Ch.354Chapter 354. Now No One Remains

* * *

Serpina’s military base, Valharat Castle, territory of Irene’s corps under her command.

The red-haired corps commander was having a dispute with one of her female knights.

“C-calm down! Commander!”

“Don’t block my way! Do you wish to die?”

“I understand your feelings a hundred times over, but please calm yourself! If you must go, kill me first!”

“…!”

Only then did Irene come to her senses.

The female knight who had been trying to stop her sighed in relief and said:

“I understand your concern for the Strategist… but if you leave your post, chaos will inevitably come to the central territory. Please understand.”

“…”

Irene clenched her fist.

Logically speaking, the female knight before her was right.

But that was just intellectual understanding, and there was something else that kept stirring Irene’s heart.

Swen had collapsed and been hospitalized—

That sentence kept tormenting Irene.

‘I…’

I dedicated my entire being to protecting Swen.

Yet when he’s in danger, I can’t be by his side.

‘How incompetent I am. If I can’t be by Swen’s side at the critical moment, nothing else matters…’

She had no intention of blaming Serpina who had appointed her to this position.

She was Irene’s lifesaver. Nevertheless, she simply couldn’t accept this situation.

“…I apologize. I seem to have gotten too excited.”

“Not at all, Commander.”

“Right. Our lord instructed us to prioritize internal affairs, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

Irene let out a long sigh, then checked the map on the table.

“I suppose we must report what’s happening on the southern continent…”

Even as the main occupation force was busy suppressing Nathan Al Kaski’s rebellion at Einhart Castle, time was flowing equally for everyone on the continent.

Yes. Once the balance was broken—things that were bound to happen here would happen.

“It may not immediately affect our forces… but if the rebellion has been quelled, we should report it. Considering the distance, I think it’s best to inform her as soon as possible.”

“Understood. Lea, please check the public security forces once more. And I would appreciate it if you could summon the internal affairs officials from each region.”

“I will obey your command, Commander.”

After the female knight left, Irene looked at the map again.

This news wasn’t just for reporting to Serpina.

Swen was the one who needed to hear this. After all… it was about Lunarian’s forces.

‘…’

Irene recalled Swen’s confident voice.

Lady Lunarian is destined to become the unifying monarch.

And judging by the current situation—those words seemed entirely reasonable.

Right now, there were the Brans forces and the Hesna forces, but was it just a groundless fear that soon their swords would inevitably point toward Lunarian’s forces?

If so, what decision should they make then?

She wanted to discuss these things, but…

Knowing Swen’s poor physical condition, she worried that even this might be too much of a burden for him.

‘…Right. I’ll just write down the facts. There’s no need to add unnecessary personal opinions that might confuse him.’

Irene slowly organized what she would tell Swen.

About what was happening in the south.

* * *

Knock knock knock.

“Come in.”

Half resigned by now, I answered while wearing my proper social mask.

Creeeeak, with the sound of the old door opening, the person who appeared was—a young talent from Serpina’s forces.

This was already my 8th visitor today.

“Hello, Strategist! Though you may be seeing me for the first time, I have always admired your achievements from afar—”

“Aren’t you Lord Lukran?”

“Ah… y-you remember me?!”

He was a man I had seen a few times as an official when I was focusing on internal affairs at Einhart Castle.

He wasn’t the type to stand out with exceptional talent during chaotic times, but he was one of those people absolutely necessary for a city to function properly.

If anything, I valued such people more. Heroes may change many things, but a hero alone can’t make the world go round.

Lukran bowed his head to me, seemingly moved.

“T-to think you would remember my name… I’m truly touched! Even though I’ve never had a private audience with you…”

“How could an administrator not know names? Anyway, what brings you here today?”

“Well, I heard that you were badly injured while suppressing the rebellion recently… it’s nothing much, but—”

Lukran then turned toward the table to place the flowers and fruits he had brought.

And then-

“Ah…”

He was overwhelmed by the table already piled high with gifts from earlier visitors and lost his words.

“I-I’m sorry. I should have tidied up… If you can find an empty spot, please place it there.”

“Ah, y-yes!”

After exchanging some small talk, we said our light goodbyes.

“Strategist! Please get well soon! I will strive to become someone who can be of help to you when you return!”

“Thank you for visiting, Lord Lukran. I won’t forget.”

After he left—

I looked out the window.

…They had finally begun to acknowledge my existence.

It might sound presumptuous coming from my own mouth, but I was essentially the core of Serpina’s forces.

The young standard-bearer Irian, supported by many military officers. Irene, the first corps commander of Serpina’s forces. Reika, the continent’s greatest archmage.

If one were to summarize “Swen’s faction,” it would be compressed to these four people.

Additionally, the monarch Serpina trusted me completely. No, it went beyond trust. Being somewhat perceptive, I could tell that her trust in me was far deeper than the typical lord-vassal relationship.

However, until now, I had kept a rather low profile.

While the core figures might have understood, most of the military officers in Serpina’s forces were wary of me.

Rumors ranged from “clouding Serpina’s vision with his handsome face” to the absurd gossip that “I obtained the position of national strategist through physical means.”

I deliberately didn’t try to forcibly suppress these rumors. Stories without substance quickly fade when confronted with solid facts—realities that contradict them.

If anything, I knew that paying attention to those rumors would be giving them the bait they wanted, so I gritted my teeth and ignored them.

And once again, rebellion broke out at Einhart Castle.

Each rebellion thinned our military ranks, but this one was particularly devastating for our forces. It was a rebellion staged in the capital by officers who had served the empire for a long time.

As Serpina said, Einhart Castle looked fine on the outside, but its framework was completely gutted. Most of the internal affairs officials had been executed, so we might not be able to function properly for a while even if we wanted to. If we didn’t handle this situation properly, the morale of the capital territory’s residents would hit rock bottom.

The consequences of failure in politics were always severe.

Anyway, why am I bringing this up—right.

The collapse of the existing order had an unexpected effect: the military officers of Serpina’s forces no longer viewed me with suspicion.

It wasn’t that people’s hearts had changed. It was simply that those who had regarded me as an outsider were all dead.

What remained now were mostly a few genuine loyalists who would remain faithful to Serpina’s forces until the end, and rookies who had only recently been commissioned. The Lukran who just visited me was the same.

In other words, now no matter what I do, there’s no one left who would feel aversion to my existence, including the monarch Serpina—

‘…Ah.’

That’s not entirely true. There was one name that came to mind.

Just as I was about to get lost in thought, another knock sounded at the door.

‘I’m swamped.’

Even if they were of lower rank, there was no harm in being seen as a “good person” by everyone. The reason Jenna could unhesitatingly push through her intentions during her lifetime was not only because of Serpina’s trust but also because of her thick network of connections.

As nations continue to shrink, we will eventually share borders with Lunarian’s forces—it would only be beneficial, never detrimental, to make more allies within this country in preparation for that time.

“Come in.”

Hearing my words, the door opened.

This time… it was a soldier in armor.

“Excuse me, Strategist. I have something to deliver to you.”

“What is it?”

“This.”

He handed me a rolled-up piece of paper.

“This is…?”

“A letter from Corps Commander Irene.”

Huh?

From Irene?

If it was a work-related report, I wondered why she would need to send a letter.

“And, this is a message from the Commander…”

Time.

The predetermined fate of the continent—

“The Ohana forces—”

—are.

“!!!”

As if there was no more time to hesitate, it was rapidly approaching me with quick strides.