It's sophistry to say we can only plan the operation after waiting for the scouts to return. Of course, I also think that's ideal, but right now, we don’t have a better option. Even if other cities surrender, we have no intention of changing our strategy.
......
The area is isolated by mountains and rivers, so there’s little risk of news reaching the capital before we move. Plus, the distance to major commercial cities by land is the shortest. Moreover, due to the terrain's advantages, invasions are rare, and even though we’re near the border, our military training has been somewhat neglected.
Thud. A red pin was stuck in a corner of the map. A slender finger slid in a straight line from the pin to another point. Etienne’s gaze followed the fingertip as if entranced.
"If we move along this path... then our true objective becomes Raven."
"Let me reiterate, our unit’s movement route is strictly confidential..."
"Enough with the excuses. If you planned a strategy that avoids passing through the largest commercial city in the enemy’s west, you’re not fit to be a commander. Stop with the secrecy and just listen."
The superior, who had been cut off mid-sentence four times by her subordinate, sat beside her with a somewhat deflated expression.
In truth, there was no point in hiding such confidential information from someone who already knew it with such certainty. While he couldn’t completely dismiss his suspicions, he had a strange confidence that if she were a spy, she wouldn’t reveal her hand so blatantly.
"Have you thought about supply routes? With our current resources, it’ll be hard to hold out for long. Most of our personnel are holy power users, so reaching Glen won’t be an issue, but the journey to Raven won’t be short."
"Ah, if we cross the border and move along this route... you see? There’s a small village on the way to Raven. It has little interaction with outsiders, making it ideal for concealing our movements."
"Looking at the surrounding terrain, it doesn’t seem suitable for commerce or agriculture. Are you suggesting we call in our supply officers?"
"You understand correctly."
"Then it would be best to stay in Glen longer than planned. At least four more days."
"Understood."
"We can discuss the details once we arrive in Glen. It’ll be quicker to assess things on-site."
......
"If you can’t decide immediately, take your time. It won’t be easy to change already decided matters with just a word from me."
Etienne stared at the map, unable to find a response. The unspoken implication that he would soon make a decision weighed heavily on him.
"Before I go, may I say one more thing?"
"Go ahead."
"It would be wise to confiscate any belongings from those spies beforehand. You know as well as I do that what they hide in their clothes isn’t just ordinary items."
The firmness of her voice lingered in his mind. Even as Etienne sat at his desk, he couldn’t focus on his work. His thoughts were entirely consumed by his conversation with Mia from the previous night.
Mia Blanchard was undoubtedly capable. She had shaken his confidence with a single demand that felt more like an order than a suggestion.
The certainty that his chosen route was the best and that Lady Blanchard—with no combat experience—could not devise an effective strategy crumbled before her.
Perhaps it was because she had predicted their movement route within minutes of discussing the operation or because of her ominous warning. Or maybe it was her unwavering gaze that seemed to hold some inexplicable certainty.
The important thing was that Etienne was seriously considering her proposal—so much so that he couldn’t even focus on his paperwork.
Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed such a suggestion without hesitation. But now he found himself swayed by it—a sign that his heart was leaning toward accepting her proposal.
Etienne let out a bitter laugh at how unlike himself he was being. How could he even consider altering a route meticulously planned by trusted tacticians based on the suggestion of someone with no field experience?
This had nothing to do with his goodwill toward her. The battlefield was no place to blindly accept proposals out of favoritism—especially when it involved someone likely ignorant of strategy and tactics. If he didn’t want to endanger himself and those he sought to protect...
Even knowing she bore no ill will didn’t change things. Etienne knew all too well how many accidents occurred due to well-meaning but uninformed decisions.
And yet... Etienne wanted to follow Mia’s advice.
What exactly had she said?
...As if her words held some profound meaning.
Thud. The pen slipped from Etienne’s fingers and rolled across his desk. Only then did he realize he hadn’t looked at any documents for quite some time.
The pile of paperwork on his desk remained untouched; few required immediate attention. With a sigh, Etienne pushed aside all distractions and pulled out another map from his drawer—the same kind Mia Blanchard had shown him last night.
Why did she say those things?
...What could she be thinking after enduring such grueling training without rest?
Ignoring his restless thoughts, Etienne connected several points on the map. Click. Click. Red pins dotted its surface one by one: Glen; Raven; cities they must pass through en route; imperial capital; strategic targets; borders; plains; mountains; supply routes... Something felt off, but finding clear connections proved difficult—just as puzzling as why she had insisted on presenting her proposal early this morning...
Click. Thud.
Just as the poor map began resembling hedgehog spikes more than anything else, a soldier burst into the tent unannounced. Etienne reflexively furrowed his brow, but upon seeing the soldier’s state, he forgot to reprimand him altogether.
"Report!"
"Commander, sir... cough!"
A soldier spat dark red blood onto the fine carpet, barely managing to speak. "The prisoners... self-destructed... cough!"
He collapsed mid-sentence.
"Tch."
Etienne irritably checked his pulse before calling for a medic, muttering under his breath, "Today just isn’t my day..."
Contrary to initial fears, the losses weren’t severe. The explosion’s radius was small, and the prisoner barracks were far from living quarters—mostly used for storage. The damage was limited to supplies, though a few barracks had been completely destroyed. The losses were minimal, and given they hadn’t crossed the border yet, it wasn’t fatal.
Though furious at being caught off guard by prisoners he’d thought securely held, Etienne coldly acknowledged that stopping the damage at this scale was a stroke of luck. Perhaps the goddess is watching over us...
Etienne grabbed a passing soldier and unleashed a barrage of questions. "Have you searched thoroughly? Are there no external collaborators? Have you seen any suspicious individuals recently?"
"Yes, yes! No suspicious persons! Probably no collaborators!"
"Probably...?"
The coldness in his voice pierced the soldier’s ears.
"Yes, yes...! We’ll search again immediately!"
