Chapter 156

“……Huh?”

I somehow managed to hide my flustered expression and replied with a tone that conveyed utter confusion.

“Lady Serpina is asking if the reason I didn’t send her away was because my words were meant for her own good.”

“……Forgive me, but it’s difficult to understand. There doesn’t seem to be any relevant connection between those things, does there?”

I brazenly answered while desperately trying to figure out what to say next.

Because… she’s not wrong.

My goal was Lady Luna’s unification of the continent. At first, I followed Lady Luna simply because I concluded she was destined to unify it. But now, I genuinely hope she achieves this. And for that to happen, the most crucial condition is that Lady Serpina must continue leading the Serpina Army indefinitely.

In short, I saved Lady Serpina’s life. Thus, her assumption could be considered the correct answer I’ve never revealed to her.

The only problem here is…

How did Serpina realize I acted to save her?

“…”

Serpina looked at me with an odd expression. There was none of the usual oppressive aura or the gaze of an absolute ruler looking down on her subordinates. The woman standing before me now felt… almost like an ordinary girl trembling with fear.

As I slowly gauged her reaction, I hesitantly spoke up.

“May I inquire why you think this way?”

I judged it necessary to understand her reasoning before reacting rashly.

“…Very well.”

Serpina slowly closed her eyes, then turned toward a large desk as if steeling herself. On the desk lay a solitary map of the continent.

“Had it not been for your advice… I would have likely dispatched envoys immediately and set out toward the Brance Army the next day. Given our current advantage, few would expect me to travel all the way to Anel Castle. You probably thought the same, right?”

“If My Lord had moved, it would have been reasonable to assume you’d stop near the borderline.”

“Exactly. You understand.”

Whatever riddle she was spinning, I decided to play along for now. Serpina isn’t foolish—if she confronted me so directly, she must have solid reasoning.

‘Besides, the presence of the map suggests there’s an answer written here.’

If I can’t counter her logic with my own, my best option is to align myself with it. As I silently examined the map, I listened carefully to her explanation.

“Judging by the map, the closest location from here is Kohart Castle.”

She pointed her finger at Kohart Castle, drawing my attention further to the map.

“Considering the time it takes to reach this place… and the time needed to form alliances and return…”

‘…!’

It clicked.

When she mentioned “travel time” and “return time,” I suddenly understood what she was getting at.

“You’re referring to a landslide.”

“!!!!”

At my words, Serpina’s eyes widened in shock as she stared at me with disbelief. Her expression clearly indicated that my answer was correct.

While studying the map, I kept reminding myself of the fact that Serpina was questioning whether I had tried to save her. If so, there must be clues to her potential death hidden within this map. Narrowing down the possibilities became critical.

And when she pointed to Kohart Castle near the borderline, the cause narrowed down to “natural disaster.” Even if there were rebels targeting her, an ambush within her territory would be far less likely than a natural calamity.

However, unless Serpina possessed Divinity 100 intelligence like mine—or even if she did—predicting the exact timing and location of a natural disaster would be nearly impossible.

Thus, it had to be a type of natural disaster predictable even to someone as logical as Serpina.

For instance, claiming “You worried about lightning striking during your journey,” wouldn’t make sense given Serpina’s personality. Lightning leaves no evidence behind, and relying on someone witnessing and reporting such an event would feel too contrived. Moreover, considering the recent calm weather across the Northern Continent, lightning wasn’t plausible.

Unless we ventured far south, which we weren’t planning to do.

So… not lightning. Then what?

That’s when my eyes landed on the narrow valley between Einhardt Castle and Kohart Castle.

Crossing valleys in this game always carries the risk of landslides, making them something travelers must constantly prepare for.

There’s only one answer.

Plus, landslides leave clear evidence after they occur, making it easy to report them. Nearby villages could confirm their occurrence.

“Of course… you… were trying to save me.”

“…”

“But… even if you warned me outright about a sudden landslide, I doubt I would have believed you. Like last time… In fact, had you told me directly, I might have stubbornly ignored your advice. Honestly, I don’t trust talk about celestial movements or anything like that.”

“…???”

“Surely… you anticipated all of this, didn’t you…?”

No, I hadn’t exactly thought of that…

This was the first time I learned that Serpina “doesn’t trust talk about celestial movements.” I’d assumed she was open-minded due to her receptiveness to my suggestions and her supposed Mind’s Eye abilities.

Whether she realized my thoughts or not…

Serpina gazed at me with an almost pitiful expression.

“Answer me, Swoen… Am I right? Did you truly propose that to save my life?”

As I heard the tremor in her voice, I reflected.

What is my role in the Serpina Army? It’s to protect her.

To ensure she listens to me and trusts me as much as possible is paramount. Haven’t two rulers already fallen because they ignored my counsel at crucial moments? Serpina isn’t like Lunarien; gaining her trust requires proving something substantial.

And this situation…

Isn’t it the perfect opportunity to prove myself?

Despite my usual inclination to think deeply, Serpina seemed unusually hurried and anxious rather than her usual sharp self. Had something prompted her to act this way?

Regardless…

Perhaps I should just go along with whatever she offers.

With that light-hearted thought, I slowly bowed my head.

“To be honest, I hesitated to mention it outright because it might sound strange…”

“…!!!”

Great.

Now, I’ll slowly raise my head and say something like, “If I could save My Lord, that alone would satisfy me.” If she asks how I knew, I’ll vaguely reference the heavens or something. With the outcome already achieved, she won’t press further.

Thinking this, I began to lift my head and opened my mouth—

“To save My Lord—”

…?

Something feels off.

Suddenly, my mouth—designed to articulate words—stopped working entirely.

Rather, it felt as though something soft was blocking my lips completely.

I quickly identified the culprit.

A tongue.

Her three-inch tongue.

Somehow, the very tongue that had guided me to this moment without fully understanding the process was now mingling with another’s.

Then it hit me…

Lady Serpina was kissing me.

Despite the abruptness, I felt less panic than a strange sense of relief, as if this wasn’t our first kiss.

Before I could dwell on the thought, her warm, supple tongue explored every corner of my mouth.

How much time passed?

Eventually, our lips slowly parted, leaving a thin, unbreakable thread of saliva connecting us.

“Haa…”

Serpina stared at me, her face flushed red, breathing heavily. Her golden eyes shone with nothing but me as she spoke—not as an absolute ruler, but as a woman.

“Swoen… I don’t care who else holds a place in your heart. That’s secondary.”

“So…”

“I don’t mind being just one of many. Please… while you’re by my side, belong to me.”

As I watched her trembling with nervousness, I thought back…

My first kiss tasted like yuzu.