Ch.200Chapter 200. For the First Time in This Moment

I led the hesitant Reika to Serpina’s bedside.

“Ah, um, th-that… H-h-hello…!”

When she finally came face to face with Serpina at the bedside, Reika broke into a nervous sweat and stammered in a way that might have been interpreted as improper under different circumstances—

But Serpina didn’t seem to mind at all and asked in a casual tone.

“…It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

“Ah, I… y-you… remember me…!”

“Of course. You have quite a memorable appearance, after all.”

Indeed, with her rare pink hair that left a strong impression on anyone who saw her for the first time, that wasn’t wrong.

“I… I see… I’m sorry somehow… Sorry for being born…”

“No, Miss Reika. Please calm down.”

After calming her down as she froze completely in front of Serpina and blurted out whatever came to mind.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Well… I heard that Lady Serpina was badly injured…”

“…Yes.”

“Lady Irene said that Lady Serpina was injured while helping her…”

“…”

As soon as Irene’s name was mentioned, Serpina averted her gaze with a subtle expression.

“Yes. And?”

“So, um… I thought there might be something I could do to help…!”

“…?”

“Um… Swen, do you remember? What I said about wanting to show you something.”

I certainly did remember her saying something like that.

“I thought… maybe I could show it now…!”

“…???”

Wait a minute.

If Reika had something she wanted to show, could it be…

“Did you… learn something ‘new’?”

She nodded repeatedly.

Of course, as a mage, what she wanted to show her teacher would naturally be a new spell.

However.

“Right now, my lord is resting and needs stability…”

I tried to redirect the conversation.

Serpina still didn’t know that Reika was a mage. She had her suspicions and was fairly certain, but she had never seen it with her own eyes.

I wondered what kind of spell Reika had learned to make her so enthusiastic, but I couldn’t play along with her right now.

Just as I thought she would understand with just this hint since she was perceptive—

“Ah, I know…!”

“…?”

“Because Lady Serpina is injured… that’s why I can show it…!”

‘…???’

“This might… be able to heal Lady Serpina…! No, I’m certain it can!”

Looking at Reika’s sparkling eyes, I thought:

Reika wants to show a new spell.

And she can show it because Serpina is injured?

She says this can heal her??

‘…Healing?’

That’s what immediately came to mind, but did such magic exist in this game?

…No.

Even the green rapier I always carried at my waist whenever I went out, which amplified magical power, was just an ornamental treasure as far as I knew.

Despite having played the game for 10,000 hours, there were clearly things I didn’t know.

If that’s the case…

I turned to look at Serpina.

Although her life wasn’t in danger, injuries like hers would prevent her from properly attending to state affairs for weeks.

While the chaos might subside since her life wasn’t at risk, it would clearly be better for everyone if she could return to the throne as soon as possible.

I was also concerned about how people would view the fact that Irene and I were once again involved in this incident, even if unintentionally.

‘This is not the time to keep secrets.’

I slowly nodded.

“Alright.”

As soon as she heard my words, she nodded again repeatedly.

Leaving her behind—looking like an obedient small animal—I turned back to Serpina and said:

“My lord. …There is something I would like to show you. Could you spare us a moment?”

She could have asked what it was.

But instead of asking, Serpina slowly nodded and—

“I trust you, Swen.”

She returned the exact words I had said to her earlier.

*

“Then… I’ll begin.”

After muttering to herself a few times in a small voice, Reika closed her eyes.

“Haap…!”

As she always did, she began gathering a sphere at her fingertips.

The difference this time was that it was a color like pure white light.

“…!!!”

Serpina’s eyes widened at the sight.

Though she had plenty of suspicions about mages, this was probably the first time she’d actually seen magic being performed, so her surprise was understandable.

An ordinary person might have panicked and pushed Reika away at this point… but she didn’t, staying still as I had instructed her.

Perhaps this was what it meant to trust me.

“Haaah…!!”

The sphere that had gathered in Reika’s hands gradually enveloped Serpina’s body.

A white aura-like energy rose around her fair skin.

After a few minutes had passed.

“…Ah…”

Thump.

“Miss Reika!”

I rushed to Reika, who had collapsed onto the bed.

“Are you alright?”

Reika was panting heavily as if exhausted—

But fortunately, she didn’t appear to be in any life-threatening condition.

This was how she usually looked after depleting her mana.

She seemed less exhausted than before, perhaps because her mana capacity had increased significantly recently, but in the early days when I first met her, I often had to take care of her after she collapsed from training.

“Swen… sir… did it… work… well?”

At those words, I turned to look at Lady Serpina—

She was sitting up in bed, looking shocked, touching the area where her wound had been.

“This can’t be.”

After feeling around the bandaged area a few times, she said in a trembling voice of disbelief:

“The wound… has faded.”

“That’s… good…”

Reika squeezed out those words before losing consciousness.

It seemed that being a new spell, it wasn’t yet optimized for mana consumption.

In any case, to think that a healing-like magic actually existed…

I didn’t know by what mechanism she had learned this spell, but Reika was truly an extraordinary woman beyond what I had imagined.

After using all my strength to somehow manage to lay the exhausted Reika on the empty bed next to us, I approached Serpina again and asked:

“Huff, huff… My lord, how does it feel?”

“Truly… I feel much better. The pain has almost disappeared, and the wound has healed considerably. I can hardly believe it…”

Despite having heard that I dropped a meteorite.

Despite having seen evidence of it.

Despite having witnessed the castle walls suddenly collapse with her own eyes—

There are few moments when one can be as certain about something as when that experience becomes one’s own.

“So mages… truly exist.”

“…Yes. Though I am not a mage myself.”

“…”

She looked confused.

It’s hard to believe when you first see it.

No matter how intelligent and clever she was, being overwhelmed by supernatural power was inevitable for any human.

But.

It seemed that what truly surprised her wasn’t the existence of mages.

“…Why?”

“Pardon?”

“Why did you… reveal this to me?”

Serpina looked at me with a trembling voice.

Her golden eyes were shaking as much as her voice.

“…Swen. May I speak frankly?”

“Please do.”

“If I were you, I would have kept that woman’s… Reika’s identity as a mage secret until the end. …Since you’re planning to leave anyway, it would be wise not to reveal such an enormous secret to a lord you’ll only serve temporarily, and I don’t think you would have overlooked this.”

At the words “since you’re planning to leave anyway,” I couldn’t even begin to form any counterargument.

I just froze… quietly listening to her words.

“Yet you revealed her identity to me. That fact… confuses me greatly. Truly. You make me so confused, Swen.”

“…My lord. That’s—”

Before I could make any excuse, she grabbed my wrist again with her white hand.

“No. It’s alright. I wasn’t asking for an answer. So, please don’t say anything.”

Then, stroking my wrist.

“Even the smallest hope is enough. I… still cannot give up on you, Swen. Just allow me to try until the very end.”

“…”

False hope wasn’t a good thing.

Naturally, I thought it would be better to be firm here.

But her eyes looked so sad.

They resembled the eyes of Lady Irene from before, whom I once wanted to protect.

I couldn’t pull my hand away from hers.

No, I chose not to pull away.

After releasing my hand, Serpina slowly rose from the bed.

I quickly turned my head away, embarrassed by her violently feminine figure visible through the semi-transparent white negligee.

“Anyway, I will never forget this favor. Swen.”

“…I too will never forget that you protected Lady Irene.”

This was sincere.

I didn’t want to abandon the lonely ruler who had thrown herself in harm’s way because she didn’t want me to get hurt, didn’t want me to hate her.

Even if the time came for me to return, I intended to repay this debt.

“Since I’ve recovered faster than expected, I must now attend to what needs to be done.”

“By what needs to be done…”

Hearing those words, Serpina curved her lips into a smile.

Once again, it was that looking-down smile often seen on her face.

The proud expression that only an absolute ruler could wear.

“Don’t you think I need to show once more what happens to those who dare defy House Einhart?”

I found myself oddly relieved to see her regaining her spirit.

After all… I was deeply indebted to her.

I slowly closed my eyes.

The inevitable crossroads of choice that would someday come.

If the moment ever arrived when I had to choose Serpina—

I intended to make that decision entirely of my own will and take full responsibility for it.

Even if everyone pointed fingers at me, I was determined to repay the price of Lady Irene’s life—

That’s what I promised myself.

Yes.

I no longer deny it.

For the first time at this moment—

I entertained the thought that I might not choose the option of “returning immediately to Lunarian territory.”

* * *

Einhart Royal Palace.

After what happened that night became somewhat known, the task of managing this situation in Serpina’s absence should have fallen to Jenna, the national advisor—

But she was currently away from the Einhart Palace, inspecting various parts of the continent.

Instead, Irene was temporarily in charge.

After all, she knew most clearly what had happened, and that’s why Serpina had temporarily entrusted her with full authority.

Fortunately, Irene’s reputation among the palace generals had improved considerably.

“General. We have successfully imprisoned Reni.”

“Thank you for your hard work. What is Reni’s current condition?”

“He’s still alive, but his wounds are severe and he looks like he might die soon… Is it alright to leave him like this?”

‘Hmm…’

I was told she wasn’t in mortal danger but needed absolute rest for a few weeks.

If Reni died in the meantime, we wouldn’t be able to find out who was behind him.

‘For now, perhaps I should independently torture him to extract information…’

As I was debating whether to seek advice from my lord who needed rest, or to handle things on my own first—

“What are you pondering so deeply about?”

Irene heard the empress’s confident voice, which had become quite familiar to her ears.

And when she turned her head toward the sound—

“…My lord?”

There was Serpina, who had suffered severe injuries, walking steadily toward the throne—

“Well done, Irene. Leave the rest to me.”

Heralding another bloodbath to come.