Episode 128: Prediction
“…….”
To him, who did not respond particularly, Serpina asked in a slightly cold tone.
“Not a single enemy flag can be seen around Amir Castle, let alone across the river. We’ve sent scouting parties three times already, and the conclusion has been the same each time. I think enough time has passed. No matter how I think about it, I judge that it does not seem likely that Aishers’s army will invade through there without gaining anything.”
If caught off guard, one would certainly be shaken.
Perhaps Amir Castle, being weakly defended, could have been captured in an instant.
But that would be all.
Blocking the river to cut off supply routes, and then retaking Amir Castle, wouldn’t take much time.
It might be annoying to have been hit by Aishers’s forces, but that’s a secondary issue.
“Didn’t you tell me to see what is not seen?”
“That’s correct.”
“Looking back now, it seems nothing more than a plausible collection of sentences to gloss over the situation.”
It wasn’t the first time she had seen someone act in such a way to somehow make a name for themselves.
Yes. It wasn’t the first time. If that’s the case, it would mean that the man named Swen was just one of those figures.
Serpina looked down at Swen.
In his posture, with his head bowed, there was no sign of a troubled heart.
At the same time, the strong conviction felt even in this situation confused her.
“What exactly… are you thinking?”
While she was thinking this—
Finally, Swen slowly opened his mouth.
“My lord. The first thing I would like to say is—”
And at that moment.
A soldier hurried into the audience room.
“My lord, General Zeffer has arrived. He says he has an urgent issue that needs to be reported immediately.”
As soon as she heard the soldier’s story, she glanced towards Swen.
He had closed his mouth, which he was about to open, and was silently communicating with her.
“Should we let him in… is that okay?”
Interrupting an audience suddenly could be considered rude depending on the situation—
Serpina nodded as if she wasn’t particularly bothered and answered.
“…Let him in.”
Zeffer was a general affiliated with Amir Castle.
He was an ordinary general who didn’t have particularly outstanding abilities but was quite good at training troops and was in charge of the barracks in the rear.
Such a general had urgently come to Aingardt Castle for something urgent?
“Zeffer, I didn’t expect to see you today.”
“Lo, lord…”
Zeffer, who knelt before her, said breathlessly.
“I’ve come urgently to the royal castle because there’s something I need to show you. Please forgive my impudence—”
“Dispense with the needless formalities. What’s the matter?”
“Th-this was discovered…!”
Zeffer handed her something.
Serpina stood up and checked what he had handed her.
“……!!”
Rarely, her eyes widened in shock.
What was in Zeffer’s hands was— a crest.
It was very similar to the double-headed eagle crest that symbolized the Aingardt family, but… there were three diagonal lines across it at the bottom.
This was the emblem that Serpina’s second brother, Sidmid von Aingardt, had used when he revolted against the eldest, Algott von Aingardt.
The appearance of this emblem, now lost to history, meant—
―The ghosts of the dead Sidmid were appearing again to hinder Serpina.
* * *
After the sudden death of the empire’s emperor—
Before the full-blown rebellion of the feudal lords had started.
Everyone naturally thought that the eldest son, Algott von Aingardt, would be the successor.
There was a faction that rose against him.
It was Algott’s second younger brother, Sidmid von Aingardt.
Supported by the third younger brother, Stadel von Aingardt, and the eldest sister, Lilyrose von Aingardt, Sidmid, claiming that the empire could not be handed over to Algott, rallied support from about 1/3 of the imperial noble families and began to compete with Algott.
At the scene of this fratricidal conflict—
The youngest sister, Serpina von Aingardt, standing a step apart, was doing her best to unite the crumbling imperial family in some way.
However, the only reason she could have been a peacemaker—having no power base of her own—meant her efforts could not shine much.
The brothers’ infighting eventually crossed the line, destroying each other’s power bases.
The peak of this was the tragedy at the Piviola Academy.
Despite likely having noble patrons as well, the academy’s entire staff and students were massacred, and the academy itself was erased from history as if through obliteration, in a non-humanitarian operation.
Algott and Sidmid became irreconcilable since that event.
For Serpina, who had been tirelessly working to end this political strife—there was nothing more she could do.
Shortly after the tragedy.
Serpina, for the first time, rebelled against Sidmid, her second brother.
“Brother. Why… why did you do such a thing?! What did those people do wrong—”
Piviola Academy was a quite prestigious academy, home to many noble children.
Among them were people who had spent their childhood with Serpina.
Not just her. Surely, Sidmid also had acquaintances there. Beyond acquaintances, children of influential families supporting him would have been there.
It wasn’t just for these humanitarian reasons.
Politically, it was nearly a blunder, and Sidmid, perhaps vaguely aware of this, began to lose his temper at Serpina.
“Quiet! There was no other way! Even to stop that foolish brother from inheriting the throne, we had to consolidate power somehow!”
He continued to vent his pent-up frustrations in front of his youngest sister.
“Everywhere it’s Algott, Algott! As if he’s already been decided as the next emperor. Yeah! The dean of Piviola Academy! Do you know what he’s been blabbering about? By next year, Algott will ascend the throne without issue, so everyone should prepare for that, spouting such nonsense. They got what they deserved!”
Though he was yelling with his eyes narrowed—
Serpina, somehow overcoming the intimidation, looked straight into his eyes.
“But… killing people meaninglessly like this… If you are to be emperor, you shouldn’t do this!”
At that moment.
Slap!
Serpina’s cheek turned bright red.
Sidmid coldly said as if he would strangle her with another word.
“…Don’t speak out of turn. Understand?”
“…….”
Serpina could not say anything and just dropped tears to the floor.
It wasn’t because of the pain from being hit—
It was due to the despair that peace could never be restored again.
* * *
I remember.
That look in brother Sidmid’s eyes, as if he wanted to devour me.
I couldn’t do anything.
I couldn’t stop anything… I couldn’t protect anything.
And now, once again.
It has appeared before me again.
As if mocking me for not being able to do anything, it raises its head and glares at me again.
While I’m resigning myself, that gaze eventually sinks into the abyss—
And ferociously stares at me from within the darkness.
The gaze grows stronger.
Eventually, it turns red.
That is the color of blood reeking of iron, the color of fading life.
Serpina… you… you have…!
No.
No, brother. I—
You killed me!!!
That’s not true, brother! I just, I only wanted to…!!
You!!! You, my siblings…! Could it be that from the start, you intended to…!!
No.
No, no! It wasn’t me!
I didn’t do it.
Algott, brother, he…!!!!
Thus.
In this dark place.
Where every gaze, every voice rushed to tear me apart—
―My lord!!!!!
Suddenly, a somewhat warm voice enveloped Serpina.
This isn’t… a word meant to stab me.
It’s a word meant to hold me.
Realizing that it was the only shining white light in this pitch-black place…
* * *
“……Ah.”
When she came to her senses—
She realized that Swen, a man with white hair, was holding her wrist and looking at her.
“My lord. Please calm down.”
“……Swen…?”
Right.
I called Swen to talk to him.
And then, suddenly, Zeffer burst in…
“Calm down, my lord. Nothing has happened.”
“Ah…”
“Are you alright?”
Hearing Swen’s voice once more, Serpina realized.
She had momentarily fallen into a state of panic.
Triggered by seeing the crest used by Sidmid, the trauma from past events surged at that very moment… the moment she was called by Swen.
And strangely—
The trembling in her body had calmed.
Why?
Why does… his voice feel so warmly to me?
In that moment, scenes from dreams she had repeatedly seen flashed through her mind.
Scenes where she was talking and laughing with Swen, overlooking a beautiful sea…
“My lord…?”
Only after being asked again did she—quickly regain her senses.
“……I’m sorry. It seems… I wasn’t feeling well for a moment.”
“It’s alright. I’m relieved you’ve calmed down.”
Swen naturally stepped back, bringing Zeffer, who was still kneeling, back into her view.
“I apologize for the sudden trouble, Zeffer.”
“My lord. I am fine. More importantly, the message I have to deliver…”
“Yes. ……Where was that crest found?”
Serpina asked with a trembling voice, to which Zeffer bowed his head deeply, seeming sorry.
“New troops were being stationed at Amir Castle, and during a thorough patrol of the domain, it seemed to be found by chance. Upon inspecting the location… we were able to find dissenters.”
“What…?”
Dissenters were found.
No, to be precise— “After the new troops were stationed, during a thorough patrol of the domain,” dissenters were found.
“Could it be…!!!”
Realizing something, Serpina froze on the spot.
“However, it would be best to deploy the conscripted troops to the domain where the conscription took place. It would be the most efficient method.”
“Are you suggesting that it’s efficient to station troops in such a remote place?”
“Yes.”
Passing through a scene from an opinion-sharing meeting, Jenna’s voice brushed through her mind.
“Swen’s opinion seemed somewhat peculiar. That is… I don’t know how to explain it, but… it feels like he’s avoiding the main issue. It’s as if he’s developing his logic on rather peripheral matters rather than the essence…”
“Swen’s opinion seemed to be not about stopping Aishers’s forces but about stationing troops at Amir Castle.”
The puzzle pieces in her mind began to fit together one by one.
“All this… you knew it would happen… didn’t you?”
She slowly turned her head to look at Swen, who had supported her.
His expression was utterly unshaken.
As if he had known this would happen from the start—
Like a noble crane, even a sense of leisure could be felt in those gray eyes.
Seeing that, Serpina felt as if struck by lightning.
Shivering, she muttered to herself, realizing what the white-haired man had truly been advocating.
Swen—knew everything.
