“It won’t be easy. There are only two ways to send supplies from the capital to Terudam. A waterway that directly connects the capital to Terudam, and a land route that goes through the mountains. Is there another way I don’t know?”

“No. Terudam is originally a difficult terrain for people to move around, so it’s called an impregnable fortress.”

“That’s the problem. Can’t we predict that there are only two paths and they’re for the remnants? No matter how much the knights follow, it will be difficult to protect the wagons carrying the supplies like a mountain.”

“Even if they hide and shoot flaming arrows, the provisions are doomed.”

“Without provisions, there’s no point for the knights to arrive.”

Elysia, who had been silently scanning the strategy board, continued.

“The enemy commander is quite exceptional. Knowing that it’s an impregnable fortress, instead of colliding with force, he burns the food storehouse in the castle in advance with planted traitors and then surrounds it to starve. That’s his strategy.”

The low voice of Elysia, which was usually gentle, was that of a strategist wandering the battlefield in her past.

“In the worst case, we might end up using those isolated in Terudam as bait to annihilate the remnants.”

“……There are too many talents dispatched to Terudam. I would like to avoid sacrificing all of them.”

On the huge strategic board, which was more than 1/20,000 the actual size of the mountains, fields, and village, the four main characters of the country silently sought ways to procure the provisions.

The stakes were the lives of tens of thousands, or perhaps hundreds of thousands.

“……”

At some point, even the sound of chewing cookies stopped and it was quiet enough for her to think her soninlaw had become silent, but Evelia was also focusing her gaze with her hand, which had been moving toward the bowl, stopped.

“You can’t fool blood.”

The emperor, Calaile, who had glanced at the stillsmall princess, gave a helpless smile.

The young princess, who seemed busy and distracted due to her young age of eight, was pointing out the terrain with clear eyes. As if she was running through the mountains and fields herself.

Following the emperor’s gaze, Elysia focused her gaze on her daughter’s serious face.

‘She was always more interested in military affairs than other stories. I didn’t know she would be so focused.’

Elysia asked gently.

“Do you have a good idea, dear?”

Evelia raised her hand over the strategy board without answering, holding the black and white pieces.

Her two feet, which had not yet reached the ground, were dangling in the air. The table was high for her height, and even with her waist bent, she had to raise her shoulders to reach the table with her small hand.

Hugo, finding her form of holding the large piece in her hand and moving it around cute, let out an inappropriate laugh considering the situation.

The emperor leaned comfortably back in his chair.

“It’s been an hour already. Let’s take a break while the princess plays with the strategy board.”

As they were tired from the long meeting, Hugo and Ludwig also leaned comfortably and picked up their teacups.

“Dear, don’t tear the strategy board.”

“Eve, you can’t break the necks of those pieces.”

“Shush.”

Towards Calaile, Hugo, and Ludwig, who were about to continue their relaxed chatter, Elysia brought her index finger to her lips and warned them to be quiet.

Having personally taught Evelia tactics, Elysia knew well. There was no reason for her young daughter to show such serious interest without reason.

Calaile and Ludwig just thought it was a mother’s consideration for her daughter and let out a low laugh.

The difficult problem that even the main characters of a country could not answer in a short time. How much could a child know?

Hugo and Calaile rubbed their dry eyes and relaxed their shoulders, enjoying a brief rest. But the clear answer from the child was completely unexpected.

“Kingdom of Gios.”

The small hand, like a fern, was drawing the route of the supplies with a “tok, tok”, even outside the given strategy board.

“The Kingdom of Gios? Why suddenly the Kingdom of Gios…. Wait a moment!”

“….!”

Carlisle straightened his back. A rush of realization swept through him, making his spine tingle. Hugo, who had spent his lifetime considering battlefields as home, was so stunned he couldn’t even utter a word of admiration.

“Ah…!”

Ludwig, a beat slower than the adults in understanding the implication, looked back at his little friend with chills of awe.

Seeing that no one had any appropriate response, Evelia once again pointed out the edge of the strategic map.

Here. Here it is. Don’t you understand? She explained patiently, tilting her head.

“There’s no need for the food delivery to necessarily come from our empire. Buy it at triple the price from the Kingdom of Geos. It’s a merchant’s duty to deliver large quantities of goods to the desired location. Let’s set Terdam as the delivery point.”