Chapter 35

Body:

*

No matter how many times I came, I couldn’t get used to this vast space of Anel Castle.

Even before entering the Royal Palace, I felt overwhelmed by the grand decorations lining both sides of the path.

When we reached the castle gate, the guards blocked my way.

“State your business.”

“I’m Swoen. My lord has summoned me.”

I showed them the Brance Clan crest on my clothes.

After confirming it, the guard lowered their guard and saluted me, saying,

“Yes! My apologies. Please come in.”

Clearly, there must be some kind of insignia that shows rank, since the guards have similar crests on their armor. I’ll ask Iren about it later while thinking the same thing, and stepped into the palace.

Passing through the red carpet—

I entered the central Audience Chamber where the monarch was located.

As soon as I entered the Audience Chamber, Lin, who was sitting on the throne, noticed me and raised her hand, saying,

“Swoen, you’re here? Come over here.”

I walked steadily and took my place among the others who were already kneeling on one knee, bowing deeply.

“Swoen, I’ve arrived at your lord’s summons.”

“Yeah, yeah. Good job coming.”

I glanced around.

One man, two women were kneeling like me.

Two were unfamiliar faces, but one was an old acquaintance.

‘Iren?’

Was Iren called too?

Since Lin rarely calls her unless necessary, curiosity naturally arose.

“Well then, everyone’s here?”

It seemed I was the last to arrive.

We all loudly answered our lord.

“Yes!”

“Good.”

Lin, with one leg crossed, rhythmically tapped her fingers on the armrest and said,

“You guys will head to Kelshtain Castle with 10,000 troops starting today.”

“Kelshtain Castle, you say?”

The man beside me asked a question.

He looked quite young, but since he wasn’t in my mental database, he probably wasn’t an especially capable vassal.

In this game, C~D ranked commanders all look alike.

“That’s right. The vanguard will be led by… Iren.”

“I accept your orders.”

Lin smiled contentedly after hearing Iren’s response and exaggeratedly said,

“They were originally supposed to be used to attack Falaharte Castle, but… well, Iren, it’s not common for you to voice opinions, is it? It won’t be exactly what you wanted, but I can give you this many troops. Go out there and accomplish something. Consider it an opportunity.”

She spoke kindly, but anyone with half a brain could tell her words were laced with thorns.

However, Iren didn’t seem fazed—rather, she appeared genuinely moved, bowing even lower and responded spiritedly.

“Yes! Thank you very much. I will surely achieve something.”

“Hmm. And… uh…”

Her gaze, which had been lingering on Iren, finally turned to me.

“Swoen. Look up.”

I slowly raised my head.

Her blue eyes scanned me before breaking into a bright smile.

“I wanted to give you more troops, but I couldn’t, sorry? As you know, I can’t fulfill every proposal lacking credibility. Still, since you did speak up, there must be something to it, right? If possible, I’d like to see what you’re capable of during this opportunity.”

Ah, I see.

I’m starting to understand why Lin called both Iren and me.

The suggestion I brought up during the meeting—”Send troops to Kelshtain Castle to invade the northern territories.”

It seems this idea has been nagging at her.

So now she’s trying to do something about it.

But still…

If it really is a rebellion, even combining the forces stationed in the north might not be enough.

Still, what can I do about it?

It’s not my problem.

“I’ll do my best.”

With the most loyal expression I could muster, I bowed deeply again and replied.

Lin seemed pleased with my answer, smiling for a long time before standing up and extending her hand forward, saying,

“Alright, let’s get moving now. I’ve already prepared everything for departure, so all you need to do is leave immediately. Your current duties are suspended. Go out there and make achievements.”

“Yes, understood!”

We bid farewell to Lin and quickly exited the royal palace.

“I’ll give you about an hour. Prepare for the journey and meet at the North Gate.”

After Jack and Silin left upon hearing Iren’s words,

Iren and I returned home to prepare for the long journey.

My task was to gather all the maps of the north I had drawn in my spare time.

They might come in handy, so it’s better to bring them along just in case.

Kelshtain Castle.

The fortress that once saved the Lunarien Army from a northern invasion—I was now personally stepping into it.

*

Led by Iren as the vanguard, we headed toward Kelshtain Castle with 10,000 troops.

Since all the routes were within the Brance Army’s territory, we traveled comfortably without any particular defensive measures.

During breaks while traveling, I introduced myself to the other two.

Since Iren was the vanguard, she naturally became the leader among us despite speaking informally.

“My name is Iren Julieat. Nice to work with all of you.”

“I apologize for the late introduction. I’m Jack. I’ve been with the Brance Army for about three years.”

“My name is Silin. Let’s work together well on this mission.”

Surprisingly, we were all strangers to each other.

Well, in such a massive nation, it would indeed be difficult for vassals to know each other’s faces.

To be honest, aside from the main commander Iren and the less distinguished others, there wouldn’t be many occasions for them to meet in official duties.

“Swoen. Nice to work with you.”

“Ahh, Mr. Swoen.”

The plain-brown twin-tailed girl approached me after my introduction, asking a question.

“Do you not recognize me?”

“Huh?”

Had I met this woman before?

I racked my brain, but I couldn’t recall.

At this point, being honest was a better choice than pretending to know and stepping into a minefield.

“I apologize, but I don’t remember faces well.”

“It’s fine. You probably wouldn’t know anyway. We work together at the market. You know, the person behind the counter?”

“…Ah, I see.”

Only then did I remember the woman who investigated various commercial conditions behind me while I handled counter duties at the market.

So she was Silin.

I thought she was just an ordinary civilian working at the market, but she was part of the Brance Army…

“Ah, now I remember.”

“Hehe. It makes me happy that someone as handsome as Mr. Swoen remembers me.”

“You flatter well for someone we just met.”

And so, we exchanged trivial small talk throughout the journey to Kelshtain Castle.

What surprised me was how Iren treated the others.

Silin and Jack.

Their names didn’t stand out in my database after playing this game for 10,000 hours, meaning they were likely E-ranked soldiers—or perhaps not even soldiers but people like ‘James’ who exist in this world but don’t appear as commanders in the game.

They’re the type chosen to fill empty spaces when no one special is available.

Considering her position as a prominent general, Iren could have easily looked down on them, and doing so wouldn’t have been unusual.

Yet, she made efforts to accommodate everyone’s convenience, including mine, throughout the trip.

She took care of menial tasks that could have been left to the soldiers and preferred handling things herself rather than delegating.

This was the kind of person who earns respect.

She even took shifts on night watch alongside the soldiers.

‘She really is mentally strong.’

Come to think of it, it wasn’t hard to tell she was extraordinary since she welcomed me into her home without hesitation.

How many days did we ride northward?

After passing several castles, we finally arrived at Kelshtain Castle, located at the farthest northern end of the Brance Army’s territory, bordering the Serpina Army.

‘This is Kelshtain Castle.’

Though slightly smaller than Anel Castle, it was still the largest compared to the other fortresses we’d encountered so far.

Inside the estate beyond the castle gates, however, instead of the peaceful vitality felt at Anel Castle, there was a bustling yet somewhat unfriendly atmosphere.

Perhaps because it was close to the borderline, it was hard to maintain a peaceful scene even superficially.

Not like the desperate expressions seen in the early days at Jeilrant Castle, though.

“Everyone’s worked hard. Though I’d prefer you rest immediately, we should report to the royal palace first.”

“That seems best given Lady Iren’s judgment.”

“I agree.”

Having gained our consent, Iren lightly nodded and said,

“Thank you. Then, let’s wrap this up quickly.”

With those words, we swiftly moved to the Kelshtain Royal Palace.

*

Unlike Anel Castle’s opulence, Kelshtain’s royal palace was modest but still elegant with restrained yet sophisticated decorations. The guards’ sharp gazes were noticeably more piercing than those at Anel Castle.

Following Iren, we proceeded to the audience chamber where a familiar face greeted us—an individual we’d met once before, sitting on the lady’s throne.

It was Rashion, Lord of Kelshtain Castle.

“Iren Julieat, and these three subordinates. By order of our lord, we’ve arrived at Kelshtain Castle leading 10,000 troops.”

“You’ve come. General Iren. I was waiting for you.”

Rashion, seated, replied in a somewhat disgruntled tone,

“While I appreciate receiving reinforcements, unless something happens or our lord gives an order, my soldiers and I will focus solely on defense. We may dispatch troops to Kalintz General’s fortress, but there’s no plan for an offensive invasion as of yet. General Iren, please keep that in mind.”

Rashion was one of the few who had witnessed the debate between Parphale and me up close.

Given that Iren, another insider here, was sent along with reinforcements, he was likely pondering the “northern invasion” idea.

He could have mentioned it wasn’t his opinion but rather Swoen’s, but instead, he simply bowed and replied.

“Yes, understood. Await your command.”

“Hmph. Just quietly staying put would be appreciated. This ridiculous talk of invasion… tch.”

Rashion clicked his tongue, briefly glancing at my face.

Staring at me like that won’t reveal anything useful.

“Our lord informed me that you aren’t officially assigned to Kelshtain Castle. Therefore, you don’t need to take on tasks within the castle. I’ll call when needed, so feel free to rest until then. Hopefully, you can remain quiet.”

“Yes!”

Thus concluded the brief audience with the lord.

Exiting the castle, Jack sighed and said,

“Phew… Lord Rashion is as intimidating as rumors say.”

“I want to return to Anel Castle quickly…”

Silin agreed, but I couldn’t concur.

Intimidating?

The representative turncoat of Garland Eternity Saga, who gets forcibly recruited by clicking ‘accept’ when captured as a prisoner?

“Is Lord Rashion… known for being frightening?”

“Ah, you might not know since you’ve only been here a short while. Kelshtain Castle tends to experience a lot of wars… Military discipline here is much stricter than in other castles, so it isn’t a favored posting among vassals.”

“I see…”

It feels more like the plight of civil servants than national officials.

At that moment, Iren broke the mood by saying,

“I’ve booked rooms at nearby inns. As Lord Rashion said, you’re free to relax for now. We’ve been busy for quite some time, so feel free to rest until further orders.”

“Ah, then I’ll visit the market briefly. I have some errands.”

“Me too. Is that alright?”

“Of course. Find us later at the inn by mentioning my name, and you’ll be able to get a room.”

With that, Jack and Silin left.

‘For now, we’re free to relax, huh? But if my prediction is correct…’

Something is bound to happen soon.

I approached Iren, who was leading ahead.

“Hm?”

“Lady Iren. It would be wise to instruct the 10,000 troops we brought to remain ready for deployment at any time.”

“…!”

Hearing my words, Iren glanced around before speaking.

“Do you foresee a deployment?”

“Yes. Likely.”

“Hmm…”

“Just preparation. If nothing happens, that’s the end of it. There’s no harm in preparing for the future, right?”

That’s right.

It’s not like I’m suggesting taking them out right away; it’s just about being prepared.

“Understood.”

I slowly stepped back from her.

Though 10,000 troops would be woefully insufficient if a rebellion truly occurs—

I wanted to show Iren that her suggestion wasn’t wrong.

‘The issue will be what comes next…’

Thus, we temporarily relocated from Anel Castle to Kelshtain Castle.

* * *

A bedroom bathed in soft sunlight.

Beautiful decorations adorned the walls, and luxurious silk-embroidered curtains hung elegantly.

Between them stood an immense mahogany bed carved with intricate designs, fit for royalty.

And in the center of the bed sat a golden-haired beauty whose radiance almost blinded the eye.

Her porcelain-like skin gleamed under the light.

Her divine beauty inspired reverence, almost goddess-like.

Golden eyes reflecting the sun’s rays, and ample bosom threatening to burst through her pristine white pajamas.

Every aspect of her perfection suggested a masterpiece crafted by the gods themselves—she murmured groggily after waking.

“…Was it a dream…?”

Once again, she had spent the night repeatedly dreaming the same vivid dream she couldn’t fully escape.