I Am Being Mistaken for a Genius Strategist

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The surrender request from Burgai was accepted, and the legions began their withdrawal in sequence.

Naturally, the first to return home was the 7th Legion.

They had fought many battles and were the main contributors to this victory.

To be honest, I wanted to stay a bit longer to observe the developments.

I was curious about the situation in Burgai, as well as Polrand and Kaden.

But since the order for withdrawal included my name and the Princess’s, I had no choice.

“Yawwwn!”

Kaya, riding beside me, stretched out while yawning widely.

As I looked at her, a scene from the recent battle unfolded in my mind.

She had stood at the very front of the 7th Legion, literally ‘slaughtering’ the Burgai troops.

It sent shivers down my spine to think that the same person had that kind of prowess.

Moreover, she had charged back unscathed after unleashing such chaos alone.

Right. What was the first thing she said when she returned, covered in blood?

She said she had punished those who hurt me, so now it was time for her to be reprimanded.

Kaya was my guard, and considering I nearly got hit by an arrow, I wasn’t too free either.

But there were many uncontrollable factors, and above all, I had reassured her that I was fine.

Besides, how could one scold someone who had run to the battlefield and cleaned up the mess?

The balance that once seemed fragile leaned decisively toward the 7th Legion.

It was all thanks to Kaya, who wreaked havoc, literally slaughtering the Burgai troops.

To scold someone who had achieved such merit would only demoralize the troops and create awkwardness.

“Brother.”

“Yeah?”

“Let me see your wound.”

Why again? You already checked before we set off.

It’s nearly healed, so stop with the bandaging!

“I’m all better, Kaya. You don’t need to worry.”

“But what if it gets worse?”

“I just don’t think it’ll get worse from my perspective.”

If Kaya had been the only one treating me, that might be one thing.

But the Princess herself was attending to me, so there was no room for anything to go wrong.

If anything, it was I who felt more anxious about it.

How many injured soldiers were there? How many new bandages did I use by myself?

Anyone would think I had a hole in my neck. In reality, it was just a light scratch.

Sure, there was some bleeding, but it wasn’t like I hit a major artery.

“Are you really okay?”

“I’m fine, Kaya. Look, it’s healing well because you took such care with the bandages and gave me medicine.”

“But it still looks a bit red, brother!”

“It’s just healed up, so there’s really nothing to worry about.”

After my heartfelt persuasion, Kaya finally nodded her head.

Then, she returned the bandages, saying she didn’t need them anymore. How many of those did she even bring?

“Hohoho, you two siblings seem very close.”

The Princess, riding alongside us, burst into laughter.

She said she was busy sparring with her brother, but seeing us was quite enjoyable.

She even wondered if she could have had a relationship like that if she weren’t the Empire’s Prince and Princess.

“Kaya, was it?”

“Yes, Your Highness the Princess.”

“Fifteen years old now?”

“Yes.”

“And yet, you’ve done remarkably well. I was quite surprised by your unbelievable feats on the battlefield. Not just me, but the entire legion was captivated.”

Absolutely, absolutely. Our Kaya was extraordinary.

Especially when she wiped out knights with a single spear thrust—that was truly something else.

The morale of the Burgai troops dropped drastically upon witnessing that.

In contrast, the spirit of our Imperial 7th Legion soared high.

“To be honest, I didn’t expect things to go this well.”

“The God has blessed the Empire and His Majesty the Emperor.”

“Certainly. And God has given you too.”

“…”

I wanted to say, “I’m not an advisor! If I were, the advisors in my memory would surely beat me to a pulp with their military texts!” but I was too exhausted.

So, I maintained my silence and shifted my gaze elsewhere.

And there were those moving toward the Empire along with the 7th Legion.

“…”

“…”

The Prince and Princess of Burgai. The price they paid in exchange for accepting the surrender.

I heard they tried to delay the schedule by any means. They even said they would send them later.

But isn’t it right for a prince and princess to visit with a formal delegation?

However, it’s not the Empire for no reason. They were told to prepare immediately and move with the 7th Legion.

I could somewhat guess why. First, there was concern they might not fulfill their promises.

Once the Imperial legions retreated, they could drag their feet with excuses.

That is a strong intent from the Empire’s leadership that won’t allow such a scenario.

And second, the 7th Legion was one of the undisputed main players of this war.

They wanted to insert the Burgai Prince and Princess into this mix to showcase the Empire’s perfect victory.

Though it may not be good for the two of them, they were being displayed as trophies for all to see.

‘This will further diminish Burgai’s influence in the East.’

With this, the balance of power would nearly be perfectly established.

A deeply wounded Burgai and a rapidly growing Polrand. Kaden, which was hardly distinguishable.

The three kingdoms would engage in a fierce game of rivalry over who would be superior.

“…”

From a rough glance, the Burgai Prince looked better off than his sister.

He must know exactly how dire their situation is.

As a result, he seemed tense but not overly subdued.

At least he retained some minimal dignity as the Burgai Prince.

However, the Princess following behind looked…well. Even saying good things wouldn’t make a difference.

She was huddled up, scanning her surroundings with a pitiful expression.

She must be scared. That’s natural. Maybe she would never return home again.

“What are you staring at?”

At that moment, the Princess suddenly turned her head to follow my gaze.

Then she looked at the Burgai Prince, then the Princess, and with a puzzled expression, turned back to me.

“What’s this? Are you perhaps falling for the Burgai Princess?”

“…Your Highness?”

“It’s not entirely serious, but it’s not entirely a joke either. The thing is, you’ve been staring over there for quite a while, Kael.”

“That’s…”

“Well, she looks pretty now that I see her like this. I almost forgot you’re still a young man, Kael.”

I absolutely didn’t look that way for that reason at all; I had something else in mind.

I needed to clarify the reason for my gaze before the misunderstanding of the Princess grew worse.

“Don’t you feel sorry for those two?”

“Yeah? Ah, from a humane perspective, sure. But on another level, it might not be a bad thing.”

“You mean it’s not just a simple hostage situation?”

The Princess nodded in agreement with my question.

“Do you think His Majesty the Emperor sent the Prince and Princess without reason? This isn’t just a simple hostage; it’s to create domestic pro-Empire factions within the Burgai royal family.”

“So, those two will be treated quite generously in the Empire moving forward, unlike their unstable home?”

Burgai would be shaken for a while. Many discussions would arise.

The status of the current King and Crown Prince might also be shaken.

In that situation, those with no fault may be punished to strengthen power.

In that situation, the primary targets would mostly be other princes and princesses.

“The Empire has to be careful not to act recklessly in terms of its reputation. They’re the legal heirs to the throne. Plus, the better thought of these two are toward the Empire, the more benefits we will gain.”

They were both hostages and also daggers the Empire could use to threaten Burgai.

If there were unrest within Burgai’s domestic affairs, immediately one of the two, or both, would be sent back.

But of course, it would be arranged so they had developed fond feelings for the Empire beforehand.

Whether or not they genuinely like the Empire doesn’t particularly matter.

Either way, they would be classified as pro-Empire within their homeland.

And thus, the political landscape of Burgai would be shaken once again.

“Still, Kael.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

“Isn’t the Princess rather pretty?”

I can’t tell if this Princess is joking or being jealous.

If it’s the former, I could just go along with it; if it’s the latter…well, it’s better to clarify things in advance.

“Honestly, in my view, I find Your Highness to be the more beautiful one.”

“…What?”

“To me, Your Highness is the more beautiful one.”

Objectively speaking. And as a noble of the Empire. It’s a natural answer.

As if a Burgai princess could even compare to our Empire’s Princess!

“That’s, um, a bit sudden…but it feels nice. Hehe. Hehe!”

Well, I’m glad to hear that, Your Highness.

I almost made a major blunder as a noble of the Empire.

*

The 7th Legion finally crossed the border and entered the East.

As they did, those waiting eagerly greeted them.

“7th Legion! 7th Legion!!”

“Waaah!!”

The men shouted cheers while the women sprinkled flowers from their baskets.

Children clapped while elderly folks wore satisfied smiles.

It wasn’t just the Empire’s citizens who treated them as heroes.

Those who received imperial decrees subsequently appeared before the 7th Legion to commend their efforts.

Additionally, they were generously provided with abundant food and plenty of rest.

“Prince Kael Clausewitz?”

Next, those who were sent by imperial decree to the East came looking for me.

“Here I am.”

“His Majesty the Emperor has specially bestowed something upon you.”

“Something specially bestowed?” I tilted my head at the words.

Awards are generally given once we arrive at the destination and all legions have returned.

So it was certain that any rewards for me would be quite a way off, yet something was already given?

“His Majesty has personally granted you a personal drinking cup. The awards haven’t even begun, but the Emperor himself was so impressed by your achievements that he personally bestowed it upon you.”

Wow. From what I understand, this is given only to the commanders of victorious legions.

To think that an Emperor would bestow a personal drinking cup upon someone without an official post like me.

I could clearly see how highly the Emperor regarded me.

‘…Hmmm.’

Oh! Suddenly, I wanted to try something I remembered.

Now that I received this personal cup and with a suitable water source around, isn’t this a sign from Lady Luck telling me to go for it one more time?

“Excuse me.”

Of course, prior consultation is essential. That way, there won’t be any issues.

“This personal drinking cup was indeed bestowed upon me by His Majesty, correct?”

“Indeed.”

“It is an award for those who have devoted themselves to the Empire.”

“Yes, that’s right, Prince Kael.”

Then let’s do it! Let’s finish off this grand finale for our weary 7th Legion!

*

The soldiers of the 7th Legion, who were resting near the riverside, were called together.

It was said that His Majesty had granted a personal drinking cup to Kael, who had been with them.

The high-ranking individuals knew well about what Kael had accomplished.

Thanks to the strategies he presented, everything had gone so well.

However, from the soldiers’ perspective, Kael was just the scion of a noble family.

The only reason he was somewhat known was that he was the sibling of the one who had single-handedly wiped out Burgai.

“This is wine bestowed upon us by His Majesty!”

But from this moment on, everything changed.

“E-eh?”

It was definitely declared as wine bestowed by the Emperor. If so, it must be incredibly precious.

They should see it as a tremendous honor and graciously finish it all.

That was something they knew even as regular citizens of the Kingdom before being soldiers.

And yet, here was a young man named Kael suddenly pouring it into the river.

“How can I alone drink this honor in front of these brave soldiers!”

So, let’s drink together. Thank you for your hard work. You fought well.

For the valiant soldiers of the 7th Legion, even His Majesty the Emperor would surely pardon this act.

At that shout, the soldiers burst into joyous laughter and cheers.

Then they all rushed to the riverside without waiting for anyone to lead.

They were returning home proudly after having claimed victory, with excitement bubbling in them.

And an aristocratic youth showing a sudden yet thoughtful action towards them.

All these factors combined transformed those soldiers right back into the youthful boys they once were.

“Right! This is the wine bestowed by His Majesty!

So let’s drink it all without leaving a drop!!