Chapter 257

Ginoru’s firm words hung heavy in the air.

Luna remained silent for a moment before cautiously parting her lips.

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s impossible to imagine victory under these circumstances.”

90,000 against 200,000.

Even with the advantage of defending a fortress, a numerical disadvantage of this magnitude was insurmountable.

Moreover, the enemy would undoubtedly bring siege weapons, and if we attempted an interception, our already outnumbered forces would inevitably split into two fronts.

Tifa, our commander, was capable but not on the level of someone like Erhandorf, Emma, or Epinal from the Aishias Army who could turn the tide of battle single-handedly.

Tevelo Castle was well-fortified, but there were no advantageous terrains for ambushes or surprise attacks nearby.

Attempting a preemptive strike under such overwhelming odds could lead to catastrophic losses. Thus, holding out in a siege remained our only viable option.

No matter how many times I thought about it, I couldn’t devise any groundbreaking strategy to reverse this situation.

It’s truly impossible to see a way to victory…

Luna mulled over the words for a while before asking Ginoru.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but your judgment is based solely on the information you currently possess, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“One more question: Is this a battle we cannot avoid?”

After pondering briefly, Ginoru quickly replied.

“With no place to retreat, it’s a fight we must face.”

“In that case, I have no qualms.”

Leaving behind cryptic words, Luna slowly rose from her seat.

“Please gather everyone, Lord Ginoru.”

“You intend to resist, my lady?”

“I believe you understand as well as I do—there’s no other course of action.”

As Luna said, whether the situation is unfavorable or success seems unlikely—it’s irrelevant to us.

Unless the rebels surrender and spare lives, resistance is all that remains.

Still, what concerned Ginoru wasn’t just the odds.

“It pains me to ask, but may I inquire further? Please consider this as coming from someone who has pledged their life to you.”

“Speak your mind, Ginoru.”

“Is there some unknown variable you’re counting on?”

From Ginoru’s perspective, Lady Lunarien wasn’t the type to hide emotions perfectly behind a poker face. On the contrary, she was quite expressive—like when she openly showed discomfort upon hearing about Swoen.

Her calm demeanor after hearing “no visible path to victory” suggested she had faith in something—or someone.

This also explained her earlier mention of known information.

Ginoru also wanted to gauge the kind of person Lunarien truly was.

His trust in her stemmed solely from Swoen’s assertion that she’d become the unifying monarch. If so, why did Swoen make such a bold claim?

Naturally, Ginoru was curious about how she intended to resolve this predicament.

However…

The answer he received was unexpected.

“Yes, there is.”

“What is it?”

“I don’t know.”

“…Excuse me?”

For once, even the usually composed Ginoru was taken aback.

This was only the second time in his life he’d been genuinely surprised—the first being when Yuri spoke of selling Swoen.

“I don’t know what variable might come into play either. But… if there’s truly no other way for us to avoid this battle, then we will win. Without a doubt.”

Smiling warmly with ruby eyes shining bright, Luna exuded an unwavering confidence that no outsider could penetrate.

“Because our strategist said so—we’ll ultimately emerge victorious.”

She trusted the words of her strategist implicitly.

If Luna mentioned a strategist, there was only one person it could be.

“Therefore, we will win. Because we seized the opportunity they foretold.”

‘…’

Indeed.

There was no trace of arrogance or misplaced optimism here. This woman truly believed in her inevitable victory.

And Swoen, who seemed able to foresee the future, declared her the unifying monarch.

‘…Hmm.’

Had he not met Swoen, Ginoru might have fled at this point—but now he chose to trust the intuition and judgments of that enigmatic man.

After all, he followed him here because he trusted him.

“Lord Ginoru, would you please gather everyone?”

With a bow, Ginoru addressed his new sovereign.

“As you command.”

* * *

In the meeting room, Luna began briefing everyone while spreading out a map.

“Given the enemy’s overwhelming force exceeding 200,000 troops, we obviously have no choice but to hold out in a siege. However, since the enemy will deploy numerous siege weapons, we must send out an interception force. I assume everyone understands this much.”

“So, who’s leading the vanguard?”

“The one commanding the vanguard is reportedly a man named Sad Astron.”

“!!”

At the mention of his name, several people murmured restlessly. They were all former members of the Karelia Army, not originally part of the Lunarien forces.

“Does anyone recognize this name?”

“Lord…”

Mets, who had quietly listened until now, raised his hand. He was among the most trusted by Lady Lunarien among those transferred from the Karelia Army.

“Speak, Mets.”

“Has Lady Lunarien heard of the Astron Mercenary Unit?”

“Ah…”

Upon hearing it, memories stirred.

The Astron Mercenary Unit—a group infamous for their brutal mercenary tactics driven purely by money.

Even Ginoru reacted slightly to the name. Indeed, it was the same unit hired by Serpina to corner Anima.

“So… does this mean Karelia entrusted their commander position to mercenaries?”

“No, that’s unlikely. Deploying such a large army to mercenaries would be absurd, and General Sad originally belonged to the Karelia Army.”

“Is that so…?”

Could it be that the notorious leader of the Astron Mercenary Unit was once part of Karelia’s forces?

It felt like forcing an ill-fitting coat onto someone—an odd combination indeed.

“Yes. Though he established great merit during the founding of the nation, his cruel nature led to his expulsion by Lord Karelia. His reappearance now suggests…”

At that moment, Vanessa Trinity’s image flashed through Luna’s mind.

It was likely her suggestion.

Of course, even if she proposed it, nothing changes—the ultimate decision to rehire Sad rested with Karelia himself.

Thus, Karelia too had broken his principles to ensure our annihilation.

“How desperate must they be to reach out to someone like him…”

“His ideals have clearly crumbled.”

“Completely fallen. Tsk tsk.”

Despite their words, trembling voices betrayed their unease. Observing silently, Ginoru realized the depth of betrayal felt by those formerly loyal to Karelia.

Arrogance. Indeed, compared to Luna, a distinct sense of bravado lingered around those originally from Karelia’s ranks.

Luna closed her eyes briefly before continuing.

“Additionally, Vanessa Trinity serves as advisor, alongside Cecile Loengrin.”

Positioning Sad as their ‘warrior,’ flanked by Vanessa on one side and Cecile on the other formed what could arguably be called Karelia’s dream team.

Recalling Cecile’s face, Luna tightly shut her eyes. While seizing the ‘opportunity’ Swoen foresaw brought no regrets, she still felt apologetic toward Cecile, who trusted her.

But…

Regret was a luxury she couldn’t afford.

Thinking of Swoen forced into actions against his will under the witch Serpina’s threats, indulging in trivial feelings like regret was clearly unacceptable.

Reaffirming her resolve, Luna continued firmly.

“Since the enemy will deploy siege weapons, we plan to form a guerrilla force of around 30,000 soldiers. This will be an extremely dangerous mission requiring the utmost sacrifice.”

30,000 represented roughly a third of our total forces—quite a significant commitment from Luna’s perspective.

Yet, facing an army of 200,000 made it undeniably perilous.

Therefore…

“I, Lunarien, will personally lead the vanguard.”

“!!”

She couldn’t abandon those who trusted and followed her alone to certain doom.

“Wait! My lord, it’s far too dangerous for you to go yourself! Allow me to take the lead of the guerrilla force…”

Francis pleaded anxiously, but…

“No. This is something only I can do.”

“But my lord!”

At that moment…

Kail interrupted Francis with a hearty laugh.

“Enough. The lord knows best here.”

“Huh?”

“Why should sending a strong leader pose any problem in such a critical role?”

“????”

Francis looked utterly confused as Tifa placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Exactly what he said. Trust Luna here.”

What?

Could Lady Lunarien actually be incredibly powerful?

To Francis, Luna was more like a delicate flower blooming on a cliffside—this scenario defied all logic. Yet, neither Tifa nor Kail seemed like they’d joke around in such a serious situation.

“Luna, I think you’ll need my help too.”

“Glad you said that—I was worried you’d refuse!”

“Now wait a moment! My lord! If you insist on going, allow me to assist…”

“Francis, we’ll need you to defend the castle while we’re gone. That’s an equally vital task, and I trust you understand its importance.”

“But…”

“Francis, please grant me this favor.”

Faced with Luna’s gentle smile, Francis couldn’t press further. Still, as he contemplated whether it was right for their leader to venture out while leaving a strong defense behind…

“My lord.”

Ginoru, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“If you permit, I’d like to offer my input on your strategy.”

“Certainly, Ginoru. Please share freely.”

—At that moment, Ginoru reflected.

“‘We’ll ultimately emerge victorious because our strategist said so.'”

And thus, Ginoru decided to bet on Luna’s conviction.

If some ‘variable’ ensures our victory…

Recalling the conversation with the silver-haired strategist back at Hisfil Castle during the empire’s fall…

“But isn’t that right? If I could see the future, wouldn’t I step forward with bolder claims instead of walking this tightrope?”

“Only if the future you glimpse is limited. For example, you might know whether we’ll win or lose a war…but not why.”

We will win.

But why remains unclear.

Back then, Swoen acted based solely on the knowledge of winning, fitting events to match the outcome. This peculiar behavior left a vivid impression on Ginoru.

Then…

Assuming the Lunarien Army’s victory in this battle is fixed, the most rational decision for us would be—

“Increase the guerrilla force from 30,000 to 80,000, or even more if possible.”

“…Pardon?”

Seeing Luna’s slightly startled expression—

Ginoru felt alive, for the first time since the empire’s collapse.

“Minimize the garrison within the castle and commit the remaining forces entirely to the guerrilla operation, my lord!”