Chapter 59

As he said, not too far away, a crude camp was set up. There was no fence of any kind—it seemed to be built solely for the parley.

“Please wait a moment.”

The messenger of the Aishias Army said this and then entered the tent.

I stood by Iren’s side and whispered cautiously to her.

“You don’t need to be so tense. Even from her perspective, there’s no reason for her to refuse our surrender.”

Instead of answering, she slowly nodded her head. I could already see the trust she had in me through the way she looked at me.

And how much time passed?

Finally, from inside the tent—our new liege appeared with another woman.

Long black hair that gave off an elegant vibe. Eyes of two contrasting colors: one like the sea blue, the other a bright sky blue. Her nose and lips were perfectly positioned, as if they were carved by a skilled sculptor. Though not as oppressively feminine in presence as Iren, her figure certainly showed curves where they should be. It was undoubtedly a beautiful body that exuded femininity. In fact, if you thought about balance alone, many would prefer this type.

“Wow… she’s beautiful.”

At the sight of Baranga Yuri Aishias—Yuri—I couldn’t help but marvel. She was far more stunning than I had imagined.

I already knew what Yuri looked like. After all, I had chosen her and played the game before. But just like Lin or Iren—there was a noticeable gap between the pixelated in-game graphics and her actual appearance. Honestly, I didn’t think she was this beautiful.

And the woman beside her? I easily recognized her. In this game, who else could it be but the general who always carried a bow with her teal hair tied into a ponytail?

Epinal Rosenkross. One of the founding heroes of the Aishias Army, an S-rank commander known for her martial prowess and leadership. Among the subordinates of the “Aishias Army, which has a small territory but boasts S-rank generals,” she was especially notable for her abilities and served as a face of the army. Unlike when seen in dots, she exuded a strong feminine charm. Just looking at her exposure level—her stomach and thighs were bare except for covering her chest—it was clear she possessed a striking allure. Though justified within the world’s setting, it was impressive how she wore such attire on the battlefield.

Iren knelt on one knee and bowed her head as Yuri stopped right in front of her. I followed suit, syncing my movements with hers.

“I greet Lady Baranga Yuri Aishias.”

At Iren’s words, Yuri nodded and spoke.

“So you’re Iren Julieat?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve heard rumors, but this is the first time meeting you in person. To meet the red-haired knight Iren directly is truly an honor.”

Yuri smiled and slightly turned her head to look down at me.

“And this one?”

“I am called Swoen. I wish to naturalize under the Aishias Army alongside Lady Iren.”

“…”

She silently stared at me before saying with a tone that sounded amused.

“You… your hair is white? For a young man, it’s quite a rare color around here. By any chance… are you the ‘White-Haired Mage’ who split the sky and performed a miracle at Brance Army’s fortress in the north?”

“…”

On that day when the meteor fell—not lightning—I expected rumors about me to spread considering how many people saw it. But hearing the somewhat cringeworthy title “White-Haired Mage” made me feel a bit awkward.

But, does it matter? At the end of the day, if having this title makes her interested in me, it’s good for me.

“It’s embarrassing, but yes, that’s me. Though calling me a mage might be a bit of a stretch.”

“Oh my. Is that so?”

Yuri smiled faintly while covering her mouth—not mocking but rather expressing interest. She was clearly a different type from Lin Brans, whose occasional sultry undertones were impossible to hide. While Lin’s style might be better suited for deliberate manipulation, I couldn’t stay under her command if I wanted to save Iren.

“Hmm… let me see. Both of you want to surrender to our army?”

“Yes. Both myself and Swoen, along with the authority of the fortress and the 38,000 soldiers inside, wish to join.”

Yuri nodded carefully before asking.

“Iren, and Swoen. Listen well. Your proposal is so advantageous to us that we can’t refuse. However, it’s unusual for someone to bring their entire force and fortress to surrender completely. Normally, if you’re going to surrender, wouldn’t it be easier and simpler to just escape and join us? Even during war, bringing your troops over can happen if defeat seems inevitable, but we aren’t exactly at war right now, are we? We may have bad relations, but still…”

Her statement was reasonable. Truthfully, this situation arose because I tried to maximize the benefits of surrendering to shake up the central continent dominated by the Brance Army.

“So, what I’m saying is… hmm.”

Just as Yuri seemed troubled, Epinal spoke up for the first time.

“Lady Yuri suspects you both cannot be fully trusted. What if this is a deceptive tactic disguised as surrender? If the soldiers you brought revolt from within, we’d be in serious trouble. The fortress, the soldiers, excellent generals—it’s almost too good to be true for our Aishias Army.”

In other words, she feared this surrender might be like the ‘Trojan Horse.’

Well, suspecting isn’t entirely unreasonable. It occurred to me that being honest about why we’re surrendering was the right move here.

“The truth is—”

At that moment,

Iren placed her hand lightly on top of mine as if saying, “Leave this to me.”

Right.

Since she was the main subject of the surrender, it was appropriate for her to speak.

“I…”

Iren slowly closed her eyes and reopened them before looking up at Yuri.

“My lord… or rather, my former lord, Lin Brance, harbors a strong desire to kill me.”

“To kill…?”

Both Yuri and Epinal appeared genuinely shocked by Iren’s confession. Of course, it’s rare for someone to hold such animosity towards their own subordinate. But everything she said was true. The intense aura of truth could move people.

“Yes. She dislikes me. Beyond dislike and resentment, she wishes for my death.”

“…What? That’s… hard to understand. You’re Iren, the red-haired knight. A specialist in siege warfare. I know your name, and probably most vassals do too. Why would she hate someone with such high renown?”

“That’s… very embarrassing, but it’s the truth. Therefore, I seek asylum in the Aishias Army to live.”

“Hmm…”

At that moment,

Epinal turned her head toward Yuri.

“Yuri, it doesn’t seem like she’s lying.”

“Huh?”

Another interesting fact:

Epinal spoke casually to Yuri.

Clearly, she held significant influence within the Aishias Army.

“I told the spies we sent to the Brance Army to report even trivial rumors. And indeed, similar stories have come up. Lin Brance hates Iren Julieat.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. It wasn’t important enough to share before, but hey, it’s just gossip from another country.”

“If this were truly some scheme, we could harm the Aishias Army, but neither of us would survive. Moreover, as the rumor suggests, Lady Lin Brance dislikes me. I want to live. I have no intention of risking my life for her by ambushing Lady Yuri’s forces.”

“Hmm… so, you’re surrendering to us because you want to live…”

Life only comes once. When you die, everyone faces equality in annihilation. Few reasons justify surrender better than the desire to live.

“…Alright, I understand. If the rumors are true, Iren’s motives make sense. But…”

Yuri turned her gaze back to me.

“Swoen, why are you surrendering? Staying with the Brance Army would put you on an incredible promotion track. As the mage who performed miracles, you’d surely be treated well. Why leave a large army like Brance for our smaller Aishias Army?”

In other words, she questioned why I would do something seemingly disadvantageous. Since I anticipated this question, I prepared my response.

“I judged that Lin Brance isn’t a ruler worthy of my loyalty. Simply put, she doesn’t fit the image of someone who can unify the continent.”

“Is that so?”

Though my answer was straightforward, I noticed something. Upon hearing those words, Yuri’s lips curved slightly upward.

“Yes. Just look at Lady Iren beside me. How can someone who handles such an outstanding general based on personal feelings possibly become the unifying ruler of the continent? I wish to serve someone who can achieve that. Actions only gain meaning after choosing the right master.”

“Hmm… So, you believe I’m the one capable of unifying the continent?”

“That’s correct.”

Upon receiving my immediate reply, she smiled leisurely.

That should suffice.

Yet, she continued to ask questions.

“Hmm? Only that reason? Nothing else?”

“…?”

What does she mean?

Her gaze seemed to expect something…

Until now, I perceived Yuri as a ruler with a distinct aura, different from Lin or Lunarien. Their tones, personalities, and attitudes toward me varied greatly, but they all shared the same backbone of carrying someone else’s will on their shoulders.

But now…

It wasn’t the gaze of a ruler but rather that of a girl looking at me.

“…Impossible.”

Carefully, I guessed what she might want to hear.

“I wish to remain by Lady Iren’s side and protect her.”

“!!!”

Hearing my words, Iren, who was kneeling beside me, glanced at me in surprise. Her face flushed red, and her flustered expression was… honestly, quite adorable.

And Yuri too.

After hearing my answer, she finally seemed satisfied.

“Of course. I figured as much. Why else would a man follow a woman? That makes sense. Hehehe.”

“…”

“Alright. Would both of you please rise? Epinal, prepare that.”

As we stood up, Epinal entered the tent and returned with something. It was two cups, alcohol, and what looked like a ceremonial knife in a basket. Epinal skillfully filled the cups while holding the tray. Nearby, Yuri picked up the ceremonial knife, opened it, and—

“—!”

lightly cut her finger. Then, she dripped a few drops of blood into the alcohol.

“Here.”

We took the cups. The clear rice wine began to cloud with her mixed blood.

“Drink it. By doing so, you’ll become part of my family, sharing my blood.”

“…What strange rituals they have here.”

Although, given that I summoned lightning for sacrifices, I shouldn’t talk.

This reminded me once again that I was in reality. All I knew about Yuri from the in-game information was that she had “outstanding leadership skills that draw many followers,” “has strong bonds with her allies,” and “is a mid-tier ruler with a weak base but a strong talent pool.” But naturally, without meeting her in person—

Even a brief character description couldn’t fully capture the essence of Yuri.

After lightly finishing the cup,

Yuri finally spoke in a solemn tone.

“Iren Julieat, and Swoen, welcome to the Aishias Army. I, Baranga Yuri Aishias, pledge to protect you with my life. Those who drink my blood are family to me.”

Then, she looked at Iren and said,

“From now on, please take care, Iren.”

“Yes! I will work hard to meet your expectations.”

“…And, please take care, Swoen?”

Yuri tilted her head and asked me. I replied with a confident smile.

“I’ll ensure you never regret this decision.”

Thus, Iren and I became members of the Aishias Army. Ultimately, we succeeded in rescuing Iren Julieat.

Just for that, passing through the Brance Army felt worthwhile.