The Strategist Knows Everything - Volume 3 Chapter 3
Part III: The Imperial State Edition
Chapter 3: The Lone Army 6
Translated by: Hiro02
Edited by: SevenTails
The Albion army was waiting at the border between the Imperial State and Albion with 50,000 troops.
“Does this mean that if we don’t keep our word, they’ll start the invasion immediately?”
“Even if we keep our word, there is still the possibility of an invasion. If they drag me away from the Imperial State and Fio dies here, then the only capable general who can stand in the way of Albion’s army will be Viscount Rigar.”
I replied to Charlotte’s murmur. He made a blatantly disgusted face.
“Can you please stop saying things like that? I don’t want to fight here.”
“Well, the probability is low. They’ll probably prefer a ceasefire if possible.”
“What do you mean? Albion’s imperial invasion force is supposed to be almost completely unharmed.”
Charlotte’s question was reasonable.
Even the 30,000 troops that we engaged in battle would have suffered only minor damages.
In addition, the 40,000 that were on the march were literally unharmed.
If they were only dealing with the Empire State, the possibility of another invasion by them would have increased.
However, Albion’s opponent was not the Imperial State alone.
It was still at war with Veris, and even though the Imperial State was attacking it from the sea, it still has plenty of strength. There is also the possibility that the Imperial State will break its alliance with Albion and launch an attack on them instead.
Also, despite the Republic being at war with the islands and their inability to join the continental war, the Republic may change their mind and attack Albion at any moment.
In anticipation of a short-term decisive battle, the Republic’s defensive forces have joined the Imperial invasion forces, and their numbers have assembled. But before that, the Imperial forces have been engaged in battle with Knox for more than half a year.
The damage incurred during that time must have been greater than that of the Imperial State.
At the very least, the current Albion is unable to attack both countries at the same time. The soldiers probably don’t have the energy to do so either.
A second invasion would definitely spark Veris’ defiance and the Imperial State’s own ulterior motives. There is no guarantee that they will be able to repel it.
No, it was impossible for them to withstand an attack from both at the same time. A second invasion won’t be allowed.
Judging that, I let out a huff and looked around.
At the borderline between the Imperial State and Albion, two fortresses faced each other.
Both are on the two countries’ frontlines, or should I say, they were.
Until recently, the fort on the Imperial side had been defeated by Albion. Even now, there were some garrison soldiers, but not enough to defend the fort to the teeth. The fort itself had been destroyed in many places by the fierce attacks, and repairs have not been able to keep up.
It was the Imperial State’s current situation. With Albion’s invasion, the number of troops had dwindled, and the fortresses on the frontlines couldn’t be satisfactorily defended.
How much longer will it take to build the original defence line? The wider the area to be defended, the more soldiers will be needed.
And the number of people won’t increase that easily. It will take time.
I let out a slow sigh.
I was outside of such a fort, standing right in front of the fort’s gate.
The exchange between Fio and I was going to begin any moment now.
The place of exchange is between the two forts.
Knights came with me as escorts and guards.
However…
“If you have a plan, then please tell me! Strategist-dono!”
At this rate, I had to say that he’s unfit for my surveillance.
The knights who followed me from the Imperial capital were now locked in a room in the fort.
It was a group of young, enthusiastic knights who were standing right in front of me. Well, they were not much older than me.
They were knights who had been fighting in the fortress on the frontlines, and they were unhappy with the idea of selling me out to Albion. And then, their frustration exploded on this day.
To them, I was not only the commander of an ally but also a comrade in arms who had fought with them on the harsh frontlines. They didn’t seem to be willing to sell me out to get peace.
“We owe you our lives! We will return the favour here! Please use us!”
“Yes, sir! We will charge at the enemy army if you order us to! You’re the one who should not be dying here!”
Jeez.
What will take place here is an exchange of hostages, not an execution. Furthermore, if a battle were to break out here, the Imperial State, with its inadequate defence network, might easily let the invasion forces reach the vicinity of Ferrenor.
It’s not that they aren’t aware of it.
Putting the foreigners before their countrymen out of mere sentiment is unworthy of knighthood.
Well, on that note, I was not sure I could say the same. I wasn’t a knight, so it shouldn’t matter.
While making such excuses in my mind, I let out a sigh such that the knights would not notice. When I glanced to the side, I saw Charlotte next to me with a dumbstruck expression of disbelief on his face.
I was dumbfounded too, but I couldn’t stay like that for long.
It would be counterproductive to give an honest argument to the knights in front of me who were running wild because of their youth. No, they would not accept any arguments at that moment.
They’ve been saying it was immoral and unethical ever since a while ago.
It was indeed unethical to sell an ally, but it was also for a knight who swore allegiance to his country to go against its decisions.
I appreciated the sentiment. However, if I went along with their plan, the Imperial State would be burned down by Albion’s magic.
That was something that must be avoided.
“Strategist-dono!!”
“I have a plan. However, I won’t be able to implement it until I enter Albion. I don’t need your help right now. I appreciate the sentiment, but I have no intention of letting you betray the Imperial State.”
I responded to their call.
I chose my words so as not to provoke them too much. There were ten knights in front of me, but there were many more who agreed with them.
There were enough of them to create an opening for me to escape.
I can’t let them make a move.
If the timing were wrong, Fio would be in danger. And most importantly, it would give Albion an excuse to invade.
As for Albion, I guess they don’t care either way.
As long as they can eliminate Knox and me, they’ll be able to conquer the Imperial State quickly. That’s why they were trying to get rid of me.
From a strategic point of view, it would be best if Albion could reach a truce and peace with the Imperial State. However, it would be better, if not the best, to have a pretext to invasion and attack the unprepared Imperial State again.
Either way, it would be convenient for Albion.
On the other hand, for me, it would be inconvenient if the Imperial State and Albion were to clash again here.
If I missed this opportunity, I would never have the chance to enter the heart of Albion again. And if that happens, the war will never end.
On top of that, if the war didn’t end, there was a high chance that Veris would lose the war.
Veris didn’t have the strength to fight a long war. It had been fighting frequent wars in the previous kings’ generations, recently going from the civil war to one with a coalition of smaller nations.
Veris is the first of the powers to put down roots.
There was a sense of urgency in me to end the war as soon as possible.
That’s why I didn’t want them to fight here.
“But then!”
“Thank you. But I’ll be fine. Besides, Princess Fiona is over there. I owe her for turning herself into a hostage just to give me some time to say goodbye to my friends. I want to help her as much as you want to help me.”
“Then let’s aim for the moment when Princess Fiona and Strategist-dono switch places!”
One of the knights shouted as if it was a brilliant idea.
Hearing this, the surrounding knights’ eyes lit up. Certainly, their goal wasn’t wrong.
But…
“The other side will definitely bring out the Four Wise Men during the exchange. And they’ll have an equal number of guards with them. Moreover, the exchange site is on flat land with a clear view. It’s impossible to surprise them.”
“If we move from the fort first, we will have the upper hand!”
“Are you forgetting that the enemy is Albion? The exchange point between the forts is within the range of their magic. We’ll be annihilated in one fell swoop by their renketsu magic.”
For each idea that came up, I explained why I would not approve it.
There was no point in this exchange, though, because I was going to Albion before I even considered accepting their offer or not.
However, the knights didn’t understand my intentions.
“Isn’t there anything else we can do?”
“Think! There must be something!”
“No, if it’s impossible, then so be it! We’ll take the bait and hold off Albion!”
The knights’ will is unstoppable.
Just as I was about to give up, Charlotte let out a big sigh.
The knights overheard his sigh.
“What are you complaining about?”
“I’m full of complaints. What country are you guys from?”
“The Imperial State, of course!”
One of the knights replied as if to say, “Why are you asking me something so obvious?”
Hearing this, Charlotte let out another sigh.
“Then what country are you a knight of?”
“The Imperial State! Do you think I’m an idiot!?”
Charlotte did not reply to the knight’s question.
After being silent for a while, Charlotte slowly and loudly sighed again and began to speak.
“If you are a man of the Imperial State, a knight, shouldn’t your primary concern be the Imperial State?”
“Selling out the commander-in-chief of an ally is unacceptable! The Imperial State is indeed important to us, but there is a sense of humanity! And my pride as a.. knight will not tolerate peace obtained by such means!”
“I’m sure you’re admirable as a person and as a knight, but if you put your… personal feelings above the decisions of your country, then you can no longer be a knight of the… Imperial State. No, more importantly, if you are not a knight, then you are an enemy who endangers it, okay? Do you understand that?”
Hearing Charlotte’s words, the young knights exploded in anger.
“We, as knights of the Imperial State, are doing this to protect the pride and prestige of the Imperial State!”
“If the Imperial State were to be invaded again, hundreds or thousands of times more people would die than what you guys have killed so far. Some of them might be your family and loved ones. Even so, can you say that helping Veris’ Military Strategist is for the sake of the Imperial State?”
Charlotte told the knights with such heavy killing intent that if they made a bad attempt at responding, he might cut them down on the spot.
Even though they were young, they are still knights who have faced death on the frontlines.
I could clearly feel Charlotte’s killing intent.
When Charlotte saw that no one responded, he shifted his gaze from the knights to me.
“No need to go any further. It’s time to go, and we’ll head to the exchange point.”
“Okay. You’ll be my escort.”
“I know. You guys will stay away from the exchange point. If you do anything stupid, I will kill you.”
The knights shivered as Charlotte, who was supposed to be on their side, looked at them with clear murderous intent.
I guessed it was going alright from here on.
Looking at the pale faces of the knights, I made such judgment.
The problem was Fio, who was at Albion’s side.
Charlotte had predicted that Fio would try to escape with me, but I didn’t want her to do that if possible.
I said that I wouldn’t take her up on her offer, but when she’s in front of me, desperately wanting me to take her up on it, would I be able to push her away?
To be honest, I doubted it.
That’s why I wanted Fio to keep silent.
Maybe it was an impossible wish, though.
■■■
Charlotte and I arrived at the location between the two forts that had been selected as the exchange point.
As Charlotte had instructed, the knights were waiting a bit behind us.
Perhaps having confirmed our arrival, Albion’s side came toward us.
It consisted of knights on horseback and a carriage.
“Is Fio in that carriage…?”
“Oh? Are you worried?”
“Of course I am. What do you mean? She was captured by the enemy army.”
“I thought you weren’t worried because you haven’t shown any signs of concern until now.”
Charlotte gave me a surprised look when he said that.
Of course, I was worried. But at the same time, I was confident that she would be unharmed.
Hence I wasn’t really worried enough to express it. But it didn’t mean I wasn’t at all.
I’m not a heartless man.
“I’m worried. No matter how smart Fio is or how strong she is, I’m still worried about her.”
“You should tell her, she’d be happy. And then she’s gonna try to get you out of there at all costs.”
“Then, I’m not going to tell her that.”
As Charlotte and I were exchanging such light words, the carriage stopped nearby.
A knight opened the door of the carriage.
The first person to come out was Randall.
With a cane and a faltering gait, he climbed down from the carriage. With the way he was supported by the knight, it was hard to believe that he was one of Albion’s proud Four Wise Men.
However, judging a person by their appearance can be a terrible mistake.
All four of the Four Wise Men of Albion, the land of magicians, are magicians of the highest calibre.
Even though Randall was already old, he could probably kill me without taking a single step. That’s what a top-grade magician is like.
The next person to come out was Fio.
Ignoring the knight who held out his hand, she climbed down from the carriage by herself.
Judging from her expression, she seemed to be in a bad mood.
Did Randall say something to her in the carriage?
“Well, well, well. If it were up to me, I would have run for my life for sure, don’t you think?”
“The fate of this country is at stake. There is no way that I’m going to do that.”
“It’s just a foreign country. If I were you, I’d run away without a care in the world.”
“I’m not Lord Randall.”
“Fu~fu… The only reason you didn’t run away was because of Princess Fiona, isn’t it?”
Fio’s eyebrows twitched slightly in response to Randall’s words.
That shook things up. I knew that. But that didn’t mean it was a good idea to lie about it.
“It’s one of the reasons, but not the only one.”
“Fu-fu-fu. Isn’t that a bit much to be doing for a woman?”
Fio glared at Randall, who made a joke of the situation.
Randall cowered at the sight of Fio and turned his back to me.
“You need to at least say goodbye, don’t you? Keep it as short as possible.”
With that, he and the Albion knights moved away from Fio and me.
I see. So, if I want to run, I can.
At this rate, he’s inciting Fio.
“Yuki-chan…”
“Fio. Are you okay? Did they do anything to you?”
“No. I’m fine.”
Fio smiled back at me but seemed to be looking for the right moment to do something.
Charlotte also felt that something was wrong, so he called out to Fio.
“Fiona. Don’t think about anything crazy, okay?”
“I’m fine. Charu.”
Fio smiled at Charlotte and approached me with natural movements.
Her mouth moved constantly. She seemed to be mumbling something, but her voice couldn’t reach us.
And then…
“I will not fail.”
“Fiona!?”
The way her mouth was moving as she came toward us suggested that she was chanting.
Fiona spun around halfway and turned her back to us.
She raised her hands up in the air and shouted in a high-pitched voice.
“Frezberg!!”
An intense light shone above Fio, robbing me of my vision.
The next moment I opened my eyes, I saw a huge bird floating in the sky.
The Divine Bird Frezberg.
An inexhaustible divine beast with enough defensive power to block every single renketsu magic unleashed against a fort, and the offensive power to blow away an entire battle formation with a mere flap of its wings.
It had been summoned.
In the middle of the hostage exchange, a condition of the truce, by the hand of the Imperial Princess.
“All troops! Prepare to attack!”
“Prepare the renketsu magic! Cavalry move out!”
Loud shouts of anger echoed from the fort on the Albion side.
At the same time, the fort on the Imperial side became noisy as well.
“We’re coming out too!”
“Protect Princess Fiona and the Strategist-dono!!”
The young knights we had waiting a little further back ran towards us without any second thoughts.
Once they arrive, it’s over.
The war would resume from that very moment.
Randall’s goal should be the fan. If I were to escape here, there would be no point in bothering to propose a truce.
There’s no way he’s going to let me get away this easily.
The reason why he incited Fio to act like this was that it was in Albion’s best interest to do so.
The best thing that could happen to Albion, or Randall for that matter, would be to get the fan, get rid of Fio and me, and still be able to invade the Imperial State.
As long as he could capture me, it would all come true.
With the fan in his hands, Fio would stop resisting, and once captured, we’ll be at Randall’s mercy.
Then, they can attack the Imperial State that broke off the negotiations, no questions asked. The Imperial State, which thought that it had come to a ceasefire, would not be able to defend itself.
“I won’t let you have Yuki-chan!”
“Fio…”
“Fiona! Do you have any idea of what you’re doing!?”
“I know what I’m doing! I’ll take the responsibility! I’ll protect Yuki-chan and the Imperial State! You have to help me!”
Charlotte bit his lip at Fio’s words.
Now that things have come to this, there was nothing Charlotte could do to stop Fio. And if he didn’t cooperate, both the Imperial State and Fio would be in danger.
No matter what, Charlotte had no choice other than to cooperate.
Fio must have known this and acted accordingly. She knew what she was doing, and she was going to do it with winning in mind.
However, there were two things wrong with her calculations.
First, I was not going to run away, and second, I can stop Fio.
Why did Randall incite Fio to do this?
Perhaps he wanted to be sure.
He probably wanted to make sure that I had really brought the divine fan Klarus with me.
I cluck my tongue a little.
Fio’s power was needed to stop Albion’s invasion. The Imperial State, which could only rely on Fio, has no choice but to forgive her.
Fio was probably thinking that the Imperial State was not going to forgive her. No, that they would argue about her punishment.
In the meantime, Albion would invade the country to the point of no return.
The king’s guards were even infiltrated by spies. There are probably people in the upper echelons of the Imperial State who are connected to Albion. Fio has likely not been able to calculate the actions of such people.
Because I knew that, I had to stop Fio here.
To that extent, Randall must have calculated and incited Fio. Because she has been away from politics for so long, she was no longer familiar with them.
Inevitably, we can’t predict or calculate what we don’t have experience with.
However, when the fate of the Imperial State was at stake, it couldn’t be helped.
“Fio!”
“Yuki-chan! Get on Berg! After we arrive at Ferrenor, I’ll make sure we get you to Veris!”
“No, no. Fio, you have to unsummon the Frezberg. Your way will destroy the Imperial State.”
At my words, Fio froze, holding out her hand towards me.
The look in her eyes was as if she was looking at something in disbelief.
It was heartbreaking, and I didn’t want to say anything about it from now on if I could help it. But I had to…
“Therefore, Fio. I can’t take your hand… for the sake of the Imperial State and for your sake.”
“Yuki… chan…?”
“I’m sorry. I’m going to Albion. It’s the best outcome right now.”
“… No…”
“What?”
“It’s not the best outcome! Why would you do so much for the Imperial State, Yuki-chan!? If you go, you’ll die!”
Fio came closer to me.
If it were possible, I would like to talk more slowly and find a mutual understanding. But there was no time.
Albion’s cavalry had sortied.
The knights of the Imperial State would also arrive soon.
We have to finish everything before then.
“I’ll be fine. I’m not going to die.”
“It’s not true… I know it’s not true…”
With tears in her eyes, Fio reached into my chest.
I felt her weight on me. It was because Fio had fallen on me.
As I grabbed her shoulders to catch her, Fio looked up at me.
My eyes met Fio’s as she shed tears.
“Please… Yuki-chan… I’ll figure out something.”
“I’m sorry… I’m really, really sorry.”
I hugged Fio tightly.
I had Klaurus equipped, which worked even through my clothes. So as long as we’re this close…
“Ah….”
Maybe it was because the magic connection with Fio was cut off, but Frezberg glowed and then disappeared.
I pat Fio’s head.
“It’s okay. Don’t cry.”
“… It’s that fan, isn’t it? It’s bad… It’s terrible… I kept thinking about this all the time, and I tried my best to decide…”
“I’m sorry. But I want to protect Fio, too. If I don’t, then Fio will be in a bad position.”
“… It’s okay…. If it would save Yuki-chan, I wouldn’t have minded…”
“It’s up to me, you know. I know, I am going to regret this.”
“… Why would… you go that far? Is the Imperial State worth that much… to you, Yuki-chan?”
“Well, I don’t know. It’s not like I’m protecting the Imperial State because I love it or something.”
Then I smiled at Fio.
Fio, with tears on her face, questioned my words.
“Then, for what…?”
“At first, it was just for Veris. In the current situation, if I only think about Veris, running away is one of the options. But that choice is not for me because I can’t abandon the Imperial State that Fio loves, can I? I will protect the country because you are there. I will protect it because it is the country you love, the country we fought for, the country we tried to protect together…”
I said what I had to.
I’d like to wait until Fio stopped crying like this.
But there was not much time left.
I left the crying Fio in Charlotte’s care and looked at the Imperial army that was coming towards us.
First, I have to stop the Imperial side.
“Attention all Imperial forces! Stop where you are!”