Inside the royal palace, before Kalinz's group arrived.
"..."
Lynn sat on the throne, reading Farfalle's letter over and over again. The contents could be summarized as follows:
[Swen's predictions were all correct. From the beginning, Charam was conspiring with Aishers to stab us in the back. I've also received news of the rebellion. Everything he said was right. His abilities are extraordinary. Even when his opinions differ from mine, they seem trustworthy.]
Farfalle wasn't an arrogant person, but she wasn't the type to deny her excellent abilities with false modesty either. Full of confidence, she rarely listened to others' opinions and disliked having her own opinions modified by others' intervention. Yet for the first time in her life, she was telling her lord: "His opinions are trustworthy even when they differ from mine." Not someone with completely different talents like Irene, but someone competing in the same field as herself, like Swen.
At this point, Lynn's mind was in an uncontrollably complex state. Clearly, an incredible talent had joined them... but her heart was far from at ease.
How could his words match reality so unrealistically well? With a general who could predict everything so accurately... why did she feel "fear" instead of "reassurance" or "reliability"?
Lynn Brands fundamentally did not trust others. The biggest reason she could ascend to the position of heir was because she trusted no one. It was already well-known among the three siblings that their father, Orlando Brands, chose Lynn as his successor—neither Chel nor Kalinz—precisely because of her nature of absolutely not relying on or trusting anyone.
Honestly, she knew that while Farfalle was among the smartest in the central continent, she didn't possess particularly outstanding abilities compared to strategists from other countries. But that's exactly why Lynn could comfortably employ her. She believed she could ultimately control Farfalle. She valued her highly but simultaneously didn't trust her 100%.
Gathering talented individuals buried in small countries was part of this strategy. Instead of absolutely trusting one person, she collected as many people as possible who could offer her opinions. This would greatly increase the number of options available to her.
But her comfortable "Brands Army Management Plan" was beginning to fall apart because of a man named Swen.
It was none other than Lynn herself who recruited Swen. For a strategist from a small country, he seemed quite intelligent. It was enough that he occasionally gave spine-chilling advice. Yes, that's all she expected from him—advice on continental affairs and discussions about strategies.
But he kept making "absurd" claims that were difficult to accept. And those absurd claims eventually turned out to be "correct" as time passed. Not only that, but now he had stayed at the fortress despite disobeying her orders, and in a battle thought impossible to win... he was even summoning boulders by praying to the heavens.
Lynn sensed it. Swen was not someone she could control.
That's why she feared him. As the ruler, she feared her subordinate general who seemed impossible to handle and who kept saying only correct things.
At first, she tried not to show it. After all, Swen's lord was herself. She thought if there was any sign of him escaping her grasp, she could somehow deal with him.
In fact, when he entered the audience hall with Kalinz, she wasn't particularly nervous. Yes, it's nothing special. Even when she had just begun her private audience with him after sending Kalinz and Irene away... she was fine.
But the more she talked with him, the more she began to fear him again. The certainty that she would not be able to manipulate him as she wished, no matter what she did, was creeping up on her.
Without realizing it, her voice began to tremble. Without realizing it, she felt chills throughout her body.
Clearly, she was the ruler. Even now, she could order him imprisoned without giving any reason, or go further and frame him with false charges and have him beheaded.
Despite this—the presence of Swen, kneeling before her, calmly muttering impossible things like "reading the stars in the sky" or "reading people's actions," terrified her beyond measure.
"Swen... what exactly are you...?"
Barely managing to squeeze out the words, she asked about his existence. What exactly are you? How much do you know? Do you even know that I fear you?
As she was unconsciously repeating those words in her mind...
Swen slowly smiled and said:
"Lady Lynn. It's all right."
"All right...?"
"My talents are entirely yours, Lady Lynn. There's no need to fear."
"...!!!"
Yes. As expected, this man had seen through even her fear of him. But at the same time...
With his waist bent all the way down, he was speaking to her almost as if begging.
"Please use me as your compass, Lady Lynn. I will gladly comply."
"...?"
Though somewhat taken aback by Swen's sudden submissive attitude, she managed to regain her composure and asked:
"...What do you mean...?"
"I mean it literally, my lord."
Swen looked up at Lynn and spoke in a respectful tone.
"It's a humble talent, but thanks to Lady Lynn valuing it highly, I was able to join the Brands army. I think this is an excellent stage to fulfill my dream. My dream is not to grasp the world with my own hands. My dream is to assist the person who will grasp the world."
"The person who will grasp the world..."
"Yes."
To the slightly trembling Lynn, Swen confidently said:
"I'm referring to you, Lady Lynn."
"...!"
"My goal is to achieve fame and success. I don't particularly want anything else. Fulfill what I want. I will fulfill what Lady Lynn wants."
After saying that, Swen... once again lowered his head even further toward the floor and said:
"Please, give me wings, my lord."
*
After Swen withdrew as well, Lynn, finally alone in the audience hall, was able to regain her composure after letting time dissolve away. As soon as she could think rationally again, what she did was ruminate on what Swen had told her.
'Use him as a compass... is it.'
In other words, was he asking to be made the national strategist? Even if not exactly that, it was clear he wanted to be used importantly. He said he wanted to achieve fame and success. And he also said that the person who would grasp the world was none other than Lynn Brands. So to summarize—he was telling her not to fear him, but to please use him.
'...'
Honestly, when she heard that his goal was fame and success, she felt somewhat deflated. With abilities like his, that's all his ambition amounted to? Moreover, he was boldly telling Lynn herself that she was "the person who would grasp the world." Although she thought so herself, hearing it from someone else's mouth was a slightly different matter.
Rather than truly thinking so... it felt more like flattery to look good in front of her, the ruler. Lynn couldn't erase that thought from her mind.
'Have I... overestimated him too much?'
She thought, twirling her finger through her hair. Swen had clearly noticed that she, his lord, feared him. That's why he said "there's no need to fear." If so, despite knowing that she felt fear toward him, he prostrated himself like that and said he would use his abilities for her?
Seeing Swen being excessively submissive made her mind even more complicated.
Thinking that far, her first meeting with Swen naturally came to mind. He had said that "his former lord, Lunarienne Iniang, thought he was a traitor conspiring with the Brands army." Clearly, his former lord Lunarienne had also feared Swen's abilities and dealt with him in such a way. How broad-minded could the weak ruler of a small country be? It wouldn't be incomprehensible if, after experiencing such things, he chose self-preservation rather than harboring grand dreams.
'Perhaps I've valued Swen himself too highly... because I overestimated his abilities.'
Extraordinary ability and bold character weren't proportional, after all. Come to think of it, his reason for disobeying orders was incredibly simple. To achieve merit. He was probably trying to get in Kalinz's good graces. As a new general, it would be difficult to establish connections around her, with Farfalle and the meritorious retainers standing firm. The fact that he defended the fortress despite disobeying orders—a fortress that would be meaningless with just a little thought—didn't make his desire for fame and success seem false. Thinking this way made her feel somewhat relieved. Of course, there was a different real reason why Swen remained at the fortress, but there was no way for Lynn to realize that.
'Actually, that's just about right. If he's someone with clear desires...'
Lynn gave a sardonic smile. Yes. Giving him what he wanted while not trusting him 100% and extracting only what she needed from him. Perhaps that would form a win-win relationship between herself and Swen.
If Swen's goal was truly fame and success, she was confident she could provide that. By making him depend on and be loyal to her that way—from then on, she was confident she could handle him somehow. There was no one easier to deal with than someone with clear desires.
"Heheheh."
Lynn's laughter filled the quiet audience hall. Yes. There was no need to be afraid. No matter what anyone said, she was the absolute authority.
'Swen... will you slowly prove your abilities? If you do that, I'll make you unable to live without me...'
Thinking this, she continued to twirl her finger and twist her hair. She stopped this behavior only after another 30 minutes had passed.
* * *
As I left the palace after the audience, Irene was waiting for me.
"Swen."
"You should have gone home first."
"How could I leave without you? We're going to the same place anyway."
She said that, and then suddenly lowered her head slightly—and looking up at me with a flushed face, she said:
"And... it's been a while since I've gone home. I wanted to go in with you."
"I see. Me too."
Irene smiled broadly at my words. Lately, I could see her smiling face often.
"I'm glad."
On the way home from the royal palace, she asked me a few questions.
"Did your conversation with our lord go well?"
"Yes."
"What did you talk about?"
"Nothing special, I just planted an illusion in her mind."
Irene tilted her head at my words.
"You planted an illusion?"
"Yes."
I smiled and said:
"I gave her confidence that she might be able to control me as she wishes."
"Gave her confidence... why on earth?"
"Well, people are more likely to be deceived by someone they think they can handle than by someone they fear."
"The mention of fear concerns me, but what do you mean by 'deceived'?"
"Because it's about time for us to leave."
"...!!"
Irene's pupils contracted rapidly upon hearing my words.
"Before we leave, we need to take everything we can to make it worthwhile, don't we?"
She glanced around slightly, then asked in a cautious tone:
"When you say it's time to leave..."
"Yes. You should prepare yourself too, Lady Irene. We will soon be going to serve a new lord."
Yes. Even before me, for Irene's safety as well. We had to leave this place quickly.
Irene said nothing after hearing my words—then, with a faint smile, she said:
"...Alright. Swen, if that's what you're thinking, I'll follow you wherever you go."
"That's good enough."
I smiled along with her. Between us, a stronger bond than ever before was clearly felt.
"Shall we go back now? To our home."
"Our home... huh."
Irene repeated the word "our" several times, then looked at me with a bright smile. Her face in the sunlight seemed more radiant than ever.
"Yes. Let's go back, Swen. Together with me. To our home."
The place where our story began. It was time to return to East Anel 32nd Street.