A Wanderer's Destiny, Pointing Toward Serpina's Army (2)
A few days later.
Airen dropped to one knee before Serpina, who had come to her room. Serpina looked down at her without the slightest hint of surprise.
"I have heard the rough outline from Swen. You wish to serve me?"
"Yes, Lady Serpina."
Airen answered, then stole a careful glance at Serpina's face.
She was truly beautiful. Among every woman Airen had ever met, it would not be an exaggeration to call her the most stunning. She had once thought Lin Brans, her former lord, was quite the beauty — yet compared to the woman standing before her now, Lin was little more than a candle beside the sun.
"Airen Juliette… the red-haired knightess. A specialist in siege warfare. I have heard the name. A talent like yours would be of great help to me. As for skill, I can grant you a passing mark without even asking."
"It is a meager reputation, but I am honored that you know of it."
"However."
Serpina's voice cooled.
"I am told you betrayed the Brans Army and handed an entire fortress over to the Asius forces. And now, once again, you are effectively betraying the Asius Army — and your lord Yuuri."
"……"
"Of course, Airen. I am not scolding you. In this age of chaos, every ruler save myself is little more than a warlord. Placing great meaning on whom one serves would be absurd. Still, I am curious about the motive that led you to choose betrayal twice."
Airen considered for a moment, then looked straight into Serpina's eyes. There was no trace of malice there — none of the sly intent to toy with her. Airen knew better than anyone what the eyes of someone who hated her looked like. She had spent her life absorbing that gaze with her entire body.
In that case… better not to invent some pretty story. Better to speak honestly.
Airen carefully parted her soft pink lips.
"My first lord, Lin, abandoned me. My second lord, Yuuri, abandoned Swen. If you call what I did betrayal, I have no defense. I simply cannot serve anyone who discards people so easily. And—"
"And?"
"When I was cast aside, Swen willingly took the brand of traitor alongside me. This time, it is my turn to leap headlong into that same disgrace for the man who was abandoned. That is all I think. There is no deeper motive."
Hearing this, Serpina allowed a faint smile to touch her lips.
So even she changes expression sometimes, Airen thought. And then another thought followed: how could a mere smile hold such magnetic charm? Even looking at her as a fellow woman, her beauty was flawless — without a single place to find fault.
"I do not dislike those who, like you, keep their own sense of loyalty even when no one acknowledges them."
Serpina extended one pure-white hand toward the kneeling Airen with measured grace.
"Airen Juliette. From this moment forward, I expect you to fight for our army."
"Yes!"
Serpina told her to remain here until further orders, then turned to leave — only for a hesitant voice to call after her.
"U-Um…!"
"……?"
From the corner of the room, Reika carefully raised a hand. Calling it a "question" was generous; she was so flustered she could barely form words.
"Th-Th-Th-That is!! I mean, I, I… La-La-La-Lady Serpina…! I-I mean, I, ha-ha-ha, h-have something, n-no, s-s-something to say…!"
"……"
Serpina approached her without a word. The closer she came, the more Reika shrank into herself — the perfect image of a mouse cornered by a cat.
"Calm yourself. I am not going to eat you."
"Ah, I, th-that, I…!"
Serpina's words only made her panic worse. Then—
"Reika."
Airen stepped close and gave her a gentle nudge. Only then did Reika take several deep breaths and try again.
"…I… that is, a letter… I wanted to send…!"
"A letter?"
"Yes! I-I mean, to… my father… I want to send a letter, but I don't know where…"
In her head she had carefully prepared a full sentence — I would like to send a letter to my father, but this place is new to me and I do not know where the postal facilities are. If it is not too much trouble, could you tell me where to go? — yet Serpina's sheer presence crushed the words before they could leave her mouth.
Fortunately, Serpina seemed unbothered. She answered in a flat, indifferent tone.
"Bring it to me."
"Eh? Y-Yes…?"
"I said bring the letter to me."
"Ah! J-J-Just a moment, p-please wait…!"
Ah. She bit her tongue.
Even after that she continued to flail about, but somehow managed to hand the finished letter over to Serpina.
"I shall deliver it for you. That is acceptable, yes?"
"What? Th-There is no need for you to…"
"Enough. This hardly even counts as a favor."
"Ah… th-thank you…"
Reika bowed. This time, Serpina was the one who asked a question.
"You look surprised."
"…What? M-Me?"
"Yes."
"……"
Reika's face said she was debating whether to speak or stay silent — yet somehow she felt it might be all right. She carefully opened her mouth.
"Well… Lady Serpina, you seem… a little different from what I had heard."
"Oh?"
"I-I mean! I… I am absolutely not complaining… m-my father told me you were a terribly frightening person… so, um…"
"I see. So I am currently holding a letter addressed to a father who describes me as a demon."
"What? N-N-No, that is not…! I-I mean, not a demon or anything…!!"
Serpina let out a soft huff of amusement and lifted the corner of her mouth.
"Whatever people around me may say is none of my concern. Anyone who cannot endure that much rumor has no right to wear a crown."
She held the letter up lightly.
"I will make certain it is delivered. You need not worry."
With those final words, she quietly left the room.
Airen and Reika stared for a long time at the door Serpina had gone through. Both of them were thinking the same thing: that the woman called Serpina might be rather different from the rumors that surrounded her.
Valharat Castle, Nighthart Manor.
With Reika gone, the manor felt a little emptier. Zinor was spending idle days for the first time in a long while.
Anima had returned.
There had been no tearful reunion. Once Anima learned that Yuuri had sold Swen away to save her, she tore into her mercilessly — demanding to know if she had lost her mind. As the sharpest mind in the Asius Army, Anima understood exactly what consequences this decision would bring.
Still.
Epinel and the other founding retainers had mediated between the two, and the decisive fact remained that Anima's own misjudgment had been the root cause of this mess. For now, things had settled into a temporary calm.
She would accept it eventually. Those two were bound by a fate that would see them face even death together.
And from that moment onward—
"You wish to resign as the nation's strategist?"
"Yes."
Zinor bowed deeply before Yuuri.
"I have grown old. My mind no longer turns as keenly as it once did. I wish to spend what time remains quietly writing books. Please grant this old man one final indulgence."
"But without you, Zinor—"
"Lady Anima is here, is she not?"
Zinor smiled with gentle kindness.
"With Lady Anima present, I can step down from this post with peace of mind."
Zinor laid down his position as national strategist.
His heart had already left the Asius Army. There was no reason left to wring wisdom from himself for the sake of rebuilding this place.
Yuuri seemed troubled by it, but she was in no position to force anything upon him. The moment news of Airen's departure spread, some twenty thousand soldiers left the army in a single wave. Yuuri could have punished them if she wished — but doing so would shatter the people's trust. She was stuck, unable to move either way.
Simply cleaning up this mess would keep her occupied for some time. Epinel's carefully constructed arguments had kept the flames from spreading as far as they might have, but the damage was real enough. Before long, a few more officers would likely leave her side as well.
Whatever the case, these were the burdens Yuuri had to bear in exchange for saving Anima.
Just then—
"L-Lord Zinor."
A maid came to the study where he was staying.
"What is it?"
"A letter has arrived."
"A letter?"
"Yes. It is… for Lady Reika."
So she was safe after all.
He had expected as much, but hearing definite news still eased something in his chest. He had only taken her in after discovering her talent as a mage — yet it seemed he had grown fond of her all the same.
I really have grown old, he thought, and opened the letter.
Its contents, summarized, were as follows:
I am well and healthy.
I plan to act together with Lord Swen and Lady Airen.
Please do not worry. I wish to remain with them as I am, and I hope you will grant me your permission.
Permission, is it.
Permission or not — this was exactly what Zinor had been aiming for all along.
In any case, if she was able to send a letter here, her situation was better than he had feared. Even Serpina, so long as she wanted Swen, would not wish to offend him.
In that case, it should be fine to ask.
Zinor immediately wrote a reply. It was addressed to his daughter Reika — but in truth, it was a letter for Swen.
Several days had already passed since I joined Serpina's army.
She seemed busy managing the situation along the front lines, including Hisphil Castle. She had said she would summon me soon, so I was waiting for the call and enjoying a rare stretch of free time when—
Knock, knock, knock.
A knock at the door. Wondering if it might be Serpina, I opened it to find—
"Ah, h-hello… Lord Swen…!"
"Miss Reika?"
My visitor was Reika. I seated her on the sofa and brought out some light refreshments.
"Th-Thank you…!"
"Not at all. This is all I have to offer, I'm afraid. I wish I could at least brew you some tea. Though… aren't you eating the same things yourself?"
"What? W-Well, yes, but… this is something Lord Swen gave me, so… nom."
We were staying in the same annex, so of course we had the same snacks. Reika said this as she nibbled on a cookie. The sight was so endearing I watched her for a moment before asking,
"What brings you here?"
"Ah! Well… a letter arrived."
"A letter?"
She nodded vigorously. From what she told me, she and Zinor had been corresponding. That much was fine — but apparently there was a passage she needed to show me.
"For me?"
"Yes. It seems… Father wants to ask Lord Swen something."
I wondered if it was about a marriage proposal, but if that were the case, Reika would have been far more obviously flustered.
"All right. What is the question?"
"Ah, here…!"
I took the letter she held out. Most of it was Zinor urging Reika to conduct herself with proper decorum around Swen — around me. I skimmed past that section until I reached the final lines, which were clearly directed at me.
Is the lord you intend to serve Serpina?
Oh?
As expected of a man with ninety-nine Intelligence. Zinor truly was a sharp old man.