Chapter 51

“Of course….”

White-haired.

If it weren’t for an old man, white hair wasn’t a common hair color among the young.

Even if just the hair color matched, it wouldn’t be so strange, but even the eye color of the man she’d encountered in her dreams was a matching gray.

The dream she’d had over and over again.

Every time she woke up from that dream, there was this inexplicable stinging sensation deep within her heart.

That familiar feeling she’d forgotten about after vowing to live as the monarch of the Serpina Army, inheriting Einhardt’s bloodline.

Could it be… that person from her dreams has appeared in the real world?

Naturally, she couldn’t help but be excited, but the one calming her down was Jena, the nation’s strategist of the Serpina Army, standing by her side.

“Lord! Please calm yourself!”

“…”

At Jena’s urging, Serpina finally regained her composure and released her grip on Julian.

“Guh… Keh…”

Serpina let out a small sigh before calmly asking,

“…So, you’re claiming that the man summoned a giant rock from the sky?”

“T-That’s right. Truly, my lord…”

Julian still trembled as he spoke, clearly unable to believe what he’d witnessed himself.

“That man… He was no ordinary human. It felt like a god had descended upon the earth. The moment he stretched out his hand and shouted… A rock fell from the sky!!”

“…”

Serpina exhaled deeply.

It was already absurd enough that a soldier had suddenly died, but now the vanguard captain they’d sent out was spouting even more absurd tales.

However…

Julian, while not an outstanding commander, was competent above average.

Not only Julian but also the few surviving soldiers who returned were all telling the same story.

Which meant he wasn’t just spouting nonsense.

A massive rock falling from the sky.

And the enemy army’s white-haired commander performing some bizarre ritual…

‘…’

Just because someone has white hair and gray eyes doesn’t guarantee they’re the same person from her dreams.

Still, Serpina felt an intense pull toward him, as if destiny itself were compelling her.

‘I need to find out more about that commander.’

Serpina then addressed Julian, who was half-crazed with fear.

“This is an unprecedented defeat, but if it was due to a natural disaster, there’s nothing we can do. I won’t hold you accountable for this, so rest until new orders come. But if you continue to act disoriented and babble nonsensically, you’ll find yourself in quite a predicament. Understand?”

“Bu-but…!”

“…”

Serpina responded not with words but by slightly raising her head, giving Julian a piercingly cold stare.

“A-Alright…!”

“Now go.”

Once Julian left the audience chamber, Serpina sighed deeply and turned to Jena beside her.

“What do you think?”

“About the rock falling from the sky?”

“Yeah.”

Jena bowed her head and replied,

“I believe that part is true. There are shattered pieces of a large rock scattered around our territory, and all survivors have given consistent testimonies. It doesn’t seem like they were tricked by illusions or mirages.”

“So, Jena, you’re thinking that the white-haired man might’ve used magic?”

“Carefully speaking… yes.”

Jena continued in a calm tone,

“Magic is something that only exists in legends. However… In a few scarce historical records passed down from the old empire, there are mythological accounts of similar incidents, though their credibility is questionable. Still, events resembling this have been mentioned a few times.”

“Similar incidents?”

“Events that could only be perceived as magic. While no record mentions anyone using ‘summoning rocks from the sky,’ no one knows the limits of magic either.”

Continuing in a somewhat hesitant tone, which was unlike her usual confident self,

“So… I suspect the man might truly be a mage.”

“Evidence?”

“It’s a far more plausible assumption than thinking that offering sacrifices to the heavens would randomly trigger a natural disaster.”

Jena took a breath and went on,

“To begin with, I don’t think performing a ritual can control natural disasters at will. That seems completely impossible. So, the remaining possibility is that ‘the man knew a rock would fall at that time.’ Personally, I find the ability to foresee every future event, as described in myths, far less realistic than the existence of mages. Hence…”

She intensely locked eyes with Serpina.

“While I still find it hard to believe… he might be a mage. Furthermore, deliberately conducting such a conspicuous ritual in front of enemy soldiers or commanders could be to create the impression that ‘all this happened because of the ritual.’ The reason being—”

“To hide the fact that he’s a mage, huh.”

“Yes.”

Serpina thought for a moment before asking again,

“So, Jena, you’re saying this? That the first mage of this era has appeared within the Brance Army?”

“If we exclude impossibilities, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.”

Excluding impossibilities leaves the truth…

“And according to historical records, mages tend to appear during chaotic eras. Timing-wise, it doesn’t seem too odd.”

“…I see. We’ll need to investigate further.”

Serpina lost herself in thought, tapping her fingers against the armrest.

‘Whether the man in my dreams is him… or if he really is the first mage… someday, I will inevitably face him.’

She let out a short sigh.

Even her sigh carried an enigmatic charm, captivating those around her.

“Jena. Gather any information you can about that man.”

“My Lord, it’s not ‘can you gather.’ Order me to ‘gather.’ I will fulfill any command.”

“…Hmm. Then, I order you.”

“Yes, my Lord.”

As Jena said, if a genuine mage has emerged, collecting this “chess piece” would be essential for unifying the world. Plus, it would allow her to confirm if this person matches the one from her recurring dreams.

Serpina set a short-term goal:

“To meet the white-haired man.”

And until this moment, she had never failed to achieve any goal she set.

* * *

Falaharte Castle.

Though its glory from the days of the old empire had faded since becoming a battlefield—

It remained a massive city in the eastern central region of the continent, still holding a significant population.

The color flying atop this castle was deep red.

A crimson flag so vivid it resembled blood danced freely with the wind.

This blood-red color symbolized the Aishias Army.

Their ruler, Baranga Yuri Aishias, adored this color, claiming it represented the bond of blood between herself and her comrades.

And within the royal palace of Falaharte Castle, Baranga Yuri Aishias—known simply as “Yuri” to her allies—was conversing with an elderly man sporting a long beard.

“So, it was a failure?”

“Yes. I am deeply sorry.”

Seated on the throne, the absolute ruler of the Aishias Army, Yuri, smiled wistfully.

“Epinal must’ve worked hard cleaning up the mess. By the way, even your plans can fail sometimes, huh?”

Her long black hair gave her a dignified presence.

Her attire was surprisingly simple for a ruler, almost resembling that of a regular commander rather than a monarch.

The only proof of her status as the ruler was her current position on the throne.

What made her unique were her eyes.

One eye was a deep blue, the other a light sky blue.

These mismatched eyes lent her an otherworldly allure unmatched by others.

After encouraging the elder, Yuri lapsed into thought.

Their plan to eliminate all forces stationed at Raclaine Castle along the eastern border of the Brance Army, swiftly invade Raclaine Castle, establish a foothold in the central region, and effectively turn the Charan and Alepel Armies into satellite states to balance power with the Brance Army had been neatly dashed.

“So, how did it get exposed? Did they figure it out? Were the people of Charan talking too much?”

“No. The strategy was flawless. However… it appears there was someone within the Brance Army who saw through our scheme from the start.”

“You mean Parphale? You always praised her as the smartest among your students, didn’t you?”

Shaking his head, the elder replied,

“Parphale is undoubtedly intelligent, but I don’t believe she possesses the ability to completely see through a strategy from the beginning.”

The Aishias Army’s strategy:

[Collude secretly with the Charan and Alepel Armies to spread false rumors that Alepel would be attacked, thereby provoking Charan to attack the Brance Army first.]

This seemingly perfect strategy had already been anticipated by someone during its execution.

“Then, who else could it be?”

“I’m not entirely sure… but ultimately, it’s all due to my poor judgment. Please accept my apologies once more.”

“It’s fine. You’ve done your best. Realizing that the Brance Army didn’t move as expected is already fortunate. I think.”

The reason they managed to wrap things up without getting caught in the Brance Army’s counterattack was largely thanks to the efforts of the elder before her.

Indeed, the bearded elder before her…

Once content to live quietly, nurturing students, Yuri had spent nearly a month persuading him alongside her companions to join the Aishias Army.

What the Aishias Army lacked wasn’t brilliant generals, nor the strong bonds among commanders aspiring to create a new empire instead of restoring the old one—it was a strategist to serve as their brain.

Rumors reached Yuri about a certain individual:

“One who once served the Einhardt Royal Family is residing not far from Falaharte Castle.”

Why such a prominent figure would remain hidden within her territory was unclear, but from Yuri’s perspective, it was an incredible stroke of luck.

Thus, even if a plan or two failed, it was no big deal.

In reality, this situation was one where a thoroughly exposed plan had been successfully salvaged.

She encouraged the elder, mentioning his name,

“Don’t worry too much. Keep lending me your wisdom in the future… Zinoru.”

“Yes, my Lord. I, Zinoru, shall dedicate myself solely to making you the unifying ruler.”

The Sage of the Empire, Zinoru Nightward.

Who now served as the chief strategist of the Aishias Army.