Chapter 36

Dream.

She had been having the same dream repeatedly for several days now.

A place that seemed familiar but whose exact location she couldn’t pinpoint. There, amidst buildings with blue roofs and white bricks, a man approached her in her dream.

The man – a strikingly handsome male with snow-white hair and gray eyes.

She didn’t know who he was. But in the dream, *she* knew exactly who he was.

His name was…

“…”

Though she clearly spoke it within the dream, upon waking, his name escaped her entirely.

Frowning slightly, she pressed her hand to her forehead. Perhaps it was due to his dazzling appearance, but even narrowing her golden gaze slightly felt breathtakingly beautiful.

“Who… is that man?”

Had there been time, she might’ve pondered this calmly—but the position she held allowed no such luxury. She understood all too well that personal thoughts were a privilege she couldn’t afford. As soon as consciousness returned, she rose from her plush bed.

“…Fine.”

For today, like every other day, she could only become what others expected of her. Like surrendering to an unavoidable fate, she reached for her distinctive hairpin on the table, quickly composed herself, and prepared to leave her bedroom.

*

Exiting her bedroom, passing through the guards, she walked down the long corridor. Along this path, she closed her eyes briefly.

This was her ritual—a moment where the “real her,” fresh from slumber, transformed into the person everyone demanded she be by walking silently through the corridor with her eyes shut.

Before long, a heavy door appeared. Beyond it—

“…”

With a creak, the door opened. A woman with brown hair tied back bowed deeply before her.

“You’ve awakened, my lord.”

“Hmm.”

She nodded slightly before seating herself on the throne reserved for the Absolute Ruler. The brown-haired woman—Jena—remained close by her side, reporting recent developments and matters requiring her attention.

“The reinforcements for Kelshtrain Castle’s Fourth Expedition from Chorrel Castle and Cherryen Castle are fully prepared. Additionally, General Julian has suggested we destroy the fortress north of Kelshtrain Castle constructed by Brance’s army first.”

“How many troops?”

“It’s estimated around 28,000 soldiers are stationed there.”

“If we attack the fortress, the advance will likely come from Chorrel Castle, correct?”

“Yes.”

After a brief pause, she turned to Jena with a question.

“Jena, I’d like your opinion.”

“May I speak freely?”

“Without it, things would be difficult.”

At her words, Jena smiled faintly and replied.

“To be honest, I don’t understand why they built that fortress in the first place—it isn’t strategically significant. Instead of focusing on it, I suggest we use a large force to bypass it via the southeastern route near Cherryen Castle and directly assault Kelshtrain Castle. This would force the 28,000 troops stationed at the fortress to move south for defense, allowing us to annihilate them piecemeal using forces from Chorrel Castle. It seems more efficient than attacking the fortress itself.”

“I see.”

She tapped her fingers against the armrest of the throne. Her golden eyes sparkled knowingly.

“So, the key lies in Cherryen Castle… Is there anything else to report?”

“There are rumors of troops gathering near the border between the Aishias Army and Brance’s Army.”

“Hm?”

Are they planning an eastern offensive now? For reasons unknown, this could work in our favor.

How can our army break out of the north?

If we head southeast from Cherryen Castle, we’d encounter a massive mountain range leading to Aishias territory—but it’s unsuitable for troop movement. Similarly, the southwestern route from Chorrel Castle consists of rugged mountains and swamps, making progress toward the central-western continent impractical.

Our best option lies straight through the central passage: Kelshtrain Castle. Breaking through here would allow us to finally exit the northern region and enter the southern territories. Despite three failed expeditions, our combat costs have remained advantageous. In a war of attrition, victory is inevitable.

In this situation, if Brance extends their frontlines further, it couldn’t be more convenient for us. Whatever their strategist plans, we must take advantage of it.

At that moment—

Bang!

The doors to the audience chamber burst open chaotically.

“Lord!!!”

A soldier rushed over hastily. Calmly, Serpina asked,

“What is it?”

“Cherryen… Castle…”

Gasping for breath, the soldier desperately delivered urgent information.

“The Lady of Cherryen Castle, Ian Rashfalt, has… rebelled!”

“…!!”

While Jena reacted with wide-eyed shock—

Serpina merely furrowed her brow slightly, betraying no strong reaction.

“He claims to cleanse the false witch of Einhardt, announce that the Rashfalt family is the true successor to Einhardt Empire under Lord Algord, and restore order…”

“…”

Upon hearing this, Serpina’s feelings were simple:

—Pathetic, clinging to the legacy of someone already dead.

Algord von Einhardt, her brother—surely he never desired such nonsense.

She clenched her teeth briefly while reminiscing about her past but quickly suppressed any outward sign of emotion.

“How many supporters do they have?”

Responding swiftly to Jena’s question, the soldier said,

“Counting Solana Rashfalt, the Lady of Mati Castle, there are roughly thirteen people involved. Most are connected to the Rashfalt family.”

Mati Castle was a small fortress near Cherryen Castle.

“I see.”

Ian, you schemer. Was your groveling all these years just preparation for this moment?

Serpina smirked coldly. She already knew they couldn’t change history; these were merely futile struggles.

“…What shall we do, my lord?”

“We’ll postpone the Fourth Expedition for now.”

“But—”

“It’s fine. Their current strength won’t affect us anyway.”

According to the latest intelligence received yesterday, Kelshtrain Castle’s forces had inexplicably increased by ten thousand men since the last count. While concerning, it wasn’t enough to pose a serious threat—not when the expedition was rushed ahead of schedule to invade before additional reinforcements arrived.

Perhaps they suspected another invasion attempt after noticing the sudden troop buildup, but if so, they should’ve sent far more than ten thousand soldiers. Brance certainly had the resources.

“…Understood.”

Having heard Jena’s response, Serpina stood up and extended her hand toward the soldier.

“Go inform the generals immediately! Summon all currently deployed commanders—we’re preparing for deployment. Send messengers to each castle’s lady to share updates as quickly as possible and authorize immediate action without waiting for further approval!”

“Yes, understood!”

With those words, the soldier dashed off once more.

“Rebellion…”

Even amidst rebellion, nothing changed. She would simply continue doing what she always did: crushing everything thoroughly.

To restore the empire’s flag. To uphold the legacy of Einhardt… or rather, the legacy thrust upon her.

“…”

She mulled over her brother’s name: Algord von Einhardt… The one she killed—yes, ‘killed,’ perhaps.

If this was her destiny…

“…Another storm of blood will blow, then.”

Publicly known as a tyrant, she harbored thoughts uncharacteristic of herself. Whether or not they suited her anymore, only she could no longer tell.

***

Just as I predicted, trouble erupted sooner than expected.

“Rebellion… is that what you mean?”

Kneeling, Iren repeated the question, to which Lashion nodded.

“Yes. The Lady of Cherryen Castle, Ian Rashfalt, has risen in revolt. Recent intel suggests they gathered roughly forty thousand troops, though it’s possible they’ve recruited more since.”

‘So it’s a rebellion, as expected.’

Truthfully, I had anticipated something like this. Watching it unfold still left me feeling oddly detached.

Moreover, the name of the rebel leader sounded familiar—Ian Rashfalt. However, one detail struck me: he wasn’t part of Serpina’s forces but rather one of the independent lords ruling the northern regions under ‘Ian’s Army.’ Though destined to eventually fall under Serpina’s banner due to respawn mechanics, seeing him break away independently for the first time intrigued me.

Lashion stared at me, kneeling beside Iren, for a while before diving straight into business without questioning.

“Kalintz General requested reinforcements. Aside from the troops needed to defend our castle, General Iren, the ten thousand soldiers you brought should be ready to deploy. How much time do you need to prepare?”

“Immediate deployment is possible.”

“…What?”

When questioned again, Iren firmly reiterated,

“Yes, we can depart immediately, my lady.”

“…”

Lashion wiped some sweat from his brow before speaking.

“…Did you anticipate this, you two? That it would happen?”

“…”

Iren glanced upward at Lashion silently. He must’ve remembered the discussions—they both knew the inevitable moment of deployment had arrived. Moreover, this confirmed the correctness of Iren’s—and thus my own—judgment.

Still, the opportunity has passed. Adding ten thousand troops wouldn’t reverse the tide, and waiting for reinforcements would surely miss the optimal timing.

‘If only we could secure Falaharte Castle…’

Unlikely. Even then.

I realized anew how meaningless my abilities were without a trustworthy lord to believe in me.

After exhaling a short sigh, Lashion shouted loudly,

“General Iren, take ten thousand troops to reinforce General Kalintz at the fortress!”

“Understood, sir!”

As Iren saluted and departed the royal palace, I found myself lost in thought.

‘What’s Kalintz planning?’

The fortress housed approximately twenty-eight thousand troops. With our additional ten thousand, that made thirty-eight thousand—a number insufficient to retake Cherryen Castle, which seemed to house forty thousand defenders. Reinforcements from Kelshtrain Castle might help, but Serpina’s forces wouldn’t sit idly by.

Sending extra troops was a wise decision.

‘Could Kalintz actually be charging blindly forward despite knowing the odds?’

Though alarming, surely someone named Kalintz Brance wouldn’t make such a reckless mistake. Being the middle sibling among the Brance trio, he may lack flair but remains an S-rank commander. Likely, he’ll test the waters, realize the numerical disadvantage, and retreat gracefully.

Though I hadn’t run predictions yet, that seemed plausible.

Still, orders must be followed.

Leaving the royal palace,

Iren finally turned to me with an astonished expression.

“…Swen, I have a question.”

“Speak freely.”

“Did you foresee this happening?”

Ah…

From Iren’s perspective, I must appear as if I foresaw everything perfectly. Had I managed to overturn Parphale’s argument during our earlier discussion without Lin interrupting, following Iren’s advice would’ve positioned us to swiftly counter Ian’s uprising before Serpina’s forces intervened. Such an opportunity might’ve allowed us to capture Cherryen Castle outright.

Thus, my prediction proved accurate once again.

Though Iren isn’t technically my lord, she’s someone I aim to collaborate with long-term. Presenting myself favorably wouldn’t hurt.

Adopting a confident demeanor, I responded,

“Troubling signs emanated from the north. I occasionally receive letters from relatives living nearby. While I suspected rebellion, certainty eluded me… Still, hindsight makes me wish I pushed harder for my stance.”

“…!”

Stunned disbelief washed over Iren’s face as she gazed at me speechlessly.

Seizing the moment, I added,

“Didn’t I explicitly state that your judgment, General Iren, was correct? Indeed, your strategy represents the sole viable solution. Soon, I trust you’ll understand the wisdom behind my words.”

“A…”

Hearing this, Iren stiffened momentarily before bowing her head slightly, her voice trembling almost tearfully.

“So… I wasn’t wrong?”

“Exactly. Regardless of whether anyone agreed with you initially, ultimately, you were right.”

“…”

Then,

Her cheeks flushed red as she cautiously looked up at me.

“And… you’re the only one who truly believed in me, Swen.”

?

Believed might be overstating it—I merely sided with her to boost affection—but given the alignment of answers, her statement holds water. Recognizing this as prime opportunity to improve relations, I smiled warmly.

“Didn’t I say so, General Iren? My support wasn’t born of pity. Therefore, there’s no reason to lose heart.”

Her violet eyes shimmered as if brimming with tears.

“…Alright. Thank you, Swen.”

Had circumstances permitted, we might’ve delved deeper into why Iren’s plan was sound—but the immediate command to head to the northern fortress left no room for delay.

“Regrettably, missed opportunities cannot be reclaimed. Let’s proceed to the fortress as instructed.”

“Agreed.”

Together with Iren, Jack, and Silin, I headed toward the newly constructed fortress.

*

And upon arriving at the fortress—

Shockingly, my worst-case scenario had materialized into reality.