Chapter 27

I was a bit taken aback by the unexpected voice of a woman, but…

Even after double-checking, this house was indeed the one on East Anel Street Number 32.

I slowly opened my mouth.

“To Lord Lin’s command, I have come here.”

In response to my words, there was no immediate reply—but before long, the door opened.

“…”

Right before my eyes stood a woman wearing what appeared to be a pure white nightgown. Her skin was almost translucently white, her long hair a fiery red, and her irises shimmered with a violet hue. I knew her name.

“Iren Julieat.”

She possessed the rare trait of [Siege Mastery] at the S-rank, earning her the title of ‘Knight’ as well as ‘Master of Siege Warfare,’ making her an S-class armed warrior. On paper, she was incredibly talented, and her loyalty to her lord Lin was unwavering—she would never betray him. However, ironically, her compatibility with Lin Brance was nearly -100, and when CPU-controlled, she was almost certain to meet her end at the hands of the very lord she served so faithfully.

To witness her battlefield prowess, players had to choose Lin as their character in the game.

Back during her time in the Lunarien Army, when I was sent as an envoy to Lin Brance at Anel Castle, it was she who led the attack on Jeilrant Castle.

Luna didn’t show much outward reaction, but upon closer inspection after her return, it was clear that if we had arrived any later, Jeilrant Castle would’ve fallen. Considering the nature of siege battles requiring more troops compared to city defenses, she was undoubtedly the best card the Brance Army could play.

Despite her competence…her fate was already decided.

She was destined to fall under the hand of her own lord.

Understanding that “Lin and Iren don’t match,” I grasped why I was summoned to a place where a woman resided.

So…Lin was treating Iren poorly. He probably ordered her to take in this new ‘male’ commander into her room. If she refused, so what?

It wasn’t behavior befitting someone like Iren, a young and capable female general. Even in this world—a blend of medieval fantasy—such common sense remained intact.

Iren blinked her large violet eyes, then seemed to understand the situation, nodding slightly before speaking.

“You’re the newly arrived…?”

“Yes. My name is Swoen. Starting today, I will serve Lady Lin Brance. The lord has ordered me to temporarily reside here as your roommate.”

“I see.”

After briefly responding, she stared directly at my face. I reciprocated, observing her. Dot graphics hadn’t revealed it before, but this woman…her bust size was no joke. She practically carried two faces worth of assets. Normally, armor would’ve hidden it somewhat, but now she wore casual clothing, accentuating her feminine figure even more.

‘Fighting with that kind of chest must’ve been extremely inconvenient, yet she earned her reputation and became known as a knight… truly remarkable.’

Amidst these thoughts of admiration, I added:

“Though I didn’t expect the person living here to be a woman. If it causes any inconvenience, I can stay at an inn instead. Please let me know freely.”

The moment felt awkward for me too. Living with an unfamiliar woman sounded exhausting.

But she shook her head.

“No, it’s fine. If Lord’s orders have been given, I shall follow them. You may enter without worry.”

“…”

Not wanting to waste more time, I nodded slowly and replied.

“Then, excuse me.”

Thus, I began living under the same roof as Iren Julieat.

Big city, nice house, beautiful woman with a generous figure. To an outsider, it looked like nothing short of a meteoric rise.

*

Iren’s home was surprisingly simple.

Beautiful though she was, she was born a warrior. Where an ordinary woman might place elegant furniture, two dummies riddled with sword sheaths stood. Nearby were mysterious-looking devices used for strength training. There was no wardrobe; instead, a few suits of armor hung loosely on the walls.

“Feel free to sit down.”

I pulled out a chair from the table and took a seat. She prepared something in the kitchen, then brought it over, sitting across from me.

She placed steaming tea and light snacks before us. This world had everything you’d expect. Of course.

“If I had known you were coming, I would’ve prepared more. Sorry for the modest offering.”

“Not at all. It’s fine. I’m the one who showed up unannounced. By the way, is this how you usually speak?”

“Speech manner? Yes…but…”

In the game, playing as the lord meant not knowing how subordinate generals like Iren spoke. Now I understood—it felt like conversing with a textbook monarch.

Thinking about it, Lin’s speech patterns seemed better suited for a ruler than hers.

Her lips parted as she gazed at me.

“My name is Iren Julieat. In private, feel free to call me ‘Miss Iren.’ No need to feel overly burdened.”

“How could I possibly address you so casually, Lady Iren? I prefer the formal approach.”

“Well, whatever makes you comfortable…”

With that, she sipped her tea.

“Anyway, Swoen, correct? I heard you were previously part of the Lunarien Army—is that true?”

“Yes.”

“I also heard Lunarien abandoned you while fleeing, claiming you colluded with Lin Brance. Despite explaining multiple times, they wouldn’t listen.”

“…”

Upon hearing this, Iren fell silent momentarily before declaring resolutely.

“To be honest, I cannot believe your story.”

“Is that so?”

After taking another sip of tea, I asked nonchalantly,

“May I inquire why?”

“Because the Lunarien I met isn’t the type to act like such a villain.”

“You only saw her once during battle, right?”

“That’s true. But you can tell by looking into someone’s eyes. She had the gaze of a true leader. She didn’t falter in front of me. When our swords clashed, I sensed the aura of a strong warrior.”

Iren spoke with conviction.

“Therefore, I suspect this might be some sort of scheme. Apologies for confronting you so bluntly.”

“It’s alright. Lord Lin questioned me similarly.”

“Really? Then why…”

She paused mid-sentence, cutting herself off abruptly.

“No, forget I said anything.”

“Still, Lunarien lacks the decisiveness expected of a ruler. I don’t know about her eyes, but she isn’t as steadfast as you describe. Perhaps there were reasons for her suspicion against me shortly after my arrival. Though irrelevant now.”

“Hmm.”

Closing her eyes, she took another sip of tea before lightly bowing her head toward me.

“In any case, apologies for starting with such accusations upon meeting. Still, I feared I might treat you unfairly without asking, so I wanted to clear things up early. Hopefully, you can overlook it graciously.”

“How could I refuse, Lady Iren? We’ll be living together for a while, and I agree discussing matters upfront is beneficial.”

“Thank you for understanding.”

Iren smiled at me for the first time.

She was beautiful. While Luna radiated warmth like sunlight, Iren exuded a fragile charm.

‘Wait a moment…’

Would Iren remain under Lin’s command, destined to die by her hand?

‘That seems wasteful.’

Iren was one of the few S-class generals. If I could bring her over to our side, she’d surely prove invaluable. Although her loyalty to her lord was immense, giving up now wasn’t an option. Gradually building her favor towards me seemed necessary.

“Alright.”

Standing up, Iren pointed with her finger toward a corner. There lay a single bed.

“It’s late, so you should rest soon. Feel free to use that bed.”

This room only had one bed, no other connecting rooms.

Meaning—there was nowhere else to sleep besides that bed.

“And what about you, Lady Iren?”

“I can sleep on the floor. I don’t want to make life hard for a newcomer.”

Under normal circumstances, I might’ve declined politely—”No, really, it’s fine.” But due to my unusually low stamina, the journey from Jeilrant Castle following the Brance army left me drained. Thankfully, the large force moved slowly; otherwise, I would’ve fallen behind from exhaustion.

Sleeping on a bed was definitely preferable to the floor.

“…Then, I humbly accept your kindness.”

“Good.”

Iren smiled again. Beneath her stern tone, she was undeniably cute, especially dressed in regular clothes.

Approaching the bed slowly, it wasn’t as plush as others I’d seen, but compared to the ragged blanket back home, it felt like an angelic sanctuary. For some reason, it smelled pleasantly sweet.

“Rest well.”

“Goodnight.”

After extinguishing the lantern, Iren settled somewhere nearby. Feeling a slight twinge of guilt, my primary concern was recovering my strength.

Our first night sharing quarters passed quietly.

* * *

“…Hm?”

When I regained consciousness, I found myself standing in an unfamiliar place. Looking around, I realized it was a picturesque port town filled with buildings made of white bricks and blue roofs.

“Where am I?”

Clutching this fundamental question, I scanned my surroundings. Not a soul in sight. The charming architecture stood eerily empty, resembling a movie set.

Climbing the hill aimlessly led me to a plaza overlooking the entire harbor town. At the center of four pillars topped with a circular roof sat ‘her.’

“…Swoen.”

Drawn by her voice, I approached her. Dressed in a pristine white dress, her golden eyes blinked as she looked at me. Her blonde hair shimmered in the wind, and the distinctive hairpin she wore caught my attention immediately. She was breathtaking—more so than any woman I’d ever seen.

“Swoen, come here.”

Entranced by her voice, I walked toward her.

However—I couldn’t reach her. The closer I got, the farther away she seemed. Eventually, the ground beneath me began collapsing. Unable to reach her, I plummeted downward.

Why?

Why couldn’t I reach… ■■■■?

* * *

“…Swoen! Are you alright? Swoen, Swoen! Open your eyes!”

Awareness gradually returned. The voice belonged to my roommate from yesterday—Iren. Slowly lifting my heavy eyelids,

“…Was it a dream…?”

If so, it was the worst nightmare imaginable. Still half-drowsy, I felt beads of sweat trickling down my spine. As my vision adjusted to the sunlight streaming through the window—

“—Hmm.”

And I sighed softly, wondering if I was still dreaming.

Because right before me stood Iren, clad only in her underwear, her pale skin fully exposed as she woke me up.