episode_0105

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“Serpina will come in a moment, so please wait here.”

Guided by a soldier, I arrived at the palace’s throne room, found a suitable seat, and looked around while standing there.

The furniture in the castle… … Is it to the extent of having a variety of things to the bare minimum?

Of course, this place is not the capital of Serpina County, so there is no need to decorate it.

Just like that, I was thinking about something that wasn’t very productive.

The soldier who brought me spoke in a wary manner to me, who was standing blankly.

“What are you doing? If you came as an envoy, please be polite.”

“Are you polite?”

“I’m telling you to kneel.”

That’s right.

I felt like I wanted to say, “Why don’t I just kneel after Serpina comes,” but-

This place was in the middle of enemy territory, so there was no reason to make a mess of it before even negotiating.

I obediently knelt down.

“Okay. If you’re a messenger, be sure to be polite and wait.”

yes yes. I understand, so please be quiet. I swallowed the words back in my throat.

If I had to really say it, it was like a soldier measuring it. Well, I wasn’t that upset about it.

Rather than that, I thought that each and every soldier, should we really call it Serpina Army, was full of venom.

The pride of serving the absolute being with the overwhelming legitimacy of the empire was dripping from even a single soldier.

Now that I think about it, what kind of person is Serpina?

What I felt keenly after being possessed in this world was that the characters I knew as data were living, breathing people with their own personalities that could not be explained in reality.

I never thought that Airen and Reika, who came here with me, would have personalities like that.

Even though Serpina was known by her immediate title as ‘tyrant’ and was resented by many people around her-

Is his personality really as advertised?

I wondered if she was the data I knew.

When I thought about that, memories from before I was first possessed here came to mind.

After hearing Jinor’s mantra that was 99% correct, he went over to Serpina’s army as an envoy to apply for an alliance, but was imprisoned by her and died by having his throat cut.

And I came to Serpina’s territory as an envoy.

‘… … .’

I swallowed dry saliva.

I wondered what would happen, but… … Nothing much will happen, right?

The reason I came here in the first place was because my brain with 100% intelligence repeatedly insisted that this was correct.

Based on what happened at the northern fortress where the meteorite fell, I would not have claimed that something that put my life in danger was ‘the most efficient’, so there was a high possibility that it would be okay.

However, if there was anything that bothered me in the meantime, it was the result that ‘it depends on the will of heaven’.

Why on earth does it depend on my choice?

As a Shinigami, how much can I decide?

At that time, I was unraveling the threads of miscellaneous thoughts in my head.

Sigh-

Along with the sound of an old door opening, the sound of someone walking was clearly heard in my ears.

I lowered my head and waited for the sound to stop.

One step, two steps.

After hearing several sounds like that… … Finally, the voice of the Absolute, called a tyrant in the world and bearing everyone’s resentment and fear as one, was heard.

“Lift your head up.”

I sensed that my ears hearing that voice were slightly startled.

His voice is too thin and beautiful to be called a tyrant.

However, there was a subtle sense of danger mixed into that beauty.

I could definitely feel the charisma that overwhelms the audience with just his voice… … For some reason, I have to say that it feels like it will break if I touch it just a little bit wrong.

I slowly raised my head and looked at her.

‘… … uh?’

If it were my usual self, I would probably have thought like this.

beautiful.

It’s really beautiful.

Among the women I’ve met so far, I could pick about three who were so beautiful that I could count them with one hand.

Runarien Inien, Irene Juliette, and Reika Nighthardt.

There was no doubt that they were beautiful women. I think each of them were women whose charm as women stood out to the extent that even people who did not think favorably of them could not help but agree with that fact.

but.

The woman in front of me – in that respect, she was like a foul play.

A violent beauty that turned the women in front of her into mere pretty people was flashing above her will.

In short, if the word ‘beauty’ were symbolized as a human being, wouldn’t it look something like this?

Blonde hair that shines so dazzlingly.

Her facial features maintain perfect balance, to the point where even wearing unique accessories feels very attractive.

The pink lips were enough to fixate the viewer’s gaze.

pretty. She was so pretty that, at least with the vocabulary I had learned so far, I couldn’t even explain how beautiful she was.

If you look down slightly –

They were wearing clothes that looked like something a general would wear on the battlefield.

Although her clothes were quite different from those of the ‘monarchs’ she had met so far – as if to prove that the aura of a monarch does not come from clothes, anyone could see that she was not a knight to work under someone, but to reign over such knights. It gave the impression that it was a person.

furthermore-

Honestly, her breasts were so big that I couldn’t help but notice them.

Although it was smaller than Iren’s, it could be considered similar to Reika’s.

Of course, considering that Irene’s size is so unrivaled, it would be enough to say that she has big breasts.

I, for one, liked the one with big breasts, and from that perspective – she was an attractive enough woman.

okay.

As I just mentioned – if it were me, I would have been amazed at how beautiful he was, putting to shame a known cruel tyrant.

And, you must have been trapped in the vortex of her appearance for a long time. Because it looks that pretty.

but.

More important than that.

I had seen her face before.

‘In a dream… … The woman I saw… … ?’

It was certain.

Serpina in front of me looked exactly like the woman from my dream.

A dream I’ve often had since being possessed by this world.

In that dream, I was chatting happily with a blonde woman.

I don’t know what the story is. Even in the dream, the image of what we were talking about was not clear.

Anyway, the story couldn’t last long, and it was something that only made me grow further and further away from her.

A dream where I reach out to catch her as she goes away, and after waking up, I just desperately call out her name, which I never thought of.

It wasn’t my first time seeing Serpina’s face.

However, from what I remember, Serpina’s face in this game was just a crude graphic with dots.

In fact, this wasn’t the first time that I felt a sense of disconnect because the portrait in my memory was so different from the real one.

So, the main character with the face from the dream… … I never thought it would be Serpina.

I again remembered a dream that had often haunted me.

The development was slightly different, but the result was similar to Jeonju.

I always… … In my dream, I was calling ████’s name in a pitiful way.

that’s right. In my dreams, I always hear Serpina’s name… … I called… … ?

And, at that moment.

“… … Swen… … ?”

“… … !!!”

My vision was briefly confused by the memory of the dream, and only then did her appearance appear.

With his eyes wide open, he was trembling and looking at me.

No, the fact that he was looking at me in surprise was the second problem.

The important thing is that she called my name.

Even though I haven’t told her my name yet.

And for some reason-

For a moment, what appeared to be her crying flashed across my vision.

why?

Why in my memory… … Is there a scene like this?

“Ah… … .”

“… … .”

We looked at each other’s faces in silence for a long time.

How many minutes have passed like that?

As my embarrassed feelings slowly cooled down, my head began to spin again.

‘okay. It seems like there’s something there… … Unless you know exactly what it is, there’s nothing you can do right now.’

To put it bluntly, nothing was decided other than the fact that in the end, the woman who appeared in the dream was Serpina.

I don’t know why, but she knew my name… … In fact, since the meteorite fell, my existence had become quite famous, so I thought it was okay for her, as a monarch, to know my name, which had already gone viral.

okay. Let’s not make a fuss and just do what we have to do.

With that in mind, I carefully broke the silence between us.

“… … Today, I have come to deliver a story from our monarch, Yuuri.”

I lowered my head and only then got to the point.

Serpina beyond didn’t answer for a long time after that… …

Soon, he returned to his original tone and answered me.

“… … Talk to me.”

I glanced at her slightly.

The face that had been filled with confusion had become quite calm.

I was concerned about the reason why he was surprised when he saw me… … First, it was time to negotiate.

“Anima Ingram is an indispensable talent for our military. I am appealing for leniency.”

“Are you asking for the release of prisoners?”

“Yes.”

“What are the conditions?”

“Of course, I won’t ask you with my bare mouth.”

I raised my head and looked into her eyes.

I didn’t know it when I was panicking just now, but I could definitely feel the aura of an absolute being that could easily suppress a person’s energy.

But you can’t be defeated in a battle of wits.

“Seven thousand nine hundred gold. As far as releasing prisoners, I believe they have prepared the utmost courtesy. We ask you to make a wise choice that will show you as a great nation.”

“Really? Seven thousand nine hundred gold.”

This was definitely an overpayment.

The average price for releasing a prisoner was 2,000 to 3,000 gold, and for an outstanding general, it was about 5,000 to 6,000 gold.

Anima is not a bad general, but in fact, it was a cold assessment that she cannot be said to be a particularly outstanding general.

Our military’s judgment was that Serpina would be well aware of the value of such anima, so she would be satisfied if she received this amount.

As a messenger, I obediently followed his opinion, but honestly, I did not agree with the judgment itself.

Because if I were Serpina-

“I’m sorry, but I cannot release Anima under that condition.”

“That means… … ?”

“Lachline St.”

Serpina looked at me and spoke with an unwavering expression.

“It will be difficult if we do not hand over the Lockline Castle. Because gold is not enough to make a profit.”

Yes.

Even if I were Serpina, I think I would have asked for the Laclain surname.

Serpina probably understood that Anima Ingram was considered very important to the Aishous Army, regardless of its abilities.

In that situation, realistically, the biggest prey we could rip off would be Lockline Castle.

Although Jinor’s mantra was not accepted, it was difficult for our military to maintain three territories against the great power of Serpina, so this was a good opportunity to take the entire castle that they were unable to take even though their hands were covered in blood. Isn’t it true?

If this was the opinion that came to mind in Serpina’s head and not someone else’s, she would never have been there by blood.

Because it meant that he made a similar decision to me, who knows the most efficient way to play this game.

However, from our perspective, we couldn’t hand over the castle.

In the first place, I couldn’t have made the decision to hand over the castle, as I was just a simpleton.

Should I leave here without any income?

But, if that’s the case, I don’t understand why this is the most efficient option.

at that time.

Serpina’s lips, which had been tightly closed, moved again.

“… … I was planning to say that.”

“Yes?”

“To be honest, I was planning on negotiating with you, starting with asking for the Lacline Castle. But now I’ve changed my mind. I don’t mind things like the Lacline Castle.”

Serpina said that and looked straight into my eyes.

Was it because of my mood?

Her golden eyes… … I felt like it was burning brightly, as if it had swallowed the sun.

“Are you asking for Anima Ingram to be released? Well, there’s nothing you can’t do. But there is a condition.”

And, to hear her next words-

Why the speculation that ‘it depends on the will of heaven’? … I felt like I knew a little bit.

“Swen. If you come to her.”

“… … Yes?”

“It is exactly what it says. Swen.”

She smiled slightly at me.

It was the first time her expression, which had never been disturbed, moved.

“I want you.”