I Became the Strategist the Monarchs Obsess Over

Chapter 38

"That's because all the troops were poured into the northern expedition. The North is vast. Naturally, conducting an expedition would require endless supplies, and dispatching such a large army to the North made it inevitably difficult to maintain supplies. When supplies falter, our forces weaken even in stillness, leading to impatience and the urge to hasten the conclusion. The Imor River Battle was a disaster that occurred for this very reason. His Highness the Crown Prince was too hasty."

"Ah~"

The third-strongest strategist (to be) in the worldview, Bertolf von Ruitbert, nodded and admired. Bertolf raised his hand, and Charles gestured to let him speak.

"Esteemed Guest Lecturer! I have a question!"

"Go ahead."

"You said His Highness the Crown Prince lost because of logistics. Then, what should His Highness have done to achieve an overwhelming victory against the Northern Army?"

The answer to that problem was simple. Charles had already pointed it out before.

"The answer is [none]."

The lecture hall fell silent at those words.

"The northern expedition itself was premature. The expedition should not have been undertaken until a more overwhelming force and resources were secured. His Highness the Crown Prince held the world's greatest power, so merely observing and biding his time would have brought the world under his feet."

"So, that's the strategy the esteemed guest lecturer was referring to."

Bertolf nodded with a sparkle in his eyes. He had a somewhat endearing side.

Meanwhile, the students murmured among themselves. Regardless of whether the content was good or bad, it was shocking that Charles, who had worked under the Crown Prince, openly criticized the Crown Prince's strategy.

Although Charles had his reasons for saying so, Professor Mercatz looked at him with a concerned gaze.

The atmosphere of the class was chaotic, but Professor Mercatz continued the lesson for a while, and Charles shared his experiences as a strategist who had directly led the army during the northern expedition.

Political issues aside, the class received rave reviews. Most of the students were satisfied with the content of the class and gave positive feedback about Charles as a guest lecturer.

And after the class ended.

"Charles, that was a good class. Inviting you was undoubtedly the right decision. Please continue to do well in the future."

Professor Mercatz patted Charles on the shoulder, and Charles bowed his head in gratitude for Mercatz's encouragement.

"However."

"Yes."

He roughly knew what would be said next. It would be about criticizing the Crown Prince. And Mercatz's following words were just as Charles expected.

"There will likely be a backlash regarding the criticism of His Highness the Crown Prince's strategy. Are you prepared for that?"

"I have prepared myself."

To be precise, it wasn't so much preparation as it was closer to planning. Charles wanted the fact that he criticized the Crown Prince's strategy to spread further. That would be beneficial to his future moves.

Charles had already devised a strategy for how he should position himself moving forward. However, there wouldn't be many people who could understand it. Thinking that, Charles felt a bit lonely.

Professor Mercatz encouraged Charles before leaving, and thus, Charles's guest lecturer role concluded without issue.

On the way out of the Petrio Academy.

Walking alongside Glasia Ehrenberg, a voice called out to Charles from behind.

"Charles Jean Rochefort!"

When he turned to see who it was, it was Bertolf von Ruitbert. While he would become the third-strongest strategist in the worldview in the future, for now, he was merely a rookie. One could say he was the late-bloomer type.

"Ruitbert."

"Oh~ There's no need for the formal 'Ruitbert.' Just call me Bertolf comfortably. Can I do the same?"

A guy pretending to be close. However, Charles knew. Bertolf didn't act friendly to just anyone. Bertolf had a select group of people with whom he acted chummy. Those were precisely...

'People of value.'

Whether they had money, power, or potential. In Charles's case, it was likely the potential aspect. Thinking so, Charles put on a businesslike smile.

"Of course. I found you impressive earlier. To be at that level at the same age as me is remarkable."

"Oh~ Compared to you, Charles, who has already distinguished himself in real battles, I'm nothing~"

For a while, they exchanged insincere pleasantries. Charles and Bertolf sat on a nearby bench and engaged in some socializing. Before long, Bertolf brought up the main topic.

"Charles, about the criticism of His Highness the Crown Prince's strategy."

"Huh? Ah, that indeed happened."

Charles answered nonchalantly. Bertolf then laughed as if he found it amusing.

"You talk as if it's no big deal? You'll likely have a hard time because of it."

"Do you think so?"

"Of course. You'll end up clashing with either His Highness the Crown Prince or forces supportive of him. Can you guarantee that there won't be any problems in your future because of this?"

Charles thought. Bertolf wanted him to boldly reveal his entire plan here.

However, the moment Charles openly revealed his thoughts, Bertolf would look down on him. Bertolf's evaluation of Charles would drop by a notch.

That was why Charles decided to make Bertolf reveal his own intentions first, rather than exposing his own.

"Bertolf."

"Yes?"

"Your family, the Ruitbert family."

At the sudden mention of the family, Bertolf's expression hardened. Being a future brilliant strategist, Bertolf vaguely sensed Charles's intent in bringing up the family.

And Charles didn't miss that momentary change and pressed on.

"The Ruitbert family values intellect over martial prowess. They've produced excellent civil servants over generations."

"Hmm... That's true, but why do you bring it up?"

"The Ruitbert family has many merchants, administrative officers, and diplomats, but no generals. Because of this, the Ruitbert County has suffered numerous invasions, and this generation desires their children to be free from such invasions. That's why they enrolled you in Petrio Academy to train you into an excellent military commander."

"You know quite a bit about my family's history. So, what's your main point?"

"That's actually what I want to ask you. Bertolf von Ruitbert. By now, it seems we both know our true intentions have been exposed. How about we skip the formalities and get to the point?"

"Haha!"

Bertolf responded with hearty laughter instead of an answer. Watching from afar, Professor Mercatz smiled contentedly, thinking they seemed to be getting along well, and disappeared.

"Charles Jean Rochefort. I've heard you were smart, but you're truly sharp. You're right. I do have an aim. So I tried to intimidate you by bringing up the Crown Prince. And that aim is..."

No need to say it aloud. One, two, three.

"Recruitment."

"Recruitment."

Bertolf and Charles simultaneously said the same word. They looked at each other and laughed.

"Yes. After attending today's lecture, I'm convinced. While I'm not lacking in military talent, I'm inferior to you. That's why I wanted to become friendly with you, to ask for help when the Ruitbert family is in danger."

"And now that you've failed, you're being honest to win my favor?"

"It's basic manners to overlook that much. Being overly honest can make you unlikeable, you know?"

"In this case, it's not about me trying to win your favor but about you trying to win mine."

"Your abilities are impressive, but your personality leaves much to be desired."

That was something he'd heard often since childhood. While the original Charles Jean Rochefort might not agree, Lee Siu, the man who inhabited Charles's body, found it an accurate assessment.

"I tried to lead you around in circles, but it seems you won't fall for such shallow tricks. So, that's all I have inside. What's your opinion?"

There was no need to answer. The reason Charles criticized the Crown Prince in the first place was precisely because of this.

Having become a war hero under the Crown Prince, people would line up to consider Charles Jean Rochefort as the Crown Prince's strategist. However, with Charles openly criticizing the Crown Prince's strategy, no one would now believe Charles and the Crown Prince were on the same page.

That meant he would need an "umbrella" other than the Crown Prince. Bertolf was saying he could be that umbrella.

But Charles didn't need an umbrella. Soon, a time would come when everyone would compete to take in Charles. Therefore...

"As a temporary strategist, anytime."

Charles wouldn't work under Ruitbert. However, he could work temporarily for money.

That was Charles's answer.