Ch.23Chapter 23. If You Trust Me (2)

“Of course, as you said, it’s certainly a dangerous method.”

When a good opportunity presents itself, I can’t help but take advantage of it.

That’s my survival strategy, which I can only predict.

“But it’s fine. There’s a very high probability that I won’t die.”

Even if it was 100% certain that I wouldn’t die, I deliberately used the word “probability” without showing my confidence.

That approach would resonate more with Cain, showing how little intention I had to betray him.

“Lynn is after me as a person. She’ll probably keep me alive. But without me, Lynn won’t get what she wants and will use her overwhelming forces to thoroughly track and search for us. We won’t be able to hold out for long. Moreover, if Lunarian were to be captured by Lynn, she would certainly die. Lynn has a habit of not forgiving those who compete with her for supremacy, even if they’re rulers of small nations.”

I looked directly into Cain’s eyes as I spoke.

I could feel the momentum shifting to my side.

“As you said, raising a new army is extremely difficult. It might take years. But death is the end. Everything ends. However, if you’re alive, anything is possible. Even if it takes time, as long as we can continue breathing. If Lady Luna, the spirit of our army, remains alive, we can do anything. At this moment when the Lunarian army faces a crisis like a candle in the wind, to keep that light from going out, you must flee now.”

“……”

After listening to my words, Cain let out a short sigh.

Then he smiled faintly and said.

“You’re really risking your life, aren’t you?”

Well, I’m betting on my intelligence 100 brain, so it’s actually a safe bet.

“Very well. I’ll trust you.”

“You won’t regret it.”

The method to save Lunarian, Cain, Tifa, and preserve both mercenary groups:

Staying alone in the abandoned castle and surrendering to Lynn Brans.

This must surely be the best solution.

I turned my head to look at the commanders and said:

“Gustav and Aron, please take your mercenary groups and leave the central region for a while. When the Lunarian army appears again someday, you can join us.”

“…Understood.”

“Well, it’s not a difficult task…”

“And as I just mentioned, I’ll assign half of our Lunarian forces to each mercenary group. Please take them all with you.”

The two commanders looked surprised at my words.

“Lord Swen… are you truly serious about this?”

“I am.”

“……”

Gustav slowly nodded and then spoke.

“We are mercenaries. We work on commission without belonging to any nation. And if the Lunarian army we’ve sworn loyalty to no longer exists on the continent, we might use those forces to work for other nations.”

“That’s fine. The Lunarian army will reappear on the historical stage. You can help us then.”

“…What incredible confidence. You’re truly a remarkable person, Lord Swen.”

Hearing Gustav’s words, Aron nodded and said:

“Understood. We’ll leave this place for now. All soldiers will receive the same treatment as our existing mercenaries.”

“That is much appreciated.”

I looked at Tifa and Cain and said:

“Tifa, please help Gustav assign soldiers to the Raven Mercenary Group, and Cain, please help Aron assign soldiers to the Chilean Mercenary Group. Enemy forces will soon invade, so please move as quickly as possible.”

“Understood.”

“…Augh, is this really the only way!”

After the other four left,

I gave instructions to Luna, who remained alone in the royal castle.

“My lord. Please gather as many troops as possible without hindering the escape and prepare to flee. Take Tifa and Cain with you and plan for the future. This will bring a new opportunity for our army.”

“……”

Luna hung her head without answering.

“My lord?”

Only after calling her again—

She looked at me with a fragile expression, as if she might shatter like glass at the slightest touch.

“…Lord Swen.”

“Please speak.”

“Must you… risk your life? Can’t you come with us?”

“……”

If going together were the right decision, I would have gone.

But my “Intelligence 100” brain was adamant that I should leave the Lunarian army.

For the future, I shouldn’t be with them at this moment.

“Yes. The goal of Lynn Brans’s army is not… the destruction of Zeilandt Castle or the Lunarian army. It’s me.”

“Why…?”

“As I mentioned, it seems they want to recruit me into the Brans army.”

Hearing my words, Luna spoke with a trembling voice, barely squeezing out the words:

“But… I, I…”

Luna slowly raised her trembling hand and firmly grasped my sleeve.

Only then did I realize she was crying.

“I… cannot leave you behind. I cannot push you alone into the pit of danger and escape by myself.”

“It’s not dangerous. I will definitely survive. And I will certainly return to your side, my lord.”

“But, but… I, even so, even so, I cannot sacrifice you for the future…!”

At that moment.

I think I felt a surge of emotion.

Had I grown attached to this woman during our time together?

I placed my hand firmly on her shoulder as she clutched my clothes.

A sharp sound filled the empty royal castle.

And I shouted at her:

“Lunarian Ineanne!!!”

“…!!!”

She looked at my face in surprise.

Her ruby-colored eyes trembled like those of a lost puppy.

“…Didn’t you say you would bring peace to the world? Didn’t you tell me, when you appointed me, that you yourself—not someone else—would unify the continent?”

“That… was…”

“I also remember you saying you would give me unlimited trust. Was that a lie?”

“…No, no. I just…”

I spoke to her with sincerity:

“I am not trying to become a sacrifice. As your retainer, I’ve simply chosen the best move. I will definitely survive. And we will certainly meet again.”

Then, slowly looking into her eyes…

I made a promise that would inevitably be fulfilled:

“Lady Lunarian. If you trust me, in return, I will place the world in your hands.”

“!!!”

I saw her pupils contract in surprise.

This is not a lie.

This decision will accelerate her unification of the continent.

“So… for the future, please flee now. I will handle the Brans army myself.”

“…Sob.”

Drop, drop.

Tears began to fall from her eyes again.

And then… she silently fell into my arms.

I naturally embraced her.

I comforted and soothed her as much as possible so she could stop crying and regain her composure.

“It’s alright, Lady Luna. Please trust me. I will definitely come back to serve you.”

“…I understand.”

She slowly pulled away from me—

Wiping her tears, she looked at me and opened her trembling lips:

“…You must, you must come back.”

“I promise. I will definitely return to your side.”

This wasn’t a lie either.

As long as Lunarian was the monarch unifying the continent, being by her side was the right answer.

“…Then.”

I called out again to Luna as she turned and ran:

“My lord! Stay well! And if an opportunity comes, never miss it! I will definitely return to your side!”

She paused briefly and turned to look at my face for a moment—

Then turned her head again and quickly left the royal castle.

‘……’

Come to think of it—

Luna was probably the only monarch who would trust me with just the words “trust me.”

Without any further explanation, just hearing those words…

I realized it now.

Even if I had said “behead me if I’m wrong,” if she had replied that she wasn’t sure my head was worth that much, it would have been over.

No matter how small the nation was or how few talented people there were… trust was ultimately something only the monarch could decide.

In fact, I was able to push my opinions so boldly because she, as the monarch, trusted me unconditionally.

Even the infallible advice of someone with Intelligence 100 would be meaningless if the monarch wouldn’t listen.

Thinking about this and coming to my senses, I found tears forming in my eyes as well.

I roughly wiped them away with my sleeve.

‘This is no time to be getting emotional and sentimental.’

I had a job to do.

I moved forward to complete my final duty as the strategist of the Lunarian army.

* * *

Luna, who had rushed out of the royal castle, quickly ran to the barracks where the soldiers were gathered.

Even as she ran… she continued to shed tears.

‘Lord Swen… Lord Swen.’

Swen had spoken with certainty that Lynn Brans would spare him.

But Luna had caught that word.

In his sincere conversation with Cain, he had said there was a “high probability” of survival.

It was the first time he had used such an ambiguous term instead of speaking with his usual certainty.

A high probability doesn’t mean 100%. It means there’s a small chance—a possibility that he might die.

So Swen was now…

Essentially sacrificing himself for the Lunarian army, facing a situation where he might die.

‘I’m sorry, Lord Swen. Because I… because I am a powerless ruler. Because I’m such an inadequate leader who can’t do anything for you in this situation…’

The only person who had ever joined this small nation despite numerous recruitment attempts while wandering the continent.

He hadn’t opposed her using the suddenly acquired gold to aid her territory’s people; instead, he had supported her intentions. He had understood when she didn’t maximize conscription out of consideration for the people.

If she had been more ruthless as a leader at that point.

If she had invested all the gold in developing the city and maximized conscription to build a larger army.

Then perhaps they wouldn’t have needed to sacrifice Swen?

Of course, she knew well that nothing would have changed even then.

The enemy had over 80,000 troops.

From the perspective of a small nation, they were already heading toward destruction from the moment they caught Lynn’s eye.

‘…Lord Swen…’

As she kept murmuring Swen’s name, she realized.

There was no point in regretting her past lack of ruthlessness or continuing to mutter apologies he couldn’t hear.

If she truly cared about him, who was sacrificing everything for their army—she needed to completely trust his words that this was the best solution for them.

Swen had said:

If she trusted him, he would place the world in her hands.

And he had also said: Don’t miss the opportunity. If she did that, he would definitely survive and return to her side.

‘…I’ll believe you. I’ll trust you, Lord Swen, and somehow survive. Even if I have to make heartless decisions, I’ll never miss an opportunity when it comes. Everything that happened today, and all the words you said to me… I’ll remember every single one, not forgetting a single word as I live on, Lord Swen.’

Luna thought:

If there was anyone qualified to unify this continent in human form—it was certainly this man called Swen.

‘So, please, definitely… definitely meet me again, Lord Swen. If you can’t come to me, I will do whatever it takes to find you… definitely…’

In a corner of the heart of the leader Lunarian Ineanne—the woman Luna—

A piece that could never be removed was firmly embedded in her deepest part.