Ch.301Chapter 301. The Blind Spot of a Veteran (1)

Let me first acknowledge something.

The fact that I unconsciously thought of Lady Serpina’s face – it’s essentially the same as admitting that I potentially have feelings for her.

It’s not surprising. Just newly realized.

I’m not the type of person who’s that oblivious. I could usually notice the subtle atmosphere between a man and a woman without much difficulty.

However, I deliberately avoided bringing this thought to the surface because – she was the monarch of a nation.

Isn’t she precisely the kind of exalted person whom it would be disrespectful for me to even mention as a potential wife?

Although Serpina herself had told me she “wanted to marry me”… for someone like me who had a place to return to someday, being completely devoted to her alone wouldn’t be respectful to her either.

But now wasn’t the time to think about Serpina.

So, simply put, let’s say that “nevertheless” I married Lady Serpina as well, somehow ending up with three wives.

Then, since one position remains, there would be no obstacle to accepting Iolline.

Although I already have three wives, one position is still vacant, and objectively speaking, finding a woman like Iolline isn’t an easy task.

But why…

Why do I feel like I can’t breathe?

Why can’t I simply accept that proposal?

This wasn’t the innocent emotion of a young man excited about receiving a marriage proposal.

It was something more – a sticky, damp sensation threatening my life that I absolutely couldn’t identify.

It wasn’t reasoning based on experience, but rather something closer to pure instinct. For reasons unknown, there was an overwhelming fear that my life would be completely twisted if I made this decision.

As if something in my mind was warning me to never carelessly take a fourth wife—

“…Swen?”

“Ah…”

“Are you alright? Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

Crackle, crackle.

The sound of the burning campfire helped me barely organize my thoughts.

“No, I’m fine. I just… seem a bit tired. Today… I think I need to rest early.”

Iolline looked at me with concern, then slowly nodded her head.

“I understand. About the marriage, please take your time to think about it before answering. Whatever answer I hear, I won’t resent you, Swen.”

“I’m sorry.”

Iolline smiled gently at my words.

“It’s alright. Sleep well, Swen.”

After Iolline left for the carriage to go to sleep first—

Left alone, I stared at the crackling campfire for a long time.

What was that feeling that seemed to choke me the moment I thought about possibly having four wives?

Just a groundless fear? The human body can be incredibly unreasonable, breaking down in all sorts of ways just from fatigue.

Besides, this body wasn’t particularly strong. Having traveled the long road to Valhart Castle, it would be natural to send meaningless signals from exhaustion.

Then why…

‘…’

I probably wouldn’t be able to come up with a plausible answer even after agonizing for hours.

Realizing this, I just spent time staring blankly at the campfire to clear my head.

Something I don’t know might put me in danger—

For the first time, I was afraid of something unknown in this world that I thought I could perfectly predict.

* * *

The next day, as soon as dawn broke, I went on patrol again just in case—

But apart from the altar construction, I couldn’t find anything unusual.

Although I had enough resources to spend a few more days there, there was no need to waste time if there was nothing more to discover, so I set an earlier date than planned and quietly left Valhart Castle.

After traveling for some time again, I safely returned to the camp near the front line.

“Swen. Please take care of yourself and stay healthy. See you again.”

After properly seeing off Iolline who was departing for Einhart Castle, I immediately headed to where Serpina was to report.

After a long time, I saw her in the fortress meeting room, slowly writing something with a quill pen while looking at a map.

Scratch, scratch.

Her golden hair, illuminated by sunlight through the window, sparkled like a wheat field.

The scratching sound of her quill pen was quite a pleasant white noise.

“My lord. I have just returned after completing the intelligence mission.”

“Welcome back, Swen. I apologize for the suddenness, but would you come closer for a moment?”

As I approached, I could easily notice that she had made various markings on the map.

“While you were away, I conducted my own investigation and marked where rebellions would most likely occur.”

As she said, the map had circles all over our territory, along with very neatly organized notes about who the lord of each place was and what might cause a rebellion there.

Instead of those words entering my vision, some emotion welled up inside me, and I unconsciously raised my voice.

“But my lord, didn’t I tell you that a rebellion is unlikely to happen?”

“Of course I believe you. I don’t think your words are wrong. However, even you only said it was ‘highly likely,’ not that it ‘absolutely won’t happen.'”

“That’s true, but…”

“In this situation, I don’t want to be a woman who relies solely on you and makes your shoulders heavy. That’s my honest feeling.”

While I understood Serpina’s opinion, I still felt somewhat upset.

It wasn’t because she didn’t completely trust my opinion. It was just sad that she ultimately kept the possibility of rebellion in mind.

I also thought it wasn’t realistic to be optimistic about one’s fate just because of a few words, but even so… I just didn’t like it.

Still, as she was the monarch, I thought I shouldn’t argue about this matter, when at that moment—

“You’re kind, aren’t you?”

“…Pardon?”

“I know why you raised your voice.”

At those words, I was left speechless as Serpina looked at me with a smile on her lips.

“I’m sorry. Until now… if I don’t prepare like this, I feel too scared to do anything. Even so, if you stay by my side… I believe I can move forward. Didn’t you say it yourself? That our fates would… ‘intertwine’?”

“…”

Intertwined fates, huh.

Suddenly, I remembered thinking of her face unconsciously when discussing marriage with Iolline recently, and my face flushed.

Serpina would have noticed this much change, but she didn’t mention it and went straight to the main point.

“And, check this as well. In case a rebellion doesn’t occur – I’ve written down which routes would be most efficient for invasion.”

Looking at the map again, as she said, several invasion routes were meticulously organized.

“This is…”

“If we organize the questions before confirming the prophecy of your ‘Mind’s Eye,’ neither you nor I will get unnecessarily confused, right?”

Was she saying that she had prepared various things to help me in her own way?

I gave a slight bow to lightly commend her efforts.

“You’ve worked hard, my lord.”

“Not at all. You’ve worked harder. Now, I’d like to hear about it. What was the Aeshus army plotting?”

It was quite unfortunate for Serpina—

No matter what she had prepared, it couldn’t match the impact of the news I brought.

“They were building an altar.”

“They built an altar?”

“Yes.”

“…Does it have some metaphorical meaning?”

“It’s not like that. Literally, they were mobilizing war supplies, soldiers, and even territory residents to build a massive altar… a building where one can perform rituals or offer prayers.”

“???”

Serpina tilted her head in disbelief.

…Even Lady Serpina can show such expressions sometimes.

“You mean they’re conducting such large-scale construction work… with war approaching?”

“Yes.”

“…”

She rested her chin on her hand and murmured.

“Baranga Yurie Aeshus… I knew she made decisions that were hard to believe for a monarch, but this time I simply cannot read her intentions.”

“The altar is supposedly for the deceased Emma and Erinandorf.”

“No… no matter what, from their perspective, they should be preparing for a final battle against me, their enemy. Just like Chel, who would never bow to me even though defeat was certain, it would be natural for them to prepare for battle by any means necessary…”

“Well, Yurie is someone who already sold me out.”

“Even so… she and her comrades hate me. Probably more than anyone else on the continent.”

‘That Academy incident from before.’

I could understand what Serpina was talking about.

Back then, when I was under the Aeshus army, I heard everything from Anima who was living in seclusion in the mountains.

Now I know it wasn’t Lady Serpina who did it… but they all think it was her doing. This wasn’t something I could do anything about.

After thinking for a while, Serpina looked at my face and asked.

“Wouldn’t it be reasonable to assume they’re preparing something else?”

“I looked around, but it really didn’t seem that way.”

“If that’s the case, what about your ‘Mind’s Eye’ prophecy that said invading now wouldn’t be a rational decision?”

“…”

She hit a sore spot.

In truth, I couldn’t figure out why we shouldn’t attack now, so I couldn’t give any answer.

“Your Mind’s Eye only predicts futures that will definitely come true. Then, wouldn’t it be correct to consider ‘the Aeshus army preparing something’ as a constant? The fact that they’re building an altar is also suspicious.”

“No, as I said, there was no sign that she was preparing some kind of trap behind—”

At that moment.

Serpina came close to me and said.

“Can you guarantee that?”

I understood she was trying to make inferences somehow, but unfortunately, this was the truth.

“Yes, I can.”

“Why is that?”

Because building an altar doesn’t enable anything since it’s not a system that exists in the original game—— and then I realized.

“…Huh?”

Only then did I, as if struck by a heavy club on the head.

As if hit directly by a falling thunderbolt, I froze in place.

And—

—what I had been missing began to come into view.