Ch.326You Guys Really Suck at Fighting.

I looked around at the faces gathered in the conference room while waiting for the meeting to begin.

After about five minutes, the Duke of Faelrun finally arrived, throwing open the conference room door and striding in with purpose. He had changed into a clean uniform with a fur cloak draped over his shoulders.

“Everyone seems to be here.”

All those seated rose at once and saluted the Duke.

The Duke of Faelrun nodded and crossed the conference room, dropping heavily into the seat at the head of the table.

He seemed quite angry.

His face, which normally looked as intimidating as a mafia boss, now looked as vicious as a mafia boss who had just received news of his son’s death.

“My respects to the noble warriors who gave their lives defending the North. Ordinarily, we should prioritize discussions of grand funerals and compensation for the bereaved families… but it’s too early for mourning. They cannot rest until we slaughter every last beast that broke through the northern wall. Wouldn’t you agree?”

The northern knights nodded in agreement with the Duke’s words.

“Your words are absolutely right!”

“None of us can close our eyes until we have our revenge!”

It was essentially asking a question to which he already knew the answer.

No one was tactless enough to argue that post-war procedures should come before revenge, especially in front of the Duke who looked like he could barely contain himself from blowing the werebeasts’ heads off right then and there.

“Good. Everyone seems to be of the same mind. Then let’s begin the formal strategy meeting. Please be seated.”

Everyone except for one knight who had entered with the Duke took their seats.

Is that guy some kind of aide? He doesn’t look particularly skilled.

Then again, thinking back, Sean, who was Ludwig Wilhelm von Landenburg’s aide, wasn’t a Master-level knight either.

I suppose it’s the same with that one. Combat skill and administrative ability as an aide are separate matters.

I turned my attention back to the Duke.

The seated members were also looking at the Duke, waiting for their lord to speak.

“…”

How should I put it—I felt like I’d walked into the middle of a criminal organization discussing a drug deal.

Unlike outsiders like me and Millia, the native northern knights mostly had fierce expressions, just like Valdemar.

Well, living in such a cold land and constantly dealing with beasts would naturally make one’s expression harsh.

Frider van Faelrun has a fairly normal face, but in his case, his personality is that much fiercer instead.

Still, I trusted those rugged faces more than pretty boy faces. They all looked like they could kill a werebeast without hesitation.

—-

Eventually, the strategy meeting began.

The content of the meeting wasn’t much different from what I expected.

Starting with the knight who appeared to be the Duke’s aide listing the damage to our forces and the enemy’s estimated strength, the Duke of Faelrun and the knights discussed how the werebeasts might act next and how they should respond.

The werebeasts had also suffered significant casualties, but compared to our losses, quite a number of them had survived.

About eight hundred hybrid warriors and nearly three hundred purebloods. Plus six Champions.

Most were wounded by silver-plated weapons, but… wounds from silver, while debilitating during battle, could be regenerated given enough time after retreat.

Even the severely injured Champions would recover enough to fight again in four to five days.

Because of this, the knights’ opinions were divided into two camps.

The aggressive faction argued they should pursue and annihilate the enemy before they recovered, while the cautious faction maintained that since our losses were also substantial, they should wait for reinforcements to arrive.

Both sides had valid points, so the meeting went in circles.

“We must organize a pursuit force and go after them now! The longer we delay, the stronger those beasts will become!”

“That’s precisely why we need to be cautious. We don’t know how long it will take to catch the werebeasts. If we rush into pursuit, in the worst case, we might face fully recovered werebeasts with insufficient forces. Reinforcements will arrive in just five days—are you suggesting we all go to our deaths because we can’t wait those five days?”

Two knights representing each faction argued.

At first glance, the knight advocating caution seemed right, but there was one flaw in his argument.

“That’s assuming those creatures will wait patiently for five days. If it were me, I’d return to the Sky Mountains, replenish my warriors, and come back again.”

Another knight accurately pointed out this issue.

If we waited for reinforcements to arrive before marching as the cautious faction suggested, we would certainly have superior forces. That much was true.

…If the enemy agreed to face us head-on.

The werebeasts aren’t fools—why would they fight us in a situation where the difference in strength is obvious?

They’d probably hide in the Sky Mountains as soon as they confirmed our numbers, then engage in guerrilla warfare.

If it were anyone else it might be different, but if Rurik came at us that way, we’d have no countermeasure.

It’s not like I can spend my entire life camped out near the northern wall.

[What a waste of time. Both sides just repeat the same arguments like a cart wheel, with no sign of reaching a conclusion. I’m about to fall asleep from boredom.]

‘Isn’t that how all strategy meetings go? When a single decision can cost thousands of lives, reaching a conclusion isn’t easy.’

This might not even end with just thousands of casualties.

Defeat always brings more sacrifices than just military losses, especially in wars against foreign enemies.

[How indecisive, typical of Westerners. Simply follow the strongest one’s opinion, and if things go wrong, let him and all his supporters take responsibility with their lives. Simple.]

‘How barbaric, typical of Easterners. Being strong doesn’t guarantee good judgment. There are plenty of strong fools out there.’

[That’s not wrong. You’re the evidence.]

This woman has been treating me like some muscle-bound idiot for a while now…

Who’s calling whom an idiot?

I’m better than a woman who names her technique “Heaven Demon Army Forest,” aren’t I?

[So, advance into danger or wait cautiously for an opportunity… which do you think is right?]

Hersella suddenly changed the subject.

Me?

Well, obviously…

‘Do you know what lesson I learned while staying with Leopold?’

[That spending too much time with a man will get you labeled as his concubine?]

…No, not that.

Her unexpected answer momentarily left me speechless.

With all the recent chaos, I’d forgotten about those rumors, but she pinpointed them exactly. Her sarcasm was impressive.

‘Hesitation equals defeat. To beat an enemy, you must move one step ahead. Look what happened when we gave Isabella time by waiting cautiously. The country is still in chaos because of that one woman.’

Come to think of it, this massive invasion was also the result of Isabella starting a civil war and bringing in foreign powers.

If we had somehow taken her down before she destroyed the imperial palace, the civil war wouldn’t have happened. Then the werebeasts wouldn’t have dared to target the Empire.

[Hmm. As expected of my brain. Even a foolish soul is gradually gaining wisdom and growing…!]

…If that’s how you’re going to compliment me, don’t bother.

—-

“What does Baron Median think?”

Huh, what?

The arrow of contention was suddenly aimed at me.

…I was in the middle of chatting with Hersella and didn’t properly hear what they were talking about.

“What do I think about… what? I’d appreciate if the question were more specific.”

“Ah, my apologies. Between pursuit and waiting, which do you think has a higher chance of victory? We’d like to hear your esteemed opinion, Baron, as someone who has directly faced the Werebeast King.”

…Isn’t this something you people should decide? Don’t shift the responsibility to an outsider like me.

That’s why I was deliberately keeping quiet and just listening.

Anyway, since they asked, I should answer.

“Well… I don’t know what will happen if we pursue them, but if we waste time here, we’ll definitely lose. That much is certain.”

The assembly stirred at my decisive declaration.

Valdemar’s brow twitched slightly. Whether in agreement or displeasure, I couldn’t tell.

That man’s expressions are so hard to read.

“Do you have a basis for such certainty?”

One of the knights advocating caution questioned.

As for evidence, I have it—something quite definitive.

“How do you plan to stop the werebeasts if they hide in the mountains and use hit-and-run tactics? With the East in chaos and the West in turmoil, I can’t stay here forever defending this place.”

“That’s…”

I cut off the knight who was about to object with an open palm. I already knew what he would say.

He’d probably claim that with nearly ten Masters, they could handle it. Not a chance.

Even if all ten were wielding silver swords, they’d all be pleasantly digesting in Rurik’s stomach thirty minutes later.

“All the Masters gathered here combined aren’t even a match for me alone. Do you think you can face Rurik with such forces? That’s why you’ll lose.”

It was an incredibly arrogant statement, but it was the undeniable truth.

Thanks to Durandal’s power, I could defeat ten Master-level monsters even before reaching the realm of Heroes, and now I was several times stronger than back then.

“Such arrogance! Even if you are the Empire’s greatest swordsman, Baron…”

“Shall I demonstrate? How many seconds would it take me to cut you down right here? Unfortunately, it wouldn’t even take five seconds.”

So stop shouting unnecessarily. It makes you look weak.

The knights fell silent as one. Even if they wanted to object, they had nothing to say. Because it was true.

If it bothers you so much, try reaching the realm of Heroes yourself.

…Actually, I sincerely wish they would.

I can’t be everywhere in the Empire by myself.