Ch.140Chapter 140. Questions (2)

* * *

“The position of Deputy Commander of the Occupation Forces…?”

On the red carpet of the audience chamber.

The red-haired female knight, Irene, asked with a somewhat disbelieving expression—

But Serpina, sitting on the throne looking down at her, answered in an extremely resolute tone.

“That’s right. Now is the time to solidify our internal affairs. You may not need to do anything immediately, but when the time comes, I intend to make important use of you. Irene, I shall expect great things from you.”

“…”

On the day of assembly called to announce new official positions to several generals, a surprising personnel decision had occurred.

Deputy Commander of the Occupation Forces.

For Serpina’s army, which was preparing for full-scale expansion into the central continent, it was a key position where one could achieve tremendous military merit.

Naturally, it was a joyous occasion. Irene knew well from past experience that it wasn’t easy to find a lord who recognized her worth and was willing to use her talents.

But—was it really alright for her to accept this position?

She hadn’t been here long, and on the surface, she had already changed lords twice.

Irene, who was quicker than anyone to read the room, easily detected the distrustful gazes directed at her.

Though no one dared speak against their lord Serpina’s decision… these looks. They were aggressive gazes that couldn’t accept her.

Perhaps it would be better to decline, citing her lack of confidence, she thought at that moment.

“Irene Juliette.”

Serpina softly uttered that name.

“The reason I put your name forward for this position is only one: because you possess the abilities befitting this role. Therefore, I cannot accept ‘I wish to decline because I lack ability’ as an answer. Please keep that in mind. Of course, I won’t force you.”

Though Irene was slightly taken aback by her words that seemed to read her thoughts—

…honestly, setting aside the gazes around her, Irene felt.

As a knight and servant, she was grateful to Serpina for giving her wings to spread her abilities.

In the Brans army, it went without saying, and even in the Aeshus army, she couldn’t secure any significant position due to the founding contributors.

From Irene’s perspective, if she had to leave this place with Swen eventually—at the very least before that, she wanted to achieve military merit to repay Serpina for her accommodations.

Whether it was allowing her to stay in the annex or accepting the civilian Reika into the officers’ quarters, she had received nothing but favors.

“…I understand. I gratefully accept your command, my lord.”

Serpina smiled with satisfaction—

Then, she cast a cynical smile toward the gazes surrounding Irene.

And then, in a tone completely opposite to how she addressed Irene, she spoke in an extremely cold manner.

“You would all do well to remember. In our nation, the criteria for judging generals are not length of service or family background. How excellent are their abilities, and how much can they accomplish in their position? These are the only two standards I will use. And the judgment of that—I, Serpina von Einhart, will make directly.”

Then, she slightly raised her head to look down at her subjects.

The leader.

The charisma that emanated from those destined to be leaders—overwhelmed and dominated the audience chamber.

“If you have complaints, come directly to me. I don’t mind you expressing your opinions at all. I’ll listen as many times as necessary. If you bring logic that can change my mind, there’s no reason I can’t accommodate you. I am generous enough to listen attentively to your words, but I am not merciful enough to forgive defeated dogs gathering in packs and causing unnecessary trouble in unseen places. I believe you all understand what I mean.”

In other words—if they didn’t like Irene being promoted to that position, they should come to her directly instead of harassing Irene.

Serpina’s legitimacy and power were serving as Irene’s shield.

‘My lord…’

Watching Serpina like this, Irene had a somewhat presumptuous thought.

According to Swen, the monarch who would unify the continent was Lunarian, not Serpina…

If that were true, would such a woman ultimately fail to grasp hegemony and fall as a loser of history?

Her heart wavered for a moment, but she quickly reorganized her thoughts.

‘Whether it’s Lady Serpina or Lord Lunarian… whoever I serve, I will only follow Swen’s will. Protecting Swen who is by my side safely. That’s all I need to think about.’

No matter what anyone said, her sword and her shield belonged to Swen.

The wolf raised solely to protect someone had no intention of betraying the master who had saved her.

*

After the audience was over.

Someone grabbed Irene’s shoulder as she was about to leave the royal castle.

“Irene.”

“…My lord?”

“Take this.”

Checking what Serpina handed over… it was a small golden key.

“There’s an annex behind the barracks. It’s a building owned by the imperial family. You’ll find it easily by the royal family’s crest on the entrance.”

“Pardon? Why this…?”

“I’ll give that place to you. I’ll assign about twenty maids to manage it.”

“What do you mean by giving it to me?”

“The Deputy Commander of the Occupation Forces can’t live in barracks quarters, can she? And the young lady you’re taking care of would feel uncomfortable too.”

“Ah!”

She had thought of even such details?

Setting everything else aside, she honestly felt grateful to her.

“Thank you so much for your consideration.”

“Replace your thanks with military achievements.”

“Yes!”

Her voice naturally became stronger as she answered.

‘With this, I can live separately…!’

Though it was a bit sad to part with Silin, they weren’t meant to be together for long anyway.

If they were destined to continue their relationship, they would meet again just as they had this time.

Reika, who had been uncomfortable introducing herself to people, would also be able to live more comfortably.

And decisively…

‘Could I… bring Swen here…?’

She might be able to bring him back and live together.

Setting everything aside, just for that, she felt grateful to Serpina.

Since the Valentine’s Day festival, she had been too busy to see his face.

Before joining Serpina’s army, she saw Swen’s face every day, but being apart made her realize.

She wanted to see him every day. She felt the deficiency of Swen in her system. She wanted to be with him from morning till night, forever.

If it was an annex building, she could certainly give him a room…

Could she live with him again?

‘Should I talk to him about it…?’

At that moment.

“You look happy, Irene.”

“Ah, y-yes?!”

Hearing Serpina’s voice, Irene’s solemn expression from moments ago vanished, replaced by an extremely girlish look.

That’s right. I was in front of Lady Serpina. What am I doing…!

“I, um, I’m sorry. It’s just—”

“No. There’s nothing to apologize for. It’s a beautiful smile that makes even the observer happy. If you don’t mind, could you tell me what you were thinking?”

“…”

“If you don’t want to speak, that’s fine too, so please don’t feel pressured. I don’t particularly want to pry.”

Serpina’s words were truly fortunate for Irene.

How could she possibly tell the monarch that she was excited about living with a man?

And then—

“…I envy you.”

“Pardon?”

“When was the last time I smiled with such happiness as you just did… I can’t even remember.”

In Serpina’s profile, Irene read the image of her past self.

That pitiful figure that couldn’t take root in the earth, that seemed like it would shatter at the slightest tremor…

It felt like her former self—before finding Swen who would embrace her—was standing before her, wearing the armor of an absolute ruler.

“…I’ve talked too much about useless things. I look forward to working with you, Irene.”

“Yes. I will certainly produce results worthy of the trust you’ve placed in me.”

Irene watched Serpina walking away with her back turned.

Somehow… her retreating figure seemed incredibly lonely.

* * *

Several days after my last audience with her.

When Serpina summoned me again, I immediately headed to the audience chamber.

‘Has another alliance request come in?’

There would be no other reason to call for me.

After speaking with her last time—

Swen thought that next time, it might be better to suggest simply forming an alliance if reasonable conditions were presented.

Since I would eventually leave this place anyway, there was no need to always provide efficient advice.

And there was no reason to feel guilty if she gained some moderate benefit, right?

‘The problem is that Serpina is quite perceptive…’

Since she had always been unusually good at reading expressions, there was a high possibility of getting involved in unnecessary trouble if I wasn’t careful.

What if she noticed me giving half-hearted answers…?

‘I’ll have to act according to the situation.’

So, when I arrived at the door of the audience chamber.

‘It’s slightly open?’

From beyond the partially open door of the audience chamber, a woman’s voice could be heard.

I pressed myself against the wall next to the door and concentrated on the sound.

Serpina and a female retainer were conversing.

“I’m not saying that my lord’s intentions are wrong. I just think there’s a need to adjust the pace.”

“Erin. The result won’t change anyway. I think it’s wiser to convince the retainers as quickly as possible.”

“But many still haven’t accepted that woman as a member of our army. You know her background, don’t you, my lord?”

“Are you suggesting that my acceptance of her as a member of our army is not sufficient?”

“Not at all.”

Serpina was speaking in quite an aggressive tone, but the other person was also responding quite firmly.

The ability to express opinions to a monarch like that… perhaps Serpina’s army was less rigid than I thought?

“Many subordinates are questioning why Lord Irian, who achieved numerous military merits in the Central Continent campaign, was pushed aside. I too had to walk with heavy steps. Please consider this. A society where rewards don’t properly match contributions can never be maintained healthily.”

I swallowed hard and held my breath.

This is making even me tense…

“Very well. Then, setting everything else aside—let’s focus solely on the individuals. Are you claiming that Irian, who has just passed the age of majority, is so remarkable that he surpasses the general known as the ‘Specialist of Siege Warfare’?”

‘Huh?’

Specialist of Siege Warfare?

That’s a title I’ve heard somewhere before…

‘Lady Irene…?’

“Of course, she may be more capable than Lord Irian—”

“Erin. Let me tell you once more. The criteria for selecting officers for key positions in our army are: whether that person has ability, and how much that person can accomplish—only those two. If one has achieved merit, the reward should be sufficient money or treasure, not a key position. Stagnant water rots. Irian certainly has talent, but he still lacks in many areas to be Deputy Commander. It means he’s at a stage where he needs to learn more.”

“…”

“She was merely on patrol duty. But her name is already circulating among the territory’s people and the soldiers working with her.”

Serpina spoke in a resolute tone.

“Looking at the path she has walked, her qualifications become even clearer. Who was the defense commander of the Brans army fortress located at the gateway to the central region that we couldn’t break through before? Who was the red-haired female general who, along with Chel Brans, rapidly expanded territories when the Brans army was just one of the warlords of the central continent? Erin, you know well, don’t you?”

“But that is…”

“I apologize for interrupting, but I cannot be persuaded by reasons like ‘many cannot accept her.’ If you have prepared other logic, I’m willing to listen.”

“No. …Thank you for listening.”

Soon footsteps approached, and I quickly hid in a dark corner nearby.

A purple-haired woman came out of the door and walked away, and only then did I gradually understand the situation.

‘What happened?’

Contextually, the “that woman” mentioned by this Erin must be Irene.

Given the talk about key positions, it seemed Irene had been appointed to some important role.

But apparently, the retainers were dissatisfied with an outsider rising to a key position—

‘And Serpina is personally covering for her…?’

That explanation made the context of the conversation fit perfectly.

And realizing this, I felt grateful to her.

Irene had been a lonely general who craved recognition from others.

Being recognized for her abilities and appointed to a key position must have been extremely joyful for her.

The only monarch who recognized the value of Irene, who always personally nursed each soldier on the battlefield even when no one acknowledged her.

Serpina had done what neither Lynn, who raised her, nor Yurie, who had her for a moment, could do.

‘Somehow I feel more grateful when she treats Irene well than when she treats me well…’

Well, I could talk about this with Lady Irene later.

I had been wanting to see her face anyway, and this would be a good excuse.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the audience chamber.