episode_0091

*

Anima immediately organized her troops.

Hernandov is at the forefront. He himself stepped forward as commander-in-chief.

As much as I wanted to sit on the horse’s saddle, it was very difficult for Anima, who had no arms.

Therefore, when I had to go out in this way, I had no choice but to ride a carriage, and I usually didn’t go to battle, but-

‘It’s an important operation. ‘You can’t just give orders and wait without leading.’

Most of the troops were brought in, leaving behind troops to guard Lacline Castle, a total of 50,000 men.

It was judged that at this level, the empty Hispil Castle could be occupied by a sortie of soldiers.

Just before sortie.

Through a messenger, the news was reported to Yuuri at Balharat Castle.

It was a decision first and a report later – but she wasn’t in a position where it was impossible, and she didn’t worry too much because she thought that once she achieved results, she would be recognized.

After losing one arm.

Anima, despite her body, has lived by Yuuri’s side, fiercely proving at every moment that she is absolutely essential to the Aishous army.

Her original job was to use a sword and train her body, but she devoted herself to her studies to the point where her head started cramping.

He presented the necessary strategies and strategies at the right time and place, illuminating the path ahead of the Aishous army.

Her biography, if briefly explained in one line, was close to a ‘miracle’ –

Those who were close to her and watched her from the side would refuse to describe her actions in the phrase miraculous.

I lived hard and slept less. I stepped forward without worrying about what I could and could not do.

As a result, didn’t they succeed in turning Atious County, which was nothing more than a group of righteous enemies, into a single country?

So it will be okay.

I think Yuuri will understand this much.

Since that day, the moment when we lost everything – we were each other’s only understanding.

‘It must, must succeed.’

One day, with that thought in mind, we continued our advance towards Hispil Castle.

The carriage that was moving along suddenly stopped in place.

‘What’s going on?’

A soldier who happened to be riding a carriage looked in this direction and said.

“Master. Oh no… … So.”

The soldier uttered the word ‘scheme’ without realizing it, but soon became speechless, not knowing what to do.

Although she was no longer the national strategist of the Aishous Army, she was still regarded as a strategist even by mere soldiers.

“Sorry, sorry. Anima.”

“It’s okay. I don’t really care about titles, so can you explain what’s going on?”

“Well, one of the soldiers in the vanguard has something to tell you.”

‘You have something to say?’

And the soldier in the vanguard?

There’s no reason you need to come to me… …

For some reason, I put aside my uneasy feeling and opened the side door of the carriage to greet the soldier.

“Ah, Anima… … !”

“Calm down. Calmly explain what’s going on.”

“Serpina… … !”

“… … ?”

Why Serpina?

It was that moment.

The soldier’s expression clearly shows embarrassment.

A sudden feeling of stuffy, suffocating air.

Unpleasant sensations and sensations that resonate deep inside my head.

This was not the first time Anima had felt this sensation.

When things don’t go according to the picture he carefully drew… … I felt this instinctively.

and.

“The Serpina army’s troops are on the front lines… … We have been intercepted!”

“… … What?”

Intercept?

No, doesn’t interception itself make sense?

Serpina’s army must have sent all of its troops towards Elgaim Castle, right?

In the meantime, replenishing soldiers was almost impossible due to the distance.

“The exact number cannot be estimated, but… … A force similar in size to ours is approaching this place!”

‘… … ‘Has the invasion been withdrawn?’

Have you given up on taking over Elgaim Castle for some reason?

Then, there was a high possibility that they noticed our advance with good timing and counterattacked.

If I were to face a soldier from Serpina’s army here, it would be worth fighting as the troops were similar.

Perhaps the battle itself could have been quite a success… …

There was a high possibility that they would not be able to properly fight an important siege.

The siege weapons, which are overwhelmingly disadvantaged in person-to-person combat, will be taken out as a top priority by the Serpina army that came out to intercept them.

‘… … ‘What should I do?’

Although it was embarrassing, it was not an unexpected situation.

In this case, it was wiser to simply withdraw.

If you repeat a fight like this that only wastes soldiers, it will ultimately be the Serpina army with a larger population that will have the advantage.

“… … First, tell the vanguard to prepare for withdrawal. If the enemy pursues you, deploy the minimum number of troops to defend.”

“Yes, I understand!”

Once she runs away, there will be no need to chase her.

Although we wasted some military supplies, it was okay if we could finish this without any losses.

… … I was definitely thinking that.

“enemy!!!”

“… … !!”

The sound of a friendly soldier’s cry clearly pierced Anima’s ears.

The enemy has appeared.

It’s not a sound coming from the front.

‘… … no way… … !’

okay.

“Attack!”

“Charge! The arrow is coming!”

“Don’t panic and fight back!”

“It’s a yellow flag! It’s Serpina!”

Now this sound is from the back of this carriage –

It was coming from the rear of the procession.

‘What on earth is this…? … !’

At the front is Serpina Army.

And at the rear… … There is Serpina… … ?

Anima froze in place.

How on earth did this happen… … ?

* * *

Turn back time and visit the royal castle of Hispil Castle.

Yuan, a middle-aged man in charge of the castle, knelt before the queen who should rightfully exist above him.

“Are you here, my lord?”

She was standing right in front of where he knelt.

Although she had blonde hair and was wearing a distinctive hairpin, her outfit was a little different from her usual outfit.

She was now wearing the ceremonial uniform worn by children of nobles preparing to become knights in the days when the empire was healthy.

It was the clothes she used to practice swordsmanship for a while, and it was one of the few custom-made clothes that she could wear very comfortably as she did not have many clothes that fit due to her overly feminine body shape.

When she was in the royal castle, she wore clothes that were a little more flashy and uncomfortable with many decorations, but it was her own iron rule to wear formal clothes when she went to other places like this.

Obviously, it was just an ordinary robe that anyone could wear now that times of turmoil had made her status as a noblewoman half meaningless, but the mere fact that she was wearing it gave her the feeling of being overflowing with a nobility that no one could possibly touch. .

After receiving the greeting, Serpina looked around lightly and spoke.

“It’s okay to say hello. Report how things are going.”

“As you said, about 55,000 of the 61,000 soldiers are prepared to deploy at any time.”

“Really? That’s really satisfying.”

“I’m doing as you asked, but what do you plan on doing? … .”

“If you’ve prepared to go to war, wouldn’t it be right to go to war?”

“But because preparations for departure took too long… … It is very likely that the information has leaked out. I think the enemy probably wasn’t prepared… … .”

Serpina spoke in a cold tone in response to Yuan’s words.

“It doesn’t matter. Because that’s what I was aiming for.”

“Yes… … ?”

“It’s a simple thing. Because it was most important that the information that ‘we are preparing to go out’ was leaked out.”

After saying that, Serpina asked Yuan a strange question.

“Yuan. Get up from your seat.”

She unfolded a map depicting the surroundings of Hisfil Castle and showed it to Euan.

“I will ask you. If the soldiers stationed in our castle have to go somewhere, where do you think they should be sent?”

“Yes? that is… … .”

Yuan was taken aback by the sudden question, but he soon came up with a plausible answer, as if he was also in the position of castle lord for no reason.

“… … I think I will choose Elgaim Castle, the territory of Brans County, located southwest of our castle.”

“Why?”

“The number of troops is only about 23,000, and morale must have been significantly low after the top commander, Chell Brans, left. Considering that troops have not been replenished even though a considerable amount of time has passed, it seems that the Brans army has already given up on defending the capital, Annel Castle… … .”

“Okay. Yuan, you are right. That’s the truth. Everyone will think that way.”

“Yes… … .”

Even at that time, Yuan didn’t understand what Serpina was saying.

Serpina did not necessarily reprimand him.

As long as you don’t protest, it’s not wrong to not be able to reach something you set out to achieve.

“We will invade Elgaim Castle of the Brans Army. But in reality, we won’t send troops there.”

“Yes? What do you mean… … .”

“I plan to ambush the troops somewhere else.”

“Wouldn’t that make the castle dangerous?”

Serpina shook her head in response to Yuan’s question.

“If the Brans army had the will to resist, it would have done so, but now, even if the troops were withdrawn, they would not have the will to invade this place. The troops themselves are sorely lacking, so moving them would be a burden.”

“Well, that’s definitely true, but… … .”

Yuan didn’t think the Brans army would attack this place.

Even if it did come in, I was confident I could stop it.

Serpina said, pointing to the map with her finger.

“There is a mountain range between the castle of Elgaim and this castle of Hispil. If you sit at the top of the mountain in the middle, you can clearly see the area south of Hispil Castle with the naked eye. Verification has already been completed.”

“… … ?”

No matter how many times he looked at the map, Yuan still didn’t seem to understand.

Serpina explained slowly without showing any anger.

“It’s simple. It might be easier to understand if you think of throwing a fishing rod in the hope that someone will take the bait. And what I’m aiming for… … .”

Serpina pointed to the castle located south of Hispil Castle.

“Because this is the place.”

The castle she pointed out, south of Hispil Castle.

The name of the castle was Lacline Castle.

okay.

I understand up to this point.

but… … What does that have to do with ambushing soldiers?

If you’re going to attack Lockline Castle, wouldn’t it be right to just send soldiers right away without going through the hassle?

Serpina looked at Yuan with a dumbfounded expression and-

He said as if he soon realized something.

“Ah, I see. You still lack information.”

“… … ?”

“Yuan, do you remember? Before Yeo arrived here, I asked her to deliver a letter.”

“If you say it’s a letter… … Are you talking about the letter you told me to deliver to the leader of the Astron mercenaries?”

“I remember. Then I will ask again. Still don’t know what Ye means?”

“… … Ah.”

Yuan nodded slowly, as if he finally understood what she was talking about.

Looking at Yuan like that, Serpina smiled very seductively.

“Okay. On this mountain… … A total of 20,000 Astron mercenary troops are in ambush.”

The moment the fish bites the bait that says ‘the castle is empty’ –

The ambushed Serpina army was placed at the front, and the mercenary group that understood the situation was placed at the rear to surround and attack.

So, take out the troops inside Lacline Castle and organize them –

That was the true intention of Serpina, the Queen of the North.