Ch.113Chapter 113. Hound

After hearing those words, I asked Serpina several times if she was serious. I thought it could happen, but when it actually did, I couldn’t believe it.

“What would I gain by lying to you?”

Serpina said that and smiled again. She didn’t seem to be testing my reaction with a lie…

“You have the expression of an abandoned hunting dog.”

“A hunting dog…”

Hearing that, I sighed even more deeply.

“I was never even a hunting dog for my lord… for Lady Yurie.”

She never really used me in the first place. Though I wasn’t there for long, I spent more time teaching Reika than carrying out missions. Because of that, I felt I had more free time than when I was under Lynn.

With Serpina silent behind me, I assessed the situation.

So Yurie had ultimately abandoned me and chosen Anima. I don’t know if she knew Reika was with me, but she must have known Irene was accompanying me as an armed escort. Despite that, she made such a decision—

So both Irene and I… were ultimately less important to her than Anima.

I wasn’t completely baffled by this. The bond among the Aeshus Five was stronger than anyone could break. Yurie, Anima, Emma, Epinel, Erinandorf. From the beginning, the nation of Aeshus was a place where everything was determined by those five.

At this point, let me be honest. I had no intention of claiming I was terribly shocked or asking how my lord could do this to me. I never sincerely served her as my lord in the first place.

She was just someone I was passing through, and my heart was always with Lunarian. I didn’t want to act like a tragic victim now. Such shameless behavior would surely break something inside me. Irene was in the same position as me, so she probably wouldn’t feel much regret either. I had helped her achieve military merits several times during my service, so I didn’t owe her anything.

If there was anything I was worried about—it was Reika. Unlike me and Irene, she wasn’t a warrior, just an ordinary woman who happened to know magic. One could argue that being able to use magic already made her extraordinary, but in any case, she wasn’t employed by the state, so there was no reason for her to be detained here with me.

If she wanted… it would be best to let her return safely. As Ginor’s adopted daughter, they wouldn’t touch her anyway.

As I was assessing the situation, Serpina’s voice reached my ears again.

“Well. What will you do?”

“What do you mean, what will I do?”

“Exactly that.”

Could it be she wants to hear me directly declare my defeat? It’s a nasty habit, but absolute rulers like Serpina sometimes fixate on such trivial things. Well, I managed to get along under Lynn, so I should be able to manage here too.

“Haven’t I already told you? I lost the match I proposed. As promised, from now on I will be your loyal servant, Lady Serpina.”

I wonder if that answer will suffice. While I was wondering if my choice of words “loyal servant” might be a bit over the top, I heard something unexpected.

“That is not what I asked you.”

“…?”

“Swen, I am asking for your intentions.”

When I asked if she meant my intentions about serving under her, she replied:

“Didn’t you tell me? That to win you over, one shouldn’t use such forceful methods.”

“That’s true, but…”

“I’ve said it many times. I want you. I want you to be deeply loyal to me, to truly consider me a ruler worthy of your service. What meaning would there be in winning a match and forcing you under my feet?”

From my perspective, how did that make me feel?

I was simply, cleanly surprised.

For someone rumored to be a tyrant, her attitude toward her subjects was remarkably straightforward.

Someone in her position could probably act more selfishly without any problems.

I voiced my curiosity directly.

“If I were to change my mind now and say I cannot serve you, Lady Serpina, what would you do?”

“I would send you back to Balhart Castle.”

“And what would happen to Lady Anima in that case?”

“I would release her. I said I would do so when I won our match.”

“But then you wouldn’t gain anything from the prisoner you’ve captured, would you?”

Hearing that, Serpina—

Once again approached me closely.

The scent of her perfume sharply struck my nose again.

Now I understand. It’s a yuzu scent.

“What foolish words. Haven’t you learned everything already?”

She smiled seductively again, for whatever reason pleased her.

“Haven’t you witnessed with your own eyes what decisions I made in this match? What remains for me… Swen, is your gaze. The way you look at me.”

“!!!”

“That gaze will be fiercely engraved with the echoes of our match today. Even if you leave my side, you will always remember this moment. I think that’s sufficient gain, don’t you?”

…Wow.

This is dizzying.

I just genuinely thought, “Someone like Serpina might be worth serving.”

Beyond her sophisticated and beautiful appearance, the Einhart bloodline flowing through her veins, her background, and her epithet of “Tyrant”…

Setting all that aside, the title that suited her best in this moment was—Absolute Ruler.

I had to acknowledge it.

Among all the rulers I had met, the one closest to being an “Absolute Ruler” was Serpina standing before me.

Not even Lynn Brans with her charisma and madness that controlled everyone around her could compare.

Not even Baranga Yurie Aeshus, who could abandon everything for blood-sworn siblings, could reach this level—

The only one who could bear the weight of the crown of an “Absolute Ruler” was Serpina, who could say such things so casually.

In that brief moment, she proved herself to be an astonishing woman who could inspire such thoughts.

An ordinary person might have fallen for her completely and sworn loyalty right there—

But I understood why she could act with such composure.

“You are impressive, Lady Serpina. If you treat potential talent like this, they would certainly want to serve you with all their heart.”

“‘Would want to,’ you say?”

“Well, when you think about it, I don’t really have a choice right now.”

“But I gave you a choice, did I not?”

“It might seem that way, but please hear me out.”

Looking at the situation alone, her words would be correct.

But having been abandoned once, I couldn’t choose to return.

Even if I were released and returned to Aeshus with Anima—

Would Yurie be happy to see me back?

Could I live peacefully there day by day?

The ruler, Yurie, might sincerely apologize to me, but she would constantly be on edge.

Having already sold me out so publicly, my very existence would clearly be an obstacle to them.

My presence would constantly remind them of what happened.

It was highly likely that people like Epinel had already lied about “Swen being dead” to somehow clean up the situation.

They would have given a grand speech justifying cutting me off, and my existence would only make the aftermath even messier.

They would naturally try to dispose of me somehow.

So I essentially had no choice but to serve under Serpina.

In fact, that was the only way to preserve my life.

Retirement was an option, but as someone who came as an envoy, I had no means of supporting myself beyond the diplomatic gold I had brought, and no place to stay.

Including myself, there were three mouths to feed. It was fair to say we were in a precisely targeted predicament.

And—

“I believe someone of your caliber, Lady Serpina, would certainly understand this.”

That wasn’t the only reason.

I can only accurately predict questions asked of me, particularly those related to national and war matters.

Contrary to Ginor’s belief, I can’t use magic or see the future.

Someone like me could never outmaneuver Epinel’s schemes.

Even with Ginor’s protection as a strategist, my life could be in danger at any moment.

All things considered, I had only one conclusion.

Of course, she couldn’t know all these details of my circumstances—

But she must have understood that returning would put me in a difficult position.

“…That’s my thinking, what do you think?”

“So, you’re saying that while I appear to be showing mercy, that’s not actually the case?”

“That’s right.”

After hearing my explanation, she raised the corners of her mouth again, finding it amusing.

Every time she smiled at me, I felt as if her golden eyes were washing over my entire body.

“I understand now why Yurie didn’t use you as her hunting dog, Swen.”

“What do you mean?”

“No master in this world would favor a dog that, far from serving its master, might devour them instead. Deep insight sometimes aims at the master’s throat.”

Is this how she takes it?

While acknowledging my ability, she simultaneously reveals that I was not chosen, never relinquishing control of the conversation to me.

Despite having her intentions read completely, she remained unshaken—I couldn’t help but acknowledge her again.

If I didn’t have the prediction that “Lunarian would be the ruler to unify the continent”…

And if I had been reincarnated with only knowledge of the game and without the ability to make 100% accurate predictions—

I would undoubtedly have bet everything on her without hesitation.

“Swen.”

She gently lifted my chin with two fingers.

It was an action that many might find humiliating…

But her beauty, the yuzu scent emanating from her, her aura—all soothed my feelings so they weren’t too hurt.

“A woman like Yurie cannot use you as a hunting dog, but I am different. I can embrace your talent. I am confident I can do so. Come under me. I will dye your body and mind with the color of gold. I ask you again. What will you do? Will you become my hunting dog?”

Truthfully.

I had never considered joining Serpina’s forces.

Until the major powers were decided, I had planned to spend time in Brans’ forces, and after learning that Luna was destined to be the unifying ruler, I thought my current national affiliation didn’t matter much.

But if this is what my intelligence 100 brain predicts as the outcome of me joining Serpina’s forces—

“I understand.”

I looked into Serpina’s eyes and said:

“From today forward, I, Swen, will be your loyal hunting dog.”

Once recommended by Luna, then commissioned into Brans’ forces when my country fell.

After betraying Lynn and entering Aeshus’ service, finally being abandoned and sold to Serpina—this was that moment.

A general who changes rulers at every turn.

Setting aside all context, looking just at the narrative, my life was truly extraordinary.

*

As I walked through the corridor of the annex after leaving the room—

Suddenly, I felt the urge to ask her a question.

“My lord.”

“Speak.”

“This may be presumptuous… but I’m asking just in case.”

She stopped in her tracks without turning around as she had been walking steadily forward.

I easily recognized this as a signal that she would listen to what I had to say.

“Have we… perhaps met somewhere before?”

Though no answer came, I continued:

“Even if not in person, perhaps I’ve seen your face somewhere. For instance, in a dream… or something like that.”

To a third party, this would seem like a strange question, but what could I do? This was the only way I could ask. Since Serpina had appeared in my dream, I wondered if perhaps I had appeared in hers as well, and if so, might she show even a slight surprise.

At least outwardly, she didn’t seem surprised at all as she stood with her back to me.

“I had heard rumors. That a white-haired man performed strange miracles against our forces. Even I couldn’t believe it until I saw it with my own eyes.”

Saying that, she turned around and met my gaze.

“But this is the first time I’ve seen your face.”

“I see.”

“Does that answer your question?”

When I said yes, she silently continued walking forward.

‘Was it only in my dream after all?’

I thought there might be something to it since she knew my name from the beginning…

But judging by her reaction, that didn’t seem to be the case.

Perhaps my name had just spread through rumors?

Of course, there was a possibility she was lying, but in any case, she clearly had no intention of telling me more, so I couldn’t press further.

‘Perhaps I’ll naturally find out as I spend more time by her side?’

My prediction must have had a reason for sending me here.

With that thought in mind… I followed my new golden-haired lord down the corridor.