Ch.114Chapter 114. The Wanderer’s Fate, Pointing to Serpina (1)

After seeing off Serpina who was returning to the royal palace, I headed to the place she had guided me to.

After explaining the situation to the guard, I opened the door and finally managed to reunite with them.

“Swen!”

“Lord Swen…!”

“I’m glad to see you’re all safe.”

Though it had only been a few days since we last met, it felt like we hadn’t seen each other in ages.

I wasn’t the only one who felt this way; they seemed extremely happy to see me as well.

Especially Irene… she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

“Lady Irene, please calm down.”

“But… Swen. I thought I might never see you again… *sniff*.”

“What do you mean ‘never see me again’? It’s not like Serpina was going to eat me.”

Well, since I ended up serving her, I suppose you could say I was “eaten” in a way.

“But, Swen, when I asked what happened to you… I heard you were so heartbroken that you’d stopped eating and were starving yourself… I was so worried.”

“…”

I thought it was just a joke, but did she really say that?

Serpina is truly a woman whose mind I cannot fathom.

“Swen… you need to eat properly… You’re already so thin, and if you don’t eat, your health will be in ruins…”

Though she was crying, I felt touched by her concern for me, and it made me feel oddly sentimental.

She was always mature and dependable, but occasionally she would show this childlike side.

“Ah, Lady Irene… come now, stop crying, stop…”

“Ahem.”

Considering their personalities, it seemed like Reika should be the one crying rather than Irene, but seeing them with their roles reversed was somewhat amusing.

After calming Irene down, I was finally able to learn how they had been doing.

“Have you two been staying together?”

“Yes. Well… Lady Serpina was kind enough to accommodate us. We were originally staying separately, but when I mentioned I was worried… she said if we didn’t mind staying together, she would allow it.”

Even though we hadn’t been talking for long, she was truly nothing like the rumors suggested.

I was beginning to think she might even be more compassionate than Yurie.

“Was it comfortable?”

“Yes… We received regular meals, and Lady Irene was with me… But did you really stop eating…?”

“No, I ate well and was fine, so don’t worry.”

I said this while examining their faces.

I had briefly worried that they might feel awkward without me as a mediator between them, but—

Come to think of it, these two had already become quite friendly since traveling together in the carriage.

In life, one naturally distinguishes between people who are compatible with oneself and those who are not.

Compatible people become surprisingly close after just a few words, while incompatible ones create discord no matter what.

From that perspective, these two seemed to get along quite well.

Once Irene had calmed down somewhat, I was finally able to get to the main point with them.

“Your lord… Swen, he demanded Anima’s release in exchange for sending you…?”

“It seems that way.”

“I see.”

Yurie’s decision seemed to have shocked Irene considerably, as she appeared to be at a loss for words.

Well, logically speaking, one wouldn’t normally sacrifice one soldier to rescue another, especially not the one who was sent as an envoy.

“So in the end, you were abandoned.”

“That’s how it turned out.”

I could see a mix of sympathy and something like kinship in Irene’s gaze.

Come to think of it, she too had been abandoned by her original lord, Lynn.

Many people make irrational decisions that defy common sense, and it’s not surprising that some of those people happen to be in high positions.

“Ah, um, well…”

I placed my hand on Reika’s shoulder as she struggled to join the conversation.

“Eek…!”

“Miss Reika. Please calm down and listen to what I have to say without misunderstanding.”

“Ah, I, um…!”

Speaking as clearly as possible to her wide-eyed, flustered state, I said:

“I feel terrible for making you suffer here because of me. I’m truly sorry.”

“What? No, that’s… that’s fine…”

“I’ll arrange for you to be safely sent back to Bahalat Castle immediately.”

“…Huh?”

She had been embarrassed, but upon hearing those words, she looked at me with a startled expression, like an abandoned cat.

I had anticipated this reaction, which is why I had asked her not to misunderstand.

“What I mean is, it’s not that you’re unnecessary or unhelpful… but I’m no longer part of the Aeshus army.”

“What? You mean…!”

I nodded as I looked at the surprised Reika.

“Yes. As of today, I’ll be working under Serpina.”

“I see. Well, it makes sense. Even if you returned to the Aeshus army now, you probably wouldn’t be welcomed.”

Irene seemed to grasp the situation quickly.

She’s quite sharp, so she probably easily understood how things would unfold.

“So, I’m afraid we can’t travel together anymore. It’s unfortunate.”

“B-but… but.”

Reika spoke in a small voice, as if squeezing the words out.

“W-what about… Lady Irene…?”

“That’s right. Lady Irene, what will you do?”

Well, I could probably guess her answer, but it was still better to ask.

As expected, her answer came without even a second of hesitation.

“I told you, didn’t I? No matter what happens, I will stay by your side, Swen. I too will serve Lady Serpina.”

“Aren’t you concerned? After all, my new lord has quite a bad reputation.”

“If you’ve decided to serve her, then whoever she is, she is my lord as well.”

I had expected this response, but—

Hearing her say it like that made me feel oddly proud and fluttery inside.

“Alright. I’ll speak with Lady Serpina… I mean, with my lord. Lady Irene is an exceptional person, so I think she’ll accept you. Don’t worry too much.”

“Mm.”

Anyway, while Irene had the freedom to choose whom to serve as a warrior—

Reika was bound to Ginor, so we had no justification to keep her with us.

“T-then I too…!”

“Miss Reika. I’d like to stay with you too, but if something were to happen to you, I wouldn’t be able to face Lord Ginor.”

“I don’t mind…! I want to stay with you, Lord Swen…”

“How can you not mind? Of course it matters.”

“No! I really… really don’t mind. Because…”

Reika was desperately trying to say something.

“I got permission! From my father… I got his permission!”

“…What?”

“He told me before I left… to stay by your side if necessary…! So it’s fine for me to be here…! Besides, I’m not serving anyone. If I have my father’s permission… it’s, it’s fine, isn’t it…!”

She was speaking with an uncharacteristically strong tone, but—

Thinking about it calmly, she was right.

She had simply been practicing magic at Ginor’s mansion, not officially affiliated with the Aeshus army.

The only person who could control her was her father, Ginor… and if Ginor had given permission, there was no reason to send her back to Bahalat Castle.

“…Is that true? You’re not lying, are you?”

“Of course…! I, I don’t lie… Though I understand if you find me… untrustworthy…”

“No, it’s fine if you’re not lying. Then… stay with us for now.”

“Do as Swen says, Reika. If we’re by your side, at least you’ll be able to stay safe.”

Only after hearing Irene’s words did the worry on Reika’s face disappear.

“Lord Swen… Lady Irene…!”

As Irene and I comforted Reika, I was suddenly reminded of my former lord.

Neither Lynn nor Yurie, but the only person who truly believed in me—Lunarian.

Though there’s been no news of her yet, if I could return to Luna’s side just as she raises her army—

The female knight Irene and the mage Reika.

Both of them would be tremendously helpful.

And at the right moment, I would propose to Irene.

And then… should I also propose to Reika?

Since I still didn’t fully understand Reika’s feelings, proposing to her seemed a bit premature.

It was awkward that all this happened while marriage talks were in progress, but…

If we continue to stay together, I should be able to get a sense of what to do.

And so, we came under the command of Serpina, the Northern Overlord.

For Irene, this was her third lord, and for me, my fourth.

* * *

“Well then, I’ll come back soon.”

After Swen left the room, Irene sat on the sofa, lost in thought.

According to him, Serpina had said they should stay in this annex until she determined their assignments, which would be soon.

It was called confinement, but it was comfortable enough, so she didn’t mind.

To be precise, she didn’t care about such things.

The problem was that she hadn’t been able to ask him that question.

‘I couldn’t ask about… the marriage talks.’

She was curious about the marriage talks with Reika.

But what she was even more curious about was… why Reika had said things like “Lady Irene will be the first wife.”

According to Reika, “After hearing Lord Swen’s stories, I couldn’t help but think that way”… but what on earth had he said to make her say such things?

‘Swen…’

Being his wife, not just his comrade.

Long ago, Irene had given up on the idea of meeting someone to love and starting a family.

Her profession was to roam battlefields and kill people with her sword. The ability to take someone’s life meant that her own life could be taken as well.

She could die leaving behind a beloved family, so she had sworn not to love anyone and had lived a life dedicated solely to her sword and the lord she served.

But.

Just thinking about becoming Swen’s wife made her heart flutter.

At first, she had been bewildered, but after careful consideration.

If Swen wanted it… she wanted to be his wife.

She wanted to bear children who resembled him.

A life lived for a man who acknowledged her when no one else did, who always relied on her while simultaneously being her support, didn’t seem bad at all.

Only now did she realize.

That she was in love.

Given the confusion of changing lords so unexpectedly, she couldn’t bring this up right now, but…

‘Next time… I’ll make sure to ask.’

While Irene was having such girlish thoughts,

Reika’s concerns were a bit more practical.

‘I blurted it out, but… what should I do?’

It wasn’t a lie that she had received Ginor’s permission.

But still, wouldn’t he worry if she didn’t contact him?

…Honestly, he didn’t seem like the type to worry much, but he had raised her after all.

‘Perhaps I should send a letter.’

If I tell him I’m staying with Swen… that should be fine.

It felt like just yesterday that she couldn’t even go outside, but since meeting Swen, she felt like she was gradually regaining her freedom.

What if her father told her to return immediately?

‘I’ve never done it before so it’s scary… but I should prepare an appropriate response to refuse…’

Though she appeared and acted extremely fragile,

She didn’t want to lose the freedom she had gained.

The person who had essentially gifted her this freedom, my magic teacher—

—Before the person she wanted to spend more time with, a woman could become stronger than anyone.