Ch.78Chapter 78. Tectonic Shift (3)

“You must be Sir Swen. Welcome. I’ll guide you to Lady Reika’s room.”

“Ah, before that, could I see Ginor first?”

“You mean the master? I’m not sure if he’s available now… Please wait a moment.”

After waiting briefly.

“He’s about to prepare to go out… Perhaps it would be better to speak with him another time if it’s important?”

“It’s fine. This won’t take long.”

I headed to Ginor’s room and greeted him lightly.

“What is it, Swen? I heard you were looking for me.”

“Nothing much, I was thinking of taking Reika outside the castle.”

“…What did you say?”

Reika was the first magician to appear in this game, and the most powerful magician who remained active until the end.

I don’t know exactly why, but Ginor had confined Reika in the mansion and was preventing her from going outside.

Still, considering she had sneaked out before, the surveillance didn’t seem that strict, but he had told me to ‘refrain from going outside the mansion.’

The way to gain someone’s favor is simple.

Give them what they want.

What Reika wanted was freedom.

I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get on her good side.

“…May I ask why?”

“It’s simple. Mana is much more densely concentrated in places with rugged terrain and less disturbed nature. We’ll meditate with nature as our companion. Whether it will be effective for a real magician like Reika is uncertain, but it definitely worked for me. If what I’m feeling is indeed ‘mana,’ wouldn’t Reika benefit as well?”

“…”

Ginor fell into thought for a moment.

Then, he muttered in a very small voice.

The sentence he uttered reached my ears without difficulty.

“…Swen, perhaps it would be fine with you.”

‘?’

I wondered what he meant, but didn’t bother to ask.

“Very well. However, I cannot allow you to take her beyond the territory of Balhart Castle.”

“Even outside the territory, I plan to climb the small hill just behind the castle. Going too far might put us in dangerous situations, which would be troublesome.”

“Anything else you wish to say?”

“No, that’s all.”

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

Just as Ginor was about to leave.

‘Ah, right.’

Come to think of it, I had something to ask him.

“Just a moment.”

“What is it?”

“About what you mentioned at the fortress. I remember you said you had something to ask of me.”

“…”

Ginor turned his head again without answering.

“I’ll tell you when the time comes. Well then.”

After Ginor left.

‘When the time comes, huh…’

I have no idea what favor he wants, but I already told him in advance that ‘I can’t agree to unreasonable requests,’ so it should be fine.

With that thought, I headed to Reika’s room.

*

And then.

As soon as I entered the room, an overly energetic Reika greeted me.

“Ah, ah-ah-ah, h-hello…! M-M-Mr. S-Swen! T-Today the… the weather is…!!”

“Calm down.”

I gently placed my hand on her shoulder.

“Eep…!”

After a few minutes had passed.

I carefully asked her, who now had a somewhat melted expression.

“Now, are you feeling a bit calmer?”

“Huh? Ah… y-yes, yes, yes…!”

After calming her down, I looked around her room.

There were cakes, cookies, bread, and milk that looked delicious at a glance.

Did she prepare all this?

“You didn’t need to go to all this trouble.”

“But, um… it’s been so long since I’ve seen you, Sir Swen…! I-I heard you fought for our country…!”

“Well, I was just in the rear unit. Since I don’t know how to use any weapons.”

“Is that so…? But you’re wearing that nice sword at your side…”

“Oh, this?”

I drew the rapier at my side.

Come to think of it, Reika was the first person to notice it.

Usually it’s hidden by the cloak I wear.

“This is just for decoration.”

“Decoration…”

“More than me, it was the generals, their officers, and the soldiers who did the hard work.”

Reika hesitated for a moment after hearing my words.

Then, gathering her courage, she squeezed out her words.

“B-But still…! Even if you were in the rear unit… I-I don’t know much about it… but still, you risked your life to fight for us…! I-I think you worked hard.”

She bowed her head deeply as she said this.

Right.

What would I gain by winning an argument against Reika?

“I think you’re right, Reika. Thank you.”

“Not at all…! I-I’m the one who should… th-thank you for protecting us…!”

She said this and then smiled broadly with a somewhat silly expression.

She’s a person with more varied expressions than I expected.

“By the way, how have you been while I was away?”

“Ah! That’s right!”

Reika clapped her hands once, then approached me with eyes shining like a child showing off a hidden toy.

“Um, I have something to show you…!”

*

This is the garden behind the mansion.

Reika spread her hands and created a ball of flame just like before.

But what was different from before—

“Ooh.”

Reika skillfully moved the completed ball of flame to her other palm.

After repeating this a few times, she threw it toward a scarecrow in the distance.

Whoosh!

Bang!

The fireball hit the scarecrow that had been set up at some point.

Although its destructive power wasn’t great, this was an incredible achievement.

“I-I’m not gasping for breath like before… and I can control it somewhat freely now…!”

“You’ve improved a lot, haven’t you?”

“Yes! Just as you instructed… every day… I did that Buffett test? without missing a single day…! So now I can really sense mana better, or rather…! Anyway, it was an amazing experience…!”

So she diligently did that meaningless exercise every day.

Well, it must have been good for her health, so I didn’t need to feel too sorry.

It probably wasn’t really because of what I told her to do that she became better at sensing mana.

It was likely just that her abilities were gradually blooming with time.

Still, from Reika’s perspective, who had been experiencing a ‘block’ for quite a long time, this must have been quite a meaningful experience, as I could easily notice that the look in her eyes when she looked at me was somewhat different from before.

“It’s just that all your hard work is finally showing results. It’s not really anything I did.”

“No…! After meeting you, Sir Swen, I’ve become so much stronger…! I-I feel like I can do anything now…!”

“Is that so?”

I spoke in a very natural tone.

“Then shall we move on to the next step?”

“N-Next step…?”

“Yes. I think it’s time for us to go outside.”

“Outside…?”

She looked up at me in surprise as soon as she heard the word ‘outside.’

Her pink eyes were rippling as if they contained the Milky Way.

And…

As soon as she heard my next words, the color of starlight momentarily flashed in those beautiful eyes.

“Let’s go outside the mansion. Into the outside world.”

*

“Wow…!”

This was the hill behind the castle, not far from it.

She seemed delighted with everything she encountered, looking around for a long time and unable to contain her admiration.

“It’s been so, so long… since I walked outside like this, normally.”

Come to think of it, she was an orphan.

During her orphan days, she probably didn’t have the opportunity to look around as she was busy finding food every day and protecting herself.

And after being taken in by Ginor, she seemed to have lived in what was essentially confinement, unable to go outside.

Given her circumstances, it was understandable that she would be so happy just from climbing a hill behind the castle.

“I’m glad I brought you out.”

“Did you bring me out on purpose, Sir Swen…?”

In response to her question, I smoothly told a lie.

“Mana is more abundant in places where nature is preserved.”

“Ohhh…!”

After hearing my words, she nodded and then closed her eyes.

She took a few deep breaths and remained silent as if meditating…

Suddenly.

“…Haah!!”

She opened her eyes wide and created a ball of flame in her hand.

One more than twice as large as the previous one.

‘…!!’

Even I was surprised by this sight.

The fireball slowly disappeared from her hand.

“Wow… it’s true! Just as you said, Sir Swen… coming here, I can vividly feel abundant mana throughout my body…!”

‘…Really???’

Really?

Why?

Why is this actually true?

I had just strung together some plausible-sounding words and blurted out nonsense.

But why did she actually get stronger so quickly?

Is mana really more abundant in places closer to nature?

Well, although it was a principle I just made up, when I think about it, it was a setting that seemed quite plausible.

After all, it was almost a rule in fantasy worlds that mysterious powers like mana would be abundant in places close to nature.

Anyway.

It would be absurd for me to act bewildered here.

I nodded with a strange expression as if I had predicted everything.

“Didn’t I tell you? I too can hear the voice of the heavens more clearly after meditating here.”

“I see…! You really are amazing, Sir Swen.”

Reika looked at me with eyes full of admiration.

Feeling the pressure of that innocent gaze on my shoulders, I realized anew—

Despite telling so many lies to various people, I still hadn’t gotten used to it.

“Well then, let’s train. Just repeat what you usually do. Are you ready?”

“Yes! I’m ready!”

Reika said enthusiastically, raising her hands forward.

Because she was wearing a sleeveless top, her smooth armpits momentarily came into view.

I quickly erased that image from my mind and said:

“Then… let’s start with meditation.”

“Yes!”

So I meditated with her.

Afterwards, we did light exercises and spent a very fulfilling day.

Reika seemed to be in a good mood from coming outside after a long time and followed everything with enthusiasm, which made me feel quite good as well.

Honestly, apart from training or whatever—this was the first time since the day of the battle that I could relax and spend time comfortably.

That alone made it an incredibly precious time for me.

* * *

Several hours earlier.

Ginor, who had just left home, was thinking about the white-haired young man he had just met.

‘It was indeed a surprise attack. That man… everything happened exactly as Swen said.’

He recalled how Swen had confidently stated “Brans’ strategy is a surprise attack” while looking at him.

He had expressed his opinion with unwavering confidence in front of the national strategist, and that opinion turned out to be correct.

After the battle ended, Ginor thought for a long time.

A man who claimed not to be a magician but could sense mana and communicate with the heavens, a man of miracles who had dropped a stone from the sky.

Such a man was also showing proficiency in tactics.

Moreover, he had the audacity to ask “Why are you with the Aeshus army?” to him, the national strategist of the Aeshus army.

Throughout his life, Ginor had always realized how much he didn’t know, but if there was one thing he prided himself on, it was his ability to judge people.

And the more he observed Swen, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling that this was not a man who would be satisfied with just obtaining a key position in the Aeshus army.

‘It would be good if he continues to stay with our army, but in the long term, he could become an enemy of the Aeshus army.’

If that happened, it would be problematic in many ways.

Turning such a talented person into an enemy would not be wise.

While the public was focusing on the famous traitor knight Irene as the main actor in this betrayal, and there was some truth to that context—

In Ginor’s opinion, what the Brans army truly lost was Swen rather than Irene.

And indeed, as soon as this man became their enemy, didn’t the Brans army begin to collapse as if it were a lie?

Although Irene had played a role, it was fundamentally Swen who first noticed the surprise attack.

If Swen hadn’t been there, it was clear that they would have been defeated due to Epinel’s stubbornness.

‘Then what should be done?’

Ginor was currently following Yurie, and while he would prefer her to unify the continent—

He wasn’t of the opinion that ‘the Aeshus army must unify it.’

As long as the ruler wasn’t a tyrant like Serpina, he was prepared to lend his wisdom to anyone who was wise and virtuous.

To that extent, he didn’t want to become enemies with a man like Swen, even if they served different lords.

Ginor recalled a book on military strategy he had read recently.

There was one passage that particularly stuck in his mind.

[If you cannot defeat an opponent, join them.]

‘A way to build a relationship with him that transcends factions…’

At that moment, a person flashed through Ginor’s mind.

His adopted daughter, Reika.

Looking at it objectively?

Twenty years old this year. A young lady around Swen’s age with no experience with men.

Since he had taken her in at a very young age and rarely let her go outside, she would not be a bad candidate for a bride.

Ginor was a man with a sharp mind.

As it happened, he had an opportunity to ask him for a favor.

If he was rejected, well, there was nothing to be done, but he thought it was worth trying.

Swen didn’t seem to have a wife yet.

‘Come to think of it, Swen didn’t have a family name.’

The Nighthart name, though he was embarrassed to say it himself—

Had value worthy of being called a prestigious family on the continent.

Even though noble families and aristocracy had lost their meaning in these chaotic times, it might still be quite attractive to him, who was of common birth.

‘I should explain this to Reika as well. He is also a vigorous young man, so there must be something Reika can do.’

Ginor Nighthart.

Despite his advanced age, he was constantly thinking of ways to survive in these chaotic times.