Athena's General Reincarnated in Another World

Charles Asalon:

Gilly was lying beside me in bed. We had just shared a moment together. I was still catching my breath, no longer possessing the same vigor I had back in my glory days—those wild parties with the finest women from the capital's brothels.

A quiet laugh slipped from me as those memories surfaced.

"Did you enjoy it, my king?" Gilly asked.

I turned my head to look at her. "It was good. Took my mind off things for a bit." I sat up in bed and leaned against the headboard. On the side table, there was a bowl of fruit. I picked up an apple.

"Pour me some wine," I said.

"Yes, my king." Gilly stood and slipped into a robe.

She walked over to the table in the corner and poured from a jug. She came back to my side and served me. I waved my hand, conjured a shard of ice with my magic, and dropped it into the drink. I took a generous sip, savoring the flavor. Gilly sat beside me again.

"The queen is going to be angry with me... she hates when we do this outside the castle."

"Who summoned you?"

"You did, my king..."

"Then let me deal with Agnes if she complains," I said, getting up and putting on a robe. Agnes had no real taste for intimacy, and I could never be myself with her the way I was with my concubines. With her status, I was expected to treat her with... affection.

I walked across the room into the hallway. That entire wing of the mansion was a private suite with several rooms. I was heading for the bath. I always liked to take a hot soak after moments like this.

I heard Gilly's footsteps behind me, and when I glanced back, she was carrying a bottle of wine.

Steam rolled over me the second I stepped into the bathroom, the warm air wrapping around my skin. I loved the heat. I slid into the tub and let my head rest back on the edge.

"Wash my hair. Massage it," I said.

Gilly closed the door and sat behind me on a stool. She took a bucket of warm water and gently poured it over my head with a ladle, then began massaging slowly.

I took a drink from the wine bottle she brought, closing my eyes and enjoying the warmth of the water.

"She wasn't there, Gilly... what a shame..." I murmured.

"Who, my king?" she asked.

"The most beautiful woman in the kingdom. That commoner with the reddish-brown hair," I said.

I'd first seen her at Duncan's birthday years ago. I was instantly enchanted. I even considered making an offer to buy her as a slave, but she turned out to be from the high nobility. The most stunning woman I'd ever seen. If I'd found her sooner, I would've given her anything to make her mine.

She was the reason I chose Gilly. When I saw Gilly at a noble's party, I invited her to work at the palace. I thought she might satisfy that craving, but nothing compared to her.

"The queen doesn't like when you talk about that woman..." Gilly muttered.

"Neither do you, apparently," I said, chuckling.

Every woman I'd desired, I'd taken. All but you. I thought silently, picturing her face. There was something in her beauty that captivated me endlessly. I could stare at her all day and never get tired of it. It was like every detail had been carved to perfection. Just imagining her stirred that familiar hunger again.

"Maybe one day..." I murmured, taking another sip of wine.

"What was that?" Gilly asked.

I sighed.

"Nothing. Just thinking out loud..."

Wait… what's stopping me? I could send a formal invitation, something elegant, something official.

I adjusted my position in the tub.

No… Agnes would kill me...

"Maybe someday," I whispered.

Adrihna Akonium:

I walked through the royal family's mansion, deep in thought. I was the representative of the dukes in this place. They had remained in the elven kingdom, since decisions here were taken by the royal family, unlike in the human kingdom. Their life's mission went beyond protecting the royal bloodline—they were the guardians of the sanctuary, the small town where the Great Mother once made her home. They never left that place, always watching over her memory in the hope that one day she might return. But… those were just legends.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

I'm a faithful follower of our religion, but unlike the high elves, I'm not so obsessed with promises from the past. I focus on the present. The people I need to protect now are the children of the Great Mother.

"They refused again to stay with us..." said Queen Siofna.

"The Evenhart family… they have their reasons," I replied. "It may seem like what we're offering is with the best of intentions, but right now no one wants to leave the comfort of their home to stay in a stranger's house. They need their space to breathe. After everything that happened, that's what they need most."

The Saint was lounging in an armchair, relaxed, reading a book.

"We're not strangers. They should be here with us, under our protection," she said.

"They're only a few minutes away on foot. Just a few streets separate us," I added, hoping to reassure them.

I left the two of them alone in the room. Queen Siofna came from a family of clerics who served Tiffania's mother. Even after marrying the king, she remained devoted to her religious duties, still tied to the Brawen family.

I continued down the hallway. As high elves, we can go several days without sleep. There's no better guard than us. We don't need food like humans, we don't tire as easily, and we barely sleep. We were the perfect sentinels. Unfortunately, we are few. Even if every high elf were gathered together, we wouldn't fill this mansion. We barely number a hundred.

I was constantly alert, keeping watch over the royals, walking every hour from here to the Evenhart mansion and back again. Always vigilant over both homes. I knew nothing would happen. Outside, an army of elven patrols stood guard, along with soldiers from the other kingdoms.

But even so… ever since I failed to protect them at the academy, the guilt hasn't left me. I can hardly look Nathan in the eye without feeling like I let him down.

Alice Asalon:

"Grand Duke Ryan, do you have a few minutes for a quick chat?" someone asked.

"Sure, though I think my daughter might get a little annoyed that we're late for dinner," he said, laughing.

I just left him there. We were in the mansion that served as the central headquarters. I wanted to go to the house we usually stayed at in the city, but I had to wait for my father.

I seriously considered walking there alone. It was only five minutes on foot. But I decided to wait. I barely ever see my father—he's always away with work. My mother was stationed at a garrison in the capital, but it's been years since I last saw her.

I was born through a surrogate. My father hired a commoner to carry me. I never cared much about her and don't consider her my real mother. We've barely spoken. I can count on one hand the number of times we've even met. She was a military woman and, apparently, possessed one of the rarest mana categories—she was a summoner. My father specifically chose her, hoping I would inherit something valuable.

I ended up being born with two affinities: water magic and summoning. I became a major asset to the family. No one from our purple flame bloodline had ever been a summoner before. But I've already been told that my future daughter will have to marry Melina's son. The plan is to try once again to create a powerful Soul Golem by combining the Asalon flame with a summoner's gift.

I've already accepted my fate, and I hope my daughter will accept hers too. Being an Asalon is never easy. Every move is calculated. Even my marriage to Sebastian was strategic. They wanted to "dilute" the Asalon purity in our child slightly, to make future magical compatibility better with Melina's lineage. Strong lineages tend to dominate weaker ones, and that's possibly why no one from our line had ever been born with the summoning category. They're trying to soften it... before trying again with a purer match.

While my father was busy, I decided to look for my cousin Elara. She had just returned after visiting her friend Rose. Elara had been feeling guilty lately—it was her who introduced William to Rose.

I wandered the hallways. Some areas were restricted, accessible only to nobles of high standing. They were meant to separate us from the others. I kept walking through the mansion.

I've waited all night for my father... if he finishes talking, it won't hurt for him to wait on me a little.

I headed toward Princess Rose's chambers. I had become friends with her—she was always so dedicated to her duties. An excellent administrator, her organization in the student council was often praised. She always knew exactly where every document was.

I stopped near her door. I thought about knocking, but I didn't want to interrupt if she and Elara were having a serious conversation.

Better wait here for Elara.

But then I hesitated, curious. I pushed the door open slightly to peek inside, just to check if it was a private moment.

And what I saw made me freeze.

Princess Rose… was kissing Elara.

"W-what are you doing, Rose?" Elara reacted, surprised and upset.

"I-I... after everything that happened, I just felt like I needed to tell you how I feel."

I froze.

I need to get out of here… I just saw something I shouldn't have.

Victoria Vargulfson:

I stood in front of Thyra's bedroom door, holding a plate of food in my hands. On the floor lay the trays from lunch that she hadn't touched. My niece hadn't been eating much lately.

"Thyra..." I called softly through the door. "Can I come in so we can talk?"

There was silence, until after a few seconds, a quiet reply came.

"No..."

I sighed.

"Alright… just know that I care about you. I'm worried about how you're doing. You were very close to Beatrix…" I said, but was met only with more silence.

"You're part of my pack. It's me and you, against the world," I added, repeating the words she used to say when she was little. But even that didn't seem enough to lift her spirits.

"I'll leave the food on the tray by your door…" I said quietly, and walked away.

My niece and I had a complicated relationship. She still carried the weight of her past… a truth I feared she might one day uncover.

I walked to my room, lost in thought, and closed the door behind me.

"Sister… playing the role of a mother is harder than I thought…" I murmured to myself.

"Victoria Vargulfson."

A voice echoed behind me, sending a chill down my spine. I instinctively turned, ready to strike at whoever had managed to sneak into my room. Not even my heightened senses had detected her presence.

"It's alright," said a woman calmly, sitting in an armchair beside my bed. "I've only come to answer your call. Unfortunately, my superior Siegfried is occupied and couldn't come himself. My name is Eira Green. I'm an envoy from Asgard."