NOVEL WEB Chapter 64
The road to the Falahart Royal Palace wasn’t much different from the one to Anel Castle.
There was, however, one difference—there were many familiar faces around for some reason.
While playing through the same old [Grandure Intinity Saga] repeatedly, I had seen these faces countless times before, and now their owners were appearing one by one in front of my eyes.
‘Impressive. This really feels like the treasure trove of talent that is Aishias Army.’
Aishias Army’s keyword is “exceptional talent.”
Despite having an incredibly weak foundation, they somehow manage to cover it up with sheer talent and aim for the Unification of the Continent.
It might take a bit of effort, but it’s not overly difficult—it’s sort of like an intermediate-level ruler experience.
And so, we arrived at the castle gate.
One of the guards stopped us.
“Please state your identity.”
“Iren Julieat. I haven’t been here long.”
“And you?”
“My name is Swoen. Like Lady Iren beside me, I’ve also just joined Aishias Army recently.”
“Iren Julieat, Swoen… please wait a moment.”
The guard went into a small room nearby.
Soon, after confirming something, he came back out and saluted us.
“There have been many visitors today. Please come in.”
“Hmm.”
We lightly nodded to the guard and entered the interior of the palace where the meeting was being held.
We quickly found our way to what seemed to be the Audience Chamber where the meeting would take place. Iren and I took our seats among the gathered crowd.
Once seated, we began observing those who had already arrived.
‘Wow.’
Almost everyone was familiar, and I almost let out an exclamation of surprise.
The most noticeable figure was undoubtedly Epinal Rosenkross, the second-in-command of Aishias Army.
With her teal ponytail and scandalously revealing armor, she stood with her arms crossed and her eyes closed, waiting patiently for the meeting to start.
On the opposite side sat another woman.
She had wavy, silvery-blue hair that flowed down elegantly. Clearly recognizable as Emma Eldrun—one of the few commanders possessing the rare “Siege” skill.
Dressed in sturdy armor, she commanded a presence similar to Iren’s, though perhaps lacking the same level of charm. The only real difference? Breast size. While Emma had a rather plain physique, Iren looked like she couldn’t wear anything but custom-made armor.
Next to her stood a hulking man.
Black unkempt hair, towering height, a muscular build, and an air of deep contemplation in his gaze.
Though I don’t usually remember male characters too well, this guy was almost certainly Erhandorf Arician—the strongest warrior in Aishias Army when it comes to raw power. He was reliable in 1-on-1 duels, providing solid support akin to comfort food. Unlike Chel from Brance Army, he wasn’t overly reckless, making him easier to control. However, his low Divinity meant he often fell victim to clever strategies.
Epinal. Emma. And Erhandorf.
These three formed what was known as the “Aishias Trio.” Not something I made up on the spot—it was actually written in the character descriptions in-game.
Most of the other commanders present were also familiar faces. Seeing them all together made me realize how relatively unimpressive the roster of Brance Army had been compared to this group.
After some time passed,
“Lord Yuri has arrived!”
With the soldier’s announcement, Yuri walked toward the empty throne.
“Huh?”
Wait a minute.
Who’s the old man following behind Yuri?
A man with a deep-set cap and a strikingly long white beard… That person… Could it be?
[Is Divinity 99 something to take lightly?]
“Ah!”
That’s right! It clicked.
This old man… Jinoru. Practically the game’s max Divinity stat holder at 99. How could I forget the man who brought me into this world?
Though whether this world’s Jinoru knows about that remains unclear…
His full name was Jinoru Nachtardt, wasn’t it?
Huh?
Nachtardt?
“A! A! A!”
Of course!
Nachtardt… Since Jinoru’s surname was Nachtardt, it naturally stuck in my memory.
But wasn’t Reika’s last name Nachtardt too?
What gives? Is Reika his daughter? Granddaughter?
No… Reika was an orphan, wasn’t she?
Clearly something fishy was going on here. Having played various rulers multiple times while utilizing Reika, I was confident about this fact.
“What’s going on here?”
Apparently, while I was away serving in Brance Army, things had been unfolding on this side as well.
I never expected Jinoru to be part of Aishias Army.
However, Jinoru’s presence neatly explained something that had puzzled me until now.
Back when I was in Brance Army,
I discovered the betrayal plot thanks to Charan Army suddenly offering tribute.
But betrayal plots require Divinity 95 or higher and the “Betrayal” special skill.
When I asked myself if Aishias Army had someone capable of such a scheme,
Jinoru was clearly the best candidate.
With Divinity 99 and diverse skills, he could easily devise such strategies.
Yuri slowly sat on the throne and addressed us.
“Well, thank you all for gathering despite your busy schedules. Let’s begin the meeting immediately. Before we proceed, we’ll have a brief session of rewarding achievements from last month. Is that okay?”
“Yes!”
Rewarding achievements wasn’t particularly important.
The standout performers were predictably the Aishias Trio, excelling once again in this timeline.
“Alright, moving on to the topic from the last meeting. Everyone worked extremely hard, even though we failed to conquer Brance Army. Nonetheless, we achieved commendable results in other areas. I hope you continue to perform this well.”
As someone who contributed significantly to the failure of central continental expansion, I felt slightly awkward, but nonetheless, this was now my home.
“Alright, let’s gather opinions on what we should do next. Any good suggestions?”
“Lord.”
The first to raise his hand was Jinoru.
“Hmm?”
“Falahart Territory emits auspicious energy. Exploring the castle and surrounding lands might not be a bad idea.”
“Exploration…”
Hmm?
Strategists rarely recommend exploring territories unless there are hidden talents or treasures involved.
At that moment,
“Yuri, I also have something to say.”
Instead of calling him “Lord,” Emma raised her hand and addressed him by name, using casual speech.
This wasn’t entirely unprecedented; Tifa from Lunarien Army spoke similarly.
Still, it struck me as odd that even within the larger scale Aishias Army, a trusted subordinate would speak so informally.
Unfazed, Yuri simply nodded.
“What is it?”
“I think we should deal with Charan Army and Alepel Army. Keeping them alive doesn’t seem beneficial anymore. We delayed their attacks with schemes and such, but soon we’ll clash with Brance Army. To prepare for that, we need to eliminate any lingering threats.”
“Hmm.”
Yuri nodded and continued.
“Does anyone else want to speak?”
A brief silence followed.
With no further comments, the meeting proceeded.
“Alright, who thinks it would be a good idea to explore the surroundings of Falahart Castle? Please raise your hands lightly.”
‘Time to showcase my abilities again.’
Should we prioritize exploring Falahart Territory?
As always, the Divinity 100 mind instantly provided an answer.
[Yes.]
‘Oh.’
A refreshingly clear response after so long.
Given that the suggestion came from none other than Jinoru, I expected nothing less.
His Divinity was 99, meaning his words were correct 99% of the time. Following his advice would naturally be the right choice.
I slowly raised my hand, along with about half of the attendees, including Iren.
Clearly, many within the army trusted Jinoru.
Next, Yuri scanned the room and continued.
“Alright, who believes dealing with Charan Army and Alepel Army first would be a good idea?”
Though the decision had already been made, it was still worth asking.
Should we prioritize eliminating Charan Army and Alepel Army?
[No.]
Predictably, the answer confirmed my suspicions, bringing a sense of relief.
An equal number of people raised their hands this time.
Counting quickly, it seemed slightly fewer than before.
Would this issue then be decided by majority vote?
However,
“Hmm…”
Instead of saying, “Based on the majority vote, we’ll adopt Jinoru’s proposal,” Yuri appeared lost in thought.
Was this something worth pondering?
Generally, during meetings, the majority opinion was always chosen.
Not doing so risked lowering the loyalty of the commanders or causing strained relations, so adopting the majority vote was advantageous for the ruler.
For the commanders, there was always the chance to persuade others through individual discussions even if they lost the majority vote.
Yet,
“Jinoru, I think we should let this one slide this time. Considering it’s Emma speaking, there’s no harm in that, right?”
“Would I dare object, Lord? I will follow your wishes.”
Hearing Jinoru’s reply, Yuri nodded and addressed us.
“This time, we’ll go with Emma’s suggestion. Taking back the territories of Charan Army and Alepel Army. For the sake of achieving our goals, I expect everyone to work diligently in their respective positions. Understood?”
“Yes! Understood!”
“…?”
Without a single objection, she made her decision and concluded the matter.
If this was the plan all along, why bother collecting everyone’s opinions?
Moreover, the phrase “since it’s Emma” was troubling.
Would there have been no need for compromise if it were someone else?
Somehow, I sensed a fundamental issue within Aishias Army…
But my information was insufficient to draw any conclusions.
In any case, the meeting continued.
The only notable point was that due to Epinal’s request, 10,000 additional soldiers from Falahart Castle would be deployed to the fortress where Epinal resided.
Since the current troop count at Falahart Castle was over 53,000, sending 10,000 didn’t seem too burdensome, yet her immediate agreement felt unsettling.
It seemed the influence of the Aishias Trio was stronger than I anticipated.
Finally, as the meeting concluded,
Yuri rose from her seat and addressed us.
“I’ve organized everyone’s assigned tasks, so please check them as you leave. With that, let’s conclude the meeting. Oh, and…”
She then looked directly at me and said,
“Swoen, could you stay behind for a moment?”
“…?”
Her single sentence drew the attention of every commander present.
Though feeling somewhat flustered under the sudden spotlight, it was the fate of a commander to obey orders.
“Understood.”
“Alright. Everyone else may dismiss themselves.”
“Yes! Understood!”
With that final statement, the assembled commanders offered their final respects and gradually exited the audience chamber.
After telling Iren I’d catch up shortly and that she could leave ahead, I remained seated, waiting for everyone to depart.
Once the room grew quiet,
only three people remained: myself, Jinoru, and Yuri.
I naturally approached her throne.
“What is the matter?”
“Swoen, there’s something I’d like to ask you, though technically, it’s more relevant to him.”
“What exactly…?”
“It’s more his area, so…”
Yuri slightly turned her head to glance at Jinoru beside her.
What’s this?
Does Jinoru have something to say to me?
At that moment, the line about Divinity 99 being something to take lightly popped into my head again.
Jinoru gave a light nod in my direction and slowly approached.
“Are you Sir Swoen?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
“…”
Why… Why?
What is it?
Jinoru looked at me carefully and hesitantly asked,
“…”