Passing through the tent flap, Bohgan and Gahlen were inside.
Bohgan wore no armor, dressed in attire quite similar to Selene’s, but Gahlen, perhaps due to his disposition, already had on black-painted leather armor over his clothes.
Gahlen had returned to the army about a year ago and was serving in this war as Bohgan’s adjutant.
“We were just hearing about it, Crishet. It seems you were quite the hero,” Bohgan said.
Inside the tent was one more person, the commander of the baggage train.
The two who had been listening to his account smiled and stood up when they saw Crishet, each giving her a light hug. However, the baggage train captain alone showed a fleeting look of fear at Crishet’s appearance.
“No, Crishet only helped a little. …Thank you for escorting Crishet this far, Captain-san.”
“N-no…”
As Crishet bowed deeply once more, he stammered, “It was we who were saved,” clearly bewildered.
“…Crishet, what did you do?” Selene asked.
“Ah, that’s right, Crishet. Report to the General from your own mouth as well,” Gahlen prompted.
Crishet nodded at Gahlen’s words.
“Yes. Um…”
Crishet’s explanation was concise.
There was an attack on the rear by bandits, and she annihilated them.
According to what she heard from the bandit leader, the bandits had attacked the baggage train due to a monetary transaction and information provided by an operative, likely one of Elthlen’s.
She summarized the bandit chief’s words to Bohgan, stating that there were multiple groups of bandits in this forest, and it was likely that the same offer had been made to other groups as well.
“The total number of bandits isn’t exact, but I confirmed about thirty. When Crishet arrived at the rear, our side had about seven casualties. Crishet, including their leader, took down thirteen, and the soldiers managed to kill seven, so I believe there are less than ten remaining.”
“Was it really true?” the man from the logistics unit muttered, then quickly covered his mouth with his hand.
Having only heard the story and not seen the actual scene, he must have been half in doubt.
“I could have chased them down and finished them off, but Crishet was a little worried about other coordinated attacks, so I prioritized torturing the leader. I believe the information is highly accurate.”
“Torture, Crishet…?” Selene asked, her voice trailing off.
“I cut off eight of his fingers. He was a bandit, after all.”
As Crishet stated this as if it were perfectly natural, the air grew frigid.
The man from the logistics unit didn’t lose his composure, but unconcealed fear dwelled in his eyes.
A monster—he had heard the trembling voices of the soldiers who were at the scene. Word had reached him of Crishet cutting down over a dozen men without being spattered by a single drop of blood, and then dispassionately, without hesitation, severing the bandit’s fingers.
Seeing Crishet recount this so nonchalantly, he realized those stories were unembellished facts, and because of that, the beautiful girl before him seemed like something truly inscrutable.
The faces of the other three—Bohgan, Gahlen, and Selene—also grew a little stern, yet there was a hint of understanding in their expressions.
Considering Crishet’s past, it wasn’t unreasonable for her to feel no pangs of conscience in tormenting bandits.
They thought as much, and the three of them, who knew her relatively well, had some understanding of Crishet’s true nature.
She was gentle with her own, and utterly ruthless towards everyone else.
After a moment of thought, Selene patted Crishet’s head.
Crishet smiled.
“…I see. That must have been tough,” Selene said.
“It was. Crishet didn’t expect to be attacked while traveling, so it was a bit of a surprise. Crishet isn’t on active duty, so I thought about leaving it to them, but… I didn’t want it to be too late, like with the village.”
“I see. …You did well,” Bohgan said.
Bohgan nodded deeply and expressed his thanks.
“That’s all for the report. And about the letter…”
“Ah, right, I’ll take it. Well, both of you, sit down,” Bohgan said.
Bohgan glanced towards the man.
The man, as if startled, nodded, clicked his heels, and pressed his right palm to his left breast.
—I offer my life to you.
It was a salute used in the military with that meaning.
“Then, I shall take my leave!”
“Yes, go get some rest.”
Once the man had left, Gahlen picked up a pot and poured a dark liquid from it into two cups.
It was a beverage called black bean tea.
After handing the letter to Bohgan, Crishet, before sitting down, hurried over to take the cups, handing one to Selene.
Then, Crishet’s eyes darted left and right as if searching for something.
Selene chuckled, then took honey and milk from a cloth-covered table and generously poured them into Crishet’s cup.
Crishet’s cheeks flushed as her expression softened.
Black bean tea was bitter, so Crishet disliked it unless it had plenty of honey and milk.
“Is Berry doing well?” Selene asked.
“…Yes, she was worried about you, Selene-sama, and the Master. We came up with lots of dishes together, and she said she wants you to try them soon.”
“Hehe, it sounds peaceful at the estate. I wish we could go back soon,” Selene said.
Bohgan, who had lightly skimmed the letters, returned them to their envelopes and nodded.
“…Indeed. Being here makes me miss Berry’s and Crishet’s cooking. Though I can’t complain about luxuries, a battlefield is still a harsh place. I want to end this quickly, but…”
“That won’t be easy, not when they’ve dug in this deep. Stability won’t return until we recapture Wolfenate and re-establish a defensive line centered there,” Gahlen said.
He currently held the position of the General’s adjutant, making him Bohgan’s subordinate, but except when other soldiers were watching, the two of them interacted as they always had.
In an army where nobles held strong power, nepotism was common, and a certain degree of flexibility existed in such matters.
No one criticized the fact that an old man, a former Centurion, had become the General’s adjutant.
Gahlen, who had been an excellent and valiant Centurion, was quite well-known back then, and another reason was that many who knew him from that time were now high-ranking officers in the Chrishtand army.
A Centurion, as the name implies, is an officer who commands a hundred men, but is also a soldier.
Because they expose themselves to danger, the military achievements and honor they gain are truly great.
Soldiers respect an excellent and approachable Centurion more than a distant General.
Gahlen, who had risen through the ranks from a common soldier, earning military honors and quickly ascending to Centurion, could be called one of the heroes among the soldiers at the time.
Many had been indignant about his misfortune when Gahlen left the army, so there were many who rejoiced at his return as Bohgan’s adjutant.
Furthermore, while many nobles who possessed and manipulated mana could live for over a hundred years, the lifespan of ordinary humans did not extend that far.
The fact that Gahlen, already an old man, would not be a hindrance in the competition for promotion was also a fortunate point.
Selene was also an adjutant, but the hereditary succession of generals was relatively common, and it wasn’t particularly strange for her to learn about military affairs in the position of an adjutant.
As Bohgan’s successor, no one openly complained about it, and Selene, who was sociable and fully demonstrated her excellence, was also accepted within the army.
Her beautiful appearance and skill with the sword led to her being rumored as the ‘Sword Maiden.’
In contrast, the problem was Crishet.
She alone still had an ambiguous position.
Although everyone knew of her excellence, there was no clear reason to appoint her as an adjutant, and on the other hand, the question of which rank to assign her to also posed many problems.
The leader of a five-man squad is a Corporal.
A Sergeant commands ten Corporals.
And a Centurion commands two Sergeants, leading a hundred men.
These ranks were, in a sense, the soldiers’ sanctuary, but at the same time, they had a high mortality rate. It would reflect poorly on the General to throw his adopted daughter into such a position.
Bohgan, having come from a minor noble family, had started as a Sergeant. But now that he was a General, placing his daughter Crishet there was problematic, and Bohgan himself rejected assigning someone as talented as her to such a rank.
Considering her excellence, a higher rank would be suitable, but above that was a Battalion Commander, who led ten Centurions.
And then the four Legion Commanders, who each led five Battalion Commanders and reported directly to the General.
The Quartermaster General, who single-handedly managed the army’s logistics.
All of these posts were already filled.
A position around Battalion Commander would have been suitable for Crishet for the time being, but creating a new post just for her was unthinkable. As a result, she remained in her current status as the ‘General’s Daughter.’
The conclusion was reached that it would be best to place her in the ‘Strategic Operations Department’ that Bohgan had been planning to create for some time. Thus, her current situation was that she was officially registered with the army and undergoing officer training—specifically, tactical instruction.
For that reason, everyone in the military was at a loss as to how to treat her, and because Crishet behaved quite properly as a young lady, the soldiers simply perceived her as the ‘General’s Daughter’.
The reason there was no blame whatsoever for Crishet acting independently as a soldier this time also lay there; for her, being able to switch between her positions as a soldier and a young lady was indeed a very convenient position.
As Crishet had no attachment whatsoever to hierarchical relationships and spoke politely to everyone, she wasn’t particularly bothered by her own ambiguous current situation.
“Crishet, how do you see the current situation?”
It was a troublesome and difficult phase.
In such cases, Crishet was a valuable asset to Bohgan.
Her ideas were sometimes unconventional, but there was much to be gained from them.
He had been hesitant about dragging the still-young Selene and Crishet onto the battlefield, but at the same time, he clearly recognized their usefulness.
That was precisely why he asked with strong expectations, gazing at Crishet.
Crishet, having been asked the question by Bohgan, thought for a moment while looking at the map and pieces placed on the desk.
“Were there attacks on the baggage train in places other than where Crishet and the others were?”
“Ah, several reports have come in. Though the damage is minimal, it’s enough to make the soldiers uneasy… I think it’s mere harassment.”
“Yes, Crishet thinks so too. They’re likely aiming to lower morale by stirring up a little anxiety. For now, it would be best to increase the guards for the baggage train, but… that’s only a stopgap measure. Searching the entire forest is too troublesome.”
Crishet pointed at an enemy piece.
“Given our current superiority in numbers, the enemy has many options. In contrast, we don’t have the forces ready to launch an offensive, so we’re inevitably forced onto the defensive. In that sense, they hold the initiative, but… if it were Crishet, I would target the south first.”
“So you think so too. Why did you come to that conclusion?”
Crishet nodded and took a sip of her black bean tea, which had turned brown from a generous amount of milk.
The corners of her mouth turned up slightly in satisfaction as she answered.
“There’s a Sea of Trees behind us, so if it were Crishet, I wouldn’t attack from here. If they retreat into the Sea of Trees, annihilation would be impossible, and it’s also impossible to monitor or blockade the entire Sea of Trees. As long as we can’t ‘put a lid on it,’ they won’t be able to prevent our regrouping. Gotōshu-sama must have considered that when he set up the main camp here, correct?”
“Ah, that’s right. The arrangements are as you’ve just described.”
“The enemy’s commander-in-chief is someone capable of leading a hundred thousand troops, so naturally, they would understand that much. In that case, it’s unlikely they would direct their main force towards us here. They’d leave thirty thousand to pin us down and send ten thousand south.”
She moved one of the pieces representing ten thousand men south.
“They’ll leave those ten thousand for southern defense and attack the south at once with an army of forty thousand. If our central army tries to go to their aid, they’ll be hit on the flank by Ulpheneid’s forces, and trying to bypass them would take time. The south is open plains, so marching is fast, and they’d likely be pushed back considerably. Ulpheneid currently has about twenty thousand troops, correct?”
“Ah, that’s what I’ve heard.”
“Then, even if we attacked Ulpheneid in the meantime, its fall would be difficult. Elsren could stably seize the entire southeastern region. Depending on the circumstances, they might even coordinate with the Garshaan Republic to the south and swiftly overrun the southern part of the Kingdom.”
The other three, besides Crishet, frowned at her dispassionate words.
To the northwest and northeast of the Kingdom lay vast, rugged mountain ranges.
Some people lived in the mountains, but they were closer to tribes than nations, and as long as their territory wasn’t invaded, trouble was unlikely.
Relations with the Arna Empire directly to the north were extremely good; they were allies. They could be considered friendly, so there were no such worries. In fact, it was heard that there had even been an offer of reinforcements to prevent the collapse of the Alberan Kingdom, which served as their shield.
The remaining fronts were to the west and south.
There were several precedents of war with the Garshaan Republic to the south. Although current relations were good, the possibility of them taking this opportunity to invade was quite high.
The Erdeland Kingdom to the west was in a similar situation, but it was currently at war with Garshaan.
Since the weaker Erdeland could not fight two nations simultaneously, the only one currently likely to make a move was the Garshaan Republic to the south.
“If that happens, it would be very difficult for the Alberan Kingdom to launch a counterattack. The southeastern part of the Alberan Kingdom would be conquered, and they would inevitably be forced to sue for peace, wouldn’t they?”
Crishet stated this quietly, her expression unchanging.
Regardless, it wasn’t a matter that directly affected Crishet, who lived in the north of the Kingdom.
The Kingdom was also a shield for the Arna Empire to the north.
Due to its geographical position, the Empire would invariably support the Kingdom.
Even if Garshaan and Elsren desired more, they would inevitably have to face two nations.
In short, for them to destroy the Kingdom itself would require immense effort.
This meant that, unless something extraordinary happened, Crishet’s peace would be protected.
“I see, I understand your opinion. As a possible course of action for the Empire, it is strategically sound. …Can you think of any countermeasures from our side?”
Bohgan asked with a serious gaze.
Gahlen and Selene, likewise, stared intently at Crishet.
During the numerous meetings they’d had, Bohgan and the others had reached a conclusion similar to Crishet’s regarding the enemy’s most likely move.
And they felt a slight surprise at how easily and clearly Crishet had arrived at that conclusion from among many possibilities, and how she had suggested coordination from the south.
A single mistake could lead to enormous damage.
The pressure of such responsibility frayed the nerves, made one fear countless possibilities, and obscured the path to the correct answer.
More than just her sharp mind, her transcendent clarity—the ability to easily find a single great tree in the forest of possibilities and choose it without any hesitation—still evoked surprise even though they were aware of it.
And what lay ahead was a question for which no conclusion had yet been reached.
Therefore, their expectations for Crishet, who had so easily answered the previous question, intensified.
What Bohgan wanted to hear. Countermeasures.
Crishet gazed intently at the map, moving hypothetical armies.
“The most likely course of action is as I said earlier. There’s almost no doubt the enemy anticipates us entering a delaying defense. For them, it’s ideal if they can just pin us down so we can’t move. I believe regaining the initiative is the first priority.”
“…But how?”
Crishet pointed to a location exactly midway between the Chrishtand army and the Elsren army.
From this Sea of Trees, it was to the southeast—a place where the Alzuren River, flowing from the mountains there towards Ulpheneid, passed through.
“The currently anticipated battle point will likely be here. A position facing each other across the Alzuren River.”
“Ah.”
“The enemy is also expecting that. A river crossing attack incurs enormous damage, and if they deploy here, we won’t be able to make a move from our side. Besides, the river’s shape is also a bit unfavorable.”
“The river…?”
“Yes,” Crishet nodded.
“First, we’ll shift our main camp significantly to the east, hire laborers from the surrounding villages and towns, and begin damming the river. Right where it flows from here into Ulpheneid.”
Crishet moved her fingertip to the east on the map.
She pressed her finger on the starting point where the river began to split into two branches—a small lake there.
The Alzuren River on the north side flowed to Ulpheneid, and the other, the Bezuren River, flowed slightly south of it.
“Naturally, the enemy will also move their army east. But not their entire force. From their perspective, damming the river would be seen as a supporting maneuver for our central army’s attack on Ulpheneid… so, yes, they’d probably leave about ten thousand behind, wouldn’t they?”
“That… may indeed be so. Are you saying there’s another purpose for damming the river?”
“Yes.”
“I understand what you’re getting at. At an opportune moment, release the dammed water, cause a flood, and sweep away the enemy deployed on the opposite bank. However, it seems more likely the enemy would destroy the dam before that. They wouldn’t let us dam it so easily, would they? Isn’t it difficult to conveniently inflict damage only on the enemy?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Crishet nodded, and the three of them looked puzzled.
“But Crishet’s objective is merely to create a battlefield, so that’s fine.”