<strong>Chapter 96: The Battle of Hisfil Castle (6)</strong>
…
After listening to my explanation, Jinor stroked his chin for a while, his expression troubled, before finally looking me in the eye to ask,
“Right. Your reasoning is sound. If Anima were to lose, it’s highly likely things would proceed in the manner you’ve described. But… how can you know all this in such detail?”
“If we assume defeat, then naturally, the number of possibilities becomes limited.”
“That’s not what I mean.”
Jinor glared at me.
No… to be precise, it wasn’t a glare. Though his gaze was sharp, it carried a different kind of something.
I had seen such a look once before.
It was right after the defense of the northern fortress, at Anel Castle.
Back then, Lynn, who was my commander at the time, had looked at me with that same gaze.
Fear.
In the slight tremble of Jinor’s eyes, I discerned a momentary fear.
“How can you assert defeat so confidently? How do you know it will happen?”
…
“I’m not claiming to know everything in the world. Who could? And this is a matter of great importance. How could a man of honor lack confidence in such a setting?”
“Avoiding the core and most critical part of my question by skirting around it isn’t a particularly good habit, but I suppose I would have answered similarly in your shoes, Swen.”
With that, Jinor let out a hollow laugh, and I felt a strange sense of camaraderie.
“Alright. Since you’ve deduced, let me also make a few deductions. Is that alright? I promise it won’t take long.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“I still think there’s a high probability your words hold truth. They form a coherent story, and everything fits. Plus, it’s Swen we’re talking about. Like before, I believe the odds are high that you’ll be right again. No, perhaps it’s been right since you arrived here.”
“What do you mean?”
“To be frank, it’s widely known that Brans Army lost a great warrior in Airen Juliet, but I’ve been thinking… perhaps losing you was an even greater blow to Brans Army.”
“Me? Ha. That’s an overstatement. I was merely a sidekick to General Airen.”
“The downfall of Brans Army began after you came here, after all.”
“And it also began after General Airen came here.”
“You were the one who called down a meteor from the heavens.”
“As I’ve said, I’m not a magician. I don’t know how to cast spells. You’ve seen your daughter; you should know.”
“That girl began showing remarkable progress as soon as she followed your training methods.”
“Training is but a superficial aspect. It’s merely her talent beginning to blossom.”
…
Jinor sighed deeply and then, for the first time, threw his head back and laughed heartily.
“You never lose a beat, truly!”
As he continued to laugh heartily, I realized this was the first time I had seen him laugh.
After a few minutes,
“Swen. It may sound crazy, but I must ask.”
“What is it?”
“Can you see the future?”
He then stared at me intensely, the brief fear from before gone, replaced by fierce curiosity.
…
“Please forgive my presumptuous words.”
“There’s nothing to hold back now. Speak freely.”
“To think one can see the future through magic, you’re quite delusional.”
“Ha! That’s funny coming from someone with a daughter who practices real magic.”
“But isn’t it true? If I could see the future, wouldn’t I have presented a more convincing argument rather than walking this tightrope?”
“If your foresight is limited, it’s a different story. Maybe you know if we’ll win or lose a battle, but not why it happens.”
…
Damn. I barely managed to suppress my surprise at his deduction.
To reach that conclusion from our conversation…
Had I underestimated Jinor?
“Is an intelligence of 99 to be taken lightly?”
Suddenly, the phrase that had sent me to this world came to mind, and it was Jinor who had said it.
I responded as calmly as I could.
“An interesting hypothesis.”
“Well, reflecting on our conversations, it might not just be a hypothesis.”
He smirked, revealing a depth of expression I hadn’t expected from Jinor Nightart.
“Suddenly, I’m reminded of Grandfather Kain.”
He, too, had revealed his true self to me in his final moments.
I wonder if he’s doing well?
Unaware of my thoughts about another commander, Jinor gestured exaggeratedly and said,
“Of course, I understand you can’t just disclose your abilities to anyone. Who would reveal their hand in a game of chance?”
…
“Understood. I’ll join you in convincing our lord. Enough with the pointless chatter. Let’s head straight to the palace.”
It seemed Jinor had decided to label me a ‘wizard’ capable of foresight based on his own conclusions.
A critical, yet entirely different kind of mistake… but using this misunderstanding might be easier than explaining the truth.
After all, I hadn’t confirmed his theory.
Misunderstandings have always been a tool for survival in this world.
I quietly followed Jinor, leading the way.
…
“An ambush, you say?”
“That’s correct. Please, allow us to proceed with the plan, my lord.”
Jinor pleaded with Yuri, bowing slightly as soon as we arrived at the palace and quickly explained the situation.
Yuri was taken aback by Jinor’s eloquence compared to my patchwork explanation of ‘the most plausible possibility.’
“However, isn’t the existence of an ambush just speculation? I can’t believe Anima would act rashly without considering such a possibility…”
“My lord, with all due respect, I once served Serpina von Aingart closely in my younger days.”
…
His connection to the imperial family made sense given his past as the empire’s chancellor.
“Serpina is extremely cunning, like a serpent. Among the imperial family, she was particularly cold-blooded. She’s adept at laying traps to deceive. It’s possible she used some method to lull Anima into complacency.”
Yuri’s voice carried a mix of emotions upon hearing this.
“So, you’re saying Anima is the kind of person who could be deceived by Serpina?”
…
Jinor momentarily lost his eloquence, facing an emotional rebuttal.
In such cases, perhaps I should step in.
“It’s precisely because it’s Anima that we must act.”
…
“Isn’t sending reinforcements meaningless then?”
“That would be the case if it weren’t for a second plan.”
I confidently explained,
“We will force Serpina’s forces, presumed to be ahead of Anima’s army, to retreat back to Hisphil Castle.”
…
As I left the palace, pondering the plan to spread false information—a strategy of misinformation—I realized the challenge wasn’t in the idea itself but in its execution.
In the game, executing a plan was as simple as clicking buttons. In reality, actions required direct involvement.
“How to make the false claim believable and prompt a retreat without credible evidence…”
A strategy’s success hinges on its believability.
As I was lost in thought, Jinor approached me.
“We’ve successfully persuaded the lord. I hope your words prove true.”
“Don
‘t worry about that.”
“You have ‘divine sight’ through magic, after all. I’m not concerned. Likely, you’ll be right again.”
Divine sight?
Though his words bordered on absurd, I let his misunderstanding stand. It was simpler that way.
“Is there anything else I can assist with?”
“No. From here on, it’s up to me to figure things out. Your help in persuasion is enough. Don’t you have duties?”
“As a strategist, it’s all the same. Besides observing Reika’s training progress tonight, I have no special plans.”
“Training progress?”
“Once a week, I assess her abilities. It’s like checking her learning progress. Her magic has improved significantly; she can now easily topple a few trees. Though far from battlefield-ready, her growth is impressive.”
…
A thought struck me. If Reika had reached such a level…
Could her abilities be utilized for our strategy?
“Jinor.”
“Yes?”
“I have a request. It doesn’t involve you directly, but…”
“What is it? If possible, I’ll help.”
I looked him straight in the eye and said,
“May I borrow your daughter for a while?”
