"…Then, I shall explain my reasoning."
"You may speak freely."
However—
When it ca to reasoning, there was really nothing to say.
My ultimate justification was the predictive results of my 100 Intelligence.
There was no way I could explain that in words.
Even if I attempted to, I doubted it would convince Serpina.
Thinking back to the situation with Irian, she would only move her forces if there was a reason she could fully understand and accept.
Then what stance should I take here?
‘If an unquestionably correct outco exists—’
It ant that such a result was inevitable.
If I were Yuri and I was currently using the river to launch a surprise attack on Serpina’s army—
What exactly would my thought process be behind such an action?
I needed to start by considering that.
Just as I was about to speak—
"Wait."
Serpina stretched out her pale hand ever so slightly.
"Before I hear your reasoning, may I first share my own thoughts?"
"Please, go ahead."
"Then I won’t hesitate."
Serpina slowly unfolded her clasped hands and spoke.
"If the Aishus army is truly using the river to launch an ambush, then Mair Castle will undoubtedly be in danger. If they strike without us realizing, we could montarily lose control of the fortress. However, no matter how much I think about it, I fail to see how this would be a major advantage for the Aishus army."
Having said that, Serpina glanced at Jenna.
Jenna gave a slow nod before picking up the conversation.
"Given that their route is restricted to the river, the number of troops they can deploy will naturally be limited. Even if they attempt to reinforce their numbers, as long as we hold our position firmly, reclaiming the fortress shouldn’t be too difficult. Surely, they must know this. I find it hard to believe they would launch such a reckless attack."
Indeed, from the Aishus army’s perspective, this plan was a gamble.
First, they would have to cross the river without being detected.
The process would take an imnse amount of ti.
Securing supply lines would be difficult, aning their forces would be limited.
Even if they managed to deliver a strong initial blow, it was not a viable route for a serious invasion of the northern continent.
"As my lord has said, losing Mair Castle would be troubleso, but as I ntioned earlier, if we can reclaim it soon after, then the Aishus army stands to gain very little from this move. As it stands, Swen, your reasoning suggests that they are launching this invasion purely for a single mont of impact, despite the risks—"
"Exactly!"
"!?"
Jenna flinched in surprise, and I quickly lowered my head.
"My apologies for the interruption, Lady Jenna. However, I could not hold my tongue because what you just said is precisely the Aishus army’s true objective."
"You an… their objective is impact?"
"―Impact. What Yuri needs right now is an impact that will shock everyone."
Ironically, hearing the word ‘impact’ made the entire picture beco clearer in my mind.
"As my lord knows, I was originally a mber of the Aishus army and served under Yuri."
"Indeed."
"Having spent ti by her side, I have a clear understanding of how she thinks and operates."
At my words, Serpina tapped the armrest of her chair in interest.
"Continue."
"It’s quite simple—one only needs to consider the situation the Aishus army currently finds itself in."
I gestured dramatically, adopting the relaxed tone of a seasoned orator.
"Right now, Baranga Yuri Aishus is facing an incredibly precarious mont as a ruler."
"And the reason?"
She already knew. She just wanted to test .
Her intentions were transparent, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It was better than dealing with soone whose thoughts were completely unreadable.
"My very presence here is the reason."
"Explain."
Jenna, who had been standing nearby, added her voice to the conversation.
She likely understood the general circumstances.
I tested her by throwing out a light question, and she nodded slowly in response.
That ant I didn’t need to explain it twice.
"By allowing , a diplomatic envoy, to remain here unhard, Baranga Yuri Aishus has made the worst possible move as a ruler."
No matter how important Anima Ingram was to her, sacrificing another commander for her sake was a disastrous decision both on a micro and macro scale.
It was evident that her internal affairs were in turmoil.
Even Jinor, who had sent letters, had visibly lost faith in her.
"The situation has already played out. It cannot be undone. As a ruler, she must now stabilize the unrest within her ranks. And the only way to do that is—"
"To strike an external enemy and create a common foe."
Before I could finish my sentence, Serpina cut in.
But it didn’t matter.
She had voiced exactly what I was going to say.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
"Precisely."
By creating a common enemy, she could redirect attention outward and consolidate the divided factions.
And conveniently, the opposing force that had set everything in motion was none other than Serpina’s army. There was no better justification than that.
Failure was a possibility, but if she succeeded—if even for a fleeting mont the Aishus army could plant its banner on the northern continent—her reputation would surely soar.
"But if the goal is rely to attack an external force, wouldn’t there be a far simpler way? If it were , I would have targeted a fortress near the border. Even if a siege succeeded there, it would be much easier to defend."
"The Aishus army is already struggling just to manage the lands they currently control. This is only hypothetical, but if, at that ti, they had been offered Raklein Castle in exchange for releasing Anima Ingram, there’s a high probability they would have accepted. In such a situation, attempting to expand their territory further would only increase the risk of self-destruction. They are well aware of this.
"Moreover, an outright siege would require significantly more troops than a surprise attack."
"Not to ntion—"
"—From the perspective of reinforcing unity, our army is the ideal target for them. The Aishus army does not particularly like Serpina’s forces."
Serpina fell into thought at those words.
Her intelligent, golden eyes shimred with the competitive ambition that had brought her to this position.
"I see. If there’s sothing tangible to be gained, then an attack via the river makes sense… The gain would be unity, and an impact strong enough to overshadow her missteps."
"That is exactly what I’m saying."
I grinned as I spoke, and Serpina tilted her head in amusent.
"And why now, specifically? Can you explain that as well?"
"They must have noticed that the border situation is stabilizing. Both sides are constantly watching each other’s movents. Right now, when an additional invasion seems unlikely, isn’t it the perfect ti to strike us from behind?"
"…"
Serpina stroked her chin thoughtfully.
"Swen."
As she called my na, I t her gaze once more.
"Starting a war to consolidate power, using the river for an ambush on the northern continent, and choosing our army as the target… all of these are based purely on conjecture. The fact remains that this little maneuver of hers will ultimately yield no tangible gains."
"…"
She truly was a formidable opponent.
Serpina was the type who refused to trust anything without concrete evidence.
If there was soone who stood in direct contrast to Lunarian, who had shown unconditional faith, it was undoubtedly her.
"And yet, you are still asking to believe you?"
I had… stretched my reasoning as far as I could.
Working under the assumption that "the Aishus army will invade via the river," I had pieced together the most plausible scenario.
At this point, even I was starting to convince myself that it was true.
Serpina was a common enemy to the five core figures of Aishus.
If they could land a decisive blow against her, it would be enough to cover up their current internal unrest.
With that in mind, it made sense that Anima would be the one who devised this plan.
Jinor, on the other hand, would have never proposed sothing that offered so little practical benefit.
But beyond that, I had no definitive proof.
Dragging this out any further would be pointless. It was ti for to make the final move.
"Ti to wrap this up."
I bowed deeply toward Serpina.
"Lady Serpina. My theory is rely one possibility among many. As I have said, my past experiences within the Aishus army lead to believe—with a very high probability—that they will invade via the river.
"But in the end, it is not my decision to make. It is up to you, my lord, whether you choose to believe or not."
Serpina said nothing and simply stared at my face.
…Her breathtaking beauty was sothing that would always shake , no matter how much I tried to steel myself.
"In other words, what you are saying is this—"
She continued with a faint smirk.
"You have a strong suspicion that this is what will happen, but you are not certain. Whether to believe it or not is entirely up to . You are simply offering your opinion… Is that correct?"
"That is correct."
"Then, doesn’t that an your argunt lacks the evidence necessary to convince ?"
At that mont, I slowly closed my eyes and bowed my head.
Then, as if I had anticipated this very response, I answered calmly.
"Lady Serpina. I cannot be entirely forthcoming. As your vassal, I cannot present an incomplete theory to you."
"So you are hiding sothing after all."
"I am rely asking for your understanding."
I already knew the absolute outco, but I didn’t know the exact reason behind it.
So it was best to say sothing that simply sounded convincing for now.
Once the result was revealed, it would prove that I was right all along.
And the seeds I had planted today would gradually take root, eventually bearing the fruit of trust.
"When you prayed to the heavens for a massive boulder to fall, was that also just intuition?"
"…"
I said nothing.
Seeing my silence, Serpina slowly nodded.
"Very well. I will take your opinion into consideration."
"Yes, my lord."
"You have done well today. You may go."
Once more, I bowed deeply.
"If ever you require my assistance, please call upon at any ti. I will be waiting."
Leaving Serpina behind, I exited the audience chamber and carefully gathered my thoughts.
For now, the idea that "the Aishus army will use the river to attack" seed to be the most reasonable assumption.
I had presented my reasoning in a way that made it sound plausible.
But ultimately, Serpina had been right.
Would this truly deal a significant blow to our army?
Honestly, probably not.
"Well, it’s fine. Serpina said she would handle it."
Since different situations called for different approaches, perhaps this was the most efficient way to contain the current unrest.
After working my brain so hard, I was starting to feel exhausted.
For a mont, I thought about asking Airen to make so tea—
But then I rembered.
We no longer lived together.
"I wonder how Lady Airen is doing these days."
Once my new residence was complete and I moved in, I should invite her to live with again.
If circumstances allowed, perhaps it wouldn’t be a bad idea to gauge her feelings.
And if that happened, what about Reika?
Would she end up staying at my place as well?
The thought that both of them might beco my wives made my head feel a little too warm—
"No, no. No need to think about that right now."
For now, I just needed to rest.
With my mind settled, I slowly made my way out of the palace.
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