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The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 79

The Extra Strategist’s Royal Road Chapter 79

I thought another storm would pass with Erina’s appearance, but surprisingly it didn’t.

Estelle just frowned, somehow seeming to have known about her arrival.

“What brings you here?”

When I asked, Erina closed her fan with a snap and said, “I came to see the festival with my father. It’s my first time at Crossing’s festival, so it’s refreshing.”

“But your father left yesterday, didn’t he?”

“That’s why I came.”

While high nobles are often too busy with official duties to stay for the entire festival period, depending on the importance, they sometimes leave a representative behind.

This gesture was to please the hosting family of the festival. It shows how much importance they place on it.

To do this for a baronial family like ours. It seems they sincerely want to draw us into their faction.

“Goodness. Your father is relentless.”

“That’s…”

“Well, if our family were to join your faction, it could be interesting. We could talk without worrying about others’ eyes from now on.”

“Are you actually considering joining our faction?”

“Who knows. I’m not the head of the family.”

“Oh my, then there’s a real possibility.”

I intended to respect whatever choice Max made. After all, I was already in a situation where I had half-left the family, building my own forces.

“Hehe, if that happens, it would be fun as you say. We wouldn’t have to pretend not to know each other at the academy either.”

Erina smiled. As I smiled back, Estelle grabbed my sleeve tightly and pulled, expressing her protest.

“More importantly, did you say you’d buy all the books?”

“The amount should be sufficient. Then I’ll take the books.”

“Wait. Today this is also for promotion. You can’t take them all. Just take about ten.”

“I’ll handle the promotion instead. I have many friends who like books. Besides, I have a stake in that book too, right?”

“Ah.”

Certainly, if Erina distributes the books, it couldn’t be better.

She started to have her servant gather the books.

“By the way, Sir. Ars. As I said earlier, what service will you provide me?”

“Pardon?”

“You were working very hard to sell just one book. Since I bought them all, shouldn’t you spend the whole day with me?”

“Ugh… You were watching the whole time?”

This seemed to reveal a difference in personality.

While Erina understood why I was doing that and was watching, Estelle charges in first. If Estelle hadn’t intervened, she might have watched until the end.

Grateful for that consideration, I was about to make time, but Estelle, who had been anxious all along, hurriedly intervened.

“Erina! You have plans with me today!”

“Hmph, for someone with plans, you also just said you’d help sell books from now on, didn’t you?”

“T-That’s…”

“Well, fine. Shall we go then?”

I was momentarily dumbfounded.

“Wait a minute. You two have plans?”

It seems like just yesterday they were having a battle of nerves in the visiting room.

Erina answered nonchalantly. “We bonded then. So, I have plans today. You can provide the service later.”

The two left. Despite saying they bonded, the atmosphere still seemed hostile, but anyway. Thanks to this, the book promotion ended successfully.

* * *

Thanks to Erina, I finished work early and was about to return home to rest, but an uninvited guest had arrived at my mansion.

In terms of uninvited guest levels, this one was close to max level.

“Sigh… If you’ve come to see the festival, go to Anton.”

I tried to ignore him and return to my room, but he insisted on speaking to me.

“Ha, how cold.”

“Of course. It’s more absurd that you casually show your face to me.”

“Didn’t we agree to put the past behind us?” The guy, Juras, pointed to a set-up chessboard and continued speaking. “Unfortunately, I didn’t come to enjoy the festival. I’m busy too. I plan to leave by tomorrow once our conversation is over. It won’t take long, so please humor me.”

“…Fine.”

It seemed better to deal with him quickly and send him away, so I sat opposite him and grasped a chess piece.

“Is this related to the Three-Way Division of the World you mentioned before?”

“Precisely.”

If so, I had to hear what he had to say.

Juras carefully moved a chess piece and began. “Ars, why do you think I’ve left Beckavia unconquered?”

“You? How arrogant. Are you the king or something?”

“I have that much power. It’s awkward to say, but I could take the king’s position anytime if I wanted. I just don’t see the value in doing so.”

“You say that so easily.”

“The king would probably be happy about it. He’d say, Juras has finally developed ambition.”

The scary part was that it really seemed like he would.

“So? What’s the reason you haven’t conquered Beckavia?”

I was curious about that too.

The reason why Crossing, which could have destroyed Beckavia during the Three Lions War, left them alone.

Juras explained the reason in one word. “It’s bait.”

“Bait…?”

What on earth was he trying to lure?

‘The fact that he’s bringing this up now means there’s someone to lure through Beckavia at this point. But…’

Who would fall for the bait?

Svenner was in no position to start a war, and Bülang was preparing for civil war.

Alvard is Beckavia’s ally, and Balas is famous for not starting wars.

If anything, our Calliper had the capacity, but the expedition distance was too long, having to go through Crossing, and we weren’t in a position to mobilize troops with General Dunan still absent.

That left only one force.

“Don’t tell me it’s to lure the Western People!”

“Correct. At this point, they’re the only ones with the capacity. It’s also the perfect time for them to target Beckavia and advance into the continent.”

“You…”

This monstrous fellow.

‘Just how far have you planned?’

If that was the plan, many things made sense.

If Crossing had occupied Beckavia during the Three Lions War, several problems would have arisen.

The biggest problem is governance after occupation. There’s no way the people of the occupied kingdom would welcome Crossing’s rule, which enslaves all citizens.

So even if Crossing destroys Beckavia and occupies its territory, proper governance will be impossible for about 3 to 5 years.

However, if the Western tribes attack first, the story changes.

If the Western tribes attack Beckavia first and Crossing joins the war in the form of support, they can more easily annex Beckavia’s territory while gaining the image of a savior.

No matter how bad Crossing’s image is, it’s better than the Western tribes who are looked down upon as barbarians.

‘Then! No, it can’t be…!’

I was confused.

This story could be fully applied to the game’s storyline as well.

In the game, Crossing wasn’t annexing Beckavia for unclear reasons.

If that was Juras’ strategy to bring in the Western tribes.

‘What exactly was the protagonist’s faction?’

The protagonist’s faction that pacified the Beckavia region and established a kingdom. This means they were the Western tribes’ faction.

In fact, when the protagonist tried to pacify the Beckavia region, Crossing began to extend its claws in earnest.

‘If that’s really the case, it means the protagonist’s faction is very closely related to the Western tribes.’

In this case, it also makes sense that one of the protagonist’s close associates said they would bring the Three Great Generals.

‘Could it be that the protagonist was originally from the Western tribes…?’

Since the protagonist’s past was shrouded in mystery, that possibility was quite plausible.

‘Or maybe the protagonist was also being deceived by a spy from the Western tribes.’

In this case, it makes sense that Ars, who had escaped, tried to gather militia to help, saying that the protagonist was also in danger.

Before pondering on that question, I asked Juras one more thing.

“I have a question. What exactly are these Western tribes?”

“You must have done some basic research. You’re asking about what’s beneath the surface, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“Simply put, they are avengers.”

“Avengers…?”

“As you know, the roots of the Western tribes are not different from ours. The only difference is that they were the losers.”

This is about what happened when Fensillon unified the continent in the past.

“The Fensillon Empire exiled various factions to the harsh lands of the west during the unification process. The Kingdom of Erebonia, Dalton, Turlang, and others that often appear in history books. Fensillon dealt with troublesome political opponents or local lords in this way.”

“It seems there were quite a number of them.”

“It’s enormous. However, the west where they settled is a harsh land covered in jungle. It’s a region where stable agriculture is difficult. Most of them either couldn’t settle or perished due to civil wars among themselves. That’s the story from the early days of the Fensillon Empire.”

They went through a long period of struggle and eventually achieved integration.

They reached their prime when the Fesillion Empire was in decline.

“The west, divided into three groups and maintaining balance, quietly built up their power, dreaming of revenge against Fensillon who had exiled them, and ambitions to advance into the continent.”

“Then why didn’t they make a move when Fensillon fell? If revenge and continental advancement were their goals, that would have been the perfect time.”

“If the west attacked at that point, it would have given Fensillon a good excuse. They could have suppressed public discontent under the pretext of defending against foreign invasion. Moreover, no matter how much power the west had gained, Fensillon was still a unified empire at that time. There was an overwhelming difference in national power. So the west decided to watch Fensillon self-destruct and tear itself apart. If they made a miscalculation, it was that the Svenner Kingdom, which was quickly formed after Fensillon’s fall, stood in their way.”

“Couldn’t they have overthrown Svenner?”

“Beltron, the founding king of Svenner, was known as a cunning politician since the days of the Fensillon Empire. At the same time, he took a hard line against the Western tribes. What do you think happened when such a person became king?”

“You mean he quickly established diplomatic channels with other kingdoms to prepare for the west’s invasion?”

“That’s right. When Svenner moved in this way, the west also became perplexed. To the extent that they couldn’t do anything for a full 20 years.”

The problem was that after the founding king Beltron died, the policy changed.

Around the same time, Svenner, having failed in the Bülang expedition, decided to bring in the west as an ally.

“After obtaining this intelligence, I kept a close eye on the west. On the other hand, I used Beckavia as bait to make them come out in the open instead of hiding.”

“I understand the overall picture. So what do you want to consult me about?”

“Because you’re also a partner. I came to ask what you want to do. Do we give the Beckavia region to the west, making their power public and putting them on the same stage? Or do we defeat those who invaded Beckavia as planned?”

“The fact that you’re asking this means there’s been some movement, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Juras said, raising the corners of his mouth.

“The west is rapidly gathering troops now.”

“…!”

“We don’t have much time to wait for your decision. I’d like you to come to a conclusion quickly.”

“I understand.”

This was no small matter. To the extent that it made sense for Juras to come for consultation.

“By the way…” Juras shakes his head in disbelief. “To be this strong even after diverting your attention elsewhere. It’s amazing.”

The chessboard was already tilted in favor of one side. My knight surrounded his king, ending the game.

Although Juras requested a rematch, seemingly stimulated by his competitive spirit, I decided to execute a win and run strategy.

* * *

Meanwhile, while Ars and Juras were discussing war stories.

Erina and Estelle were sharing romantic tales over refreshments.

“Here, take these first.”

Erina handed about 20 of the 50 or so books she had purchased to Estelle.

“You need them too, right? Share them with your friends.”

“Yes… I’ll accept them gratefully. I’ll give you the money later.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t mean to burden you like that. More importantly, shall we read the book first? It’s written by Ars. You want to read it too, don’t you?”

“A book written by Ars…? You seem to know something.”

“Well, Ars was selling books.”

“It doesn’t seem to be just that. Selling books could just be something he was asked to do by someone.”

“That’s true. To tell you the truth, I helped Ars when he was writing the book. So I know the contents.”

“…I see.”

Estelle smiled meaningfully and said, “If that’s the case, I’ll read this book with others when I share it with them. If we’re going to have a book club anyway, that would be better.”

“That’s a good idea! I should do that too.”

“Let’s talk about what we were going to talk about rather than the book.”

“Okay. Then I’ll get straight to the point.”

Erina asked with a serious expression. “Who do you think it is?”

It was a fragmentary question, but Estelle understood it well.

“I don’t have anyone specific in mind. There are so many vixens around Ars.”

“Did you just say vixens?”

“Yes, I said vixens. Why?”

“Would that apply to me too?”

“You… I’ll consider you an exception. You seem to have known Ars longer than I have….”

“Huh. How admirable.” Erina secretly liked Estelle. It was refreshing because there was no one among her peers who stood up to her like this.

“So, Erina, what about you? Do you have anyone in mind as Ars’ first partner?”

“At first, I thought of Beryl. Their families are close, and they’ve known each other for a long time.”

“Beryl…. As expected.”

“But it turns out it wasn’t her. When I asked her, she waved it off. She said she had never heard of such a thing, and even if such a topic came up, she would refuse.”

“Well, Beryl seems to like that Ruan something.”

“She’s harmless.”

“So? Is that all?”

“There is one more thing that comes to mind…. Ars mentioned something in passing before. That there’s a woman he exchanges letters with. It’s not serious, but it’s related to a marriage proposal.”

“A woman he exchanges letters with…? A marriage proposal…? Who could it be. Angela, Alisa, Kelly, Emma, Forte…. Then was that letter he was writing at that time meant for that woman…?” Estelle muttered, emitting a black aura. 

Erina was flustered and tried to calm her down. “Stop making such scary reactions to each and every thing!”

“…Oh my. I can’t believe myself.”

Estelle took a sip of tea to calm herself down and pointed out that the person Erina mentioned was key.

“For now, finding out who that person is would be the most important thing.”

“That’s right. Until then, we agree to cooperate… Right?”

Erina was showing a calm attitude on the outside, but she was feeling urgent inside.

It had been since she found out that Ars had a fiancée.

If that’s true, she officially can’t be with Ars anymore.

As a daughter of a duke’s family, it’s absolutely impossible for her to become a second wife, even if the sky falls down, for the sake of the family’s reputation.

Having successfully formed an alliance, the two began to talk to get to know each other.

Among these, when Erina heard about Estelle and Ars’ first meeting, her eyes widened.

“Ars did that?”

“Yes, even though I was suffering from a terrible illness, he readily approached me.”

“That’s strange. He’s not the type to act so gentlemanly….”

Erina couldn’t easily understand. Usually, even if Ars found Estelle pitiful, he wouldn’t have bothered to get involved.

“What’s that supposed to mean? Not the type? Are you saying he approached me with some kind of purpose?”

“I’m sorry if it sounded offensive. I see…. I think I understand roughly.”

Erina guessed it might be related to Wade. Estelle frowned at this reaction.

“As if you know everything…! You. You said you knew some of Ars’ secrets, right? What are they?”

“I’m sorry. That’s something I can’t say with my own mouth.”

“Ugh…! Tell me!” Estelle was stomping her feet, wanting to know what that secret was.

“Hehe.” Erina smiled while looking at her fondly.


TL NOTE:

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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.

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