episode_0310

‘… … ?’

what?

Clearly, we had just heard the news that our army had won a great victory, but both Irene and Irian… … did not have the expressions that a commander would make.

Serpina also seemed to have noticed this and asked in a slightly serious tone.

“You have achieved great victory, so why do you have such a bad expression?”

“That’s… … .”

Irene clenched her fists in anger, then looked straight into Serpina’s eyes and said.

“General Neian, General Amin, and General Miles were killed.”

‘… … !!’

Neyane was someone I only knew by name, but Armin and Miles were people I had met once.

They were the people I met at the ‘Opinion Exchange Meeting’ back when I first joined the Serpina Army.

I remember vividly the faces of all the people I met back then, and the memory of one of the women I met back then plotting a rebellion left an impression on me.

“What is the cause?”

“All three are believed to have been injured while dealing with one person.”

At Irene’s words, Irian knelt down, placed something like a bundle in his hand in front of him, and bowed down.

“Supply and demand.”

“Whose salary is this?”

“This is Epinel Rosenkros.”

“!!!”

I couldn’t help but be surprised again.

Epinel Rosenkros.

The most powerful of the three Asus girls, and effectively the second-in-command of the Asus army.

Irene and I were once in a position to follow his orders under him.

It was entirely possible that we would meet again in this form, but honestly, I had not thought of it.

Serpina also seemed to know Epinel’s name, and nodded slowly, slightly surprised.

“… … I see. It looks like all three of you gave it your all until the end.”

“I’m sorry. If General Irene and I had come forward earlier, our troops wouldn’t have suffered such great damage… … .”

“Irian. Please refrain from words or actions that damage the reputation of the three people who fought for us until the end.”

“… … !! Ah, no, that’s not what I meant… … !”

“I know. I know what you’re talking about. Still, I think it was thanks to those three people who showed their strength first that we were able to catch Epinel.”

Irian looked embarrassed for a moment, then changed his expression and lowered his head as he spoke.

“… … I was short-sighted, my lord.”

Serpina didn’t really answer, but turned her gaze to General Iren.

“Irene. How did the capture go?”

“Those who remained in the Aishus Army have almost been secured… … .”

“Looking at your expression, it looks like something unpleasant has happened.”

“I’m sorry.”

Irene said, bowing her head.

“I couldn’t secure the new recruits of Baranga Yuuri Ashius and Anima Ingram.”

“Does that mean it’s not in the castle of Balharat?”

“Yes. We dispatched a search party… …but it seems we haven’t heard any news yet.”

‘The two of them ran away, leaving Epinel behind?’

The bond between those five people was beyond ordinary, almost to the point of madness… … Is it possible to run away like this, using one person as bait?

It had been so long since I left the Aesir Army, and since it had been reduced to a small country that I didn’t even need to worry about after the plague, I didn’t even bother to check on the internal situation, so I felt a little suspicious –

‘Well, I guess there must be some circumstances I don’t know about.’

for a moment.

So, is letting Yuuri go in the end the ‘most efficient’ way for our army?

Or, since the result I ended up getting was ‘everything depends on the sky’… … did I miss something?

‘No. It’s unlikely that I missed something. Let’s not make useless inferences.’

Even though she was still alive, she was not in a position to do anything to us directly.

Still, I had to be careful. Being unnecessarily sensitive was more helpful for survival than being careless.

“Yes. Thank you for your hard work, Irene. You fought bravely for the woman once again.”

“I just did what I had to do, my lord.”

“Even so, Yeo will never forget your devotion.”

The eyes of Serpina as she spoke were clear and kind. Even a third party could tell that she was a subordinate whom she cared for greatly.

It made sense. Irene must have felt like a real blessing to Serpina.

For one thing, at least for the moment, she was the most powerful person in the Serpina Army and had an excellent foresight on the battlefield.

The battle with the Chel Army, and the battle with the Aishus Army – although it was almost a one-sided advantage, except for this battle where I actively intervened, I always managed to get the maximum results with the minimum investment.

Since they had even saved each other’s lives, it would not be surprising if a bond that went beyond a master-subject relationship developed between the two.

It’s not just Irene. If Reika hadn’t been there, this plan wouldn’t have been successful. Reika had an overwhelming presence that made the enemy tremble with fear just by her presence. Those two are definitely the most valuable people in the Serpina Army.

As I thought about it that far, I unconsciously let out a rebuttal.

‘……no.’

Now I couldn’t deny it any longer. At this point, the core of Serpina’s army was… …me.

Airen and Reika were both here because I was here. The moment I left this place, they would put aside their feelings for Serpina and follow me. I had said so many times that I would continue to do so, and I had also felt their sincerity.

It wasn’t just that. I was a national strategist. Serpina trusted and relied on me more than anyone else as a national strategist. It was almost as if I was directly controlling the Serpina army.

As I became more and more indispensable to the Serpina Army… … a corner of my heart was enveloped in an indescribable sense of foreboding.

The original goal. And the new goal I set. The gap between the two goals that is hard to express in words.

‘Is it okay for now like this?’

I quietly turned my head and looked at the burning castle of Valharat.

And then you realize.

With the withdrawal of the Aesir Army, the era of vassals running rampant on the continent has come to an end.

* * *

After occupying the castle of Balharat, news soon came that the castles of Zeta and Rakline had fallen.

Yes. The Aesir army was destroyed and disappeared from the continent. The intense red flag created by the five people mixing their blood was no longer found anywhere on the continent.

The first thing Serpina did in the newly yellow-flagned castle of Valharat was to distribute the supplies piled up on the altar to the people of the estate for free.

The situation at the castle of Balharat was much more serious than expected. It seemed that they were continuously collecting supplies from the people of the territory because they had to keep praying at the altar.

Up until now, it seemed like things had gotten better because miracles had happened… … It was a time when winning a war did not mean that the lives of the people of Yeongji would become more affluent.

They say that kindness comes from the granary.

At first, the people of the territory were terrified that the infamous Serpina had finally planted her flag in the castle of Valharat, but after receiving the supplies, they began to accept our troops to some extent.

The altar that had already been built was not destroyed. It would have cost money to dismantle it. Instead, Serpina built a tomb there to honor the souls of her soldiers.

The graves of the three warriors who died in the battle against Epinel, and in front of them, a grave was prepared to represent the soldiers who fell on the battlefield but whose identities could not be identified.

It wasn’t a very big scale compared to the story – it was under our military’s control now, but considering that it could fall into the hands of another military at any time, this was the best we could realistically do.

Like that, in front of everyone watching-

Serpina, accompanied by her escort knights, spoke to each tomb.

“Nayane. I hope you can rest in peace with your family.”

“Amin. We were able to win this battle thanks to your wit.”

“Miles. I will never forget the loyalty you have always shown me.”

Although it was a bit new and I hadn’t brought it up yet, Serpina was still steadily interviewing most of the generals under her command.

And I didn’t hesitate to ask them what kind of people they were, what they worked for, and what they were thinking.

That was the kind of woman she was. Serpina, the wicked witch and unforgivable tyrant, was that kind of monarch.

She spoke for the last time, standing before the graves representing the soldiers.

“If Yeo can unite the continent again, it will be all thanks to you. Yeo will never forget those who fought for Yeo.”

Then, he closed his eyes, bowed his head slightly, and prayed.

Because of the tense atmosphere, no one around them could speak carelessly.

Yet what is felt is―reverence, trust, and respect for Monarch Serpina.

Even if she was armed, her sincerity towards the soldier who died in her place was enough to touch people’s hearts.

I was similar. No matter how many times I thought about it, Rin and Yuuri were monarchs who couldn’t even keep up with Serpina’s footsteps.

Still, she can’t unify――

* * *

――And, the ‘reason’ why she cannot achieve unification, even at this very moment… …

“Is that true?”

“Yes, that’s right. I checked it several times… … .”

This was passed down to us who were looking after the territory of the old Asius Army.

It was news about the last remaining piece of the continent – the Southern Continent.