Ch.73Chapter 73. Defense of the Western Fortress of Bhalharat (6)

The name Anima.

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard it.

‘Right. I’m pretty sure there was definitely a strategist-type general named Anima.’

I remembered her as a decent female character with good stats.

Of course, she wasn’t a character who appeared as an independent general, but rather always belonged to the Aeshus army in every scenario.

That’s right.

The strategist of the Aeshus army was almost always Anima.

For some reason, Ginor now held that position, though Ginor originally used to appear as an independent general.

Now that I added Anima to the equation, Epinel’s strangely stubborn behavior started to make sense.

Could it be…

‘Was Epinel upset that Anima was kicked out of the strategist position?’

Good heavens.

Even in the seniority-based Aeshus army, considering intelligence—practically the most important virtue for a strategist—Ginor would clearly be better.

Besides, this wasn’t a game but the real world, so in Ginor’s case, unlike me who made predictions and pieced things together, the actual person would undoubtedly be incredibly intelligent and wise.

Yet Epinel was still dissatisfied?

If the “original members” were that important, why bother recruiting new talent at all?

“…”

After considering Ginor’s words for a moment, Epinel looked toward me.

“Swen. Your words, they’re certain?”

“Mine, sir?”

“That it’s possible to somehow create a miracle by betting your lifespan. If the surprise attack doesn’t come, wouldn’t this fortress be in a precarious state without troops? It would be quite troublesome if your ability doesn’t activate.”

“…It’s possible. If this fortress falls immediately, I would certainly become a prisoner of the Brans army. And from the Brans army’s perspective, I’m a traitor. Why would I risk my life to tell a lie?”

I brazenly told the lie without changing my expression.

Well, according to my prediction, there would indeed be a surprise attack, so I had nothing to fear.

“…”

After pondering my words for a while, Epinel finally looked at Ginor and said:

“Strategist. I hope you won’t be too angry. I just want you to understand that Anima is an extremely important figure for our Aeshus army. We received a lot of help from her when we had nothing. She’s certainly not someone who deserves to be treated poorly like this. I’m absolutely not criticizing you, but…”

“I understand, General.”

“Then I’m glad.”

Epinel nodded.

“I will withdraw troops from the fortress to prepare for the surprise attack on Valhart Castle.”

“Lady Epinel.”

I took a map from my pocket and handed it to her.

It was a map where I had just marked the expected locations of the surprise attack.

Epinel received it and said with slight surprise:

“This… Swen, did you prepare all of this?”

“Yes, I did.”

“Hmm… I thought you only had the talent to pray to the heavens, but it seems you’re quite capable in tactics as well.”

Let me say it once more: I don’t know the first thing about tactics.

I barely understand even the basic concept of the commonly known “hammer and anvil” tactic.

I just played this game for 10,000 hours, so I roughly know how surprise attacks work.

“Anyway, just in case, you should prepare for the ritual from now on. I’ll assign a few soldiers to assist you.”

“I will obey your command.”

“If it’s decided, let’s hurry now.”

Having somehow succeeded in persuading Epinel, I asked Ginor a question as he was leaving.

“Where is Lady Anima now?”

I didn’t remember seeing her face during the meeting.

In my memory, she had short brown hair, and there was no such woman present.

“She’s currently away on a training journey.”

“Training journey?”

“…She thought her inadequacy was why she was replaced by me, so she left for training somewhere within the domain.”

“What…? Did the lord permit this?”

It might be called a training journey, but isn’t it basically insubordination?

It’s practically the same as running away saying, ‘If you won’t make me strategist, I won’t do anything.’

“The current lord, Lady Yurie, and the core contributors of the Aeshus army are bound by extremely tight bonds. It seems they somehow maintain contact even during her training.”

“I see…”

I carefully observed Ginor.

After reading the emotions in his expression, I judged it would be okay to ask this much.

“Why are you with the Aeshus army, Lord Ginor?”

At my words, Ginor’s eyebrows twitched momentarily.

But as I expected, he didn’t seem too displeased and let out a short sigh.

“Quite a bold question. …Well, from a newcomer’s perspective, I suppose it might appear that way.”

Someone of Ginor’s caliber would clearly be respected anywhere.

He would be known as the wisest person on the continent.

The implication was that he wasn’t someone who should be treated this way just for securing the strategist position.

“This country certainly has strong influence from its founding contributors, but fortunately, all those contributors are generals with outstanding abilities. General Epinel, General Emma, General Erinandorf, and former strategist Anima—all of them. While they all have some stubbornness, none of them are foolish or wicked. They are all genuinely working for the peace of the continent. Of course, our lord, Lady Yurie, is also much more suitable as a ruler compared to people like Lynn Brans or Navidos Ohana.”

Navidos Ohana.

That referred to the ruler of the Ohana army, which bordered the Karelia army in the south.

“After the collapse of the empire, I realized that a ‘reigning monarch’ like the past imperial rulers couldn’t bring true peace to this continent. Isn’t the fact that the entire continent is now torn apart by feudal lords proof of that? I believe that someone like Lady Yurie needs to unify the continent for peace to descend.”

“In terms of not just reigning, isn’t there also Lady Karelia?”

“You mean Makana Karelia. I had the opportunity to speak with her when she was still young, during the time when the empire was intact. Certainly, in terms of leadership ability, even Lady Yurie might have to concede to her… but her problem is that she’s too kind.”

Saying that, he sighed deeply like a father worried about his daughter.

“She lacks the charisma to control this chaotic era. While Lady Yurie has founding contributors to compensate for her shortcomings, Karelia doesn’t even have such figures. The generals who have shared life and death with Lady Yurie are filling in for her deficiencies.”

Ginor clicked his tongue softly before continuing.

“It would be nice if there were an ideal ruler with firm self-discipline who isn’t swayed by those around them, and who tries to lead everyone with virtue rather than power… but reality isn’t like that. You’ll come to understand my words someday.”

Amusingly, as I listened to Ginor’s story, her face came to mind.

Lunarian Ineanne.

‘If we’re talking about someone who “has firm self-discipline and isn’t swayed by those around them” and “tries to lead everyone with virtue rather than power”… wouldn’t Luna be perfect?’

She had completely trusted me during my time there, but it wasn’t because she had listened to someone else’s story.

Rather, Tifa and Cain, who seemed to have been with her for a long time, expressed reluctance at my incomprehensible instructions.

She unilaterally supported a strategist who had only been there for a few days based on her own judgment, which clearly differentiated her from Yurie.

Moreover, she was incredibly lucky.

The person she decided to trust completely—me—had an intelligence of 100.

Trusting me completely meant she would always make the right decisions.

It was quite embarrassing to say this about myself, but what could I do if it was the truth?

‘Perhaps I might be able to bring Ginor over to our side as a general later…’

At that moment, Ginor turned his head toward me.

“I’ve talked too much.”

“Thank you for helping with the persuasion today.”

“Well, it’s all for Lady Yurie’s victory, isn’t it?”

Right.

For now, the Aeshus army needed to win for my sake as well.

It would be dangerous in many ways to further strengthen the Brans army, which had become my enemy.

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

After parting with Ginor, I headed to that place.

To where she would be waiting for me.

*

“A ritual…? But, Swen. If you do that, your life—”

“Don’t worry, Lady Irene. I won’t even have the chance to pray to the heavens.”

I explained the current situation to Irene in detail.

The Brans army’s plan as I predicted it, what happened with Ginor, and everything that happened with Epinel.

“A surprise attack…? Yes, a surprise attack… It wouldn’t be Chel’s idea, but it’s quite convincing if it’s something Farfalle would come up with.”

“She’s probably afraid of me. She’s practically one of the people who observed my abilities up close. After all, I was the one who shattered the plan the Aeshus army had originally set up. So there won’t be any need for me to risk my life, so please don’t worry too much.”

“…If that’s the case, then I’m relieved…”

At that moment, Irene looked straight into my eyes.

Was it my imagination?

I felt like the focus in her eyes slightly disappeared…

“Even if, by any chance, there is no surprise attack… I won’t just stand by and watch you perform a ritual that risks your lifespan. I stake my life on it, absolutely.”

…Gulp.

I unconsciously swallowed dry saliva.

It was the first time I had felt such an overwhelming spirit from Irene.

“…Don’t worry. How could I lie to you, Lady Irene? A surprise attack is the only thing I can think of.”

“I trust you, Swen, but… as I just said, you are the most important thing to me, irreplaceable by anything else. I have no intention of standing by and watching you risk your lifespan on your own…”

“…”

Although I felt a bit chilled by her, I wasn’t particularly worried since my predictions were 100% accurate, and the surprise attack was inevitable.

‘…Once this battle is over, a bloody wind will blow through the central continent.’

The balance that had never wavered since the Brans army occupied the central continent.

Thinking about the moment it would collapse, I began my own preparations.

*

The vanguard commander of the troops defending against the surprise attack was Irene’s role.

With Emma and Erinandorf deployed to other battlefields and Epinel remaining at the fortress, it was natural for an excellent general like her to be dispatched.

Although I wanted to stay by Irene’s side if possible—

Since I had already said “I will perform the ritual if there is no surprise attack,” I had to remain at the fortress.

‘Lady Irene. Please just stay alive.’

Although it was an overwhelmingly advantageous battle for us since we were preventing a surprise attack, sending her to the battlefield was still not a pleasant thing.

At first, I had approached her simply thinking she might be helpful to the Lunarian army… but at some point, she had become too important to me.

‘It’s okay. My predictions are always right. She won’t be in danger.’

I calmed my mind and spent time preparing for a ritual I wouldn’t actually perform.

Now, it was literally up to the will of heaven.

* * *

In the forest surrounding Valhart Castle.

Irene, who was assigned as the vanguard commander or commander of the troops prepared for the surprise attack, positioned soldiers at various points where the surprise attack might come in, and was quietly waiting for it.

‘Swen said the surprise attack would likely happen at night.’

Usually, battles rarely took place in the dark of night.

Even for the attacking side, fighting at night would be incredibly troublesome.

But surprise attacks were different. Wasn’t a surprise attack about striking when the opponent least expected it?

‘It’s okay. Just do as Swen said.’

After spending some time quietly in the night forest, soldiers were confirmed to be entering along exactly the route Swen had pointed out.

It turned out that planting soldiers in the forest between those routes was the right answer.

‘Now!’

Irene shouted as loudly as she could.

“Everyone, charge! Eliminate any soldiers not identified as allies!”

And simultaneously with her voice being heard—

The Aeshus soldiers who had been lurking in the darkness everywhere revealed themselves in an instant.

“W-what’s going on?!”

“Enemy! Battle!”

Indeed, exactly as Swen had predicted—

The Brans army was launching a surprise attack on Valhart Castle, not the fortress.

Irene, who had been with Swen longer than anyone else in the Aeshus army, couldn’t help but think:

Once again, everything he said was right.