Chapter 100

Anima has been captured.

In a situation where no one dared to speak rashly, Yuri stood with her eyes closed, unable to utter a single word.

“……”

Please, I hope she doesn’t make any hasty decisions. Anima hasn’t been killed; she’s merely been taken prisoner. Serpina, who calculates things quickly, wouldn’t just kill someone as valuable as Anima. If Yuri doesn’t rush into things unnecessarily, there’s bound to be some way out of this.

After some time had passed…

She slowly opened her eyes. Her pupils were trembling so violently that anyone could see it.

Her expression looked incredibly anxious, as if she couldn’t comprehend how things had come to this.

After what felt like an eternity of silence, Yuri finally turned her head, looked at Jinoru, and parted her tightly sealed lips.

“…Jinoru, would you mind handling this for me?”

Instead of acting impulsively, she’s decided to leave it in the hands of the strategist. That’s not a bad decision when she can’t control her emotions. It seems she wasn’t chosen as one of the five leaders without reason.

“Yes.”

Jinoru nodded lightly and proceeded to brief us on the current situation in place of Yuri.

“Lady Anima Ingram used her authority to launch an invasion of Hisfil Castle. You all must already know this much. However, things didn’t go well—she’s currently in the custody of the Serpina Army.”

“Uh… does that mean General Erhandorf…?”

“…”

Jinoru answered the commander’s question with a somber expression.

“He’s resting now.”

“Resting? Does that mean…?”

“He sustained serious injuries.”

The news that Erhandorf Ariesian was gravely wounded caused a stir among the commanders of the Aishias Army.

“How could this happen? What exactly went wrong?”

“He recklessly charged into enemy lines alone in an attempt to rescue Miss Anima.”

Just hearing that made it easy to picture what happened on the battlefield.

The Serpina Army retreated after capturing Anima as a prisoner. Upon hearing about her capture, Erhandorf likely rushed into battle wielding his weapon, driven by the deep bond shared by the five leaders—a connection far stronger than that of ordinary generals who merely share blood mixed with wine. It’s not surprising he’d risk his life to save her. They’re exposing the fatal flaw of their “deep camaraderie” like characters straight out of a painting.

“If reinforcements had arrived even slightly later, we might have faced a catastrophic situation.”

“Reinforcements…? Oh, you mean the troops sent out a few days ago?”

“That’s right. Though their destination wasn’t disclosed beyond the commanding officer, they were dispatched toward Raclaine Castle.”

Upon hearing this, murmurs spread through the crowd again, though this time with a different tone.

“Of course, Master Jinoru!”

“Master Jinoru must have sent reinforcements ahead of time!”

“…”

Jinoru glanced at me subtly while listening to the commanders’ comments, and I gave a slow nod. I don’t care what the officers of the Aishias Army think about me. Even if my plans are credited to Jinoru, it makes no difference. After all, I’m leaving anyway.

“Excuse me. Does that mean Raclaine Castle is also…?”

“I already said it. Reinforcements were sent, and the castle wasn’t lost.”

At that moment, a female knight standing beside the man asking questions raised her hand.

“There were reports of strange phenomena at Hisfil Castle. Was it related to our forces?”

“I don’t know the details either. Something beyond our understanding seems to have occurred. Fortunately, the Serpina Army retreated, which was lucky for us.”

A lie. Jinoru knew exactly what had happened since I told him everything—the amplification of Reika’s abilities and such. There was no need to hide it from him, so I shared my speculations.

Some people commented, “It’s like you foresaw this,” but regardless, he seemed convinced. Since the day Jinoru expressed great trust in me after saying something absurd about seeing the future through Mind’s Eye, he’s placed immense confidence in my words.

After the Q&A session ended, a light explanation of the situation began. The allied reinforcements successfully rescued Erhandorf despite heavy losses, ensuring we didn’t lose the castle. In summary, the Serpina Army captured Anima as a prisoner.

“That’s the current situation our army faces.”

“…”

The royal palace fell silent once more. Jinoru briefly checked Yuri’s reaction before addressing all of us.

“What do you suggest we do next? Feel free to voice your opinions.”

At that moment…

The door to the royal palace opened, and a woman’s voice rang out.

“I’m late. Sorry.”

A knight wearing armor predominantly blue walked in confidently. It was Emma.

“Emma…!”

“It seems you’ve just arrived.”

Yuri and Jinoru greeted her casually. She had been stationed at Epinal and Jestrom Castle recently. As expected, our victory at Jestrom Castle aligned with my predictions, though those were regarding the defense of Jestrom rather than the battle at Hisfil. She must have rushed here upon hearing the news. Lady Epinal likely had many responsibilities, so Emma coming here wasn’t unusual.

“Yuri, what exactly happened?”

“Well…”

“Allow me to explain.”

Jinoru provided a concise summary of the situation to Emma, who then nodded and voiced her opinion.

“It seems there’s only one thing we need to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Isn’t it obvious? We need to rescue Anima.”

As expected, Emma pulled out a hardline approach without hesitation.

“We all understand the significance of Anima within the Aishias Army, don’t we? Not just the strategist but everyone gathered here would agree, right? Yuri, you feel the same, don’t you?”

“Th… that’s…”

“…What’s wrong? Your expression…”

Emma approached Yuri, who was visibly trembling, and began questioning her harshly.

“There’s no time to waste! What are you doing?”

“!!”

“You can’t afford to hesitate! Anima’s been captured! Issue the order to retrieve her immediately! What are you waiting for?!”

How dare she. No matter how strong their bond may be, how could a mere commander address the monarch like this in front of everyone?

“General Emma, what do you think you’re doing?! Show proper respect!”

“…”

Only after Jinoru spoke did Emma bite her lip and fall silent. The commanders remained speechless even after witnessing this scene, and it was Jinoru who eventually restored order.

“General, this incident will not be overlooked. Once this meeting concludes, we’ll discuss how to handle General Emma…”

“Jinoru, I’m fine… really…”

With a soft voice, Yuri addressed Jinoru, who was clearly agitated.

“It’s okay… Just… please help me think about what to do…”

And then, at that moment…

“I… have something to say.”

An unexpected voice came from beside me. It was Iren.

“Speak, General Iren.”

“Sending troops into battle under the current circumstances poses significant long-term risks. With the reduced forces at Raclaine Castle, moving too soon would be unwise.”

Emma responded with a very serious tone.

“General Iren, are you suggesting we abandon the effort to rescue Anima because it’s dangerous?”

Though her voice was sharp enough to intimidate anyone…

Who is Iren? The woman who endured Lin Brance’s various passive attacks without flinching? True to form, she calmly and respectfully replied without hesitation.

“Commander Emma, absolutely not. Anima is extremely important to the Aishias Army. I’m simply suggesting that fighting isn’t the only solution.”

“If not fighting, then what?”

“Negotiation.”

Iren’s violet eyes gleamed as she spoke.

“If we can bring Anima back through words, we can avoid unnecessary bloodshed.”

“Negotiation…”

Indeed, Iren was an exceptional woman. Her contributions both in strategy meetings and on the battlefield reinforced my belief that finding a commander like her was rare.

“But we don’t even know what the Serpina Army might demand…”

“Even so, negotiation remains preferable to war. Please consider this carefully, my lord.”

After finishing her statement, Iren bowed respectfully toward Yuri, who remained silent, trembling uncontrollably. To be shaken this much over the capture of one of the five leaders…

‘So this is why she can’t become the unified ruler.’

Jinoru approached Yuri and asked,

“What do you wish to do, my lord?”

“…”

“Lord, regain your composure. Anima still lives. To rescue her, you, above all others, must remain calm.”

Upon hearing Jinoru’s words, Yuri sighed deeply before speaking.

“To everyone… I apologize. To Jinoru, to Emma, and to all of you who’ve gathered here… I regret showing such disarray.”

If the ruler says so, who am I to argue? We simply bowed our heads and waited for her to continue. Despite still appearing somewhat uneasy, her voice was noticeably calmer as she posed a question to us.

“First, those who believe we must go to war, please raise your hands.”

Including Emma, several armed officers raised their hands. However, the number was clearly small. Many commanders understood that advocating for war in this situation would be reckless.

Anyway…

Since the question was asked, it’s time for me to do my part.

‘Is going to war the right course of action?’

[No.]

Expected answer.

Then, should we negotiate?

If not negotiation, what other options are there? Though I pondered briefly, it didn’t last long.

“…Do you think we should try negotiating?”

‘Does negotiating seem like the right choice?’

[Yes.]

Since the answer came so promptly…

Actually, I already suspected negotiation was the best option after previously receiving feedback that direct negotiation was most efficient.

…Thinking that moment.

[Ah, but…]

‘Huh?’

My usual immediate prediction hesitated ever so slightly.

[It depends on the will of heaven.]

‘…Huh?’

What does that mean?

The compass pointed towards something mysterious again.

What does this mean?

When the heavens’ will is mentioned, it doesn’t literally mean the sky decides—it refers to unpredictable actions based on how I act. So, does that mean I can determine the success of these negotiations?

‘How…?’

How could I, not being the ruler, having nothing special, just a mere commander, influence the outcome of negotiations involving the Serpina Army?

‘Wait a second.’

Come to think of it, wasn’t the previous prediction similar to this one? When it said [You must negotiate directly], it essentially meant sending me, didn’t it? Why didn’t it mention “the will of heaven” then?

‘Why keep sending me directly?’

By this point, I’m curious enough to try negotiating myself.

While I was lost in thought—

The conversation continued, and finally, Yuri declared her decision with a resolute tone.

“…Emma, I’m sorry, but I’ll follow the majority opinion here. I understand your frustration, but… I don’t believe rashly starting a war is the right course of action… And I truly believe Anima would think the same.”

“…”

Emma appeared slightly dissatisfied but soon nodded.

“You’re the ruler, Yuri. If it saves Anima, I don’t care about the method.”

“…Thank you for understanding.”

The image of a ruler seeking understanding from her vassals.

Ordinarily, I might find it ironic, but my mind had no room for such trivialities at the moment.

“In that case, let’s proceed with negotiations. For the envoy role… Lutz, are you there?”

“Yes, my lord!”

At the mention of Lutz, a man responded loudly.

“I’d appreciate your help… How does that sound?”

“Of course, if ordered, I must comply. I’ll ensure Anima returns safely from the Serpina Army.”

“Good. As for the terms… what do you think, Jinoru?”

“The easiest would be monetary compensation. Considering our available funds, we can offer up to 7,900 gold coins.”

“7,900? Is that really enough? Surely the Serpina Army isn’t struggling financially.”

“Holding more money is always better. This amount is substantial compared to the typical ransom request. From Serpina’s perspective, it would be hard to refuse.”

Right as the discussion unfolded before me…

I suddenly raised my hand.

“May I interject?”

“?”

“Swen?”

At that moment, not only Yuri and Jinoru but everyone present turned their gaze toward me. However…

Since the outcome of these negotiations depended on “the will of heaven,” I couldn’t stay silent.

“This concerns the envoy.”

“Is there a problem?”

Nodding at Yuri’s question, I spoke.

“Could I, instead of the person currently nominated, serve as the envoy?”