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“……”

There was no answer.

But his expression said it all.

‘This is serious.’

“Defense has always been the best strategy. If you can ‘maintain it’, that is.”

It’s in the basic military manuals for a reason.

Besieging a fortress requires at least three times the number of troops defending it.

But war never lets you stick to such simple strategies.

A monster that can create variables anytime, anywhere.

That’s what war is.

“Shall I guess what you’re thinking right now, Count?”

“What?”

“Aren’t you restless because you want to rush to the royal palace right now?”

“……!”

“With your rigid personality, you must be thinking, ‘What’s the point of holding off the Foltaine Marquisate if the country falls?’”

Count Arsene’s face turned red in an instant.

He must have felt as if he had been stripped to his underwear.

Most people of his kind were like that.

“H-How did you……?”

“At first, I was puzzled. Why did the Foltaine Marquisate choose this place as their first target? To be honest, I thought the dwarves were not enough reason.”

The enemies know it too.

Count Arsene’s exceptional loyalty to the royal faction.

……No, his slave mentality.

“Frankly, after your wife’s been murdered and your child’s life taken, no one would have stopped you if you had stormed in shouting ‘to hell with the king’s orders.’ But you didn’t do that.”

“……N-No, it’s…… not just because of that loyalty.”

“Pardon?”

“You said it yourself, it’s that very slave mentality.”

“……!”

This time, my eyes widened.

I never expected to hear such words from him.

“War is like chess. Even if you capture the bishop and eliminate the knight, if you lose the king, the result is ‘defeat.’”

“Oh?”

“So I briefly thought, maybe I should rush to the royal palace right now…… If war is a chessboard, I am just one piece on it, am I not?”

“If it were such an easy game to lose, the royal faction would have no chance of winning from the start if the skill difference between the players was that vast.”

“……Yes. You’re right.”

This is not the time to worry about others’ battles.

We must focus on the war right in front of us.

They are already doing so.

Sending spies.

Plotting the assassination of the family head.

Yet they never give up and continually come up with new strategies.

This is likely true, even at this very moment.

“They must have started a new operation.”

The current noisy full-scale war is proof of that.

The Marquis of Foltaine is no fool.

He is, after all, one of the highest-ranking nobles.

In war, the vanguard usually suffers the most.

No matter how much of a carrot public merit is, preserving strength is essential.

Nobody knows how long the war will last.

But to kindly warn us, ‘Here we come!’ and start a siege?

Ridiculous.

“So, the key to this war is for you, Count, to not waver and ensure that the strategy of ‘defense’ is maintained.”

Ancelot’s Code, Chapter 13.

Formulate the best strategy after considering all variables.

Chapter 14.

Once a strategy is formed, stick to it no matter what.

“Truly…… they say that there is no set teacher and student in life. I’ve learnt a lot from you. Geniuses really think differently from ordinary people like us.”

Count Arsene’s eyes, looking at me, no longer wavered.

“I trust you.”

***

Rumble, rumble, rumble!

A group charges forward fiercely.

It was the White Lion Brigade, the most powerful force of the Foltaine Marquisate.

“The main force has started moving.”

“We need to hurry too. Let’s go!”

Neigh!

The commander Tripier, the Knight of Mist, spurred his horse.

In fact, having a title held significant meaning.

It meant they were recognized beyond their nation, and across the continent.

Indeed, Sir Tripier was among the top three strongest warriors within the Foltaine Marquisate.

In the entire Hart Kingdom, there might be less than twenty knights with such titles.

“I am truly in awe of our lord’s foresight. He must have known this would happen, which is why he stationed us in that countryside for almost a whole year, even sending the commander personally.”

At the lieutenant’s words, a smile spread across Tripier’s lips.

It had been a time of endurance.

No outside activities, no seeing family, just endless training.

But now, those hardships were completely over.

“That’s why we just need to keep trusting the Marquis.”

For the past year, the White Lion Brigade had left the main estate at regular intervals in squads of five.

It was a common occurrence.

The knights’ duties were not limited to being guardians.

The ‘dispatch duties’ following the lord’s orders were included as well.

And a year later, all the White Lion Brigade members who had left on their respective missions gathered at one place.

In the northern Emir Viscounty, considered rural even within the Hart Kingdom.

“Everyone’s itching for action.”

“In our current state, we won’t lose to anyone, Commander!”

Morale was at its peak.

The knights, who held semi-noble status, had devoted themselves entirely to training according to orders.

And finally, they received their ‘real’ mission.

“Our role is crucial. While the enemy’s attention is focused on the main force, we will plant our flag at the enemy commander’s main estate in one swift move.”

“Yes, Commander!”

The White Lion Brigade’s objective was clear.

It was Count Arsene’s estate, not far from here.

It would have taken two weeks from the main estate.

But from here, it would take only two days to reach the destination.

For this mission, only the best knights, who possessed both stealth and mobility, were selected.

“Crush them all!”

“Raaahhhhh!”

However, they had no idea.

That a pair of eyes were closely watching their movements.

Caw!

Shortly after they departed, a jet-black crow flew into the sky from a nearby perch.

***

Count Arsene and I were still in the middle of our private conversation.

Swoosh.

Like a shadow, a man appeared by my side.

“Who goes there!?”

Shiiing!

Startled, Count Arsene drew his sword.

Even the guards had been dismissed for security, showing his trust in me.

But suddenly, a dark man wearing a mask appeared.

“An assassin……?”

Such a misunderstanding was natural.

Of course, the misunderstanding was quickly resolved.

“The Foltaine Marquisate’s elite force, the White Lion Brigade, has just entered Count Arsene’s territory.”

“……!”

“At this rate, they will arrive here in two days.”

Narakas personally brought me this information.

“Two days……?”

Even I was surprised this time.

It meant that before they even declared war, they were already within our territory.

We had only been monitoring the enemy’s main force, and now we were caught off guard.

“……Interesting.”

Indeed, the Marquis was living up to his reputation.

If it weren’t for the informant, we would have been attacked from both inside and out.

“It seems a rat remains among our ranks. And a rather high-ranking one at that.”

I particularly noted the two-day timeframe.

It suggested the presence of an ‘insider’ who had hidden them for a long time.

“A-An indigo mask?”

Count Arsene belatedly muttered in shock.

The family head himself was an expert knight.

However, even he hadn’t sensed the intruder.

‘This must be a first for him.’

So far, the highest-ranking mask seen in the Hart Kingdom was blue.

And even so, they existed only among the three ducal houses.

“This is a reliable informant.”

“……Ha……hahaha. This is beyond astonishing, it’s bewildering.”

Count Arsene’s expression turned to one of exasperation.

Narakas turned towards me.

“Look. Do you really think we can win this war? It seems to me you’re grasping at straws.”

“You’re mistaken.”

“Your strategy to gather information and leverage the advantages of defense seems plausible. But……”

Narakas continued in a subdued voice.

“What do you plan to do about those 500 troops right now?”

The first gateway to the north, the Arsenia Fortress.

It was the best place to take a defensive stand.

It was about three days’ distance from the main estate.

Naturally, most of the troops were being gathered at the fortress.

“But if those 500 men tear through this large estate, can you really maintain that strategy you’re so confident in? There are families of our allied knights here. How can you sleep soundly with such a threat?”

More importantly, we haven’t fully identified the traitor yet.

Leaving enough troops here to address that issue would compromise our main force in the fight.

Each knight was an indispensable asset.

“Listen, they’ve been preparing for this war much longer than Count Arsene’s family. Based on our analysis, the chance of winning this war is less than 10 percent.”

That was Narakas’ analysis.

However, he forgot one crucial fact.

He didn’t consider the ‘variable’ that is ‘me.’

“Count, please don’t misunderstand. I’m just stating the objective difference in manpower.”

But this guy was continuously undermining our morale.

“Why? A great hero once stopped tens of thousands of troops with just a few hundred.”

“Are you talking about the Battle of Andemar Hills?”

Narakas immediately understood and sneered.

“They took advantage of the terrain. The heavens helped them, too. While I can’t deny the Great Hero’s strategy was excellent, if it hadn’t rained that day, no hero could have stopped tens of thousands of troops.”

Like the slopes of a mountain, the hills have steep and high ground.

The narrow path up there became muddy and impassable in the downpour.

When one’s legs sank deep into the ground, making movement impossible.

I had my troops wear specially prepared shoes and fought against the enemy.

“There’s a lesson in that.”

“……A lesson?”

“Utilize the surrounding environment, be it terrain or weather, to the fullest.”

“You’re crazy. The northern plains are vast and open. There are no hills like that. And the weather is bright and sunny.”

“The environment doesn’t just refer to those things.”

Narakas chuckled at my unyielding reply.

“Ha, fine. Let’s see if you can back up your big talk.”

“Still holding a grudge? Some people really are petty.”

Tremble.

Narakas clenched his fists slightly as I turned to look elsewhere.

“On that note, Count, let’s root out the traitor first.”

“……”

Time is pressing.

We need to manage the external war, and we can’t afford to focus on internal matters.

The enemy knows this and is making use of the timing.

“I’m embarrassed to say, but how……?”

“Don’t be too disheartened. It’s a minor issue.”

“……What?”

“History books always show this. There are those who fight to the end in hopeless battles. And those who betray their allies for the promise of a better position. There are far more of the latter than the former.”

“……!”

Count Arsene’s eyes widened.

“So let’s show them what happens to those who dare betray Count Arsene’s family.”

“H-How, exactly……?”

Even Narakas looked intrigued.

“We’re going to use their strategy against them.”

Ancelot’s Iron Rule, Chapter 18.

Turn the enemy’s strategy into your own.