Chapter 148

“Hello there……”

Jenis’ younger sister greeted me with a bow as soon as she saw me. I took a seat across from where she was sitting.

“Sorry to have bothered you earlier….”

“Not at all.”

I calmly observed her flustered apologies. She really did look just like Jenis. Thinking about it, Jenis had quite a feminine side for a guy—though this one definitely radiated “female” much more strongly. There was no mistaking it—this was the real deal compared to Jenis, who felt more like an elegant older brother type.

Should I confirm something while I’m at it?

“When did you start staying here instead of Jenis?”

“…Since yesterday.”

‘Hmm.’

I erased my previous thoughts. Despite her more feminine vibe, I hadn’t caught on that she was female until now. Just last night, I fell asleep in this room with Jenis—using a bunk bed and all, though I didn’t talk to her since she was already asleep when I came back.

Anyway, technically we weren’t meeting for the first time, but from my perspective, it might as well have been.

“I’m Swoen.”

“My name is Ilian Al Caskey… Jenis’ twin sister.”

“I think I could’ve guessed that much.”

“Hehe…”

She gave an awkward laugh, looking even more like Jenis when she smiled. DNA really is amazing.

“So, what’s going on here exactly?”

“Jenis asked me to stay here for a few days…”

“Why?”

She shook her head nervously, looking troubled.

“I can’t tell you the details, but it’s something very important.”

“Something very important?”

“Yes… I wish I could explain more, but I’m sorry, I can’t.”

What kind of important thing could it be? Why go through all this trouble?

The Jenis I knew so far didn’t seem particularly serious about anything. He didn’t appear to have any grand ambitions either. If anything, he seemed to value his pride in his older brother Irian and his sense of belonging to the Serpina Army. Still, given his personality, it could just be some trivial reason…

‘But I haven’t known him for that long anyway.’

It’s possible he’s been playing some sort of role this whole time. As I pondered this, Iolene spoke up again.

“Um… Mr. Swoen.”

“Yes?”

“Well… Could you please keep today’s events a secret from my brother…?”

She then bowed deeply, pleading earnestly.

“At least until he comes back… Please! I don’t want to be a burden to my family anymore…”

‘Hmm… She mentions being a burden so casually, which suggests there’s more to the story…’

I organized my thoughts on the current situation.

‘Whatever Jenis is doing, there must be some reason behind it. Maybe I should investigate further.’

And yet, one nagging fact stood out: In my 10,000 hours of gaming memory, there’s no record of anyone named Jenis Al Caskey. Not only Jenis, but also his sister Iolian and his older brother Irian—they’re all completely unfamiliar faces.

There were certainly some minor commanders with vague impressions. They had generic names and lackluster stats—like C or D-ranked officers. To put it bluntly, they reminded me of Jack and Silin from the old Brance Army days, who accompanied Lord Iren.

From an outsider’s perspective, even Swoen himself isn’t particularly memorable, but with his white hair, he should have stuck in my mind. There’s no way I would’ve forgotten someone like this. Irian is rather handsome and clearly capable enough to be employed by Serpina. And if Jenis has impressive stats, their twin status would’ve made them stick out too.

But… nothing rings a bell.

‘Still, since Jenis went through all this trouble, there’s probably some connection worth exploring. Maybe I’ll uncover something important. For now, I’ll cooperate with Iolien.’

If Jenis is plotting something dangerous, it could jeopardize our lord, Serpina. My new goal is to protect Lady Serpina. Even if I join Lord Iren later than planned, I don’t want to regret not acting carefully.

With that decision made, it was time to act.

“Understood. I’ll help you, Iolien.”

“Really?!”

Her gaze, filled with relief, made me feel somewhat uneasy, but there were still things I needed to clarify.

“However, there is one condition.”

“A condition?”

“It’s nothing major. Could you keep it a secret from the rest of your family that I figured out about you? It’d be inconvenient if word got around.”

“Secret? Of course, I wouldn’t dare reveal it. If I did, my cover would be blown!”

“Just in case.”

She thought for a moment before nodding.

“Alright. I’ll do as you say.”

“Then that’s settled.”

As I stood up to leave, her voice called out from behind me.

“Mr. Swoen, where are you going?”

“Oh? I was going to find somewhere else to stay. Now that I know you’re female, it feels inappropriate to share space like this. Wouldn’t you feel uncomfortable too?”

“Ah, yes, that makes sense…”

She lowered her head, unsure how to respond. While it did bother me slightly, I couldn’t exactly share a room under these circumstances. With Lord Iren, there was a clear order, but that wasn’t the case here.

“Alright then.”

Just as I finished speaking, she stopped me.

“Mr. Swoen!”

“Yes?”

“Could you… stay with me?”

“Huh?”

Surprised, I turned to look at her, but she continued seriously.

“I’m not familiar with the layout of the building, and I feel unsafe alone… I don’t know how to handle people if they come by either… So, if it’s okay with you, could you please stay with me?”

Apparently, my attempt to give her space was misguided. From her perspective, this place must feel incredibly stressful—not to mention pretending to be someone else entirely.

‘I guess I’ll assist her for now.’

Investigating Jenis would also benefit from maintaining good relations with her.

“Alright. But if you need me to leave for any reason, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

“Need to leave?”

“For instance, when you change clothes or something like that.”

“Ah…”

Her face turned slightly red as she bowed her head.

“…Understood. Thank you for your consideration.”

After wrapping up our conversation, I leaned back against the desk and lost myself in thought.

‘I’d like to figure out what’s going on before meeting Lord Iren…’

Though a strange sense of unease lingered, I tried to brush it off as I reviewed the day’s events.

—

At the capital of the Brance Army, Anel Castle.

Lin Brance stood by the window in the audience chamber instead of sitting on the throne, gazing absently at the sky while absentmindedly fidgeting with her bitten-down thumbnail.

“Will everything go as Parphale said?”

A bold decision—to form an alliance with the once-enemy Serpina Army. After losing Elgaim Castle to the Hesna Army, Lin had no time left to hesitate.

Though there was currently a brief lull, considering the possibility of the Roland Army advancing after observing the Hesna Army’s movements, other territories could easily fall next.

Defending only Anel Castle and the Western Continent depended on limiting the battle lines to Serpina and Aishias Armies. With Southern Continent nations starting to move, the Brance Army needed to reduce one front somehow.

Parphale immediately suggested forming an alliance with Serpina without hesitation. The reasoning was that the Southern Continent’s balance was broken, leading to complicated battle lines. While the Hesna Army posed the biggest threat now, if Ohana Army seized the opportunity to invade Hesna, another alliance negotiation might be necessary. Given the tangled web involving four—or five including Aishias—it was difficult to determine which decision would yield definite benefits.

Thus, according to Parphale, quickly forming an alliance with Serpina during this quiet period was the safest path. Despite lingering resentment towards Serpina within the Brance Army and Lin’s own pride—

“Lord, abandon your pride. We cannot afford any more wrong choices.”

Parphale was right; maintaining dignity required national strength, which the once-dominant Central Continent Brance Army lacked now. They had to avoid becoming a minor power at all costs.

Still…

“Even with the alliance, can we really survive?”

“I can’t guarantee it, but I believe we can create that possibility…”

The most frustrating part was that no one could definitively assure her this was the best choice.

“If Swen were here, he’d surely tell me what to do…”

Regretfully recalling the man who had defected to Aishias due to a past mistake, Lin sighed. Since her brother Chel’s defeat, she had withdrawn from politics, wasting precious time.

It was time to set aside regrets and focus on moving forward.

At that moment,

“Lord, Parphale has arrived.”

“Send her in.”

The doors opened, and Parphale walked gracefully across the red carpet. Lin rushed to greet her eagerly.

“How did it go? The alliance?”

“Fortunately, it seems they’ve agreed.”

“Really?!”

“Yes. They’ve accepted the alliance.”

“Thank goodness…”

The Brance Army had emptied its coffers to secure this deal. Though overpaying might ensure success, the treasury was strained after neglecting governance following Lord Iren’s departure. Spending more money would risk insufficient funds for salaries and operations—a literal all-in bet.

“However… there is one concerning condition.”

“Condition? What is it?”

“Well… You see…”

Parphale hesitated, wearing a slightly perplexed expression.

“They’d like you to personally visit Einhardt Castle to formalize the alliance…”