I Became the Strategist the Monarchs Obsess Over

Chapter 33

The first thing I bought with the 10,000 ducats received from the Crown Prince was a large continent-wide map. I coldly assessed the current situation of the empire. Originally, according to history, Duke Chronor should have achieved a major victory against the Crown Prince and even seized territories.

However, thanks to my exploits, the Crown Prince defended his territories, and not just defended them, but even took the enemy's territories in return.

Crown Prince Leonhardt. He is currently regarded as holding the most powerful force in the world, but the problem is that his abilities are lacking strategically, tactically, and even politically and diplomatically. Regrettably, he is destined to retire someday. The Era of Chaos belongs to the talented.

However, the issue was when exactly the Crown Prince's forces would collapse. If they had perished prematurely according to the original history, Princess Leonia and other factions would have divided up the Crown Prince's territories bit by bit.

The problem with that scenario was that history would progress too quickly, leaving me with less room to make my mark. The outcome must not be decided until I graduate from the Arcadia Academy. By helping the Crown Prince secure victory this time, I had managed to slow down the progression of history.

As long as the Crown Prince's forces remained intact, the various factions would continue to keep an eye on each other, hesitating to act rashly. And the longer the stalemate continued, the more my value as a strategist and military commander would increase. The more desperate each faction became for even a small victory, the higher they would bid for talent. Yes, that was my plan. But...

"Sir Charles."

Glasia, who was standing outside the door, knocked. When I asked what it was about, she replied as follows.

"A letter has arrived for you, Sir Charles, so I've brought it."

"Who's the sender?"

"It's hard to explain. You should see for yourself."

What could be so hard about naming the sender? I thought as much, but when I went outside to receive the letter, it truly was difficult. That was because it wasn't just one or two letters.

Glasia was holding a basket filled with what seemed to be dozens of letters.

"Come in."

Glasia came into the room and set the basket of letters down. I checked the senders of the letters. All of them were prominent nobles: a lord from the North, a lord from the South, all influential figures. Out of curiosity, I opened one and found that it was an offer to join their faction, promising a lucrative position.

That's right. My plan to raise my value gradually had hit a slight snag. This was because my value had skyrocketed due to the two battles: the Imor River Battle and the Seiz Castle retreat.

-----

The next day, the first thing I did was hire a decent writer to draft polite refusal letters for all the correspondence. There were so many factions scouting me that I couldn't personally reply to all of them. Ignoring them wasn't an option either, as they were all influential figures, and to dismiss them outright could spell trouble later. Hence, I hired a good writer to handle the refusal letters.

While the writer was drafting the refusals, I visited the academy's cafe to have coffee. It was the same place where I had played chess with the Princess the previous day.

The cafe was just as beautiful as ever. Since it was a gathering place for all the nobles of the empire, everything from the interior design to the cups and beverages was top-notch. Coffee itself was a beverage that came only from the eastern nations, making it extremely expensive. The very fact that one could afford to drink coffee in this worldview meant that they were either wealthy or part of the power elite.

As I sat drinking coffee with Glasia, I noticed people around us murmuring and glancing in our direction. I asked Glasia.

"If I feel like I'm being watched, is it just paranoia?"

"No, I can definitely feel many gazes on us."

"Ah, I see."

It seems I won't even be able to enjoy a cup of coffee in peace now. I hope this attention fades quickly so my life can return to normal.

Thinking that, I sipped my coffee and chatted with Glasia, when someone approached from afar with steady steps. She was a woman adorned with accessories and outerwear that screamed wealth—a walking advertisement for her affluence.

She walked up to our table and suddenly said to me,

"May I sit across from you?"

At her words, I frowned slightly.

"Out of the blue? Who are you?"

"Lucrecia di Flos."

"..."

An unexpected name. Lucrecia di Flos, the daughter and heir of the Flos Duchy, a city-state in the South. For reference, the Flos Duchy was small in territory and population but was the economic center of the world, with unimaginable wealth.

"What brings the daughter of the Flos Duchy to me...?"

"Strange. Haven't we already had a conversation?"

"Pardon? This is my first time meeting you, Lady Lucrecia."

Though I had seen her countless times in the game. I'd even played as Lucrecia before.

"This isn't my first time meeting you, Sir Charles."

"What do you mean by that...?"

"I sent a letter. And I received a reply."

Ah! Damn! I had forgotten. I had those countless piled-up letters ghostwritten by the writer! It seems this woman was one of the senders.

"I apologize. I was a bit overwhelmed and forgot for a moment."

"You forgot for a moment? Really?"

"Yes? Of course. Why would I lie—"

"You had your reply ghostwritten, didn't you?"

"..."

I was left flustered, unable to say anything. Then Lucrecia suddenly burst out laughing.

"I imagined a war hero to be a very serious person, but you're more adorable than I thought. What's the big deal about ghostwriting a letter? I sometimes do the same when I'm busy."

"I'm just grateful for your understanding."

"I more or less expected it. The factions that sent you letters must number in the dozens. Influential ones and mediocre ones alike would've promised you the best treatment. There are some who enjoy the attention and read every scouting letter they receive, but you didn't strike me as that type."

She wasn't wrong. Reading all of them would take an entire night.

"So I decided to come in person. I figured letters wouldn't work."

She must have anticipated being ignored and decided to visit directly. Smart, but also a bit foolish.

"If you thought that far, then you must also realize that I have no intention of joining any faction."

That's because I still wasn't planning to align myself with any faction.

"That's to increase your value through more achievements, isn't it?"

That was half correct and half wrong. While increasing my value was part of the reason, there was an even bigger reason. I was planning to wait and see which faction would emerge victorious before deciding where to align myself.

"That's why I've brought an offer that no one else could even imagine."

Hmm... Normally, I would've sent her away, but considering the effort she made to come here, I might as well listen. Besides, she's prettier than I expected.

"What's the offer?"

When I asked, Lucrecia said,

"Before I tell you the conditions, shall we move to a different spot?"

We left the crowded cafe and moved to the quieter terrace outside. There, we began our conversation over tea.

"Let me explain what kind of nation the Flos Duchy is."

Honestly, I already knew. I probably knew more than Lucrecia herself, since I also knew what would happen to the Flos Duchy in the future. But since I was already here, I decided to listen for a bit.

When I nodded silently, she continued.

"The Flos Duchy has small territory and a low population. At first glance, it might seem like an ordinary weak nation. But that's not the case. The Flos Duchy is a strong nation. That's because it has an incredible amount of wealth. If national prestige were determined by money alone, the Flos Duchy wouldn't lose even to His Highness the Crown Prince."

I already knew that. The wealth of the Flos Duchy was beyond imagination. Its secret lay in banking. By lending and safeguarding money for various large nations and nobles, it had amassed a fortune. The Flos family was a prominent banking family in the Arcadia Empire.

"But even the wealthy Flos Duchy has one weakness."

I know what it is. Military power, right?

"That is military power. As you know, the Flos Duchy has a small population and territory. Moreover, the people of the Flos Duchy are talented at earning money but lack aptitude for wielding weapons and fighting. At the slightest disadvantage, they turn their backs and flee. This has led enemies to underestimate the Flos Duchy and invade it multiple times."

I also knew that. The reason the Flos Duchy, despite its immense financial power, never expanded its territory and remained a strong but small nation was that its people were the worst soldiers.

"So we often rely on foreign mercenaries. We've always hired foreign commanders, either retired or ousted from power struggles, and filled our ranks with mercenary groups. That's why we need you, Charles Jean Rochefort."

"Why me? As you just mentioned, you could simply continue hiring foreign outsiders like before."

"According to what I found out through the Thieves Guild I operate, you possess excellent tactical and strategic acumen."

That was true. My tactical skills, honed from clearing 'Era of Gunpowder and Magic' a thousand times, were second to none, rivaling even those of Princess Yuria.

"Moreover, you've earned high marks in Political Diplomacy."

How did she know that? Her intelligence network must be exceptional.

"Most importantly, you're young. There won't be any issues of retirement due to health problems or sudden death from illness, will there?"

That's not something anyone can guarantee, but sure.

"Charles Jean Rochefort, your ear."

"Pardon?"

"Bring your ear closer. Quickly."

She waved her hand, gesturing for me to come closer, and I leaned my ear toward her mouth.

And in the next moment, I was utterly shocked.

"Actually, I plan to conquer the world using overwhelming financial power. I can earn as much money as I want, but I need a partner who can help me build a proper military force with it. That's you."

I didn't know this woman harbored such ambitions. It turned out there was another contender for the throne I hadn't known about.