The Audience Chamber / Anel Castle (1)
The three of us steeled ourselves and stepped into the audience chamber of the royal castle.
Beyond Kalintz's shoulder, I could see her—Lin, the absolute sovereign of the Brans Army.
Her usual default was to lounge across the throne with a look of boredom, propping up her chin or twirling a lock of hair around one finger.
But now there was none of that restless energy. She sat upright in a dignified posture, watching us approach.
Airen and I matched our steps to Kalintz's as we walked before her—and when he dropped to one knee, we knelt before Lin in unison.
"…Kalintz Brans, having just returned to Anel Castle from Kelstein Castle."
"Airen Juliette, likewise just returned."
"Swen, returned to present himself before his lord."
"…"
If I had to describe her usual presence, it was less the dignity of a sovereign and more something playful—almost mischievous. That wasn't to say she entirely lacked a ruler's aura, but Lin certainly had a frivolous side that made the title of "lord" sit a little awkwardly on her.
But in this moment, she looked down at us with a face utterly devoid of humor—cold, and deadly serious.
"…Brother Kalintz."
"Please speak."
"I heard. You managed to escape safely, did you? How fortunate. Thanks to that, we didn't have to waste our army's resources and capacity negotiating for your return. We couldn't exactly leave a man of the Brans family to die, after all. So I suppose you managed to contribute something useful at the very end. Congratulations."
At Lin's openly sarcastic words, Kalintz bowed his head even deeper.
"…I have no excuse, my lord. I will accept any punishment."
"No, no. What could our brilliant, successful Brother Kalintz possibly have done wrong? It's all my fault as the sovereign, isn't it? My lack of virtue that failed to stop my brother from making such a bizarre decision. Right?"
Under Lin's cutting words, Kalintz could only keep his head bowed in silence.
"Still, I am grateful that my brother took this opportunity to prove something for me."
"What do you mean…?"
"That our father was right."
Lin said this and let out a short laugh.
"When I became the heir, a lot of people didn't understand, did they? I still vividly remember the one who self-immolated rather than accept it. But now you've proven that decision was correct, so I'm grateful. Aren't you, Brother?"
"…"
Wow. That was some vicious wording.
I could see Kalintz trembling as he kept his head down. He was kind of an ass, but watching him get torn apart by his own little sister was a bit pitiful. And he was being thoroughly dismantled right in front of Airen and me—his subordinates. There was no greater humiliation than that.
Of course, he'd brought it on himself. No matter how many times I thought about it, every fault in this whole affair stemmed from Kalintz's unilateral actions.
"Anyway, I'd prefer you keep a low profile for a while. As my reliable second brother, I'd love to give you a chance to redeem yourself right away, but too many eyes are watching. You wouldn't want a lord who shows excessive favoritism just because someone's family, would you?"
She said this, then flashed a grin.
"Though the fact that your head is still attached is already more than enough of a Brans family privilege."
And then she cackled with genuine amusement. In the empty audience chamber, only her laughter slowly spread.
Kalintz remained silent for a long while—then finally parted his heavy lips.
"…I shall obey your command."
"Good. Go home and cool your head. Go visit the brothels like you did when you were young and pick up some women, or maybe train under a waterfall. I'll call for you again someday, when the situation allows."
"…"
What? With that pretty face of his, it seemed he'd been quite the playboy in his youth. Well, his private life was none of my business.
"What are you waiting for? Get going."
At Lin's icy words, Kalintz bowed deeply once more.
"…I shall remain in seclusion until my lord's command. Once again, I offer my deepest apologies."
"Yes, yes. Off you go. I'm busy."
And so Kalintz withdrew. Lin's gaze now fell upon Airen.
"…Airen."
"Yes. Please speak, my lord."
"You've worked hard. Sorry you had to put up with that."
Lin spoke in a more benevolent tone than she had with Kalintz. But I could tell. There was still a blade hidden in her words.
"But what am I to do? That fortress was only built because Kalintz insisted on it for no good reason. We had no choice but to destroy all of it—it would have been problematic otherwise. You worked so hard, and it all came to nothing. Sorry about that?"
Lin's tone was openly mocking. But Airen responded with conspicuous dignity.
"Not at all, my lord. This humble Airen Juliette considers it a great honor to have been able to carry out my lord's command."
"Is that so? Well, good then."
The old Airen would have swallowed her humiliation in this moment. But the Airen of now looked utterly serene. Of course she did. She no longer expected anything from Lin Brans. A person who expects nothing cannot be affected by how they are treated.
"Keep performing for me like this next time too. Understood?"
"Yes!"
Lin smiled brightly and gestured toward Airen.
"Good. You may go as well."
As Airen rose and turned to leave, our eyes met briefly. In her gaze—as if telling me Come back safely—I found myself able to ease some of my tension.
Now it was just me. I kept my head bowed and waited for her words.
"…Swen."
"Yes."
She spoke in a calm tone with no trace of playfulness. Different from how she'd spoken to Kalintz, different from how she'd spoken to Airen.
"The first thing I want to ask is… why you didn't obey the order to return to Anel Castle."
She let out a heavy sigh.
"If you have something to say, let's hear it."
I calmly analyzed her voice. She didn't seem all that angry.
Good. This is where it begins.
I slowly began delivering the lines I'd rehearsed over and over in my head on the way back here.
"I apologize. It was never my intention to disregard Lady Lin's command. However, I wanted to show you—to prove something."
"Show me? Prove something?"
"Yes. From the moment the sun of Brans settled in my chest, my only goal has been advancement. I wanted to achieve feats worthy of recognition by as many people as possible, and claim a key position in the Brans Army. I believed that if I succeeded in defending Lord Kalintz's fortress—the pillar of the Brans Army—I could earn Lady Lin's forgiveness."
"Even going so far as to defy orders?"
"I apologize. I only ask that you consider the sincerity of my intentions."
"…"
She said nothing. With my head bowed to the floor, I couldn't see her face… but the atmosphere didn't shift.
How long did the silence last? At last, Lin opened her mouth.
"…I've heard everything. You set up an altar, communed with the heavens, and dropped boulders from the sky?"
"That is correct."
"How did you do it? Are you a mage or something?"
"Hardly. I, Swen, possess only a modest talent for reading the movements of the stars in the sky."
"Reading the movements of the stars?"
"Yes. Once one studies the principles of the heavens and communicates through the proper methods, creating boulders from nothing may be impossible—but adjusting where they fall is not so difficult."
I'd been prepared to sprinkle some embellishment on what I'd told Airen if she asked for a detailed explanation. Fortunately, she didn't seem interested in asking how I'd figured it out. Lucky for me, but it was a bit strange. Normally, if someone pulled off something like that, wouldn't you ask how they did it?
"…"
Lin, who had seemed about to continue, fell silent once more. A brief silence stretched—then broke again.
"Then… the fact that the Alepel Army was colluding with the Aesius Army to deceive us—did you learn that by reading the stars as well?"
…Ah.
Come to think of it—during my one-on-one debate with Parfalle, I had made that claim. I'd been so busy defending the northern fortress that I'd completely forgotten. They must have sent the rest of their forces that way, excluding the troops they sent to us.
I hadn't read the stars—I'd simply deduced it from my game knowledge, and it had turned out that way. Best to give a plausible answer here.
"I didn't read the stars for that. I simply read the reasons behind their actions. When someone takes 'a certain action,' 'a certain result' inevitably follows."
I answered with something suitably convincing. I'd planned to answer anything she asked with equal plausibility, but silence fell once more.
What is this?
I'd been sensing for a while now that I couldn't have a normal conversation with Lin. Very carefully, still keeping my head bowed, I lifted my gaze just enough to read her expression.
And then I finally noticed.
Her eyes… were trembling continuously.
Yes. She was trembling. As if she stood before an absolute being she dared not even touch.
It was a truly bizarre sight. I was the one kneeling with my head bowed, and she was the one who could command me to do anything as the superior—and yet I was the composed one, while she was the one shaking.
And she—no longer even trying to hide the tremor in her voice—carried it straight to me as she spoke.
"What about then? When the ceasefire agreement came. How did you know that Serpina's Army was going to invade us?"
"That—"
I was about to explain something here as well. But my words were cut off by Lin's.
"No. This time too. How did you know we needed to send troops north? How did you know a rebellion would break out in the Alepel Army in the first place?! How do you know all of it… how do you know everything?!"
"My lord…?"
"Answer me! Now!"
To answer her furious demand, I slowly raised my head. And at last—my eyes met Lin's, who was staring at me with a face drained of all color.
And only then did I understand why I'd felt like we couldn't have a proper conversation.
The trembling voice she no longer bothered to hide. The pale face. The whites showing in her eyes. Putting it all together, only one conclusion emerged.
She… was afraid of me.
Heh. Well now.
I'd been so uncannily accurate about everything that it had gone past wonder and into fear. Of course I'd been right about everything. My Intelligence is 100. Even I don't fully understand why I'm always right, but looking back, everything I said turned out correct.
To an outsider, it would seem miraculous. No—beyond miraculous, it would be terrifying. It would look like I'd been possessed by some divine spirit.
Thinking about it, Lunarien—who believed and supported everything so I could use my abilities freely—was the special case. An ordinary lord might feel awe at my abilities, but more often than not, they'd find them deeply unsettling. In the middle of a chaotic age, there was no guarantee that the tip of that ability's blade wouldn't turn toward their own throat.
"Swen… what… what are you…?"
I hadn't even answered, and she was already asking again.
This was bad. Instilling fear in the emotionally volatile Lin Brans was not a good situation. If her feelings went past awe of my abilities into fear, she might decide to "deal with" me.
It seemed I'd revealed my abilities too freely. I didn't regret it—it had allowed me to save Airen.
But it's making me think even more that I won't be able to stay with the Brans Army for long.
And in that moment—
Huh?
Wait a second.
A brilliant "Brans Army exit plan" flashed through my mind. A situation where she feared me… if I played this right, couldn't I turn it to my advantage…?
My mind began racing faster than ever before. I had to leave her side eventually. Airen was in danger. The essential condition would be escaping safely together with her. So perhaps I should proceed in a way that claimed the compensation Airen rightfully deserved for all the unrewarded service she'd given.
It had been a while since I'd had a chance to work my tongue.
"Lady Lin. It's all right."
"All right…?"
I put on the most benevolent smile I could manage, and spoke in the most trustworthy tone I could produce.
"My talents belong entirely to you, Lady Lin. There is no need to fear."
"…!!!"
She looked at me again in shock—as if wondering how I'd read her mind. She seemed more cornered than I'd thought.
Now.
Driving the wedge home, I bowed so low that my forehead nearly touched the floor before her, and said—
"Use me as your compass, Lady Lin. I will gladly serve."