"We seem to have a need for strange and ingenious schemes quite often."
Spreading more than ten maps on the floor, Narsus, who was sitting cross-legged, murmured to himself. Daryun sat opposite him, looking at the maps just the same.
Has the invasion of the Lusitanians turned the page for the history of Pars? Or will it just be a mere sentence? Perhaps they would know within the year. The defeat at the Battle of Atropatene and the fall of the royal capital, Ecbatana, was certainly a tragedy, but there were several ways to make up for this loss. Narsus was already considering what kind of state to build on the land of Pars after driving the Lusitanians out.
During the expedition to Sindhura, he had left a hundred or so men inside the borders of Pars with the task of drawing detailed maps. Several men were assigned to survey each road, and then each of the reports were summarized. That was how thoughtful Narsus' thinking was.
"No matter how big the country is, you can see everything with a map."
Narsus had said this to Arslan. Narsus' strategy and warfare methods seemed miraculous, but in fact it was still based on accurate perception and judgment of the situation. To do this, it was necessary to know the situation at home and abroad and to continuously collect intelligence. With a map, Narsus' mind could paint a distinct picture of the landscape.
"But it must be illegible if he drew it himself, right? His hands are not as nimble as his mind!"
Daryun had said. Nevertheless, he quickly made use of the map in determining how to maneuver his troops. Ambush these troops here, follow this road around behind the enemy, etc.
"Cracks cannot be created in a rock. As soon as cracks are created, it will all begin to crumble."
Narsus advised the crown prince in this way. In short, those who had been with Arslan since the beginning, and those who had recently joined the camp, could not fight against the Lusitanian army if they began to quarrel with each other. This problem had become more obvious since the incident of Jaswant and Zaravant.
"Narsus has a point. The other day, Jaswant and Zaravant almost drew their swords on each other. What should be done to keep the new arrivals from becoming disgruntled?"
"How about appointing a new Satryup? The current one is far too young and isn’t taken seriously."
Arslan's eyes widened, and then he laughed out loud. Wasn't the current Satryup Narsus himself?
"Then, who does Narsus think would be a suitable replacement? Let me hear your opinion!"
"Please forgive me. I think that Lucian is qualified for this position. He is older, and he is extremely thoughtful and considerate, not to mention very well-liked among the shardaran."
"Does Narsus think this is good?"
"I think it is the best way."
"Then, I’ll do as Narsus said!"
So, Narsus "stepped down" from his position as the Satryup after only half a month. His new position was that of Fossat. The Fossat was the head of military orders and administration directly under Crown Prince Arslan, in other words, the work of the military advisor. In terms of status, of course, he was not as important as the Satryup, but there was no other position on the battlefield that was more important than that of a military advisor.
For Narsus, status was not important at all. However, because of the need for authority to mobilize troops, formulate strategies, and exercise tactics, he assumed the post of Fossat. However, even so, he was always ready to give up his position if someone else asked for it. For Narsus’s most desired position was that of court painter.
The position of the court painter required not just skill, but prestige. A certain degree of age, status, experience and popularity. Narsus had a reputation within Pars as a man of wisdom and strategy, but because he had seen the court of Andragoras, there was no shortage of people who were jealous of him among the old nobles.
It would not be good if the Satryup who integrated the two camps inspired jealousy in his comrades. It would be best if Narsus had not been in the position from the very beginning, but sometimes it is necessary to make a show of giving something up.
When the military troops began to organize, men like Gieve, who rode around on "horses of wind" and "saddles of clouds
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