Inevitability (2)
The royal palace of Aingart Castle, capital of the Serpina Army.
Seated upon her throne, Serpina listened to a soldier's report.
"You're saying a landslide is believed to have occurred?"
"That is correct."
The news had come from a supply unit dispatched to deliver provisions to the front lines.
"We altered our route on our own judgment, but I felt the matter warranted a report, so I came."
"Do you know when it happened?"
"Based on the consistent testimony of numerous local residents living in the surrounding villages, we estimate it occurred approximately three weeks ago."
"I see..."
Fortunately, the valley was little more than a thoroughfare, so the damage had not been severe. But as a critical access route from the northern continent into the central continent, the pass would have to be restored—both for smooth communication with allied forces at the front and to ease the advance of occupation troops later on.
"Very well. How long is the restoration expected to take?"
"From what I've been told, it may take quite some time... but the field commander says he awaits your orders at any time."
Serpina considered for a moment, then extended her hand forward as she spoke.
"Understood. I will dispatch a support force from the nearest castle to assist with the restoration. Authority over the unit's operations will be entrusted to General Estin, the supply unit's commanding officer."
"Shall I convey that message?"
"Yes."
The soldier who had heard Serpina's words answered in a loud voice.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
After dismissing the soldier, Serpina rose from her seat and walked over to where a large map hung.
It was the same full map of the continent often used during state councils. She took up the quill pen beside it, intending to mark the area near the valley where the landslide had occurred so it would be easy to identify.
But then—
...Hmm?
For some reason, the moment she looked at the map, Swen's voice brushed through her mind.
"What Your Majesty has proposed—that is, going there in person—carries the possibility of producing results unfavorable to our own forces."
"I believe Your Majesty should avoid moving personally."
The unease Serpina had felt at the time had partly come from the way he addressed her as "Lady Serpina"... but there had also been the way he had so deliberately tried to stop her from going herself.
The reason Swen had given on the surface was that they must not allow their subordinate generals to feel sympathy for Lin—but if that were truly the case, he should also have refused to summon her here. Yet Swen had not done so.
And then—
...Huh?
A sudden, chilling thought struck Serpina. Her heart began to pound, and a cold sweat broke out across her skin.
...Wait.
Serpina checked the map once more.
It was a road she had traveled many times. Not long ago, she had even returned here from the front by that very route. So estimating with any precision how long it took to use that road was no difficult matter for her.
Of course weather and other factors could affect travel time—but that only became a problem when looking toward the future. Looking back into the past, it was no issue at all. The skies had been perfectly clear throughout, so the journey would have been made without incident.
What she was thinking of now was not the scenario of summoning Lin here, but the original plan she herself had proposed to Swen—going in person to the Brans Army.
He said three weeks ago, didn't he...?
Serpina slowly assembled an envoy party inside her mind. The situation she was simulating existed only in her head—a plan she had never spoken of to anyone. The scenario in which Serpina herself traveled to the Brans Army.
The destination was Cohat Castle, the nearest of the territories currently on the border with the Serpina Army, located above Anel Castle. There had been no need for her—who held all the cards—to go all the way to Anel Castle. The purpose had been for the demoralized generals guarding a border castle with inadequate forces, and the restless local populace, to witness her presence.
So Serpina calculated the situation in which her envoy party, herself included, would arrive at Cohat Castle, form the alliance, and then return to Aingart Castle. And of course, that route included the valley where the landslide had occurred.
And then...
...!!!!!!
Serpina dropped the quill from her hand. The ink-laden pen fell with a soft tap onto the desk, scattering black ink in every direction.
And there, the "truth" she had just realized was...
"Still no word?"
"No... The date we were supposed to hear from him has already passed, and still..."
"And you have no idea where he went?"
"No..."
Inside the dormitory, I was speaking with Ioline—Jennis's twin sister, who had been sent as a temporary stand-in for him in this room.
"Is there no way to exchange letters or anything of the sort?"
"I am truly sorry... Please forgive me."
"Well, it's not something you need to apologize for..."
Pressuring Ioline further wouldn't solve anything. Besides, there was still time before I would be moving into Lady Irene's residence, and I myself was curious about whatever Jennis was up to—so letting her stay a little longer past checkout was fine.
"Understood. Then for the time being, you may remain here longer."
"Ah—yes... Thank you, Lord Swen."
I looked at Ioline as she bowed her head in apology and asked,
"Ioline. There's something I'm curious about."
"Yes. Please ask me anything."
"What kind of person is your brother Jennis?"
I had shared a room with him for a while, but all I really knew was that he was a rather frivolous, playboy type of man. We had never had a serious conversation, so I had no idea what went on in his head.
"Brother Jennis is... a kind person. But sometimes that kindness goes a little too far."
"Too far?"
"Yes. He has this tendency to try to carry everything himself... I think he believes he must never become a burden to our eldest brother, Irian."
A burden, huh. It sounded like there might be some family issues, but there was no need to dig too deep.
"As far as I can tell, this outing of his is probably... him trying to do something that might help Brother Irian. The only times he ever acts assertively are when it involves Brother Irian. He keeps pushing him, saying he's the genius who will restore the Al Kaski family."
He hadn't struck me as that exceptional a talent, but if he was capable enough to distinguish himself on the battlefield at such a young age, then in the Serpina Army—where outstanding people were scarce—he was practically a top-tier asset.
Anyway, the more we talked, the more only bad possibilities came to mind.
No matter how I look at it, this smells like something shady.
The first thing that sprang to mind was rebellion... but on the surface, at least, Irian seemed deeply loyal to Serpina. He didn't appear dissatisfied with his position, either. In fact, before Irene became deputy commander of the occupation force, Irian had been widely mentioned as the man most likely to take that post—so I had looked into the situation a bit. Nothing unusual had turned up.
And yet the reason "rebellion" still came to mind was simple—
Because I have no database on the Al Kaski siblings.
Perhaps the reason I couldn't recall any of them, despite having played this game for ten thousand hours, was that they had died early for some reason—and by the time the game began, they were already among the dead. And that "some reason" was rebellion.
If that weren't the case, at least one of the three would have stuck in my memory. Especially someone with Irian's level of ability. He had graduated at the top of the finest academy in the Serpina Army, so his base stats were bound to be solid—and I had memorized every single general with solid base stats. Irian's name was not among them.
Then is this just Jennis acting alone...?
Just then, a knock came at the door. Knock, knock, knock.
I gave Ioline a look, and she immediately settled into a suitable posture and began tidying the desk. Even to my eyes, she looked every bit the part of Jennis—so that should be fine.
"Who is it?"
"Is Lord Swen present?"
Hmm?
I had briefly wondered how to handle it if someone had come looking for Jennis—but fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, the visitor was looking for me.
I opened the door, and a soldier saluted as he spoke.
"Lord Swen. Her Majesty urgently requests your presence."
"Me?"
What was this about? Had something else come up that required my counsel? The matter of the alliance with the Brans Army seemed to have been handled well enough, but now I was already fretting over what bizarre answer I would have to give this time. Still, given that I needed to keep her alive, maintaining a close relationship with her was hardly a bad thing for me.
"Understood. I'll come at once."
"Yes. I will wait outside the door."
I exchanged a brief farewell with Ioline, left the dormitory, and headed for the royal palace.
When I arrived at the audience chamber, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
The throne is empty?
But she was supposed to be here, so I looked around—and there stood the golden-haired absolute ruler, gazing down at a desk.
Without much thought, I called out to her.
"Swen, having received Your Majesty's summons, I have just arrived."
"...Swen."
Serpina slowly turned, then began walking toward me at an unhurried pace.
Was it my imagination? Her eyes seemed to be trembling, ever so slightly. Whenever she called my name, she always wore an expression of complete composure... but today, there was none of that ease—just like when we first met.
"There is something... I wish to ask you."
Something she wished to ask—so she wanted advice, then. Since it would be the Intelligence 100 brain answering rather than me, all I had to do was somehow dress up whatever it produced with a plausible veneer.
"Please consult me on anything."
What kind of question would it be? Was a battle about to break out? Or would it be about some scheme or stratagem? I hoped it would at least be something I could anticipate—and as I thought that, she began throwing questions at me from a category I had never expected at all.
"...Swen. Tell me... your thoughts."
"The reason you prevented me from taking the lead in the alliance with the Brans Army..."
"...?"
"You claimed it was because showing Lin Brans in a humiliating light might cause our own generals to feel sympathy rather than hatred."
"Yes. That is correct."
"But I find that difficult to accept."
Serpina took another step closer to me.
It was strange. If she found it hard to accept, why bring it up now instead of then? And the woman who always radiated overwhelming pressure simply by standing before me... today, for some reason, felt as fragile and brittle as a bare tree branch.
"If your words were true, should you not also have forbidden me from summoning Lin here? After all, her subordinate generals would still be witnessing the alliance with their own eyes either way."
"...Your Majesty, that is—"
As I scrambled for some clean excuse against that airtight logic—
"Swen. Forgive me, but... allow me to speak first."
Serpina cut me off in a trembling voice. I said nothing, silently granting her the floor.
What on earth was going on? Before I could even grasp how the situation was unfolding, she looked straight into my eyes and asked,
"The reason you stopped me... was not truly that, was it?"
...!
"...I will tell you what I have surmised."
Serpina, her face now faintly flushed, wearing an expression so pitiful she looked ready to cry at any moment... looked at me and spoke that word.
"Were you not trying... to save my life?"