"...No way."

    White hair.

    It wasn''t a common hair color among young people—unless one was elderly, white hair stood out. If it had been just the hair color, she might have dismissed it. But even the man''s gray eyes matched those of the figure she''d encountered in her dreams.

    The dream she had seen over and over again.

    Each time she woke from it, she felt a strange, lingering ache in her heart. Ever since she''d sworn to live as the ruler of Serpina''s army, carrying the blood of the Eingart line, she had pushed aside those inexplicable emotions.

    And now, the man from her dreams... had appeared in reality?

    It was only natural that she felt overwhelmed, and it was Jenna, the national strategist of Serpina’s army standing beside her, who tried to calm her down.

    "Milord, please compose yourself!"

    "..."

    Only then, at Jenna’s urging, did Serpina manage to regain her composure and release her grip on Julian.

    "Kh... kugh..."

    Serpina let out a quiet sigh, collected herself, and then asked, her voice steady.

    "So, what you''re saying is... that man summoned a massive boulder from the sky?"

    "Y-yes! It''s true, milord...!"

    Even as he spoke, Julian''s body trembled uncontrollably, as if he still couldn''t believe it himself.

    "That man... he wasn''t normal. He... he looked like a god descending upon the earth. The moment he raised his hand and shouted... a boulder fell from the sky!"

    "...Hah."

    Serpina exhaled sharply.

    The situation was absurd enough with a soldier suddenly dropping dead, but now, the vanguard commander she had sent was babbling nonsense.

    However—

    Julian wasn''t the most brilliant commander, but he was competent, reliable, and had performed above average on the battlefield. And it wasn’t just him—the few soldiers who had survived and returned all told the same story.

    Which meant this wasn’t just meaningless rambling.

    A massive boulder suddenly falling from the sky.

    And the silver-haired enemy commander performing some bizarre ritual.

    "..."

    Logically, just because someone had silver hair and gray eyes didn''t mean they were the same person from her dreams. There was no guarantee.

    Yet despite that, Serpina felt an overwhelming pull toward this man.

    An unfamiliar sensation, as if fate itself was compelling her. Something she had never experienced before.

    "I need to find out more about this commander."

    With that conclusion in mind, Serpina glanced at Julian, who was still half out of his mind, shivering in fear.

    "This is an unprecedented defeat, but if it was due to a natural disaster, then there''s nothing you could have done. I will not hold you accountable for it. However, if you continue to ramble nonsense and fail to regain your composure, things will become... difficult for you. Do you understand?"

    "...B-but...!"

    "..."

    Serpina lifted her chin slightly, her gaze turning ice-cold as she looked down at Julian.@@@@

    "Ah... I—I understand..."

    "You may leave now."

    With that, Julian exited the audience chamber.

    Serpina let out a long sigh and turned to Jenna.

    "What do you think?"

    "About the boulder falling from the sky?"

    "Yes."

    Jenna lowered her head slightly before responding.

    "I believe it to be true. There are shattered fragments of an enormous rock scattered across our territory, and every surviving soldier has reported the same thing. It does not seem to be a hallucination or some trick of the mind."

    "Then, Jenna, are you also considering the possibility that the silver-haired man used magic?"

    "...It’s a cautious assumption, but yes."

    Her attire, however, was surprisingly simple for a ruler. If anything, it resembled the uniform of an ordinary general rather than that of a sovereign.

    The only thing that marked her as a ruler was the fact that she was sitting on the throne.

    But what truly set her apart were her eyes.

    One was a deep, rich blue. The other was a pale sky-blue.

    Two different-colored eyes that lent her a mysterious charm, something that couldn''t be felt from anyone else.

    After offering a few words of encouragement to the old man, Yuri sank into thought.

    Her original plan had been to eliminate all forces stationed at Raklein Castle, then immediately invade and establish a foothold in the central region while simultaneously turning Charam and Aleffel into vassal states to counterbalance Brans Army.

    But that plan had just crumbled completely.

    "So, what happened? Did Charam''s people get too chatty and let something slip?"

    "No. The plan was flawless. However... it seems someone in Brans Army saw through our deception from the very beginning."

    "That ''someone''—you''re talking about Parfalle, aren''t you? You''ve said it yourself—she''s the most brilliant of all the students you''ve trained."

    The old man shook his head.

    "Lady Parfalle is undoubtedly intelligent. But I do not believe she has the ability to see through an entire strategy from the outset."

    The Aishus Army''s plan had been a sophisticated ruse:

    [Spread false rumors that Aishus was planning to attack Aleffel, then manipulate Charam into launching a preemptive strike on Brans Army.]

    It had seemed flawless on the surface.

    But before they even executed it, someone had already figured everything out.

    "Then who could it be?"

    "That, I do not know. But in the end, the failure is mine alone. I sincerely apologize once more."

    "It''s fine. You did what you could, didn''t you? At least we realized something was off when Brans Army didn''t respond the way we expected. That alone is a relief."

    The fact that they had managed to avoid getting caught in Brans Army''s counterattack was thanks to the man standing before her.

    Yes.

    The old man with the long beard.

    A man who had once chosen to retire from the world, dedicating his remaining years to teaching future scholars.

    Yuri had spent nearly a month personally persuading him to join her army, refusing to leave his home until he accepted.

    Aishus Army lacked many things.

    Not outstanding generals.

    Not the strong camaraderie that bound their warriors together.

    Not the vision to break free from the old Eingart Empire and forge a new era.

    No.

    What they lacked was a mastermind.

    Someone who could be the mind that guided their ambitions.

    And Yuri had searched relentlessly for one.

    Then, she''d heard a rumor.

    "A man who once served the royal family of Eingart is living not far from Valharat Castle."

    Why such a figure had been hiding within her territory, she had no idea.

    But for her, it had been an unbelievable stroke of luck.

    So, in the grand scheme of things, losing a battle or two didn’t matter.

    They had still managed to salvage the situation despite the failure of their strategy.

    She turned back to the old man and offered him an encouraging smile.

    Then, she spoke his name.

    "Don''t dwell on it too much. Just keep lending me your wisdom... Jinor."

    "Yes, milord. I, Jinor Nighhardt, will dedicate myself entirely to making you the sovereign ruler of this continent."

    The Sage of the Empire, Jinor Nighhardt.

    Now, he served as the national strategist of the Aishus Army.