The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 11 – Part 2
This time, General Morgan also nodded vigorously, sharing Ironheart’s view.
Unlike Ironheart who was concerned about his subordinates’ lives, Morgan was worried about his own well-being.
Morgan soon squawked loudly.
“How audacious! How audacious! A mere mercenary shouldn’t speak so freely!”
“Hmm. I understand.”
Master seemed to have expected this and fell silent with folded arms, as if saying to do as they pleased.
At that, my older sister Julia muttered in a small voice, “That pig, disrespecting Master Ilya again.”
Then she looked at me and tilted her head.
“Youngest? Why are you like that?”
“…”
I couldn’t take my eyes off the map.
Unlike the simple map at Master’s camp, the headquarters barracks map depicted the troop movements in intricate detail.
The guerrilla movements of Ushis forces three days ago, our forces’ response to them, and the enemy’s intention behind the surprise attack on the Northwestern Front.
As I interpreted the map, I could grasp the enemy’s real operation.
‘This is…’
Based on these movements, the enemy had a different objective.
I tried to raise my hand to speak, but Brother Ferge grabbed my hand.
“Stay still, Ars. Speaking up now will only make you lose face. They won’t give you a chance to talk. If you really want to say something, tell Deputy Commander Ironheart after the meeting. At least he’s someone who will listen.”
“…Understood.”
Brother Ferge was right.
In this situation, where people were making thoughtless remarks like what does the young genius of the Marquis Millias think? or how does the son of the Count Herald see it?, I could only wait for the military council meeting to end.
When the deputy commander Ironheart heard my thoughts, he smiled wryly and said, “Haha, I must have made you worry. For a cadet at the academy to think so seriously. But don’t worry. If the enemy troops moved like that, a report would have come in.”
“No, that reconnaissance line was likely destroyed in the guerrilla operation the enemy carried out three days ago.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t have the leisure to listen to you word for word. There is a second war council with the core officers soon. That’s the real war council. Anyway, I understand your concern. But it’s late, so go and rest now.”
“…Yes. Understood.”
I decided not to say anything more. It was certainly possible that I was wrong. Above all, I realised my words weren’t getting through.
When I returned to the unit, I obediently started personal maintenance. The officer cadets were supposed to leave the army tomorrow afternoon in case there was a battle.
In the midst of that, my master came into my tent and said, “What did you say over there?”
“I said not to worry, but he didn’t listen at all. So I decided to leave it at that.”
“…I see. Then tell me in detail.”
“Yes?”
“Ars, I trust you. In the last 3 years, I haven’t met anyone as brilliant as you. Not just kids your age, but adults too. You’re special to me.”
“Master…”
“I won’t ignore your opinion. In fact, I’m thinking of actively following it.”
“Follow it…?”
“Our mercenary unit has a certain degree of autonomy. If you tell me in advance, I can at least make some preparations.”
When I still hesitated, master smiled and said, “I’m also responsible for the lives of the mercenaries following me. I must do my best to prevent their lives from being lost in vain. I’ve judged that the best way is to listen to your thoughts. So please, tell me what you think.”
“If that’s the case…”
I conveyed to my master the meaning and ultimate purpose behind the recent movements of the enemy troops.
Without any objection, master nodded her head and immediately began reorganising the unit.
It was practically as if her unit had come under my command.
Having indirectly taken command of the mercenary unit with my master’s help, I felt a tightening tension in my chest.
This was on a different level from the martial arts competitions I usually did.
Lives were at stake. Not just one, but over 20,000 lives in total.
So I couldn’t afford to overlook even the slightest thing. In my master’s tent, looking at the map, I continued to simulate the situation.
Then, my summoned brother Ferge made a noise and entered the tent.
“Sir Ilya. You called for me?”
“Ah, come in Captain Ferge. Ars, you explain.”
“Ars…? Why are you in Ilya’s tent at this hour?”
I explained the details of this operation to Ferge, who was frowning.
At first frowning, brother Ferge soon nodded.
“If that’s the case, I’ll cooperate too. But Ars, keep this in mind. I’m not cooperating because I unconditionally believe you. I’m only participating because there is a possibility of what you say. Since there’s no harm in preparing according to what you said.”
It seems Ferge was worried that I would become arrogant.
“Yes, I’m aware. That alone is enough.”
“Alright, from now on, my infantry unit will be under the command of the mercenary commander Ilya Anfei until the next order from the general. And… There are about two more battalion commanders who are close to me. It would be good to persuade them too. If something really happens in that way, it cannot be anything small.”
Saying that, brother Ferge swiftly summoned two battalion commanders to master’s tent.
One is supply officer Joshua, whose face I was also familiar with, and the other is an infantry commander named Felix.
Joshua was in command of the quartermaster & artillery unit, and Felix was the commander of the heavy infantry unit.
They were said to be Ferge’s fellow officers.
“What is it that you want to talk about so suddenly at this hour, Ferge? I’m tired because of the second war council.”
“Sorry. I thought something that couldn’t be overlooked might happen.”
“Something that can’t be overlooked?”
“The explanation is here… My brother will do it.”
As if saying that I must take responsibility for what happened, Ferge left it to me.
I explained while pointing at the operational map.
The two showed different reactions.
“Well, there’s a possibility, isn’t there?”
Joshua didn’t seem to believe it, but he admitted the possibility.
“Damn, was it another kid’s nonsense?”
Felix clicked his tongue, saying he was annoyed.
“Why do you say it’s nonsense, Commander Felix?”
“Huh, well. As Joshua said, there’s a possibility. So? Should we wake up all the soldiers in the middle of the night because of this kid’s pessimistic delusion?”
Felix sneered at me.
I decided to make up my mind.
“No, it’s not a delusion. The enemy will definitely do that. Otherwise, this tactical movement cannot be explained.”
As I had decided to take responsibility, I wasn’t going to back down now by saying I might be wrong.
“Oho, confidence is good… But listen here. I’ve been shaken around by those brats called the prodigy of Millias and the eldest son of Count Herald since earlier.”
It seemed uncomfortable for Felix, who was of common birth, to receive lectures from a noble kid who didn’t know the field.
“What will you do if your words turn out to be wrong, kid?”
If he was trying to intimidate me, he picked the wrong person. I looked him straight in the eye and answered, “I’m not wrong. So obediently come under my command.”
“…”
Felix fell silent for a moment, then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! You’re an amusing kid. Ferge, is this the genius from the Elaine family you mentioned?”
What was he talking about? Did the usually taciturn Ferge really give me such an evaluation?[1]
Ferge seemed embarrassed and avoided my gaze as he spoke. “That’s enough, Felix. I’ll treat you to a good drink later, so obediently come under Ilya’s command.”
“Hmm, okay. I don’t trust this kid that much, but I can trust Ilya Anfei. I’ll have the unit prepared.”
“While you’re at it, can’t you persuade Deputy Commander Ironheart too?”
“Arthur? I can’t even stand following this kid’s uncertain operation, and you want me to persuade Deputy Commander Ironheart about it? You might as well tell me to bite my tongue and die.”
“I can’t help it.”
With this, the total prepared force was 2,000, about 1/5 of the unit.
Since I, a cadet, couldn’t command such a force, I decided to use the mercenary Wade’s identity again, which I had used in Grancel.
My nominal position was the commander of the Ilya Anfei Mercenary Corp.
Before all the junior officers of the unit, I came out wearing a helmet and explained the outline of the operation, making one thing clear,
“If the enemy has decided to make that move, the time for the final battle is set. Tomorrow morning… no, it’s past midnight now, so it will be this morning’s dawn.”
It was certain that they would attack as soon as the sun rose.
Footnote:
1] It is always funny how the author keeps dropping stuff like this with no prior clue.
