Chapter 69

It wasn’t long before we arrived at the fortress.

The outer perimeter of the fortress, which had been shoddily constructed from wood, was now surrounded by sturdy brick walls.

Apparently, they considered this fortress important enough to carry out expansion work.

Surely, this fortress held significant presence for both the Brance Army and the Aishias Army.

However, the red flag fluttering atop the tall tower boldly declared its allegiance to the Aishias Army.

“Welcome, Lady Iren.”

A few of the guards on duty recognized Iren and greeted her.

Their armor bore the emblem signifying their allegiance to the Aishias Army.

So, just like us, this person now served under a different sun.

“Hmm. Good work.”

We immediately headed toward the meeting room where Epinal was located.

Inside, we were greeted by her, with her teal hair tied back in a ponytail.

“I have arrived at the fortress as per my lord’s orders, Lady Iren Julieat.”

“Welcome, Iren. The strategist has also arrived.”

She glanced around at us, then looked directly at me and said,

“You’ve come too, Swoen. We were just waiting for you.”

Silently, I bowed my head.

And she, seemingly not expecting a specific response, turned her gaze back to all of us and began explaining the current situation in a serious tone.

“With the arrival of reinforcements, let me explain again. The Brance Army is advancing with an army of 53,000 soldiers towards this fortress. Their vanguard is reportedly Chel Brance.”

Seeing Chel coming confirmed that they were pulling troops from the south.

Not long ago, I was part of the Brance Army, so I could easily see how things were unfolding.

“There are currently a total of 48,000 soldiers stationed here in this fortress. With the addition of 3,000 more, that makes 51,000. Though it’s a fortress and not a castle, I believe this number of troops should be sufficient to withstand the attack.”

Jinoru quietly asked in a very serious tone,

“…Lady Epinal. Surely, you don’t intend to continue defending this fortress?”

“Yes. That is correct.”

“That is an irrational decision. I believe it would be best to abandon the fortress now and return to the castle.”

“Lady Strategist. The number of soldiers on both sides is roughly equal. Though it’s not a castle, we do have a fortress. It seems reasonable to fight given the situation. I don’t think retreating automatically means victory.”

“Lady General, I understand your intentions. However, I don’t believe the Brance Army’s invasion will end with just 53,000 soldiers. Somehow, we might manage to hold them off, but undoubtedly, our side will suffer considerable losses. If we get into a prolonged war, our army, lacking territorial resources, will inevitably lose to the overwhelmingly skilled Brance Army.”

Saying this, Jinoru bowed his head.

To witness the national strategist bowing to a general—especially someone of Jinoru’s caliber—was quite a sight.

“Lady General Epinal. Please reconsider. Currently, concentrating our forces at Falaharte Castle and utilizing the advantage of defense is the best course of action. Once we consolidate the Charan Army and Alepel Army, a way forward will surely present itself.”

Honestly, I agreed with Jinoru’s opinion—not because his intellect was at 99, but because his words made far more sense.

Even with some fortifications added, there’s a huge difference between holding out in a fortress versus a castle. 53,000 soldiers may seem like a lot, but combined with the remaining forces at Falaharte Castle, it’s not an insurmountable number. Plus, once the soldiers sent to battle the Alepel Army return, we’ll be able to establish a much stronger defensive line.

But…

Epinal firmly stated,

“Lady Strategist. I understand what you’re saying. But if we lose this fortress, we’ll only revert to endlessly confronting the Brance Army again and again. There will come a time when we must face them, and I believe that time is now. If we keep avoiding full-scale battles, eventually our army won’t be able to do anything.”

Certainly, the location of this fortress was quite appropriate.

From my perspective, it was merely a place to station the troops Iren was leading, built rather haphazardly. But whether for the Aishias Army or the Brance Army, it was in a strategically advantageous position. From Epinal’s point of view, losing this fortress gained through hard effort due solely to fear of future prolonged warfare seemed like a loss.

Her judgment wasn’t unreasonable, similar to the previous Kalintz Brance, and it had a certain basis.

“And furthermore, regarding the continuous invasions by the Brance Army, I have a slightly different perspective. According to intelligence, they seem to have signed a ceasefire agreement with the southern nations. Most likely, the soldiers rushing here were those guarding the southern border, right? If that’s the case, they’ll eventually bring additional troops from the northern border, but I doubt the Serpina Army will just sit idly by. What do you think?”

“The population of the territories where the Brance Army is stationed suggests there’s a possibility of further conscription. And if they bring in troops from the western front instead of the northern one, the situation changes entirely. Judging comprehensively, abandoning the fortress and using Falaharte Castle as a base for a protracted defense will effectively block the Brance Army’s invasion.”

“While blocking the invasion may be true, constantly obstructing without breaking through isn’t feasible. If we can suppress the Brance Army in this battle, taking Raclaine Castle won’t remain a dream.”

“I understand your heart, but the timing isn’t right now. Waiting will surely bring the right moment.”

Jinoru’s words caused Epinal to slowly close her eyes, then cautiously responded,

“Lady Strategist. I don’t wish to bring up old stories, but I still remember when you confidently promised to plant the Aishias Army’s flag at Raclaine Castle. But how did that turn out?”

“…!”

Wow.

For Epinal to challenge the strategist like this shows her influence is indeed strong.

By the way, the person who ‘confidently promised’ that was actually me.

But revealing that fact wouldn’t benefit anyone, so I’ll just stay quiet here.

“This battle is, in a way, a golden opportunity for our Aishias Army. As you mentioned, aiming for Raclaine Castle right now might indeed be unlikely. Nevertheless…”

Epinal spoke with an emotional tone, as if reminiscing about the past,

“Lady Strategist may not know since you’ve only been here for a short while, but our Aishias Army achieved countless feats from the start when we met, discussed our cause, and secretly raised our flag at Falaharte Castle in the central region of the northern continent, evading the sharp-eyed Serpina. Nothing we attempted seemed likely to succeed, yet we managed to accomplish them. Our brothers, who share the blood of Yuri, have always seized opportunities amidst crises, bringing us to where we are today.”

“…”

“No one in our army considers abandoning this fortress and retreating an option.”

Having said that, Epinal finally turned to us and loudly proclaimed,

“Am I right? Anyone who thinks it’s better to give up this battle and retreat to Falaharte Castle, raise your hand!”

Relieved that no one raised their hand,

I sighed.

Her performance felt like a toast to ‘questions.’

‘Should we abandon the battle and retreat? Is it the best option?’

I quickly input Epinal’s question into my mind.

Both had plausible reasons.

An ordinary person wouldn’t know whose hand to raise. Without the ability to read the future, no one could definitively say who’s right.

But I’m different.

Since I can input any question and always receive the correct answer.

Would the opinion of Jinoru, boasting intellect of 99, prove accurate?

And the result was…

[Partially Close]

“…???”

Huh?

Partially close…?

Close, but not exactly correct?

I’ve seen the “close” answer before, like during the previous Brance Army regular meeting when Iren’s opinion was “almost close.”

So, something was strange.

If retreating is partially close, does that mean we should withdraw the troops somehow?

Why?

Despite my confusion, Epinal continued her speech.

Seemingly satisfied that no one raised their hand, her tone grew stronger.

“Lady Strategist, we must secure victory in this battle. It’s the only path to expand into the central continent. Our brothers can certainly achieve this. I’ve received full authority from Yuri regarding the command of this fortress. In other words, it’s the word of our ruler, Yuri. At least for now, I have no intention of backing down, so I hope for your cooperation, Lady Strategist.”

Closing his eyes and contemplating, Jinoru nodded and replied,

“…Understood.”

No matter how great a national strategist Jinoru was, the supreme leader and absolute ruler of this nation was the monarch, Yuri.

And Yuri trusted Epinal immensely, almost to the point of being led around by her.

Anyway, that wasn’t the key issue now.

If Jinoru’s opinion is “partially close,” what about Epinal’s?

In other words, “not retreating from the fortress and fighting against the Brance Army,” what about that?

‘Is there a natural way to ask questions?’

Right then.

Perfect timing, Epinal spoke to me.

“So, Swoen. I’d like to witness your abilities firsthand this time.”

“My abilities, you say?”

“At this point, pretending ignorance won’t help. Let’s talk about the miracles you’ve performed. You invoked blessings from the heavens and dropped stones, didn’t you?”

Now that I recall, he mentioned earlier that he was waiting for me.

He wants me to use my abilities.

“Um, Lady Epinal. About Swoen’s abilities…”

I gestured to stop Iren mid-sentence.

Here, let me handle it.

She instantly understood my meaning and closed her mouth.

“Forgive me, Lady Epinal. Communicating with the heavens isn’t something I can do whenever I please. I merely read the heavenly energies, discern the flow of the stars, and guide that flow to our advantage. Though I desperately want to help, currently, that channel is blocked.”

“Then, how about performing a similar ritual as before?”

“Well, I could do that… but there’s no guarantee the heavens will respond. Obscuring the vision of the Brance Army isn’t a bad idea, but I can’t confidently promise practical effectiveness.”

While the ritual might serve as a bluff against the Brance Army, if nothing happens afterward, that would be problematic.

“Hmm… is that so?”

Epinal wore a somewhat disappointed expression but soon shook her head and said,

“Regardless, even without relying on your miracles, our army can defeat the Brance Army here, can’t we?”

At Epinal’s perfectly timed question, I sighed in relief.

‘Great!’

Unintentionally, I managed to extract the question I wanted.

Second question: “Can the Aishias Army defeat the Brance Army in this battle?”

The outcome of this would determine my next actions.

And once again,

The brain with intellect of 100,

nonchalantly,

like announcing tonight’s dinner menu,

just casually spat out the result.

[Depends on the Will of Heaven]

‘??????’

Yet another unexpected result.