Anima immediately began organizing her forces.
At the vanguard stood Hernandorf, while she herself took command as the supreme commander.
She would have preferred to ride on horseback, but with only one arm, it was an incredibly difficult task.
Thus, at times like these, when she had to take charge on the battlefield, she had no choice but to use a carriage. Ordinarily, she refrained from appearing on the front lines—
“This is a critical operation. I can't just sit back and issue orders without leading from the front.”
Leaving behind enough forces to defend Laccline Castle, she mobilized the majority of her army—50,000 troops in total.
With this many soldiers, they could take advantage of Hisphil Castle’s temporary lack of defenders and seize it.
Right before departure, she sent word to Yuri at Valharat Castle through a messenger.
Though it was a "decide first, report later" approach, Yuri wasn’t the kind of person who was unreachable, and as long as Anima produced results, she believed Yuri would acknowledge her actions.
After losing her arm, Anima had fought tooth and nail to prove her worth—to show that, despite her body’s limitations, she was indispensable to Yuri and the Aishus Army.
Once, she had been a warrior, someone who honed her body through swordsmanship.
But after that day, she had pushed herself to the brink, studying until her head felt like it would burst.
She devised intricate strategies and calculated tactics, clearing the path for the Aishus Army.
If one were to sum up her story in a single phrase, it would be “a miracle.”
Yet those who had spent time by her side, witnessing her relentless struggle, refused to call it that.
She had worked herself to the bone, sacrificing sleep and taking on everything, regardless of whether it seemed possible or not.
And in the end, she had turned the Aishus Army—once just a band of outlaws—into a legitimate nation.
So, it would be fine.
Surely, Yuri would understand.
After all, ever since that day when they had lost everything, they had been the only ones who truly understood each other.
“I must succeed. No matter what.”
With that determination, Anima led her forces toward Hisphil Castle.
One day during their advance—
The carriage that had been smoothly moving forward suddenly came to a halt.
“What’s going on?”
A soldier riding nearby turned toward her.
"Strategist, ah— I mean..."
The soldier had instinctively referred to her as "strategist" before hesitating and falling silent.
She was no longer the national strategist of Aishus, yet to the common soldiers, she remained one.
"I-I apologize, Lady Anima!"
"It’s fine. Titles don’t matter. Just tell me what’s happening."
"One of the vanguard soldiers has something urgent to report."
A message from the vanguard?
There was no real reason for them to come directly to her.
A sense of unease crept up her spine, but she suppressed it as she opened the carriage door to receive the soldier.
"Lady Anima...!"
"Calm down. Speak clearly—what happened?"
"It’s the Serpina Army...!"
"...?"
The Serpina Army?
That moment—
The soldier’s face was riddled with panic.
The air around them suddenly felt suffocatingly heavy.
A dreadful sensation echoed in the depths of her mind, like a hammer striking inside her skull.
This was not the first time she had felt this way.
Whenever something deviated from her meticulously crafted plans—her instincts would scream at her like this.
And then—
"The Serpina Army’s forces have appeared ahead of us! They’re intercepting us!"
"...What?"
Intercepting?
No, that didn’t make sense.
The Serpina Army had sent all their troops toward Elgaim Castle.
There was no way they could have reinforced their numbers in time to be here.
"We can’t determine their exact numbers yet... but their force appears to be around the same size as ours!"
...Did they withdraw from their siege?
Had they abandoned their assault on Elgaim Castle for some reason?
And if so, did they manage to detect Anima’s advance and move to counter it just in time?
If they clashed now, the battle would be evenly matched.
In a direct confrontation, there was even a chance of securing a solid victory—
But the real objective was the siege.
And if a battle broke out, the siege weaponry—vulnerable in direct combat—would be the Serpina Army’s first targets.
With their destruction, a proper siege would become nearly impossible.
“...What should I do?”
It was frustrating, but not an entirely unforeseen possibility.
The smart move was to retreat.
If they wasted soldiers on unnecessary skirmishes, the advantage would eventually shift to the Serpina Army, which had the greater manpower.
"Send word to the vanguard—prepare for retreat. If the enemy pursues, deploy a minimal force to cover the withdrawal."
"Understood!"
If they withdrew, Serpina wouldn’t have much reason to chase them.
A bit of wasted provisions was a small price to pay for avoiding greater losses.
That was what Anima had believed.
Until—
"ENEMY ATTACK!!!"
"...!!"
A sharp, urgent cry from the soldiers pierced the air.
The enemy had appeared.
But the sound wasn’t coming from the front.
...No... it couldn't be...!
"Attack!"
"Charge! Arrows incoming!"
"Stay calm and return fire!"
"The yellow banners! It’s the Serpina Army!"
The shouts were coming from behind her carriage—
From the rear of the formation.
What... in the world...?!
The Serpina Army was in front of them.
And now, behind them as well?
Anima stood frozen in place.
How is this happening...?
***
A short time earlier—
Inside Hisphil Castle’s royal keep.
A middle-aged man, Yuan, the lord of the castle, knelt before the woman to whom his allegiance belonged.
"You have arrived, my liege."
Standing before him was Serpina von Eingart.
Her golden hair was adorned with its characteristic hairpin, but her attire was somewhat different from usual.
Instead of her typical garments, she was dressed in a ceremonial uniform once worn by noble heirs training in swordsmanship during the empire’s golden days.
It was one of the few outfits that comfortably fit her due to her excessively slender yet feminine frame.
At the capital, she wore more elaborate, heavily decorated robes that were impractical for movement.
But whenever she traveled beyond her domain, she adhered to her own principle—opting for this simpler ceremonial uniform.
In this era of chaos, where nobility had lost much of its former significance, anyone could wear such clothing.
Yet, when she wore it, it radiated an air of untouchable nobility.
Serpina briefly surveyed her surroundings before speaking.
"Enough with the formalities. Give me your report."
"As you ordered, 55,000 soldiers from our total force of 61,000 are on standby, ready to mobilize at any moment."
"Good. That is satisfactory."
"We are following your instructions, but... what is your ultimate plan?"
"If we’ve prepared for deployment, isn’t it only natural that we proceed with it?"
"But the extended preparation period... It’s highly likely that our intentions have leaked. The enemy must have taken countermeasures by now."
At Yuan’s concern, Serpina responded in a cold tone.
"It doesn’t matter. That was my intention from the beginning."
"...What?"
"It’s quite simple. The most important thing was ensuring that information about our preparations got out."
With that, she turned toward Yuan and gestured for him to rise.
Then, unfolding a map of the Hisphil region, she pointed to it and posed a question.
"Tell me, Yuan—if we were to deploy our stationed troops somewhere, where do you think we should send them?"
"Excuse me...?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, Yuan hesitated.
But he wasn’t a lord for nothing. After a brief moment of contemplation, he provided a logical answer.
"...I would choose Elgaim Castle, southwest of our position and currently under the Brans Army’s control."
"And why is that?"
"It has only around 23,000 soldiers, and after Chel Brans’ departure, their morale has likely plummeted. Despite the passage of time, they haven’t received reinforcements, suggesting that the Brans Army has likely abandoned it in favor of defending their capital, Arnel Castle."
"Correct. You’re thinking rationally, Yuan. That is the obvious conclusion."
"...Yes?"
Yuan still did not fully grasp Serpina’s reasoning.
But Serpina did not rebuke him.
As long as he did not defy her, she didn’t mind if he couldn’t follow her logic just yet.
"Our forces will appear to be marching toward Elgaim Castle—but in reality, we won’t send a single soldier there."
"...What do you mean?"
"We will station our forces elsewhere, in ambush."
"But wouldn’t that leave the castle vulnerable?"
Yuan’s concern was met with a shake of Serpina’s head.
"If the Brans Army had any real intention of attacking us, that would be a problem.
But right now, they lack both the will and the manpower to invade."
"That’s true... but..."
Even Yuan had to admit that it was unlikely the Brans Army would attempt an attack.
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And even if they did, he was confident they could repel it.
Serpina placed her finger on the map, pointing to the terrain.
"Between Elgaim Castle and Hisphil Castle, there is a mountain range.
At the summit, one can get a clear view of the southern approach to Hisphil Castle.
I have already confirmed this personally."
"...?"
Yuan stared at the map, still struggling to piece together what she was implying.
Serpina, realizing this, gave him a knowing smile.
"Think of it this way—it’s as if I’ve cast a fishing line, hoping someone will bite."
Then, she pointed to a different castle—south of Hisphil.
"This is my true target."
She was pointing at Laccline Castle.
Yuan could follow her reasoning so far.
But what did that have to do with hiding an army in ambush?
If Laccline Castle was the target, wouldn’t it be easier to simply march there directly?
Seeing the bewilderment in Yuan’s expression, Serpina let out a soft chuckle, as if she had just realized something.
"Ah... I see. You’re still missing a crucial piece of information."
"...?"
"Do you recall the letter I had you deliver before I arrived here?"
"The letter...? Ah, you mean the one addressed to the leader of the Astron Mercenaries?"
"You remember. Then tell me, Yuan—do you still not see my intent?"
"......!"
Yuan’s eyes widened as realization dawned upon him.
Serpina’s lips curled into a seductive smile.
"Yes. At the summit of that mountain—hidden from sight—are 20,000 soldiers of the Astron Mercenaries."
The moment the enemy took the bait, believing Hisphil Castle to be empty, the ambushed Serpina forces would engage them from the front—
And once they realized their mistake, the mercenaries would descend from behind, encircling them.
By luring the enemy out of Laccline Castle and into open terrain,
She would annihilate them in a perfect trap.
This—
This was the true strategy of the Tyrant of the North, Serpina von Eingart.