Episode 59. The First Encounter / Aeshers’ Forces
*
Just as he said, a rudimentary camp was set up not far away.
It seemed to be constructed solely for the meeting, without any sort of fence or barrier.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
The Aeshers’ forces messenger said before entering the tent.
I stood beside Airen and whispered to her cautiously,
“There’s no need to be nervous. From her perspective, there’s no reason to reject our surrender.”
Instead of responding, she slowly nodded her head.
I could read the trust she had in me from the look she gave me.
After a while,
Finally, from inside the tent – the person who would become our new lord appeared, accompanied by a woman.
Long, elegant black hair.
Eyes of two distinct colors, one as blue as the sea, the other a contrasting bright sky blue.
A straight nose and lips were placed exactly where they should be, like a finely carved statue.
Though not as oppressively present as Airen in terms of feminine presence through physical attributes-
Her figure, where everything that should protrude did so, certainly exuded femininity.
If one were to consider balance, many might prefer her.
“Wow… She’s beautiful.”
Upon seeing Baranka Yuri Aeshers – that is, Yuri’s appearance, I couldn’t help but marvel.
She was far more beautiful than I had imagined.
I was already familiar with Yuri’s face.
After all, I had chosen her in the game before.
But,
Just like with Lynn and Airen – the in-game graphics represented as dots and the real face had a significant discrepancy.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected her to be this pretty.
And the woman beside her.
I recognized her easily.
In this game, she was the only general with teal hair tied in a ponytail, always carrying a bow.
Ephinel Rosencroix.
One of the founding generals of Aeshers’ forces, an S-class general renowned for her martial and command abilities.
“Ephinel Rosencroix, the face of Aeshers’ forces’ S-class generals’ pool,” I hadn’t realized her feminine charm was so intense when seen through dots.
Considering her attire alone, which revealed her stomach and thighs while barely covering her chest, it was impressive she could wear such clothes into battle.
As Yuri approached, Airen knelt on one knee and bowed her head in sync with her steps.
I matched her speed and did the same.
“We meet Baranka Yuri Aeshers.”
At Airen’s words, Yuri nodded and said,
“You’re Airen Juliette?”
“That’s correct.”
“I’ve heard of you, but this is our first meeting. It’s an honor to meet the Red Knight, Airen, in person.”
Yuri smiled, then turned her gaze slightly towards me and asked,
“And who might you be?”
“My name is Swen. Together with General Airen, we wish to join Aeshers’ forces.”
“…”
She looked at me silently, then with the excitement of a girl discovering something amusing, she said,
“You… have white hair? That’s quite rare around here for a young man. Are you the ‘White-haired Wizard’ who split the sky and performed a miracle at the fortress of Brans’ forces in the north?”
“…”
The day the meteorite fell, I had anticipated rumors about me, but hearing the somewhat cheesy title “White-haired Wizard” directly made me feel a bit awkward.
But, what does it matter?
Having this title, if it makes her covet me, then it’s good for me.
“I’m flattered, but yes, that’s me. Calling me a wizard might be a stretch, though.”
“Oh my. Really?”
Yuri covered her mouth with her hand and chuckled softly.
Not in mockery but with a curiosity-filled laugh.
A completely different type of person from Lynn Brans, who occasionally let slip her inherent gloom.
Dealing with someone like Lynn might have been easier… but to save Airen, staying under her wasn’t an option.
“Let’s see. Both of you want to surrender to our forces?”
“Yes. Myself, Swen here, the authority of the fortress, and 38,000 soldiers within it.”
Yuri nodded and asked carefully,
“Airen, and Swen. Listen well. Your offer is too good for us to refuse. But usually, people don’t bring soldiers and build a fortress to surrender en masse. Think about it. If you’re going to surrender, escaping somehow and joining us directly would be less hassle and easier. If you’re surrendering due to imminent defeat in war, bringing soldiers might make sense, but we’re not exactly at war now, are we? Sure, we’re not on good terms, but still.”
Her point was valid.
The situation had become complicated because I tried to maximize the benefits of surrendering to “shake up the central continent’s balance,” currently under Brans’ forces’ majority control.
“So, what I mean is… hmm.”
As Yuri hesitated,
Ephinel, who had been silent until now, spoke for the first time.
“Yuri is saying she can’t fully trust you two. What if this surrender is a deceitful tactic? If the soldiers you’ve brought initiate a rebellion from within, it would put us in a difficult position. A fortress, soldiers, capable generals – it all sounds too good for our Aeshers’ forces.”
In other words, she feared this surrender might be a “Trojan Horse.”
It wasn’t too strange for them to be skeptical.
It seemed right to honestly explain why we had to surrender.
“Actually-”
Just as I was about to speak, Airen gently placed her hand over mine.
Apparently, she was indicating, “Leave this to me.”
Right.
Since she was the main subject of the surrender, it made sense for her to speak.
“I am…”
Airen slowly closed her eyes and then, looking directly at Yuri, said,
“My lord… that is, my previous lord, Lynn Brans, harbors intense malice towards me.”
“Malice…?”
Both Yuri and Ephinel seemed surprised by Airen’s confession.
Naturally. It’s rare for someone to
harbor malice towards their own subordinate general.
But everything she said was the truth. The aura of truth in her words had the power to move people.
“Yes. She… dislikes me. Beyond dislike and resentment, she wishes for my death.”
“…What? That’s… hard to understand. You’re Airen, right? The Red Knight, the specialist in siege warfare. Even I know your name, and probably all the lords do too. Why would someone with such renown be hated to this extent?”
“…”
Exactly.
Why would she be hated to this extent?
It’s said there’s no reason for disliking someone, but Lynn Brans, in every timeline, was determined to kill Airen Juliette.
“It’s quite embarrassing, but it’s the truth. That’s why… I seek refuge in Aeshers’ forces, to live.”
“Hmm…”
Then,
Ephinel turned to Yuri.
“Yuri, it doesn’t seem like they’re lying.”
“Huh?”
A new fact came to light.
Ephinel spoke informally to Yuri.
It might seem trivial, but it had significant implications.
She must have a wide influence within Aeshers’ forces.
“I told the spy we sent to Brans’ forces to inform me of even the smallest rumors. And indeed, such stories came out. Lynn Brans hates Airen Juliette.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I didn’t tell you because it seemed unimportant. After all, it’s just gossip from another country.”
“If we were truly using this surrender as a scheme, it might harm Aeshers’ forces, but we too wouldn’t survive unscathed. And as the rumors go… Lynn Brans hates me. I want to live. I have no intention of risking my life to attack your forces for her.”
“Hmm… wanting to live so you surrender to us…”
One only has one life.
Once it’s over, everyone meets their end equally.
There aren’t many reasons more legitimate for surrender than the desire not to die.
“Alright. If that rumor is true, I can understand Airen. But.”
Yuri turned her gaze to me and asked,
“Swen. Why are you surrendering? Staying in Brans’ forces, you’re on a path to significant promotion. Being a wizard who performed miracles, you’d be treated well, right? Why would you leave Brans’ forces, which has a considerable size, to join our smaller Aeshers’ forces? Isn’t that strange?”
In essence, she was asking, “Why are you doing something that seems disadvantageous?”
I had anticipated this question to some extent and prepared my response.
“I’ve come to realize Lynn Brans is not a monarch worth serving. I judged her not fitting the image of a unifying monarch.”
“Really?”
Though my answer was straightforward, I noticed.
Yuri’s lips slightly curved up at my words.
“Yes. Just look at Airen here. How could someone who treats a general of Airen’s caliber with personal animosity, failing to utilize her properly, ever unite the continent? I want to serve a person who could be a unifying monarch. It’s only meaningful to strive after choosing the right lord.”
“So, conversely, you think I could be that unifying monarch?”
“That’s correct.”
Looking at me with a relaxed smile, she seemed satisfied.
That should do it.
But she still had a question for me.
“Really? That’s the only reason? Nothing else?”
“…?”
What’s that?
The expectation in her eyes…?
Until a moment ago, what I felt from Yuri was different from Lynn or Lunarien – a different kind of monarch’s aura.
Though their tones, personalities, and attitudes towards me were all different, they all clearly carried the aura of someone bearing the will of others.
But now… she was looking at me not with the eyes of a monarch, but as if she were a girl.
“…Could it be.”
Cautiously… I brought up what I presumed she wanted to hear.
“I wish to stay by Airen’s side, to protect her.”
“!!!”
At my words, Airen, who was kneeling beside me, looked at me in surprise.
Her face turned red, and she looked perplexed… frankly, it was quite adorable.
And Yuri too.
Only after hearing my answer did she seem content and said,
“I knew it. What else would a man follow a woman for? That’s convincing enough. Hahaha.”
“…”
“Alright. Would you both stand up? Ephinel, prepare that.”
As we stood up, Ephinel went into the tent and returned carrying something.
It was a basket containing two cups, liquor, and something resembling a silver knife.
Ephinel skillfully filled the cups while holding the tray.
Yuri, holding the knife, cut her finger slightly-
“!”
And mixed a few drops of her blood into the liquor.
“Here.”
Airen and I received the cups.
The clear liquor was now clouded with her blood.
“Drink this. By sharing my blood, you become part of our family.”
“…What a peculiar ritual.”
It felt odd considering I had performed sacrifices to summon lightning, but I was reminded once again that this was reality.
The in-game information I had on Yuri was “excellent leadership that gathers many people,” “very close relationships with comrades,” “a mid-level monarch with a good pool of talents but a weak foundation.”
But, of course, without meeting her in person-
A “character introduction” of a few lines couldn’t fully capture the essence of Yuri.
I finished the cup lightly.
Then, Yuri spoke with a somewhat serious tone,
“Airen Juliette. And Swen. Welcome to Aeshers’ forces. Your safety will be my responsibility, Baranka Yuri Aeshers, and I will protect it with my life. Anyone who shares my blood becomes my family.”
Then, looking at Airen, she said,
“I look forward to working with you, Airen.”
“Yes! I will do my best to meet your expectations.”
“And you too, Swen?”
Yuri tilted her head, asking me.
I gave her a confident smile.
“I will make sure you never regret this decision.”
Thus, Airen and I became part of Aeshers’ forces.
Effectively, I had succeeded in saving Airen Juliette.
Just for that, I felt it was worth passing through Brans’ forces.
