Chapter 21

* * *

The weather was getting colder and colder.

It seemed like quite some time had passed since I had arrived in this world. And for some reason, though I didn’t know why, I was overwhelmed by an instinctive feeling that something was about to happen.

‘Too peaceful.’

According to intelligence, the battle between the Serpina Army and the Brance Army ended with the Brance Army successfully defending their position. Moreover, it was reported that both the southern and eastern fronts were quiet without any incidents.

If so, it would be logical for them to target our side – the western region where our castle stood. But strangely, time continued to pass without any major events.

Of course, we weren’t sitting idly during this period. We did everything within our power. We recruited as many troops as possible without causing unrest among the populace. Currently, combining our regular forces with the mercenaries, we had a total of 31,000 soldiers defending our castle.

Even if we ignored public sentiment and forcibly conscripted every available male within the castle walls, only around 2,000 more could be added, so further recruitment wasn’t pursued. Instead, we focused on training. I ordered Tifa, who had recovered, to train the troops, while Cain was instructed to continue fortifying the walls under the assumption that no unexpected attacks would occur.

Not only Cain but myself and Lady Luna also joined in these efforts, strengthening the defenses to levels higher than ever before when preparing for siege warfare. All of this required Lord Luna’s approval, but she trusted me entirely—so much so that if I said we should make soybeans out of red beans, she’d believe and support it. In reality, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I was the one truly leading and governing this nation instead of her.

And there was another matter: envoys were sent to neighboring smaller countries bordering us, and six-month non-aggression treaties were established, including with the Garammil Army, who once aided Brance against us. After all, in this world, there are no lifelong allies or enemies. Plus, Garammil’s alliance with Brance seemed more like coercion rather than genuine cooperation.

Fortunately, these smaller nations were preoccupied with their internal affairs, so signing the treaties went smoothly without much hassle.

Our current biggest issue was the lack of talent. Though we utilized the brainpower of Divinity 100, no concrete results emerged. It meant that even after searching for capable individuals, none could be found.

While wasting time unnecessarily on scouting missions wasn’t ideal, it still felt unusual because I hadn’t encountered such difficulty finding talents even during actual gameplay. The mercenary leaders Gustaf and Aaron worked for us, but being independent entities, they couldn’t be commanded outside of battles. Thus, only four people handled domestic affairs—Cain, Tifa, myself, and Lady Luna. We desperately needed someone skilled in governance, yet not even a C-class commander could be recruited as time quickly slipped away.

‘Still, we’ve done everything we possibly could.’

In games, even after doing all you can as a minor country, you sometimes face overwhelming setbacks leading to instant game overs. However, since Lunarien Iniyan was destined to unify the continent, I wasn’t overly worried about downfall… So why did this strange sense of unease linger?

‘Alright. If trouble comes, I’ll deal with it then. My predictions will likely come true anyway.’

Lightening my mood made my thoughts clearer. Without specific concerns, I headed toward the castle walls for today’s maintenance work.

After walking for some time, I noticed Cain rushing toward me from afar. He seemed to be heading towards the royal palace.

“What is the matter?”

“Oh! Swoen, I was just looking for you.”

After catching his breath upon reaching me, Cain spoke.

“Lord Luna has summoned us immediately to the royal palace. It’s urgent.”

“Urgent?!”

“I heard a messenger has arrived.”

“…!!”

A messenger had come. That meant only one thing.

‘Here it comes.’

“Am I the last to receive this news?”

“Yes. I’ve already informed Tifa, who is currently training.”

“I understand.”

With that, Cain and I hurried to Jeilrant Castle.

*

Swoen, Cain, Tifa, along with the captain of the Chirein Mercenary Unit, Aaron, and the captain of the Raven Mercenary Unit, Gustaf, gathered around a table in front of Luna.

“Well done, everyone, for coming promptly.”

Luna began seriously.

“What is it? Are the Brance bastards moving again?”

“Yes. Correct.”

Tifa nodded, confirming Luna’s words. Given that we’d signed non-aggression pacts with all surrounding countries, Brance was the only plausible enemy left.

“Great timing. Is that red-haired knight going to show up again? I want to get my revenge this time.”

Tifa slammed her axe into the ground enthusiastically. Despite recovering faster than expected after checking her condition post-treaty, she had been through a life-threatening ordeal. As one of the key “King Return” characters, losing her here would be unacceptable.

“But haven’t we prepared thoroughly as per Swoen’s instructions? Our walls are stronger than ever, and our number of soldiers is nothing to scoff at…”

Cain questioned Luna, whose face showed deep concern. True, we had done everything possible. We knew Brance would eventually invade again, and we weren’t naive enough to think otherwise. We even considered forming an alliance with Brance but abandoned the idea after all predictions indicated it was impossible—they would never ally with us under any circumstances.

My abilities were limited to prediction; altering those outcomes was beyond my control. Nevertheless, we fortified our defenses to the best of our ability.

Then why…

Why does Luna look so despondent?

“…You’re right, Cain. We’ve done everything we could.”

“And what exactly does that mean?”

I asked cautiously. By now, I had a vague suspicion.

Her response confirmed my suspicions.

“…Brance’s army is advancing toward Jeilrant Castle. Their troop count is…”

She sighed deeply before continuing resolutely.

“81,000 men.”

“…!!!”

“What?! What did you say…?”

“80,000…?”

Everyone except me, who had anticipated something of this scale, reacted with disbelief upon hearing the staggering number. Of course. No matter how well-prepared we were, facing such overwhelming odds would demoralize anyone.

An army exceeding 80,000 soldiers! It felt like Brance had mobilized nearly every soldier from all fronts except the north. Even though our walls were sturdier than ever, we had more soldiers than usual, and morale was sky-high after two victorious battles, how could we possibly withstand such a force?

There might be ways to counter it. With a few SS-grade warriors, they could mow down enemies effortlessly like a vacuum cleaner. This game didn’t emphasize realistic strategies or tactics. Unfortunately, we lacked such warriors. Tifa was strong but merely A-grade. Even with the mercenaries’ superior skills, sheer numbers would prevail.

Thus—Brance aimed to crush us.

‘But why?’

Why was Brance sending such a massive force?

Jeilrant Castle and its surrounding territory weren’t strategically important. It was just one of many insignificant castles scattered throughout central regions. Leading such a large army would require immense preparation, which made little sense given the low value of this land.

At that moment…

“…Swoen, what should we do?”

Cain naturally turned to me for advice. No one objected. Everyone looked at me expectantly. Even Luna paused briefly before asking me earnestly.

“Swoen, guide me. Can we win this battle?”

“…”

[Can we win this battle?]

As always, the conclusion came swiftly.

[We cannot win.]

‘…!’

Absolutely no chance of victory. Once ‘we cannot win’ is predicted, even if a meteor fell from the heavens, it would inevitably strike us, ensuring defeat. The infallible predictions of a Divinity 100 mind couldn’t be overturned in this world.

“We have almost no chance of winning this battle.”

“That… that can’t be!”

Despair gripped Cain beside me. Tifa tried to smile despite the situation.

“But… isn’t there something we can do? You’ve pulled us through before!”

“…Allow me to revise my statement. Not almost impossible—it’s outright impossible.”

“What?! How can that be? Haven’t we managed fine until now? Did we fail to establish an agreement?”

“That’s correct.”

Had establishing an agreement been feasible, such a prediction would have emerged earlier.

“How could this happen? Think of something! I apologize for constantly relying on you, but you’re the smartest among us!”

“The smartest…”

If intelligence were measured solely by divinity points, that might hold true. However, divinity only improved predictive accuracy, not creativity. Predictions being consistently accurate was itself a godlike ability, but it couldn’t turn impossibilities into possibilities.

“So… does this mean the end for our army? Shall we accept our fate and perish without resistance?”

Luna stared at me with a defeated expression. This was just the beginning. Lunarien’s forces were just starting to stretch their wings. Was it really fated to be cut short so soon by a powerful vassal? Could this destiny not be defied?

All surrounding castles belonged to other rulers. There was no retreat for us.

‘…Wait a moment.’

Out of curiosity, I inputted her final question—“Is there no other way for our army but to perish here?”—into my mind. As expected, the answer came swiftly.

[No. Leave the Lunarien Army.]

‘…???’

What?!

Leave the Lunarien Army? Me? Does that mean resign?

…Hold on.

A few days ago, this same query yielded the same result. Let me reconfirm:

‘Will Lunarien Iniyan become the ruler who unifies the continent?’

[Yes.]

This remained unchanged. She was still destined to unify the continent, yet we couldn’t win this battle. To prevent the Lunarien Army’s destruction… must I leave?

“Swoen…?”

Luna noticed the change in my expression and asked anxiously. I maintained a calm demeanor as I replied.

“My lord, forgive me, but may I request a brief moment to think?”

“…Understood.”

Luna nodded gently, watching me carefully.

Turning away from her gaze, I rapidly input several critical questions into my mind.

‘Will Lunarien Iniyan become the ruler who unifies the continent?’

[Yes.]

Next question.

‘Is there a way to win this battle?’

[We cannot win.]

Same result. We have absolutely no chance of winning this battle. And finally:

‘Is the fate of the Lunarien Army sealed here? Is destruction unavoidable?’

[No. Leave the Lunarien Army.]

Three predictions.

Now, I needed to piece together the grand picture painted by these three “100% accurate predictions” and devise a plausible process.

*

Figuring out the exact steps leading to predetermined results is difficult. However, deducing “if this outcome occurs, certain processes must necessarily take place” tends to be easier.

The Lunarien Army won’t vanish completely at this moment. Why? Because she’s still destined to unify the continent. As long as that destiny remains unchanged, working for the Lunarien Army equates to serving my own interests since becoming a minister of the unified nation is the only way back to my original world.

However, immediate disappearance from the map seems inevitable due to the lack of escape routes. Why? Because we can’t win this battle. Losing means surrendering Jeilrant Castle, leaving us without additional territories. A faction without land cannot claim even nominal status as a vassal.

Combining these facts leads to one clear conclusion:

‘The Lunarien Army will temporarily disappear but will return to the historical stage later.’

Lady Lunarien Iniyan won’t die. Somehow, she’ll survive and regroup later.

The problem lies with our comrades. Tifa and Cain, whose potentials haven’t fully awakened yet, might perish if captured.

‘Lin Brance.’

Recalling countless hours spent playing the game, I remembered how CPU-controlled Lin Brance treated prisoners. Useful captives were recruited, but if they refused allegiance, they were executed. Conversely, useless prisoners were often pardoned.

Exceptions existed. Some valuable prisoners were released regardless. However, there was one exceptionless rule: execution awaited prisoner-leaders. They faced extremely high chances of decapitation, likely viewed as potential rivals. During minor-country playthroughs, I restarted countless times due to Lin Brance’s ruthlessness.

Regardless of capability, former rulers weren’t employed as subordinates because they wouldn’t willingly serve others after ruling themselves. Assuming both Tifa and Cain were captured:

‘Both will die.’

Cain possessed considerable political acumen. Despite focusing on wall repairs due to our unique circumstances, he excelled in commerce and agriculture. Tifa was an A-grade general, albeit not S-tier. Neither seemed inclined to surrender to another ruler besides Lunarien. While Cain might quietly comply if forced, Tifa’s fiery nature guaranteed execution.

‘I can’t afford to lose even one.’

Even with Lunarien’s eventual unification assured, losing even one companion could drastically alter the journey’s difficulty. Therefore, both Tifa and Cain must survive—for the sake of future king returns.

Thus, the solution is simple.

Evacuate everyone, including Luna, from the castle. Following Luna, whose safety is somewhat guaranteed, would be optimal.

Naturally, one might wonder whether a fleeing monarch with a small escort would trigger pursuit forces. However, that won’t happen. The basis for this belief lies in the third prediction.

[No. Leave the Lunarien Army.]

Leaving the Lunarien Army ensures its survival. Hence, understanding why my departure prevents destruction becomes crucial. The answer came surprisingly simply.

‘Lin Brance’s objective isn’t the complete annihilation of Jeilrant Castle or the Lunarien Army.’

‘His target is…’

‘Me.’