Inside the royal hall of Valharat Castle.

    Seated on the throne, Serpina tapped her fingers against the armrest with her eyes closed and spoke.

    "So Setta Roland is dead?"

    "Yes, that''s correct."

    "And the one who killed him... was the rebel ruler, Lunarian?"

    "...Yes. Just as you say."

    Though he answered easily, the feeling of disbelief still lingered even as he delivered the news.

    An unbelievable report from the southern continent.

    Lunarian Iniang—Luna—had supposedly taken down Setta Roland in a single strike.

    I was an old hand at this game. Of course, I’d played as Setta Roland before.

    Roland wasn''t exactly ? Nоvеlight ? (Exclusive on Nоvеlight) a great ruler, but his high strength stat made him an odd but effective choice to constantly send to the frontlines as a sovereign general within his army.

    That meant he was no pushover.

    Even if he were up against a powerful opponent, I couldn’t imagine anyone taking his head in just one blow.

    So then... was Luna that much stronger than Roland?

    Considering Airen’s advice and the circumstances, maybe it wasn’t entirely impossible.

    There was a mode in the game called “Random Mode.”

    If you started in that mode, both the starting points of nations and character stats were randomized, allowing veteran players to experience the game in a fresh way.

    So in theory, it wasn’t impossible for Lunarian’s strength stat to surpass Roland’s.

    Still... to this degree?

    "I see. To bring down someone like Roland in a single exchange... That’s almost unbelievable strength for someone so young, let alone a woman."

    "What will you do?"

    "You’re asking what our army should do, now that the southern continent is in turmoil, right?"

    "Yes, precisely."

    "Then allow me to turn the question around on you."

    Serpina smiled faintly—

    "There is only one thing our army can do. The only border we share is with the Hesna Army. I don’t think launching an invasion now would be a bad move... but I’m curious what your thoughts are."

    I immediately recorded Serpina’s question in my mind.

    Would invading the Hesna Army right now be the most efficient course of action?

    If my logic was correct, then the answer should be “no.”

    And sure enough, the response was quickly calculated.

    [No.]

    "Phew."

    A sigh escaped me naturally.

    If the result had gone against my thinking again, I’d have had to wrack my brain working backward through the logic.

    I looked at Serpina and shook my head.

    "I think it would be wise to avoid war for the time being."

    --

    "Swen. Is that your own will speaking, or is it the path revealed by your insight?"

    "I can say it’s both."

    I explained my reasoning as it was.

    "First of all, after consecutively occupying Chel’s forces and the Aishus Army, our soldiers are heavily fatigued. While we’ve had decisive victories in each battle, the distance we’ve marched alone makes these results feel almost miraculous."

    From the northern Eingart Castle all the way to Valharat Castle in the central southeast.

    Some soldiers had even advanced to Zeta Castle under Irian’s command.

    No matter how high the morale, if you keep fighting nonstop for this long, even the most capable troops will eventually collapse.

    "Moreover, since we’ve taken control of so many territories, I believe it’s best to focus on stabilizing them for now. Until each domain is secured, we’ll need to keep soldiers stationed there."

    Serpina slowly nodded.

    "I see. Then we should remain in Valharat Castle for the time being."

    "Is it alright not to return to Eingart Castle?"

    "Jenna is there, isn’t she? No need to worry. It’s better for me to stay here for now."

    It wasn’t hard to read the confidence in her side profile as she spoke firmly.

    Despite all the betrayals she’d suffered, she still never gave up on trusting her subordinates.

    That wasn’t surprising—but there was something different when it came to Jenna. She trusted her deeply.

    Was there something between them?

    "Understood."

    "I’ll be relying on you in the meantime, Swen."

    "In the meantime? My lord, I will always serve at your side, whenever you need me."

    "For the rest of your life, you mean?"

    "..."

    I couldn’t say anything in return, and all that remained was Serpina’s soft laughter.

    "It’s alright, Swen. I’m not trying to tease you. Either way, I think you should get some rest for now."

    "Rest, you say?"

    "Yes. I’m granting you a week-long vacation. You’ve been with me constantly, and must be exhausted. I won’t summon you during that time, so once the appointments are finalized, forget about work and take a good rest."

    A vacation, huh.

    It was true that I’d been following her nonstop. I was reminded just how poor my stamina was.

    So there was no reason to refuse. Besides, Valharat Castle... held some memories for me.

    "Understood."

    I bowed my head deeply, then turned without much thought to leave the audience chamber—

    But suddenly.

    “...Huh?”

    I caught a faint shift in her expression.

    It was clearly different from usual.

    An unfamiliar hollowness behind her golden gaze.

    Before I could stop myself, I spoke.

    "My lord."

    "...? Go on."

    "Are you... troubled by something?"

    ***

    “...!”

    Serpina couldn’t fully hide her surprise.

    To say she had no worries would be a lie.

    "...Why do you ask that, so suddenly?"

    "You just... seem a little different today. I mean, if you asked me to explain it, I’m not sure I could put it into words."

    Swen tilted his head slightly, then bowed deeply and said,

    "If it’s nothing, you don’t need to concern yourself. But if there’s ever something you wish to talk about, please don’t hesitate to rely on me. As your national strategist, I will gladly do anything for your sake."

    "..."

    "Then, I’ll excuse myself."

    Only after Swen vanished from sight did Serpina lower her head and release a long sigh.

    ''...''

    —Since childhood.

    She had known she possessed a kind of talent—an ability to read the emotions of others.

    And at the same time, she’d realized there were few people like her, who could perfectly hide their own feelings no matter the situation.

    That ability had been her greatest weapon as a ruler.

    Especially after inheriting the unwanted crown of Eingart.

    And yet now, the inner turmoil she thought she’d hidden so well—

    Had been noticed by none other than the very man who caused it.

    This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

    ''...''

    Thump, thump.

    Serpina placed her hand over her chest.

    The intense heartbeat beneath her fingertips told her just how much she was shaken.

    In her mind, Jenna’s voice kept repeating, urging her to make a decision.

    Marriage...

    Maybe once, in the past, she could have brought it up casually.

    But now? That was impossible.

    Because he had a place to return to.

    Because the one he wished to stay beside... wasn’t her.

    He had already given more than enough.

    Without Swen, they would have never made it to the central continent.

    No—without him, she likely wouldn’t even be alive.

    What should I do?

    Even though she held nearly half the continent beneath her feet and could have almost anything she wanted just by speaking—

    When it came to love, she couldn’t even win over one man.

    She laughed bitterly at her own helplessness.

    ''...I’m jealous.''

    I’m jealous of the one in your heart.

    Jealous of the ruler you’ve chosen to follow.

    Even if that person has weaker foundations than our army... it doesn’t matter.

    If I could trade places with them, I would do it without hesitation...

    Like that, little by little—

    The priorities in Serpina’s heart began to quietly shift.

    —How much time passed as her thoughts sorted themselves?

    "My lord."

    A soldier approached her from the other side of the room.

    "What is it?"

    The soldier bowed deeply and answered.

    And his words were something Serpina had not expected at all at this moment in time.

    "A diplomatic envoy has arrived. Shall I bring them in?"

    ***

    At first, Valharat Castle had been steeped in a quiet gloom—

    Worn down by the fall of the Aishus Army that once ruled them, and the pain of endless shrine constructions in its final years.

    But ever since Serpina took control, the place had been recovering its vitality at remarkable speed.

    Even before I was granted vacation, she’d asked me to recommend every administrative officer for internal affairs.

    Which meant, effectively—

    Valharat’s administration was now functioning with the “optimal efficiency” predicted by 100 Intelligence.

    As a result, laughter from the citizens had begun to return to the streets.

    You could say the energy was back to the level it was when I last came here with Airen.

    And now, with this rare time off...

    ''...Where is she?''

    We were supposed to meet around here, I thought, when—

    "Swen."

    A familiar voice called my name, and I turned my head.

    "...?"

    Wearing a cute casual outfit, Airen stood there, smiling with the most girlish sparkle in her eyes I’d ever seen—

    And waved at me.