Ch.350Chapter 350. Battle of Eingart Castle (5)

“……Huh?”

Marilyn stood there blankly for several minutes, unable to say anything.

What’s going on?

Was Reika… actually a man?

No, wait.

That man’s hair… it’s white.

And as far as she knew, there was only one young man with white hair in the Serpina army.

‘No way…!!!’

But—

BOOM!!!!

“Kyaaaaaaah!”

—As if refusing to give her time to grasp the situation and process what was happening, magic came flying toward her.

Marilyn was thrown backward.

Letting go of her younger brother’s hand, who had lost consciousness… or yes, was probably dead.

‘W-wait… don’t panic, Marilyn!’

Though she was suddenly ambushed, fortunately she wasn’t hit directly.

She tried with all her heart to gather mana again, but—she couldn’t.

In her state of not yet being fully proficient in magic, she had used an overwhelming amount of magical power through an unconventional route.

To use magic again, she would probably need to rest for two weeks.

It was already a miracle that she was maintaining consciousness without fainting.

‘W-what should I do? First, I need to retreat quickly and then tell Father—’

“—So this is it.”

“…!”

A woman’s voice came from nearby.

A voice filled with hatred.

Looking up… an unfamiliar young woman with silver hair was staring at her.

Marilyn was startled by the overwhelming mana emanating from her. —There was another mage in the Serpina army?

“This is why Lord Swen…”

She didn’t understand what the woman was saying, but she knew she couldn’t lose her composure now.

Based on circumstantial evidence, this woman was the one who had cast magic at her.

It would surely take time for her to gather mana too.

After all, gathering mana to use magic was common sense.

Just as she thought she should escape right now…

——Swoosh!

An ice pillar suddenly rose from the ground, catching her clothes, and she collapsed in place.

Was this… magic?

No, beyond that… she used this level of magic without even going through the process of gathering mana…??

At that moment.

The silver-haired woman began gathering a fireball in her hand.

——At an astonishingly fast speed.

The mana responded to her gestures at a pace so rapid that Marilyn could never hope to match, almost creating the illusion that she could see the movement of mana.

“I will never…”

The woman looked at Marilyn with eyes full of killing intent.

Overwhelmed.

She was so overwhelmed by the silver-haired woman before her… that she froze in place like a cornered mouse.

“I will never forgive you…!!!!”

—At that moment.

“Lady Reika!!!!!”

“…!!”

More than ten soldiers were running toward them.

‘Reika? This woman is…???’

She had known Reika to be a pink-haired archmage.

No, wait. Since the person I cast magic at thinking they were Reika wasn’t actually Reika… if this person is Reika, then who was that?

Could it be that there were two mages? Unlike our side, for real???

Whatever the method, if that person blocked my magic, they must surely be a mage too.

In any case, Marilyn had too few pieces to deduce the correct answer.

Meanwhile, a Serpina army soldier who had run over bowed to the disguised Reika and said:

“It was the strategist’s plan to capture the enemy mage alive! You must not forget!”

“…”

Reika trembled, then nodded.

Right. This isn’t the time to kill this woman. I need to… conserve mana as much as possible.

Without saying anything more, the soldiers easily captured the fallen Marilyn.

Having depleted all her magical power, Marilyn had virtually no means to resist the Serpina army.

“…Is it alright to leave this to us?”

“Yes.”

“Then…”

Reika closed her eyes and immediately ran to where Swen was.

Or more precisely… to where she should have been originally.

* * *

Having witnessed the massive flash of magic from across the way, Irian recalled the letter Swen had given him.

‘Everything is going according to the strategist’s words!’

At first, he was startled when magic flew toward the allied camp, but he had been told not to be surprised or overreact no matter what happened.

Indeed, it seemed that magic had been used against the enemy from this side as well. Having confirmed that, there was no need to hesitate any longer.

“The enemy’s formation is beginning to crumble! Charge! The enemy no longer has a mage! There’s nothing to fear!”

With the enemy’s mage taken care of, the Serpina army began charging forward like fish in water.

From the beginning, even though they were both Serpina forces, there was naturally a difference in level between the rebel troops who maintained security in the capital and the elite soldiers of the Serpina army who had gained experience through occupation activities and actual combat.

The counterweight that balanced this difference was the three mages positioned on the rebel side, but from the situation, it seemed certain that the enemy mages had been neutralized as Swen had instructed.

No magic was coming despite such an obvious charge.

Conversely, magic from our army continued to damage the enemy camp. So why hesitate any longer?

“Charge!!!”

“We must reclaim Einhart Castle!!!!”

“There are no mages!!! Let’s advance with faith in Archmage Reika!!!”

The rebel soldiers, noticing the change in the flow of battle, naturally lost their will to fight.

And there was no easier battle in this world than dealing with demoralized soldiers.

Indeed.

The battle itself was decided as quickly as a game of rock-paper-scissors, with just one exchange of magic.

* * *

Crash!

It was Sovereign Serpina, who remained alone at the base camp, who dropped a glass full of water on the floor.

‘Ah…’

The sound of the breaking glass must have been heard outside, as a voice came from beyond the door.

“Are you alright, my lord?”

The voice of Jenis, the guard knight watching the door.

Serpina managed to compose her voice and said:

“I am fine. I merely dropped a glass.”

“Yes, understood.”

Why?

The trembling of her body wouldn’t stop.

She knew she had to face Jenna’s death and overcome it.

She knew it intellectually, but… she was afraid to accept it.

She was fine when Swen was by her side… but when alone, she was terrified to face that reality.

That was why she had entrusted the command of the battlefield to Irian, Swen, and Reika.

For fear of being reminded of Jenna while fighting facing Einhart Castle.

‘I need to pull myself together quickly…’

Serpina herself knew it well.

That she was relying on Swen excessively right now.

This relationship was certainly not good. It was not only far from an ideal lord-vassal relationship, but it was also not a good attitude for a woman seeking to win Swen’s heart.

Far from becoming a woman who could support him, if she continued to blindly rely on him, she would only burden Swen—what else could there be?

‘Pull yourself together… again, I can do this again. Just like when I decided to accept the crown of Einhart, again…’

Even so—it was only because Swen had been taking such good care of her lately that she could make even this level of resolution.

When she first heard the news of Jenna’s death, she had collapsed to the point where she couldn’t do anything.

‘Swen…’

I need to quickly return to the battlefield and become a sovereign who can protect him.

Rebuilding the unified empire is a secondary issue. If I can’t become his ‘true sovereign,’ none of that will have any meaning.

After composing herself in the room for several hours.

Soon after, there was another knock on the door.

“My lord. It’s Jenis. It seems the battle for Einhart Castle has ended in our victory. General Irian has come to report.”

“Is that so? Very well. I shall come out now.”

It seems Swen has done it again.

If he’s fulfilling his role so well, I should pull myself together quickly too… With such thoughts, she gathered her trembling heart as best she could and headed to the meeting room.

When she arrived, Irian spotted her and quickly bowed in greeting.

“Irian, I stand before my lord.”

“Yes. You have worked hard. Despite the many thoughts you must have had, you willingly took the position of commander-in-chief and brought our army victory—I will never forget this.”

“…Thank you.”

Irian’s face was shadowed as he spoke.

Serpina nodded with an understanding expression.

“In your position, you probably can’t be unreservedly happy. My consideration was lacking.”

“No, not at all. Dealing with my foolish clan is not important to me.”

“Really? Then perhaps you can be a little happy. You’ve achieved victory in a difficult battle against three mages.”

“…”

Irian, with a slightly trembling voice… carefully reported to his sovereign what had happened on the battlefield.

“As a result of the battle, we captured Marilyn Al Caski and Yupia Al Caski, presumed to be enemy mages. Reilan Al Caski, also known as a mage, was confirmed dead during the battle. After neutralizing the mages, most of the rebel armed forces surrendered with white flags, and we were also able to successfully apprehend Nathan Al Caski, who was attempting suicide in the royal castle.”

“I see. What about our casualties?”

“The damage to our forces is minimal compared to the rebels. However…”

“However?”

Irian was struggling to speak.

Serpina did not rush him and waited patiently. Originally in such situations, Serpina was not the type to rush others.

—Until that word reached her ears.

“During the execution of the operation, the strategist—”

As soon as she heard the words ‘the strategist,’ Serpina’s eyes went blank.

Her heart suddenly began to beat violently.

Her calm eyes… rapidly contracted.

“Swen…? Why is Swen…?”

“…”

Serpina, who had been calmly waiting for his words until just a moment ago, now lost her composure and began shaking Irian by the shoulders.

“Answer me, Irian! Why Swen! What happened? What… what happened during the operation?!”

Irian closed his eyes.

If only I had known, could I have stopped the strategist’s plan?

No, that would have been impossible. The strategist was always a step ahead.

Therefore… I can only report the situation belatedly, unable to hide my grief. Like now.

“…The strategist’s consciousness has not returned.”

* * *

Do you know what a lucid dream is?

The reason I suddenly ask this is because somehow I knew that what I was dreaming now was a dream.

That dream I used to have before meeting Serpina. I was having that very dream again after a very long time, the one I hadn’t had since meeting Serpina.

“Swen.”

Where is this?

I don’t know much except that it’s a port town with a beautiful ocean spread out… but it’s a familiar place anyway.

I always spent time here with her. Serpina.

“Swen, come here.”

Without hesitation, I sit beside her at her words and firmly hold her hand.

Her golden hair fluttering in the wind tickles my eyes.

“Swen. Do you love me?”

At this point… I answered something.

Strangely, I couldn’t hear my own voice, so I only knew that ‘I answered something,’ but I couldn’t tell what I said.

Afterward, we exchanged a few more cryptic questions and answers. Since only Serpina’s voice could be heard, I couldn’t know in detail, but—

“I know, Swen. I believe in you.”

She emphasized several times in this way that she ‘believed in me.’

And then.

“I will believe. No matter what happens… after all, you are—”

——my one and only strategist.

‘!!!!!!!!!!’

The moment I heard those words.

At that moment, as if hit on the head with a giant hammer, I reach one realization.

I… knew her…?

—Simultaneously, my vision suddenly fades to black.