Chapter 218

While aimlessly waiting for Swoen, time was inexorably slipping away.

How many more days had she spent anxiously waiting?

“Today… still no other news, is there?”

“That’s correct.”

‘Why hasn’t he come…?’

A considerable amount of time had passed.

Surely news of their uprising had reached the continent by now.

Yet, there was no word that Swoen had arrived anywhere.

According to Luna’s knowledge, Swoen wasn’t with the Brance Army but rather the neighboring Aishias Army. If those strange rumors were true, there was a high possibility he was under the Serpina Army.

Even if he were somewhere else, riding at full speed should have been enough to arrive by now…

Hadn’t he risen in rebellion under the protection of Cain – no, Kyle von Einhardt – more splendidly than anyone else?

Right after raising the banner of revolt, what should be done first?

Engage in battle? Continue waiting for the right moment? Or should they pursue diplomatic efforts?

Each of these required Swoen’s advice desperately. Fortunately, they still had time to wait.

So, Master Swoen must hurry and arrive.

He had definitely promised to return.

Luna couldn’t fathom a situation where Swoen knew about the uprising and chose not to come. Naturally, her thoughts led to one conclusion…

‘Might he be in a situation where he can’t receive the news?’

If something happened to him personally, preventing him from hearing about the rebellion…

Or worse, if something befell him directly…

No way.

‘Maybe… I’m just too late?’

Though she didn’t want to entertain such thoughts, they crossed her mind.

‘…No. I trust and will wait. Master Swoen will surely come. Surely… he will come.’

Luna reaffirmed her resolve once more,

firmly believing that Swoen would arrive.

The soldier standing before Luna, unable to hide her disappointment, could only fidget silently. Realizing he was concerned, Luna offered a light apology.

“I’m sorry. You don’t need to worry so much, Violet.”

“No, my lord. I apologize for not bringing better news. However, if anyone wishes to join our ranks, I’ll report it immediately.”

“I appreciate that.”

Though waiting for Swoen was crucial, they couldn’t afford to waste time indefinitely.

Hours later,

Luna was receiving a report from Violet about the current situation.

“Still, neither the Ohana Army nor the Karelia Army shows any direct movement, correct?”

“That’s right.”

Violet, acting as the de facto Nation’s Strategist, delivered this information.

Without Swoen, arguably the sole rightful strategist, it hardly mattered who held the position currently.

‘Their lack of movement suggests… as Violet predicted, they’re likely short on supplies.’

Eventually, harvest season would arrive,

triggering an inevitable resource rush from the Karelia Army.

They’d continue training and conscripting troops, but whether they could hold out until then remained questionable.

In this situation, what could she do without Master Swoen?

For matters not concerning the nation’s survival, she needed to rely solely on her own wisdom.

Though Violet was nearby, she was still a novice strategist.

As Luna pondered,

Violet interrupted her thoughts again.

“With the overview of our army’s situation complete, I’d like to discuss the continent’s current state.”

“The continent’s situation?”

“Yes. It might be useful for you to know.”

Understanding the overall situation was always meaningful for a monarch.

Back in the days at Jeilrant Castle, Swoen had shared similar insights.

Luna nodded in agreement.

“First, the Brance Army, divided into three factions, seems to have successfully defended Anel Castle against the Kalintz Army. The original Brance Army led by Lin remains stagnant in the western part of the continent.”

“How long do you think this chaos will last?”

“It appears to be heading towards a prolonged conflict. The Chel Army’s failure to conquer Anel Castle was quite unexpected.”

“Is that so…”

The Brance Army, presumed to have included Swoen, remained in turmoil with no signs of resolution.

This complexity in central continent politics was significant for Luna’s forces as well.

If things remained chaotic, it would complicate the minds of Roland and Hesna Armies in southern continent’s upper region.

Ideally, they hoped this confusion would persist so when Ohana Army moved against them, Hesna Army might attack from behind. However, given Hesna’s expanded borders, it seemed unlikely they’d target this side specifically.

“Meanwhile, the Aishias Army appears to be observing the situation while reinforcing their troops. Though I suspect they won’t move soon, as they’ve rejected an alliance proposal from Hesna Army.”

“What’s next?”

“Lastly… about the Serpina Army.”

At the mention of “Serpina,” Luna’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

“They’ll likely focus on maintaining the status quo, including the territories they currently occupy in Central Continent for the foreseeable future.”

“Why is that?”

“It seems the Northern Continent hasn’t been fully stabilized yet. Apparently, intermittent rebellions continue. Naturally, that’s what happens under the rule of a tyrant with no people’s support.”

There was no mystery as to why some continued to rise against Serpina.

Simply put, she was a tyrant who made the continent’s people unhappy and mercilessly killed her siblings out of greed – a heartless witch. Those like Lunarien, who lost their sister to her hands, felt this even more strongly.

At that moment,

“…However, there is somewhat concerning news.”

“What is it?”

“Apparently, the rumored mage within the Serpina Army has actually appeared.”

“!!!!”

Upon hearing “mage,” Luna reflexively stood up.

Violet remained calm, having anticipated such a reaction from Luna’s previous behavior during their carriage ride together.

“By any chance… was it a young man with white hair using magic?”

“No. The user of magic was reportedly a woman.”

“Huh?”

“Many witnesses claim to have seen her create and launch fireballs from her hands. The young woman has pink hair. This much seems to be a confirmed fact.”

Not Master Swoen, the white-haired mage, but another person entirely possessed magical-like powers?

What was this?

Didn’t rumors say the Aishias Army sold Swoen to the Serpina Army?

Was that rumor false then?

But if it was false, that was fortunate.

It meant Swoen wasn’t under the detestable Serpina.

Then where was Master Swoen?

Definitely not with the Brance Army… perhaps still with the Aishias Army?

More importantly, the core of the rumor – the existence of a mage – finally registered in Luna’s mind.

Ah, so mages really did exist.

Could Master Swoen truly be a mage then? Though Luna had seen Swoen perform some seemingly magical feats, it didn’t feel like real magic to her.

Rather, his abilities seemed more related to predicting or foretelling the future.

Anyway, if mages truly existed and were now under Serpina’s control… what could they possibly do to stop her?

Given the lack of information, Luna couldn’t draw any proper conclusions.

Violet carefully summarized the situation.

“Serpina is in the north while we’re at the southern edge, so we don’t need to worry too much for now… but acknowledging the existence of mages seems prudent.”

Apparently, there was solid evidence supporting this, prompting Violet’s cautious statement.

“Understood. Violet, I’ll leave gathering information about the mage to you.”

“Leave it to me, my lord.”

With that, Luna fell into thought.

‘Yeah. Regardless of whether there’s a mage or not, once Master Swoen returns, everything will be resolved. He’ll surely illuminate our path.’

To Luna, the idea of Swoen changing his allegiance was unthinkable.

Such a thing was simply impossible. If he hadn’t come, it could only mean something had happened to him.

But thinking about Swoen…

He was the type who seemed to know everything about the future and always drew the right conclusions.

Was it possible that someone who performed miracles across the continent was now in danger?

No, it didn’t seem likely.

Rather, it was closer to faith than mere belief.

‘Master Swoen. I’ll wait however long it takes. You’ll surely… surely come. Somehow, I’ll endure and wait!’

As Luna’s uncertain hopes drifted away with the wind…

“…”

“Swoen.”

“…Huh?”

My wandering thoughts were interrupted by Lady Iren’s concerned voice.

“You seem to be deep in thought.”

“Ahh, it’s just that…”

“…”

Thoughts… worries… yes, worries.

Perhaps this was the most serious concern I’ve faced since arriving here through reincarnation.