Chapter 71 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 71

I organized my thoughts.

If we assume that the very news of the vanguard force of over 50,000 troops was a ‘bait,’ it wasn’t hard to speculate why it had to be exactly 50,000 men.

Even if this isn’t a castle but a fortress, fundamentally in combat, the defending side is overwhelmingly superior to the attacking side.

It’s not that we can’t withstand them, but since we can’t completely overpower them either, wouldn’t both sides just end up in a stalemate dragging out a war of attrition?

Jinoru must have considered this as well and argued that “if it turns into a prolonged war, we’re the ones who will lose.”

For Brance Army to secure an undeniable advantage, they should’ve brought at least 70,000 to 80,000 troops.

With Brance Army’s resources, they could probably muster around 20,000 to 30,000 more soldiers from various locations. After all, they have a large population and a wide border with plenty of troops already stationed.

At that moment, Epinal would likely have withdrawn his resistance and retreated back to the castle. Combining forces inside the castle for a siege would’ve been a far more rational judgment.

Right there, I glimpsed what seemed like the ‘answer.’

“Because the number that would make Epinal retreat is 50,000… did they deliberately match the count?”

Tying down our forces, including me, here at the fortress and creating the impression that ‘this is worth trying’—the number 53,000 was uncannily perfect.

In fact, Epinal’s subsequent surrender practically proved this point.

“Hold on…”

If the vanguard force is bait directed at us, then their ultimate goal isn’t this fortress after all.

Otherwise, there’d be no reason to send bait to the fortress.

Then what exactly is their goal?

From there, I drew two undeniable predictions:

Retreating while leaving behind some troops is “a somewhat reasonable countermeasure.”

Winning through battle depends entirely on how our army acts—on Heaven’s Will.

When our army makes “some choice,” we win.

Moreover, withdrawing troops from the fortress and retreating to Falaharte Castle is “an action close to the right answer.”

“Including withdrawing troops… does this mean our army needs to do something to win?”

But if so, doesn’t the phrasing seem a bit off?

What exactly do we need to do to win?

And what shouldn’t we do to avoid losing?

“A situation where doing nothing leads to defeat… A situation where doing something specific is required to win…”

Once again, I began compiling every possible move Brance Army could take in my mind.

The more I eliminate the impossible, the clearer the truth will shine.

What would Brance Army have done?

How did their actions lead to these two predictions?

Again…

* * *

“…Phew.”

Chel stood dumbfounded after hearing Parphale’s explanation, unable to utter a word.

“How about it?”

“It’s less about how… It’s audacious, I’ll say that much… I’m not even sure if it’s truly feasible…”

“It’s possible. In fact, there’s no other way. To deliver a blow to the Aishias Army without waiting for reinforcements of 30,000 troops and within a short period of time, this is the only option.”

Parphale said this with an extremely serious tone.

“Of course, the risk of failure is significant, and I understand that. However, I believe now is precisely the moment when we need to make a decisive decision.”

“Hmm…”

Chel stroked his chin thoughtfully.

Parphale’s proposal.

Indeed, it was by far the most unconventional yet efficient method available given the current situation.

The only issue was one: the tremendous losses our army would suffer in case of failure.

Already, due to Iren’s betrayal, over 30,000 troops switched allegiance from Brance Army to Aishias Army. If we lose our remaining forces too, it might result in irreparable damage.

Would the southern borders fall or the northern borders? That’s the kind of question this could escalate into.

“…This seems overly reckless. Regardless of anything else, I still think slowly besieging the fortress with orthodox methods is safer. While Swoen’s abilities are concerning, if he could freely use them as he pleased, wouldn’t he have already attacked Raclaine Castle? From what I heard, even during his time with our army, Swoen himself admitted he couldn’t use his powers at will.”

“In that case, let’s assume Swoen cannot use his abilities.”

Parphale once again placed her hand on the map on the table and began explaining.

“If it becomes a protracted war, we may win eventually, but we don’t know how long it will take. The Aishias Army has many brilliant commanders with exceptional abilities. Even if we drag out the fight, whether the southern nations and the Serpina Army in the north remain idle during this time is uncertain. Given Lord’s firm intention to punish the Aishias Army first—resolving this as quickly as possible seems to be the best course of action. And the only way to avoid prolonging the conflict is the method I just proposed.”

“But… isn’t there a possibility your strategy won’t work?”

“Of course, there is, but I estimate the probability to be quite low.”

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to hear your reasoning.”

Parphale nodded and continued.

“The current commander of the fortress, Epinal Rosenkross, is a straightforward warrior-type general. She prefers direct confrontations over relying on strategies or tactics. It’s highly likely she will advocate for defending the fortress. Given her high standing within the Aishias Army, her opinion will naturally be accepted. This information comes from cross-referencing intelligence gathered from the eastern border region, so it should be accurate.”

“So ultimately…”

“That’s correct. Although losing in this operation would be painful, considering we currently don’t fully understand Swoen’s abilities, engaging in a frontal battle also offers little chance of victory. Since both options carry risks, shouldn’t we aim for the one with the greater potential payoff?”

“…”

“Miss Chel. My statement ends here. Whether you follow my advice or not, I will wholeheartedly assist you.”

Though Parphale held a fairly high position as the Nation’s Strategist, the actual command on the battlefield belonged to General Chel.

After pondering for a while, Chel finally nodded as if making a decision.

“…We shall—”

* * *

I cleared my mind completely.

And inserted only the two facts derived from the recent predictions.

Our army’s choice determines the outcome of the battle.

Withdrawing troops from here is somewhat the right move.

These two propositions are absolute [Truths]. A Divinity 100 brain only speaks the truth.

Thus, both withdrawing troops and taking some action are mandatory for us to secure victory in this battle.

I stared at the map for a long time.

The dense forests surrounding the area.

Raclaine Castle, the fortress, and the narrow passage leading to Falaharte Castle in a straight line.

Slowly scanning the map…

Eliminating possibilities one by one.

Every scheme Brance Army could possibly devise against us.

Every countermeasure our army could deploy against Brance Army.

As I crossed them off, only one ‘possibility’ remained glaringly evident in the darkness.

“…!”

Right at that moment.

My tangled thoughts suddenly cleared, and I understood why a Divinity 100 brain made such a prediction.

Something akin to divine revelation… strongly enveloped my body.

“…Ambush.”

I unknowingly whispered that word.

That’s right.

Ambush.

The enemy’s target isn’t this fortress.

The vanguard sent to the fortress is merely bait.

Their real objective is the capital of Aishias Army, currently weakened due to deploying forces against Alepel Army—the sole stronghold:

“The enemy plans to ambush Falaharte Castle.”

The deployed troop count of over 50,000 is likely false information. Spreading misinformation isn’t difficult.

Even if it were true, the forces arriving at the fortress would be minimal. The rest could bypass through the forest, regroup, and head toward Falaharte Castle.

Thinking this way, all the seemingly unrelated fragments of facts started fitting together perfectly.

Therefore.

Divinity 100 declared it depends on “Heaven’s Will.”

Because if we prepare for the ambush, we win. But if we fail to anticipate it, we lose.

Divinity 100 referred to it as “somewhat close.”

If we withdraw troops from the fortress and redeploy them to Falaharte Castle, we can at least prevent the ambush.

However, Brance Army isn’t stupid. Once they confirm reinforcement, they’ll likely retreat rather than engage in battle.

Jinoru’s suggestion is only half-right. It preserves our army’s strength but fails to significantly harm Brance Army’s forces, essentially maintaining the status quo.

The phrase “somewhat close” fits this situation perfectly.

The real answer.

What Divinity 100 predicts as the “most efficient solution for Aishias Army”—is to counterattack in preparation for the ambush.

The ambushed forces will fall into confusion. Reorganizing the scattered ranks will be as easy as eating cake.

A method to preserve our army’s strength while dealing a fatal blow to Brance Army’s forces.

This is essentially “preparing for the ambush on Falaharte Castle.”

“…Haa.”

I exhaled deeply, leaning back against the chair.

Cold sweat trickled down my entire body.

Walking on thin ice—it took immense energy to decipher the incomprehensible truths hidden within those statements.

Still.

Ultimately, I managed to find a path that seemed roughly correct.

‘This is only half of it.’

That’s right.

Realizing the situation only means I’m halfway there.

This isn’t Lunarien Army where my words are almost always followed without question.

Even if I’m right, it holds no meaning unless they listen to me, right?

Especially in the harsh Aishias Army where even someone like Jinoru gets dismissed due to lack of seniority.

‘Still, I have to persuade them.’

Someone like me, a rookie commander, won’t sway Epinal.

So who should I approach first? Ultimately, it’s Jinoru.

As the Nation’s Strategist, even if Epinal once disregarded Jinoru’s opinion, the chances of him convincing her are higher than me doing so directly.

‘Time is running out. Let’s move quickly.’

I stood up and headed towards where Jinoru was.


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I Became a Strategist with 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

I Became a Strategist with 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

지력 100의 적중률 100% 책사가 되었다
Status: Ongoing
I found myself possessing a character with 100 intelligence in a classic medieval fantasy-style territorial conquest game. An intelligence stat of 100 — this meant my predictions would always be accurate without fail. But since I was a weakling without strength and didn't even understand why things turned out the way they did, I figured it was best to live quietly. However... leaders who discovered my abilities started to obsess over me.

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