I Am Being Mistaken for a Genius Strategist

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Beyond the northern border of the Empire, the land of the Demon Tribe, Nobogord.

Seated at his desk, the chairman of the Demon Council, Caland Estania, was busy with work.

“Charlua. What did you just say?”

“A delegation heading to the Empire. Please include me in it.”

He was momentarily at a loss for words at the unexpected request from his only daughter, Charlua.

Just a few hours ago, the decision to send the delegation was made, yet here was Charlua, who hadn’t even officially joined the council, already aware of it?

‘This little one has planted her own eyes and ears within the council without me even noticing.’

He felt a mix of bewilderment and pride.

Yes, if she wishes to follow in her father’s footsteps, she must reach that level.

Trying to hide the swelling pride in his chest, he slowly parted his lips.

“To want to be part of the delegation… what are you thinking?”

“On the surface, you celebrate the Empire’s victory, but in reality, you’re angling to observe the Empire’s internal situation, right?”

“…Ahem.”

He had anticipated that Charlua, being clever, would catch on sooner rather than later.

But to realize it less than half a day after the decision was made to send the delegation was impressive.

It was truly the sharpness and judgment of the Estania bloodline.

“The Empire has achieved a great victory against the coalition of the three kingdoms in the East. It is only natural for us, as those who have formed a pact with them, to extend our congratulations.”

“Sending a grand delegation for something that could be simply conveyed through a letter seems unnecessary.”

“Sometimes, it’s better to make a big deal out of things, even if everyone knows the truth.”

One must remain cool-headed. The Empire’s momentum was soaring high.

Wasn’t it just two months ago that a war anticipated to last at least half a year, or even a couple of years at worst, came to a swift end?

There’s no benefit in causing any unnecessary friction with the Empire now.

He couldn’t afford to hand the hard-won power back over to the hawks.

Furthermore, Nobogord needed a moment to catch its breath.

Even for the Demon Tribe, one can’t live swinging swords and spears every day.

‘Since a large-scale whaling event is right around the corner, maintaining relations with the Empire is essential.’

The most important event in Nobogord. The North Sea whaling.

Just the costs and manpower involved are staggering.

If international dynamics were to warp during this time, it would be the last thing they needed.

And, it serves to gather intelligence on the Empire’s internal situation.

Even if searching for a weakness, there’s no intention to disrupt the current peace.

“But it’s surprising, Charlua. I thought you would be more interested in watching the whaling.”

“When I was little, the scene of hunting those enormous and powerful whales left a deep impression on me. However, this time, something much more intriguing has caught my attention.”

“Is it the Empire you speak of?”

“Partly, yes. But it could also be something else.”

Though she didn’t say it outright, Charlua already knew the whole story.

A young strategist who played a significant role in the conflict with Nobogord. The mysterious ploys he had shown.

Those were now appearing again all across the East.

And they had been refined and honed to an unparalleled degree compared to before.

The three kingdoms of the East had united under the name of a coalition, yet they were utterly torn apart by his schemes.

As of now, they were so completely severed that they could never be stitched back together.

Like whale meat shorn into tiny pieces by a knife.

‘After hearing the whole story, I hadn’t eaten anything that day.’

The chills it sent down her spine, the overwhelming sense of relief.

Had he not been fully matured when he confronted Nobogord?

Or had he merely handed the reins over to the moderates at a manageable level?

Whatever the case, Charlua’s conclusion was singular.

If she were one of the humans belonging to the kingdoms of the East.

She would have been completely played by that absurd strategy.

What frightened her the most was that this wasn’t some scheme unknown to anyone.

It could be expected. She could easily guess what his intentions were.

And yet, they couldn’t stop it. This was something one would have to face with wide-open eyes, even knowing full well.

That fact filled Charlua with even greater awe and fear.

“…I want to go and see for myself.”

“You intend to learn the internal circumstances of the Empire, is that so? Be careful. Because you’re the chairman’s daughter, the Empire won’t take you lightly, and they may have spies following you at all times.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll only act within safe boundaries.”

With Charlua saying that, Caland could no longer stop his daughter.

And soon after, a formal delegation departed from Nobogord towards the Empire.

Bearing the council’s letter of congratulations for the Empire’s victory, along with Charlua.

*

Upon returning to the family estate and enjoying a well-deserved rest, my family and I, along with our servants, unexpectedly welcomed a visitor.

“Prince Kael.”

The one who boldly offered the greeting was none other than Your Highness the Second Princess, Isabelle.

Her visit was so sudden that it left everyone, including my father, mother, and our family servants, utterly shocked.

Meanwhile, Kaya shot a wary glance in her direction.

Anyway, as a Duke, my father graciously offered his regards.

Like the first head of the family who served faithfully to the Imperial Family during the reign of the Great Emperor.

When he inquired about the reason for the princess’s visit, she replied simply.

“Ah, um. Well, I just stopped by for a moment.”

Our territory of Bertier Empire isn’t so far away from the Islands.

However, it wouldn’t be accurate to say it was close either.

So, if someone arrived from the islands, it wouldn’t make sense to say they just “popped in on the way.”

There must be some reason behind this visit; otherwise, it wouldn’t warrant the time taken out of her schedule.

Of course, my father wasn’t the sort to be ungrateful enough to remind her of this point.

He merely said, “I see. If so, please come inside,” and escorted her.

Then, after a brief moment, he handed the princess over to me.

“It seems that the purpose of the visit is tied to you. So, you shall entertain Her Highness the Princess.”

Receiving this decree, I hurried to the palace and now found myself hosting the princess at our estate.

“Your Highness the Princess. It’s good to see you again.”

“It is, indeed. I thought I’d see you later.”

First, we exchanged light greetings. Next up, of course, was to confirm the reason for the visit.

When I asked, the princess once again replied, “I just stopped by on my way.”

Of course, I knew that wasn’t the whole truth, so I couldn’t let the matter drop so easily.

My father remained silent, but I opted to rephrase my inquiry to hear the truth.

“However, from what I hear, Your Highness, you also have a lot on your plate. Is there perhaps something challenging you’re facing? If you need my assistance, feel free to ask. We, Your Highness and I, are not strangers; we’ve shared the same battlefield not once but twice.”

I was doing my best to look charming, beautiful, and heartwarming, but the real intention was, “Don’t just pop in for no reason; spit it out already!”

Sensing my underlying message, the princess cleared her throat.

“Actually, I hear a delegation is coming from Nobogord. Are you aware?”

“Ah, yes. I’ve heard some rumors about it.”

Upon my answer, the princess nodded, saying, “Then the conversation will be quicker.”

A delegation coming to celebrate the Empire’s victory from Nobogord.

Surely, they would want to know how the Empire achieved that victory.

Thus, she believed the emperor would likely summon me, and that’s why she came to collect me in advance.

That’s why the princess had suddenly appeared at our territory.

“….”

Thanks to that, I fell into an even deeper state of disbelief.

What? The princess isn’t some errand girl. If she needed me, she could just send someone to call me.

That she would personally come to visit just for something like that was utterly astonishing.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something more to this; this couldn’t be the end of it.

Just as I was pondering this, the princess, whose eyes had been roaming around, finally spoke up.

“Um, Prince Kael.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Please speak freely.”

“Actually… there’s another reason why I made the effort to find you.”

As expected. There was something else. I knew it, I knew it!

How could a princess come by for just a simple errand?

“The Emperor asked me about you.”

“The Emperor asked… about me?”

“Yes. He wanted to know what I thought. That’s all he said, just that.”

“…”

In an instant, cold sweat trickled down my back.

The Emperor had inquired about me, directly and not through others.

And it was none other than the princess—who often stayed closest to me.

Most importantly, she was someone who could never betray the Imperial Family.

“So… what was the conclusion?”

“I told him my honest opinion. I said Prince Kael is a talent for our Empire. There’s absolutely no need for the Emperor to worry about whatever it is he is concerned about; I stated I could affirm this without hesitation.”

“Your Highness!”

How could this madness occur? To affirm such a claim right in front of the Emperor, that is a bold move!

Even if she is a princess, this could be a significant overreach and backfire.

Thank goodness I truly had no ulterior motives; if I had been some treacherous sort…

“Your concern for me is greatly appreciated, Your Highness. However, I worry even more about your predicament.”

Of course, I was worried. Naturally, I was worried. If the princess fell, it wouldn’t just be her downfall.

The very momentum she had built up could potentially vanish in an instant.

Our family too wouldn’t be unaffected by it, so it was hardly an ideal situation.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ve convinced the Emperor. And I will continue to do so going forward. Prince Kael, you just need to keep putting in the effort for our Empire.”

“Hahaha. Well then, I must work even harder to ensure I don’t break Your Highness’s trust.”

It couldn’t have been easy to express that. This princess really is someone formidable.

I genuinely expressed my gratitude to her as we dove into deeper conversations.

*

Two young individuals were seated across from one another, chatting softly.

If the Crown Princess had been there, she likely would have sighed, thinking, “What are these two doing?”

That’s certainly not what the Emperor intended by his remarks.

Why is it that this intelligent duo only acts foolishly in moments like this?