Wowww─!!

A roar erupted from the Western Army’s stands.

Meanwhile, the Southern Army’s stands stiffened completely.

I chuckled quietly inside.

“Well done, Kazin.”

Even among the Western Army, there had been worries about sending Kazin out as number one.

“When facing the Southern Army, you really send Kazin as number one? Why...!”

“Yes, Wonhwa. The Southern Army surely anticipates Kazin will be the first to appear. Since Kazin was originally from the Southern Army, they must have prepared thoroughly.”

“Wonhwa! If you entrust number one to me, Liam Kunis...!”

But I judged that to decisively defeat the Southern Army, Kazin had to be number one.

It was also the best way to utilize his blessing, .

I told my uneasy soldiers.

“Kazin’s weakness isn’t known only by the Southern Army. Kazin also knows the Southern Army’s weaknesses.”

“Huh?”

“Think about it. What if Kazin’s blessing can transform the arena?”

“What?!”

“If he breaks the ground, turns stone into water, and perfectly turns it into ?”

“Wha...! His blessing can be used so extensively?”

“If it’s possible.”

“Well...”

“The arena isn’t easily changed. If Kazin, who knows the Southern Army’s weaknesses, goes first and alters the arena, the match against the Southern Army is our guaranteed victory.”

Kazin looked at me bewildered.

“My blessing isn’t strong enough to change the arena.”

“Then make it so.”

“...What?”

“I trust you, Kazin.”

In my previous life, I was always controlled by others.

Having been pushed around a lot, I also know how to control others.

The easiest way to move others

Is to say what they want to hear when they want it.

And what Kazin wants to hear is...

“I trust you, Kazin.”

“I... will.”

Belief from superiors and comrades.

A place where he is needed.

That was it.

‘And Kazin can really do it.’

A brilliant general who put the empire in crisis many times with far fewer soldiers in the first life.

That was Kazin Lavio.

The nobles were stunned.

“Unbelievable... to completely alter the terrain!”

“If you can create terrain advantageous to your side and disadvantageous to the enemy, that’s the ultimate power!”

“Crazy... to use Kazin Lavio’s blessing like this?!”

The Southern Army Wonhwa turned pale.

‘Losing such a tremendous man... what a pity.’

Sebastia sister, the Northern Wonhwa, and the Central Wonhwa all wore incredulous expressions.

The dukes and even the Emperor stiffened.

Western Army soldiers watching the match grew excited.

They stomped their feet loudly, singing the Wonhwa’s military song.

“Raise the torch! Our mother guards the night path! Neither sly snake nor fierce dragon shall block our way!”

“We are the Wonhwa! Born in the torchlight, protectors of this empire! Go forth! We are the wall of fire, the spear of fire! Our mother guards the night path!”

“Raise the torch! Our mother guards the night path! Stema Ridor! (Source of flames!)”

Then Western Army soldiers shouted in the continental tongue, calling out the strongest Wonhwa recorded in the founding chronicles.

“Stema Ridor! Kar Lo Nes! (Source of flames! Strongest Wonhwa!)”

“Stema Ridor! Kar Lo Nes!”

“Stema Ridor! Kar Lo Nes!”

Bwooooo─!

An excited Western Army soldier blew a trumpet.

The arena instantly heated up.

“Amazing!”

In the rising excitement, a young noble boy jumped up and shouted.

Several other nobles echoed the cheer excitedly.

“Kar Lo Nes! The strongest Wonhwa!”

“Stema Ridor! Waaah─! Stema Ridor, source of flames!”

Wooooaaah─!!

The cheers shook the Imperial Palace.

But they weren’t the only ones fired up.

Most of the Imperial Guard were former Wonhwa.

Even nobles from the Emperor’s direct army looked excited.

The former Senior Marquis Noclang shouted loudly.

“Yes! This is the role of the Wonhwa!”

His son, the current Marquis Noclang, frowned and tried to calm his father.

“Father, calm down. Your blood pressure again...”

“Indeed, Stema Ridor! Truly worthy of the title ‘strongest Wonhwa’!”

The Southern Army’s number one, trapped underwater, struggled but could not escape.

‘They say his weakness is a beer bottle.’

Sure enough, Kazin carefully observed every Southern Army soldier as a Senior General.

“L-Let me go... splut! Let me go...!”

The Southern Army’s number one trapped in the water slowly closed his eyes.

Thud─!

The drum sounded.

Judge Wolfgang declared,

“Kazin Lavio wins! Victory to the Western Army!”

Thus, we took the first victory.

The judge’s knights pulled up the Southern Army’s number one.

Meanwhile, the Southern Wonhwa and other participants spoke with pale faces.

“It’s not just Gemma who’s disadvantaged. I’m also not good at swimming...”

“They laid wood over there. Are they planning to use fire? My blessing is especially weak to fire, isn’t it?”

“The labyrinth-like complexity is meant to trap my feet. My specialty is fast movement, but now...”

The Southern Wonhwa roughly ran her hand through her hair.

“That’s dirty. You hid such ability while in the Southern Army! If I had known Kazin’s ability, I could have used it well since the year-end festival...!”

The Southern Wonhwa shouted irritably.

At that moment, Kazin said,

“I never thought I could use my blessing like this either.”

“What?”

The Southern Wonhwa frowned.

“The Western Army Wonhwa always observes the training. Watches all the soldiers’ movements, weaknesses, and strengths... and offers advice without hesitation.”

“......”

“If my power grew, it’s for that reason alone.”

The Southern Wonhwa bit her lip tightly.

“How dare you blame me? Know your place...”

I said,

“Mind your words, Southern Wonhwa.”

“Though he’s gotten a bit better, he’s no one the Western Army Wonhwa should cover for.”

“Regardless of soldier ability, I said mind your words.”

“Huh?”

“Don’t decide my children’s fate.”

“Unbelievable... who decides then? You? You think you can foresee the soldier’s future? Trying to be a soothsayer?”

“Is that so?”

“Since we’re on the topic, shall we see the future?”

I wrapped Kazin, who had returned from the arena, in my arms and said,

“Kazin Lavio will become a Senior General of the Imperial Guard.”

“...!”

Not only the Southern Wonhwa, but knights from other armies, the Emperor’s direct army, nobles, and even the Emperor’s eyes widened.

Kazin looked at me with trembling eyes.

I smiled softly.

“The Great Lady of Darkness (Isabella, 5th Empress) also divined the future without any mysticism.”

She declared this to her husband’s scornful older brother.

[Bow your head. To the future Emperor.]

─ she said.

Then laughter burst from the VIP stands.

It was the Empress Dowager.

“That knight appears to be from a foreign tribe judging by his surname.”

Then a knight from the Emperor’s direct army hurriedly checked the participant list and said,

“That’s right.”

“Alright... then let’s see. Whether Erilot Astra, said to resemble the Great Lady of Darkness, resembles her in that too.”

“......”

“The first foreign-born Senior General. This will be interesting.”

Then Empress Osellia smiled slyly and said,

“Yes, Your Majesty. Ever since that child ascended to the Imperial Capital, it’s been anything but boring.”

The Empress gave me a strange look.

‘Huh? Why such a slimy gaze?’

I awkwardly smiled and looked away.

Round one was a great victory for the Western Army.

The nobles excitedly said,

“Kazin Lavio’s transformation of the arena to gain advantageous ground was key!”

“On top of that, Kazin alone defeated all Southern Army number fives!”

“Magnificent─!”

The Western Army didn’t even need to send number two.

Kazin showed such an enormous gap over the opponent.

Erilot smiled brightly watching Kazin return after forcing number five’s surrender.

“Well done!”

Kazin smiled kindly at her.

“I only acted as the Wonhwa ordered.”

“Yes, yes. I did well too. Let’s rest before the next match starts.”

“Yes.”

Erilot happily climbed to the stands.

The Eastern Army used players up to number three in round one.

So the Western Army, having won with only number one, would advance by bye to the final.

Only one match left before the championship.

Kazin hummed a tune while watching Erilot leave, smirking.

Then he returned to the Western Army waiting room...

“You’re back! You’re back!”

“Wow! That was amazing, Lord Lavio!”

“Come, come, our hero of round one, have a seat here.”

The Western Army soldiers who watched the match were fussing.

Kazin smirked.

‘They’re cheerful.’

Compared to the Southern Army, the atmosphere was much lighter.

It seemed like their continuous victories since the year-end festival were the reason.

An undefeated army has no inferiority complex.

He walked to the chair amid the soldiers’ welcome.

But then.

Thunk.

Someone blocked Kazin’s path with a scabbard.

It was Liam Kunis, already seated.

He looked at Kazin with a cocky expression.

“Does the future Senior General really deserve to sit in such a shabby place?”

“......”

“You’d be perfect in that VIP seat.”

“When I was in the Southern Army, such petty checks were nothing but a tickle, Liam Kunis.”

Liam scowled.

He stood abruptly and approached Kazin closely.

“Even if I were number one, it would have been a great victory.”

“So?”

“Don’t think you’re special just because you got a chance from the Wonhwa.”

“......”

“Before you, Iseze got that attention. Isn’t that right, Iseze?”

Iseze, who was sharpening his sword, glanced over.

“Don’t drag me into useless things. ...But you did block the Crimson Ghoul’s attacks with your whole body. You brought the Astra relatives and trained them for me.”

Though acting indifferent, Iseze’s eyes were fierce.

Liam looked down arrogantly at Kazin.

“So next is me.”

“......”

“Iseze, then Kazin. Then I get the attention.”

Kazin sighed.

He stepped closer to Liam, who recoiled slightly.

“I’m the type who works hard at everything.”

“What?”

“I intend to work ‘hard’ so I don’t lose the Wonhwa’s attention this time.”

“Hah... You acted like a gentle dog in front of the Wonhwa, but you were just pretending!”

The mood sharpened.

Jowik, former Senior General of the Central Army, put his arm around Kazin and Liam.

“Hey, hey. No need to be so sharp. Competing and growing is good, but don’t break the harmony.”

Liam snorted.

“A fitting attitude for someone from the harmony-loving Central Army.”

Kazin pushed Jowik’s arm away.

“I have no intention of fighting. Nor do I intend to lose.”

Jowik shook his head.

‘These Western Army guys really love their Wonhwa.’

Like big dogs barking and competing over their master.

“Why waste time competing for a kid’s attention?”

“Don’t call the Wonhwa a kid.”

Kazin─

“Harsh words? Wanna fight?”

Liam─

“Not just a kid.”

─Iseze’s eyes glittered one after another.

Jowik raised both hands again.

“I’m not insulting, but don’t you think there’s something more important than respect at our age? Like... love?”

Jowik smiled and took out a small portrait from his coat.

Soldiers gathered around.

“Who is it? Your lover?”

“No, not a lover. I saw her in the Wonhwa’s memories, but they never told me who she was, so I had a painter make this.”

“Ah, isn’t that a beautified memory? How can someone be that pretty like a doll?”

“Ah, but she really is beautiful...”

“Yeah... truly beautiful...”

The soldiers looked dazed staring at the portrait.

The seventeen-year-old girl said to be the most beautiful on the continent, Clemence Luchelle, wasn’t nearly as charming.

The soldiers showed the portrait to Kazin, Liam, and Iseze.

“Isn’t she really beautiful?”

“Enough, put it away. I’m not interested in the opposite sex... wow.”

Liam’s eyes widened, clutching the portrait.

Iseze, who was quietly polishing his sword, and the stern-faced Kazin both flinched as they looked at the picture.

Blond hair shimmering like sea waves.

Long lashes hiding hypnotic scarlet eyes.

Red lips formed in beautiful lines.

A flawless beauty without a single fault.

About seventeen or eighteen?

Just the average age of a Wonhwa soldier.

Jowik snatched the portrait from Liam.

“Stop staring. You’ll wear it out.”

“Show me. Who is she? Which family’s daughter? Foreign? Eh?”

“You said you’re not interested in the opposite sex. You can admire the Wonhwa to your heart’s content. I’ll find this lovely lady and live a hundred years...”

“Ah, show me!”

While Jowik and Liam fought, Iseze quietly took the portrait.

Kazin stepped closer and looked at it too.

“......”

“......”

Both stared blankly.

Neither had ever had their gaze stolen so completely.

Jowik shouted,

“Give it back─”

Then—

Bang─!!

The door opened, and Erilot entered the waiting room with the hooded boy who had been appointed Western Army’s number two.

“Get ready. It’s almost your turn.”

Jowik, tangled with Liam, asked,

“What? Was the match between Eastern and Central armies canceled? Why so soon...?”

“The match is over. Central Army won decisively. Eastern Army couldn’t last even two minutes.”

“Really?! That’s impossible!”

“Yeah, now we have to face those impossible ones...”

Erilot’s face hardened.

At that moment,

Jowik’s portrait fluttered down at Erilot’s feet.

Erilot frowned and picked it up.

“Whose is this... huh?”

Erilot flinched upon seeing the portrait and crumpled the paper.

“W-Wonha!”

Jowik cried out, but Erilot hid the paper behind her back and didn’t return it.

‘What is this?!’

Why do they have portraits of my future # Nоvеlight # self?!