Ch.245Chapter 245. Are You Satisfied, My Lord?

* * *

The old capital of the Brans territory, now the capital of the Kalintz territory, Anel Castle.

Several armed men were kneeling before Kalintz, Lynn’s second older brother, who sat on the throne that once belonged to Lynn, pleading with him.

“Lord Kalintz! Please reconsider… Deploying now is too dangerous! The plague has already spread to the outskirts of Anel Castle… If we’re not careful, all our troops could be at risk—”

“Silence! How many times must I tell you that now is our opportunity! If we can just subdue the Chel forces that have been eyeing Anel Castle, then Lynn’s territory, filled with nothing but corpses, will easily fall! Why can’t you understand that this is our chance to truly rebuild the Brans territory!”

“It’s not too late, my lord! Please issue a lockdown order like Hesna, Rolland, and Lynn’s territories have done. Even if the outskirts are beyond saving, the central area is still safe. For the future of our Kalintz territory, I beg you to reconsider…!”

“…For the future, you say?”

Kalintz asked in a sharp tone upon hearing those words.

“So you’re saying my decision won’t benefit our future?”

“No, that’s absolutely not what I meant…”

“In the end, you don’t trust me either. It’s always been this way. Whether it’s Lynn or Chel… you think I can never catch up to those so-called great people! Even when Lynn fell, do you think I didn’t notice the looks in the eyes of those who defected to Chel, unable to trust me, Kalintz?!”

“My lord…!”

In truth, it shouldn’t have been surprising that they remained under Kalintz’s command.

But sadly for Kalintz, he only continued to prove that those who had chosen Chel or Lynn over him had made the right decision.

“My name is Kalintz Brans! The blood of the Brans family flows through my veins too! I’ve heard this plague has a low infection rate. If we wait for this situation to calm down, we’ll just end up repeating the past, barricading the gates and remaining on the defensive. The opportunity is now, right now!”

Kalintz pointed at the armed men as he looked down at them.

“Withdraw immediately and prepare for war! If you refuse to obey, I will personally execute you for insubordination on the spot!”

In this situation, no one could stop Kalintz’s rampage.

All those with upright character or exceptional abilities had remained in Chel’s territory.

Those who were naive and couldn’t calculate gains and losses had all stayed in the Brans territory—that is, Lynn’s territory.

Here in Kalintz’s territory, only ambiguous people who belonged to neither side remained.

They knew Kalintz’s choice was reckless. Assuming their own lives weren’t in danger, they would have been willing to dissuade him.

But when a blade was at their own necks, it was a different story. From the perspective of the absolute values they had pursued all along—stability and self-preservation—what reason was there to take such a risk?

Fortunately, Kalintz would lead as commander-in-chief, and only a few warriors would be dragged along. Most of the generals would simply try to hold out within the walls of Anel Castle.

Well, honestly, it didn’t matter if Kalintz’s forces collapsed. They could just serve another lord if it came to that.

So they offered no more unreasonable advice.

They fell silent, as if they had done enough.

And so, Kalintz Brans personally led an army of 60,000 men to march against Chel’s territory, which had rapidly declined due to plague and war.

And then…

* * *

Some time had passed since I boldly told Lady Serpina, “In the end, we will win.”

As both Serpina and I had predicted, the plague began to spread throughout the central continent.

The chaos was intensified when Kalintz’s forces invaded just as things were beginning to stabilize, resulting in even more casualties—truly a scene from hell.

If there was any silver lining, it seemed the infection rate of the epidemic wasn’t particularly high. Instead, the mortality rate was extremely high.

While the central continent was being devastated, the northern region enjoyed a period of peace.

The strict lockdown order at Kelstein Castle had proven effective.

Of course, continued chaos between nations couldn’t possibly be “the most efficient method.” There must have been far more efficient approaches.

But quite paradoxically… why this turned out to be the most efficient method was beyond my comprehension.

All I had predicted was the plague. How could I have foreseen that three nations would simultaneously begin their path to downfall because of it?

Even she, Lady Serpina standing before me, likewise—

“Your advice has always had this quality, but this time the results are truly frightening, Swen.”

—couldn’t have imagined this outcome.

The first shocking news to reach us was, of course, Erinandorf’s death.

The massive war that broke out between Chel’s forces and Aeshus’ forces as a result. Due to the ongoing battles, the Aeshus forces, which had been steadily gathering strength in the central continent, began to decline at an alarming rate.

The potential that had once allowed them to declare war against our Serpina forces was now more than 80% depleted in a meaningless war with Chel’s forces.

In this situation, if Aeshus’ forces had devoured Chel’s forces, or conversely, if Chel’s forces had defied expectations and performed well enough to subjugate Aeshus’ forces… perhaps that wouldn’t have been the “optimal outcome” for us.

After all, the emergence of a dominant power in the central continent would hardly benefit our forces.

Yes, truly, as if perfectly timed, the plague began to spread.

This terrifying disease, which killed most of those infected, spread so rapidly that it turned even the potential gains from the previously meaningless war in the central continent to dust. It was fortunate that the infection rate wasn’t particularly high; had it been higher, even our forces might have been at risk—at that thought.

“…No, perhaps this line of thinking is meaningless.”

If our forces had been endangered, the outcome would have been different. Whether by retreating the borders further or employing some other extraordinary method.

This was the power of Intelligence 100. I had merely said “do this,” but the results were often beyond what an ordinary person could predict.

“Didn’t I tell you? In the end, we will win. My lord’s decision… was the right one.”

“…”

This was somewhat of a personal thought, but.

When Serpina made the decision to relocate her territory’s residents, prepared to bear the infamy.

It would be a lie to say I didn’t hope, even a little, that her actions wouldn’t be in vain.

If the plague was inevitable anyway, wouldn’t it be good if her actions to save people had meaning?

“Are you satisfied, my lord?”

At my question about satisfaction, Serpina gave a bitter smile.

“Satisfaction…”

Serpina was silent for a long time before answering…

Then, slowly running her fingers through her golden hair.

“I just feel… regretful.”

“Regretful, you say…?”

I wondered if perhaps “our forces not having to lift a finger while three powers in the central continent simultaneously plunged into ruin” wasn’t enough for her.

But her answer was the exact opposite of what I expected.

“If it was indeed the plague, I wonder if I should have brought more people… even if it meant using more forceful methods.”

“Ah…”

“Had I done so, I might have earned more resentment… but in any case, wouldn’t more lives have been saved? They were once under the Serpina banner, after all.”

Serpina… didn’t seem to be lying.

A tyrant regretting not saving more of her territory’s residents.

Based solely on the character setting I knew, it was as if Karelia, not Serpina, was saying these words.

Though I don’t really know what kind of person Karelia is since I’ve never met her.

“…Well, still.”

Serpina said that, and then smiled at me.

“I am satisfied that at least those people were able to escape the disaster. I didn’t do this expecting anyone’s recognition.”

“…”

“I know. Regardless of what a ruler thinks, in the end, they must bloody their sword. I’m aware that all of this is close to self-satisfaction…”

As I stood by her side without responding.

“…Swen.”

“Yes.”

And once again.

As always… the citrus scent she emanated seeped into places I hadn’t considered.

“Thank you for your advice.”

“…Pardon?”

“All of this is thanks to your counsel.”

I briefly lost my words and slightly bowed my head.

As an intelligence-type strategist, advising the ruler was my role.

Like eating when hungry, it was something completely natural in this world.

But hearing thanks simply for giving advice… it felt somewhat strange.

“…Not at all. I was merely doing what I should.”

“I see.”

Serpina extended her hand to me as she spoke.

When I first saw her stretch out that snow-white hand to command, she seemed like a being above me. A lofty existence on an unreachable height, difficult even to address.

When I felt she was clinging to me excessively, I even felt anxious that I might not be able to leave her side of my own will.

But now it’s a bit different from then.

It feels like I could reach out and take her hand if I wanted to… that kind of feeling.

As if I could also reject that hand of my own will.

The sense that the decisive choice in our relationship had come to me, not her—

“Someday, you will leave. And that’s alright. Until then, I ask for your continued support, Swen.”

—was not merely a feeling, as I realized again from Serpina’s words.

* * *

After that, time continued to flow endlessly.