episode_0096

*

“… … .”

After hearing my explanation, Jinor rubbed his chin for a while and made a troubled expression.

Soon, he looked straight into my eyes and asked.

“Okay. Everything you said makes sense. If Miss Anima is defeated, there is a high possibility that it will go that way. but… … Why can I know so much about it?”

“If you assume that you will lose, the number of cases is ultimately limited.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Jinor glared at me.

no… … To be precise, it wasn’t a glare. He’s clearly looking at me sharply… … Something a little different.

I once received a look like that.

Right at Agnel Castle after the Northern Fortress Defense Battle.

At that time, Rin, who was the lord at the time, looked at me with those eyes.

fear.

In Jinor’s slightly trembling eyes, I read a fleeting moment of fear.

“How on earth can you guarantee that you will lose? How do you know that will happen?”

“… … .”

“Now that I’ve said it, I’ll stop talking about it. You’re acting like you know everything. A similar thing happened last time. When you said you were going to raid Balharat Castle? Even back then, your words contained confidence and confidence that you would not be wrong. Actually, what you said was exactly right.”

“Even though I am, I don’t know everything about everything in the world. Where could there be such a person? And it is a place to discuss important matters. What can an in-house leader achieve in a place like that if he doesn’t even have confidence?”

“It’s not a very good habit to blurt out the most essential and important part of a question and then talk back, but if it were me, I think I would have answered the same way as you did.”

I felt a strange sense of kinship with him as he laughed while saying that.

“Okay. Since you made an inference, let me make a few inferences as well. Are you okay? I promise it won’t take up too much time.”

“Try it.”

“I still believe there is a high possibility that what you say is correct. Anyway, it is established as a story, and everything fits together. Besides, it’s not someone else’s story, it’s your story, Swen. I think there’s a high chance of getting hit this time, just like last time. No, I think the reason you were right in the first place may not have been when you arrived here.”

“What does that mean?”

“Now that I’m talking, I’ll be honest. It is known in the world that Lyn Brans lost an outstanding military commander named Irene Juliette… … I think losing you would be more painful for the Brans Army than for General Irene.”

“Me? haha. Your words are too much. I am just a sidekick to General Irene.”

“It was after you came over here that Brans County began to decline.”

“At the same time, it was also after General Irene came over here.”

“You were the one who dropped the stone into the sky in prayer.”

“Didn’t I tell you? I’m not a wizard and I don’t know how to do magic. Don’t you know because you’ve seen your daughter?”

“As soon as your daughter follows your training methods, she is seeing remarkable results.”

“Practice is just a show. The talent is probably just in full bloom.”

“… … Ha!”

Jinor took a deep breath and then-

Soon, for the first time, he lifted his head up and started laughing heartily.

“You don’t lose even one word, really!”

As he said that, I noticed him laughing out loud, wondering what was so funny.

That this was the first time I saw him smile.

How many minutes have passed like that?

“Swen. It may sound crazy, but I have to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Isn’t it possible to see the future?”

After he finished speaking, he started staring at me.

I don’t feel the fear that I read just a moment ago, even if just for a moment.

Instead, the emotions in the eyes of this old trickster… … Fierce curiosity.

“… … .”

“Is it really magic? Can you see the future with magic, Swen?”

You can see the future, d.

Well, it would be correct to say that you can see the future, since it only tells you the outcome of what will happen in the future.

I can’t admit it.

How can magic be something that can only be predicted to a limited extent by asking questions?

“Please forgive me for being rude.”

“Now there’s nothing to be reluctant about. Please speak comfortably.”

“You have a deep delusion that you can see the future with magic.”

“Hot! You’re saying something interesting to me, who has a daughter who actually uses magic.”

“But isn’t it true? If I could see the future, wouldn’t I have taken the lead and come up with a plausible argument instead of walking a tightrope like this?”

“It’s a different story if the future you can see is limited. For example, you can find out whether you will win or lose a war… … I don’t know why it happens like that.”

‘… … !!!’

this.

I was so startled that I barely held back from almost twisting my expression for a moment.

We can get there just by talking… …

Was I ignoring Jinor too much?

‘Is 99 intelligence enough?’

Suddenly, the phrase that sent me to this world came to mind.

Come to think of it, it was Jinor who said that.

I responded with as calm a look as possible.

“That’s an interesting hypothesis.”

“Well. Looking back on the Zen questions and answers I had with you, I can’t really call it a hypothesis.”

He twitched the corners of his mouth as he said that.

I never thought that Jinor Nighthardt would be such an expressive person.

Somehow, it felt like the social mask he always wore had been taken off.

‘Suddenly I think of Grandpa Kane.’

It was only at the last moment that he revealed his true self to me.

Are you staying healthy?

Jinor, who had no way of knowing that I was thinking about another general, nodded his head exaggeratedly and spoke to me.

“Of course, I understand that you can only say that. Because you won’t be able to tell just anyone what abilities you have. Is there a gambler in the world who shows his cards?”

“… … .”

“I understand. Together with you, I will persuade my lord. There are so many useless words. Let’s go straight to the royal castle.”

It seemed that Jinor thought of me as a ‘wizard’ with the ability to foretell the future at will based on the information he knew.

It may not be a very core illusion, similar yet completely different, but… … Rather than trying to explain this or that, I thought it would be easier to use that illusion.

In no way did I agree with what he said.

In the first place, wasn’t it someone else’s mistake to have used this ability so many times to make a living and make a living?

I quietly followed Jinor, who was leading alone.

*

“Really? Are you saying there is an ambush?”

“That’s right. Please allow the operation, my lord.”

Jinor bowed his head to Yuuri and spoke as if pleading.

As soon as we arrived at the royal castle, the explanation of the situation was quickly completed.

What surprised me again was Jinor’s speech.

To be honest, compared to me, who had to somehow piece together sentences that just came to mind to create the ‘most likely possibility,’ his explanation had a much more persuasive power to convince people.

“But after listening to the story, isn’t it just a guess that there will be an ambush? I don’t think Anima would have made a hasty move without even considering that possibility… … .”

“Master. I am very cautious about saying this, but when I was young, I personally assisted Serpina von Eygart.”

“… … !”

Yes, because he served as prime minister of the empire.

Even though he had a connection with the royal family, it was natural.

“She is a very cunning person, and her disposition is like that of a snake. Among the imperial family members, Serpina was particularly cold-blooded. She is very good at setting traps to deceive people. There is a possibility that some kind of method was used to reassure Ms. Anima.”

Yuuri, who heard Jinor’s words, momentarily added a little emotion to his voice.

“Do you mean that Anima is someone who can be fooled by Serpina?”

“… … .”

Jinor, who had been explaining fluidly so far, was momentarily speechless.

That’s right, no matter how smart you are, if logic clashes with emotion, you will be speechless.

Should I try my hand here?

“Because she is not someone else but the Anima, we have to work even harder.”

“… … What?”

For people whose emotions come first, touching their emotions is the most effective method.

I looked as sorry as I could.

“As you said, there is a possibility that there is no ambush. If we take action for no reason, it could be a waste of military supplies and even a waste of time. However, it is Anima who has always been by Yuuri-sama’s side and assisting Yuuri-sama. If an ambush exists, something truly irreversible could happen.”

“… … !!”

At the words “irreversible,” her expression was clearly filled with shock.

I liked people who were easy to understand.

The easier a person is to understand, the easier it is to persuade them.

“It is enough to buy military provisions with money. Although time cannot be reversed, it is far better to waste it than to risk Anima’s life. Don’t you think so?”

Yuuri listened to me and thought for a while.

It was Jinor who encouraged her.

“Master. This time, please listen to Swen. I, Jinor, will beg you earnestly.”

“… … Jinor.”

Yuuri looked at Jinor for a moment and then-

Soon, he spoke with a faint smile.

“Zinor, there are days when you ask so earnestly for others.”

“I’m just working hard for Yuuri.”

Instead of answering that question, Yuuri turned his head to look at me and asked in a serious tone.

“… … So, how should we respond?”

“Two responses must be done simultaneously.”

“Two responses?”

“First, we need to send reinforcements. But the preparation will take time. The speed of the troops’ advance will also not be that fast. It will most likely arrive only after the situation is over.”

“Then isn’t there any point in sending it?”

“That’s right. If there was no second move.”

I said with a very confident expression.

“The troops of the Serpina army, which I explained just now, and which are assumed to be positioned at the front of Anima’s army, will retreat back to Hispil Castle.”

“What?”

I will force you to retreat.

Jinor and Yuuri seemed to understand what I was saying.

“Is this an intention to spread false information?”

“Yes.”

I nodded at Jinor’s words.

“Spread false information that Hispil Castle is being invaded by the Serpina army. With that, the Serpina army will retreat.”

*

I was lost in thought as I left the castle.

Spreading false information – i.e. Herbo’s ploy.

In the game that was the nuclear power plant of this world, it was a plan to trick the enemy troops in action into retreating.

Just as in the past, when Jinor joined hands with the Alefel Army and the Charam Army and used the ‘Plan of Betrayal’ against the Brans Army, it was clear that this ‘Hebo’s Plan’ would also exist.

If there was a problem, what to do about it?

In-game, if you just click ‘Plan’, press ‘Herbo’, click on the enemy troops, and then pass the turn, the decision is whether you succeed or fail depending on your intelligence level.

Isn’t this the real world, not a game?

Nothing changes unless I do something myself.

The war of words with Farfalle was like that in the past.

In the game, it was just a mini-game similar to rock-paper-scissors where you had to press buttons and get more stamina depending on your intelligence level, but in reality, you really had to tell a logical story based on evidence.

‘I don’t think they would be fooled if they suddenly sent a spy to the enemy camp and told them that Hispil Castle was under attack… … .’

Ultimately, in order for false information to exert its power, there must be credibility for anyone to believe the information.

How can we fill the gap with credibility?

While I was lost in thought, Jinor spoke to me vaguely.

“First of all, you succeeded in persuading the lord. I hope what you say is right.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“Well, you are probably opening your ‘mind’s eye’ using magic, so of course I’m not worried. You’re probably right.”

Are you opening your mind’s eye?

I wondered if that was some kind of dog-eating thing, but anyway, let’s just leave it as an illusion for now. Because it’s annoying.

“Is there anything else I should help you with?”

“No. From now on, this is an area I have to figure out somehow. It’s okay if you helped me persuade. Don’t you have a schedule?”

“Isn’t that where the trickster’s work lies? There are no special plans other than watching Reika’s training results in the evening.”

“Performance results?”

“Once a week, I check the child’s current abilities. You can think of it as checking the results of your learning. My magic has definitely increased a lot. Now we’re at the point where we can take down a few trees without a problem. Although it is still ridiculously inadequate to go to battle.”

“Is that so?”

When we met, we were always meditating or doing meaningless things together, so I didn’t check her magic every time, so I didn’t know much about it.

Has it progressed to that level without difficulty?

At this pace, I think I will become a wizard much faster than in the history of the game.

Talent is more scary than you think… … That moment when I had this pointless thought.

‘… … uh?’

A thought crossed my mind.

You’ve reached the point where you can take down a few trees without any problems?

Maybe that… … Could it be used?

“Zinor.”

“What is it?”

“I have something to ask Jinor. Jinor doesn’t move it himself, though.”

“What? I will listen to whatever I can.”

I turned my head and looked into his eyes.

“Would you mind lending me your daughter for a moment?”