I Became the Strategist the Monarchs Obsess Over

Chapter 19

"Do you have any complaints?"

"No matter how talented a cadet from the Academy may be, we can't accept a child with no combat experience as our superior..."

"Are you saying you intend to disobey my orders?"

As Dian exuded a murderous aura, Paul and Hugo, who were directly exposed to the Sword Master's killing intent, couldn't withstand the pressure and trembled as they replied.

"W-We will comply."

"Charles is someone with exceptional talent, having been the runner-up in the mock battle exam, second only to Your Highness the Princess Leonia. Do not underestimate him just because he is young."

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Although the two responded, to be honest, I felt a bit doubtful. They would pretend to obey in Dian's presence but defy me whenever he was not around.

Therefore, it seemed necessary to come up with a countermeasure.

-----

"Follow me. I will guide you to the tent where you will stay."

Paul and Hugo said. I followed behind them. As we neared the tent, Paul spoke.

"You said you're a student of Arcadia Academy, right?"

"That's correct. Why?"

"There have been cases before where students from Arcadia Academy visited on field trips. They all had one thing in common: they were desperate to achieve merits on the battlefield. I heard it even earns extra credit for their academy grades. Isn't that ridiculous?"

So, why are you telling this ridiculous story right in front of me?

"Let me inform you of one thing; those who don't know much about the military may think scouts are weak, but our Scout Unit consists of the best riders selected from among the regular soldiers. This means we already have our own established methods. Whatever you've learned at the Academy, if you just avoid causing problems, you'll do fine. Don't try to fight just because you see an enemy, don't try to do anything unnecessary thinking it will help, and just quietly observe. Quietly."

Wow... the distrust is overwhelming. They're treating me like a completely incompetent officer. I haven't even done anything yet.

At this point, I was presented with options.

[1. Stay quiet because it's too bothersome.]

[2. Respond to any challenges.]

What should I choose? The decision didn't take long.

[2. Respond to any challenges.]

"Is that the attitude you should have toward your superior?"

"Excuse me?"

"What?"

"Regardless of my age or the fact that I am a student, I am still your superior in terms of rank. Do you really think the military would function well during wartime if rank relations were not properly established? Shall I report this matter to our teacher, Dian de Balboa?"

Faced with the sudden invocation of connections, the two were left speechless, their mouths opening and closing without a word.

"Apologize."

"Excuse me... what?"

Are they hard of hearing? Is it because they're old?

"Apologize. If you apologize sincerely, I'll let it slide this time."

"..."

"Or I can go to Professor Dian de Balboa right now and report everything."

"..."

After a prolonged silence and hesitation, Hugo was the first to speak.

"I'm sorry."

Paul looked at Hugo in shock, but Hugo nudged Paul's arm, signaling him to apologize quickly. And then...

"I apologize."

It wasn't exactly the apology one should give to a superior, but still, Paul apologized. That was enough. Somehow, I managed to take control of the situation without being completely overwhelmed.

"I accept your apologies. However, I hope there won't be a repeat of this incident."

There probably will be. These men have a strong sense of authoritarianism, so they'll likely try to undermine me again before long. I'll have to counter them somehow. Damn, not being underestimated just because I'm young is a challenge in itself.

And when we entered the tent.

"What should I start with?"

Their resistance began immediately.

Paul and Hugo exchanged glances, and then Paul replied with this.

"Why are you asking us? Even if you're young and a student, you're still our superior, aren't you? Shouldn't a capable superior be giving orders to their subordinates?"

"After all, if you have the qualifications, that's why you're our superior, right?"

Each of them spoke a line. How long has it been since they apologized, and they're already pushing back... This is driving me crazy.

Now, I can't use my superior-connection card again. Earlier, I could frame it as an insult against me, but this time, if they stick together, I'll just look foolish, and the matter will likely be glossed over. In that case...

"Technically, what you're saying is correct."

With my acknowledgment, their confidence grew.

"Now you've realized—"

"But you two have served here for a long time, whereas I'm a newcomer, am I not? There must be methods specific to this place. Isn't it inefficient to ask me, someone new, to figure out everything on my own?"

That's right. The method I chose was to confront them head-on. When I stated the facts, they had no rebuttal.

"Well, that's..."

See, you're stuck.

When Paul couldn't respond, Hugo stepped in.

"Then could you draft the Scout Operation Report? It's something our previous strategist used to do. Since you're the new strategist, you should continue that role."

What he meant was that if I performed worse than the previous strategist, they'd give me a hard time.

'These jerks are seriously annoying...'

This isn't some disorganized army. Just wait, you guys. Your time will come.

-----

A few hours later, after completing the entire Scout Operation Report, I immediately summoned Paul and Hugo.

"Why did you call us? Are you bored? Do you want us to play dice games or something?"

At Paul's provocation, Hugo snickered. Ignoring them, I handed over the documents.

"This is the Scout Operation Report. Please read it."

"Ha! Already? You must not know, but writing a Scout Operation Report isn't something you can just do carelessly. There's a specific format and structure..."

But as soon as Paul opened the report, his hand suddenly froze.

"What's wrong?"

Hugo came over to see and stopped as well.

Naturally. The Scout Operation Report was unexpectedly well-written. Arcadia Academy teaches military documentation as it's a prerequisite for cadet officers joining the Imperial Army. Of course, only a few bother to memorize it since the score value is low.

"Who wrote this for you?"

Hugo asked. He couldn't even imagine that I wrote it myself.

"How rude. I wrote it myself. If there's no issue with the report, can we proceed as is?"

At that, Paul and Hugo were left speechless.

"Can we proceed as is!"

This time, I shouted loudly, and they mumbled a small "Yes."

"You may leave."

Grumbling, Paul and Hugo returned to their tent.

However, neither of them, nor anyone else, realized that Dian de Balboa had been eavesdropping on the conversation from behind the tent.

"Impressive."

At Dian's murmuring, a crow perched on a tree answered with a "Caw."

-----

The next day.

The Scout Operation Report submitted by Charles was immediately approved by Dian de Balboa, and Charles led a group of cavalry on a reconnaissance mission.

It was rare for a strategist to personally go on reconnaissance, but this was what Charles wanted. His reasoning was that to issue proper commands from the top, he needed to understand the situation on the ground.

Of course, a strategist going to the front lines was undeniably dangerous. However, with Glasia by his side, he felt things would somehow work out. After all, she was the third strongest swordsman in the world.

Thus, trusting Glasia, I joined the Valboa Army's Scout Unit. Contrary to popular belief, the Scout Unit was indeed an elite force, as Paul and Hugo had claimed. They had excellent equipment, outstanding riding skills, and above-average martial capabilities.

While scouting with these cavalrymen, Charles's physical abilities occasionally fell short. It felt like the other scouts were deliberately adjusting their pace to accommodate him. I thought I should exercise more.

Contrary to the popular notion that horseback riding merely involves riding and running, it requires tremendous physical effort. It's entirely different from driving a car. To keep up with their reconnaissance missions, I thought I should build my strength and practice riding.

'I'll work out during the vacation.'

With that thought, Charles followed the Scout Unit. They examined various terrains using maps and recorded geographical features. The collected data would be compiled into reports and delivered to me.

'The goal is to directly scout the surrounding terrain, observe changes in the landscape, and determine the army's marching path.'

By following them, I learned a lot about battlefield operations. What could be done with a single click in a game required a series of complex procedures in reality.

'As expected, war in reality is quite different from war in games.'

While war in games is thrilling and fast-paced, real war involves extensive preparation. It was tedious, even to the point of feeling dull.

The one responsible for all these preparations is the staff officer, in other words, the strategist.

As I pondered these thoughts, Gabriel, a Scout Officer leading the reconnaissance team, spoke to me.

"I thought you were just a parachute cadet from the Academy, but your stamina is better than I expected. If you follow us for just two weeks, you could become a sufficient scout."

It's thanks to being beaten to death for a month by Glasia while learning the sword.

"It's because I diligently focused on my studies."

"Hehe, I wish my son would resemble the strategist even half as much. We plan to rest in a nearby village tonight. What do you think, strategist?"

"Do you mean Valen Village?"

"Huh? How did you know? Have you lived in this area?"

"Not at all. I saw it on the map earlier and memorized the surrounding terrain."

At this, the Scout Officer displayed a surprised expression.

"Oh-ho... While your memory for memorizing surrounding terrain is impressive, the fact that you know where we're heading shows extraordinary talent as a scout. Most people don't even know where they are and just follow along. You could contribute as a full-fledged member of the Scout Unit right now."

What's with all this overpraise? He's so different from Paul or Hugo.

After some casual chatter, we arrived at Valen Village. However, the faces of the people in Valen Village looked strange. Their cheeks were hollow as if they hadn't eaten properly for days.