*
The small castle of Jelant.
In the central meeting room, usually used by me and three other generals, today there were four new faces. All of them, on their knees, were paying their respects to our lord, Lunarien Iniange.
“I am Gustav, the leader of the Raven Mercenary Band.”
“I am Kalle, the deputy leader.”
“I am Aaron, the leader of the Chilean Mercenary Band.”
“I am Yona, the deputy leader.”
Three men and one woman, who had just introduced themselves, were greeting Lunarien.
The interception force of about thirteen hundred had managed to hold off an army of eight thousand soldiers. This was possible because two archer units, the Raven and Chilean Mercenary Bands, ambushed Brans’ army from the sides, causing chaos and dividing the large force into three segments. They then surrounded Brans’ army from the rear in a pincer move and decimated them.
I already knew the origin of the archer units; Kalle had introduced himself as the deputy leader of the Raven Mercenary Band. However, the source of the rear force was only now becoming apparent.
The Chilean Mercenary Band!
‘Those wretched fellows are on our side?’
The Chilean Mercenary Band was available to central continent monarchs who completed certain quests. Their unique ‘Heavy Spearmen’ were a step above regular spearmen, a great asset, but the problem was acquiring a specific territory in the central continent. Thus, they were practically off-limits, especially given the likelihood of being conquered by Brans’ army before completing the quest.
To me, someone who didn’t play as Brans’ army due to their lack of appeal, they were an annoying mercenary band. They were almost exclusively Brans’ army’s force, providing an unfair advantage to the already beginner-friendly faction.
Now, their leaders were kneeling before our lord, Lunarien.
‘Do we not need to complete quests to recruit them?’
Even after this world became real, it oddly followed the rules of the game. My 100 intelligence and predictions, no matter how absurd, always came true.
However, the mercenary bands aiding us and the war initiated before a year of game start indicated deviations from the game’s original script.
‘I shouldn’t rely too much on game knowledge alone.’
“…You may raise your heads,” Lunarien instructed.
The four stood up, and Lunarien continued, “Firstly, I want to thank you for aiding our army. Without you, we might have failed to defend Jelant Castle. And… I must ask, why did you decide to help us?”
Gustav of the Raven Mercenary Band spoke up, “On our way to Jelant Castle, we witnessed the war and decided to assist Lunarien’s army.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t fully understand. Why assist our army?”
“That’s because…” Aaron of the Chilean Mercenary Band took over, “we were heading to Jelant Castle to join Lunarien’s army.”
“!”
Lunarien’s question was met with a surprising response that implied they wanted to join our forces. I had suspected as much, but the rest of Lunarien’s party seemed genuinely shocked.
“…May I ask why?”
Aaron explained, “Recently, we heard about a generous distribution of food and funds spent on repairing commoners’ homes after a typhoon. We’ve met many leaders while running the mercenary band, but none have shown such dedication to their people since these troubled times began. It’s impressive for a large and powerful domain, let alone a small city-state.”
“Such…”
Lunarien seemed taken aback, but Aaron’s words were accurate. Six thousand gold was a significant sum, enough to conscript thousands of soldiers or invest in internal affairs. Spending it all on the welfare of the people certainly warranted attention.
“Just to be clear, we weren’t sure about the insignia of Lunarien’s army at first… Thankfully, we recognized an elderly man who had been active in the relief efforts at the forefront. We’re glad we could assist in time.”
‘Ah.’
The pieces clicked together in my mind.
[Advice] Assign Tifa to commerce -> She finds a money-filled chest.
[Advice] Use all the money for relief -> Gains popular support and impresses the mercenary band leaders.
[Advice] Place Kane, well-known from the relief efforts, at the forefront -> The mercenary bands recognize him and timely assist us.
No doubt remained. My intelligence was 100, and my predictions always came true. The laws of physics in this world seemed to bend to ensure my advice was followed!
“…”
“Wow…”
Kane and Tifa, beside Lunarien, looked at me in amazement, as if thinking, ‘Could he have anticipated all this?’ From their perspective, it made sense. After all, following my directions led to an improbable mission success.
My role now was simple
.
With a knowledgeable expression, I nodded slowly, as if I had foreseen it all.
What mattered wasn’t that I had predicted everything, but that it appeared so to others. If the outcome was correct, fitting the pieces together was enough. This appearance lent credibility to my infallible advice, ensuring that, no matter how unbelievable, my opinions would not be opposed but followed. As a strategist and not a monarch, it was crucial to establish this kind of influence within the domain.
“Lord, please accept them. They will be a tremendous asset to our army,” I advised Lunarien.
“Lunarien…”
After pondering my advice, Lunarien addressed the kneeling leaders.
“Thank you sincerely for aiding our army. I will not forget this deed. Under my name, Lunarien, your actions will be synonymous with those of our army.”
Accepting their allegiance was a significant move. The leaders bowed in response.
“Yes! We pledge our loyalty.”
“We will be Lunarien’s sword and shield.”
The Raven Mercenary Band with seven thousand troops, and the Chilean Mercenary Band with six thousand, brought a total of thirteen thousand skilled mercenaries to Lunarien’s army – an incredibly favorable outcome for the cost of six thousand gold.
At Brans’ army headquarters, Anel Castle, Calintz knelt before his lord, Lin Brans.
“I am utterly ashamed. It’s all my fault. Please, take my life.”
“…”
The invasion army of eight thousand had been annihilated. Countless officers lost their lives, leaving only about one hundred and twenty soldiers and their general, Calintz Brans. It was an unprecedented, devastating defeat for Brans’ army – especially against the relatively unknown Lunarien’s army.
“What happened, brother? Explain it to me if you’re truly ashamed.”
“…We were ambushed. Later, we discovered that mercenary-grade soldiers joined the battle.”
“Mercenaries?”
“Yes. Some recognized their insignia – the Raven and Chilean Mercenary Bands were aiding Lunarien’s army.”
“…What?”
Lin was shocked. Both bands were well-known, especially the Chilean Mercenary Band, which her army had been trying to recruit.
‘A minor kingdom aiding her instead of us?’
As absurd as it seemed, Lin, a ruler herself, knew dwelling on the past wouldn’t solve anything.
“If it was an ambush, there’s nothing we can do. But we’ve suffered a severe defeat. Stay back from the front lines and help with the reorganization. It’s better to step down from the vanguard and cool your head.”
To an outsider, Lin’s words might seem like a compassionate monarch’s, but Calintz felt the underlying demotion. He was spared likely because the battle was an ambush and he was of Brans’ lineage.
“What excuse is there for a defeated general?”
“…I understand.”
“Alright. You may leave.”
After dismissing Calintz, Lin pondered.
‘If Lunarien has two mercenary bands, we need to commit fully to conquer… But I can’t bring Cheol from the south.’
She sighed deeply and thought of someone else.
‘Do I have to use her?’
Reluctantly, but for the greater good, Lin spoke to a soldier beside her.
“Hey.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“Go to the second training barracks and bring Airen here.”
“Yes, my lord!”
Though Lin had demoted her herself, Airen was the only viable option left.
‘Well, as a ruler, I must do unpleasant things sometimes.’
Lin rationalized her decision, preparing to face the challenges ahead.
