Chapter 73

The name Anima.

I’d heard it before.

“Yeah, that’s right. I’m pretty sure there was a strategist commander named Anima or something.”

I remembered her as a capable female character with decent stats—definitely useful.

Of course, she wasn’t one of those random recruitable characters; no matter what scenario you played, she always belonged to the Aishias Army.

That’s right.

The strategist for Aishias was almost always Anima.

Though now, Jinoru had taken her place. But Jinoru usually showed up as a recruitable rogue commander instead.

Adding in the existence of Anima suddenly made Epinal’s strangely stubborn behavior understandable.

Then… could it be…

“Epinal didn’t like that Anima got pushed out of her strategist position?”

Come on!

Even if the Aishias Army runs on chaos, when you consider Wisdom—the most important trait for a strategist—it was obvious Jinoru was far superior. And this wasn’t a game where we were just predicting outcomes based on numbers; in real life, Jinoru himself must’ve been incredibly intelligent and wise.

Still, he held a grudge?

If initial members are so important, then why bother recruiting new talent at all?

“…”

After pondering Jinoru’s words for a moment, Epinal finally looked at me.

“Swoen, is what you said true?”

“What exactly do you mean?”

“You claimed that risking your life to invoke some miracle is possible, right? Without your ability, this fortress would surely fall into ruin if there’s no ambush. If our forces here are depleted, we’ll be in serious trouble.”

“…It’s possible. If this fortress falls now, I’d undoubtedly become a prisoner of the Brance Army. And from their perspective, I’m a traitor. Why would I risk my life for such deception?”

I bluffed shamelessly without changing my expression even slightly.

But honestly, since my predictions indicated an ambush was coming, I wasn’t worried.

“…”

After listening to me, Epinal thought deeply for a while before turning to Jinoru.

“Strategist, please don’t take offense. However, within our Aishias Army, Anima holds immense significance. Back when we had nothing, she helped us greatly. She’s not someone who should ever be treated lightly. This isn’t meant as criticism toward you, Strategist…”

“I understand, General.”

“In that case, I’m relieved.”

Epinal nodded.

“We’ll withdraw some troops from the fortress to prepare for the ambush against Falaharte Castle.”

“Epinal-sama.”

I pulled out a map from my pocket and handed it to her. It contained details about the expected ambush location.

Upon receiving it, Epinal seemed surprised.

“Is this… did you personally organize all of this, Swoen?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm… I thought you only excelled at praying to the heavens, but it seems you’re also skilled in tactics.”

Let me clarify: I know absolutely nothing about tactics. Even basic strategies like “Hammer and Anvil” are concepts I barely grasp.

It’s simply because I’ve spent 10,000 hours playing this game, so I have a rough idea of how the ambush might unfold.

“Anyway, just in case, start preparing for the ritual immediately. I’ll assign a few soldiers to assist you.”

“As you command.”

“If everything is settled, let’s hurry.”

After somehow persuading Epinal, I asked Jinoru as he walked away.

“Where is Lady Anima right now?”

I didn’t recall seeing her during the meeting. My memory tells me she had short, light brown hair, but no one matching that description was present.

“She’s currently on a spiritual retreat.”

“A retreat?”

“…She feels her shortcomings stem from personal inadequacies and has embarked on a journey somewhere within our territory.”

“Huh? Did the lord allow this?”

Isn’t this just an excuse for insubordination? Isn’t she basically saying, “I won’t work unless you make me the strategist”?

“Thanks to the strong bonds between our current ruler Yuri-sama and the founding generals, communication channels likely remain open even during her retreat.”

“Wow…”

I cautiously observed Jinoru’s face. From his expression, I judged it safe to ask another question.

“Jinoru-sama, why are you serving in the Aishias Army?”

My bold inquiry made him twitch an eyebrow briefly, but he sighed shortly afterward, seemingly unfazed by my curiosity.

“That’s quite a daring question… though I suppose from a newcomer’s perspective, it does seem strange.”

Someone of Jinoru’s caliber would undoubtedly be welcomed wherever he went, given his reputation as the wisest person on the continent. He wasn’t someone who needed a strategist position for recognition.

“This nation is indeed heavily influenced by its founding heroes, but fortunately, they’re all brilliant commanders. General Epinal, General Emma, General Erhandorf, and even former Strategist Anima—all of them possess remarkable talents. None of them are foolish or evil individuals. They’re all genuinely dedicated to bringing peace to the continent. Moreover, compared to figures like Lin Brance or Nabidos Ohana, Yuri-sama is far more suited to being a ruler.”

Nabidos Ohana.

He referred to the leader of the Ohana Army, which shares a border with the Karelia Army in the south.

“After the collapse of the empire, it became clear that mere rulership alone couldn’t bring true peace to this continent. The division among vassals across the land proves this point. I believe Yuri-sama is the one who can unify the continent and bring peace.”

“But isn’t Lady Karelia also someone who doesn’t rule oppressively?”

“You mean Miss Makana Karelia? During the days of the old empire, I once had the chance to converse with her when she was younger. While I admit she excels in leadership, her kindness might be her downfall.”

He sighed deeply, as if worrying about a daughter.

“She lacks the charisma necessary to navigate these chaotic times. Unlike Yuri-sama, who has capable founding generals to compensate for her weaknesses, Makana doesn’t have anyone like that. These loyal generals who’ve shared life-and-death experiences with Yuri-sama help fill in her gaps.”

After clicking his tongue softly, Jinoru continued.

“It would be ideal if there existed a ruler immune to external influences, someone who leads through virtue rather than force. But alas, reality isn’t so simple. One day, you’ll come to understand what I mean.”

Ironically, hearing Jinoru’s words brought another figure to mind.

Lunarien Iniyan.

‘Wouldn’t Lunarien fit perfectly as someone with unwavering self-assurance and the ability to lead through virtue?’

She fully trusted me back in my time, not because someone told her to, but through her own judgment. In fact, Tifa and Cain—who had worked closely with her for years—were skeptical of my unusual instructions. Yet she decisively placed her faith in me, setting her apart from Yuri in this regard.

Moreover, her incredible luck couldn’t be ignored. After all, the person she chose to trust turned out to have Divinity 100, meaning every decision she made through trusting me was guaranteed correct.

Embarrassingly enough, it’s hard to admit, but it’s undeniably true.

‘Maybe, just maybe, I could recruit Jinoru to our side later…’

At that moment.

Jinoru turned his head toward me.

“My apologies for rambling on.”

“Thank you for helping persuade Epinal today.”

“Well, it’s all for Yuri-sama’s victory, isn’t it?”

True.

For now, the Aishias Army needed to win—for my sake. Allowing the Brance Army, with whom I’ve become enemies, to grow any further would be dangerous.

“Then, I shall take my leave.”

After parting ways with Jinoru, I headed toward her.

Toward her, waiting for me.

*

“You plan to perform a ritual…? But Swoen, doing so would put your life at risk…”

“Don’t worry, Lady Iren. There won’t even be an opportunity for me to pray. My prediction will prove accurate.”

I explained the current situation to Iren in detail: my predictions regarding the Brance Army’s plans, my conversation with Jinoru, and my discussions with Epinal.

“Ambush… Yes, an ambush makes sense. It sounds like something Parphale wouldn’t suggest, but entirely plausible coming from Chel.”

“She probably fears me. As someone who witnessed my abilities firsthand, she knows the damage I caused to Aishias’ original strategy. Since I was the one who disrupted their plans, she’d logically assume I wouldn’t recklessly gamble my life. So, you needn’t worry too much.”

“…I hope you’re right, but…”

At that moment.

Iren locked eyes with me directly. For some reason, her gaze felt slightly unfocused, as if lost in thought…

“If, by any chance, there turns out to be no ambush… I swear upon my life, I will not stand idly by while you sacrifice yourself. Never.”

…gulp.

Involuntarily, I swallowed dryly. This was the first time I’d felt such overwhelming determination radiating from Iren.

“…Please don’t worry. Why would I deceive someone like you? There’s no other possibility besides the ambush.”

“While I trust you, Swoen… As I mentioned earlier, you are the most important thing to me—something irreplaceable. No matter what, I cannot allow you to recklessly gamble your life. I won’t let it happen.”

“…”

Despite the slight chill emanating from her, I remained calm because my predictions were 100% accurate. An ambush was inevitable.

‘…When this battle ends, a storm of blood will sweep through Central Continent.’

Ever since the Brance Army occupied Central Continent, the balance has never wavered.

Thinking about the moment that balance collapses, I began making preparations in my own way.

*

Lady Iren led the vanguard force defending against the ambush. With Emma and Erhandorf deployed elsewhere and Epinal staying behind at the fortress, it was natural for her to be chosen as one of the army’s finest commanders.

Ideally, I wanted to stay by Iren’s side, but since I declared I’d perform the ritual if there was no ambush, I had to remain at the fortress.

“Lady Iren, please survive this.”

Though we were prepared for an advantageous fight against the ambushers, sending her to the battlefield wasn’t pleasant. Initially, I approached the Lunarien Army merely to lend a hand, but somewhere along the line…

She had become someone irreplaceable to me.

‘It’s fine. My predictions are infallible. She won’t be in danger.’

I calmed myself and passed the time pretending to prepare for a ritual I knew wouldn’t happen. Now, all that remained was to entrust the outcome to divine providence.

* * *

In the forest surrounding Falaharte Castle.

As the vanguard commander guarding against the ambush, Iren had positioned soldiers at potential attack points and waited silently.

“Swoen said the ambush would likely occur at night.”

Nighttime battles are rare due to the difficulties involved. Even attackers avoid fighting in darkness whenever possible. However, ambushes are different—they strike when the enemy least expects it.

“Everything will go according to Swoen’s prediction.”

How long had she waited silently in the dark forest? Suddenly, soldiers appeared along the exact route Swoen had predicted. Her prior deployment of troops in the forest proved correct.

“Now!”

Iren shouted loudly.

“Charge! Eliminate any unidentified enemy soldiers!”

Simultaneously with her cry, hidden Aishias Army soldiers emerged from the shadows.

“What… what is this?!”

“Enemies! Battle!”

Indeed, just as Swoen had foreseen, the Brance Army had attempted an ambush not on the fortress but on Falaharte Castle itself. Having worked alongside Swoen for so long, Iren couldn’t help but marvel internally.

Once again, every single word he spoke proved true.