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The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 151

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 151

The meeting began in earnest.

Each kingdom was gauging the scale of this diplomatic battle.

Firstly, I decided that I was done with Crossing at this stage.

Crossing was seen as a group of fools who had fallen after engaging in petty actions. While Wade, Ars Elaine was a person of concern, they concluded he had no influence in this diplomatic battle.

In reality, Ars was quietly observing the situation without saying anything.

That was the end of the discussion about Crossing. With that conclusion, the meeting moved on to the next topic.

It was about how to handle Balas.

Svenner & the West and Alvard were in opposition over this.

The Svenner side was quite surprised by Prince Eldric’s betrayal, but they had something to rely on.

It was Cassius’s hidden identity as Commander of the Three kingdoms.

This identity was something that even Prince Eldric didn’t know about.

Prince Eldric first met Cassius when he visited the West to create his own faction. Finding Cassius to be intelligent, he made Cassius his own man. That was when Cassius was 12 years old.

In other words, this means they don’t know about Cassius’s whereabouts until he was 12 years old.

Eventually, Svenner came to make this proposal:

“I would like to ask Cassius Lloyd, who is acting as the king’s representative, in which direction Balas intends to go!”

It was a proposal to choose between Alvard or Svenner (the West).

Prince Eldric’s expression hardened at this bold proposal. He finally sensed that Cassius might have been maintaining a separate relationship that he didn’t know about.

“W-wait a moment!”

“Bülang is to stay out of this!”

Prince Eldric was undoubtedly a Bülang man. While Cassius had officially turned his back on Bülang and his status in Bülang wasn’t particularly high, so it wasn’t a problem, but it wasn’t the same for Eldric.

Although Bülang involvement in this coup was common knowledge, it had been officially agreed that they weren’t related, so Bülang had no right to speak.

‘No way, could Cassius!?’

If so, giving Cassius full authority in this matter would turn out to be a self-defeating move. Prince Eldric realized his mistake and turned pale.

“Now, Cassius Lloyd! Tell us! What choice is Balas trying to make!”

“…”

Cassius looked around with sunken eyes.

He looked at the Svenner side, and then stared intently at Prince Eldric.

He then speaks. “Before that, there’s one promise I’d like to receive.”

“A promise?”

“If we make any declaration, there’s a high possibility we’ll be harmed by the opposing faction, right?”

That’s true. If they side with Svenner, they’re likely to be attacked by Alvard and the Central Alliance.

Conversely, if they side with Alvard, they’ll be attacked by Svenner and the West.

“So I’d like to make a promise here and now. For the next 5 years, no kingdom will invade Balas!”

It’s similar to the non-aggression treaty that Bülang had made.

Balas was asking for time to sort out their internal situation.

This was a gamble for both Svenner and Alvard. If Cassius were to side with the opposite faction, Balas would be lost without a fight.

The conference hall buzzed with activity.

Svenner and Alvard fell into deep thought.

Especially Alvard, who received no small shock.

The possibility of Cassius’s betrayal had come to the fore.

Prince Eldric’s expression also changed dramatically. “Cassius! No, Arios! I don’t know what kind of secret agreement you’ve made with those people, but trust me! Trust the time we’ve spent together! We can create a better kingdom together! Haven’t I always said it? Let’s create a new kingdom! Let’s create a strong nation that will stabilize the continent!”

The Svenner side bristled at this.

“The Bülang side should shut up!”

“Ugh!” Prince Eldric decided he had no choice but to persuade Cassius.

He then makes a shocking statement. “I declare here and now. I, Eldric Schwarzer, will give up all authority and prestige in Bülang! I am now a commoner!”

He was willing to give up everything. It was an extreme measure to persuade Cassius.

“Cassius! I will come to you. There’s nothing to fear if we’re together! Neither the West nor Svenner!”

Cassius’s expression wavered at this.

The Svenner side, unable to contain themselves, shouted, “Cassius Lloyd! Remember who you are!”

A warning not to forget his role as Commander of the Three kingdoms.

Cassius clenched his fist, finding it difficult to choose.

“The treaty… Please conclude the treaty. The treaty not to invade Balas…! If that treaty is concluded, I will speak.”

The diplomats from each kingdom exchanged glances.

This was essentially a life-or-death battle.

The landscape of the continent would change depending on Cassius’s choice.

Of course, if they stalled for time, variables could arise.

Balas was currently in a state of virtual anarchy. In such an unstable state, who knew what could happen if time dragged on.

However, no one wanted that form.

Neither Svenner nor Alvard. They didn’t want to miss this chance to swallow up Balas in one go.

Moreover, each side had confidence. Prince Eldric was confident that Cassius would not betray him.

Svenner and the West were confident that Cassius would fulfill his role as Commander of the Three kingdoms.

So, believing in their own cards, they entered into this life-or-death battle.

“Alright. We’ll sign the treaty.”

“We will do the same.”

As Svenner and Alvard signed the non-aggression treaty for Balas, other kingdoms began to sign as well.

* * *

I, who had been watching silently, had a throbbing headache from the constant sense of discomfort.

The situation was clear. The winner would be determined by who Cassius chose.

Svenner and the West were trying to persuade Cassius using his hidden identity as leverage, while Eldric was appealing to their relationship so far.

‘The chances are… Fifty-fifty.’

I couldn’t guess at all how it would turn out.

“Please sign here.”

It was for signing the Balas non-aggression treaty. With me and Duke Hellian signing, Calliper also agreed.

And finally, Crossing.

“This kind of thing… You think I’d accept this kind of thing!”

Juras refused vehemently, but as the majority had already agreed, he eventually signed with a sigh.

With all kingdoms signatures completed, the treaty’s conclusion was declared.

With this, Balas had signed a non-aggression treaty with all kingdoms. Just like Bülang.

What remained was to see which kingdom Balas would form a friendly relationship with.

While it’s called a friendly relationship, it’s essentially a subordinate relationship.

Cassius let out a heavy sigh.

This should have ended the matter in Balas. It should have resulted in a victory for either Svenner or Alvard.

That’s how it should have been.

I felt a persistent sense of discomfort with this form.

Because it was too well-orchestrated.

‘Yes, like…’

A play.

At that moment, the pieces lingering in my mind lit up.

─The incident 17 years ago.

─King Gareth’ investigation.

─Galerian Quinter’s suicide.

─Crossing, which had been aware of the West’s existence since the Three Lions War.

─The protagonist who formed a relationship with the West.

─The spy Dalmore Sting who attached himself to Prince Eldric and Cassius.

─The strange sensation Estelle felt.

─The attempted assassination of the protagonist by Yumir in the game.

I tried to piece together these fragments one by one.

First, ‘the incident 17 years ago’, ‘King Gareth’ investigation’, and ‘Galerian Quinter’s suicide’.

The incident 17 years ago was, needless to say, Crossing’s extermination of the Fensillon restoration forces.

There were more than three survivors from this incident.

Me and Yumir. And Cassius Lloyd and someone else.

Of course, Cassius was only 3 years old at the time. Such a child couldn’t have lived a wandering life. It’s more correct to assume that someone helped him escape.

But let’s think about King Gareth’ investigation.

In the investigation King Gareth conducted to find out about my whereabouts, there was such a result.

Besides a beastkin woman holding a baby, a boy was also spotted.

Logically, this couldn’t have been Prince Arios.

No matter how well-developed a three-year-old child is, he wouldn’t be called a boy.

And lastly, the suicide of Anton’s father, Galerian Quinter.

Galerian Quinter committed suicide due to Juras’ threat to cut off the last remaining bloodline of the Fensillon imperial family.

However, a question arises here.

If there were escapees, could Galerian, who was the commander, not have known?

Of course, he might not have known about the existence of me and Yumir, who were intentionally hidden by Juras. My mother was pregnant, and the birth took place in the early morning of that day, so it’s highly likely that he didn’t know about my existence.

But not about Arios Almein.

As Prince Arios was a key target, if he had escaped, there’s no way Galerian wouldn’t have known.

Assuming Prince Arios had escaped, Galerian, who realized after the incident that he had killed not a band of thieves but the imperial faction, would have tried every means to save the escaped Arios.

When Juras said he would eliminate the last remaining imperial bloodline, if he had known about Arios’ survival, he would have tried to protect him instead of committing suicide.

But he didn’t. Why?

‘Prince Arios was already dead at that point…? And Galerian knew it!’

Then who on earth is Cassius Lloyd?

The next piece becomes a clue here.

Juras had been conscious of the West since the Three Lions War. In other words, it wouldn’t be strange if he had been conscious of the West even earlier.

He said he had been planning to overthrow Bülang for over a decade, so it might be the same for the West.

If so, given Juras’ nature, he must have dispatched spies to the West.

‘What if that was Cassius Lloyd…?’

All the pieces fit together.

Juras, who knew the information about Prince Arios, used that information to create a spy.

This was something only Juras could do.

The sensation Estelle felt from the protagonist is also explained.

The fact that he felt goodwill towards me and gave hints subtly. It’s because he’s a spy for Crossing.

For Cassius, I’m no different from a superior in the same organization.

It also explains how Dalmore Sting was able to approach Cassius and Prince Eldric. It would have been easy to add Dalmore when there was already a spy attached to Prince Eldric.

Lastly, the attempted assassination of the protagonist by Yumir in the game.

‘That’s how it was. Yumir wasn’t acting on Crossing’s instigation.’

She just talked with the protagonist and realized he was a fake.

Fake means he’s a pawn of the force that exterminated the Fensillon restoration forces. He’s an enemy to Yumir and me. It’s not strange that Yumir rushed to kill Cassius.

“Such…”

I was overwhelmed.

By the person named Juras Pamilion.

By the trap he had set.

He was showing anger while panting, but it was strange from the beginning.

I knew well that he wasn’t the type to show emotions like that.

This is also part of the act. By showing that he’s lost his composure, he makes the opponent let their guard down.

The opponent will now pay the price for that carelessness.

Cassius declared.

“We will not follow the West and Svenner! The West committed massacres in Balas’s territory as they did in Bülang! Joining forces with them is absurd! It’s impossible!”

At this, the expressions of the Alvard side brightened.

Victory belonged to Alvard.

That’s what they were certain of.

In Eldric’s case, he was moved to tears. Cassius was everything to him. A subordinate, a friend, a son-like existence. Someone he wanted to be with even if he had to give up everything.

Eldric’s expression hardened at the words uttered by such a being.

“The same goes for Alvard! Alvard is a kingdom that has been eyeing Balas! We can’t trust them either!”

An uproar broke out.

Cassius shouted, as if to suppress the uproar.

“There is only one kingdom that Balas can trust besides them! From now on, we Balas will stand with Crossing!”

The end of the play.

Everything was in the palm of Juras’ hand.

 

TL Note: Well, that’s a bomb shell. Kind of crazy how Juras is playing the whole continent like a string, I kinda wonder what would happen if Juras became opposed to Ars though I doubt that would be possible.


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The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road

Score 9.2
Status: Completed Type: Author: Released: 2022 Native Language: Korean
I ended up possessing Ars Elaine, a supporting character in the game. Struggling to prevent my death, I pave my way.

Comment

  1. Haha says:

    Top ten anime betrayals

  2. brendan says:

    ah~ I had been thinking juras had indoctrinated cassius at an early age, didn’t know he would be straight up a fake

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