episode_0301

Let’s admit it first and get started.

The fact that I unconsciously thought of Serpina’s face meant that I potentially had feelings for Serpina.

It wasn’t surprising. It was just new.

I wasn’t that dull of a person. I could easily sense the strange tension between men and women.

However, the reason I tried not to bring it up was because she was the monarch of a country.

Isn’t she the one who is so high that I dare not even mention her as my number one wife?

Serpina actually told me that she wanted to marry me… … but since I have a place I have to return to someday, it would be rude to her to be completely subordinate to me.

But now was not the time to think about Serpina.

So, let’s just say that, ‘despite all that’, he married Serpina and somehow ended up having three wives.

If so, there is one spot left, so there is no obstacle to accepting Ioline.

Although he had three wives, there was still one empty spot, and objectively speaking, it was not easy to find a woman of Ioline’s level.

But why… …

Do you feel like you can’t breathe?

Why can’t I just accept that proposal straight away?

This wasn’t the kind of innocent feeling a man gets when he receives a marriage proposal and gets excited.

――Something more, something sticky and damp, something I absolutely could not identify, a feeling that my life was being threatened.

It was a feeling that was closer to instinct than an inference based on experience. I don’t know why, but I had an overwhelming sense of fear that my life would be turned upside down if I made that decision.

It was as if something inside my head was warning me never to take a fourth wife――

“… … Mr. Swen?”

“Ah… … .”

“Are you okay? Your complexion has gotten worse.”

Knock, knock.

The sound of a roaring campfire barely helped me gather my thoughts.

“No. I just… …looked a little tired. Today… …I think I should go to bed early.”

Ioline looked at me with concern, then slowly nodded and said.

“Okay. As for the marriage story, please think about it slowly and answer. No matter what you say, I won’t blame Swen.”

“I’m sorry.”

Iolin smiled brightly at my words.

“No. Good night, Swen.”

So Ioline left in the carriage to go to sleep first-

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

What was that feeling that was squeezing my throat the moment I thought about the possibility of having four wives?

Just Gi-woo? The human body is surprisingly irrational, so all sorts of parts of it break down just because you’re tired.

Besides, this body wasn’t in great physical shape. It must have been tired from the long journey to Valharat Castle, so it wouldn’t have been strange for it to send out some kind of meaningless signal.

Then why on earth… … .

‘… … .’

Even if you struggle for hours, you probably won’t come up with a plausible answer.

After making that decision, I spent some time blankly staring at the campfire to clear my head.

Something I don’t know about could be putting me in danger―

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

* * *

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, I went out on patrol again just in case-

Apart from the construction of the altar, nothing else out of the ordinary was discovered.

Although I had the resources to spend a few more days – there was no need to waste time if there was nothing more to find out – I set an earlier date than planned and leisurely left the castle of Valharat.

After moving around for a while, we were able to safely return to the camp near the front line.

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

After greeting Iolini, who was leaving for Eingart Castle, I headed straight to where Serpina was to report.

She, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, was slowly writing something with a quill pen while looking at a map in the conference room of the fortress.

Square, square.

Her golden hair, bathed in sunlight streaming through the window, glistened like a field of wheat.

The squeaking sound you hear when you wave a quill pen in your hand is a very pleasant white noise to listen to.

“My lord, I have just returned from carrying out your orders to spy on me.”

“You’re back, Swen. Sorry for the sudden interruption, but could you come closer for a moment?”

As I got closer, I could easily see that she had marked various things on the map.

“While you were away, I did some research and marked where a rebellion would most likely occur.”

As she said, the map was very clearly organized, with circles marking each part of their territory, and it was easy to see who the lords were and what the cause would be if a rebellion broke out.

Instead of the words coming into view, I raised my voice without realizing it, as a feeling of something overwhelming welled up in me.

“But my lord, didn’t I tell you that there was a high possibility that a rebellion would not occur?”

“Of course I believe you. I don’t think what you said is wrong. However, it’s true that you only said ‘it’s likely’, not ‘it’ll never happen’. ”

“That’s true, but… … .”

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

Although I didn’t understand Serpina’s opinion, I still felt somewhat disappointed.

It’s not for the same reason that she doesn’t completely trust my opinion. It’s just that I was sad that she had in mind that she would eventually rebel.

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

But at that time, I thought that since she was the monarch, I shouldn’t interfere in this matter.

“You’re so kind.”

“… … Yes?”

“I know why you raised your voice.”

Serpina looked at me with a smile on her face, as I was at a loss for words at those words.

“I’m sorry. Until now… … If I don’t prepare like this, I’m afraid I won’t be able to do anything. Even so, if you’re by my side… … I believe I can move forward. Didn’t you say it too? Our fates… … will be ‘mixed’. ”

“… … .”

Fate is mixed, huh.

Suddenly, my face turned red as I remembered the thought of her face when I had been talking to Ioline about marriage a while ago.

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

“And check this out too. If there is no rebellion – I’ve written down what route would be the most efficient to invade.”

Looking at the map again, I saw that, just as she had said, several invasion routes were carefully mapped out.

“This is… … .”

“If you organize your questions in advance before checking the prophecy of your ‘mind’s eye’, you won’t be needlessly confused either.”

Does this mean that she prepared various things to help me in her own way?

I nodded appropriately and lightly praised her for her hard work.

“Thank you for your hard work, my lord.”

“No. You’ve suffered more. Yeah, I guess you should start telling me. What was Mr. Ashes planning?”

It was a very unfortunate thing for Serpina, but-

Whatever she had prepared, it was bound to have less impact than the news I brought.

“I was building an altar.”

“You built an altar?”

“Yes.”

“… … Is there some kind of metaphorical meaning?”

“That’s not it. Literally, they were mobilizing war supplies, soldiers, and even the people of the territory to build a huge altar… …a building where they could perform sacrifices or pray.”

“???”

Serpina tilted her head from side to side in disbelief.

… … Even Serpina sometimes acts like that.

“Ahead of war… … Are you saying that you are carrying out such large-scale civil engineering projects?”

“Yes.”

“… … .”

She rested her chin on her hand and muttered.

“Baranga Yuuri Ashius… … I knew he was a man who made decisions that were hard to believe for a monarch, but this time, I just can’t read his mind.”

“First of all, the altar is said to be for the dead Emma and Hernando.”

“No… … No matter what, from their perspective, isn’t this preparing for the final battle against this body that is like an enemy? Just like Chel, who could never bow her head to Yeo even though it was obvious she would lose, it would be natural to prepare for battle as much as possible without regard to means and methods… … .”

“Well, Yuuri is the one who already sold me out.”

“Even so… …she and her colleagues hate Yeo. Perhaps more than anyone else on the continent.”

‘Is it the Academy incident from before?’

I could also understand what Serpina was talking about.

Because I heard the whole story from Anima, who was living in seclusion in the mountains, back when she was under the command of the Asius Army.

Now I know that it wasn’t Serpina’s doing, but… … they all probably think it was Serpina’s doing. This part was beyond my control.

Serpina, who had been thinking for a while, looked at my face and asked.

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

“I looked around, but it didn’t look like that at all.”

“If so, what was the prophecy of your ‘mind’s eye’ that said invading now was not a rational decision?”

“… … .”

It hit a sore spot.

In fact, I couldn’t even figure out why I couldn’t go in now, so I couldn’t answer.

“Your mind only predicts the right future. If so, wouldn’t it be right to see ‘the Aishus Army preparing something’ as a constant? The fact that they’re building an altar is also suspicious.”

“No, as I said, it doesn’t seem like she’s preparing a trap or anything―”

at that time.

Serpina came up to me and said.

“Can you guarantee that?”

I know you’re trying to reason with it somehow, but unfortunately, it was true.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Why is that?”

That’s because it’s not a system that exists in the original game where you can do something like build an altar or something――after thinking about it.

‘……uh?’

Only then did I realize, as if I had been hit in the head with a strong blunt object.

I was frozen in place, as if I had been struck by lightning.

and-

――What I had been missing, I finally began to see.