The Contest (1)
"A contest?"
"That's right."
Serpina rested her chin on her hand and stared at me for a long moment, then snorted with a faint laugh.
"How interesting. To bring the word 'contest' before me, of all people. Your lack of self-awareness is almost impressive at this point."
"Self-awareness? That's a problem if you put it that way. When you said you wanted me, was that just empty talk?"
I faced Serpina with the most composed expression I could manage. But she spoke in a thoroughly cold tone, without any particular emotional fluctuation.
"Do you truly believe that I need to engage in a power struggle with you in order to claim you?"
"I do."
From the moment I had uttered the word "contest," I had no intention of yielding even a single word to her. Whether it was because of my prediction or not, fortunately my words and actions had yet to sour Serpina's mood.
"If you insist, then I shall hear you out. What do you intend to compete with me over?"
"Well, it might be better to think of it as more of a wager than a contest."
Just as I was about to begin my explanation—
Serpina looked into my eyes and once again curved her lips into a smile. For a brief moment I nearly fell under the spell of that smile, and only barely managed to shake it off.
How remarkable it was that merely the crescent shape of her lips could be so beautiful.
"However, there is a condition. Since I am the one indulging your unreasonable demand, I cannot help but make an unreasonable demand of my own."
"What is the condition?"
"Nothing much. Just one thing."
Serpina crossed her legs and spoke as if delivering a verdict.
"I have no intention of sending you back from here. Whether it is a contest or a wager, we will settle it right here on the spot."
"......"
Tch.
I kept a composed look on my face that seemed to claim That much was within my expectations, but honestly, it was as if she had struck the exact weak point. I had planned to make some excuse and escape for the time being, but it seemed she had no intention of allowing that.
But if there was one thing that became somewhat clear from this—it was that I might have to remain with Serpina's forces.
Basically, my "predictions" reflected the position of the nation I belonged to. In other words, it was a method by which I predicted the most efficient approach from the standpoint of my lord, Yuuri. That didn't mean my own position wasn't reflected at all. At the very least, the fact that I wouldn't end up in a situation that put me in danger when acting according to the prediction had already been proven on the day the meteor fell.
Working backward from there.
From Yuuri's perspective, was retrieving Anima by simply sending a single general rather than Lacline Castle... calculated as efficient?
Some might say, Isn't a general with Intelligence 100 more valuable than a territory?, but in the end, a general only shines when the lord trusts them. The Asius force was a nation where the influence of the founding members was stronger than any other, and from my experience of spending quite a long time as a member of Asius—
There's a high chance she won't make heavy use of me.
Even the renowned Zinor couldn't do anything about it. When Epinel's opinion and mine diverged, would Yuuri simply listen to mine? The answer came quickly. Whether Intelligence was 100 or other stats were high, if they weren't used, they were no different from a fancy ornament.
Looking coldly at my own existence, considering that I was a human less important to Yuuri than Anima—the result of the prediction made a certain amount of sense.
If I had formed a hypothesis, now it was time to put it into action. If my thinking was correct—Serpina would accept my proposal.
Looking up at her beautiful face, I spoke with a more confident voice than ever before.
"Try making a deal with our lord."
"Explain in detail."
"Propose that instead of releasing Anima Ingram, she hand over my person to Lady Serpina."
Hearing my words, Serpina looked down at me with a languid gaze.
"How does that become a contest with me?"
"If our lord accepts that proposal, then Lady Serpina wins. Conversely, if our lord claims she cannot accept those terms, then I win. That establishes the contest. If I win, simply release me. If I lose—"
I briefly lowered my head, then slowly raised it again and met her golden eyes directly with my gaze.
"I will serve Lady Serpina."
After hearing my words, she fell into thought for a moment, then nodded.
"......Indeed, it sounds more like a wager than a contest. Then my next question. What meaning does that even have? Just hearing that, I don't feel any desire to engage in such a cumbersome and meaningless contest. If I simply lock you up, won't you eventually become mine?"
"A meaningless contest? In fact, Lady Serpina stands to gain more from this contest than I do."
Serpina's eyebrows twitched at my words.
"I shall hear you out for now."
"First of all, just a moment ago you said you wanted to obtain me. But by capturing me as a prisoner and imprisoning me, you gain nothing. Neither justification, nor my loyalty. Certainly, if you lock me up my heart might break eventually, but—no, before that—"
"I dare say there is a high possibility you won't be able to imprison me so easily. Even if you succeed in the end, you will likely lose quite a bit."
"You call it proposing a contest, but considering you're ultimately pleading for your life, you're quite full of yourself. Recklessness is not courage."
"It's not bluffing. My escort warriors are quite strong."
"By now my subordinates will have subdued them as well, so it would be best to abandon your expectations."
"I'll return those words right back to you. They aren't the type to be subdued in a place like this."
"Oh?"
Serpina grinned once more. I was dealing with her with the determination never to lose... but it seemed she felt the same way.
"I shall praise you for being able to speak so boldly before me. Very well. Continue with what you were saying."
"But if you subdue me through a contest, the story changes. You won't need to waste unnecessary manpower and time subduing my escorts, you can avoid the rumor of being an ignorant lord who takes envoys as prisoners, and most decisively, you can easily win my heart. Since I was the one who proposed the contest and decided what kind of contest it would be, if I lose, wouldn't it be only natural for me to serve Lady Serpina, who has shown me the courtesy?"
"......"
"It's embarrassing to say this myself, but Lady Serpina must have heard the rumors about me. I don't know exactly why you want me, but I must say that obtaining my true loyalty is the only way you can utilize me in various ways."
The hidden meaning—that there was nothing good about making an enemy of the one who called down the meteor in the north—was something someone of her caliber would easily notice.
Serpina looked at my face and sat for a long while with her legs crossed, saying nothing. That figure gave the impression of an extremely beautiful statue.
When a person possessed beauty beyond a certain limit, it inevitably affected those who looked upon them. Even I nearly thought, Is that beautiful woman really the tyrant Serpina? If I hadn't met her in my dreams, I would have thought so one hundred percent of the time.
"If you are finished speaking, then I may ask a question."
"Please ask me anything."
"As you say, I understand well what I would gain if I win the contest. Well, even if I concede a hundred times. But then I cannot help but ask. What do you gain from this contest? You won't say it's merely because you fear the underground dungeon."
"What else could there be?"
I bowed my head, then shook it lightly for a moment, then raised it again and spoke in a sly tone.
"Who would enjoy being locked in a prison? Well, setting that aside, if there's something I gain—"
Was this the critical moment? The die was already cast; I had no choice but to move forward.
"It would be something like being able to find out who the lord I should serve is."
"......!"
"If I lose this contest, that means—my lord, Lady Yuuri, sold me off right in the middle of enemy territory. Naturally, the conclusion is that she is not a lord worth serving. In that situation, there would be no reason for me not to serve Lady Serpina. However, if I win this contest—Lady Yuuri would not be sacrificing me, who was dispatched as an envoy. As you know, the chaos of the times is deepening. From my position, don't you think just being able to discern my lord's true intentions is sufficient gain?"
That's right. Anima Ingram was probably, to Yuuri, a woman more important than any other general. Even though it was the Serpina force she so despised, she had attempted negotiations by offering as much gold as she could scrape together. If she abandoned that woman and chose me, I would be able to leave this place safely.
If she abandoned me? Then there would be no need to leave this place. Whether Serpina's force or Asius's force, the place I would arrive at was the Lunarien force. If it was a nation I would pass through anyway, it didn't matter which.
Of course, in the past I might have thought Still, Serpina's force is a bit..., but—
With Serpina continuing to appear in my dreams, and with these unknown memories about her, there must be something to it.
Staying by her side to uncover the faint something remaining in my mind that didn't even feel like my own memories didn't seem like a bad choice. Wasn't that why the Intelligence 100 brain had sent me here in the first place?
I met Serpina's gaze looking down at me head-on without averting my eyes even once. She remained silent for a long while, then carefully parted her lips.
"Very well. I shall compete with you as you wish. Indeed, doing so feels like the fastest way to bring you to your knees."
"I am grateful for your wise decision."
At that moment, a commotion began to be heard from outside the royal chamber. It seemed my escort warriors had caused quite a stir.
"......"
"Please send me out. I will go calm them down."
Serpina made no reply to my words. As I looked at her... I experienced something truly strange. For some reason... I felt as if I could somewhat understand what she was thinking. Even though this was clearly the first time I was meeting her, it was enough to create the illusion that we had been in sync for quite a long time.
Anyway. I couldn't shake the feeling that she was agreeing with my words right now.
"......Then I shall be back."
Without receiving any particular reply, I rose from my seat and headed outside, and Serpina made no move to stop me.
......Just what was this sense of déjà vu?
With that thought, I went to settle the commotion outside—and so the contest between Serpina and me began.