Thus, the Strategy Proposal Meeting began.
Following Serpina’s lead, a discussion gradually unfolded.
"Amin, let’s hear your thoughts."
"Yes, my lady."
The man called Amin bowed deeply and spoke in a firm voice.
"We must immediately mobilize all available forces."
"Mobilization, is it?"
Serpina rested her pale fingers against her chin and asked,
"And why do you believe this is necessary?"
"In preparation for the conquest of the central continent."
"As you are well aware, we have only just returned to Eingart Castle. Yet you propose preparing for another campaign so soon?"
"Yes, my lady. Please take a look at these materials I’ve prepared."
Amin pulled a map from within his coat and spread it before Serpina.
"We must seize Arnel Castle from Brans Army as quickly as possible and push them westward. If they lose their capital, Brans Army will collapse before they even have the chance to reorganize!"
...Huh?
For how confidently he was speaking, this sounded like a matter that had already been settled on the battlefield.
The reason Brans Army hadn’t been touched was because they had been observed redirecting their frontline forces toward Arnel Castle.
Their decision to partially abandon their own territory meant they were focusing all their defenses on their capital—choosing to protect it at all costs. It also indicated that, for the foreseeable future, they had no means of gathering additional reinforcements.
In other words, it was actually more effective to let them keep their current position, allowing Brans Army to lock itself into a defensive stance, rather than forcing them into a desperate last stand.
Of course, Brans Army could still attempt mass conscription if they wanted to. If they rounded up every man available—be it young boys, old veterans, or even the physically impaired—they might be able to bolster their numbers.
However, such a reckless approach would destroy what little public support they had left, leaving them in an even more fragile state. Once their army collapsed, they would never be able to recover.
And with an untrained, hastily assembled force, it was unlikely they’d put up an effective fight anyway.
So the actual strategy was to leave them alone and force them into a losing gamble.
Yet, Amin was completely unaware of this.
With bright, determined eyes, he confidently argued for a plan that had already been discarded.
"Hmm. I see," Serpina mused. "Then, I would like to hear from the rest of you."
She looked around the room before continuing,
"What do you all think of Amin’s suggestion? Speak freely."
Since the question was directed to the group, Swen decided to run a quick analysis.
"Would seizing Arnel Castle as soon as possible be the most effective course of action?"
[ No. ]
'As expected.'
The moment he confirmed that now was not the time for battle, a female officer raised her hand.
"My lady."
"Speak, Sika."
"Amin’s idea is reasonable in some ways, but I believe this is not the time for combat."
Her reasoning largely aligned with the conclusion reached on the battlefield.
However, there was an unmistakable roughness in her wording—an unpolished, amateurish touch.
It was then that Swen noticed something.
Amin, Sika, and the other officers here... they were all quite young.
And that was when he realized the true purpose of this Strategy Proposal Meeting.
'Ah... this is a selection process, isn’t it?'
Serpina had gathered the newest tacticians to assess their ability to articulate ideas, their insight in utilizing strategy, and their potential as future military leaders.
That explained why the officers who were invited today looked honored rather than pressured.
If Swen's guess was correct, most of them were attending this meeting for the first time.
The fact that this meeting had been held twenty-eight times so far suggested that new participants were constantly rotated in, giving everyone in Serpina’s army a chance to prove themselves.
It also explained why Serpina hadn't personally corrected Amin’s flawed reasoning.
At Hisphil Castle, when Irian had made a misjudgment, she had challenged him directly.
Here, however, she was giving the others the opportunity to debate it amongst themselves.
'So... even if you don’t have a name or reputation, simply being part of Serpina’s army guarantees you a chance to be noticed.'
This was a stark contrast to how Lyn Brans had treated her officers.
Despite overseeing a similarly sized territory, Lyn had never taken interest in unknown officers. She only favored those with prior prestige, leaving the rest to rot in obscurity.
Serpina’s approach was vastly different.
A ruler of her status, who personally assessed the capabilities of her subordinates, was not an ordinary leader.
And the presence of Jenna beside her showed that she didn’t intend to make decisions solely on her own intuition—she sought counsel where needed.
Serpina von Eingart.
The more Swen observed her, the more he realized—she was terrifying.
'Perhaps Serpina is the true rival to Lunarian.'
"I have given my answer, my lady."
"I see, Sika. Then, Amin, I ask you again—has your opinion changed? Or do you wish to argue your case?"
"......No, my lady. I withdraw my suggestion."
Amin spoke in a trembling voice, clearly frustrated.
Depending on the situation, this might have been seen as an insult.
Yet Serpina did not seem to mind.
Instead, she simply turned toward Sika.
"Now, I would like to hear your proposal, Sika."
"Yes, my lady."
Sika nodded and spoke carefully.
"We should prioritize internal affairs, but I agree that we should increase our forces."
"You agree?"
"Yes. However, rather than mobilizing existing troops, I believe we should recruit new soldiers from regions capable of conscription. And instead of preparing for an invasion, these troops should be stationed at the border for defense."
Sika then proceeded to present her logic.
In summary:
"Now is not the time for an offensive, but given the instability of war, it is crucial to bolster our defenses in case of unexpected developments."
It was a textbook answer.
And it made sense.
With Serpina's expanding borders, reinforcing defensive lines was a logical move.
Serpina listened quietly before nodding, then turned to the rest of the officers.
"What are your thoughts on Sika’s proposal? Speak freely."
Swen couldn't help but appreciate the fact that she always gave opportunities for feedback.
He quickly ran an analysis.
"Would strengthening defenses at the borders be the optimal course of action?"
[ Close. ]
'Oh?'
It had been a while since he’d seen this response.
So it wasn’t the most efficient option, but it was close?
At that moment—
"My lady. May I offer a suggestion?"
"Speak, Miles."
The man called Miles responded firmly.
"I agree with Sika that we should reinforce our forces. However, rather than stationing troops at the borders, we should fortify Eingart Castle itself."
"And why do you believe that?"
"The heart of any nation is its capital. No matter how safe its location may seem, there are still many in the northern continent who believe in the foolish rumors about our lady. Protecting the capital is paramount.
"Furthermore, as preparations for conquest have reduced our capital’s defenses by one-third, we must replenish our garrison to ensure security."
His argument was clear.
There were still factions in the north that could rise in rebellion.
That meant strengthening the capital itself took precedence.
Serpina turned toward the group once again.
"And what do you all think of Miles’ opinion?"
Swen immediately ran an analysis.
"Would reinforcing Eingart Castle be the optimal strategy?"
[ Close. ]
‘This one is also close?’
Then that must mean recruiting troops is the correct approach.
However... the issue wasn’t simply where to deploy them—neither at the borders nor in the capital?
As Sika and Miles continued their debate, I sank into thought.
‘If the key factor is recruiting troops but then choosing the most ‘efficient’ deployment location...’
Something was still missing.
I wanted to reach a conclusion, but the information available wasn’t quite enough.
The discussion continued, with each participant presenting their opinions.
Some argued that conscription itself was a problem.
Others suggested invading Aishus.
Both received the [Incorrect] response, meaning they were not worth considering.
Another suggestion was to station troops at Kelstein Castle. That too received the [Close] result—just like the previous two proposals.
Then, at last, my turn came.
"Swen."
"Yes."
"I would like to hear your thoughts. You’ve been unusually quiet throughout the discussion, have you not?"
It seemed Serpina had noticed my silence.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
In truth, I simply hadn’t had the chance to interject.
But at this moment... I still didn’t have a solid answer.
‘Recruiting troops seems to be the right move, but where to place them is unclear...’
Wait.
Hold on.
Didn’t Sika just say this earlier?
"Rather than mobilizing existing troops, I believe we should recruit new soldiers from regions capable of conscription."
"Regions capable of conscription"...
Did that not imply that the other regions were incapable of recruitment?
If conscription itself was the correct move, then perhaps keeping those newly recruited troops in place was actually the most efficient solution.
I wanted to analyze it further, but now was the time to take the leap.
"I agree with the idea of reinforcing our forces."
"Oh? That phrasing suggests there’s something more to your argument."
"That’s correct."
Serpina had been posing follow-up questions after every proposal thus far.
That meant I could simply use my 100 Intelligence to confirm the answer.
"However, rather than deploying them elsewhere, I believe the newly conscripted soldiers should remain stationed in their respective regions. That would be the most efficient approach."
"Oh? That is your belief?"
Serpina’s eyes gleamed with interest.
At the same time, I immediately ran the analysis in my mind.
"Should newly recruited troops remain stationed in their conscription regions?"
[ Correct. ]
‘So this really is the answer?’
It seemed that simply recruiting the troops and leaving them where they were was the right move.
The problem wasn’t how the troops were used—it was moving them at all.
"Yes, my lady. That is my conclusion."
"Interesting. That is quite an unusual perspective."
However—
Serpina’s expression was odd.
Not just her—Sika and the others also looked at me with expressions of doubt.
Wait...
Where exactly were the [N O V E L I G H T] regions capable of conscription?
"...Excuse me, Swen."
Sika turned toward me.
"Yes, go ahead."
"Are you saying that after conscription, leaving the troops stationed in their recruitment areas is the most efficient course of action?"
"Yes."
At this point, there was no doubt. My mind had confirmed it.
"...Forgive me for saying this, but there is only one region currently capable of conscription."
"Which region is that?"
"Mair Castle."
This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.
Mair Castle.
I knew it well.
A minor, insignificant stronghold located at the far eastern edge of the northern continent.
"...Huh?"
So stationing troops in such an isolated location was the most efficient move?
"Are you seriously saying that leaving our forces in such a remote location is the best strategy?"
"......."
For a brief moment, I was at a loss for words.
But—
If the compass points in a direction, then the only choice is to follow it.
"Yes," I answered, flashing a confident smile.
As if I had known the answer all along.