Riding the Tiger's Back
With the sudden downpour, the river, which had been running shallow, was rising rapidly.
Grand General Bardomir Aljan Kraus of the Zenith Kingdom, anxiously assessing the state of the battle, looked over at her.
“We cannot,” he said. “We must push forward now. If we retreat hastily, our losses will only be greater.”
“Strategist...”
She spoke quietly.
“Bardomir, do you happen to know the phrase *riding the tiger's back*?”
“...A situation where one has mounted a tiger.”
“Indeed. And now, we cannot dismount. Whether we live or die... depends entirely on our judgment at this very moment.”
The Elium Kingdom's army was slowly but surely being pushed back. The onslaught was enough to render even their geographical advantage useless. Though the rain poured, it did not alter the fundamental difference in the quality and training of the soldiers. Moreover, rain does not choose sides. If anyone was to suffer from the weather, it would not be the Zenith Kingdom's forces alone.
The tide of victory was still theirs. Her golden eyes gleamed through the sheets of rain.
Despite the rain, the front line was growing increasingly unfavorable. This was entirely expected. Rain did not grant any magical buffs. The Grand General was merely relieved that the Elium Kingdom's forces, though consumed by a heavy sense of defeat, had not let their lines collapse in an instant.
The man from the East stood quietly in his place amidst this urgent crisis, as if nothing out of the ordinary were happening. Above all, this was a meticulously planned retreat—one kept secret from the common soldiers.
Once the retreat was complete and the last of the kingdom's forces had pulled back to the designated distance, he quietly raised his hand. It was a signal.
Though the official commander of this army was Arsen Walter Crane, at the man's gesture, a nearby soldier immediately rushed forward and raised a flag high.
“Raise the red flag!!!”
No one stopped the sentry's shout. The red flag. It was a single signal. A method of communication stationed at regular intervals along the fortress walls. As the red flags were hoisted one after another, the crimson streak raced toward the horizon before vanishing into a tiny speck.
Rumble, rumble, rumble—
The Zenith Kingdom soldiers positioned near the riverbank were the first to notice the anomaly. The ground was vibrating.
“What is this?” A soldier who had reached the middle of the river turned his head.
The sound of something shattering and collapsing.
Crash! Boom!
An ear-splitting explosion, tearing through heaven and earth, was drawing closer. The soldier's face slowly drained of color.
“R-Run!”
BOOM—!
Unfortunately, the soldier's voice never reached anyone. A far more colossal roar swallowed everything in its path. A massive torrent of water, like a wild beast carving through mountains and turning the heavens upside down, crashed down upon the battlefield.
“Aaaargh!” “Save me!” “No!!!”
Soldiers were swept away, vanishing into the black waves. The Elium soldiers who had reached the safety of the riverbank watched the scene and let out collective sighs of relief.
Arsen recalled the words the Divine Healer habitually spoke.
“There is a saying in the East, Lord Arsen.”
◈ Acting Capable of Deceiving Even Demons
◈ A Poker Face Stronger Than an Elder Dwarf's
◈ Eloquence Capable of Persuading Even a Red Dragon
“*Riding the tiger's back*.”
“It is a fine phrase, meaning that once you have mounted a tiger, you must not stop until you have seen it through to the end. However, I do not particularly care for it.”
“For in the end, the will of the gods...”
BOOM! A bolt of lightning struck a nearby tree.
“...has already decided who shall live and who shall die.”
Crack, crack, crack! The scorched, smoldering tree split down the middle.
Thud!
Through the gap, I looked at the Grand General, holding my fan and wearing a profound, enigmatic expression.
“...Is that not so, Grand General?”
At the man's question, the Grand General could not easily find his words. Just moments ago—the instant the world lit up as bright as day. Beyond that blinding flash, he had clearly seen the man's face. It was only a few seconds, a fleeting instant. But in that brief window, there was a distinct expression.
On that face, there was neither joy over the battle's victory nor even a hint of satisfaction at the success of his strategy. There was only an emotionless void. As if all of this had been preordained from the very beginning. A face of absolute certainty, as if this was the only outcome anyone could have possibly reached.
Arsen remained utterly speechless, even amidst the heat of victory.
A bolt of lightning just struck right next to me. I almost died on the spot.
The corners of my mouth, which had been twitching with relief over our victory, firmly shut once more.
After that incident, the way people viewed me changed completely. The proof was in their attitudes, which had shifted so drastically that anyone could see it. First of all, the guards who used to watch my every move vanished, and my quarters were upgraded to accommodations fit for high-ranking officers.
When I entered the command tent after being summoned by a soldier, Arsen was already on his feet, ready to greet me. And there was another unfamiliar face in the room.
“Lord Arsen?”
“Ah, you have arrived. I trust I did not disturb your rest?”
“Not at all.”
Ever since that day, the Grand General's manner of speaking had shifted to highly formal, respectful honorifics. He also seems to be avoiding my gaze, keeping his eyes lowered. Surely, I'm just imagining things.
As my gaze drifted to the side, Arsen spoke first.
“This is a child hailed as a prodigy in the kingdom. I have summoned her to participate in this strategic council.”
...I see.
“Well...” Arsen trailed off, looking somewhat awkward.
Only then did I realize. I had never actually told him my name. What should I call myself? Using my real name, Kim Doyun, didn't feel quite right. Adapting to this fantasy world seemed like a better option.
“Doyunes.” I met his eyes and spoke. “You may call me Kaimu Doyunes.”
My name doesn't really matter anyway. I'm planning to seek asylum eventually, after all.
“Lord Doyunes!”
The real problem came right after.
“No, Prophet! I am Arcana Seo Yerin of the Arcana family! Please, call me Yerin!”
The young girl, who had been staring at me with sparkling eyes ever since I walked into the tent, leaped forward the moment Arsen finished his introduction.
“I promise... I won't be a b-burden at all!”
“Ah! Please bestow your teachings upon me, Lord Doyunes!”
Her cheeks were puffed up, white and round like steamed buns. It was an incredibly endearing sight just to look at. Honestly, I'd love to teach her something if I could. Really. But the catch is... I don't know anything either.
Arsen also seemed slightly flustered by Yerin's sudden outburst. This clearly hadn't been part of his plan.
In the end, I relented. I couldn't bring myself to reject a child making such a face right to my nose. Besides, she looks like she won't leave me alone until she gets what she wants.
Grand General Arsen also approached with an apologetic expression, whispering that it would only be for a few days at most.
On my way back to my quarters, a street stall converted from a carriage near the barracks caught my eye. I spotted a fan there. The one I had been using before was a makeshift piece that had quickly broken. The one thing I lacked... was the final touch to complete my mystical aura.
I bought the fan immediately.
When I unfurled the fan—decorated with Eastern-style drawings of deer, trees, and all sorts of beasts—and turned around, Yerin's face flushed slightly. I guess it looks pretty decent even by this world's standards.
“It's beautiful,” she said.
I smiled at Yerin's words and cast my gaze across the river. The river ran dark. The enemy forces had still not fully retreated. Among them, a single figure standing at the very front of the riverbank caught my eye.
Black clothing. Ram horns on both sides of her head. And golden eyes. An unrealistic, ethereal beauty.
The Divine Strategist.
With the continuous rain, the river's water level had risen even higher than before. It was an incredibly disadvantageous situation for an attacker. Yet, the fact that she still remained without retreating meant she was undoubtedly preparing some sort of countermeasure. Perhaps it was...
“They are royalty, Lord Doyunes!”
At Yerin's shout, I stopped my train of thought and turned my head. In front of the Grand General's command tent, a carriage bearing a vivid royal crest came to a halt. From inside, two people stepped out. A boy and a girl.
Soon, Yerin's explanation followed.
“I heard that most of the royal family perished in this war. Those two are the only surviving royals in the line of succession. The dispatch said they were sent here to boost morale following this victory, but...”
Yerin paused, tilting her head slightly.
“The timing is far too coincidental. Even if it's close to the capital, this is a dangerous place that was a battlefield until just recently. It makes no sense to send the sole remaining heirs here.”
I saw the Grand General emerge from his tent and pay them the utmost respect. Watching them, I made my way back to the tent assigned to me. I have a few things I need to do starting now as well. And for those tasks, I absolutely need the help of the little girl standing beside me, Yerin. In truth, this was one of the reasons why I hadn't rejected Arsen's or the child's requests.
The ominous premonition I felt did not take long to become reality.
When I entered the command tent upon Arsen's summons, everyone was already gathered. Once I took my place, the Grand General carefully placed a black stone onto the map.
“We received intelligence a short while ago. The Zenith Kingdom's fleet is currently sailing north along the swollen river. They are expected to arrive... in about two days.”
The council room instantly erupted into a clamor. Tension gripped the faces of the officers, and the princess and prince turned pale in an instant.
As for me? I wasn't particularly shocked. I had already expected this to some degree.
My opponent is the 'Divine Strategist,' Rachel Auf Krin.
She was not someone who relied on mere intellect. She was a quintessential pragmatist, never hesitating to employ underhanded schemes if necessary. She would have undoubtedly used the guise of negotiations to lower our guard while quietly buying time for an invasion behind our backs.
The proof of that was the sudden arrival of the princess and prince on the front lines. It was highly likely she had requested their presence first, claiming that royalty was needed for the negotiations.
The leadership was still buzzing with panic over the news Arsen had delivered. Since I had already deduced all of this, I quietly closed my eyes, which were exhausted from staying up late investigating the night before.