Ch.203Chapter 203. New Power

* * *

Serpina von Einhart descended to the underground prison, making her way to confront Ark, a key figure in the rebel forces.

Ark had been a longtime friend of Reni, who had served as her knight, and both had served the Einhart Empire together since their youth.

Perhaps because of this, he was also someone who had some connection with Serpina during her childhood.

This moment of confronting the rebels.

Until now, this time had been an ordeal for Serpina.

It was a time when she had to watch those who claimed they would follow her speak entirely different words on their tongues while hating her.

Moreover, it was hatred for atrocities she hadn’t even committed.

Of course, it was none other than she who had decided to accept everything, but no one ever gets used to being hated.

Even for an absolute ruler, the terrible loneliness that comes from not being revered by the people is unavoidable.

Furthermore, this time she had been betrayed by the knight she had trusted so much.

If it had been the Serpina of before, it wouldn’t have been strange for her to collapse alone multiple times.

But now it’s different.

Serpina arrived at the prison with relatively light steps, then lifted her head to look down at him and asked in a dignified tone.

“Speak if you have something to say, Ark. After all, tomorrow you won’t be able to speak even if you want to.”

“…Princess Serpina.”

“Who are you? Algot? Sidmid? There are many foolish men who threw away their lives chasing after the dead besides you.”

“Princess.”

Ark raised his head and looked straight at Serpina.

“I represent no one, Princess. What I wanted to overthrow was the House of Einhart… itself.”

Ark slowly closed his eyes.

“From the moment I witnessed countless victims being sacrificed for the succession to the throne, Reni and I vowed together. We promised that when the time came, we would drive out the sinful House of Einhart. Since you killed them all anyway, well, from our perspective, we just needed to get rid of you to finish the job. Thanks to that, our plan became more concrete. Ironically.”

Then, he opened his eyes wide and glared fiercely at Serpina.

“The once kind-hearted princess… Yes. Serpina, when I saw even you stain your hands with your brothers’ blood, I realized. The bloodline of House Einhart is a curse itself. Those born with that blood crave more blood!”

“……”

Serpina did not answer.

Without revealing what she held in her heart, she silently listened to Ark’s protest.

“Why do you think we revealed that we were behind it, Princess? Because that was the promise between Reni and me. The House of Einhart no longer deserves to be the ruler of this continent. Isn’t it outrageous to think that after causing so many victims, they continue to play emperor?”

“So you’re saying you simply wanted to become the new emperor? Without even thinking about the chaos the continent would fall into.”

“Isn’t it already an age of chaos, Princess? Don’t you know that already two-thirds of the continent’s people live under banners other than Einhart’s?”

“…What trivial talk.”

Serpina slowly stood up and looked down coldly at Ark.

“I need not listen further to the noise of a man who would crumble under the weight if it were given to him, just muttering to himself.”

“Princess. As I said, I am not the end. Let me give you advice for old times’ sake. If you want to save your life even now, it would be best to abdicate and live like a dead mouse. The Empire is finished. You can never stop the tide of the new era!”

“…In the past, perhaps.”

After saying that, Serpina slowly turned around and left the prison with a final—

“But not now.”

Yes.

In the past, she would have been intimidated, unable to properly respond to his words.

Like when Rahelven had rebuked her, she would have spent her time lamenting her fate, pushed around with nowhere to lean on.

But not now.

‘I have that man… I have Swen.’

With Swen by her side, she could rebuild the Empire.

With his ability of insight that always spoke the truth.

If only that gentle man who also warmly embraced her would stay by her side to protect her, she felt confident she could overcome even the karma of the imperial family.

Just thinking about that man made the chaotic emotions unable to settle in her heart and fall away.

Swen had become her psychological shield.

It’s okay.

Even if no one else understood her—

If only Swen understood her, and if only Swen followed her to the end… Serpina feared nothing.

‘I will surely prove it. That my thoughts are right…!’

And so, as time passed, more and more…

The existence called Swen gradually seeped into every part of Serpina.

This flow was something that neither Swen nor even Serpina herself could stop anymore.

*

The next day.

All the rebels who had dared to target Serpina’s neck vanished like dew on the execution ground.

Ark, the key figure, had his family exterminated for three generations, and the soldiers who actively participated were also severely punished.

Originally, there weren’t many survivors anyway because I had continuously cast magic in conjunction with Reika.

And as for Reika, who had used the magic—

“Ugh… I’m sorry, Sir Swen. I should recover quickly… and resume my training…”

“No. You pushed yourself extremely hard on the battlefield, so let’s rest well for a while.”

Shortly after using magic, she had collapsed, and now she was bedridden even after returning to the mansion.

This battle was, in a way, the first time she had used proper magic.

Until now, rather than the concept of pouring out magic, she had just practiced by conjuring small amounts or creating tiny spells to throw at targets like scarecrows, but this time she had scraped together all the mana in her body, so it was inevitable that her body would suffer.

Originally, in the game that formed the basis of this world, when mages used magic, there was a kind of cooldown for balance since it was such a powerful ability, which in this world manifested as “mana depletion” affecting Reika’s body.

Or rather, it would be more accurate to say that since the physical effects couldn’t be expressed in the game, they roughly implemented a cooldown instead.

This time, to maximize the amplification effect of my rapier, she had continuously created the largest spells she could manage, so it would take quite a long time before she could use her abilities like before.

“I can’t even help with the housework… and even when I try to gather mana again, it doesn’t work well… Sir Swen, am I perhaps broken…? If I can’t even use magic, I’m just a useless woman no different from a beast that only consumes food…”

“No. After pouring out magic so intensely, your abilities will return if you rest a bit more. I, as your master, guarantee it.”

“Really…?”

Nod.

It wasn’t a lie, and I maintained a confident expression, knowing that after resting during what could be considered a “cooldown” period, she would gradually be able to use magic again.

That seemed to comfort her, as she finally covered her mouth slightly with her pale hand, giggled, and said—

“If my master says so… then it must be fine, hehe.”

“And please don’t say things like ‘beast’ or whatever. Reika, you’re so talented. You make good bread and pastries, and you’re good at housework. Even if you had no talents, I would take good care of you, so please don’t worry too much.”

“Ah…”

Hearing those words, Reika’s face turned completely red, and this time she pulled the blanket up to cover her entire face.

Only her pink bangs peeking out from under the blanket looked strangely cute.

“…thankyou…”

The words she mumbled while buried under the blanket weren’t clearly audible, but contextually it must have been “thank you.”

But it was I who should have been thankful.

“I’m the one who should thank you, Reika. I won’t forget this debt.”

No matter how much my rapier acted as an amplifier, without Reika sacrificing her body and staining her hands with blood to help me, I couldn’t have avenged Lady Irene so cleanly with so little damage.

The magic itself was an amazingly powerful force, but the heart that decided to use it was even more precious to me now.

For several days, while at the mansion, I spent time lightly nursing Reika.

One way or another, the human called Reika was gradually seeping into my life, like clothes getting wet in a drizzle.

*

As time passed—

Although she hadn’t fully recovered her mana and couldn’t be deployed in actual combat, Reika had regained some strength.

“Reika Nighthart, listen.”

In the center of the audience hall, Serpina extended her hand to Reika, who was kneeling, to declare her intention.

What was taking place here was a kind of commissioning ceremony.

The ceremony that had been postponed due to Reika’s collapse was now being held.

In times of chaos, many people change their allegiances, so it was rare for a grand commissioning ceremony to be held for just one warrior. Both Swen and Irene had joined Serpina’s forces rather unceremoniously.

This ceremony was evidence that Reika had been recognized by Serpina.

It was a way of acknowledging that without her, many more soldiers would have lost their lives in suppressing the recent rebellion.

“Reika. Do you swear to devote yourself wholeheartedly to me from now on?”

Reika, without her usual trembling, with a very calm expression…

Carefully opened her mouth.

“…Yes, I swear!”

…Due to biting her tongue, a somewhat foolish answer came out—

The seemingly composed Reika turned into her usual nervous self, breaking into a cold sweat.

“Ah… um… I’m, I’m sorry. I’ll die… right now, I’ll just die… so please, forgive me…”

“If you die, wouldn’t the meaning of forgiveness disappear?”

“Ah, now that I think about it, that’s true. Then… separately, I’ll go somewhere where my lord isn’t and die alone. Somehow I’m sorry…”

“…Hehe.”

Some might have considered Reika’s behavior extremely disrespectful during such a sacred commissioning ceremony.

Fortunately, Serpina was not the type to place much importance on such ceremonial matters.

“Reika. I’m sorry, but I cannot grant that request. I don’t want to lose someone like you whom I’ve just brought to my side.”

“Lady Serpina…”

Reika slowly looked up at Serpina, who was looking down at her.

At that moment.

She felt she could understand for the first time what Lady Irene had meant when she explained that ‘the lord is like an absolute being.’

“I understand your intention well. From today, I shall accept you as a member of our Serpina forces.”

“…Yes, yes!! I, I will do my best…!”

Fortunately, this time she answered without biting her tongue—

Reika Nighthart became a warrior of Serpina’s forces.

From this point on, she was no longer a civilian.

As a warrior officially registered with the state, she had formally revealed herself in this age of chaos.

This was all according to Reika’s wish to “be of some help.”

To effectively use her abilities on the battlefield, her ambiguous status needed to be resolved first.

Reika also knew well that Swen or Irene couldn’t keep escorting her separately forever.

Thus, the commissioning ceremony concluded successfully.

Among those present, those with keen political insight could instinctively sense it.

Swen, Irene, and Reika.

These three people would undoubtedly become Serpina’s closest confidants and a new power in the future.

And in Serpina’s forces, depleted of talent due to continuous rebellions… there were few warriors outstanding enough to challenge the dominance of these three.

Just as the appearance of a mage had opened a new era of combat on the continent—

In Serpina’s forces too, a new power was rising and shining.

——A precarious power that seemed like it could vanish like a mirage at any moment.