“What on earth do you mean by that!”
After explaining my strategy, Rachel slammed her hand on the table and stood up abruptly.
The ‘commander demolition desire’ I had barely calmed seemed to resurface, and there was a clear expression of disgust in her eyes.
It wasn’t just Rachel who thought this was impossible.
“Commander, I don’t know what grounds you have for this strategy, but this road is absolutely not passable for people.”
“That’s right. I’m not an expert in mountain terrain either, but the path you predicted is overgrown with so much brush that walking along it would be difficult. I don’t think the supply troops would risk such a gamble.”
Gerald and even the other officer came forward with polite but firm objections.
Hmm.
I had expected this.
As they said, this was a mountain path that was impossible to walk on.
The narrowness of the road wasn’t the only problem; the terrain was so rugged that it wasn’t suitable for carts carrying supplies.
“But on the other hand, if we use that psychology, we can actually choose this road.”
“Operating the army with such speculative claims is reckless!”
Oh.
I thought Rachel was a calm character, but it turned out she could speak in such a loud voice.
I understood.
Considering the losses caused by the incompetent commander up until now, they must be fed up with plans that rely only on predictions.
But I had to persuade them.
This war could never be won if we couldn’t sever the supply line.
The tragedy caused by Leo’s giant trolls was a problem, but even aside from that, Stral Rent Kingdom’s supplies could never match Phillips Kingdom’s.
Alright, let me explain this step by step.
Not in a one-sided notification style, but through a question-and-answer format.
“Gerald, you just mentioned that the forest is so thick you can’t see ahead.”
“Yes, if they lose their sense of direction, the supply troops will be stranded.”
“Then, is there a way for them to avoid getting stranded?”
At my words, Rachel, who had been boiling with anger, began to focus on what I was saying.
“There’s no way such a thing is possible!”
Gerald raised his voice, unable to listen any longer.
It was a natural reaction.
Despite their attitude, I calmly continued.
“Gerald, let’s say you’re walking along the path and you lose your way. What will you do?”
“What are you suddenly talking about…”
“Answer me.”
With my firm tone, Gerald hesitated but eventually responded.
“First, I would look at the stars. If I can’t see the stars, I would use a compass. If I head north, something will appear.”
“Why use a compass when you’re lost?”
“Well, the compass always points in one direction, so…”
“Correct, you got it right.”
Gerald looked at me with an expression of disbelief.
It seemed like he was about to argue further, but I raised my hand, signaling for him to wait.
“Wait. What does the Phillips Kingdom trade with?”
“Ah, magic stones… right?”
“Then, does Phillips Kingdom only sell magic stones, or do they use them as well?”
As the conversation reached this point, Pierre’s eyes widened as if he realized something.
“Wait, do you mean they put magic stones in the compass?!”
“Yes. It’s a change of perspective. By putting a magic stone in the compass, we can make it point not north, but only to the destination.”
The Phillips Kingdom was hiding the existence of the magic stone compass.
And the strategy using the compass wouldn’t be revealed until the Phillips Kingdom was looted by the protagonist’s country.
The reason why the magic stone compass worked so well on Stral Rent was it that Stral Rent didn’t need magic stones.
Magic stones are resources that bring both military power and comfort to daily life.
But this country had no interest in war.
They didn’t care about the lives of their citizens.
They believed the army would solve everything.
So, it wasn’t surprising that the 1st Army officers reacted this way.
“Did you actually see it? Simple imagination can’t serve as evidence.”
Trying to stop the conversation from going off-track, Rachel asked with a question.
Oh dear…
As expected, is this story coming up?
‘…There is nothing that can be called evidence.’
“Then…!”
“Even so, I want you all to trust me!”
There’s no other choice.
I have no choice but to use the final strategy.
“His Majesty has ordered me to protect the nation. At the very least, His Majesty must have judged that I have the proper ability to do so. In that case, as a soldier of this country, I will only devise strategies to protect it. That is all.”
“Then, are you saying that you are certain this strategy will succeed?”
“Yes.”
I answered Rachel’s question that way.
Even so, the gazes were filled with distrust, so I frowned and spoke.
“If I fail, I will give up my position as corps commander and all my power.”
“What…?”
Among the officers, a voice filled with shock escaped.
Leo Branzilte was the third son of a duke.
Though not as powerful as the eldest son, he still possessed considerable authority.
Saying he would give that up meant he was that confident in this strategy.
At least, in the worldview of Walk that I knew, that was the case.
Silence fell inside the conference room.
No one dared to speak recklessly, and they all wore anxious expressions.
Only Rachel, who seemed to know a fair amount about ‘Leo Branzilte,’ remained expressionless while looking at me.
After about tens of seconds of silence—
Rachel stood up from her seat.
“Commander, what are you doing? Hurry and prepare for the operation.”
“Deputy Commander…?”
Putting one’s authority on the line meant social death. Since the corps commander was willing to go that far, we had no choice but to respond in kind.
“Understood.”
I thought my words might inspire them, but I never expected Rachel to react first.
Her expression was unreadable.
However, I could sense a slight expectation in her demeanor.
Now, all I could do was pray that the commander would completely outmaneuver the supply unit.
‘Unbelievable.’
Even while leading his battalion forward, the commander questioned whether what he was doing was right.
As Leo had said, if they could break through this path, they could transport supplies more safely than through any other route.
But the problem was breaking through.
Even Gerald had attempted to pass through here and failed.
The dense undergrowth and towering trees made it easy to lose one’s sense of direction.
If they got lost in the mountains, starving to death was inevitable.
‘He definitely told us not to go any further and just wait here.’
Leo knew the risks and even said there was no need to advance further.
After all, the only exit from this path was the one the commander had already secured.
“Everyone, hold your position here.”
At the commander’s order, all personnel stopped in place.
One of the centurions stepped forward.
“Commander, to be honest, I still don’t know if this strategy is the right one.”
“I understand your concern. But even if we waste our efforts and lose the war, I will make sure you do not become sacrifices.”
“Commander…”
The centurion, hearing the commander’s words, fell into an emotional silence and stepped back.
Even if he said that, his subordinates would still be willing to risk their lives for him.
To maintain morale, a leader’s confidence was crucial.
‘If the corps commander truly chose this path as a supply route, then considering the distance, the enemy should be showing up any moment now.’
The commander realized that he was unconsciously tense.
Despite the strategy being based on weak evidence, a part of him believed it might actually work.
If it succeeded, the war would already be half-won.
Rustle.
At that moment—
The sound of grass rustling came from the direction they were watching.
The commander’s mouth fell open in surprise.
From where the sound came, a wagon bearing the flag of the Kingdom of Phillips appeared.
His breathing quickened.
Just as the corps commander predicted, the supply unit had really shown up.
“Haha, those Stral Rent fools. They never would’ve expected us to come through here.”
“Of course not. Without our special compass, anyone would get lost in this terrain. We just need to use the overwhelming resources of the Phillips Kingdom to crush Stral Rent! Kahaha!”
The enemy’s voices could be heard.
They were so relaxed—it was clear they never expected soldiers to be waiting here.
The commander felt an overwhelming urge to shout in excitement, but he held back.
He had to wait for the right moment.
If they attacked too soon, while the enemy was still at a distance, victory would be impossible.
Step, step.
The enemy drew closer.
They still hadn’t noticed the commander’s unit lying in ambush.
And finally, when one of the enemies was only about three feet away—
“Attack!”
The commander gave the order.
The supply unit, having prepared for rough terrain, had only a small escort force.
“What…?! What’s going on?!”
“Aaah!”
The supply troops were mercilessly cut down, their faces filled with shock and regret.
Their mistaken belief that no Stral Rent soldiers would be here had led to their downfall.
With more than half their numbers already wiped out, the supply unit had no chance of winning against the commander.
After a few minutes of combat, the entire enemy supply unit had been annihilated.
The wagons were loaded with a considerable amount of food and supplies.
Everything was in excellent condition, good enough to be delivered straight to the 1st Corps for immediate use.
“What on earth just happened…?”
Even though he had secured victory with his own hands, the commander was dumbfounded.
What had just happened was simply unbelievable.
“A miracle.”
Amidst the soldiers’ triumphant cheers, the commander muttered those words.