Chapter 20
The game had only one purpose.
To conquer the Empire. Every other option was merely a step toward that goal.
Because he had been content with his current life, he had strayed from the fate that had been handed to him. He thought he could live happily like this.
It had been a mistake.
The result of turning away from the future and ignoring what was to come was horrific. Even if it meant dying, he had no intention of accepting such a future.
Then what was he supposed to do?
What if he launched a preemptive strike? The difference between preparing for the future and doing nothing was enormous.
If he prepared meticulously for everything and went in ready to die···perhaps the result might be different.
But what would remain after a victory that left only wounds?
Could happiness really come to a life in which he had failed to protect the things precious to him and committed unbearable acts of slaughter? Surely not.
What if he simply ran away? He could leave for somewhere with the people he loved most.
He could live with them, laughing and talking, without worrying about grand things like the Empire or the fate of the North.
Could he be happy living that way? No. He would surely be crushed beneath unbearable guilt and slowly die.
-Do as you wish.
He wanted to protect the happiness he had gained. But he had no idea how.
His head throbbed.
Ivan clutched his head and thought for a long while before raising it to look beyond the door.
Someone had come to see him.
***
Elena stood before the tightly closed door.
For several days now, Ivan had suddenly shut himself away in here and showed no intention of coming out.
She did not know why, but she had quietly waited. Everyone had secrets they could not tell anyone.
She had given him time to sort out his thoughts, but she could no longer leave him alone.
“Open the door.”
There was no answer. Elena knocked again, putting a little force into her voice.
“If you don't open it, I'll come in by force.”
Only then did she hear the faint sound of movement from beyond the door.
Creak—the door slowly opened with the groan of its hinges.
Ivan looked a mess when Elena saw him again after several days.
His hair was tousled in every direction, and deep fatigue clouded his eyes. He did not seem to have slept properly for the past few days.
Elena was speechless for a moment. It was the first time she had ever seen Ivan look so weak.
“What happened?”
“Nothing happened. I'm just···a little tired.”
“Liar.”
Ivan was bad at lying. At least, he was when it came to Elena.
Even now, he was avoiding her gaze. There was no way she could even pretend to believe him.
“Is this something you have to hide even from me?”
“···I'm sorry.”
Hearing him out probably would not help much. If this were something Elena could solve, he would have told her long ago.
But that was no reason for him to shoulder everything alone.
“If I said nothing and acted as you do, would you be able to let it go?”
“······.”
“No, whatever I said, you'd keep clinging to my side and pestering me.”
I want to be there for you when things are hard. Even if I can't help, I want to give you strength. My heart aches when I see you suffering. Because I love you. That's what family is.
“But what is this···? You just keep shouldering everything alone. Have you never thought about what it feels like for me to watch you do that?”
The emotions she had suppressed came surging out. Elena leaned weakly against Ivan's body and sobbed.
Ivan held Elena in his arms without saying a word.
“···You bastard.”
Elena sniffled and looked up at Ivan. She was unbearably adorable.
A smile escaped him before he knew it. He could do anything to protect this happiness.
Ivan stroked Elena's head and said,
“Could you wait one more day?”
Elena kicked him in the shin.
“···You really are a bastard.”
“I'm sorry. Once I've sorted out my thoughts a little more, I'll come to you myself.”
“This is the last time I'll trust you. Be prepared if you break your promise.”
Elena slipped away with a bashful blush on her face. Come to think of it, this was the first time he had ever seen her cry.
His mind felt much clearer.
He thought once more about what he could do. He searched for a path that would lead him toward the best possible ending.
“Ah.”
A possibility suddenly occurred to him.
In the end, what mattered was not the process but the conclusion. He did not need to start a war to take the Empire.
Of course, the journey would not be easy···but he had already prepared himself for that much.
There was no reason to hesitate any longer. Ivan moved forward with considerably lighter steps.
He called Elena and Havel, the two people with whom he had always shared his thoughts at crucial moments.
Ivan gave them a brief apology before getting to the point.
“I received a revelation. In the near future, the Empire will invade the North, and both sides will die. I'll be the only one who survives.”
“Could it have been nothing more than a nightmare?”
“I felt it instinctively, but it was almost like prophecy or fate. If we do nothing, it will certainly come to pass.”
Havel's expression turned cold and rigid.
“···Does that mean war is unavoidable after all?”
“No. I thought of a way to bring about the destined outcome without starting a war.”
“What method?”
Ivan closed his eyes for a moment, then spoke as though he had made up his mind.
“I'll hide my identity, infiltrate the Empire, and destroy it from within.”
“···What?”
“It's a problem that can be solved if I rise to a position where I can wield influence. And while I'm at it, I'll take the heads of the bastards trying to start a war.”
It was a somewhat—no, an extremely far-fetched and dangerous plan.
Starting a war seemed far more likely to succeed, but his personal selfishness made that impossible.
He simply could not bear to lose even one of his people, so he would rather shoulder everything alone.
He might end up losing everything, but he had no doubt that this was the only way to protect it all.
“Even so, that's far too reckless···.”
Havel, who had been about to dissuade Ivan, paused to think.
Except for their larger physiques, Imperials and Northerners were difficult to distinguish by appearance. Ivan was especially hard to tell apart from them.
Moreover, even if people found his identity suspicious, there would be countless people who wanted a warrior of Ivan's caliber on their side.
Ivan's political instincts were not lacking, either. If he set his mind to it, he could easily bring the fools in the Empire under his thumb.
“But···there's one problem. We need to be able to communicate before you can do anything.”
The languages of the Empire and the North were different. If they could not even hold a conversation, there was no way he could hide his identity.
Besides, he had no idea how long learning Imperial would take at this point.
The plan was effectively dead, but Ivan grinned.
“Did you really think I hadn't considered something that basic?”
“You mean···.”
“I've recovered some forgotten memories. I was actually from the Empire.”
It was a lie.
Not a single memory from before he had been possessed had returned. But he could communicate, couldn't he?
Ivan had no status screen, but he had been given a certain amount of prior knowledge. The Imperial language was among it.
Perhaps the owner of this body really had been from the Empire. Or perhaps it was simply a perk of being a transmigrator.
In any case, for now, it was something he had to be grateful for.
“What unexpected luck. Valdor must be helping us too!”
Havel trusted Ivan's words, as he always had.
“While I'm away, I'll leave you in charge as great chieftain. You'll do fine.”
“I won't do as well as you, but I'll give it my best.”
“And Elena···.”
“I know what you're going to say. I'll stay here too.”
Elena was currently the tribe's only shaman and priestess. Her absence could not easily be filled.
“Are you really all right with that?”
“How could I keep up with your pace? I don't want to become a burden.”
She wanted to go anywhere with him, but she could not ruin his plan out of selfish desire.
Elena resigned herself to reality.
“You have to come back soon. I'll get angry if it takes too long.”
“I promise.”
“And I'll even let it slide if you meet one or two other women.”
The unexpected bombshell left Ivan aghast. He shouted,
“What···?! How could I do that with you here···.”
“Don't overestimate yourself. Better to give you permission than have you bottle it up and cause trouble.”
“······.”
“Just don't forget that I'm always first. And···.”
Elena hugged Ivan tightly, then pressed herself against him on the bed.
Ivan was so flustered that he toppled over without managing any proper resistance.
Elena whispered into Ivan's ear,
“Focus on me tonight.”
“W-wait, we have an audience, so calm down for a moment···!!”
When he turned his gaze aside, Havel had already disappeared. That friend of his had impeccable instincts.
A sweet tongue slipped between his lips. His mind went hazy.
‘Ah, whatever.’
Ivan simply gave up on thinking. That night was unusually long.
***
Even the tribe members did not need to know the whole truth.
Ivan announced that he would be away for a while under the pretext of traveling the world to broaden his horizons.
The warriors of the other tribes were disappointed, but they respected the great chieftain's wishes and did not say much.
“Boohoo!! Big brother!!”
Rowan was so distraught that tears streamed down his face.
Only a few months ago, he had been an adorable little brother, but now he had built up enough muscle to look a little unsettling.
“What kind of man cries over something like this? I told you I'd be back soon.”
“Sniff! Even when you're gone, I won't neglect my training!”
“Good. Work hard.”
By the next time they met, Rowan might have grown into a burly, bearded barbarian warrior. The thought sent a shiver down Ivan's spine.
Just before he left, Havel came to see him one last time.
“Ivan, can I really do this?”
“Even when I was the great chieftain, you practically did all the work. There won't be any problem.”
“···That's the first time I've heard that. Anyway, take care on your journey.”
Havel patted Ivan on the shoulder encouragingly. It was a rough farewell worthy of a Northern warrior.
Elena did not come to see him off. Last night had been a little intense.
Maybe it was for the best. Otherwise, he might have found it too hard to let go.
Ivan turned around one last time.
The precious things he wanted to protect all came into view at once.
He did not know what the journey ahead would bring, but he would probably miss this place from time to time.
Still, since he had started, he might as well enjoy it as much as possible. That way, he would have plenty of stories to tell when he returned.
Footprints were etched into the pure-white snowfield.
The journey had begun.