"Twenty-three thousand soldiers..."

    Gathered within the castle were the usual members: Kane, Tifa, myself, and our ruler, Luna. This time, the leaders of the two mercenary corps, Gustav and Aaron, had joined us as well.

    "We’ll fight alongside you."

    "While our total number of soldiers may fall short, it’s a defensive battle, so I believe the odds are in our favor."

    I agreed with their assessment, but this world, derived from the game, didn’t operate purely on logical factors like troop numbers or strategies. The identity of the opposing commander could entirely overturn any calculations. This was a world heavily influenced by “commander power,” where SSS-rank generals could dominate battles regardless of other factors.

    "Do we know who the enemy commander is?"

    "Ah, yes, well..."

    The courier, startled by my use of formal language, hesitated for a moment before responding in a firm voice.

    "It appears the vanguard is led by a woman named Airen Juliet."

    "What? They’re using Airen?"

    Airen Juliet. As someone who had played this game for over 10,000 hours, her name was instantly recognizable to me.

    She was an S-rank general, a siege warfare specialist with the Siege ability. Known for her unyielding loyalty, she was nearly impossible to sway with tricks or diplomatic overtures, remaining utterly devoted to her lord, Lyn Brans. However, her loyalty was tragically repaid with betrayal—she would eventually be executed under false charges brought against her by Lyn herself.

    Their incompatibility wasn’t merely a quirk in the backstory; it was mechanically ingrained in the game. The system featured a “compatibility rating” between generals, which determined how well they worked together.

    High compatibility made recruitment easier and provided synergy when working together. Low compatibility had the opposite effect, to the point where pairing them often became a liability.

    Airen and Lyn had a compatibility rating of -100, the lowest possible in the game. No other characters clashed as fundamentally as these two.

    For a player to utilize Airen under Lyn’s command, they had to take direct control of Lyn to circumvent the AI’s tendencies. Otherwise, the CPU Lyn Brans would invariably execute Airen. Every time. In every playthrough.

    So I was utterly shocked to hear that Lyn Brans had chosen to deploy Airen Juliet.

    "Did the disgrace of her last defeat push her this far...?"

    From Brans’s perspective, it had indeed been a catastrophic failure. Leading 8,000 soldiers, Carlints had suffered a humiliating defeat against a minor nation defended by just 3,000 troops. For a faction focused on swiftly conquering the central continent before turning to the northern tyrant Serpina and the southern warlords, getting bogged down in the central campaign was maddening.

    Regardless, Lyn’s decision to field Airen Juliet was disastrous for us.

    Kane, Tifa, and the mercenary leaders, Gustav and Aaron, were visibly troubled. They must have heard of Airen’s reputation as well.

    "This feels impossible to stop."

    Our forces numbered just over 3,000, and after accounting for the wounded, we likely had barely over 2,000 combat-ready soldiers.

    The mercenary corps were in a similar state. The Raven Mercenary Corps had 7,000 troops, and the Chilein Mercenary Corps had 6,000. After factoring in their injured from the previous battle, their combined forces barely reached 10,000.

    That left us with roughly 12,000 soldiers against 23,000.

    Airen Juliet, with her Siege ability, was exceptionally dangerous in a defensive battle. Her skills amplified damage against soldiers stationed within fortifications, making our position even more precarious.

    "She’s really coming at us with no mercy."

    The Brans Army was advancing like a storm, and we had unwittingly provoked them by disrupting their momentum.

    "Swen, what should we do?"

    Luna turned to me with a deeply worried expression.

    "What must we do to win this war?"

    As expected of Luna, she asked the perfect question, one that my 100 Intelligence could process effectively.

    I mentally input her question and waited for the response.@@@@

    "..."

    Huh?

    "...Swen."

    At that moment, Luna grabbed my shoulder.

    And then—

    Gone was the commanding, determined ruler from moments ago. Instead, she gazed at me with eyes that seemed fragile, on the verge of shattering with the slightest touch.

    "...You must come back alive. Do you understand?"

    She was tense, clearly. I appreciated that she followed my advice to maintain a dignified image before others, but it was evident that her personality made it difficult to uphold that facade.

    Hoping to ease her tension, I responded playfully, "Is that an order?"

    But instead of laughing, she replied in an intensely serious tone.

    "Yes, it is an order. If you fail to return alive... even if you lose your body and become a wandering soul, I will haunt you. If you die on your own terms... I will never forgive you."

    ...Huh?

    Something about her tone sent a chill down my spine.

    Still, I wasn’t planning on dying. My goal was to return safely to my original world. After all, I still wanted to see my family.

    "Understood. I’ll return safely. Please take care of the castle in my absence."

    Hearing my words, she finally gave me a faint smile and nodded.

    "Move at full speed! Anyone who falls behind will be left behind! If you wish to avoid disgrace, do not falter!"

    Airen led her force of 23,000 soldiers on a forced march.

    Naturally, soldiers began dropping out along the way. Even though the distance to Zeilant Castle wasn’t far, at this pace, thousands—perhaps two or three thousand—would likely be unable to keep up.

    "One week. The castle must fall within a week."

    She wasn’t consciously aware of it, but she was widely recognized as a specialist in siege warfare. Despite the potential losses, she instinctively understood that with limited supplies, the best strategy was to press the attack quickly.

    One week was a painfully short amount of time. If she wanted to prove herself to Lyn Brans, who had reinstated her, this was the only option.

    Perhaps her urgency was effective. Before sunset, the eastern gate of Zeilant Castle came into view.

    The castle walls were lined with archers, and a sizable force was stationed at the gate.

    At the forefront of the defenders was a female general wielding an axe—Tifa, based on the information Airen had gathered.

    "..."

    Airen slowly raised her hand. On her signal, siege engines—catapults—were brought forward on both sides.

    Bringing siege weapons to a siege was only natural, wasn’t it?

    It seemed the defenders had anticipated this.

    "Let’s go, everyone!"

    From the castle, the defenders launched a counteroffensive, charging toward the advancing army.

    To bring the catapults into range, the attackers would need to move closer. Doing so would put them at a disadvantage, as the defenders would rain arrows from the walls.

    But Airen’s side had 20,000 soldiers.

    If they could breach the gate even once, the battle would be theirs.

    Airen let out a thunderous war cry.

    "All units, charge!"