The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 76

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 76

The academy resumed after the war.

The atmosphere in the classroom wasn’t good due to the death of Dunan, who was in the teacher role, and some of the cadets.

The wounds from that war were so deep that many cadets were complaining of psychological trauma.

There was a need to forcibly shake off such feelings of despair, and what was done for that was the formation of factions.

“You dare show your faces. You cowards!”

“Jelson died because of you guys!”

The kids who participated in the victorious battle began to ostracize other cadets who had been in the rear.

‘Anyway, they’re doing stupid things.’

If there’s psychological pressure, they could just quit being a cadet themselves. But they don’t want that either, so they’re bullying others to build their self-esteem.

I sat down thinking it was just how things were, but soon a guy who seemed to be part of a group approached.

“Hey, Elaine. I heard you retreated to the rear too?”

“…So what?”

The arrow turned to me as well. It was natural since it was publicly known that I had retreated to the rear.

“What do you mean so what? You coward. What’s the use of good grades? When it comes to real combat, you’re trash who abandons your comrades and runs away!”

“Ha, so what. Are you going to hit me?” My response came out sharp before I knew it because their behavior was so disgusting to see.

The guy frowned as if to say, ‘How dare you talk back?’

“If you want, I’ll smash that pretty face of yours on behalf of everyone else.”

“Go ahead if you can. I’ll show you whose face gets smashed.”

“This bastard….”

Even so, he seemed unable to actually pounce on me and just clenched his fist tightly.

In this explosive atmosphere, Bannings hurriedly intervened to stop it.

“W-wait! Ars isn’t like that! He was seriously injured in the first battle!”

Is a classmate really the only one you can count on?

Bannings, who had talked with me at the time, knew that I hadn’t been injured at all, but still covered for me with a lie. “Ars was in the rear unit that opened the retreat path in the first battle. He was the commander of that unit! Of course, another officer probably actually commanded the unit, but anyway, he was active in that unit and got injured! There’s no reason for him to be called a coward!”

At this, the cadet who had been threatening me nodded with a sour expression.

It was a gesture as if he was excluding me from the witch hunt target. The faction guys are also whispering as if to say, ‘Don’t touch Elaine.’

Bannings let out a sigh of relief. “Phew, are you okay, Ars?”

“Thanks, if you hadn’t covered for me, it could have gotten a bit annoying.”

“It’s not just annoying.” Bannings glanced at the faction kids huddled together and whispered. “Those guys are quite serious. It seems they’re trying to pressure those who didn’t participate in that battle to quit.”

“They’re doing a great job.”

“Be careful not to get targeted too. If possible, it would be good to try to get close to the central figures.”

Central figures. Casper Millias, Ruan Chase, and Dorofei, who had become the head of the Grimwood Count family, succeeding Dunan.

Among them, Casper, who could be considered the core, was reigning at the center of the group with a stern expression.

‘He’s really unlucky in a strange way.’

If he hadn’t deserted, his fake identity would have been exposed at the point when I appeared.

In my opinion, that would have been the lifeline Casper could have grasped.

Even if he was accused of being a liar and criticized at that point, given the situation, he could have somehow gotten through it.

Now it has become a situation of no way out.

Because of this incident, many of his classmates have come to admire him, and the influence due to his impersonation has grown uncontrollably.

“By the way, Wade, is it true? That you brought Baeolaf Dresden and… Killed him.”

It was a question from one of the faction guys.

To this, Casper frowns and asks back with just his expression.

“No, you sent Prince Romelo to Europe and received Baeolaf Dresden in return, right? I heard you received him to kill him because you didn’t like someone impersonating Wade. I was wondering if it’s true.”

“Th-that…”

The guy started to visibly panic.

That rumor was something I was intentionally spreading. Since Baeolaf had abandoned his previous status and started working under me, it was better for the story to flow that way.

The part that was making Casper flustered was different.

“To punish the impersonator…?”

“Huh? Wasn’t that it?”

“Ah, ah yes! That’s right. That’s what happened.”

“Phew, you’re really amazing. Dresden is a well-known count family even in Europe, right? To deal with the heir of such a place in that way. Other guys impersonating you must have wet themselves.”

Voices praising Casper burst out from here and there.

Casper was just sweating profusely.

‘At this point, it seems like everyone knows and is just teasing him.’

If that wasn’t the case, it meant that Casper was now in a situation where he really couldn’t do anything. It was obvious how his classmates would treat him if he were to reveal now that he was a fake.

The shadow of doom was slowly approaching behind Casper.

***

Like that, for about two weeks after returning to the academy, they suffered through the formation of factions.

The military seemed to view this as rather a desirable state. Because the cadets had shaken off the pain of war and achieved internal solidarity.

While it would be a problem if these factions grew larger, it seemed they were left alone since they were just cadet’s factions.

The backlash from this fell squarely on the ostracized cadets.

Those who weren’t nobles were openly beaten, and even if they were nobles, they were ignored by commoners if they didn’t flatter the factions.

This was worsening day by day due to the lack of a confirmed teacher figure to control it.

‘They must still be considering them children.’

The problem was that there was justification. In fact, most of the cadets who headed to the rear had actually run away out of fear, making the faction kids even more arrogant.

In a way, it was a natural phenomenon.

‘But… Does this mean I’ve ended up becoming an outcast?’

I’m not part of a faction, nor am I being bullied by one.

The faction side didn’t seem to like me because I didn’t flatter them, but every time this happened, Bannings provided unlimited protection saying, ‘Ars is originally not a sociable fellow’, and Dorofei, one of the core members of the faction, also protected me saying, ‘Ars is the savior of my life. Don’t speak ill of him’. So it was a peaceful state.

It’s called peace, but because I didn’t belong to either side, I had no one to talk to and was extremely bored.

‘Yes, this is good.’

Since Rainpol’s internal affairs had become busier, it was better to take it easy at the academy.

Rather, my steps returning home felt heavier.

As expected, in Rainpol’s office, internal affairs documents piled up to eye level were waiting.

Olaf, who had been processing them all day, greeted me with a tired look. “I’ve taken care of everything. Ars, you just need to read through and approve.”

“Can’t you just approve it?”

“Talk sense. I’m not an official administrator of Crossing.”

“I’m not an official administrator of Crossing either.”

How should I put it? It was a format where Olaf and I pre-approved, and the final approval was done by Anton or other Crossing administrators.

It was the height of inefficiency, but it couldn’t be helped.

When we tried entrusting the internal affairs to Crossing’s administrators as a test, they couldn’t handle the work properly and received complaints from Bisketa Cren.

I was reluctant to request capable internal affairs talent, not knowing what kind of person Juras might plant.

‘We have to solve internal affairs with our own power somehow.’

I was thinking of this as a process of gaining experience to run the kingdom in the future. Until internal affairs talent gathers, we have no choice but to struggle.

I sat at the desk and began reviewing the documents one by one.

Olaf shrugged and said, “Most of it is about the upcoming festival.”

“Come to think of it, it was that time.”

Rainpol, which had now become a medium-sized city, had also increased the scale of its festival.

As these festivals attract surrounding populations, it was clear that Rainpol’s floating population would explode during the festival period.

Until last year, there weren’t any particular problems because the city size wasn’t large, but this year is different.

“But why this time of year?” Olaf expressed a fundamental doubt. “Usually, when you say festival, it’s basically a spring festival praying for a good harvest or an autumn festival celebrating the harvest. A festival in midsummer? Will they even be able to enjoy it properly in the heat?”

“Crossing’s situation is a bit different.”

Crossing, with its barren land, couldn’t do double cropping.

“So in early spring, we focus only on improving soil quality and start cultivation in late spring. That’s why we don’t have the capacity to hold a spring festival. Moreover, in autumn, we have to harvest, and it’s also the season when major fish species for fishing are caught a lot. So we don’t have time for a festival in autumn either. That’s why in Crossing, we hold a fishing festival for autumn in summer, and a good harvest prayer festival for next year’s farming in late winter.”

“I see.”

“I thought Europes, also located in the north, would be similar. Is it not?”

“It’s still better than here. …Well, if that’s the case, it’s good timing. It’s a good opportunity to promote your book.”

“…Pardon?”

I thought I had heard wrong. “What, what are you saying about promoting?”

“Why are you making a face like you don’t know? Did you think people would just go ahead and buy it when you publish a book? Until it gains momentum, you have to go out and sell it yourself.”

“Go out…”

For now, we decided to publish the version with the political scenes removed under my name. The pen name is Platina, meaning platinum.

“If this main version sells well, the erotic novel side will do well on its own, so please work hard.”

“Huh…”

Unexpected novel promotion grunt work.

It seems this festival is going to be quite lively.

* * *

A certain meeting place.

It felt like a completely different world.

Though not at high altitude, the air felt heavy, and even insects seemed to be hurriedly hiding as if sensing instinctive danger.

Three leaders of the Western people sat side by side, exuding a murderous pressure. It was an atmosphere where a weak-hearted person might collapse on the spot.

However, the guest they were receiving showed no sign of intimidation.

“We didn’t expect such a busy person to come.”

The young man among the leaders. He was called Irbana, praised as a prodigy in the West.

“I never thought the great general of Svenner would visit in person.”

Zemuto from Svenner and his close aide who visited the West. Although Svenner and the West were in an alliance, the air between them was not warm even in empty words.

Zemuto’s subordinates were on guard as if they might draw their swords at any moment, and the Western subordinates were the same.

Zemuto says, “I came after hearing about your plans. I’ll get straight to the point. That war is not possible.”

At these words, the expressions of the leaders twitched.

The female among the leaders, Tetora, reveals her displeasure without filter. “Not possible? Who are you to try and control us? You don’t think you’re above us in this alliance, do you?”

“…”

“Don’t be mistaken. We originally planned to destroy Svenner, who was blocking our path, and advance to the continent. We only showed mercy because you flattered us with all sorts of sweet talk.”

At Tetora’s growling, the elderly man among the leaders, called Hanneman, tries to restrain her. “Let’s all calm down. I can fully understand Lord Zemuto’s position. Diplomatically, it’s probably better not to move rashly right now.”

Currently, Svenner was in the worst diplomatic position, being accused as the culprit in the assassination of the Bülang king. Their ally, Europe, had cut ties, and Tunkai was also keeping quiet.

Other kingdoms in the central and eastern regions were openly criticizing Svenner, pushing them into a diplomatic corner.

In such a situation, if they were to wage another war, they might be branded as a common enemy, and in the worst case, an anti-Svenner alliance could be formed.

“But you see, Lord Zemuto. This is also an opportunity in reverse. While all kingdoms have suffered great losses from the recent war, our army has preserved its strength. Now is the chance for us in the West to advance to the continent.”

“You must have had someone planted in Bülang for that purpose.”

“Of course, but hasn’t the political situation in Bülang changed? There’s no guarantee that he can proceed with things according to our wishes anymore.”

Bülang is currently preparing for civil war and has significantly increased its military power. While doing so, they have also raised their vigilance against the West and Svenner to the maximum, making it difficult to interfere.

“So now we’re turning our eyes to seize something else. As an ally, I hope you can understand?”

“Somewhere else…. It’s obviously Beckavia.”

Beckavia, whose national power has become ridiculously weak. In the last Chimera War, they recklessly sent reinforcements to gain diplomatic standing.

In the current situation, if the West were to invade, there was a high possibility that Beckavia would not be able to withstand it.

The West was thinking of destroying Beckavia and establishing a foothold there to advance to the continent.

Objectively, it was certainly a good strategy. But Zemuto pauses for a moment before speaking. “There’s a high possibility that your scheme is being read.”

“What do you mean?”

“The mastermind behind this Bülang king assassination. If it’s not you, it’s probably Crossing’s doing. And in that Crossing, there’s that man. The versatile Juras. It’s likely that he’s reading your thoughts.”

“Hahaha! If Lord Zemuto speaks to that extent, he must certainly be an outstanding individual, but it’s unpleasant to say we’re in the palm of his hand. Aren’t you underestimating us too much?”

“This is a realistic talk. He had already read the inside informant in Bülang beforehand. The same goes for Beckavia that you’re trying to attack. After the Three Lions War, Crossing unnecessarily left Beckavia alone. They could have destroyed it and absorbed its territory, but didn’t. I think this is a trap to lure you in.”

“Are you saying they deliberately created this situation to make us invade Beckavia? No way. No matter how great a person is, they couldn’t have drawn such a big picture.”

“It seems he is that kind of person. The spies I had attached to him all said the same thing. A once-in-a-lifetime genius. A monster beyond standards. If we rush in carelessly, we might get devoured by him. So it’s better not to wage this war.”

Zemuto’s war philosophy was firm.

Don’t wage a war that’s not certain. From his perspective, this war had too many variables.

Irritated by Zemuto’s consistent attitude, Irbana, who had been maintaining a polite demeanor until now, contorted his beautiful face like a demon and growled. “…Devoured? Us? Me!? That’s going too far, you Svenner bastard.”

The Svenner people flinch at the sight of Irbana throwing off his mask.

“We’re the ones who will do the devouring. The blade of revenge we’ve been honing for 100 years isn’t that dull.” 

Zemuto shows no reaction to this change and calmly asks, “Are you going to lead the expedition, Irbana Hren?”

“Regrettably, no. If it were up to me, I’d capture Juras or whoever alive and flay them.”

Instead, Hanneman took up the response. “I’ve decided to lead the expedition. You know my abilities, don’t you?”

“…”

Zemuto, seeming to think it was useless to try to dissuade them further, nods his head. “Then I’ll give you advice. There’s one more person you should be careful of besides Juras.”

“…?”

“The mercenary Wade. There’s a possibility he’ll join as Juras’s lieutenant. If he appears, it would be good to be as cautious of him as you are of Juras.”

“What’s his identity?”

“We’re in the process of figuring it out, but there are too many imposters causing confusion. It’s difficult to make a hasty conclusion, as Crossing might also be conducting some operation.”

“Hmm, if you say so, he must be a meticulous individual. But don’t worry. I have dozens of such individuals under my command.”

“I hope those words are true.”

Zemuto turns his body to leave. Once Svenner had given its tacit approval, there was no need to hesitate.

The West immediately begins a large-scale reorganization of its military.

They quickly gather a force of 130,000 troops.

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