Chapter 91

Anima immediately organized the troops.

At the vanguard was Erhandorf, with herself taking command as the overall leader.

Though she would have preferred to sit atop a saddle, it was quite the challenging task for Anima, who had lost one of her arms.

Thus, when it came time to step forward like this, she had no choice but to board a carriage. Though usually she didn’t take to the battlefield, this time was different—

“This is an important operation. I can’t just sit back and give orders while someone else leads from the front.”

Leaving behind only enough forces to guard Raclaine Castle, she mobilized the majority of the troops, totaling 50,000 men.

She judged that this number would be sufficient to seize Hisfil Castle, which was currently left unguarded due to the absence of its soldiers.

Just before setting out, she sent word via messenger to Yuri, stationed at Falaharte Castle.

Though making decisions first and reporting later wasn’t ideal, she wasn’t in a position where that mattered much, and she believed Yuri would approve once results were achieved. So, she wasn’t overly worried.

Since losing an arm, Anima had continued to prove herself indispensable to Yuri’s side and the Aishias Army, despite her condition.

Once a warrior who honed her body with a sword, she now immersed herself in studies so intensely it felt like mice were nesting in her brain.

Providing crucial strategies and tactics exactly when needed, she illuminated the path forward for the Aishias Army.

Her life story could almost be summed up in one line: “miracle.” But those close to her, who had witnessed her efforts firsthand, refused to describe her journey with such a simple term.

She worked tirelessly, cutting back on sleep, disregarding what she could or couldn’t do, and threw herself into every task.

Ultimately, hadn’t she been the one to transform the Aishias Army, once nothing more than a bandit group, into a full-fledged nation?

So, it would be fine. Surely even Yuri would understand.

After all, since the day we both lost everything, we’ve been each other’s sole confidants.

“Absolutely, we must succeed.”

With that thought in mind, Anima led the charge toward Hisfil Castle one day.

All was going smoothly until the carriage suddenly came to a halt.

“What’s happening?”

A soldier riding nearby turned to look at her and spoke.

“Strategist… No, um…”

The soldier accidentally referred to her as “Strategist,” then faltered, unsure how to proceed. Although Anima was no longer officially the strategist of the Aishias Army, to the common soldiers, she remained that very figure.

“My apologies, Lady Anima.”

“It’s fine. Titles don’t matter. Can you explain what’s going on?”

“One of the vanguard soldiers has something urgent to report.”

“He has something to say?”

And it’s coming from the vanguard? There shouldn’t be any reason for them to seek me directly…

Despite a creeping sense of unease, she opened the carriage door to greet the soldier.

“Lady Anima!”

“Calm down. Please explain clearly what’s happening.”

“The Serpina Army…!”

“…?”

What about the Serpina Army?

At that moment, the visibly flustered soldier’s expression and the heavy, oppressive atmosphere hit her hard.

Deep within her mind, an unpleasant feeling stirred—an instinctive reaction she’d experienced before whenever events strayed from her carefully laid plans.

Then came the words:

“A detachment of the Serpina Army lies ahead, ready to intercept us!”

“…What?”

An interception? That doesn’t make sense. The Serpina Army should have already moved all their forces toward Elgaim Castle. It would be nearly impossible for them to reinforce themselves in time.

“Their exact numbers are unclear, but a force roughly equal to ours is approaching!”

“…Have they called off the invasion?”

For some reason, did they abandon the siege of Elgaim Castle? If so, it seems likely they noticed our advance and quickly responded.

Engaging with their forces here, given the parity in troop strength, might result in a fightable battle. Perhaps we could even achieve decent results in direct combat…

But there’s a high chance we wouldn’t be able to properly conduct the necessary siege operations. Their siege weapons would likely be targeted first by the Serpina Army, putting us at a significant disadvantage.

“…What should we do?”

While this situation was unexpected, it wasn’t completely unforeseen. The wisest course of action would be to retreat. Continuing battles like this would only deplete our forces, ultimately favoring the Serpina Army, who have a larger population base.

“…Inform the vanguard to prepare for withdrawal. If they pursue, arrange minimal defensive positions accordingly.”

“Yes, understood!”

There’s no need for her to chase after us. Even though we’ve wasted some supplies, if we can withdraw without further losses, it’ll be acceptable.

…That’s what she thought, at least.

“Enemy sighted!!!”

“…!!”

The cry of allied soldiers rang sharply in Anima’s ears.

The enemy had appeared—but not from the front.

“…Impossible…!”

Yes.

“Attack!”

“Charge! Arrows incoming!”

“Don’t panic, counterattack!”

“Yellow flag! It’s the Serpina Army!”

This voice—it’s coming from behind the carriage, from the rear of our formation!

‘What… is this?!’

Serpina Army in the front…

And also… in the rear?!

Anima froze in place.

What… is going on here?!

* * *

Rewind the timeline, back to Hisfil Castle’s Royal Palace.

The middle-aged Lord Yuan, acting as castle master, knelt before the rightful queen who should stand above him.

“You’ve arrived, my lord.”

Directly in front of him stood the queen.

Her golden hair adorned with a distinctive hairpin remained unchanged, though her attire differed slightly from usual. She wore formal wear once reserved for noble youths preparing to become knights during the old empire—a garment she used to practice swordsmanship in long ago. Despite being less feminine, it was one of the few outfits that fit her well.

When residing in the palace, she opted for more elaborate, decorative clothing, but for journeys outside, she adhered strictly to wearing formal wear.

Even now, though these clothes were plain enough for anyone to wear in this Era of Chaos where nobility held little meaning, her presence radiated an untouchable air of nobility.

After acknowledging his bow, Serpina briefly surveyed her surroundings before speaking.

“The formalities are done. Let me hear your report on the current situation.”

“Of the 61,000 soldiers under our command, approximately 55,000 are prepared for immediate deployment.”

“Good. Very satisfactory.”

“We’ve followed your orders, but may I ask what your plan is?”

“If preparations are made, then moving forward is the logical next step, isn’t it?”

“But prolonged preparation has likely leaked information. The enemy must have anticipated our move by now…”

Serpina responded coldly.

“That’s precisely what I aimed for.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s simple. The most crucial part was ensuring that ‘we’re preparing to deploy’ became widely known.”

“Serpina then asked Yuun to rise and showed him a map detailing the surrounding areas of Hisfil Castle.

“I ask you this: If we were to send our troops stationed here somewhere, where would you choose to send them?”

“Uh…?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yuan hesitated but eventually provided a plausible answer.

“Elgaim Castle, located southwest of our territory, controlled by Brance Army, seems like the best option.”

“Why?”

“With only around 23,000 soldiers, their morale must be low following the departure of their highest commander, Chel Brance. And considering their lack of reinforcements over time, it appears Brance Army has abandoned this stronghold to focus on defending their capital, Anel Castle.”

“Correct. That’s conventional wisdom. Everyone would think that way.”

“Huh…?”

Even as Yuan struggled to grasp her meaning, Serpina didn’t chastise him. After all, failing to reach the same conclusions as her wasn’t necessarily wrong unless he openly defied her.

“We will pretend to invade Brance Army’s Elgaim Castle. However, we won’t actually send troops there. Instead, we’ll set an ambush elsewhere.”

“Wouldn’t that leave the castle vulnerable?”

Shaking her head, Serpina replied.

“Brance Army lacks the will to retaliate against us here. With insufficient manpower, moving would be burdensome for them anyway.”

“True… certainly…”

Yuan admitted that Brance Army seemed unlikely to attack. Even if they did, he was confident they could repel them.

Serpina pointed at the map with her finger.

“There’s a mountain range between Elgaim Castle and this Hisfil Castle. From the peak, one can see the southern area surrounding Hisfil Castle clearly. This has already been confirmed.”

“…?”

Though Yuan stared repeatedly at the map, he still failed to understand.

Serpina patiently explained.

“Think of it like fishing. Imagine someone casting a line, hoping something bites the bait. What I’m aiming for is…”

She indicated a castle south of Hisfil Castle.

“…this location.”

The castle she pointed to was Raclaine Castle.

Now Yuan understood that much.

But… how does setting an ambush relate to this? Wouldn’t it be simpler to just send troops directly to attack Raclaine Castle?

Seeing Yuan’s confused expression, Serpina seemed to realize something.

“Aha, I see. You’re missing some information.”

“…?”

“Do you remember? Before I arrived here, I asked you to deliver a letter.”

“You mean the letter addressed to the captain of the Astron Mercenary Unit?”

“You remembered. So let me ask again. Do you still not understand my intent?”

“…Ah.”

Finally, Yuan nodded slowly, seemingly grasping her meaning. Watching him, Serpina smiled enigmatically.

“Exactly. On top of this mountain… 20,000 soldiers from the Astron Mercenary Unit are lying in wait.”

As soon as the bait is taken—position the Serpina Army upfront and the mercenaries in the rear to surround and attack. Eliminate the forces inside Raclaine Castle by drawing them out.

This was the true intention of the northern conqueror, Serpina.