Chapter 53

The three of us, after steeling our hearts, entered the audience chamber of the royal palace.

Through Kalintz’s shoulder, I could see Lin, the absolute ruler of the Brance Army.

Normally, she’d be slouching on the throne, either resting her chin on her hand or twirling her hair with her fingers, looking utterly bored. But now, instead of that usual scattered look, she was sitting regally as she stared down at us.

After matching my steps with Kalintz’s, Iren and I walked up to stand before her—

And just as he knelt, we simultaneously dropped to our knees before Lin.

“…Kalintz Brance, I have just returned from Kelshtain Castle to Anel Castle.”

“Iren Julieat, I have likewise just returned.”

“Swoen, I return to stand before my lord.”

“…”

As for how she usually is…

It’s less about having the dignity of a monarch and more about giving off a rather playful vibe. Of course, this doesn’t mean she lacks the aura of a ruler—Lin definitely has an unpredictable side that makes her seem far from your typical “monarch.”

But right at this moment…

She was staring down at us with a completely serious and cold expression, without even a trace of a smile.

“…Big Brother Kalintz.”

“What is it you wish to say?”

“I heard the story. You managed to escape imprisonment safely, didn’t you? That’s good news indeed. Thanks to that, we won’t need to waste resources and manpower negotiating for your return, will we? And besides, it wouldn’t do to let someone from the Brance family die, would it? So I suppose you did manage to accomplish something worthwhile in the end. Congratulations.”

In response to Lin’s sarcastic words, Kalintz bowed his head even deeper and replied.

“…Forgive me, my lord. I will gladly accept any punishment.”

“No. How could someone as smart and capable as Big Brother Kalintz possibly make a mistake? It’s all my fault as the ruler, isn’t it? Maybe because I’m not virtuous enough, I failed to stop you from making such a strange decision, right? Isn’t that so?”

With Lin’s cutting remarks, Kalintz remained silent, only bowing his head deeper.

“Still, thank you, Big Brother, for proving one thing to me through this opportunity.”

“What might that be?”

“That Father was right.”

Saying this, Lin let out a small smirk.

“When I became heir, many people didn’t understand, did they? I still vividly remember the guy who committed suicide because he couldn’t accept it. But thanks to you proving that my ascension was the right choice, I’m truly grateful. Don’t you agree, Big Brother?”

“…”

Wow.

Her wording is really harsh.

I could see Kalintz trembling slightly as he kept his head bowed.

Though it’s annoying to watch him get called out by his own younger sister, there’s something pitiful about it too.

Especially since he’s getting humiliated right in front of us—me and Iren, his subordinates.

This must be humiliating beyond measure.

Of course, it’s karma coming back around. After all, every fault in this situation stems from Kalintz’s unilateral actions.

“Anyway, it’d be nice if you could keep a low profile for a while. I’d like to give our dependable second brother another chance to redeem himself soon, but there are too many eyes watching. You wouldn’t want a ruler who lets favoritism towards family members go unchecked, would you?”

Saying this, she smiled faintly and continued.

“Of course, you’re still enjoying the benefits of being part of the Brance family, considering your head is still attached.”

Then she burst into laughter, sounding amused by the whole situation.

Her laughter echoed slowly through the otherwise empty audience chamber.

Kalintz stayed silent for a long time before finally speaking.

“…I shall obey your command.”

“Good. Go home and cool off. Relive your youth by visiting some courtesans or meditate under a waterfall. I’ll call you back when the time is right.”

“…”

What?

He seems to have had a wild youth judging by his half-and-half face.

But honestly, his private life is none of my business.

“What are you waiting for? Aren’t you leaving?”

At Lin’s icy tone, Kalintz bowed deeply again and said,

“Until further orders from my lord, I shall remain diligent. Once more, I apologize for my failure.”

“Alright, alright. Go already. I’m busy.”

With that, Kalintz withdrew.

Lin’s gaze now turned to Iren.

“…Iren.”

“Yes, my lord. What is your command?”

“You’ve worked hard. I heard you got insulted quite a bit.”

Compared to how she spoke to Kalintz earlier, her tone toward Iren was much kinder. But I could sense that her words still carried a hidden edge.

“Still, what should we do about that fortress? It was built solely because Kalintz insisted on it. We would’ve been in trouble if we hadn’t destroyed it entirely. All your efforts ended up being useless. Sorry about that?”

Even though Lin sounded like she was mocking Iren openly—

Iren responded calmly and confidently.

“Not at all, my lord. It is a great honor for me, the humble Iren Julieat, to have followed your commands faithfully.”

“Is that so? Then I’m glad.”

The original Iren might have swallowed her pride at this point.

But the current Iren appeared unusually calm. It made sense—she no longer expected anything from Lin Brance. When you don’t expect anything from someone, their actions can’t affect you in any way.

“If you ever work for me like this again, I’d appreciate it. Got it?”

“Yes!”

Lin smiled faintly and waved her hand toward Iren.

“Alright. You may leave.”

As Iren stood up and turned to leave, our eyes met briefly.

It felt like she was saying, “Good job, come back safe,” through her gaze alone. This gave me some peace of mind.

Now it was just me left.

With my head bowed, I waited for her to speak.

“…Swoen.”

“Yes.”

She spoke in a completely serious tone, devoid of any playfulness. It was different from how she addressed Kalintz or Iren.

“First question—I want to know why you didn’t follow the order to return to Anel Castle.”

She sighed deeply.

“Do you have anything to say for yourself?”

I carefully analyzed her voice.

She didn’t seem overly angry.

Good.

This is where it starts.

Slowly, I began reciting the lines I had practiced countless times in my head during the journey here.

“I apologize, Lady Lin. It was never my intention to defy your orders. Rather, I wanted to show and prove something.”

“Show and prove?”

“Yes. Ever since the day the Brance sun settled in my heart, my sole goal has been to achieve greatness. I wanted to earn recognition and secure a prominent position within the Brance Army. I believed that successfully defending the fortress commanded by Lord Kalintz would earn your forgiveness.”

“While disobeying direct orders?”

“I apologize. I merely ask that you consider my sincerity.”

“…”

She remained silent.

Though my head was bowed and I couldn’t see her face, the atmosphere didn’t change. How long did this silence last?

Finally, Lin spoke.

“…I’ve heard everything. About setting up an altar to communicate with the heavens and causing rocks to fall, right?”

“Yes.”

“How did you do it? Are you secretly a mage?”

“Never! I’m just Swoen, someone who knows how to read the movements of the stars, albeit imperfectly.”

“Read the stars?”

“Yes. If you study the principles of the heavens and communicate appropriately, creating rocks outright may be impossible, but adjusting where they fall isn’t particularly difficult.”

I was prepared to explain further if asked, adding some extra flair to what I told Iren.

Fortunately, she didn’t seem interested in the specifics.

I was relieved, though it was a bit odd. Normally, wouldn’t people ask how such a feat was accomplished?

“…”

Just as I thought I was explaining well, Lin fell silent again. A brief pause followed before she broke it once more.

“So…did you also figure out Alepel Army’s alliance with Aishias Army by reading the stars?”

“…Ah.”

Right, during my 1-on-1 debate with Parphale, I claimed exactly that.

I had completely forgotten in the chaos of guarding the northern fortress.

They likely sent their forces elsewhere except for those assigned to us.

While I technically deduced it using game knowledge, it seems things unfolded as I predicted.

Might as well stick with a plausible explanation here.

“It wasn’t the stars themselves, but rather understanding the reasons behind actions. Certain actions inevitably lead to specific outcomes.”

I gave a vague but convincing answer.

Whatever else she asked, I planned to respond similarly—but the silence stretched on.

‘What’s going on?’

I could feel that normal conversation with Lin wasn’t flowing properly.

Carefully, keeping my head bowed, I raised my eyes slightly to gauge her reaction.

That’s when I noticed.

Her pupils…they were trembling.

Yes.

She was shaking—as if standing before an untouchable absolute ruler.

A bizarre scene indeed.

Here I was, kneeling with my head bowed, and theoretically she held authority over me. Yet, I remained composed while she was the one visibly trembling.

And then—

Her voice, no longer hiding its tremor, spoke directly to me.

“At that moment—when you came to negotiate the ceasefire. How did you know the Serpina Army would attack us?”

“I—”

Before I could respond, Lin cut me off.

“No, it’s the same thing. How did you know we needed reinforcements in the north? Why did you foresee the rebellion in Alepel Army? Just how do you know all these things?”

“My lord…?”

“Answer me! Now!”

In response to her intense questioning, I slowly raised my head.

And finally—

Our eyes met. Lin stared at me, her face pale.

At that moment, it clicked.

Why communication with her had felt off.

Her trembling voice, now unhidden.

Her pale complexion. Her wide, alarmed eyes.

All signs pointed to one conclusion:

She…fears me.

“Ho ho, indeed.”

Apparently, my knack for predicting everything correctly had gone beyond awe-inspiring and into terrifying territory.

It all made sense. My intellect is maxed out at 100, so I guess I always get things right—even though I don’t fully understand why myself. Everything I said just came true.

To others, it must seem miraculous—or downright frightening. They’d probably think I have some divine inspiration or something.

Thinking about it, Lunarien is the exception for fully supporting and trusting my abilities. For a regular ruler, my powers might inspire reverence but could also be incredibly burdensome. In the middle of a chaotic era, there’s no guarantee my predictive abilities wouldn’t eventually turn against her.

“Swoen…what exactly are you…?”

Even without a response from me, she pressed forward with another question.

Uh oh.

Instilling fear in someone as emotional as Lin Brance isn’t a good sign.

If she moves from revering my abilities to fearing them, she might decide to ‘deal’ with me.

Looks like I revealed too much of my capabilities.

Though saving Iren was worth it, I still feel uneasy.

‘I need to leave the Brance Army sooner than I thought.’

And at that moment—

‘Huh?’

Wait a sec.

An incredible ‘Brance Army Exit Plan’ just flashed through my mind.

Could I perhaps…use her fear to my advantage?

My brain started working faster than ever.

I have to leave anyway due to Iren’s safety. The necessary condition is ensuring both of us escape unharmed.

Maybe this is my chance to repay Iren for everything she deserves.

Time to flex my tongue muscles.

“Miss Lin, there’s no need to worry.”

“No need to worry…?”

Wearing the most benevolent smile I could muster,

I spoke in the most trustworthy tone possible.

“My talents belong solely to you, Miss Lin. There’s nothing to fear.”

“…!!!”

She looked startled again, gazing at me as if wondering how I read her mind.

Seems like my assessment hit closer to the mark than I thought.

Now’s the time.

I bowed deeply, pressing my forehead almost to the ground, and said,

“Use me as your compass, Miss Lin. I will gladly serve.”