continent?”
[No.]
Nothing had changed. Nothing at all.
If Serpina, who seemed the closest to unification, couldn’t do it, then the continent would indeed fall into Lunarien’s hands, as predicted.
Reaffirming this helped me refocus.
“No, of course, she can unify it. Serpina is exceptional, regardless of her lineage.”
“Right? Where else would you find a lord like Serpina? There’s a lot of talk about the ‘Tyrant of the North’ and such… Ridiculous, isn’t it? I may not know since our family has served Serpina’s forces for generations, but commanders who’ve served under other warlords all say they prefer being with Serpina.”
Listening to him, Serpina’s loyalty was evident.
It seemed she took good care of her people, so having a few such commanders around wasn’t surprising.
After more conversation, I naturally inquired about the likelihood of getting my own place.
“Who knows? They’re building houses, but you’ve just arrived, right? Those who’ve been here longer will probably move out first. I’m likely to leave before you.”
“Is that so?”
Feeling disappointed at the thought of not being able to live with Airen for a while, Jenis patted my shoulder.
“Don’t worry! The lord has ordered a large construction project. If you’re lucky and the timing works out, you might get your own place soon.”
“I guess I’ll have to wait and see.”
“Yeah! Dormitory life might be inconvenient, but I’ll do my best to make it comfortable for you. Don’t worry too much!”
With that, Jenis smiled broadly.
Although he felt somewhat like a younger sibling, his efforts to take care of me as a senior weren’t unwelcome. It seemed fitting to go along with the social life here.
Thus, I settled into Aingardt Castle.
The facilities weren’t as nice as those in Valhart Castle, but the space was decent enough.
* * *
In the 3-person room assigned to Airen and Reika.
They were unpacking and enjoying tea time.
“Wow…! It smells like peach.”
“Do you like it?”
Reika nodded.
“Yes! The scent is really sophisticated. It’s hard to get this aroma even if you bake cookies with peach juice… The world of tea is truly amazing.”
Instead of responding, Airen simply smiled softly at her.
Perhaps because they had lived together in the annex, they had grown quite close.
Just as Reika became more fluent in her speech, Airen seemed less imposing in front of her.
They were adapting to each other.
As they filled the air with the scent of tea and their chatter, the conversation naturally drifted towards the men in their lives – specifically, Swen.
“The male commander who came to our house… was Swen?”
“Yes. I was really surprised at the time. I never thought they would send a man.”
Airen still hadn’t forgotten their first encounter.
Encountering the white-haired new commander in her pajamas.
She no longer denied that sending a male roommate to her residence was a slight against her.
But…
“Honestly, I’m grateful to Lynn.”
“Grateful…?”
As Reika tilted her head, Airen smiled and said,
“Thanks to Lynn, I got to meet Swen.”
Regardless of Lynn’s intentions –
Ultimately, Airen was able to meet Swen.
The only person who recognized her existence.
Always kind and supportive, becoming her pillar.
And the person she wanted to protect with all her might…
“If I hadn’t met Swen, my life would still be colorless. By now, I might not even be in this world. Dying lonely, holding onto meaningless loyalty that no one acknowledges. So, I no longer resent Lynn. Thanks to her, I met Swen.”
“I see…”
Having spent time alone with Airen, Reika was somewhat aware of the treatment she received in the Brans forces.
“Still, I’m thankful you’re living so spiritedly. It might be presumptuous of me to say this, but…”
“It’s alright, Reika. Your words are never presumptuous to me.”
“If you say so… Hehe.”
As Reika laughed awkwardly, Airen asked,
“By the way, how did you come to know Sw
en? I’ve heard bits and pieces, but not directly from you.”
“Ah… my connection with Swen?”
Reika paused, pondering.
How much could she safely share?
“After all, you’re not just anyone but Airen, very close to Swen… I can’t keep it hidden forever, right…? You seem to have figured out quite a bit already.”
Carefully, Reika parted her pink lips.
“Actually… I’ve been learning magic from Swen.”
“Magic, huh.”
Reika nodded slowly.
Had she not seen it with her own eyes, she might have questioned the claim, but Airen had already witnessed Reika creating a fireball in her palm.
“Magic really does exist, then.”
“Yes… Swen, with his ability to bring down giant rocks from the sky, is somewhat famous already…”
“That was magic? No. Swen… communicated with the heavens, risking his life to read their flow. The magicians in ancient texts didn’t risk their lives, did they? So… I don’t want to see Swen doing such magic-like things unless absolutely necessary.”
“Is that so…?”
But Swen knew about mana and had even used something like a magical tool for storage not long ago.
To Reika, it seemed he was at least a quasi-magician, but if it was dangerous, maybe there was something she didn’t understand.
“Should I ask more about this…?”
As Reika was pondering,
Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door.
“Ah…”
“It seems our roommate has arrived.”
Their room in the female dormitory on the second floor was a 3-person room.
When they arrived, it was empty, but since the guard mentioned a roommate, they easily guessed someone had temporarily stepped out.
“Co-come in…!”
At Reika’s invitation, the door slowly opened, and a woman walked in.
And… seeing her, astonishment bloomed on Airen’s face.
“You are…?”
“…?”
This woman.
Her face wasn’t unfamiliar.
That time, when she was still with the Brans forces, she had met this woman on her way to a northern fortress…
“…Cirin?”
[TN: As I’m really busy today, I can only upload 5 Chapters, I’m Sorry!]
