In a hurry, I arrived at the royal palace’s audience room, where Yuri greeted warmly. I knelt respectfully and spoke in a formal tone.
"I am Swen, arriving at the royal palace upon my lord's command."
"Swen! Welco. It’s been a while. How have you been?"
"Thanks to you, I’ve been doing well."
"And Airen? Is she doing well? It’s been a while since I’ve seen her face."
"Yes, she is well."
"Good. No news yet, though?"
"…What?"
I lifted my head, confused by her question. Yuri chuckled as if she found it amusing.
"It’s just a joke, a joke. I hope we get so good news soon, though."
"…"
In that mont, I had an idea of what she was trying to say, but I didn’t feel the need to comnt further.
Fortunately, Yuri quickly shifted the conversation to the main topic.
"Alright. Actually, I need you to bring soone here."
"Soone?"
Yuri let out an awkward laugh, as though embarrassed.
"Well… the only person I can ask right now is you, Swen. The other generals are all busy with their tasks… Of course, I’m not saying you’re doing nothing because you’re helping us, but…"
"That’s fine. But may I ask who you need to bring?"
"One of our officers has gone on a training trip."
'Training?'
Hearing that, I figured out who she ant.
"I’d like you to go find her and tell her to co back. And tell her I really miss her."
"Could you provide more details, please?"
Yuri nodded at my question.
"Her na is Anima Ingram. She’s soone we’re really grateful to and hold dear in our army."
'Of course.'
Anima Ingram. She had been one of the officers in the Aishus Army, serving as the national strategist.
Jinor had told that after stepping down from the position of national strategist, she went on a training journey to further refine her skills.
'But why is she being sought now?'
If the coup hadn’t happened, Jinor would have likely remained in his position. But since it was a coup, he was still active as the national strategist. I found it odd that Anima wasn’t by Yuri’s side now, but at least she wasn’t dismissed.
"I’ll let you know where she is. Please go and tell her to return and lend us her strength. Oh, and make sure to pass on this ssage as well."
Yuri spoke with an unusually serious tone.
"Tell her we’d like her to take the position of Lord of Raklein Castle, and we really hope she cos back."
'Ah.'
The bait to lure her back was the position of lord of Raklein Castle. It wasn’t as high as the position of national strategist, but for soone who sought power, it would be an irresistible position. Perhaps, for so, being the lord of a castle, with so of the power of the ruler, might even feel like a higher position than national strategist.
I wasn’t sure of Anima’s character, but soone who had been driven out of the national strategist position could very well be tempted by the opportunity to take a prestigious position like that.
"Is that the entire mission?"
"Yes. Sorry. I know you’re busy helping Jinor and … but I’ll make sure to reward you well for the expenses and with a generous bounty."
"It’s no problem, but as a matter of etiquette, I’ll accept everything you offer."
Yuri smiled slightly at my response. It was clear that she didn’t act like a ruler who dominated others; rather, she emphasized her position while showing respect. This wasn’t the typical image of a ruler in this era, but in the world I ca from, she would make a great boss.
Such is the irony of the tis.
"Well then, I leave it in your hands, Swen."
"Yes."
I nodded and offered my respects before leaving the royal palace.
***
After I left, Yuri sat for a long while with her chin resting in her hand, lost in thought.
'Anima…'
"Yuri. We can do this. No, let be clear. You can do this. And I’ll be your wings."
"Don’t be afraid, Yuri. Epinnel, Emma, Hernandorf—they’ll all follow your decision. You’ll get used to it in ti."
"We’re going to end this troubled era with our own hands. Imagine the scene of red flags flying across the continent. Isn’t it magnificent?"
The Anima in my mories had once instilled the mindset of a ruler into when I was uncertain and unsure of myself. She had been a trendous support.
On that day—the day the empire fell—both she and Anima were at the Viovola Academy, which was also destroyed. In that mont, it wasn’t anyone else who saved her life from the looming threat of death, but Anima.
"I feel like there’s still so much I lack. I’m thinking of going on a training journey to reflect on myself."
Lacking? At her current state, Anima was irreplaceable in Aishus Army. At least to Yuri, she was.
I longed to visit her in person, and I had made several attempts. But when Yuri went herself, Anima hadn’t been there to et her.
Epinnel, Hernandorf, Emma—none of them had been able to et with her.
Maybe, just maybe, if Swen were to go, she might agree to et him.
'Please co back, Anima…'
Yuri let out a long sigh.
***
'Is this it?'
This place was situated on the mountainside, not too far from the Valharat territory. It wasn’t very different from the spot where I had taken Reika for ditation before. I had ventured much deeper into the mountains this ti, and I found myself panting heavily as I struggled to find my way.
'It should be around here sowhere.'
According to Yuri, there was supposed to be an old shack sowhere nearby. However, no matter how much I looked around, I couldn’t see a house, let alone any sign of a person.
'Let’s take a break…'
I decided to sit on a rock and rest. Reika had ntioned that she had felt an overwhelming amount of mana around here, and now I was starting to think that this place might indeed be a spot for so sort of spiritual training or cultivation. While pondering these thoughts, I allowed myself a brief respite.
'Huh?'
Through the trees ahead, I spotted a small shack hidden among the branches. It was so well camouflaged that it seed almost invisible, tucked away in the middle of the mountain.
'No wonder I couldn’t find it…'
It was a bit anticlimactic to find it so soon after deciding to rest, but now that I had found it, I couldn’t just waste more ti. I imdiately got up from my seat and headed toward the shack.
Crunch, crunch.
As I walked through the grass, the sound of my footsteps beca more distinct, and before I knew it, I was standing right in front of the door. I gently knocked on it.
"Is anyone there?"
For a mont, I felt as if I were a tax collector or sothing, but that thought disappeared quickly as a very fragile, glass-like voice echoed from the other side.
"…Who are you?"
"Are you Anima Ingram?"
There was a long silence before the voice responded.
"…Yes, I am."
"I’ve co here on the orders of my lord, Yuri. I have a ssage for you from her."
"…"
There was more silence, but after a while, a small voice pierced through the stillness, barely audible.
"Please wait a mont."
A few minutes later, the door creaked open.
And there she was—Anima Ingram.
Her brown, short hair looked sowhat unkempt, and though her eyes had a tired, distant quality, there was a sharpness to them that stood out. Her outfit was fairly unremarkable, except for one detail—her right arm was completely concealed by a cloak, completely covering it.
"Did Yuri send you?" she asked.
"Yes."
"You’re a new face... May I ask your na?"
"My na is Swen. I haven’t been in Aishus Army for long."
"I see."
She closed her eyes for a mont, then nodded and spoke.
"It’s humble, but please co in."
Inside her dwelling, I couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of familiarity. The floor was worn down, and there was almost nothing in the room—just a single blanket tossed carelessly on the ground. It reminded of the place I stayed at when I was in Zeilant Castle. Definitely.
"You’ve co a long way, but I have nothing to offer. I apologize," she said.
"It’s fine."
I quietly observed her face. She gave a faint smile, but there was no mistaking the wariness in her eyes. She seed to trust the fact that I had been sent by Yuri, especially since my uniform clearly marked as part of Aishus Army, but there was still caution there.
"How is Yuri doing?"
It seed like Anima was speaking casually, as if she were addressing an old friend. Well, considering she was one of the founders of the country, it made sense.
"Yes, for the most part."
"So, what did Yuri say to you?"
"She asked if you would be willing to help again."
"I see."
At that, Anima let out a small sigh.
"How is the army doing?"
"We recently succeeded in capturing Raklein Castle."
"I see. It seems the army is doing well even without ."
I could sense a strange emotion in her deanor. At first, I had wondered if she might have been acting out of so form of rebellion after stepping down from her position as national strategist, but it seed that wasn’t exactly the case. She likely felt that she had lost her place—though it might not have been for reasons of power or leadership. It felt like sothing deeper, more personal.
Though I couldn’t put it into one concise thought, I could tell from her vacant eyes that there was no lust for power there.
Given the nature of Aishus Army and its focus on the founding figures, it was clear that they would co for her again if they didn’t bring her back now. Climbing this mountain had been exhausting for , and I wanted to complete the mission in one go if possible.
I cautiously spoke up.
"It might not be entirely like that."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Both Yuri and many others, including Generals Epinnel, Emma, and Hernandorf, have been hoping for your return. I haven’t been here long enough to know exactly, but it seems like you were a crucial part of Aishus Army."
"Why do you think so?"
"Well, it’s easy to notice after a while. Your na keeps coming up."
Of course, I hadn’t actually heard it firsthand, but I had made that assumption based on the context.
Either way, if I could bring her back, the founding mbers of Aishus Army, including Yuri, would be more than pleased, I was sure.
"…"
Anima closed her eyes again as I spoke.
"Everyone who worked with you is looking forward to working with you again. Will you co back with ?"
She didn’t answer right away. I chose not to press her further, instead silently staring at her face until she spoke.
I’m not sure how much ti passed.
Finally, she spoke, her voice heavy.
"Swen. This might be a bit sudden, but do you know why I wear this cloak?"
"The cloak?"
Her question caught off guard, but I sensed that she was about to reveal sothing important. I replied in a serious tone.
"I’m not sure, but…"
"It’s nothing much."
She said this, and then, with her left hand, she let the cloak that had been covering her right arm fall to the ground.
And what I saw was—
"…!!"
Where her right arm should have been, there was nothing.
'She’s… missing an arm?'
"If I’ve surprised you, I apologize."
"No, it’s just… How did this happen?"
"…"
Anima slowly opened her eyes, and her pale eyes were much clearer now than before.
"It’s nothing much. Just… it’s a story of ours," she said.
"Ours?"
She must have ant Aishus Army. Now that I thought about it, the bond between Yuri and the other founding figures of the country seed unusually tight. Why did they act this way?
Perhaps this was a chance to understand why. Though I was planning on leaving eventually, hearing her story wouldn’t hurt while I was still here.
"Will you listen?"
"Tell as much as you wish."
"…"
Anima nodded, and finally, she began to speak about what had happened.
Reviews
All reviews (0)