I Am Being Mistaken for a Genius Strategist

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The road leading to the Royal Capital of Dedorant was filled with barricades.

The resistance to prevent any unauthorized access was fierce.

The Dedorant’s Deductions Officers maintained discipline while encouraging our troops.

A handful of soldiers had stubbornly hidden away to cut off supply lines for the rear.

For a time, this strategy proved effective. The Empire’s supplies were disrupted for about a month.

Thanks to the presence of the Deductions Officers, even conscripts fought fiercely at the defensive strongholds and castles.

Every drop of the enemy’s blood spilled was met with an equally heavy toll of our Empire’s blood.

However, nothing lasts forever. What will crumble will crumble, and what will break will break.

First, I resolved the supply issue by proposing to assign all the Wizards to the Transportation Unit.

Those who had become shadows of the dead would likely never realize why they were detected until the very end.

With the troublesome folks at the rear gone, supplies were successfully resumed in abundance.

Instead of weakening, our offensives sharpened with each passing day.

At this point, no matter how formidable the Dedorant’s Deductions Officers were, they were outnumbered.

[ Ah! I am Schnoud, living in the Shulzian region of the Kingdom! The Empire has treated me well as a prisoner, and I’m getting by! Contrary to what the Deductions Officers say, there’s no mass slaughter or starvation! Would you believe it if I said the food is even tastier than when I was with the Dedorant Army?! ]

On one occasion, I brought previously surrendered Dedorant soldiers to inform them of the situation before their comrades.

[ To the Dedorant! Half of Benito has retreated from the frontlines. Now only half of Benito remains, and soon the other half will fall to the Empire. Is your glory truly guaranteed? Rather than cling to hollow words, wouldn’t it be better to hold onto your lives? Think of your parents, your wives, and your children. The Empire harms no one who surrenders. ]

Sometimes, I’d officially recommend surrender under the name of the Imperial Army while sharing the current news.

[ What is happening in DeGale? An unprecedented famine is striking. Crops are being taken as they sprout, and those who should be working are all taken away—it’s only natural. Atria has become a de facto vassal despite its name as brothers. Is this what you claim to be the excellence of the Deo Ethnicity? ]

Once, when I heatedly criticized them, it was only natural for the high-ranking officials of Dedorant to jump in agitation.

The rear was somewhat manageable. The problem lay at the front, where those hearing these broadcasts had to endure the pressure directly.

There were more conscripts than seasoned soldiers at the castles as some experienced soldiers aimed for the rear or prepared for counterattacks.

With the Deductions Officers having drilled it into their minds that they’d die if they ventured out, believing that surrender would lead to their demise at the hands of the Empire, was the prevailing mindset.

As the Empire lingered for days, their brainwashing naturally began to loosen.

“Food is running out. What should we do now?”

Meanwhile, the strongholds and castles under siege by the Empire began suffering from shortages.

Even the Empire had to halt its advance for nearly two months when their supply system faltered.

At this rate, could Dedorant possibly endure while actively engaging in daily defensive battles?

“I’m starving. I’m starving…”

“Damn it. Are you kidding? Giving a half potato for a day’s survival?”

“If you’re bringing us this far, at least you should provide proper food!”

Now, they lacked the strength even to hold weapons for battle.

As starvation became dire, the command structure faltered, and the brainwashing weakened.

“…What’s happening?”

Having grasped the situation of Dedorant, the Chief of Staff decided to add fuel to the fire.

From a safe distance, the entire attacking Imperial Army was given a bounty of meat.

Though alcohol was not permitted on the battlefield, that was enough.

As the smell and smoke of cooking meat wafted into the defensive strongholds, Dedorant was thrown into disarray.

Surely, they had claimed this war was for the glory of the Deo Ethnicity.

Hadn’t they said that if they merely persevered against the Empire, they would earn their recognition?

It was with faith in those who had boasted so confidently that they left their homes and journeyed here.

While we shed tears over a single potato, they partied with meat.

In every respect, we were not superior to them.

But did they really have any reason to deceive and harm us?

In this state, wouldn’t it be better to bow before the Empire rather than cling to the glory of the Deo Ethnicity?

“You fools! Get a grip and stay alert!”

“The Empire is squeezing every last ounce of strength it has! As we continue to succeed in our defenses, they’re trying to weaken us with such ugly tactics to take this place!”

“The Empire is evil. They’ll kill us all and target our wives and daughters! We must never weaken! For the glory of the Deo Ethnicity!”

The seasoned soldiers, Deductions Officers, and the Commander among the conscripts raised their voices.

In the process, there were instances where violence was used to suppress dissent, leading to uprisings in some defensive strongholds as the conscripts could no longer endure the pressure.

“I don’t care about the Deo Ethnicity or anything else! I’m about to starve to death!”

“If I die, who will protect my wife and my one daughter? If I’m to die, let it be you bastards!”

“Surrendering to the Empire might lead to death. But sticking with you guarantees my end! So I’d rather kill you and try to surrender instead!”

Thus, the outermost defensive strongholds and castles began falling one by one into the Empire’s grasp.

Dedorant was stunned at the news and started tightening the remaining forces even more terrifyingly.

If they surrendered, they threatened that their families would be thrown into the inferno.

They would be swinging lifeless bodies before the Empire even came to rescue them.

“The Empire’s broadcasting magic is a problem. We must respond! Prepare yourselves!”

The Dedorant Command aimed to deploy their own broadcasting magic to counter the Empire.

Mainly targeting the Empire’s treachery and their ambition to completely seize control of the continent.

Was what you’re doing befitting of a name like Empire? Such were the sentiments expressed.

It felt somewhat odd, but this was all Dedorant had to play; there was no room for negotiation.

[ The Emperor of the Empire is truly a deceitful being. Despite holding vast lands, he is unwilling to give us, the Deo Ethnicity, even the western territory and thus resorts to such deeds. Is this the behavior one would expect from those bearing the name of Empire?! ]

The Empire’s army had only one reaction to hearing that: “What nonsense are those bastards spouting?”

When you think about it, all of this began with Dedorant; the Empire got dragged into it.

Hadn’t they engulfed Atria, occupied DeGale, and allied with Benito to squeeze the Empire?

Even if it were just a Kingdom, it would have felt unease at such acts of aggression.

The war eventually started in response to the warnings; why complain about deceit?

“…Is it that our Dedorant friends still have some capacity to endure?”

Kael could not hide his displeasure at those words.

Insulting the Emperor and the Empire was, in the end, insulting himself and his family.

Having crossed that line, something snapped away.

“Aide.”

“Yes, Chief of Staff.”

“The herring I brought from Benito, we still have plenty left, right?”

“Yes. I believe some of it has been passed to the Transportation Unit to mess with the Dedorant Army, and there should still be some remaining.”

“Good. Then let’s salt all of it, put it in wooden barrels, and seal it after a while.”

You bastards are spewing filth; we shall return the favor with corresponding bombshells.

Without a second thought, Kael resolved to conduct a cruel chemical attack.

Later, when the Imperial Army marches in, well. They probably wouldn’t want to die either, so they’d take care of it beforehand.

When has an attacker ever considered the defender’s feelings?

*

Days later. The Imperial Army passed the surrendered locations and moved to the next defensive stronghold.

They placed something new, crafted by their Chief of Staff, onto their catapults.

“…I think I’m going to puke.”

“That’s why I told you to cover your nose and mouth.”

“It doesn’t help, so I took it off.”

“Honestly, same here. I think I’m doing better since my sense of smell is numbed.”

What on earth had our genius strategist concocted?

Holding back the urge to faint at the stench, the Imperial engineering corps moved the siege weapon to deliver Kael’s special gift to the Dedorant side.

“I’m worried.”

“Worried about what?”

“Isn’t this being punished for our sins? Using such atrocious weapons. Our Chief of Staff must really dislike Dedorant.”

“What are you saying? What more humane weapon is there than this? I think it’s rather the Chief of Staff showing mercy.”

Shortly after. Dedorant, receiving the secret weapon via catapult, was left in shock.

The first reason was the hellish stench that felt like something out of a nightmare.

The second reason was that they were on the brink of starving to death while their enemies were indulging in feasts.

The final reason was discovering soldiers shedding tears as they picked up and ate the food.

At this point, no matter how much they were brainwashed or intoxicated by the glory of the Deo Ethnicity, they would begin to cool their heads and reflect on their situation.

Behind them stood superiors shouting to fight, promising death to anyone who surrenders.

In front of them were the Imperial soldiers, urging them to surrender to save their own lives.

“…We’ve done all we can.”

The insanity of the Command had yet to waver, but those themselves were separated from the battlefield.

For those experiencing the hell of war right before their eyes, the madness and poison bore no meaning.

If only they could fill this empty stomach, Dedorant or the Empire mattered not.