Published: January 15, 2026
Three weeks have passed since then.
I wonder if the war with the Yelinetta Kingdom army has begun by now. If they’re as thoughtless as the prince who attacked Seato Village before, they’ll probably use the same tactics to invade the fortress city Murcia.
If that’s the case, we won’t lose even if they attack ten times. After all, powerful magicians like Panamera and Venturi are on standby now. We can handle those primitive cannons easily before they get close.
The problem arises if the enemy resorts to different tactics. Normally, invading the Yelinetta Kingdom from the sea side would require breaking through multiple forts and fortresses. That’s why advancing through the Wolfsburg Mountain Range directly into the heart of the Yelinetta Kingdom is an unimaginable achievement.
Conversely, it’s the worst possible position for Yelinetta. If the fortress city Murcia is held as a base for advancing toward the capital city, the capital could fall in just a few months. Even if that’s prevented, an attack from the sea side could cost them about twenty percent of their territory in one fell swoop.
They can’t defend both fronts simultaneously. If other countries learn of this precarious situation, some might offer an alliance with the Kingdom of Scuderia. If that happens, it’s over. The Yelinetta Kingdom would begin collapsing from within, starting with the cowardly nobles.
Right now, the only option for the Yelinetta Kingdom is to recapture the fortress city Murcia. But if the enemy tries something unexpected, unforeseen circumstances might arise.
“What would I do?”
In the lord’s manor of Seato Village, I mutter this to myself as I gaze at a map of the continent I got from Apollo of the commerce guild. Then, Arte and Kamushin peek in beside me and look at the map as well.
“Are you thinking about the movements of the Yelinetta Kingdom?”
Kamushin asks, and I smile wryly as I nod.
“Well, His Majesty is probably considering the things I can think of too. But I just want to be prepared for whatever might happen.”
I reply, and Kamushin nods eagerly.
“As expected of Lord Van! I believe you can come up with plans even His Majesty might not notice.”
“Haha, thank you.”
I smile at Kamushin’s unconditional approval and check the map once more. Then Arte quietly asks me a question.
“What do you think Lord Van will do?”
She asks, and I groan as I place my hands behind my head.
“Hmm... well, if they have absolute confidence in their own forces, they’ll probably try to recapture the fortress city. That’s the most advantageous and straightforward option. But if they’re unsure of victory, how would they fight? Maybe leaving some troops to hold the fortress city and attacking from elsewhere... a ‘cut off the flesh to sever the bone’ kind of tactic. Or maybe lure the enemy out of the fortress city to spring a trap—but that’s too obvious on this map.”
I mutter, pointing at the road on the map. The fortress city Murcia lies right before the Wolfsburg Mountain Range. It’s marked as a fortress on the map. Northeast of it is the capital city of the Yelinetta Kingdom, but there are only a few forts along the way, and the rest are towns with minimal defenses.
Moreover, the road itself is flat and gentle, with only one bridge crossing a river. Normally, that bridge would be the prime target. A large army must lengthen its formation to cross it. If a surprise attack were launched there, timing it right could deal a decisive blow before the troops can reorganize.
As I consider the bridge, Kamushin and Arte suddenly look startled.
“Do you mean the bridge is dangerous?”
Kamushin asks, and Arte looks at me seriously. I smile wryly, thinking they’re confirming my thoughts.
“Well, I’m not sure if my idea is right... but I think there’s hardly anywhere to hide troops for a surprise attack at the bridge. At best, you could harass from afar with cannon fire, but that won’t yield much battle achievements. Destroying the bridge might slow the enemy’s advance, but it won’t turn the tide. So they’d have to aim to drive the Scuderia Kingdom army to retreat.”