Chapter 117

* * *

Living in the side wing had finally started to feel normal when Serpina suddenly appeared in my room after what felt like ages.

“Welcome, my lord.”

Serpina didn’t reply, merely gazing at me as she spoke.

“Follow me.”

“Right now?”

“Yes.”

She slowly nodded her head.

With her stunning looks and that deep citrus fragrance wafting every time she moved, I almost lost myself before regaining focus.

“It seems you’re about to make your move. Testing me wouldn’t be bad either, I suppose.”

“In that case…”

“We were just about to resume our invasion.”

Already starting another conquest spree?

“Didn’t we lose some troops during the Battle of Jestrom Castle? Are you planning to borrow a hand from the mercenaries?”

“That’s correct. And reinforcements are on the way soon.”

Ah… quickly understanding, I nodded.

Even so, this is the mighty Serpina Army, conquerors of the Northern Continent. To still have forces available despite expanding their frontlines so much…

But… is continuing with more conquests really the right choice here? We already have hostile nations nearby like the Brance Army and Aishias Army.

Though I haven’t made predictions yet, continuing the war doesn’t seem like a great idea.

“What are you spacing out about?”

Interrupting my thoughts, Serpina glanced back while walking.

“Oh, it’s nothing. I’ll follow.”

I’ll find out once we reach the royal palace. Quietly, I trailed behind her.

* * *

A notable feature of Hisfil Castle’s royal palace was that about a quarter of it was broken.

It must’ve gotten this way during the process of seizing Brance territory. Aside from the current repairs making things somewhat chaotic, it seemed to still function properly as a building.

Upon entering the castle interior, I observed the commanders of Serpina’s army stationed at Hisfil Castle.

Except for Irian Al Caskey who I met upon arrival, none of the faces were familiar.

This game’s one weakness of the Serpina Army: they lack S-class commanders. Given how overwhelmingly strong their base faction is, if there were too many top-tier generals capable of shaking up battlefields, balance would’ve been ruined—so I understood. Still, I didn’t expect so few recognizable names among the ranks.

Commanders whose names I barely remembered were likely just filler characters anyway.

The face of Yuen, who seemed to be the lady of the castle, faintly rang a bell. Maybe from those random battles against Serpina when rolling through scenarios.

Then…

“Swoen.”

Behind me, a soft feminine voice called out.

“Iren.”

She smiled brightly upon seeing me.

“You’ve also been summoned by the lord?”

“Yes. Are you as well…?”

Nodding.

“It seems like Her Majesty might be planning another battle.”

Both I and Iren have been underutilized so far, but at least it’s reassuring that we aren’t being completely ignored.

At that moment…

From afar, the golden-haired Absolute Ruler approached with elegant—but oddly heavy-footed—steps.

As she reached her throne-like chair, all subordinates simultaneously bowed, addressing her not as “lord” but as “Your Majesty.”

Interesting. Since this is Serpina von Einhardt, perhaps they view themselves as something greater than an ordinary warlord faction?

Serpina lifted her hand slightly forward, signaling order.

“Listen all.”

Serpina looked down at us bowing, each subtle gesture emphasizing the gap between her and everyone else.

“Before discussing future strategies, I’d like to hear your opinions. Speak freely about what you think should be done next.”

Someone spoke up.

A youthful male voice I’d heard before.

“I have something to say, my lord.”

Here, they’re using “lord.” Makes sense; after spending a few days around Serpina, titles probably don’t matter much to her.

“Speak.”

Standing firm with his fists clenched, Irian Al Caskey began.

“We must attack Jestrom Castle again.”

“Jestrom Castle?”

“Yes.”

The place where Epinal and Emma had previously pushed them back. Their brilliance was certainly Yuuri’s good fortune, though that edge may be fading.

“You suggest attacking a place where we failed once before. I’m curious about your reasoning.”

Well, if we’re continuing invasions here, Jestrom Castle is the only option.

“For the same reason.”

Hmm, maybe he’s not completely clueless.

“Why do you think so?”

“If we invade Brance Army, leaving them alone has proven efficient. Attacking Raclaine Castle increases the number of neighboring enemies. While dealing with them individually works when we hold the advantage, expanding the frontlines risks them forming an alliance, which could turn unfavorable. Hence, we target Jestrom Castle.”

That aligns perfectly with my thoughts.

If we could secure Laclaine Castle without shedding blood or damaging morale, that would be ideal. But since we’re fighting…

Leaving Brance Army alone and attacking Jestrom Castle makes sense.

“Can you ensure victory?”

Yeah, the real issue is that we don’t have the resources to break through Jestrom Castle. Even gathering all available troops might work, but would Brance Army sit idly by and watch? Lin Brance isn’t stupid. Even with hired mercenaries, failing without securing a decisive advantage is inevitable.

At this point, I decided to keep quiet and see what strategy he had prepared.

Unfortunately…

His response was disappointingly simple.

“With me, it’s possible, my lord.”

Irian declared confidently.

“I’ve lived solely to achieve glory. I know it’s asking much, but please assign sufficient troops to me. I will reclaim the castle and earn merit.”

Not the first time I’ve seen someone like this. Kalintz was similar. The difference is Kalintz overestimated his own abilities, whereas Irian seems carried away by youthful vigor.

‘I guess I’m being a bit arrogant myself for thinking this way.’

Just as I thought that…

Serpina asked coldly.

“Irian Al Caskey, what will you do if you fail? You know full well that another defeat might force us to retreat rather than expand.”

“Yes, but it’ll be fine.”

“Are you saying you have a foolproof plan?”

“I will definitely prove that Einhardt soldiers never lose.”

Despite his enthusiastic tone…

Her reply was icy.

“I didn’t ask for pleasant words.”

“…Sorry.”

“Let me rephrase. What exactly is your foolproof plan?”

“…”

Serpina changed the question.

“Then tell me this: How will you take responsibility if you fail?”

“At that moment…”

After hesitating briefly, Irian answered boldly.

“You may cut off my head if needed.”

“Is that so?”

Serpina smirked slightly.

“How does cutting off your head benefit me?”

“Well, that…”

“Killing someone who failed might serve as personal vengeance, sure. ‘Reward and punishment’ gives a nice pretext. But what tangible gain do I get from it? It’s easy to see what I’d lose, but I don’t see any gains. Surely you don’t believe decapitating you holds more value than acquiring a couple territories? Care to explain?”

“…”

Silence fell over the room.

True, Luna is exceptional, but even so, life is incredibly valuable. If you wanted to be treated as such, you shouldn’t have been born in these times of chaos.

“I shall also hear others’ opinions. Speak freely.”

More suggestions followed, including one to surprise-attack the Brance Army, but as expected, none were particularly noteworthy.

Still, Serpina listened carefully, responding logically to each suggestion like she did with Irian. Even clearly impractical advice wasn’t dismissed outright. This allowed me to understand her true intention when she said she wanted to test me.

‘Since I’m under her command, let me try acting freely.’

So, why don’t I share my thoughts? Not predicting questions, just sharing what I’d do in her position.

“Alright, any other opinions?”

At this point, I slowly spoke up.

“My lord.”

“Yes?”

She turned her gaze toward me. Being unfamiliar, I could feel subtle glances from others, but I paid no mind. All that mattered was Serpina’s cold stare—not giving me special treatment.

To bring life to those eyes, I had to prove my worth.

“May I share my thoughts?”

“Of course. Speak freely.”

If I were Serpina, I would simply…

“It’s best to halt our expansion into the Central Continent for now.”

“What does that mean?”

I nodded and continued.

“Return to Einhardt Castle and focus on internal affairs.”