The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 38
After hearing the news from Juras, I couldn’t sit still.
‘If Alvard launches a counterattack, Ribel will soon be within range.’
The extent of damage to the Saleon army was crucial. Even if only 10,000 out of the 30,000 troops sent to the south returned alive, we could respond immediately.
We could buy time with the 10,000 royal direct troops guarding the rear supply lines.
‘I need to talk to Duke Hellian first.’
After treating the scratch I got from sparring with Juras, I left the infirmary. Suddenly! Estelle, who had been waiting outside, threw herself into my arms.
“Lord Ars! Are you alright!?”
“Ah…”
Behind her stood Rutger. Having watched my battle with Juras from the stands, he seemed to have figured out my identity, his face looking five years older.
He probably realized it when he saw Yumir throw a dagger to protect me.
He seemed to have something to say to me, but judging it nonsensical to do so here, he shook his head and left.
“I thought you were seriously injured and didn’t know what to do…!”
“I’m fine. It’s just a scratch, really.”
For her, who thought this confrontation happened because of her, seeing me getting beaten by Juras must have felt like her heart was dropping.
‘It’s still stinging though.’
Maybe it was because I took a blow charged with aura head-on. Though Juras seemed to have held back, it still had an impact.
‘I should rest a bit now.’
For now, it was right to watch the outcome of the battle. How Calliper’s side would respond initially was also most important.
I calmed Estelle down, who was reluctant to leave, and decided to wait for information to come in for the rest of the day.
That information arrived around midnight.
I gathered my close associates and circulated the report. Rutger was among them.
Rutger looked at my face, still seeming unable to believe it.
“To think you’re this young. Are you perhaps acting as Wade’s stand-in?”
“That’s impossible. If I were merely a stand-in, Eo wouldn’t be fussing like that.”
Eo, who was preparing snacks, was struggling between taste and health.
I had asked her to make them as delicious as possible, while her superior Yumir had instructed her to prepare healthy snacks, so she was trying to find a middle ground between the two.
“I understand why you’re wearing a mask. Otherwise, no one would believe you’re Wade. Was that also the reason you were hiding your face from me?”
“Well…”
I hadn’t revealed my face because I was still in the process of verifying Rutger.
I had placed surveillance on George and Ings, whom Rutger had sent back to their hometown.
I thought that if Rutger had connections with a third party, he would use those two to make contact.
Speaking of George and Ings, they had returned to Alvard and were drinking heavily and engaging in thuggish behavior. It seems the shock of being abandoned by Rutger was significant.
‘I think it’s okay to trust Rutger now.’
At least at this point, he doesn’t seem to be in league with other factions.
That’s why I judged it was alright to reveal my face.
“So you were directly taking care of Estelle too. I’m really grateful. Thanks to you, my daughter has been smiling more often.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“B-but that and this are different matters!”
“What do you mean?”
“Well… Becoming lovers with Estelle…”
“Haha, don’t worry, I have no such intentions. Rather than being wary of someone like me, you’d be better off watching out for other men. If your daughter is such a beauty, as soon as she recovers, men will be approaching her left and right.”
“Gasp! So the academy is that kind of place after all!”
“Well, everyone’s in their prime.”
Unlike Calliper’s academy which had many nobles, the atmosphere here was quite open, probably because there were hardly any nobles.
“Anyway, shall we start talking about work?”
The results of the battle that occurred at dawn.
Master Ilya, who was reading the report, gulped dryly. “I can’t believe it. Even if it was a field battle… Complete annihilation!”
The 30,000-strong Calliper army was ambushed and completely wiped out by Alvard’s 3,000 guerrilla troops and Madon’s 23,000 troops.
The number of captured soldiers alone exceeded 10,000, and all the leaders were taken prisoner.
‘Even Gilbert Saleon was captured?’
The head of the Saleon faction had been caught. This was a major incident.
I decided to take quick action.
“Yumir, go to Ribel immediately and inform father about this. Tell him to be prepared to evacuate with the territory’s people if necessary.”
“What about Miss Estelle? If neither you nor I are with her, who knows what mischief she might encounter at the academy.”
“Hmm…. Then take Estelle with you too. Consider it a trip. You know the method for making the medicinal decoction for her treatment, right?”
“Yes, I’m familiar with it.”
“Then depart as soon as you’re ready. Next, Anton. What’s the situation in Crossing?”
Anton speaks, saying it’s a difficult situation. “I’m not sure if they’ll have the capacity to send support to Calliper. As we predicted, Beckavia is showing signs of organizing an army and marching towards the Carrington Plains. In response, Lord Juras has decided to organize a regular army of 50,000 for defense.”
“So Crossing doesn’t have the luxury of conscripting regular citizens either…”
The barren land of Crossing couldn’t afford to take the farming season lightly. If they conscripted ordinary citizens for war now, they might suffer from food shortages throughout the year.
Although the situation had eased somewhat with the occupation of the Carrington Plains, a granary region, even this area was still a conflict zone and a stable food distribution network had not yet been established.
“Please tell King Parain and Juras. If they’re going to send reinforcements to Calliper, they should entrust the overall command to me.”
“Yes, sir!”
“And Master, could you go to Calliper first and collect battlefield information, including topographical maps?”
My master nodded silently.
“Rutger, please go with Master Ilya and gather information as well.”
“Hmm, you want me to collect information about Alvard, I suppose.”
“Is it difficult to point a sword at your homeland? If so, I’ll leave you out of this war, but…”
“No, I’ve already made up my mind. I’ll go.”
“Then it’s decided. Everyone, please get moving.”
With the frontlines thus determined…
“Ah, Lord Ars.”
Eo was looking at me anxiously, saying she hadn’t been assigned yet.
“Eo, could you bring some more snacks? I’m getting hungry.”
“Ugh….” Eo made a sad face like an abandoned puppy.
“Haha, I’m just joking, don’t make that face. You prepare the military supplies. You’ll be acting with me.”
“Ah…! Yes, sir!”
With the sudden change in the war situation, various factions began to move busily.
* * *
The next day at the Academy.
Strange gazes poured onto me as I came to the Academy to submit an absence note.
It was because of yesterday’s confrontation with Juras.
The regular students didn’t pay much attention, thinking I had been one-sidedly beaten up, but not the officer cadets.
All the officer cadets who had grasped the level of my spearmanship seemed to take a cautious attitude towards me.
Even that guy Hubert, having heard something from his brother, was sitting quietly while avoiding my gaze.
He must have realized the level was too high to challenge. Or maybe Anton had already taken measures.
“Ars. Welcome.” Estelle, who was already seated, greeted me with a faint smile.
After the morning classes ended and lunchtime came, she said, “I think I’ll be going on a short trip.”
“A trip?”
“Yes, I’m going on a trip to the Kingdom of Calliper. Because of that, I’ll have to miss the Academy for at least two weeks. I don’t really want to go, but it’s my father’s circumstances… But don’t worry. Ms. Yumir has agreed to go with me.”
“What a coincidence. I also have circumstances that require me to take a break from the Academy for a while.”
“Oh my. Why is that…?”
“It’s a secret. Well, if we’re lucky, we might meet in Calliper.”
“Hehe, that would be fateful. More importantly, Ars. Shall we go have lunch? In the garden as usual…”
“Ah… I don’t think I can today.”
“Pardon?”
A figure was lingering outside the classroom. A crowd of Academy students had formed around that figure. She drew that much attention.
Erina Saleon.
She had come to visit Rainpol Academy.
“Ars…!”
When she found me, her face looked as if she might burst into tears at any moment. Dark circles had formed under her eyes, probably from emotional distress, which she was trying to conceal with makeup.
“Oh my. Your initiative is impressive. I can’t believe…”
To think she would approach even faster than Duke Hellian.
“Shall we move somewhere else for now? Have you eaten?”
“No… I don’t have an appetite.”
“It’s good to eat even if you have to force yourself at times like this. Fortunately, my lunchbox is plentiful today, so I’ll share with you.”
I gave Yumir a signal with my eyes and then escorted Erina to move to a different location.
For some reason, Estelle was staring blankly at me next to Yumir, as if she had received a shock.
Joan, the head butler of the Saleon family who seemed to have come as Erina’s attendant, sighed. “Miss Erina. You suddenly said you wanted to go to Rainpol at dawn, was it to meet Lord Elaine?”
Joan, who didn’t know Wade’s true identity, spoke as if admonishing her. “I understand you wanted to rely on someone out of desperation, but it’s an immature action. Given the situation, you should act with more composure, young miss.”
“Shut up, Joan. I have my reasons for doing this. More importantly, please leave us alone. I want to talk to him privately.”
“Haah… Lord Elaine. I beg you, please ensure no strange rumors spread.”
After Joan left and we were alone in the garden, Erina immediately got to the point.
“Ars. You must have heard about the situation, right?”
“Yes, I probably know more details than you do.”
“Then I have a request! Please help me!” Erina pleaded with tears in her eyes. Seeing that, I was inwardly perplexed.
‘I was planning to participate anyway.’
Even if she didn’t ask, an offer would come from Duke Hellian’s side anyway. And it would be an offer accompanied by a substantial deal.
On the other hand, Erina was not in a position to propose a deal to me.
“Doesn’t your family have Duke Altior? He was certainly the former Grand General of Calliper, wasn’t he? Couldn’t he return to the frontlines?”
“That’s not possible anymore. Because my father was captured as a prisoner, it became difficult for grandfather to appear on the battlefield as well.”
“Did they threaten to execute Gilbert Saleon if Altior returns to the military?”
“Yes, it seems such a threat came from Alvard, where they’re holding my father captive.”
The Saleon family found it difficult to move directly. After all, their acting head had been captured as a prisoner.
So, in a situation without any proper breakthrough, Erina came to me in a desperate attempt to grasp at straws.
“Please, I beg you. In return, I’ll do anything I can…”
“Alright. I’ll help you.”
“…Pardon?” Erina’s eyes widened, seemingly not expecting me to agree so readily.
“I said I’ll help. I can’t guarantee the result, but I’ll do my best to ensure your father is released.”
“Are you serious? It’s awkward to say this, but I won’t be able to give you anything you might desire.”
“Ha, what do you think I might desire?”
“That’s…”
“It’s between you and me, isn’t it? I should grant this much of a request.”
In reality, there was no point in telling the truth. This conversation itself was meaningless.
So I just decided to say what she wanted to hear. As for Gilbert Saleon, we could naturally retrieve him if we achieve victory.
‘Besides, I owe her gratitude for something.’
She kept quiet about me being Wade. If she had blabbed about it, the Saleon faction would have bothered me endlessly.
“Between you and me!? Wh-what kind of relationship are we in!?”
“Friends, of course. More importantly, you should eat something. Your cheeks have sunken in. Here, try this.”
When I offered the lunchbox that Eo had packed, she reluctantly picked up the fork.
That was the end of it.
“This is delicious!”
“Isn’t it?”
Partly because Eo’s cooking skills were exceptional, and partly because her hunger had exploded, Erina started to empty the lunchbox hastily.
TL NOTE:
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