episode_0339

I swallowed dry saliva.

I realized anew, once again, the power of fate that was so powerful that I could never do anything about it with my own hands.

Would it be wrong to try to save Serpina?

If we continue to evade like this, more people will end up being sacrificed and the ending may never change.

Is there no way out for her?

I don’t want to believe it, but is it possible that no matter what we do, everything is ‘destined’ to end… and that we cannot go against it?

“Are you lost in thought again?”

“Huh? Ah… … .”

this.

Serpina is looking very anxious, so I shouldn’t show myself looking disheveled here too.

“No. It’s nothing.”

“That’s a lie.”

“Can you say that for sure?”

“Yeah. When Swen lies, the tip of his right eyebrow twitches slightly.

“… … Yes?”

Even I would be shocked by those words, so I answered with a slightly dumbfounded expression.

“Everyone has a habit. I can see it in my eyes. Of course, unless you’re glued to it all day, you can’t find out as much information as you can from watching Swen… … but once you become aware of it, you can say that through repeated practice, you can read the other person’s mind a little bit. ”

Was the secret to her ability to read my thoughts so uncannily hers?

“I see… …It sounds like a story from another world.”

Serpina laughs as if she finds my words amusing.

“Your mind is more amazing. Compared to that, my ability is just a catch, right?”

“Even if it is a catch, my lord possesses outstanding talents in other areas as well. Isn’t it safe to say that he is almost a perfect monarch?”

“Is that a compliment or a flattery?”

“Both.”

“Hehehe. Do you want to look good for me?”

“Yes.”

“Uh… … ?”

Serpina looked startled for a moment, then blushed brightly.

This expression that I sometimes see is so cute. I want to see this look so much that I end up teasing the person who becomes the monarch.

“I’m kidding.”

“… … There is nothing I cannot say in front of the Emperor, Swen.”

“That’s right. When I see things like this, I feel like I’ve changed a lot too.”

“Changed?”

“Yes. I’ve moved around a lot of countries, right?”

At first, I just wanted to quickly return to my original world.

So, he just stuck with the unified monarch, Lunalien.

The very first one was the battle with the Bran’s army. And then, the moment when I met Lin as a messenger and received three thousand gold instead.

During those processes, I had somehow infiltrated the Lunalian Army and I thought I wanted to protect her.

Under the icy boots of the Bran’s army, the Lunarian army was destroyed, and under Rin, he met many people.

Among them, there was one person who was so important that he could never be forgotten – Irene.

Irene Juliette.

My only knight who said he would use his sword for me, and the first woman I fell in love with.

The second was to save Irene. It was for that reason alone that he betrayed Rin and enlisted in the Aishus Army, working under Yuuri.

There, I met another person, a fateful person – Reika. The first and greatest wizard on the continent, a very cute and gentle person like a small animal.

Yuuri didn’t take Irene and I very seriously, and I didn’t take her seriously either.

Looking back now, it was the most carefree time of my life. I didn’t have much mental distress back then. Since I didn’t have any responsibilities, it was only natural that each day would be light.

It’s not like I didn’t do anything. The battle with the Bran’s Army. It was my only way to repay Yuuri.

and.

After hearing the advice of 100 intelligence, I volunteered to be an envoy to the Serpina Army.

Yuuri made the shocking decision to abandon me there.

And with that decision―

“Like this, until I met Serpina.”

This could not have been more meaningful in my life.

Serpina von Eingart, a tyrant hated by all.

But she was not a bad person, she just atoned for Eingart’s sins. Neither as a monarch nor as a human being.

and.

I came to love that Serpina.

This is perhaps the most dramatic part of my change.

Because another monarch had entered the heart that had served only Luna.

Even though the type of emotion was a little different, it still pierced my heart.

“By the way, how many countries has Swen been to?”

“Serpina is exactly the fourth.”

“I see. If you’ve been to so many countries, it might be strange for you not to change.”

I smiled at her and said.

“But do you know that?”

“What kind?”

“Serpina has changed too.”

“… … Me?”

Serpina puffed out her cheeks slightly and-

“Are you saying that your speech has changed?”

“No. That’s not it. It’s been like this since a long time ago. It’s just… …I guess you could say you’re becoming more honest. It’s not just that your speech has changed, but there’s something like that attitude. It’s much more important.”

“Ugh.”

After listening to me, she tilted her head for a while, then burst into laughter and said,

“If I’ve changed at all, and it’s in a positive way – I think it’s all thanks to Swen. I really do.”

“Me too. If I have changed positively, it will all be thanks to Serpina. If we both change little by little like this… … .”

――Even if it is a cruel fate, can’t it be changed?

As I was holding back my words, unable to bring myself to say the last words, Serpina slowly leaned her head on my shoulder instead of asking me again.

It smelled like yuzu. It’s a scent that makes me feel at ease whenever I smell it.

When the scent of yuzu and my body scent mix… what kind of chemical reaction occurs?

With such a foolish thought, we felt each other’s body temperature.

In a space for just the two of us, chatter about this and that lingers in the air――

And so, our night was passing by once again.

* * *

and-

Serpina didn’t miss a single moment during her conversation with Swen.

‘The fourth… … he said.’

Fourth.

The four monarchs that Swen serves are Rin, Yuuri, and himself.

――Before Lin, there was someone who was already a monarch, and that was his real lord.

This was a very important fact.

I already knew that Swen had a separate monarch.

The important thing was that the man was not simply someone he thought he should make a monarch of—he was someone who had already risen up once.

It’s narrowed down to this.

One of the many weak nations that existed just before the Bran’s Army unified the central continent.

Swen served one of them. Who was it?

‘… … .’

Some people have an idea.

But, I needed to find out a little more.

It seemed that concrete evidence was needed.

‘Swen. If only I could know exactly who’s in your heart… … ‘

* * *

As I led a portion of my forces on my way from Walharat Castle and finally arrived at Kehlstein Castle, located at the entrance to the northern continent, I heard news that the territories around Eingart Castle were being invaded.

And there is even a story that a power close to magic was captured in the process.

“Is that true?”

“Yes. As you said, it seems like there are magicians on the rebel side.”

“Okay.”

I turned my head and looked at the pink-haired archmage with a determined expression.

“What do you think, Reika?”

Taking Reika, the asymmetrical power, away from the occupying forces was a great loss, but since the border was expected to be quiet for the time being and three magicians had appeared, taking Reika was an unavoidable choice.

“I don’t think it’s a lie that you use magic. But… … .”

“Just?”

“I’m concerned that three of them appeared at once.”

Actually, this wasn’t the first time I’d heard this.

As soon as Reika heard this news, she asked me several questions, “Three of them appeared at once?”

“I was going to ask you this anyway, but is it so strange that they all came up at once?”

Actually, I also thought that was strange, but now I wanted to know why Reika came to that conclusion.

It was rare for a timid girl to speak with such confidence.

“Yes.”

“Do you have any evidence? The fact that people who have opened their eyes to mana have started to appear is proven not only by Reika-san, but also by Tifa-sama who appeared on the Lunalian Army side, right?”

Reika asked, slightly surprised by my words.

“Uh… … ? Was the name of the wizard who appeared in the Lunalian Army Tifa… … ?”

……ah.

I brought up the name without realizing it, but to the outside world it was only known as ‘the general of the Southern Continent suddenly started using magic’, and the name was not widely known.

Unless you’ve been in the Lunalian Army or crossed swords with it, it’s obvious you don’t know.

But still, Reika isn’t the type of person to ask questions like that, so let’s just let it slide.

“I found out by chance. I had a source.”

“I see… … As expected, Swen is amazing.”

Fortunately, it seemed like it passed without any problems.

I guess I’m pretty lucky that my slip of the tongue happened in front of Reika-san.

“That’s… … In fact, it’s not like there are enough wizards to reveal any tendencies, so it’s true that we can’t really say that this is strange… … based on some kind of evidence.”

“But isn’t Reika-san pretty confident in that?”

“Yes.”

She nodded and looked up at me with an uncharacteristically serious expression.

“Just… …there’s something that really stands out.”

“What’s the catch? What is it?”

“That’s… … .”

At my words, Reika hesitated for a moment, then quickly returned to her old self.

He came back with a cold sweat and an expression that said he was sorry and didn’t know what to do―

“Sorry, sorry… … ! Something, it’s not quite sorted out yet… … I think it would be good to test it, but it’s not really that good… … .”

“Well, you can explain it slowly. Anyway, it’s true that it’s strange, right?”

“Yes, that’s right… … !”

Nod nod.

‘It seems there is something I don’t know.’

Even for me, a veteran who has spent 10,000 hours learning about magic, there were many new things to learn.

For example, there are things like the fact that there is healing magic, or that the treasure for the chair turns out to be a weapon that can receive mana.

This was information that could never have been known just by playing the game.

Likewise, Reika, who is skilled in magic, must have felt something similar to a sense of discomfort.

Reika was the type of person who would do worse the more you urged her to do something.

For this type of person, it would be better to just wait, even if it was a little frustrating, rather than just pecking at him from the side.

“Please let me know when it’s sorted out. I’ll be waiting.”

“Yes… … !”

Whether it was three wizards or whatever-

‘You will have to pay a heavy price for daring to rebel.’

With my fighting spirit burning, I entered Kehlstein Castle with Reika.