Irian made a slightly wistful expression before speaking in a firm tone.
“Let me make this clear. No matter what position I hold, my loyalty to my Lord remains unchanged. And I also believe that Lady Iren is someone who truly deserves that position. My comrades who fought alongside me on the battlefield weren’t too pleased that I didn’t ascend to that position…”
I carefully observed Irian’s eyes as he spoke.
The feeling of lying… wasn’t there.
“I’m a warrior too. I can tell at a glance who’s more skilled than me. It wasn’t hard to hear about the legendary exploits of the red-haired knight Iren, the siege specialist – one of the two generals who made the Brance Army the dominant force in the Central Continent.”
‘As I suspected, Lady Iren is even more remarkable than I thought.’
Of course, her stats were already incredibly good. But in the game’s first scenario, Lin Brance had already claimed all of central continent, and she was already demoted…
Lin, who clenched his teeth and ignored her contributions until she was eventually abandoned, looking back now, was no ordinary person.
Still, even when she was with the Aishias Army, she successfully held back Chel Brance to some extent.
Anyway, she was now by my side, assisting me. Just having her there made me feel more secure.
“So, I personally have no complaints about that decision. What matters isn’t my position, but what I can do for my Lord. However…”
Irian sighed deeply and continued.
“Jenis was extremely upset about it. He kept saying that if not me, who had sworn generations of loyalty to the imperial family and earned the most military merit in the campaign to conquer the Central Continent, then who deserved that position?”
There were times when Jenis would be absent from the manor. Was he talking about these things with Irian during those times?
“As I’ve said many times, Swoen, I support my Lord’s decision. Lady Iren is an outstanding general. Fighting alongside her will surely help me grow as well. Power struggles and promotions mean nothing to me.”
“Big brother…”
“But as I said, this matter isn’t really related. I don’t think I can be much help. That guy is an adult now. Perhaps he just needs time to sort out his own emotions?”
Saying this, Irian stood up. I briefly considered confessing everything to him, but decided against it – it would only complicate matters without helping.
Still, I did gain something useful.
The fact that Jenis was unhappy about Iren taking that position.
If this leads to Jenis joining some kind of rebellion and getting wiped out, then maybe my lack of knowledge about the Al Caskey family members makes sense…
‘But to consider rebellion over this alone is going too far.’
Even Irian is maintaining his calmness. Would someone who cares about Irian really act unilaterally and put everyone in danger?
That’s just stupid behavior.
Especially considering that if I hadn’t played this game for 10,000 hours and didn’t know about their existence, I never would have guessed they’d join a rebellion.
Of course, humans sometimes prove themselves to be incredibly stupid when driven by emotion – Yuri and Lin demonstrated that…
But based on what I’ve observed so far, Jenis doesn’t seem that unintelligent.
‘There must be something else.’
“If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave first. Ah, Swoen.”
“Yes, sir?”
“Next time, instead of sneaking around like this, it would be better if you came for a formal visit. If it’s not too sudden, I can always spare some time to talk.”
“Big brother, please stop…”
With Iolene’s blushing face behind her, Irian left the room.
In the now quiet reception room,
“May I ask one question?”
“What is it?”
“I’m curious why you came to see me.”
“Huh?”
“Actually, if you had properly assessed the situation before seeking advice, it would have been more natural to go to Irian first, perhaps form your own search party…”
It’s not that I suspect her intentions, but I prefer to cover all bases.
Upon hearing my words, she nodded understandingly and replied.
“Actually, I’ve heard about you, Sir Swoen.”
“Heard about me?”
“From my second brother… that is, Brother Jenis. He said his roommate might be that famous white-haired mage.”
“Oh?”
“That’s right. And after living together, I learned you’re a very nice person… So, though it’s embarrassing to say, I thought perhaps I could rely on you.”
White-haired mage.
No matter how many times I hear that title, I can’t get used to it.
Though while living together, Jenis never forcefully emphasized that fact…
Seems like he was considerate towards me.
Talking about mages and such would have been awkward for both sides.
‘Still, he’s clearly not a simple villain.’
Sitting there racking my brains produced nothing useful.
From my experience, sometimes a good night’s sleep solves more than anything.
“For today, it’s getting late… let’s meet again tomorrow morning.”
“Understood. Where should I come?”
“Near the small square close to the lodging area should be fine.”
“Yes. I’ll do that. Though…”
Perhaps she’s worried about leaving things as they are.
Nothing will likely happen soon, and if something did, realistically it would already be too late.
Still, until we reach a conclusion, reassuring her seems like the best course.
“Don’t worry. As long as we’re within the territory, we’ll find him quickly.”
“…Understood.”
After bidding farewell to Iolene, the sky had already darkened when I left the Al Caskey mansion.
Riding in the carriage prepared by Iolene’s side, I returned to my lodgings deep in thought.
‘Am I doing the right thing?’
Thinking about it, so much has happened so far.
Regardless, until the day I meet Lady Luna again… I will definitely protect Lady Serpina.
For now, I’ll focus solely on that.
With that thought, I headed to my empty lodgings alone.
The next day.
I spent the early morning touring places where Jenis might be with Iolene.
Given my frail physical condition, it’s important to prioritize carefully rather than wandering aimlessly.
Discussing with Iolene helped narrow down the search locations-
Surprisingly, it turned out I had the most normal conversations with Jenis.
Based on our casual chats, I focused my search on places I inferred he frequented.
Despite searching throughout the morning-
“Have you seen him?”
“No. While he visits often, he hasn’t been here these past few days.”
“I see. Thank you.”
There was no trace of Jenis anywhere.
It feels like he simply evaporated.
‘Should I honestly inform Lady Serpina and ask for help?’
But telling her “I’m looking for someone who may have plotted rebellion” is quite absurd.
While she might listen if I earnestly ask, there’s a difference between “might listen” and “will definitely listen” – like the difference between Divinity 99 and Divinity 100.
Still, I don’t want to just watch people I’ve formed connections with d*e needlessly.
If Jenis really plotted rebellion, his d*ath might be understandable, but it would be heartbreaking to see Iolene or Irian meet an unnecessary end.
I’m not sure if Irian remembers, but I owe him a small favor from when I first joined the Serpina Army.
Acknowledging that Iren took a position he could have had doesn’t make him seem like a villain either.
Of course, when it comes to crucial moments, I intend to side with Serpina…
But avoiding this apparent impending tragedy would benefit not only me but likely Lady Serpina herself in the end.
Then, option two:
Honesty with Iren and asking for help.
This approach is much less burdensome than directly confronting Serpina.
We’ve crossed three countries together, building a strong bond in the process.
‘I should probably seek out Lady Iren.’
Just as I thought this,
“Swoen.”
Iolene approached carrying several items.
“What’s all that?”
“It’s a picnic set. You’ve worked hard all day…”
“Thank you.”
I accepted it.
Inside were quite appetizing looking dishes.
“Did you make them yourself?”
“No, I apologize.”
True, she’s still a young lady from a prominent family despite the chaotic times.
Unless she has a hobby like Reika, there’s no need for her to cook personally.
While eating, I exchanged some simple questions with her.
“Are there any other places we should check?”
“There are, but visiting them all today would be difficult and uncertain… Rather, I think it’s better to seek help.”
“Help?”
“Yes. There’s someone who can quietly assist without causing a commotion.”
“Who is it?”
I casually bit into a pristine white bread roll and replied.
“The name came up in yesterday’s conversation with Irian.”
Everyday life in the barracks remained largely unchanged.
Gripping swords, spears, and various weapons, soldiers repeated their training daily.
Maintaining discipline and continuing training can be challenging for soldiers stationed in the capital city.
Of course, since Iren took charge of training-
“Your movements are too slow! Recall what I taught you!”
“Yes! Understood!”
Discipline has never been better.
Not only does she have an impressive reputation, but Iren genuinely treats the soldiers with respect, earning their trust long ago.
This has significantly boosted morale during her led training sessions.
Just then, during routine training,
“Lady Iren.”
“What is it during training?”
“A visitor has arrived.”
Iren looked at the commander delivering the message.
One of the officers managing the barracks with her, loyal to following her orders.
“Didn’t I establish a policy of asking visitors who aren’t the Lord to wait until training ends?”
“Well, this person insisted, saying mentioning their name would definitely bring you out…”
“Who is it?”
Who would summon her during training?
It’s a knight’s duty to stay during their post unless called by their lord…
“Sir Swoen.”
“!!!”
Swoen?
What brings him here?
Hearing just his name made Iren push aside thoughts of knightly duties.
“Would you mind overseeing training for a moment? It seems urgent.”
Normally she’d prefer to handle things herself, but
When it’s Swoen coming to see her, naturally she must go.
Before serving Lady Serpina, she was Swoen’s knight.
“Then I’ll leave it to you. Sorry for the trouble.”
“Not at all. You work so hard for us. Please go.”
Iren immediately left her post and headed toward where Swoen waited.
‘Wait. I’ve been sweating a lot… Do I smell?’
She wanted to bathe, but given how rarely Swoen visited her, this must be urgent…
Thinking about wanting to always appear her best in front of Swoen, she hurried along.
“Siren.”
“Swoen!”
The handsome man with striking white hair appeared before Iren – the person she vowed to protect.
Up to this point, everything was fine.
However…
‘…Huh?’
Iren froze in place.
Standing beside him was a woman she’d never seen before.
