As he had said, not far off, there was a rudintary camp set up. It seed to have been constructed solely for the purpose of negotiations, without any sort of fencing or other permanent structures.
"Please wait a mont."
A ssenger from the Aishus army said this before entering the tent.
I stood beside Airen, whispering to her cautiously.
"There's no need to be nervous. From her perspective, there's no reason to refuse our surrender."
Instead of responding, she slowly nodded her head. In her gaze directed at , I could read her trust.
And after a while,
Finally, from inside the tent—a woman appeared, bringing soone with her.
Her hair was long, black, and gave off an elegant vibe. Her eyes were of two different colors, one the blue of ocean water, the other a contrasting bright sky blue. Her nose and lips were positioned as if they were carved ticulously in place. Though she wasn't as physically imposing as Airen in terms of feminine presence—her figure was undeniably feminine and beautifully shaped. So might even prefer her balanced features.
'Wow… she's beautiful.'
Baranga Yuri Aishus—upon seeing Yuri's appearance, I couldn't hide my admiration. She was far more beautiful than I had anticipated.
I was already familiar with Yuri's face. After all, I had chosen to play as her character in the ga. But like with Lyn and Airen—the in-ga graphics bore a significant disparity from her real face. Honestly, I hadn't expected her to be this pretty.
And the woman next to her, I could recognize her easily. In this ga, a general who always carries a bow and has her turquoise hair tied in a ponytail—could only be her.
Epinel Rosencross. One of the founding generals of the Aishus army, an S-rank general known for her excellent combat and leadership skills. She was a face of the army, known for her high capabilities. While I hadn't realized from the pixelated graphics, her feminine allure was intensely striking. Considering her attire barely covered her chest, exposing her belly and thighs, it was a wonder she wore such in battle.
But then again, the world allowed it.
Airen knelt on one knee and bowed her head as Yuri's steps halted before her. I matched her speed and did the sa.
"We greet you, Baranga Yuri Aishus."
With a nod, Yuri responded.
"You are Airen Juliet?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"I've heard rumors, but it's my first ti seeing you. It's an honor to et the red-haired knight, Airen."
Yuri smiled, then turned slightly to look down at .
"And who might this be?"
"I am Swen. Along with Miss Airen, I wish to defect to the Aishus army."
"…"
She looked at silently, then with a tone of amused curiosity, she spoke.
"You… your hair is white? That’s quite a rare color around here for a young man. Are you the 'White-Haired Mage' who split the sky with a miracle at the fortress of the Brans army?"
'…'
That day, not lightning but a teor had fallen. Considering the number of eyes that must have seen it, I had expected rumors, but hearing the slightly cringe-worthy title of 'White-Haired Mage' in person was sowhat embarrassing.
But what does it matter? Having this title, if she desires , it would be beneficial.
"Embarrassing as it may be, that's . I hesitate to call myself a mage, though."
"Oh? Really?"
Yuri covered her mouth with her hand, chuckling softly—not in mockery, but as if she found sothing genuinely interesting. Unlike Lyn Brans, whose sinister motives often leaked through, Yuri seed a different sort of person.
"Let’s see. You both want to surrender to our army?"
"Yes. Along with myself and Swen here, we bring with us the fortress and 38,000 soldiers."
Yuri nodded and then asked cautiously,
"Airen and Swen, listen. Your offer is too good for us to refuse. But think about it. It’s unusual for soone to bring soldiers and even a fortress to surrender. If you wanted to surrender, you could’ve simply escaped and co to us. It’s less hassle. If you were desperate during a war, it might make sense to bring soldiers, but we aren’t exactly at war right now, are we? We’re just not on good terms."
Her logic was sound. The situation had beco complicated partly because I had pushed for a surrender to maximize the benefits under the circumstances to disrupt the power dynamics of the central continent, which was predominantly under Brans’ control.
"So, what I’m saying is..."
Just as Yuri seed to be struggling,
Epinel, for the first ti, spoke up.
"Yuri, what she’s saying is, she doesn’t completely trust you. What if this surrender is just a deceitful tactic? If the soldiers you’ve brought rebel from within, we would be in a difficult position. It’s too favorable a situation for us."
So, they were afraid this surrender might be a ploy, akin to a 'Trojan Horse.'
Well, their suspicion wasn’t entirely unwarranted. Being honest about why we needed to surrender seed like the right approach.
"The truth is—"
Just as I was about to speak, Airen gently placed her hand over mine. It seed she was telling , 'Leave this to .'
Right. After all, she was the one initiating the surrender. It was only right for her to speak.
"I am…"
Airen slowly closed her eyes, then opened them at the sa pace and looked up at Yuri.
"My lord... that is, I have sensed a strong murderous intent from Lord Lyn Brans towards ."
"Murderous intent…?"
Both Yuri and Epinel seed startled by Airen’s confession. Naturally, it’s rare for soone to harbor such feelings towards their own general.
"Yes. She… dislikes . She’s moved beyond resentnt to wishing for my death."
"…What? That’s a bit hard to grasp. You, Airen, the red-haired knight. The specialist in siege warfare. I know your na, and I’m sure most lords do as well. Why would such a renowned general be despised?"
"…"
Exactly. Why would she hate her to this extent? There’s no particular reason for dislike, but Lyn Brans in every tiline had been determined to kill Airen Juliet.
"I am terribly ashad, but it’s the truth. That’s why… I want to live, and so I am defecting to the Aishus army."
"Uh-huh… so you want to live, and that’s why you’re surrendering..."
Having one life, and the equality everyone faces in death, provided a compelling justification for surrender.
"…Alright. If that rumor is true, I can understand Airen. But,"
Yuri turned to look down at .
"Swen. Why are you surrendering? You could have a brilliant career in the Brans army, especially as a mage who perford miracles. Wouldn’t they treat you well? Why would you leave a considerable force like Brans’ and co to a minor power like ours? Doesn’t that seem odd?"
She was essentially asking why I was acting against my own interests.
I had anticipated such questions, so I had a response ready.
"I ca to believe that Lyn Brans is not a monarch I can serve. In other words, she doesn’t fit the image of a ruler who can conquer the world."
"Really?"
My response was simple, but I noticed it.
The corners of Yuri’s mouth lifted ever so slightly.
"Yes. Just look at Miss Airen beside . How can soone who treats a general of her stature with personal disdain unite the continent? I wish to serve under soone worthy of unification. It’s aningful to excel after choosing the right leader."
"So, in reverse, you think I can be that unifying sovereign?"
"That’s correct."
She smiled at my imdiate response.
"Is that the only reason? Nothing else?"
"…?"
What? That expectant look in her eyes…?
Until just now, I had felt a different kind of sovereign's aura from Yuri, distinct from Lyn or Lunarian. While their tones, personalities, and attitudes towards differed, they all possessed a distinct charisma of bearing soone’s will.
But now... she was looking at not with the gaze of a sovereign, but almost like that of a girl.
'…Could it be.'
Carefully… I ventured a guess at what she might want to hear.
"I want to protect Miss Airen and stay by her side."
"…!!!"
At my words, Airen, who had been kneeling beside , looked at in surprise, her face flushing as she flustered about, honestly, a bit adorable.
And Yuri as well.
After hearing that answer, she spoke with a satisfied expression.
"I thought so. That’s what I expected. The reason a man follows a woman. That makes sense. Hehehe."
"…"
"Alright. Will you both stand up? Epinel, prepare that."
As we stood up, Epinel went into the tent and brought sothing out. It was a tray with two glasses, alcohol, and sothing resembling a silver knife.
Epinel skillfully filled the glasses while Yuri took the knife, opening it—
"…!"
And slightly cut her finger. She then mixed a few drops of her blood into the alcohol.
"Drink this. With this, you both beco part of our family, sharing in my blood."
'…What an odd ritual.'
It felt sowhat ironic, considering I had conducted a ritual to summon lightning.
I was abruptly reminded this was reality. The in-ga information I had about Yuri was, 'an excellent leader who attracts many to her cause,' 'has strong relationships with her allies,' 'a mid-tier sovereign with a good pool of talent but a weak base.' But clearly, understanding the character Yuri through a few lines of introduction was a difficult task.
After lightly emptying the glass, Yuri finally spoke in a sowhat serious tone.
"Airen Juliet. And Swen. Welco to the Aishus army. I will ensure your safety with my life, as those who share my blood are my family."
Then, looking at Airen, she said,
"I look forward to working with you, Airen."
"Yes! I will do my best to et your expectations."
"And you, Swen?"
Yuri tilted her head slightly, asking . I responded with a confident smile.
"I will ensure you never regret this decision."
Thus, Airen and I beca mbers of the Aishus army. In the end, I had succeeded in saving Airen Juliet.
Just that made feel it was right to have passed through Brans’ army.
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