Going back to the past, just when the Aishus army was about to stretch its muscles again toward Serpina’s army.
In the southern continent, which had maintained peace for a long ti, the atmosphere of war was gradually rising.
The capital of the newly ford Lunarian army, Tepello Castle.
At the ti when the rebellion had just begun, everyone had predicted that “sothing would happen soon,” and in fact, the Karelia army had deployed a large number of troops to the borders.
However, surprisingly, for a long ti, there was no war, nor any battle or even any small-scale skirmishes to speak of—only quiet ti passed.
Of course, this was referring to external matters—whether any country had moved its forces.
But the system to lead the new country was being slowly but steadily built up.
--Today, however, was the day when the core figures who would lead the nation were to be announced.
Luna slowly rose from her seat, drawing her sword, and approached Tifa, who was kneeling, to perform a kind of “ceremony.”
"Tifa, I hereby officially appoint you as the Supre Commander of our army."
"I humbly accept, my lord."
This was a form of conversation and a ceremony that the two of them would never usually exchange, but—
As Swen had said, “It is also a virtue of superiors to show so authority to their subordinates.”
Thus, Luna followed his words without saying a word.
"And..."
After finishing the ceremony with Tifa, Luna slowly approached the elderly man kneeling beside her.
"Jinor, I hereby officially appoint you as the National Strategist of our army."
This decision was quite a shocking appointnt for the Lunarian army.
Of course, if one considered only ability, there was no one more outstanding than Jinor. But he wasn’t soone who had joined from the beginning of the rebellion—he was a person who had asked for an appointnt midway through.
For the Lunarian army, where many high-ranking officers ca from the Karelia army, who valued loyalty, it was expected that Violet, the young strategist who had supported Luna from the start, would take this position. The expectation was completely overturned.
"I promise to serve diligently and do my utmost in the position you have entrusted to ."
Jinor wasn’t unaware of the atmosphere.
After all, wasn’t he originally from the Aishus army?
No matter how much the Karelia army valued loyalty, their country, which was very exclusive to those outside the five original mbers, was far worse than his current situation.
Additionally, from his standpoint, since he had a desire to be closer to Luna and observe her, there was °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° no reason to refuse the position that had been offered to him.
After all the ceremonies were over, Jinor, as expected, went to the eting room at the appointed ti, as he had been inford.
"You called for , my lord?"
"You’ve co, Jinor."
She was about to say, “There’s no need to use honorifics,” but she stopped herself.
For so reason, she insisted on using honorifics with all of her subordinates.
If this was the culture of the country, then it was sothing she would have to adapt to.
More than that, it was ti to get to the point.
"May I ask why you called ?"
"It’s nothing so important. However, since you are now the National Strategist of our country, I have a few things to share with you."
"Please, go ahead."
"First, I don’t think I will use the title 'Strategist' when addressing you, Jinor... but I want to make it clear that this does not an I do not acknowledge you or intend to suppress you. I just don’t want you to misunderstand."
Jinor didn’t mind not being addressed as 'Strategist.'
How one was addressed didn’t matter as much as how they were treated in practice.
A ruler who only called soone ‘Strategist’ in public but never consulted them about important matters, instead discussing everything with those they trusted, was far worse than a ruler who would willingly discuss the country’s matters with their strategist.
Even so, if there was a ti to ask, it was now.
"I don’t mind, but... may I ask why?"
Luna thought for a mont before answering.
"...I think I can explain the second reason along with this."
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
Jinor slowly nodded without speaking.
Luna easily sensed that this was an indication that he was waiting for her response.
"Secondly... we plan to change the position of National Strategist in the future."
She said this in a very firm voice, her gaze not wavering, confronting him with her true intentions.
"This doesn’t an there’s a possibility that it might happen... I’m talking about sothing that will definitely happen. However, this is not just about you, Jinor. No matter who it is... even if Violet were to take the position, it would be the sa."
"So you an..."
Nodding slowly, Luna looked at Jinor with a very upright gaze.
"The person who will beco the National Strategist of our country... the person I will address as 'Strategist'... will only be one person in this world."
At her words, Jinor’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Then, the face of a man he knew flashed through his mind. The man with white hair and gray eyes, who seed to use magic for ‘clairvoyance,’ the strategist he had known.
Changing the position of National Strategist would be a very sensitive and delicate issue for the person who had been appointed as the strategist.
Nonetheless, Luna was strongly asserting that "it will be changed no matter what."
It was practically a declaration that "you are a temporary strategist," but despite hearing this, Jinor didn’t show any emotional disturbance.
Rather, he was thinking—if soone more capable than him existed, he would gladly step down from the strategist position.
If the man Luna was claiming as her strategist was the one Jinor had in mind, that person would surely be more capable than him.
"I understand."
After hearing this, Luna bowed with a very apologetic expression.
"...I’m sorry to bring this up right after your appointnt. However, I thought that not ntioning this while expecting you to carry out the duties of a strategist under these circumstances would be deceiving you."
Jinor quickly bowed in response.
"It’s alright, my lord. The appointnt of the strategist is entirely at your discretion. You don’t need to worry about it. I will make sure not to cause any trouble to the strategist you have appointed."
His words were sincere.
In truth, Swen, if he was the strategist, would likely have far superior insight.
Luna then politely extended her hand for a handshake.
"I look forward to working with you, Jinor."
***
After finishing his conversation with Luna and leaving the royal castle, a familiar face was waiting for him.
"...Kyle."
"Heh, it’s hard to get used to. The way you used to call 'Sir Kyle' feels like it was just yesterday."
"I don’t think you’ve been waiting just to say nonsense like that."
Kyle, who had been joking around, imdiately beca serious and asked.
"What do you think?"
"About what?"
"About our lord."
"...I don’t think I have enough information yet to make a judgnt."
"You must have so first impression, at least, don’t you?"
"...."
He was about to make so casual excuse, but then thought it might be better to be honest in this case. Jinor lightly spoke his mind.
"I don’t see her as a ruler who will achieve the great feat of unification."
"Why?"
"Whether as a tyrant or a reigning monarch, in the end, a ruler is soone who must be willing to get their hands dirty with blood. Her strong will is comndable, but... she doesn't show the kind of cruel side that I’ve seen in many rulers."
"Well, our lord is the type to do what’s necessary when it cos to it. That’s the difference from Karelia."
Jinor easily understood this. If it were Karelia, they would never have raised a rebellion, no matter what happened.
Even though it was admirable to shoulder everything alone when sothing unjust happened... it wasn’t the kind of quality a ruler seeking unification would have.
"You’ll probably realize it soon enough. Our lord is soone who will rise to greatness."
Jinor agreed with that opinion but continued from the conversation he had just started.
"Objectively, with just Tepello Castle and around 90,000 troops, honestly, I have no idea what we can do. If we go to war with the Karelia army tomorrow, I honestly don’t think we can win."
"That’s quite a cold judgnt."
"It’s obvious what the outco will be. I thought you would co to the sa conclusion easily."
Hearing this, Kyle laughed several tis and then, seemingly amused, asked.
"Then why did you join our army?"
"Well..."
"Right. I know. It was because of Swen’s recomndation, right?"
Yes.
This unstable country—the position of national strategist for a rebellious army, one where being caught as a prisoner would undoubtedly result in execution—was sothing he had willingly taken up because Swen had said, "Lunarian Iniang will beco the future unifier of the continent."
"...By the way, what was Swen like when he was with the Lunarian army?"
"He can be sumd up in a simple way. He... perford impossible miracles, over and over again."
Kyle’s eyes sparkled with youthful energy as he spoke about Swen, making his age seem irrelevant.
"In the battle against Brans army, and the subsequent treaty... asserting his will and proving it was right. He kept repeating that simple proposition. And now, hasn’t the opportunity co to our army again?"
Kyle said that it was Swen who had insisted that Luna’s group be recomnded to the Karelia army.
If a lord who had once fallen could sohow rise again in this chaotic world and declare their nation, then... his words turned out to be right again.
"However, there’s one thing that’s bothering ..."
"Tell ."
"It’s the fact that Swen hasn’t returned to this place."
Swen was currently working under Serpina’s command.
This was almost certainly true, based on what Jinor had seen and heard, cross-referencing the rumors circulating near the northern regions.
If he had intended to co down after hearing about the Lunarian army’s rise, he would have had plenty of ti to do so by now, so it was understandable that Kyle was suspicious.
‘...’
Upon hearing this, Jinor fell deep into thought.
Jinor was the one who had been in the most recent contact with Swen.
The reason he had gone to Serpina’s army was due to so strange "exchange" with Lord Yuri, which he couldn’t understand... but such a situation had unfolded because, fundantally, Swen had gone to Serpina’s army as a "death envoy."
And, considering that it was Swen himself who volunteered for the role...
‘It seems like he has sothing to do within Serpina’s army.’
Since he had recomnded the Lunarian army to , he must think of Luna as the lord he serves.
If that’s the case, doesn’t it make sense to co to a conclusion about this?
"Well, Swen must have so thoughts on the matter."
Jinor nodded in response to Kyle’s words.
Yeah, he probably has sothing to do there, in order to fulfill the Lunarian army’s great task...
What that is, I don’t know, but he surely has the ability to find out the right result. So, it’s obvious that the continent will be shaken in an unexpected way once again.
[He must have sothing to do, which is why he’s staying with Serpina’s army.]
This was as far as Jinor could conclude with the information he had.
Anyway, the task at hand was to solve the imdiate issues in front of him.
‘Well, I hope we can have more ti to solidify our internal affairs.’
Since there was no clear chance of victory yet, he hoped that things wouldn’t escalate until a situation arose where they could seize the advantage...
***
The situation, however, did not move the way he wanted.
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