Chapter 80

At that moment, I rushed to the audience chamber of the royal palace, only to find Yuri welcoming me with a friendly smile.

Kneeling down, I spoke in a polite tone:

“Sir Swoen has arrived at the royal palace upon Lord’s orders.”

“Swoen! Welcome. It’s been a while, haven’t seen you in ages. How’ve you been?”

“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well.”

“Iren? Is she okay? It’s been quite some time since I last saw her face.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Hmm… still no news, huh?”

“…”

What on earth was she asking about? As I looked up curiously, Yuri was giggling mischievously.

“Just kidding, kidding! Anyway, I hope we get some good news soon.”

“…”

Right then, I had a vague idea of what she wanted to say, but decided not to press further.

Fortunately, she quickly moved on to the main topic.

“Yeah, good. Actually, I need you to bring someone back for me.”

“You mean a person?”

My question made Yuri give an awkward laugh.

“It’s just… Swoen, you’re the only one I can ask right now. The other commanders are busy with their own tasks… Of course, it’s not like you’re doing nothing since you’ve been helping us out so much already.”

“That’s fine. But may I ask who exactly I should bring back?”

“One of our generals went off on a retreat.”

“Retreat?”

When I heard this, I had a pretty good idea who she meant.

“I’d appreciate it if you could go tell them to come back. And let them know how much I miss them.”

“Could you perhaps provide more details?”

Yuri nodded at my request.

“Her name is Anima Ingram. She’s incredibly valuable and dear to our army.”

‘So that’s who.’

Anima Ingram, the strategist who used to oversee the Aishias Army.

Jinoru once mentioned that after stepping down from her role as the nation’s strategist, she embarked on a retreat to refine herself.

‘But why is she being called back now?’

If there hadn’t been an ambush, Jinoru might have stepped down from his position as the national strategist. However, because of the ambush, he remained active. His absence now seemed to concern Yuri, though clearly he wasn’t dismissed.

“Let me tell you where she is. Please convey this message: We would like her help again, especially for the sake of Raclaine Castle. Oh, and there’s something else you must tell her.”

Yuri then said with unusual seriousness:

“We would like her to take the position of Lady of Raclaine Castle and return.”

‘Aha.’

So the bait to lure her back was the title of Lady. While not as powerful as the national strategist, it was still a coveted position for anyone who craved authority. Some might even consider it higher than the strategist role due to the autonomy it granted.

I didn’t know much about Anima’s character, but if stepping down from her post led her to vanish, she might indeed be tempted by the offer of becoming a castle lord.

“Is that all for this mission?”

“Yeah, sorry to bother you when you’re already so busy helping Yuuri and Jinoru… But I’ll make sure you’re well compensated.”

“Thank you, but out of politeness, I’ll accept everything you offer.”

“Hehe, good.”

With that, Yuri gave a faint smile. She was definitely not the type of ruler who emphasized her authority over others; rather, she seemed like someone who would be a great boss in the dimension I came from.

Ironically, this era often valued domineering rulers.

“Alright, please do your best, Swoen.”

“Yes.”

After nodding respectfully, I left the royal palace.

—

After Swoen departed, Yuri sat deep in thought for a long time.

“Anima…”

She recalled the voice of her childhood friend who had always encouraged her as a leader.

“You can do it, Yuri. No, let me be precise. You can do it, and I’ll be your wings.”

“Don’t be afraid, Yuri. Epinal, Emma, Erhandorf—they all ultimately follow your decisions. You’ll get used to it.”

“Let’s end this Era of Chaos together. Imagine the whole continent flying under the red flag. Isn’t that grand?”

In her memory, Anima was the one who instilled confidence in her when she lacked resolve. On the day the empire fell—and when their Piobella Academy collapsed—Anima was the one who saved her life in the face of death.

“I still feel incomplete, so I’m thinking of going on a retreat to reflect on myself.”

Even now, Anima was indispensable to the Aishias Army, at least to Yuri.

She wished she could visit personally, and had tried several times. But whenever she went, Anima avoided showing up.

Neither Epinal, Erhandorf, nor Emma managed to meet her either. Perhaps someone like Swoen, who had never met her before, would stand a better chance.

“Please come back, Anima…”

Sighing deeply, Yuri ended her thoughts.

—

“Is this the place?”

This location was not far from the Balahart territory, near the mid-slope of a mountain where I had previously brought Reika for meditation. Compared to that time, I ventured deeper into the wilderness, panting heavily as I reached my destination.

“Somewhere around here, right?”

According to Yuri, there should be an old shack somewhere nearby. But no matter how hard I looked, there was no sign of any building or human presence.

“Maybe I should rest for a bit…”

Leaning against a rock, I contemplated how this area might be a hidden meditation spot, musing idly as I caught my breath.

“Ah?”

Through the trees, I spotted a small shack cleverly camouflaged among the foliage.

“So that’s why I couldn’t find it…”

Though resting briefly felt anticlimactic after finding it so quickly, I couldn’t waste more time. Rising immediately, I approached the shack.

Crunch, crunch.

As I stepped on the grass, I realized I had reached the door. Polite as ever, I knocked gently.

“Anyone home?”

From beyond the door came a fragile, delicate voice, like a thin sheet of glass.

“Who’s there?”

“Are you Anima Ingram?”

Upon hearing this, silence ensued.

“Yes…?”

“I’ve come on behalf of Lord Yuri. There’s a message for you.”

“…”

More silence followed before a soft voice eventually replied.

“Please wait a moment.”

A few minutes later, the door opened, revealing none other than Anima Ingram.

Her short brown hair appeared somewhat unkempt, and though her eyes were sunken, they retained a certain sharpness. Her attire was unremarkable except for one detail—her right arm was completely concealed beneath a cloak-like covering.

“Did Yuri send you?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t recognize you… May I ask your name?”

“My name is Swoen. I joined the Aishias Army not too long ago.”

“Is that so.”

Closing her eyes briefly, she nodded and invited me inside.

“Please come in despite the humble surroundings.”

—

Inside her dwelling, everything felt oddly familiar to me. The worn-out floorboards and sparse furnishings reminded me of my stay at Jeilrant Castle. Definitely reminiscent.

“There’s nothing I can offer you after your long journey. My apologies.”

“No need to worry.”

As I calmly observed her, she greeted me with a faint smile but maintained a cautious distance. Despite the emblem on my clothing indicating my allegiance to the Aishias Army, which assured her of my authenticity, she seemed guarded.

“How is Yuri doing?”

Apparently, Anima addressed her casually. Given her status as one of the founding members, this familiarity wasn’t surprising.

“Yes, she’s doing fine for now.”

“And what did she tell you to say?”

“She hopes you’ll reconsider and help her again.”

“Is that so.”

With a sigh, Anima responded.

“How’s our army doing?”

“We recently succeeded in capturing Raclaine Castle.”

“Good to hear it. Looks like things are running smoothly without me.”

Her tone hinted at mixed emotions. Initially, I thought she might simply be defying orders after stepping down, but it seemed more complex. Perhaps she felt she had lost her place—not in terms of power or leadership, but something deeper, more personal.

There was no trace of ambition in her hollow gaze.

Given the Aishias Army’s emphasis on its founding members, failing to bring her back now would only lead to another retrieval mission. Climbing this mountain was exhausting enough, so I wanted to complete my task in one go.

Choosing my words carefully, I continued.

“It doesn’t seem entirely true.”

“Doesn’t it?”

“Yes. Both Lord Yuri and Generals Epinal, Emma, and Erhandorf miss you greatly. Even though I’ve only been here a short while, it’s clear Anima played a crucial role in the Aishias Army.”

“Why do you think so?”

“That much becomes obvious after spending a little time here. Your name keeps coming up.”

While this was mostly fabricated on my part, bringing her back would undoubtedly please both Yuri and the other founding members.

“…”

Anima closed her eyes again after hearing my words.

“Everyone who worked alongside you misses collaborating with you. Would you consider returning with me?”

Again, she remained silent. Rather than urging her, I waited patiently, maintaining eye contact until she finally spoke.

“Swoen, have you ever wondered why I wear this cloak?”

“The cloak?”

Although her sudden question seemed random…

Feeling she might reveal something important, I replied earnestly.

“Not really, but why?”

“It’s nothing special.”

With that, she used her left hand to drop the cloak covering her right arm.

And what met my eyes was…

“…!!”

The space where her right arm should have been… was empty.

“One-armed?”

“If I startled you, I apologize.”

“No, I’m more curious… What happened?”

“…”

Slowly opening her previously closed eyes, her pale irises seemed sharper than before.

“It’s nothing much. Just… part of our story, I suppose.”

“Our story? Do you mean the Aishias Army?”

Indeed, the bonds between Yuri and the founding members were unusually strong. This might be an opportunity to understand why.

Even if I planned to leave eventually, learning more while still involved wouldn’t hurt.

“Would you care to share?”

“As much as you’d like to hear.”

“…”

Nodding slightly, Anima began recounting what had transpired.