Published: July 4, 2025
"I failed."
After Emperor Tsuin left, Ryo murmured.
Abel perked up at his words.
"What's wrong? Did you say something unnecessary to the emperor?"
"No, that's not it. If it was going to turn out like this, I should have brought the 'long-distance dispersion divine mercy (Panacea Breath)."
"No, that's impossible."
The 'long-distance dispersion divine mercy' is an alchemy tool developed by Ryo and Viscount Kenneth Hayward that spreads [heal] across the entire battlefield.
It's more of a device than just a tool, given its size.
Indeed, there might not be anything as reassuring to take into battle.
"I got caught up in a demon's magic and was thrown away... Besides, that thing is just too big."
Yes, it's about the size of a carriage from the Central Nations.
"Indeed, what we need is to miniaturize it. Something that can fit in the palm of my hand..."
"Yeah... from a carriage to the palm, that’s quite an extreme change."
Abel wasn't taking Ryo's murmurs seriously at all.
Of course, Ryo's murmurs were also somewhat casual, so there was no issue.
"Anyway, it's about supporting Prince Lyun... Did the emperor say 'consultant'? Since we're in the Eastern Nations, it means that, right?"
"That?"
"A strategist!"
"What’s a gunshi...?"
Ryo stood up, happily declaring this, but Abel had never heard the term 'strategist'.
Ryo looked at Abel with a stunned expression.
"What’s with that face? It can't be helped if I don't know."
"A strategist... There’s no such profession in the Central Nations... or rather, is there? A position like that... doesn't exist?"
"I've never heard of it."
Abel tilted his head.
If his Majesty the King doesn't know, then it probably doesn't exist.
"In battles, someone who doesn't stand on the front lines but gives advice to the commander and may even be given authority to move the army... That kind of person, you know, with a scholarly appearance."
"I don't get what you mean by a scholarly appearance on the battlefield, but there’s no one like that. The closest might be Old Man Ilalion, right?"
"Ilalion is... kind of different."
Ilalion Baraha is an indispensable figure who stands right next to Commander King Abel, delivering commands to the entire army using magic like [voice transmission].
However, he doesn’t fit the image of a strategist.
Right, when Ryo imagines a strategist, he naturally thinks of Zhuge Liang or Sima Yi from the Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Or perhaps Zhou Yu or Lu Xun...
Memories of the simulation game, "Multiple Countries History," that he used to play come rushing back...
"Cao Cao is too strong and too versatile... I like him, though. Liu Bei seems weak, but that makes people want to help him, I guess. I don't really understand Sun Quan."
"Yeah, I don’t understand anything you’re saying."
While Ryo enthusiastically talks about the division of the world, Abel isn’t getting it at all.
Then, Ryo came up with an idea.
"Abel, we need a hat and a fan!"
"Huh?"
"A strategist has to wear a big cake-like hat and hold a white feather fan!"
"I get the hat, but what’s this 'u-sen'?"
"It’s a fan made by gathering many feathers; or rather, it might be more like a uchiwa."
"A fan? A uchiwa?"
It seems there are no fans or uchiwa in the Central Nations.
Indeed, Ryo also doesn’t remember seeing one.
"Abel, let’s go to the city to buy them right now."
Ryo might be the type to focus on appearances...
Meanwhile, at the residence of Prince Lyun next door:
"I just received a letter..."
Lyun's most trusted right-hand man, Chief Chamberlain Rinshun, brought a piece of paper.
"Hmm?"
Lyun opened the letter and read it.
He read it again due to its surprising content.
"This... Indeed, it has the emperor's seal written on it..."
It’s rare for a letter to come from Emperor Tsuin on a single piece of paper.
"Right now, Commander of the Forbidden Army, Tin, brought it himself. He probably went to Lord Rondo's residence."
"I see."
The letter instructed that the suppression army in the Moason Region should also accompany Lord Rondo.
"That means... Commander authority will be held by Lord Rondo, right?"