Chapter 250

After that incident…

I was dispatched to the frontlines at Kelshtain Castle with Reika.

My request for dispatch was approved at an unprecedented speed, and before I knew it, the day of departure was fast approaching.

“Lord. I, Swoen, wish to depart early tomorrow morning for Kelshtain Castle to carry out the mission you’ve entrusted me with.”

After finishing the formalities, I looked at her face, which still carried a look of unresolved worry.

“So today’s the day you’re leaving, Swoen.”

“It’s come to this already.”

I tried my best to flash a resolute smile.

As time passed… the rumors began to turn far worse than expected.

First off, the reputation of Serpina among the northern continent’s territorial people had fallen as low as it was when she first ascended to power.

When the youngest daughter, neither Algord nor Sidemid, suddenly took the throne, how many rebellions erupted because they couldn’t accept it?

If her reputation now is similar to back then… it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say it hit rock bottom.

Divinity 100 was doing its job far too efficiently.

…

Despite worrying about leaving Serpina behind in such a precarious state…

“Lord. While I’m gone, you can rely on General Iren without issue.”

As long as Iren, who is trustworthy above all others, is by Serpina’s side, nothing serious should happen.

In truth, the actions I’m about to take are not beneficial in any way for the Serpina Army.

But if I think it guarantees Serpina’s safety, I can’t help but let out a hollow laugh. Still, I swallow it down.

“Therefore, please don’t worry too much, Lord. Haven’t I already said this was within the realm of expectation?”

“…”

“Swoen…”

At that moment,

Serpina approached me and tightly grabbed my hand, saying…

It felt like she was silently asking me not to go, so I couldn’t add or remove strength from her grip.

“I wonder… have I done the right thing?”

“Of course.”

“But, until now… whenever I touched something in my life, it always seemed to spiral wildly out of control, as if I were harming someone detestable. So rather than getting you unnecessarily entangled in bad rumors-”

“Lord. In the end, sincerity resonates. And isn’t it different now that I’m by your side?”

“…!”

“Therefore, please trust me. I’ll prove that my ‘Mind’s Eye’ guiding you towards favorable paths hasn’t been wrong.”

Only then did Serpina slowly release her tight grip on my hand.

“I’ll be back soon.”

“…Return safely. I shall await your return.”

For a moment, I wanted to stroke her hair…

But even though she cherishes me, I thought carelessly touching the dignified body of my lord would be improper for both her and me. So I bowed respectfully and quietly exited the Royal Palace.

Exiting the castle, the sky was unusually high and blue.

How can I protect Serpina?

What must I do to defy the “most efficient” method?

Actually…

The answer turned out to be surprisingly simple.

“Just don’t follow orders, right?”

Do this? Sure. I’ll do that.

With intellect at 100, the backlash from ignoring instructions would inevitably apply.

So this time, I’ll use my “always correct predictions” inversely. I’ll keep moving forward on paths that offer “absolutely no gain,” ensuring Serpina can securely maintain her throne.

Whether the Serpina Army unifies or not isn’t my concern. My responsibility lies solely with Serpina’s life, her safety, and her laughter.

Let’s give it a shot.

To honor my promise with Luna.

To protect Serpina’s life.

From this moment onward, I will willingly become… a completely misguided historian with zero intellect.

* * *

On the day of departure…

“I leave Lord Serpina in your care, Lady Iren.”

“You needn’t worry so much, Swoen. I’ll stake my life to ensure Lord Serpina remains safe from all threats.”

“No need to risk your life. Please don’t overexert yourself.”

After all, with my predictions in place, Serpina won’t face any major dangers.

“…”

Afterward, neither of us spoke.

I noticed what this silence implied. I didn’t want to feign ignorance and act cowardly here.

“Lady Iren.”

“!!”

Then, stepping forward first, I embraced her tightly.

“I’ll be back soon. You have to wait for me. Got it? This is the only place I have to return to.”

Saying that, I gently stroked her crimson hair.

Her familiar scent softly warmed my heart.

Unlike Serpina, whose embrace feels distinctly soft, Iren’s solid touch loudly proclaimed her as a woman who fights on the battlefield.

“Hey…”

“What is it?”

“This parting feels kind of regrettable… but since I’ll return… I’ll wait well for you… so you absolutely have to come back, okay?”

“…”

What was I thinking?

Hearing her words that she didn’t want to part, it felt like a switch flipped in my mind.

Without thinking, I kissed her cheek.

“?!?!”

With a “chuck” sound, Iren was greatly flustered and stared at me.

Though her face turned bright red and she was clearly startled, she didn’t seem displeased.

Today was strangely unusual.

Had I grown more bold?

Feeling playful and teasing her deliberately, I stuck out my lips slightly.

“Did you not like it?”

“Huh? A, ah, no… I, I didn’t dislike it! I didn’t dislike it at all…”

“Then will you return the favor?”

“Eh? Uh… uh, um, yes…?”

“Alright.”

Excitedly, I slowly closed my eyes.

And soon enough, her breathing grew closer…

Chuckle.

Her lips lightly brushed against my cheek.

Opening my eyes, there stood Lady Iren, looking down with reddened cheeks, unable to utter a word while fidgeting nervously.

Thinking back, ever since being reincarnated, wasn’t my entire life a grand epic centered around protecting her?

Meeting her due to Lin’s mischief, rejecting Lin to save her and ending up with Yuri…

She willingly became a traitor because of me being abandoned by Yuri…

Through all those moments, wasn’t it miraculous that we could greet each other safely like this?

Especially considering her role as a general on the battlefield.

“…”

Lost in these thoughts, I silently gazed at her. Did she misunderstand something?

Stammering uncertainly, Iren asked hesitantly:

“G, gosh… h, how about… i, if it was insufficient…?”

“Insufficient?”

“B, but…! Swoen, you weren’t saying anything so… w, well, that is…”

Even though she usually leads everyone with such strength…

Now, her voice was nothing like a general’s.

A female’s voice. Though somewhat crude, no other word fit to describe the current Iren except “feminine.”

“S, sorry… m, me… t, this is all new. I’ve never done this before… I don’t know what men like in these situations…”

“That’s exactly why I like you.”

“Eh?”

“Men like this side of you. So, it’s okay to be confident.”

I smiled as I said this.

“R, really? T, that’s true…?”

“Of course.”

“Y, yes… t, then… does Swoen… feel the same?”

“Me?”

“Does Swoen… as a man… like this kind of thing?”

…

I sighed deeply without realizing.

If I kept talking, I might not want to leave.

Time to wrap things up.

“Yes.”

Only after speaking did I notice my voice slightly trembling.

Being close to her all the time made me forget—she’s an incredibly beautiful woman.

Her beauty rivals Serpina’s, who stands unmatched beside anyone, yet in terms of feminine charm like bust and hips, Iren slightly surpasses Serpina.

I always found her cute, but when she truly opened up like this…

My tongue involuntarily tied itself.

“Good? Y, yes… phew…”

“Therefore, don’t worry and wait for me. I’ll safely bring Reika back, too.”

“Okay. I trust you, Swoen.”

“Yes.”

After parting with Iren…

I finally returned to the carriage where Reika waited.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

Once inside the carriage that finally departed, Reika, sitting across from me, tilted her head curiously.

“Um… did something happen?”

“Me?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Nothing special happened.”

“Is that so…”

She seemed very puzzled. When I asked what was wrong…

“Swoen-sama… your face is really red… do you have a fever?”

“Me?”

“Yeah. Ah, here…”

Reika rummaged through her bosom and pulled out a small mirror, handing it to me.

Looking into it… I saw my flushed face.

Thinking I handled things with Iren quite composedly…

But apparently, this was how I appeared in her eyes.

That realization made me chuckle involuntarily.

“Swoen-sama…?”

“No, I’m just laughing because it’s funny.”

“Huh? Oh, okay…”

Though Reika looked at me strangely, it didn’t bother me.

Then…

“Anyway, if you’re tired, would you like to rest a bit?”

“I can’t fall asleep easily while sitting. I’m fine.”

“You can lie down!”

“In this cramped space? How?”

“Here…”

Reika gradually moved herself into the corner.

Gently tapping her knee.

Her voluminous chest swayed beautifully with her gestures.

“Here!”

“…?”

Understanding her meaning but also not fully grasping it…

Reika smiled brightly and said:

“You can comfortably rest here!”

Definitely… today was an exceptionally strange day.