Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 308: This Is the Еnd

Because of the sudden ambush, Epinnel was momentarily thrown into confusion—but deep down, she let out a quiet sigh of relief.

If we sent troops here, then it must have disrupted the enemy’s main formation too!

That meant it was safe.

They could commune with the heavens again.

In other words, Serpina’s schemes had been successfully thwarted.

Even if their forces suffered some degree of losses, as long as they threw the enemy's formation into disarray, the mission would still be considered a success.

Now, she just had to trust in Yuri. Trust in her comrades.

It all sounded ridiculous—but what she had seen with her own eyes until now had been strong enough evidence to support this ridiculous path, and so, up until this moment, Epinnel hadn’t been particularly shaken.

But then—

As expected, despite gradually being pushed back...

Nothing happened.

What...?

Shouldn’t lightning be striking the enemy by now? Or shouldn’t an earthquake have erupted out of nowhere?

Why... why was nothing happening?

Had they not disrupted the enemy’s formation enough?

Epinnel pulled her horse back, climbed a nearby hill, and quickly scanned the battlefield.

This is...?

The battlefield was indeed chaotic. Enemy and allied forces tangled in messy combat.

Her forces were clearly being overwhelmed, but there was no sign that the enemy was holding any sort of strange formation.

Then why... why is nothing happening?

Thump. Thump.

Epinnel’s heart started pounding.

Just from fear, from the lack of answers, from the inescapable truth that there were many things in this world that defied explanation—

the unease she had buried deep within her heart began to rise again.

No way...

That unease slowly took form and whispered to her:

What if Anima was right?

No. That couldn’t be.

Serpina staged all of this herself?

That she destroyed her own fortress, stalled her army again and again, let deserters run free—and all of it went exactly according to her plan?

That was absurd.

Think about it—

If it was all a farce, then their prayers had meant nothing.

Serpina would have personally used magic to demolish her own fortress, killed her own soldiers, wasted supplies by repeatedly advancing and retreating the front line, and deliberately allowed desertion—

And for what?

If she really did all of that, there should be something she gained. But there wasn’t, was there?

Even Anima couldn’t prove anything, which was why she couldn’t stop Epinnel or Yuri.

Epinnel’s opinion hadn’t changed since then.

Unless Serpina stood to gain something from all of that—

She was still thinking that when—

Ah...!!!!!

Epinnel’s eyes widened in shock.

Only then.

Only then did the lightning strike.

Not literally—it didn’t come from the sky. It struck her mind.

Don’t tell me... this exact moment... this is what Serpina was aiming for?!

No matter ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) the process, outcomes held great weight.

Given this outcome, it made perfect sense to believe Serpina had gone through all that trouble to bring about this very moment.

She couldn’t say it clearly.

There was no evidence or definitive proof.

It was a gut feeling—a warrior’s instinct, refined through countless battles.

But now she finally understood.

It felt like Serpina had wanted them to react exactly like this.

In that case, her objective—

To exhaust our national resources?

The Aishus Army had launched this strategically foolish ambush because they believed “they were connected to the heavens, and Serpina was interfering with that link.”

If Serpina’s grand illusion was real, then she had goaded them into wasting time and treasure on expanding their altars.

Finally, a plausible reason had emerged.

But even so, there was something she couldn’t explain.

Wait... did she really have to go that far?

If the Aishus Army were barely holding on, maybe it’d make sense.

But Serpina’s forces could attack whenever they pleased.

There was no way Aishus could defeat them—under any circumstances.

If Serpina’s goal was merely to drain their resources, the amount of time and supplies she spent wouldn’t be worth it.

It was a terrible trade from her perspective.

Then what was the real objective?

...Snap out of it!

Epinnel forced herself to stop thinking.

She wasn’t that kind of genius. She could grasp strategy and tactics on the battlefield, but when it came to the political games beyond it—those were Anima’s domain.

So she stopped analyzing and focused on what needed to be done now.

If Serpina’s real objective was just this current situation—then the battle was already lost.

Their ambush had been exposed and turned into a mess. Their soldiers would be annihilated at an alarming pace,

and the last defensive troops at Valharat Castle would fall.

It was only a matter of time before the white flag was raised.

Yuri would be captured.

Their liege. The only one who could lead the Aishus Army.

Even if she was emotionally broken now, her survival was still absolutely critical for the future.

To be captured by Serpina was essentially a death sentence. That was the cruel reality.

What was the best thing Epinnel could do?

Should she stay and die here, proving her loyalty?

Meaningless.

Throwing away her life would betray her pride—the belief that achieving results was the true sign of devotion.

There was only one option.

Save Yuri. No matter what.

Then...!

Without informing the tens of thousands of soldiers around her, Epinnel closed her eyes and quietly withdrew from the battlefield.

A commander deserting the front lines—under normal circumstances, that would be unforgivable.

But right now, Epinnel had no rationality left to weigh her decisions.

Damn it...!

All she could do was repeat that silent, bitter cry—

Again and again, into the void.

***

Just a little earlier—

In the old, worn-down estate nestled in the mountains where she had once secluded herself, Anima was trying to cool her head.

Is it really okay to just let this happen?

No matter how she looked at it, the idea that their army had connected with the heavens and was now pushing Serpina back with miraculous power felt like a fairytale—not something grounded in reality.

And yet, just as Epinnel had said, there was no proof she could present to Yuri to show that it wasn’t true.

On top of that, Yuri was in a state beyond reason—an uncontrollable frenzy.

Even in a country teetering on the brink of collapse, Anima knew well that shaking the throne at the wrong time could spell ruin.

What can I do...?

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

After some time passed, she finally arrived at Valharat Castle—

Only to hear—

“They said... it’s an invasion...?”

“Yes! Lady Epinnel specifically asked us to relay the message to you!”

The soldier waiting at the gates confirmed the ominous feeling that had been building inside her.

Why... why now, of all times...?!

At this point, Anima couldn’t help but curse her miserable fate.

She had trained in swordsmanship, only to lose an arm in an accident.

When war broke out, she ended up as a prisoner under Serpina of all people.

She’d survived a plague, which should have been a blessing—

But when Emma died, she couldn’t shake the thought that maybe Emma had died in her place.

And now—just when she had stepped away for a moment, this was the news that greeted her.

“...Where is Epinnel?”

“She departed for the front immediately.”

She left? Not to defend the castle, but to launch a counteroffensive?

It was obvious they couldn’t win like that.

But there’s no way Epinnel would act so recklessly. I have to believe in her now.

Anima repeated that to herself and moved quickly toward the command center where the remaining defensive troops were being managed.

The only thing she could do now was believe in her comrades.

And, whatever they were thinking, create an environment where they could be supported no matter what.

The situation was so dire, she found herself truly hoping that Yuri’s miracles would become real.

That Emma and Hernandorf might actually be watching over them from the heavens.

Yeah. With all the proof we've seen, with magic clearly real... there's no such thing as an impossible miracle anymore...!!

As she waited, scanning the battlefield from atop the castle wall—

She spotted a lone figure galloping toward them on horseback.

Epinnel...?

***

“What happened? The battle—? The soldiers—?”

Anima fired off questions the moment Epinnel reached the top of the wall.

But Epinnel didn’t answer a single one.

“Anima. Listen to me carefully. We don’t have much time.”

“W-What? What are you talking about?”

“Take Yuri, and a handful of soldiers—whoever you can—and hide in the most remote place you can find.”

“Hide? You mean retreat? To Laccline Castle? Or maybe to Zeta Castle up north? And what about the troops who went out to intercept—”

“Yuri.”

Epinnel cut her off in a single breath.

And then, looking at Anima with a serious expression she had never shown before—

Not since the day they swore to live as comrades, bonded by shared blood beyond even the ties of master and disciple—

She said:

“The Aishus Army... ends here.”