The Strategist Knows Everything - Volume 3 Chapter 3
Part III: The Imperial State Edition
Chapter 3: The Lone Army
Translated by: Hiro02
Edited by: SevenTails
He wanted to take me to Albion.
That was going to be a difficult task for him. First of all, I didn’t fully trust Randall. Furthermore, it was hard to fool Stratos’ eyes.
I’m sure he was sending his pawns all over the place. If that were truly the case, it would be difficult for even one of the Four Wise Men to bring me into Albion, unnoticed by him.
And how was Randall going to get me there? It was probably easy to say.
He wants to take me with him brazenly.
In exchange for withdrawing his troops, he would ask the Empire to hand me over.
“It’s an act that requires trust, isn’t it?”
“In times of war, parents and brothers betray each other. Don’t expect me to trust you.”
“What proof do you have that you’re not working with Stratos?”
It was possible he was being manipulated by magic, or maybe was actually cooperating with Stratos.
Anyway, if he couldn’t prove that there was no connection between him and Stratos, I couldn’t accept the deal.
Besides, they say that a good story always has an ulterior motive.
As long as the King was being manipulated by Stratos, the order Randall had received must have been to invade the Imperial Kingdom. Retreating could threaten Randall’s position and lead to the suspicion of his abilities.
He really didn’t want to do what Stratos wanted him to do. It was hard to believe that was all. I should assume that he has his own agenda as well.
“No. Well, I’m sure that I’m not being manipulated by magic, but not being manipulated by magic doesn’t mean that I’m connected to Stratos, does it?”
“Yes. If you were to voluntarily cooperate with Stratos, I would be trapped. Without dealing with that aspect, I can’t accept your offer.”
“I suppose so. But, then again… Do you have a choice?” Randall looked at me as if to ask.
Well, that was what was about to happen. Randall’s goal was to take me to Albion. Whether Stratos was involved or not, it wouldn’t make any difference what he does.
If I gave myself up, he would withdraw his army. That was all the Imperial State had to do to convince him to. The Imperial State would not only break its alliance with Veris but also recall the First Fleet that it had dispatched to Veris.
Although Admiral Arnold didn’t specialize in naval warfare, with both Fio and him, they could withstand another Albion invasion. More importantly, they would be able to win various concessions if they handed me over.
If Randall was serious about taking me to Albion, there might even be the possibility of a ceasefire instead of a retreat. Well, even the Four Wise Men don’t have that kind of authority, but they can at least urge them to do so, and that would be a powerful move.
Wait a minute. If Randall wanted to talk about a truce or peace, then he was probably connected to Stratos. Meaning he had the authority to do so.
“It’s true that I don’t have the right to refuse. However, I’m sure the Imperial State won’t just hand me over for free, will they?”
“That’s true. Even though I’m called the Four Wise Men, my authority is limited. The only thing I can do is show a certain amount of success in battle and then bring about a withdrawal. I’ve already given my consent to Mistress Irene, so I’m sure I can get the entire invasion force to withdraw. The retreat will be to the pre-war borderline, perhaps.”
There was no disturbance in Randall’s expression as he spoke. Nothing wrong with his status either. I’m sure he wasn’t lying, but that didn’t prove that Randall wasn’t connected to Stratos. He may be lying to us in ways that I cannot detect.
“Will the Imperial Kingdom agree to hand me over under those conditions?”
“Well? What do you think, Princess Fiona?”
Fio, who had been listening up to this point and had hardly said anything, was asked.
I told her about Stratos briefly, but not in that much detail. I guess that’s why she kept quiet, but the conversation’s direction was now about the Imperial State. I couldn’t avoid answering her queries, and it would be difficult to divert the conversation.
Fio is an imperial princess. Even if she had little to do with it, she was still a member of the royal family, a representative of the Imperial State. She had to express her own opinions.
However, Fio’s personal opinion was predictable.
“I will never give him to you.”
I knew it.
It was completely based on personal subjectivity. Randall smiled at me as if he knew that kind of answer he would get.
“If that’s the case, we’ll just continue the war, won’t we?”
“Even if that were the case, we can’t sell out allies who have fought our enemy with us.”
“Even if that war pleases the people pulling the strings behind the scenes?”
“I have no choice.”
There was nothing we could do about it now. Randall also seemed to dare not to ask questions. I wonder what he was trying to accomplish.
I think that if he continued to question Fio, the conversation would not progress any further.
“I see, I see. You seem to trust him. If you were a little more mature, it would be less heartbreaking for all of us.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it’s quite simple. Fiona’s father doesn’t think that way.”
The moment I heard that I got up from my chair.
To be honest, I thought I was defeated. I had no idea he was proposing to negotiate directly with the King.
“What the heck… is… and when did…”
“Originally, the invasion of the Empire was to be conducted by myself and Miss Irene. However, I wanted to negotiate with the King in secret, so I left the invasion to Miss Irene at first. As for when it was, we were already in contact by the time the Albion army began to reorganize.”
Albion’s army did not attack for a while not to catch us off guard but to buy time for negotiations.
I was so preoccupied with the battlefield that I didn’t pay attention to such political matters.
If I had noticed, I could have handled the situation differently. No, I couldn’t get involved in politics in the Imperial State, let alone in Veris. Even if I had noticed, there was no way I could have stopped the negotiations that were taking place out of my reach.
But it’s been a long time since I’ve been defeated like this.
“It’s my belief to not fight troublesome people. I knew you’d given Arnold a taste of his own medicine. I also knew that if I sat down to negotiate with you, you would probably come up with some sort of breakthrough solution. It’s a shame I didn’t fight you from the beginning.”
Just when I thought I was ready to step into the ring, I realized that my enemy was already on a different level.
Did they see through the fact that Fio and I were not involved in the politics of the Imperial State?
Admiral Arnold, who can stop the Imperial King’s actions, was still in Veris.
Even the Rigal Viscount might be able to do just that, but then he, who was at odds with the King after Fio’s incident, would not be able to overturn the decision.
No one in the Empire could overturn the King’s decision at that moment.
“That… My father…”
“The conditions are that we retreat to our pre-war borders. And there must be a ceasefire period of six months. We have already confirmed this with Albion’s headquarters. This negotiation is the final stage. It’s more like a confirmation of his intentions.”
“The conditions are that we retreat to our pre-war borders, and there must be a ceasefire period of six months. We have already confirmed this with Albion’s headquarters. Negotiations are at the final stage. It’s more like a confirmation of his intentions.”
I can’t find anything to say in response to his brash words.
I was utterly defeated. I couldn’t find a single way out of this.
We could escape to Veris, but we would need to get past the soldiers of the fort.
Even if we got past them, or even if they let us go, we would have no way to cross the sea. Every land route would require us to pass through Albion at least once. Or, we would have to cross the mountains, which are full of magical beasts.
That’s impossible. I’m not prepared for anything like that, and I don’t have time for it. It would be better to trust Randall and head for Albion than doing such a thing.
Besides, Fio would be blamed if I escaped at this moment. This negotiation was not a joke; the survival of the Imperial State was at stake. Even if she was a princess, she wouldn’t be able to escape punishment if she made a mess of it.
And Fio will probably let me go if I decide to flee. At any cost and without any consideration for what would happen afterwards. I was confident that I built that level of trust with her, but I couldn’t let that happen.
The trust relationship we’ve built was the only reason I can’t let that happen.
If I stayed here and struggled, it would cause trouble for many people. Even if it’s just a small amount, it could ruin the peaceful moment that the empire could gain.
If what Randall said was true, it would not be a bad idea to get involved here. The war between the Imperial State and Albion would be over, I could still get out of Stratos’ sights, and I can get closer to him.
I might be able to free Albion from Stratos without spilling blood.
It was a gamble, but the odds seemed to be against me. After all, I had to trust a stranger I just met. If I didn’t get at least some sort of insurance, I wouldn’t be able to accept it.
That’s right, some insurance that would take care of me if I were to lose this gamble.
I looked at Captain Ars, who was silently standing behind me.
Our eyes meet.
His eyes seem to be pleading for something. He would probably be furious if I agreed to this. But I have no other choice.
That’s why.
“I’m the only one going to Albion, aren’t I?”
“Yes. No other conditions were included.”
“Then… let me make sure the return of my men to Veris, and then we can go to Albion. Isn’t that the least you can do for me?”
I’d send Nox back to Veris.
That’s all I could do now.
If Nox returns to Veris, Kaguya-sama’s and the others’ burden will be reduced. With the Imperial State’s secession, Veris would have to fight the two major powers, Albion and the Imperial State, alone, but both still have their own internal problems. There was still a chance to win.
And Nox is a special force. I raised them that way.
Breaking through the front lines and entering enemy territory was possible, depending on the commander.
That’s all the insurance I can prepare for myself.
“I don’t mind, but you know what? What guarantee do I have that you won’t run away?”
“Well, I believe you’ll have to trust me.”
I believed in you, so you should believe in me.
There was no way Randall was going to nod in agreement with such childish arguments.
“I’m not sure I can accept that. I can force you to come with me, remember?”
Now, what should I do? I’m not sure.
I looked at Captain Ars, who was about to unsheathe the twin swords on his waist, and admonished him while thinking about what I might be able to do.
The best thing to do would be to give him something to use as a hostage, but the only thing I have worth that much is the Fan that Sophia gave me. And that was what Randall wanted.
Giving it to him would be the last thing I would ever do.
The reason he didn’t force me his way into taking it was that if he were to fight with me, he would end up doing what Stratos wanted him to do, or because there was a chance that I might escape from him.
Well, no matter what, it’s impossible to hand over the fan.
In that case, it should be a person, not an item, but it would make no sense to take any of the troop commanders as hostages. The goal was to send them back to Veris, and I didn’t want them staying here.
The captain is an indispensable asset to Veris and a lifeline for me. I needed him to get back to Veris at all costs.
After being silent for a while, Fio, who was sitting beside me, suddenly muttered.
“I’ll stay.”
“… Wha-?”
I couldn’t help but reply simply.
Well, when she said “I”, she was being quite frank but was still careful about what she said. She couldn’t allow him to take advantage of it, but Fio’s words were powerful enough to make him forget that.
“I’ll stay here. An Imperial princess and high-ranking commander. There’s no problem being a hostage, is there?”
“That would be a problem, though. There is a possibility that you might abandon Princess Fiona.”
“This man never abandons those he has become close with. He can be as ruthless and cruel as he wants to strangers, but those who are close to him, this person… Yukito Kurei won’t ever abandon them. I can assure you of that as the Imperial Princess.”
Fio then resolutely locked her gaze on Randall.
There was no disadvantage for Randall to take Fio as a hostage. Even if I betrayed him, taking Fio, the hero of the Imperial Kingdom, to Albion would be enough of a war result. Even if he broke the agreement, he could immediately attack the Imperial State.
Whether I come back or not, it won’t hurt Randall. It’s just a matter of whether or not he can get his hands on the target, the fan.
Randall smiled a little and muttered as if he had done some quick calculations there.
“You’re a silly child.”
“… First time I’ve ever been told that.”
“Kurei can no longer run away from this. His good intentions have strangled him. Now you, the Princess of the Empire, can’t just pretend that you didn’t say anything, can you?”
For the first time in these negotiations, Randall spoke out harshly.
He sounded like a grandfather scolding his grandchild. But in reality, they turned into friends who were also enemies. What a very strange thing.
“I know everything, sir. It’s just, Lord Randall. May I say something?”
“What?”
Fio breathed in slowly and put on the sternest expression she had ever shown.
And then.
“If you underestimate Yuki-chan, you’ll… suffer a painful consequence, okay?”
She said this in a cold voice that made everyone in the room shiver.