Ch.313Chapter 313. Red-Eyed Dragon of the South (3)

Luna looked at the map on the table after saying that.

It was a neatly organized map of the southern continent.

Ginor couldn’t help but admire the detailed map that showed even small mountain ranges and forests.

“The reproduction quality is quite good. Did you draw this yourself, my lord?”

“…No.”

Luna replied with a somewhat bitter expression.

“It was left behind by the Strategist.”

“…”

Ginor had spent a considerable amount of time under Luna.

He knew well that the “Strategist” in the Lunarian army did not refer to himself, who had risen to the position of national strategist.

In any case, sensing that continuing to talk about Swen would not be good for Luna, Ginor appropriately changed the subject.

“Regarding what you asked about, my lord, there’s actually nothing to consider. If we were to launch a conquest from here, there’s only one direction we should take.”

“One direction…?”

“The Rolland army.”

Ginor pointed to Rolland, one of the four nations of the southern continent, located north of the Karelia army and south of the Brans army.

“We have exactly two options. Whether to invade Rolland in the north or Ohana in the east. You remember how the four southern nations have maintained a rough balance until now, right?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“In fact, that balance is still effectively in place. Actually, if we consider just the matter of troop numbers, we’re somewhat lacking. Many died or were injured in the process of subjugating the Karelia army. Of course, this calculation excludes asymmetric forces like mages, but regardless, the proposition that ‘if we invade one side, we might be attacked from the other’ hasn’t collapsed.”

“Then? Under the assumption that we must move our troops, what should we be looking at?”

“Wouldn’t it be a priority to consider the enemy’s forces and their generals?”

“That’s about half the correct answer.”

Though his tone and phrasing might have been inappropriate to use with a ruler in certain situations, Lunarian didn’t mind at all and focused on Ginor’s words with shining eyes.

“Those are certainly things we should consider. If we only think about those factors, attacking the Ohana army, which is the weakest of the four nations, rather than the relatively stronger Rolland army would be the wise choice. But beyond that, there’s something else we need to consider—defense, not offense.”

“Defense…?”

“When a country attacks us, which situation allows our army to defend more easily? In other words, which one would be more troublesome if they attacked us?”

Ginor pointed to Tepelo, the initial stronghold of the new Lunarian army in the east, where Luna had once served as castle lord.

“Let’s assume the Ohana army attacks. We need to focus on Tepelo. Thanks to its natural defenses, we can sufficiently block Ohana’s attack just by defending Tepelo Castle. Of course, if Tepelo Castle falls, it would be a very dangerous situation…”

Then, he moved his finger to the area above Madlan Castle.

“This is a much simpler task than the alternative—invading Ohana and defending against Rolland’s attack. As you can see, there are three territories along the border with Rolland. With Rolland’s scale, they could easily attack from three directions simultaneously. If you consider which is easier—winning three defensive battles or winning one—you’ll understand why I can be so certain.”

“I see…”

“Well, if we were to pick ‘the most efficient method,’ it would be to make a temporary agreement with Rolland and then invade Ohana… but as you know, they wouldn’t accept a short-term agreement. Considering your intentions, I think you understand what I’m saying.”

“…”

Luna slowly nodded.

“We need to unify the southern continent as quickly as possible. We can’t waste any more time on unnecessary agreements.”

“Then this remains the best option.”

Instead of adding to Ginor’s opinion, Luna nodded and asked:

“I’d like to discuss how we should deploy our forces from now on… but before that, there’s something I’d like to ask of you, Ginor.”

“A request, my lord? I should mention that you are in a position to give orders. Please don’t forget to act in a manner befitting the weight you carry.”

Luna smiled amusedly at Ginor’s concerned words.

“That seems to be important. Seeing that you say the same thing.”

“…Pardon?”

“The Strategist said the same thing. That I should have dignity as a ruler. But I… I’m not sure. Left alone, I don’t know if my thoughts are correct or what I should do next.”

Ah.

For a moment, Ginor felt a chill, wondering if he had touched on something he shouldn’t have—

But fortunately, it seemed to pass without incident.

“I apologize. Anyway, let’s get to the point. What I wanted to ask, or rather, what I’d like is your evaluation.”

“Evaluation, you say?”

“Yes.”

Luna said this while writing something on a blank piece of paper with a quill.

“Under the premise of invading Rolland, I’ve selected people to be the occupying force and those who will defend Tepelo Castle, and I’d like you to check if this is strategically efficient.”

“You’re asking me? If it’s your will, my lord, it wouldn’t be bad to do as you wish…”

“Objectively speaking, I can’t match you in military strategy. So please, just be honest now.”

“Is that an order?”

“Yes. It’s an order.”

Ginor fell into thought for a moment, then closed his eyes, bowed his head, and said:

“…I’ve just seen and heard more due to my age.”

Having said that, he began to point out each aspect of the ruler’s strategic plan.

“First, you’ve allocated too many troops to Tepelo Castle. You could reduce it by about 1/3.”

“Wait. Since we need to block one place, I think we need at least this many troops…”

“It’s fine. Instead of troops, we can deploy General Tifa.”

“…!”

“Just having an asymmetric force will make the Ohana army hesitate. Of course, in Tifa’s case, she uses mana power on her body for close combat rather than long-range magic… but since this fact isn’t widely known yet, they’ll be cautious based on the achievements of the mage in Serpina’s army. Making them hesitate is enough to fulfill that role.”

He didn’t emphasize that the mage active in Serpina’s army was none other than his adopted daughter.

“Additionally, Nabidos Ohana, the leader of the Ohana army, is quite a petty character. He’s likely to deliberate extensively rather than act boldly. Seeing that we’ve left only that many troops, he might think, ‘They must believe one mage is enough to stop us,’ and fail to make proper decisions.”

“I see…”

“Even if he does make the right decision, with General Tifa there, we won’t easily be pushed back. It’s not boasting, but I know quite a bit about magic.”

“So you’re saying we should place most of our troops along the border with Rolland?”

“That’s right. And regarding the placement of fortresses and formations—”

Ginor’s critiques continued for quite some time.

Luna showed no signs of displeasure and focused on his words like a student listening to a teacher.

“After hearing what you’ve said, I think your judgment is correct. You truly are remarkable. If the war goes well, I will certainly not forget this contribution. If there’s anything you want, please let me know.”

“Something I want… It’s nothing much, but I’d just like to ask one question.”

“A question?”

“Why did you specifically ask me to evaluate your plan?”

Luna answered with a very serious expression.

“Just… I can’t rely on the Strategist forever. When the Strategist returns, I want to be a ruler who can be his support.”

“I see.”

Is she trying to learn about military strategy—knowledge she lacks—from me to be helpful to Swen?

This spirit was a refreshing attitude not often found in ordinary rulers.

In high positions, one could be considered a good ruler just by placing the right people in the right positions. There were far more lords who couldn’t even do that.

Compared to such people, Luna had taken a step further—becoming an exceptional person herself. As the national strategist, Ginor couldn’t always stay by her side as the territory expanded.

Nevertheless, at this moment, he couldn’t shake off a sense of discomfort.

‘She seems too rushed.’

No matter how he thought about it, it seemed like Luna was being chased by something—

But whatever it was, her direction itself didn’t seem wrong.

“This should be sufficient. Thank you for your hard work. If it’s not too much trouble, could you immediately gather the commanding officers, including Tifa?”

“Of course. I’ll see you in the audience chamber.”

Luna stared at the door Ginor had left through for a long time.

‘No matter what, I need to organize the southern continent as quickly as possible. And then, Serpina—’

Erasing Serpina von Einhart from this continent.

All of this, at least for Luna, was merely a process.

After Karelia’s death—the southern continent was no longer a peaceful region.