Usually, I don’t consider myself a genius. The reason I was able to achieve victories in the Kingdom of Rus was that I studied the great triumphs of brilliant commanders throughout history and could utilize the mini-map and tactical map at my disposal.

Once I analyze the current situation, the terrain, and the strengths and weaknesses of both sides, finding a suitable example and directing my troops through the tactical map isn't all that difficult.

But right now, I need to showcase my abilities and push my opinion through.

“Do you truly believe that?”

When Friedrich, who had previously dismissed the possibility of breaking through enemy forces one by one, looked at me with skepticism,

“Yes. At this moment, when defensive advantages are minimal, adopting a defensive stance only gives the enemy the opportunity to choose the battlefield they desire.”

I answered firmly.

When facing superior numbers, the best strategy is generally considered to be leveraging the terrain for defense.

With artillery not yet widely used and mages even rarer than cannons, many generals still prefer well-prepared defense over taking the offensive.

This was true even when I was in the Kingdom of Rus. To convince soldiers, who are prideful and conservative by nature, with a strategy that might seem absurd at first glance, I need to project myself as a genius or at least as highly capable and push forward with consistency and conviction.

Since I see a path to victory, and I have Gerhardt's recognition, now is the time.

“Although the enemy has superior numbers, their forces are currently advancing in separate columns. If we concentrate our Imperial troops in one area and take the offensive, we can defeat them individually by achieving local superiority.”

“Hah.”

Friedrich shook his head as if my argument was ridiculous.

“Your strategy seems to rely on the assumption that the Brotan Kingdom’s forces will stay divided as they attack. However, even though they began their march separately, couldn’t they still regroup at a single point?”

He moved the pieces on the map.

“While there are lakes and mountains that divide the expected routes, they’re not entirely isolated. The forces could unite just ahead of Montpeuil or converge at this point about 40 km from Rochelle. Even if they only merge two columns, that would still mean 60,000 troops, which makes it a risky move.”

Montpeuil and Rochelle, Saint-Thoir and Chêne, Anyac and Triel are each about 120 km apart.

As Friedrich pointed out, the route from Montpeuil to Anyac is flanked by rugged mountains, and the path from Montpeuil to Saint-Thoir is divided by a long, narrow lake. Hence, there are limited points where they can converge.

The Brotan Kingdom’s troops, advancing from different points, can only regroup in three places: just before Montpeuil, near the end of the lake, or before the mountains begin.

“They won’t gather their forces as early as Montpeuil.”

Contrary to Friedrich’s claim that the troops could quickly join forces and charge, I believed the earliest they’d regroup would be at the lake's end.

“...What makes you so sure?”

The reason, of course, is the mini-map showing the current movements of the Brotan Kingdom’s forces. However, I can’t reveal that outright. Even if I did, they wouldn’t believe me, and I have no intention of revealing my lifeline to anyone.

“The enemy troops we face are large in number but consist mostly of conscripts. Their recent rapid expansion means they’re inevitably dealing with supply and control issues. Yet the Brotan Kingdom has opted for a fast march over meticulous preparation.”

So, using the mini-map’s insight, I wove plausible reasoning into my explanation.

I referenced earlier discussions from the meeting as supporting points.

“Their decision likely factored in the truce between the Empire and the Kingdom of Rus, news of reinforcements from the Empire, and their supply challenges. Given all this, the Brotan Kingdom is looking for a quick victory. If they regroup their forces, their speed will drop, control will become more difficult, and supply burdens will grow.”

By mixing in logical assumptions and known facts, I made my certainty appear as though it was derived from sound deduction.

“Hmm...”

“They’re splitting their advance to force our troops to disperse, and once they’ve assessed our movements, they’ll choose their strike point. If we don’t act first, they’ll attack at the most advantageous spot for them. Thus, we need to strike before they can unite.”

“...”

I paused to allow the others in the room to exchange opinions.

“Supplies, indeed...”

“Come to think of it, even after winning the war against the Caen Kingdom, they took a long time to bolster their forces.”

“It’s only been about a month since they reinforced their troops. It’s unusually quick for them to be moving.”

“General Gerhardt, what are your thoughts?”

“...There is merit to his argument. If it works as planned, it could be a great opportunity. However...”

Engaged in conversation with Friedrich and the other officers, Gerhardt turned to me.

“I’ll need to hear more to make a judgment. Can you provide the detailed plan?”

“Yes.”

I began to explain, using the map marked on my mini-map for reference.

“With the combined forces of the 10th Corps under General Gerhardt, the 1st Provisional Corps, 15,000 troops, and half of Rochelle’s 20,000 troops, we’ll create a strike force of 25,000 soldiers and merge with the 10,000 defending Chêne. This combined 35,000 will advance quickly to engage and defeat the enemy from Saint-Thoir before they can receive assistance.”

“Ha...”

“The troops at Triel will advance to the entrance of the Arde Gorge for defense. This location narrows to about 20 meters wide, making it hard for even three times the number of troops to force their way through.”

“...”

“The remaining 10,000 at Rochelle will march to the end of the lake, preventing the forces from Montpeuil from easily joining up with the troops from Saint-Thoir.”

“Then we’ll link up with our troops after repelling the enemy at Chêne and attack the 25,000 enemy troops?”

“Correct.”

Strategically, the left flank at Triel would draw in the enemy while the right flank at Chêne would concentrate forces for a breakthrough and encirclement.

The officers looked at the routes I marked on the map and fell into contemplation.

“What do you all think?”

At Gerhardt’s question, many staff members and officers raised their hands or stood up to ask questions.

“What if the Brotan Kingdom’s troops converge faster than anticipated? Do you have a countermeasure for that?”

“We’ll deploy scouts from the 1st Provisional Corps who are accustomed to navigating the rugged terrain of the Kingdom of Rus. If the enemy’s forces consolidate into an even larger formation, their march will slow down and be hard to conceal. Managing 90,000 conscripts simultaneously is almost impossible, so with constant raids on their supply lines and night attacks, their morale will weaken, and they’ll break more easily.”

Perhaps due to the composed nature of the Imperial officers, those who had previously been discussing retreat now seriously weighed in on my strategy.

“Although we can march rapidly, it might still be difficult to time our approach since the enemy has already started moving.”

“Given their size and the nature of conscripts, the enemy’s advance will be slow. Especially with newly formed units, they’ll move no more than 20 km per day at best. Our Imperial forces, on a forced march, can cover up to 40 km, allowing us to reach key positions ahead of them.”

“Hm...”

“Moreover, if we deploy cavalry to show a false front, the enemy will assume our main force has arrived and slow down further. There are various ways to delay their progress.”

“Is that so?”

I brought up numerous strategies used by historic commanders to gradually win over the officers.

“General, you plan for the 10,000 troops at Rochelle to hold off 25,000 in open battle. While our troops are elite, holding off over double our numbers for more than a day will require a special approach.”

“Of course. The 10th Corps and 1st Provisional Corps arrived at Rochelle not long ago, so the Brotan troops haven’t fully assessed our capabilities. We can use that to our advantage.”

“Ah, then...”

I spent several more minutes discussing these details with the officers.

“Shall we proceed with this plan?”

“Yes.”

“...Understood.”

With Friedrich’s agreement, the Empire’s strategy was decided.

“I’ll take command of the troops at Rochelle.”

“Understood. General Gerhardt and I will head to Chêne.”

After a brief period of assigning roles,

“Time is critical for this strategy, so we must depart immediately.”

“Understood. General Gerhardt, before you leave, could you come to my tent alone? There’s something I need to tell you.”

“Hmm, very well.”

The officers gathered in the meeting hall dispersed quickly, papers detailing the operation in hand.

---

Before leading the troops out, Gerhardt made his way to Viktor’s tent, as requested.

“Ah, General Gerhardt. Please, go on in.”

“Hm.”

Anna, who was standing at the entrance, let Gerhardt in and quickly stepped away.

Gerhardt carefully opened the tent flap and entered.

“What’s the matter, General Viktor?”

The tent was empty except for Viktor, who was standing by the map on the wall. He turned at the sound of Gerhardt’s voice from behind.

“General Gerhardt.”

“...”

In a deep, serious tone, Viktor called Gerhardt’s name. Gerhardt sensed a somberness in Viktor’s eyes that

 he couldn’t explain.

“I have a request.”

“A request?”

Seeing the difference between Viktor’s assertive behavior in the meeting and his current demeanor, Gerhardt instinctively knew this wasn’t an ordinary favor.

Just as he expected,

“Will you let me command the 10th Corps in this battle?”

“...What?”

Viktor’s request was far beyond what Gerhardt anticipated.