"What the?!"

    "It''s an ambush! The enemy is ambushing us!"

    Arrows suddenly rained down, throwing the Brans Army''s formation into disarray.

    I quickly grasped the situation.

    Unfamiliar soldiers were attacking the flanks of the Brans Army from both sides, tightening their formation like a vice.

    ''...What is this?''

    At a glance, the number of soldiers seemed comparable to the 8,000 strong Brans Army. A force of such magnitude had appeared out of nowhere to launch this ambush.

    "This... this is...!"

    Kane, utterly baffled, looked around in shock, unable to comprehend the unfolding chaos. Just then, a man approached us rapidly.

    Judging by his attire, he wasn’t part of the Brans Army but rather belonged to the attacking force.

    The man stopped in front of Kane and posed a question.

    "Are you Sir Kane of the Lunarian Army?"

    "Y-Yes, that''s me."

    "As I thought. You are just as described."

    The man removed his helmet and introduced himself.

    "I am Kale, the vice-commander of the Raven Mercenary Corps."

    ''The Raven Mercenary Corps?''

    The name instantly struck a chord in my memory.

    The Raven Mercenary Corps—a specialized unit of "Raven Archers." Hiring them required clearing specific events and fulfilling certain conditions, as well as paying a hefty sum. Although their numbers weren’t impressive relative to the cost, their offensive and defensive capabilities far surpassed those of regular archers, making them invaluable once recruited.

    This game had other unique mercenary groups besides the Raven Mercenary Corps, but that was beside the point.

    The problem was that this group shouldn’t have appeared at this juncture.

    ''If my memory serves me right, they aren’t supposed to be here yet.''

    To recruit the Raven Mercenary Corps, the first prerequisite was conquering three castles. With that initial condition unmet, their sudden arrival to assist us was baffling.

    Kane, still struggling to believe the situation, asked, "How did you recognize me?"

    "I will explain later. Right now, aren''t you under attack by the Brans Army?"

    "That''s correct."

    "We’ll assist you."

    With those words, the man departed. As soon as he left, I raised my voice as loud as I could.

    "All troops, charge!"

    "Uwaaahhh!"

    The morale of our soldiers soared with the unexpected reinforcements. They charged fearlessly into the overwhelming 8,000-strong enemy force, while the Brans Army, already disorganized by the ambush, began collapsing like a house of cards.

    Even though our combined forces were slightly less than 8,000, the addition of the Raven Mercenary Corps made the battle feel winnable.

    Moreover, the man had made a cryptic comment to Kane: "You are just as described." Slowly, it started to dawn on me why I had positioned Kane at the forefront of the vanguard.

    At that moment, Kane turned toward me, his voice trembling with disbelief.

    "Swen... Did you anticipate this outcome?"

    I closed my eyes slowly, pretending to be someone who had foreseen it all.

    "Thankfully, they arrived in time."

    Even as I said it, I couldn’t help but inwardly scoff at how convincing it sounded. Anyone would see me as an all-knowing, brilliant strategist.

    "This... this can''t be. Swen, just who are you...?"

    Kane was probably overwhelmed with astonishment by now. And in his mind, one thought must have solidified: "We must listen to Swen''s advice no matter what." Even if that thought hadn’t fully taken root yet, I was confident I could prove it over and over again.

    After all, my predictions were 100% accurate, without exception.

    Which meant, in this war too, victory was assured. If it weren’t, my prediction would have led to the conclusion that we needed to retreat.

    ''Lunarian...! I’ll repay this humiliation with my own hands...!''

    *****

    Near the walls of Zeilant Castle:

    "Haaah!"

    Tifa, wielding a massive axe, stood at the gates, cutting down enemy soldiers with brutal efficiency.

    "Stop coming at me one at a time, you bastards! Come all at once!"

    "Hyah!"

    Beside her, the ruler Lunarian Iniang led the charge with a sword, tearing through enemies at the forefront. Unlike Kane and I, who stayed in the rear issuing commands, these two generals took to the battlefield directly, their overwhelming strength making them nearly unstoppable.

    The enemy besieging the castle was the Garmil Army, led by Garmil Retas, who watched the battle unfold with a grim expression.

    The situation had reached a stalemate. The Garmil Army had brought 4,000 soldiers, while the defenders appeared to have fewer. While defending a castle was inherently easier than attacking one, the two monstrous women at the gates made breaching the walls seem impossible.

    Garmil muttered to himself, "The only reason we even attacked was because of the pact with the Brans Army."

    For now, the Garmil Army was merely testing the defenses, sending a few hundred soldiers at a time to probe the enemy’s strength.

    "Lord Garmil, how long do we continue this futile skirmishing?"

    His strategist’s question prompted Garmil to nod slowly.

    "Word will soon come of the Brans Army’s assault on the castle. We’ll make our move then."

    There was no need to risk their lives unnecessarily. Once the Brans Army breached the castle, they could join the battle. But the prolonged delay was worrying.

    According to reports, the Lunarian Army had only around 3,000 soldiers. Even if they had dispatched some to form a vanguard, it was unlikely they could hold off 8,000 Brans troops for this long. The Brans Army was no ordinary force; they were practically the undisputed rulers of the central continent.

    ''What could be causing this delay?''

    At that moment, a scout galloped toward him.

    "My lord!"

    "What is it?"

    "The Brans Army... The Brans Army has been defeated and is retreating!"

    "What?!"

    The Brans Army defeated? Their 8,000 soldiers, crushed by fewer than 3,000 Lunarian troops? Judging by the number of defenders still at the castle, they likely had even fewer than 2,000—possibly just 1,000. And yet, they had held off and routed the Brans Army?

    Moreover, the famed female general of the Lunarian Army was here, fighting in front of him. The only remaining commander was that old man.

    None of it made sense, but Garmil knew what he had to do.

    "My lord, what are your orders?"

    "Hmm..."

    With the Brans Army in retreat, there was no reason to fight to the death. Garmil quickly made up his mind.

    "Withdraw the troops! We’re returning to the territory!"

    "Understood!"

    The Garmil Army swiftly reorganized and began their retreat.

    Watching them flee, Tifa turned to Lunarian.

    "What’s this? They’re running without even putting up a proper fight. Should we chase them?"

    "...No, let them go."

    Lunarian lowered her weapon and assessed the situation.

    Had they managed to hold them off?

    ''Did we... protect Zeilant Castle?''

    "Uwaaaaaahhh!!!"

    The defenders erupted in cheers, their voices echoing around Lunarian as they watched the enemy retreat.

    The large-scale siege of Zeilant Castle by the Brans and Garmil Armies had ended.

    The victor was Lunarian Iniang.