Ch.305Chapter 305. The Blind Spot of a Veteran (5)

The soldier with the armband shouted in an urgent voice, almost pleading.

“News has arrived that Serpina von Einhart’s army… with 198,000 troops, is advancing toward this Balhart Castle!”

What…?

There’s no way Serpina’s army would come here.

After all, Erinandorf Arisian and Emma Adeline are doing everything they can to stop them for us, aren’t they…?

“What nonsense is this! They couldn’t possibly invade us! Can’t you explain yourself properly?!”

“I-I’m reporting exactly what happened! H-how could I possibly lie to Your Majesty…!”

“Go to Epinel Rosenkroz.”

Yurie said this, then continued.

“At times like this, we must comfort the spirits of Emma and Erinandorf even more. You know they’re protecting us, don’t you? Don’t worry about it. We’re going to win. So instead of making a fuss here, discuss defense matters with Epinel.”

She turned her head, closed her eyes again, and resumed her prayers.

Perhaps Serpina realized she couldn’t keep stalling and decided to mobilize her troops to attack.

But at least in Yurie’s mind, this was a terribly misguided decision. No, perhaps Emma and Erinandorf had even led to this situation!

After all, they had greatly expanded the altar. They invested every penny they could. The more they expanded it, the more Serpina’s soldiers retreated due to some mysterious power before they could even establish a front line. With each report, Yurie became more and more convinced.

That they were making the right choice now!

After driving away Serpina’s army, we’ll prepare for war again. Once we secure troops comparable to what we had before the plague, we’ll fight Serpina once more. It’s fine even if she has a mage. We have Emma and Erinandorf watching over us from above!

Stupid woman. Our enemy, the Academy’s enemy. You’re the one I’ll kill with my own hands. For Emma and Erinandorf, and for everyone who died before them…!!

—Even at this moment, Yurie’s faith remained blind.

She hadn’t always been this foolish.

But through a series of “wrong choices,” she lost the mage, lost her brilliant strategist, depleted all her troops to the plague, lost two beloved friends, and the enemy who killed her friend was killed by another woman she considered an enemy.

She had faced outcomes that would have driven an ordinary person mad ten times over.

Perhaps it was because of these continued failures. At some point, the once-intelligent Yurie was nowhere to be found.

It wasn’t just that—now she couldn’t even stand on her own two feet without blindly believing in something.

In fact, after barely surviving the war with Chel Brans’ army, she couldn’t properly govern. She only regained the strength to function again because she believed her fallen comrades, who died due to her wrong choices, had given her a chance for atonement.

And amazingly—

From the moment she began comforting the spirits of her comrades who appeared in her dreams, miracles started happening!

How to explain this feeling? It was like having the mage who had slipped from her grasp return to her! The sensation of creating miracles with her own hands that no strategist could accomplish!

Yurie felt herself coming back to life. That’s why she became obsessed. She firmly believed this was the only answer.

So she closed her eyes, covered her ears, and communicated only with the dead.

‘Emma, Erinandorf. Lend me your strength just a little longer. Protect the heavenly path that will save us. Please. Please…!!!!!’

Please, please, please…

She could only continue praying for wishes that would never reach those who had died.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Ruler Yurie continued praying at the altar—

In the audience chamber, Epinel Rosenkroz, who was leading the nation in her place, was speaking with a soldier, her expression grave.

“I’m sorry, but could you brief me one more time on the overall situation?”

“Yes! I’ll explain as many times as needed.”

The soldier with the armband, having regained some composure, was calmly reporting the current situation to her.

“The commander-in-chief is Irene Juliette, and the deputy commander is Irian Al Kaski. The total force is estimated at 198,000 troops… but some scouts report that there appears to be a rear guard as well.”

“A rear guard?”

“Yes, that’s right. Information suggests they’re dividing their forces as they approach. And apparently, they’re advancing while forming some kind of strange formation. I hear they’re controlling even each individual step as they march.”

‘What’s going on? Are they being cautious because of what’s happened so far?’

In truth, no other reason came to mind.

Does that mean Serpina has somehow figured out how our army is communicating with the heavens?

Swen was on their side, so it wouldn’t be strange if they had figured out the principle.

“What about siege weapons?”

“Well… it appears they haven’t prepared any.”

“What?”

“It’s true. I don’t know the exact reason, but…”

There must be clear reasons for all their actions.

So there must be specific reasons for not preparing siege weapons, forming strange formations, and deliberately dividing their forces to advance in sequence.

“…I understand for now. What about Anima Ingram?”

After their final discussion that day—

Anima had withdrawn from government affairs and secluded herself in a separate room.

Epinel could have stopped her multiple times if she wanted to, but she hoped Anima would clear her head during this time.

After all, it was obvious that Yurie in her current state wouldn’t accept Anima’s arguments.

“About that… when I went to inform her, she wasn’t there.”

“What? Where did she go?”

“I don’t know that either…”

It was unfortunate timing for her to be absent, but realistically, her presence wouldn’t have made much difference in finding a solution.

“I see. For now, station a soldier nearby to inform Anima of this news as soon as she returns. I’ll prepare for battle immediately.”

“Yes, understood! Will we be defending the castle?”

“No.”

“Then…?”

Epinel fell into deep thought.

I have to do this myself.

Yurie is already too far gone, and Anima is absent. If something needs to be done, I must do it with my own hands.

There must be an inevitable reason.

Serpina’s army’s strange behavior… there must be something I haven’t noticed.

…Finally, Epinel’s eyes gleamed as she spoke in a solemn tone.

“A surprise attack. We’ll anticipate the enemy’s position and launch a surprise attack on their flank.”

* * *

Epinel led most of the available troops and set up an ambush at a midpoint along the march route.

‘I’m not certain, but… deliberately dividing their troops, forming those formations—it’s likely a measure to prevent communication with the heavens. If that’s the case, I just need to disrupt it…!’

Since the miracle that had appeared like salvation in these moments hadn’t occurred, her reasoning seemed valid.

The plan would probably work. The enemy wouldn’t expect an ambush rather than a defensive position, especially with less than half their total forces.

In normal circumstances, even a successful surprise attack wouldn’t change the tide of battle. It would only disrupt the enemy’s formation, not overcome the difference in troop numbers.

‘If I can somehow succeed in confusing Serpina’s army, we can reconnect with the heavens and create another miracle!’

She knew this reasoning made no sense if considered coldly.

Even so, the actual miracles Epinel had witnessed with her own eyes.

Serpina’s behavior, never doing anything unnecessary.

The existence of the “mage” who had already revealed himself on the continent.

Swen, who had previously created miracles by communicating with the heavens.

Incomprehensible actions like preparing for a siege without siege weapons, or maintaining meaningless intervals while emphasizing order excessively.

All these clear “facts” pointed in only one direction.

Even if it made no sense, wouldn’t that be the answer?

But, unfortunately—

“WAAAAAAHHH!!!!”

“W-what’s happening?!”

Those weren’t the battle cries of their own troops. This was…!!

“AAAARGH!”

“Enemy! It’s an enemy attack!”

A shower of arrows was raining down on their ambushing forces.

‘They knew about the ambush?! How?’

That’s impossible.

If they had noticed the ambush and sent troops here—wouldn’t that disrupt their formation and the spacing between their soldiers?

Then, shouldn’t a miracle have occurred?

No matter how Epinel tried to reason that “when all other possibilities are eliminated, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth,” that formula didn’t apply.

—Unfortunately, her intelligence wasn’t 100.

* * *

Turning the clock forward again—

“We’ll use their expectations against them. With that, we can achieve the ‘most efficient’ method.”

“Use their expectations against them? What do you mean?”

I smiled at Serpina’s question and replied.

“In other words, we just need to show them a miracle.”

“A miracle?”

“Yes. A clear, undeniable miracle that stops Serpina’s army, something that can’t be explained by logic.”

As I said this, I smiled at Serpina.

A smile more brazen and confident than ever before.

“With that, the Aeshus army will destroy itself.”