Ch.128Chapter 128. ‘Prediction’

“…….”

When he didn’t particularly respond, Serpina asked in a somewhat cold tone.

“I don’t see a single enemy flag anywhere near Amir Castle, let alone across the river. I’ve already sent three reconnaissance teams, and they all came to the same conclusion. I think enough time has passed. In my judgment, the Aeshus army has nothing to gain by invading from that direction.”

If they were caught unaware, they would certainly be shaken.

Perhaps they might have momentarily seized the poorly defended Amir Castle.

But that would be the extent of it.

It wouldn’t take much time to block the river, cut off the supply route, and recapture Amir Castle.

Well, it might be annoying to take a hit from the Aeshus army, but that would be a secondary concern.

“You told me to see what is not visible to me?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Thinking about it now, it seems you were just stringing together impressive-sounding sentences to gloss over the situation.”

It wasn’t the first time she had seen someone acting this way in front of her, trying to advance their career.

Yes, it wasn’t the first time. If that was true, then this man called Swen was just another such person.

Serpina looked down at Swen.

With his head bowed, she couldn’t read any sign of wavering in his demeanor.

At the same time, the strong sense of conviction she felt from him even in this situation disturbed her heart.

‘What… is he thinking?’

While she was pondering this—

Finally, Swen slowly opened his mouth.

“My lord. First, I would like to say—”

And at that moment.

A soldier rushed urgently into the audience chamber.

“My lord, General Jeffer has arrived. He says he has an urgent matter to report to you immediately.”

Upon hearing the soldier’s words, she glanced briefly at where Swen was.

He had closed his mouth, which had been about to speak, and was silently communicating something to her.

‘It’s… alright to let him in?’

Barging in during an audience could be considered rude depending on the situation—

But Serpina nodded, indicating she didn’t particularly mind.

“…Let him in.”

Jeffer was a general belonging to Amir Castle.

He wasn’t particularly exceptional in ability, but he was quite good at training troops—a common commander who guarded the barracks in the rear.

Such a commander had rushed all the way to Einhart Castle for an urgent matter?

“Jeffer, I didn’t expect to see your face today.”

“M-My lord…”

Kneeling before her, Jeffer spoke while slightly out of breath.

“I have something to show you, so I took the liberty of rushing to the royal castle. Please forgive—”

“Dispense with unnecessary courtesies. What is it?”

“Th-This was discovered…!”

Jeffer handed over something with both hands.

Serpina rose from her seat to examine what he had given her.

“…!!”

Rarely did her eyes widen in shock.

What was in Jeffer’s hands was an emblem.

It was very similar to the double-headed eagle emblem symbolizing House Einhart… but with three diagonal lines crossing beneath it.

This was the emblem that her second brother, Sidmid von Einhart, who was no longer in this world, had raised when he rebelled against her eldest brother, Algot von Einhart.

The appearance of this emblem, which had disappeared into the annals of history, meant…

—That the ghosts of the dead Sidmid had appeared to once again hold Serpina back.

* * *

After the Emperor of the Empire died suddenly—

Before the full-scale rise of the feudal lords began.

There was a force that rebelled against Algot von Einhart, whom everyone naturally thought would be the successor.

It was Algot’s second younger brother, Sidmid von Einhart.

With the support of the third brother, Stadel von Einhart, and the first sister, Lilirose von Einhart, Sidmid rose up claiming that the empire could not be handed over to the eldest son Algot, and began to compete with Algot with the backing of about three-quarters of the noble families of the empire.

In the midst of this fratricidal conflict between siblings of the same blood—

The youngest sister, Serpina von Einhart, who alone stood one step apart, was doing her best to somehow unite the collapsed imperial family.

But the only reason she could be a sort of dove—the fact that she had no power base at all—meant that her efforts could not bear much fruit.

The rivalry between siblings eventually crossed the line, reaching the point of destroying each other’s power bases.

The culmination of this was the tragedy at Fiviola Academy.

Despite the obvious fact that there would be nobles supporting them as well, it was an inhuman operation that massacred all faculty and students within the academy and then obliterated the academy itself as if to erase it from records.

From that incident onward, Algot and Sidmid became people who could never be together again.

Even for Serpina, who had been running around trying to somehow end this political strife—she found herself in a situation where she could do nothing more.

Shortly after the tragedy.

Serpina rebelled against Sidmid, her second brother, the mastermind behind the incident, for the first time.

“Brother. Why… why did you do such a thing?! What did those people do wrong—”

Fiviola Academy was quite a prestigious academy, with many noble children enrolled.

Among them were people who had spent their childhood with Serpina.

It wasn’t just her. Surely Sidmid must have had acquaintances there too. Beyond acquaintances, there must have been children of powerful families who supported him.

It wasn’t just because of these humane aspects.

Perhaps sensing that he had made a politically disastrous move, Sidmid began to lash out at Serpina.

“Shut up! This was the only way! To prevent that stupid brother from inheriting the throne, I had to somehow consolidate power!”

Though he was glaring at her and shouting as if he would devour her—

She somehow overcame the pressure and looked straight into his eyes.

“But… killing people meaninglessly like this… someone who is to become Emperor shouldn’t do such things!”

At that moment.

Slap!

Serpina’s cheek turned bright red.

Sidmid spoke coldly, as if he would strangle her if she said one more word.

“…Don’t speak beyond your place. Understand?”

“…”

Serpina couldn’t say anything and let tears fall to the floor.

It wasn’t because of the pain from being hit—

It was because of the frustration that things could no longer be resolved peacefully.

* * *

I remember.

My brother Sidmid’s eyes, looking as if he would devour me.

I couldn’t do anything.

I couldn’t stop anything… I couldn’t protect anything.

And now again.

Again it appears before my eyes.

As if mocking me for accomplishing nothing, it raises its head and glares at me again.

While I’m resigned, that gaze eventually sinks into the abyss—

And shoots at me fiercely from the darkness.

That gaze grows increasingly powerful.

Eventually it turns red.

It’s the color of bloody gore. The color of fading life.

Serpina… you… you killed me…!

No.

No, brother. I—

You killed me!!!

That’s not true, brother! I just, I just wanted to help brother Algot…!!

You!!! Me, my siblings…! You, could it be you planned this from the beginning…!!

No.

No, no! It wasn’t me!

I didn’t do that.

Brother Algot, he…!!!!!

And so.

In this dark place.

At the moment when all gazes, all voices were rushing to tear at her—

—My lord!!!!!

Suddenly, a warm voice enveloped Serpina.

This… isn’t a voice trying to stab me.

It’s a voice trying to hold me.

In the midst of complete blackness, the moment she realized it was emitting the only pure white light…

* * *

“…Ah.”

When she came to her senses—

She realized that the white-haired man, Swen, was holding her wrist and looking at her.

“My lord. Please calm yourself.”

“…Swen…?”

That’s right.

I called for Swen to talk with him.

And in the middle of it, Jeffer suddenly barged in…

“Please calm yourself, my lord. Nothing has happened.”

“Ah…”

“Are you alright?”

Only after hearing Swen’s voice once more did Serpina realize.

That she had momentarily fallen into a state of panic.

At the very moment when she saw Sidmid’s emblem and the trauma of past events surged up… it was Swen who had called out to her.

And strangely enough—

She felt her continuously trembling body calming down.

Why?

Why… does his voice feel so warm to me?

At that moment, scenes from dreams she had repeatedly had flashed through her mind.

The image of herself with Swen, talking and laughing in a place overlooking a beautiful sea…

“My lord…?”

Only after being questioned again did her reason quickly return.

“…I’m sorry. I was… feeling a bit unwell for a moment.”

“Not at all. I’m glad you’ve calmed down.”

As Swen naturally stepped back, the kneeling Jeffer came back into her field of vision.

“Forgive my sudden distress, Jeffer.”

“My lord. I am fine. More importantly, what I have to tell you…”

“Yes. …Where was that emblem found?”

To Serpina, who asked with a trembling voice, Jeffer bowed his head deeply and said apologetically.

“With the new reinforcements at Amir Castle, we were able to properly patrol the territory. Among them, we happened to discover this, and upon investigating the location… we found subversive elements.”

“What…?”

They discovered subversive elements.

Or more precisely—they “discovered subversive elements while properly patrolling the territory with the newly reinforced troops.”

‘Could it be…!!!’

Serpina, having realized something, froze on the spot.

“However, it would be best to station the conscripted troops in the territories where they were recruited. That seems to be the most efficient method.”

“Are you saying that stationing troops in such a remote location is the efficient method?”

“Yes.”

Beyond the scene from the opinion submission meeting, Jenna’s voice flashed through her mind.

“There’s something odd about Swen’s opinion. How should I explain this… I get the feeling he’s deflecting on important points. I have the impression that he’s developing his logic on somewhat peripheral issues rather than the essence.”

“Swen’s opinion seemed to be not about stopping the Aeshus army, but about stationing troops at Amir Castle.”

The puzzle pieces in her mind began to fit together one by one.

‘He knew… all of this would happen?’

She slowly turned her head to look at the face of Swen who had supported her.

His expression showed no wavering at all.

As if he had known from the beginning that this would happen—

Like a dignified crane, his gray eyes even conveyed a sense of composure.

How did Serpina feel seeing this? Like she had been struck by lightning.

Her body trembling again, she murmured as she realized what the white-haired man had truly been advocating.

Swen—knew everything, she thought.