I Am Being Mistaken for a Genius Strategist

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“….”

The Crown Prince, acting as the representative of King Burgai, lifted his head.

How cruel. How truly cruel, for today was a remarkably fine day.

It was sunny. Clear. Not a cloud in the sky. A splendid weather indeed.

This only deepened the Prince’s gloom.

‘If only it would rain…’

Then, even if tears fell, they could be claimed as raindrops.

With a day like this, it seemed as if the entire world was welcoming the events of today.

“Hoo.”

It felt as though a stone was lodged in the middle of his chest. He felt crushed underneath it.

He wanted to throw it all away right then and there, but he knew he absolutely could not.

For in that moment, everything would collapse and be engulfed in flames.

Let’s think positively. Yes. Let’s try to look on the bright side.

It wasn’t as though he had requested the King himself to kneel, he had accepted a representative.

He had even sworn not to commit any gross disrespect towards that representative.

Furthermore, the one to receive this Surrender Request letter was no mere Legion Commander.

It was the Empire’s Princess. The one who had come here by the command of the Emperor and Crown Princess.

Wasn’t there someone worthy enough to accept the Surrender the Crown Prince requested?

‘Of course, that doesn’t mean it’s okay.’

His teeth still chattered with fury.

About the Empire? That was only natural.

However, right now, it was not the Empire that stirred his emotions more.

These wretched beings. Polrand. And Kaden. Both of them.

If they had fulfilled their duties as an alliance, today’s events might not have happened.

If only they had fought just once, maybe the outcome would have been different.

First and foremost, Polrand. Those guys were indeed the main problem.

In a questionable situation, they chose silence over inquiry.

Instead of repaying the favor, they struck the back of their own country.

They caused chaos at the rear border, making it impossible to secure troops to defend the Royal Capital.

Kaden was no different. They were not any better than Polrand.

If the Imperial Army was told to just stand by, should they really do only that?

They should have fought, trusting Burgai to back them up. That’s what an alliance should do!

Had they done that, no one could guarantee how the course of this war would turn out!

“…Traitors. Disgusting, traitors.”

Whispering in a low voice, the Prince moved forward, step by step.

Ahead lay the camp of the Empire, where the flags were fluttering.

There awaited the Princess who would receive Burgai’s surrender.

*

“…Hah.”

Isabelle let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

Things went well. They achieved greater success than anticipated.

First, an unexpected proposal for surrender negotiations came from Burgai, known for its resolute resistance.

It seemed they had made this decision after failing to break through the 7th Legion and instead being routed.

Moreover, Imperial forces from other fronts were converging on their borders.

Small conflicts had even erupted within the Imperial Army.

Should they immediately accept Burgai’s request for surrender, or should they test the waters a bit more?

Amidst this situation, the Legion Commanders turned their gazes toward Isabelle in unison.

It seemed to imply that the Princess perhaps had something to say.

“…It’s better to accept the Surrender Request.”

Isabelle responded at that moment.

In truth, a part of her wondered if this was the right choice.

Shouldn’t they be reducing Burgai’s forces even further?

Would it not be better to crush them so they can never rise again?

However, with such thoughts, hesitation arose in her response.

‘What would Kael think, and what answer would he give?’

He was an exceptional strategist. He was, quite literally, a genius.

Therefore, she would never be able to catch up to Kael’s thoughts.

Still, being right next to him made it possible for her to speculate just a little.

Kael would likely conclude that the downsides outweighed the benefits at this point.

‘Just think of the discussions between my sister and Prince Kael. Our Empire’s goal isn’t just to conquer the three eastern kingdoms. It’s to solidify the position of those who are pro-Empire.’

This place had a profound history of its own.

The pride and dignity that came from it could not be easily overlooked.

If they tried to suppress it by force, they might end up being pushed back just as fiercely.

Isabelle now understood this and had no intention of making a mistake.

Moreover, destroying Burgai could send a wrong message.

How would the internal atmosphere in Kaden and Polrand, having witnessed such ruthlessness, turn out?

After splitting them into three kingdoms with great difficulty, wouldn’t there be a chance they could unite again?

“Your Highness, the Crown Prince of Burgai is formally requesting surrender.”

She turned her head to see the Crown Prince of Burgai arriving with a group of officials.

Though trying hard to hide it, sorrow and humiliation were written all over his face.

But what could be done? That was the burden a defeated one must bear.

And the victor had the right to enjoy the squirming of the vanquished.

‘Thank you, Prince Kael. It’s all thanks to you.’

The Empire’s victory and her own growth had both come from him.

She envisioned Kael, quietly standing behind her (with a bandage forcing around his neck by his younger sibling).

Slowly, Isabelle rose to welcome the guests.

“Welcome.”

The visitor was none other than the Crown Prince of Burgai, come to request surrender.

He was the prince of a place that had directly challenged the order established by the Empire.

Thus, it would not be a problem to display hostility, yet Isabelle chose not to.

‘What would Kael do? How would he act?’

What would be the course of action that could yield the greatest benefit for the Empire? She thought and thought again.

“…I meet with Your Highness the Second Princess of the Empire.”

The Crown Prince of Burgai carefully bowed in response to Isabelle’s warm welcome.

A hint of surprise crossed his face; it seemed this atmosphere was far from what he had anticipated.

“First, here is the letter from His Majesty the King addressed to the Empire.”

Isabelle unfolded the letter from the King of Burgai that the Legion Commander had delivered.

Condensing the content to its essence, it could be summarized like this.

[ There was a misunderstanding, and as it deepened, we found ourselves in this situation. ]
[ It was our alliance that started the war. We acknowledge that. We accept the Empire’s victory as well. ]
[ Henceforth, Burgai will not do anything against the Empire. Please trust us. ]
[ In return, we ask Your Majesty to show at least minimal mercy. ]

“Hmm.”

This was indeed the response she had anticipated.

First, they claimed that a misunderstanding led them to choose war.

This part applied not only to Burgai but to all other nations as well.

Under what circumstances would they openly admit to wanting war in a surrender setting?

They needed to make an official statement now to have any credibility later.

Moreover, they explicitly stated that it was the ‘alliance’ that instigated the war.

Not Burgai. The alliance. The King had made that quite clear.

‘If there’s to be accountability, it should rightly fall upon not just Burgai but also Kaden and Polrand… Though, for the nobles and various officials of the Empire, both Burgai and Polrand might be equally loathsome.’

The claim that they were the central kingdom among the three eastern kingdoms was not by mere chance.

Isabelle thought to herself, considering the next part.

‘They say they won’t commit acts against us, and they ask for mercy.’

Though not written in the letter, it was likely the next line could be read as:

[ We will try our best to accommodate the Empire’s demands. ]

Surely, they wouldn’t have taken such a step without making at least some concessions.

However, it was probably inappropriate to state that outright in the King’s letter, hence this wording was used.

And the discussions and decisions regarding that would take place right before her with the Crown Prince.

“Your Majesty, I fully understand His Majesty the King’s intention. Can we take this to mean it reflects the will of Burgai as a whole?”

She inquired if they had internally organized their stance before coming to surrender.

A hint of concern lay within; it was a question meant to avoid any future disagreements.

The Crown Prince nodded and spoke up.

“Indeed. Your Highness. Even if some minor noise arises, it will not be reversed.”

“That’s a relief. Such occasions are sufficient with just one meeting between us.”

Isabelle had surely grasped Burgai’s intentions. Now it was her turn to respond.

However, since there were still points to discuss, she requested the Crown Prince to take a moment to rest.

“…”

It was not difficult. She only needed to relay the facts to the Empire side.

Then they could discuss what they would ask from Burgai in exchange for accepting their surrender.

However, for some reason, Isabelle couldn’t shake off the desire to call for Kael.

Eventually unable to contain herself, she summoned Kael through her attendants.

“Have you been looking for me, Your Highness?”

“Yes, Prince Kael. Actually… Huh!”

Suddenly, Isabelle covered her mouth and burst into laughter.

For good reason; at that moment, Kael’s neck was entirely wrapped in bandages.

So skillfully wrapped, his neck was practically invisible.

“Is this a piece of artwork from your younger sibling?”

“…Well, kind of.”

“Your little brother’s love is truly impressive.”

“If someone saw this, they might think I was the one fighting on the battlefield.”

“But your younger sibling hasn’t even been injured at all.”

It was quite the peculiar occurrence. After such an intense battle, not a scratch on him.

An elder brother was a genius strategist, while the younger one was a gifted warrior.

“Anyway, I called for you out of nowhere because Burgai has officially requested surrender.”

“Did they attach any strange conditions?”

“Not exactly. I need to relay our Empire’s demands, but before handing that over, I wanted to hear your thoughts.”

“…My opinion hardly matters.”

He was neither a high-ranking official in diplomacy nor a core figure in the military.

He was merely the son of a noble, serving among the troops. This was the reality.

When Kael expressed his doubts, Isabelle shook her head.

“Don’t say that. It might have been true before, but it’s different now.”

“But Your Highness—”

“You’ve proved yourself worthy of it. Once you return, some kind of change will happen. This question is to facilitate that, so do speak up, Prince Kael.”

After a brief contemplation, Kael finally let out a light sigh.

Yeah. It didn’t matter whether he spoke or not; in the end, it was the Empire’s top leadership that would make the decision.

“Regardless, I must say…”

He thought his opinion surely wouldn’t sway any important matters.

“Reducing the power of Burgai is the way to go.”

“Exactly. Considering this incident, it was indeed Burgai’s influence that was strongest. Therefore, the best method would be to impact their fundamental power, territory, and population. Am I correct?”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Then would Prince Kael propose that the Empire demand territorial concessions from Burgai and the people living there—”

At that moment, Kael slowly shook his head.

“Polrand.”

“…What?”

“We should demand that a portion of Burgai’s territory be ceded to Polrand.”