The small castle of Zeilant.

    The central meeting room, typically reserved for only four generals, including myself, had four new faces today. All of them were kneeling before our ruler, Lunarian Iniang, showing their respect.

    "I am Gustav, the leader of the Raven Mercenary Corps."

    "I am Kale, the vice-commander."

    "Aaron, leader of the Chilein Mercenary Corps."

    "Yona, vice-commander."

    Three men and one woman introduced themselves to Luna.

    The fact that a mere 1,300-strong vanguard had managed to hold off 8,000 enemy soldiers was extraordinary. It was thanks to two archer units ambushing the flanks of the Brans Army, disrupting their formation, and dividing them into three separate groups. Then, the rear attack encircled and annihilated the Brans forces.

    I already knew the source of the archer units—the Raven Mercenary Corps, as introduced by their vice-commander. But I had only just realized the origin of the rear forces.@@@@

    The Chilein Mercenary Corps!

    ‘Those troublesome bastards... I never thought they’d be on our side.’

    The Chilein Mercenary Corps was a unit available only to central continent rulers who cleared a specific quest. Their unique unit, the "Heavy Infantry," was a superior variant of regular spearmen in every way, making them an incredibly powerful asset. However, they required control of a specific central region fortress, which made recruiting them nearly impossible. Random rulers couldn’t hope to secure such territory, and even central rulers often fell to the Brans Army before completing the quest.

    As someone who avoided playing as the Brans Army because it was too easy, I found the Chilein Mercenary Corps incredibly irritating. They were practically designed to strengthen beginner-friendly Brans rulers.

    Yet now, their leader knelt before our ruler, swearing allegiance.

    ‘Can they be recruited without completing the quest?’

    Even after this world became reality, it still seemed to follow the game’s rules. My 100 Intelligence, with its uncanny predictive accuracy, was proof enough. But there were subtle deviations as well—mercenary corps like these helping us, and large-scale wars breaking out within a year of my arrival.

    ‘I shouldn’t place blind faith in game knowledge.’

    "...You may raise your heads," said Luna.

    At her command, the four mercenary leaders lifted their heads.

    "First, let me thank you for aiding our army. Truly, we are indebted to you. Without your help, we might have failed to defend Zeilant Castle. However, I must ask—why did you decide to help us?"

    "Please, ask us anything," Gustav replied.

    "What led you to assist our army?"

    Gustav began, "Aaron and I were on our way to Zeilant Castle when we came across the ongoing battle. That’s why we decided to help the Lunarian Army."

    "I’m sorry, but I still don’t understand. Could you explain your reasons more clearly?"

    Aaron, the Chilein leader, spoke next. "We were heading to Zeilant to pledge allegiance to the Lunarian Army."

    "...!"

    To pledge allegiance meant they intended to join us. Though I had suspected this, it was still surprising to hear them say it outright. Luna’s other generals, however, were visibly stunned.

    It was an unprecedented and catastrophic defeat in the history of the Brans Army. And it wasn’t against a renowned nation like Aesios, but a minor power that Lyn hadn’t even considered worth remembering: the Lunarian Army.

    Deep in thought, Lyn asked calmly, “Brother, what happened? If you’re so ashamed, at least explain it in a way I can understand.”

    “...We were ambushed. Upon further investigation, it appears mercenaries joined the battle.”

    “Mercenaries?”

    “Yes. One of the soldiers recognized their insignias—Raven Mercenary Corps and Chilein Mercenary Corps. It seems they fought alongside the Lunarian Army.”

    “...What?”

    Lyn couldn’t hide her shock. She was familiar with both mercenary groups. The Raven Mercenary Corps was a known elite force, and the Chilein Mercenary Corps was a group her faction had been struggling to recruit.

    ‘They allied with that insignificant ruler instead of me?’

    The absurdity of the situation left her incredulous. But Lyn, as a ruler, knew better than to dwell on the past. Dwelling on disbelief wouldn’t change anything.

    “An ambush is unavoidable if you lacked the necessary intelligence. But the scale of this loss is severe. For now, I want you to stay away from the front lines and focus on logistical support. Take some time to cool your head.”

    To an outsider, Lyn’s words might have sounded like those of a benevolent ruler consoling a defeated general.

    But Carlints understood the truth. This was a demotion. His survival was likely only due to the circumstances of the ambush and his position as a member of the Brans family.

    Even so, there was no room for excuses from a defeated commander.

    “...Understood.”

    “Good. You’re dismissed.”

    As Carlints left, Lyn fell into contemplation.

    ‘If the Lunarian Army has secured two mercenary groups, we’ll need to take this seriously to defeat them... but I can’t pull Chel from the south.’

    She mulled it over for a long while before letting out a heavy sigh. A particular person came to mind.

    ‘Do I really have to use her?’

    She hated the idea. Truly, deeply hated it. But for the sake of the greater good, she had no choice.

    Turning to the soldier standing guard by her side, she gave an order.

    “Hey.”

    “Yes, my lady.”

    “You know the second barracks, where the recruits are being trained? Go there and bring Airen to me.”

    “Understood!”

    Even though Lyn herself had sent Airen to that post as a demotion, the current situation left her with no alternative. Right now, she was the only blade Lyn could wield.

    ‘Well, being a ruler means doing things you hate sometimes.’

    Lyn rationalized her decision as best she could.