The Meeting (1)
A few hours earlier.
"Huff, huff, huff, haah…."
Reika woke from sleep and wiped the cold sweat from her brow. As her mind gradually returned, she checked her surroundings and recognized that she was in her own room.
A dream…?
It had been a terrible nightmare. Not a dream in which she herself appeared. The figure who had shown up in her dream was Swen. It was a dream of a truly bizarre scene—him walking with his own two feet straight into a pit of fire. No matter how desperately she tried to call out to him, her voice never reached him. And even when she tried to follow, she could never catch up, thrashing helplessly in that situation until she came to her senses and realized it had only been a dream.
Why did I have a dream like that…?
She was not the sort who dreamed often. Even less so for a nightmare this dreadful. And so, in the mind of a twenty-year-old maiden, anxious feelings began to sprout of their own accord.
Could something be happening…?
Come to think of it, she had not seen his face for the past few days. The thought that something irreversible might occur kept churning through her mind and leaving it in knots. Biting her nails as she fretted, she suddenly remembered that today was a day her father was home. If she went and asked, he might tell her something. After a quick change of clothes, she headed straight for the study and put the question to him.
"About Swen?"
"Yes. I was curious when he might visit next… what his schedule looks like…."
"What is it? Didn't I tell you that you need not think about magic training for the time being?"
Reika's progress had been remarkably fast, but after the recent incident he had judged it wiser for her to remain at home for a while. She had simply been meditating indoors, and by now she could manage that much even without him.
"Well…."
Zinor watched Reika, who could not bring herself to speak and was clearly at a loss, and a peculiar expression crossed his face.
"Do you miss him?"
"…What?"
"I am asking whether you wish to see him."
At those words Reika's face flushed red in a way that left nothing to the imagination. Was her adoptive father the sort of man who asked such things? He was kind enough in his way, but this was the first time he had ever inquired about something so human. She could not hide her fluster, stammering as she barely managed to drag the truth out of herself.
"Ah, ah, n-no! Th-that's… not it, it's just… I had a strange dream…."
"A dream?"
Reika explained the nightmare to Zinor. Come to think of it, this seemed to be the first time she had ever spoken with her father about something as personal as a dream.
"Hmm… Is that so."
"How has Lord Swen been lately? Is he perhaps carrying out some special schedule…? If there is anything I can help with, I would like to help. Th-that is… of course, only if Father permits it…."
"…."
Zinor, who had been lost in thought, slowly nodded and muttered.
"Indeed. Today is the day."
Today was the very day Swen would set out for Hisphil Castle, where Serpina was currently staying, in order to negotiate. Whether Reika's dream had been auspicious or not was not a matter of great importance to Zinor. Although she was an irregular who wielded the supernatural power of magic, she was not the sort who could tell fortunes. It was said that human dreams were imbued with mystery, but Zinor himself was not the type to place much stock in them. Considering Swen's example, he supposed there might be ways to glimpse the future through magic, yet his daughter did not appear to possess any such gift.
Having roughly ordered his thoughts, Zinor looked at Reika and asked,
"Very well. If it troubles you so, I can take you to him."
"R-really?!"
Surprise lit Reika's face. To grant permission for an outing so readily….
"Why so startled?"
"No, it's just… I was wondering whether it was all right to go outside…."
"How uncharacteristic. Once you marry, you will follow your husband's will, not mine."
"…What?"
Reika, startled by the sudden word, asked back, but Zinor kept his tone perfectly nonchalant.
"Why? Surely you would not be fretting over a man who is not even in your heart?"
"Ah…."
She lowered her head once more. With her ears dyed scarlet, she fidgeted restlessly and barely managed to speak.
"Well… th-that is…."
Reika thought. Do I have feelings for Lord Swen? Is that why I am so worried? In a life where she had never once liked a man, becoming aware of the emotion of "liking a man" all at once was, for her at least, an extremely difficult thing.
Zinor, for his part, assessed the situation and calculated the gains and losses. There was nothing to lose by building a bridge to the man. If Reika also happened to care for Swen, so much the better. Even so, there was something that needed confirming.
"Reika."
"Ah, y-yes…!"
"Swen is scheduled to cross into the territory of the Serpina Army today."
"The Serpina Army…?"
"Yes. He is going as an envoy for negotiations, accompanied by escort warriors. That is why I have no choice but to put a question to you. I would like you to answer seriously."
"Ah… yes! If it is something I can answer…."
Zinor looked into Reika's face and asked,
"Regardless of how your dream may have been, he is crossing into the Serpina Army. Dangerous situations may arise. If you are truly worried about him, Reika, you could protect him by remaining at his side."
"Me…?"
"Yes. You have already grown strong enough. After what happened at Hisphil Castle, you will not be able to hide that ability forever. However."
A heavy weight settled into the words Zinor spoke.
"You may have to risk your life. It should be safe for the most part, but the opponent is that Serpina, after all."
"Ah…."
Watching the hesitating Reika, Zinor was suddenly swept by a strange feeling. Come to think of it… since when had receiving the "Serpina Army" been regarded as such a dangerous matter? Serpina von Aingart. Having once eaten the empire's salt as a close aide to the emperor, he still remembered the girl she had been. Clever and gifted, yes—but he had never imagined she would become the bloodthirsty tyrant she was now. It was newly startling to realize that even he himself was thinking, You may have to risk your life.
In any case, it was not something to dwell on at the moment. Zinor roughly ordered his thoughts, then asked Reika in a thoroughly serious tone,
"Do you still intend to follow him?"
Hearing those words, Reika fell into thought. If it were merely the role of a diplomatic envoy, she might not need to worry—but having had such a dream, she felt that if she did nothing she would be swallowed by anxiety and waste the entire day. If by any chance something happened to Swen, she was certain she would be crushed by guilt for having done nothing. He was the first person who had ever gifted her even a small measure of freedom. He was the one who had taught her that there was a reason to live even without using magic, was he not? Thinking that far, deciding how to answer was no longer difficult.
"…Yes. If I can be of help, I would like to accompany him."
"Is that so."
Zinor nodded and replied in the same nonchalant tone.
"Return to your room and prepare to go out. I will send the servants. Simply do as they instruct."
"Yes, I understand…! Thank you!"
"So that is how it happened?"
"Ah, yes…! S-so… I came out to the royal castle to wait for the person who would take on the escort duty, and th-the person I met last time appeared…."
So that was the process by which this peculiar two-shot had come about. At that moment Irene drew close to me and asked,
"Swen."
"Yes?"
"Though it is by the strategist's order, no matter how I look at her she is simply an ordinary young lady… Will taking her all the way into enemy territory not become a dangerous matter?"
"Ah, it is fine. Miss Reika is actually quite strong—stronger than she looks."
"Is that so? With that slender frame she does not seem like someone who lives on the battlefield…."
I considered simply telling her outright that Reika could use magic. But since it was Irene, she would trust me even without an explanation. There was no need to spend the time. She would learn of it someday whether I spoke or not.
"Do not worry. She is stronger than I am."
"Really…? Well, if you say so, Swen…."
"And if anything happens, Lady Irene is here as well. What is there to worry about?"
Irene seemed to like those words; she let out a soft laugh.
"That is true. Even if the opponent is Serpina, I have every confidence that I can protect you."
"I trust you, Lady Irene."
"Mm."
And so the three of us boarded the carriage. Our destination was Hisphil Castle, where Serpina was said to be staying. It looked to be a somewhat long journey, yet I found myself thinking that with these two companions the time would not be unpleasant. The problem was that Reika was excessively shy around strangers. Although she had met Irene once before, it had been little more than a passing encounter, so this was practically a first meeting….
Will they get along well?
And, rendering my worries completely unfounded—
"So Lady Irene, you held a sword from a young age…?"
"Yes. This was the only path open to me."
"Wow… That is amazing. Because you trained from childhood, that is why I can feel this kind of aura from you."
Reika began opening up to Irene with startling speed. The way her eyes sparkled as she looked at Irene made it seem as though she were gazing at an idol. The girl who had been stammering and at a complete loss was now conversing without so much as a stutter.
"Ah! Come to think of it, this at your waist… is black tea?"
"Hm? You recognize it?"
"Yes! It is the black tea that pairs best with sweet pastries, is it not? We have it at our house as well. There are a few others that produce a similar yet different flavor."
"Is that so? That sounds like quite an interesting story."
To the two of them who seemed to have drawn the entire world into their private chatter, I casually spoke up.
"You two became close remarkably quickly, did you not?"
"…Ah."
Only then did Reika look at me, head lowered, and say,
"Th-that… I am sorry… I-I did not mean to leave you alone…."
"Were you lonely, Swen?"
"No—even Lady Irene is saying it like that?"
"Hehe."
Irene laughed softly, a faint flush coloring her cheeks as though she were enjoying herself. That her spirits had risen was easy enough to tell from the small joke she had just offered. She was not the sort who made such remarks often. Come to think of it, this seemed to be the first time I had ever seen her conversing with a woman of her own age. Since the battlefield was fundamentally a man's domain, perhaps it felt as though she had finally met a same-sex friend with whom she could truly talk.
In any case, the sight of the two of them getting along so well was quite pleasant to watch. If one were to sculpt the word "peace" into a visual image, it would probably look something like this—enough to make a corner of my heart grow warm simply from looking. Back then, when I had gone to negotiate the fate of the Lunarien Army, I had been alone.
At that moment, the words Zinor had once spoken to me suddenly rose in my mind.
"Swords and shields are fine, but I also wished to tell you that it would be better to keep someone who uses magic at your side in addition—someone like yourself."
…
If Irene accepted my proposal and became my wife… and if I accepted Zinor's suggestion and took Reika as my second wife… then… would I be able to keep watching peaceful scenery like this forever?
I pictured a future spent with the two of them. And for the first time, I thought that perhaps a life of taking more than one wife might not be so bad after all.
"So this is the place."
Hisphil Castle, which we had returned to once more. The section of wall we had punched a hole through seemed to have been fully repaired; it looked quite neat. Serpina was said to be here, was she not?
Then, when we used magic that day, was Serpina already inside the castle?
After lightly bribing the guards, we entered. The atmosphere within the castle was distinctly unsettled. Given how long the place had remained under Brans Army rule, the people's hearts would not have transferred easily to Serpina. And after experiencing something like the collapse of the walls, even less so. Thinking that, we arrived before the royal castle of Hisphil.
Is Serpina inside here?
Gulp. As I swallowed dryly, Irene's voice reached me.
"Swen."
"Yes?"
"Are you nervous?"
"Me?"
"Yes. Your expression is different from usual."
Nervous, was I? As she said, was I truly nervous? I had only come to negotiate; there was no real reason to be tense… Was it simply because the other party happened to be Serpina that I had grown tense?
As I thought that, Irene's hand settled on my shoulder.
"It is all right, Swen. You need not worry. I am at your side. I will protect you."
It was Irene saying this, of all people. Was she not currently the person I trusted most in the world? I grinned.
"Lady Irene. Please take good care of Miss Reika."
"Mm. Take care, Swen."
The peculiar anxiety that had bloomed in my heart would vanish the moment I faced Serpina anyway—thinking that, I stepped forward into the royal castle of Hisphil Castle.