Chapter 10

“Put that old man at the vanguard? What about me?”

Tifa glanced up from the map of Jeilrant and its surroundings laid out on the table, her tone sharp.

I tapped the spot marked by the castle casually. “Miss Tifa will defend the territory with two thousand soldiers inside the castle.”

“Hold on… just hold on a moment!”

Sweat trickled down Cain’s face as he interrupted, clearly unsettled. “If you’re giving Tifa two thousand troops… then what am I supposed to do leading the vanguard?”

“You’ll lead the remaining forces into battle.”

Upon hearing this, Cain’s expression twisted in horror. “Two thousand troops stationed for Jeilrant’s defense leaves us scraping together roughly thirteen hundred soldiers… Are you saying you’re sending me out there as bait to die?! Is that it?”

“No, that’s correct.”

So what I’m essentially proposing is— assigning thirteen hundred troops to an administrator-type commander who clearly isn’t cut out for frontline combat, making him face eight thousand enemy soldiers head-on while keeping two thousand troops firmly planted as garrison forces under the command of our most capable general.

Even a ten-year-old could see how ridiculous this decision is.

Honestly, I don’t even understand why I’m issuing these orders myself.

Still, my mind insists: *This is the right way.*

“…Swoen, do you have some sort of grudge against me? No matter how I look at it, this sounds like you’re sending me out there to die.”

“Exactly! If Grandpa Cain leads the vanguard, he’ll definitely die! I’ll take the front lines instead!”

“Not acceptable. Miss Tifa must focus on defending the territory.”

“But WHY?!”

Tifa shouted in frustration. “You owe me an explanation, right? If there’s a strategy, tell me what it is. If you have thoughts, share them. If there’s a plan, explain how you intend to make it work and ask for my help. We’re on the same side, aren’t we? We should share information!”

She’s absolutely right…

I want to tell her so badly. I want to say, “Trust me, everything will miraculously work out if you follow me.”

But what can I do?

All I can predict is the good *result*. The *process* leading to that result remains unclear.

My job as a strategist is to package this process convincingly—but I don’t exactly have tactical expertise to fall back on here. Making things up might backfire, and Garland Eternity Saga isn’t one of those old-school games demanding high-level tactics anyway.

Still, I understand their reaction. *[It’ll somehow work out, trust me!] Would probably get me beheaded for insubordination if I were the monarch.

Luna looked at me with a sorrowful expression. Her gaze said it all—she wanted to support me but couldn’t fully commit without clear answers herself.

‘How do I convince them?’

This isn’t something you can push through by saying, “Trust me and go about your business.” This is war. An invasion. Lives are at stake.

“Just trusting me won’t cut it here.”

There’s nothing more dangerous than going into a life-or-death operation half-heartedly.

Though I believe this will succeed, I’d rather avoid unnecessary variables.

Then…

“Understood.”

“So, how are you planning to stop eight thousand soldiers with such a troop deployment?”

With eyes closed, I spoke carefully. “Unfortunately, I cannot provide full details at this moment.”

“What?! Hey, are you joking?! You call that an answer—”

“But!”

I cut Tifa off sharply. She froze mid-stride, surprised by my abruptness.

“I’ll join the vanguard alongside Lord Cain. I’ll personally lead the thirteen hundred intercepting troops. Will that satisfy you?”

“That… what are you talking about?”

“I deeply apologize, but no details of my plan can leak, not even to allies. Given our precarious situation, I want to proceed as safely as possible. However, sitting idly by while sending others to certain death wouldn’t earn anyone’s trust. Thus…”

I pointed toward the location where Cain’s group would advance.

“I’ll join Lord Cain in the vanguard.”

“You… you’re serious?”

“Cain, would I send you to your death? If leading you here was equivalent to pushing you off a cliff, wouldn’t I have stayed behind myself?”

“That’s true, but…”

“So please trust me and follow my orders. Together, we’ll protect Jeilrant.”

I turned directly to Luna.

“My lord, your decision is needed.”

Right. Even with my Divinity 100 intellect, whether or not they follow depends entirely on the ruler.

If she doesn’t trust me, what value does my 100% accuracy hold?

After pondering briefly, Luna nodded slowly.

“In preparation for the defense of Jeilrant, we will incorporate Strategist Swoen’s suggestions. Any objections?”

“Yeah, sure… If Luna says so, I’ll do it, but listen up, Mr. Strategist—if anything goes wrong and Luna gets hurt, your head is mine. Got it?”

As threatening as Tifa sounded, it lacked real menace, likely due to her personality or confidence in my judgment.

“Feel free to act accordingly. Just ensure strict adherence to my instructions during operations. Abandoning the defense and rushing outside the gates with troops is strictly prohibited.”

“Who do you think I am?! Don’t worry about that.”

“Hmph…”

Cain seemed displeased but wasn’t one to shirk duty.

“Alright. Miss Tifa, gather the garrison troops. Lord Cain, assemble the interception force. Time is pressing. Act swiftly.”

“Got it!”

“Alright then. See you later.”

As they left the castle, I addressed Luna alone.

“My lord.”

“Yes?”

Something kept nagging at me.

Why exactly did I decide to station two thousand troops for Jeilrant Castle’s defense?

Stationing them implies they’ll be used, right?

An indirect ambush seems likely, though from where I can’t tell. Our rear only contains minor nations similar to ours, yet still…

While I can’t definitively claim anything, preemptive warnings seem prudent.

In a quieter tone, I informed Luna:

“There’s a high possibility someone will assault this castle. It could be one of the nearby nations or mercenaries hired by the Brance Army.”

“!”

Startled, Luna questioned me.

“So that’s why you arranged the garrison troops?”

“Correct.”

“But… if it’s an ambush, the attacking force won’t be large. Wouldn’t reinforcing the interception team against eight thousand enemies be better?”

“…”

Before I could respond, she shook her head gently.

“No, forget it. I trust you, Swoen. Your explanation isn’t necessary. As you said, nothing disrupts plans like miscommunication.”

Trust. Never thought I’d receive such unilateral faith.

Sure, I found treasure chests through commerce before, but as a strategist, I’ve shown her little proof.

Yet, she trusts me this much.

I’m human too—I want to repay her trust.

“I’ll return alive. Please survive as well.”

“Understood. I’ll live. And you, Swoen… please come back alive.”

I slowly exited the castle, heading toward where the interception force was forming.

*

Jeilrant Castle wasn’t far from Brance’s base, Anel Castle.

The closest Brance territory, Kiha Castle, was reachable within a day’s brisk walk.

Rushing forward would reach the gates instantly, but—

“Slow the advance!”

Kalintz Brance deliberately slowed his army’s march.

This time, his strategy was a feint.

Deploying eight thousand soldiers as the vanguard while simultaneously having Garammil Army attack Jeilrant Castle from behind via one of the smaller factions near Lunarien Army.

His negotiations with Garammil Army went smoothly since they feared Brance greatly.

Aligning attacks with Garammil would confuse Lunarien Army, necessitating a slow advance.

This tactic benefited Brance in multiple ways.

If many soldiers intercepted, he could quickly seize the empty castle, leaving the defenders demoralized and easy prey.

Conversely, if they fortified the castle, that too worked in his favor.

A slower advance meant Garammil would engage Lunarien first, weakening both sides before Brance claimed victory easily.

Most likely, Lunarien would fortify.

Sending three thousand soldiers to intercept made no sense.

Thus, letting Garammil weaken them while advancing slowly sufficed.

‘What a perfect plan.’

Despite facing only three thousand, he felt obligated to overcompensate after the humiliation of losing territory to Walnut Army.

Especially since his older brother and younger sister excelled compared to him, he vowed never to repeat mistakes.

Just then—

“Enemies sighted!”

“The enemy interception force has appeared!”

Voices echoed from the front ranks.

‘A interception force?’

Surprising, but irrelevant.

‘They must be desperate to fight.’

Without much concern, Kalintz confidently commanded,

“All units, prepare for battle!”

* * *

“That flag…”

“It’s definitely the Brance Army’s banner.”

At Cain’s words, I nodded.

“That’s right.”

As expected, the enemy arrived relatively quickly given the distance.

If anything, they took longer than anticipated.

“Well, what now? Scholar sir, shall we charge straight in?”

“…”

Thirteen hundred versus eight thousand.

Impossible victories existed in this game, especially with an SSS-grade commander slicing through troops like cake.

Unfortunately, neither Cain nor I qualified.

‘Soon, the battle begins.’

We’ll perish this way.

Returning to our original world will remain a dream, and I’ll never witness Lunarien Iniyan’s unification.

But.

I reaffirmed my resolve.

My intellect stands at 100.

Divinity 100 never errs.

Therefore, we will certainly win.

With renewed conviction, I began—

“All units, charge—”

But I couldn’t finish.

“WHOA!!!”

THUMP THUMP THUMP!

“What… what is that?!”

“Are they enemies?”

“No, from that direction!”

Like divine arrows descending upon sinners—

Countless arrows rained down on the Brance Army from an unknown source.