Chapter 82

“After that…?”

“We fled as far as we could to the safest place. We kept running and running until we finally planted our flag near the Falahart Territory. That was the moment the Aishias Army was born.”

Anima explained it all in an incredibly calm tone.

She described what should have been a tragic event with remarkable nonchalance.

“I lost my arm and could no longer wield a sword, so from that day on, I devoured every military tactics book I could get my hands on. I thought our army lacked a strategist. Fortunately for me, I seemed to have some aptitude for it, because studying wasn’t too difficult.”

“…Is that so?”

Only after hearing her explanation did I begin to understand why this country operates the way it does.

The immense camaraderie among the founding members of the Aishias Army likely stems from their shared experience overcoming tragedy together.

Starting with just five people, they built a nation of this scale and even managed to capture Raclaine Castle recently—by any measure, they’ve achieved great success as feudal lords.

However, there’s more to their true situation than can be captured by simply saying they have deep bonds with their comrades.

In this Era of Chaos where betrayal is commonplace, their strong sense of camaraderie undoubtedly holds significant value.

But conversely, will this same camaraderie ultimately become the downfall of the Aishias Army?

At that moment,

Anima suddenly spoke up, looking directly at me.

“Jinoru Nachthardt.”

“Yes?”

“You were the last Chancellor of the Unified Empire, weren’t you? Someone who served under the Einhardt family.”

In that instant,

Anima’s eyes flashed with something hidden—a flicker of concealed rage.

“I don’t believe someone in your position could be unaware of what happened within the empire. If you were, that would be problematic in itself. Your abilities are commendable, but… had I been slightly better, perhaps we wouldn’t have needed to rely on someone like you to serve as the Nation’s Strategist. It’s all due to my own inadequacies.”

“…”

“If I think about how things might’ve been different if I’d been of help, I still feel something indescribable rising in my throat. I’m sorry to everyone—Epinal, Emma, Erhandorf, and Yuri…”

It made sense now.

I finally understood why Anima had defied orders.

While Jinoru may not have done anything wrong, it seems his status as one of the ‘high-ranking figures’ of the old empire triggers a reaction in her.

After all, it was confirmed that the soldiers who attacked the Fiobola Academy where she and Yuri once studied were from the empire.

And the only ones capable of commanding those soldiers would have been members of the Einhardt family.

Given that others, including Yuri, also experienced that event, Anima’s inability to accept the current situation must weigh heavily on her.

Thinking about it now,

Luna felt the same way, and so did Anima.

It appears both of them lost something precious due to internal conflicts within the Einhardt family.

Though I don’t know the exact reasons…

Isn’t everything being attributed to the Einhardt family a bit too convenient?

All causes seem overly concentrated on them, especially on Serpina von Einhardt, the sole surviving heir of the fallen empire.

Though Serpina is indeed a tyrant capable of dragging me off to kill me in another dimension—

There’s still an inexplicable discomfort I can’t shake.

Is it really so simple to label her as the villain and call it a day?

“…Alright, that’s enough for now.”

Regardless, that’s a secondary issue.

Right now, it’s time to return this young lady to Yuri.

Perhaps I should try touching on something she’d find interesting.

“Miss Anima, there’s something I haven’t mentioned yet.”

“What is it?”

“Do you remember when I said we recently recaptured Raclaine Castle?”

“Yes, but—”

“Our Lord wishes to appoint you as its Lady.”

“…!”

Anima’s eyes widened dramatically.

Let’s see if I can hit closer to home.

“As you know, becoming a Lady grants certain authorities. Authorities even the Nation’s Strategist cannot interfere with.”

Then,

I looked straight into her eyes and spoke like a seasoned salesman.

“How does it sound? Isn’t this the perfect opportunity to showcase your abilities once again?”

After listening to me, Anima remained silent for a while before responding in a subdued voice.

“…The position of Lady, you say.”

“That’s correct. Once again, let me emphasize—you’ll have exclusive authority that even the Nation’s Strategist cannot meddle with.”

I deliberately repeated the part about authority the strategist couldn’t touch.

Seemingly understanding my intentions, Anima gave me a meaningful look.

“You’re Sir Swoen, correct?”

“Yes.”

“It seems we have an interesting person joining our ranks.”

“Thank you for the compliment.”

For some reason, my “thank you” amused her, and she smiled faintly.

“…Very well. I’ll descend the mountain with Sir Swoen.”

“Good decision.”

My words were 100% sincere.

I didn’t want to come back here struggling anytime soon.

Anima mumbled something quietly before looking at me.

“Would you mind waiting outside for a moment? I need to tidy up a few things. It won’t take long.”

* * *

Swoen nodded in response to Anima’s request.

“Take your time. No rush.”

“Thank you.”

Once Swoen stepped outside,

Anima rested her chin on her hand and fell into deep thought.

‘Taking control of Raclaine Castle means… the Brance Army has fallen.’

The Brance Army had been the greatest threat to the Aishias Army.

As far as Anima knew, there was no way they could defeat the Brance Army on their own.

They could only endure, hoping something would happen to change the situation.

Since retreating into the mountains, she spent her days devouring military strategy books or rewriting them to organize her thoughts.

Cut off from the outside world whether she wanted to or not,

she turned away anyone from the Aishias Army who came to visit. She wanted to achieve something worthwhile if she was going to leave.

But now,

with the situation changing drastically,

something must have happened within the Brance Army.

Or perhaps Jinoru played a role.

‘…No harm in thinking about it once I return.’

She had spent a lot of time reflecting while secluded in the mountains.

Though she no longer intended to stubbornly cling to her past ties to the empire,

if given the chance to prove herself—she was ready to seize it.

Just now, she recalled the confident young man with white hair who had asked her if it wasn’t time to show her abilities once more.

His gaze reminded her of someone.

Back in her academy days, Yuri used to have that same kind of look in her eyes.

A gaze filled with unwavering confidence, possessed only by those who truly believed everything would go their way.

Though it’s too early to judge him fully, he certainly didn’t seem like your average person.

With talented individuals gathering,

and the fall of the Brance Army,

‘Perhaps… this is an opportunity for the Aishias Army.’

Honestly, the feeling of ‘an opportunity has arrived’ excited her far more

than the prospect of becoming a Lady.

She had dedicated her life to the unification of the continent under the Aishias Army. Missing such an opportunity would be a waste, wouldn’t it?

After organizing her thoughts, Anima stood up, packed the bare minimum, and exited the room.

* * *

Inside the Nachthardt Manor,

Reika, tucked into bed with her doll, rolled around restlessly.

“Sir Swoen isn’t coming today…”

She had been eagerly counting down the days until she could go out with Swoen.

It seemed Yuri, the ruler, had summoned him, preventing him from visiting today.

“There were things I wanted to show Sir Swoen…”

Last night,

Reika had finally managed to create not just a fireball but also an ice spear-like construct in her hand.

Living without ever imagining she could use other forms of magic, she had assumed making fireballs was all there was to it.

Creating something else entirely was nothing short of shocking.

While meditating amidst the abundant mana in the mountains, she felt as though something inside her had been pierced.

From then on, whenever she closed her eyes and gathered mana, she sensed the possibility of creating something other than fire.

Attempting to make the “ice spear” Swoen had mentioned resulted in a stunning success.

“Such an amazing person…”

At this point, it was hard to believe he wasn’t a mage.

How could someone who wasn’t a mage educate her to this level of excellence?

Thinking further,

words from her adoptive father resurfaced.

“Do you consider him a good husband?”

Her grip tightened on the doll instinctively.

Blushing, Reika whispered the word “husband.”

Husband meant spouse, the lifelong partner she would share her life with.

Closing her eyes, she imagined living as Swoen’s wife.

Baking bread or cakes for him, preparing his meals,

taking care of household chores while he worked hard, raising three children.

Even though she sensed her destiny as a mage would eventually lead her to battlefields,

that didn’t mean she hadn’t dreamed of building a warm home with a man.

She had heard Swoen was also a commander who fought on the battlefield.

Maybe her magic could support him somehow.

That life wouldn’t be bad at all.

Reika didn’t particularly dislike the idea of sharing such a future with Swoen.

But…

“Is it really okay to proceed like this…?”

There was a clear difference between “not disliking” and “liking.”

She couldn’t be sure of her feelings right now.

She didn’t know Swoen well enough yet.

Of course, she could learn more about him after marriage, but there was always the possibility he might turn out differently from what she expected.

Perhaps there were insurmountable walls between them that her abilities couldn’t bridge.

Although these thoughts felt somewhat pitiful at this moment,

marriage naturally entailed certain responsibilities as husband and wife.

She wasn’t naive about that.

“Should I… do this?”

Her father had told her she could refuse if she truly disliked the idea.

She had no intention of refusing; she wanted to repay the kindness of the man who had taken her in.

Besides, technically, Swoen hadn’t even formally proposed yet,

so there was no immediate need to dwell on this deeply.

Still,

for Reika, who had lived a life detached from such concerns until now,

it was impossible not to think about it.

Becoming the wife of Swoen.

If that were to happen, could she handle it well?

Lost in these thoughts about her silver-haired teacher,

time passed unnoticed.

At this moment, Reika wasn’t the first person to awaken to mana and become a mage.

She was just an ordinary twenty-year-old girl, lying awake at night, contemplating the man who might become her husband.

* * *

“It’s been a while.”

In front of Falaharte Castle’s gates,

Anima stood gazing intently at the red banner fluttering atop the tower.

Her eyes, reflecting the banner, swirled with countless emotions.

I waited silently beside her, giving her a moment to absorb the reunion.

“…Thank you for waiting.”

“Not at all.”

With a slight nod, I followed Anima as she entered the castle.