The imperial war council room is nothing like a place for debate.It's an arena.
Women—each more highly ranked than the next—take their places around the obsidian-black table. Armors. Capes. Scars. And not a trace of patience.
When Anna enters, following her mother's request and escorted by Majjid, a chilling wave sweeps through the room.
Medus scoffs.— "What is this? Another whim of Marquise Fort Diamond?"
Rock, already standing, barely turns her head.— "We're not here to play guessing games. That child has no place in this room."
And Rubi, as usual, fires back without hesitation, driven by her fierce temper:— "I'd wager she knows more than half of you in here."
— "What? Has your fanaticism made you blind, Rubi?"
But Tales, herself an Anna devotee, takes the insult personally:— "Sir Medus, is your generalissimo questioning the Empress's decisions?"
General Medus, an older woman, turns pale at Tales's accusation—but that doesn't cool her frustration.
Zyon, also new to this kind of war council, feels completely lost. And she's afraid someone might start suspecting her too.
But this is war.And in this room, doubt reigns. They test, they question. And Anna—Anna is nothing if not uncertain. She still looks far too young.
The Empress doesn't move. Her voice falls, sharp as a blade:— "Let her speak. If she utters a single useless word, I'll have her removed. Zeta will take over. Is that clear?"
Anna simply nods. Then she steps toward the table. Her stride wavers. Her eyes flutter, unsure of where to look.
All eyes are on her.And each one feels like a blade.
Diamond suddenly feels a bit worried for her daughter. But Anna is not the type to shrink away in front of some title. She speaks up suddenly, with fierceness:— "From what I understand of the situation, Phype's strategy is simple: a rapid diagonal breakthrough from the north to disrupt the marquisate's defense. They want to seize it to prepare for a "spearhead" assault—quick, straight toward the capital."
She pauses, then looks at her mother:— "You called me to see if sending you there as quickly as possible is feasible, didn't you, Mother? You're wondering whether it's possible—or if not, whether there are any alternatives."
Diamond and the Empress simply nod.
She unrolls a map.— "I'm afraid we have no other choice but to send you—and Aunt Rubi—to stop their offensive. If we wait any longer, the Empire could be swallowed within two days, no more. And if that happens, we'll have a hard time winning this war."
Everyone in the room is stunned. They thought Anna was too young to even grasp the situation—but not only does she understand it, she's fully aware of the danger, even without it being explicitly laid out.
But the problem still isn't solved. The Empress raises an eyebrow, adding pressure:— "So? You're dancing around it, girl. We're running out of time."
Anna hesitates a little, but finally says it:— "I can generate horse-enhancement circles using my magna reserves—enough for the two of them to reach the target in sixteen hours."
Medus finally snaps:— "That's nonsense. Animals can't be used as circle conduits, and no one's ever done that before. I've heard enough—"
But the Empress cuts her off cold:— "Medus! Shall I remind you who rules this room?"— "Forgive my insolence, Your Majesty."— "Continue, little Anna. You seemed hesitant earlier."
Anna stays focused. It seems likes thoses things don't really affect her anymore. She starts forming a strategy:— "Your Majesty, this war might not just be a dance of knightess. I mean, their knightess are just prowling through the city. They don't really know where to strike to have maximum impact. They're still gathering intel on our territory. And this expedition should lead them to the Great Plain."
Diamond has a reflex—she activates her magic phone using her magna, murmuring:— "Of course. Why didn't I think of that?"
Shire's voice echoes from the wooden tablet. The generals are just overwhelmed at this point. Anna's last remarks were already hard to grasp, and now there's a device that transmits voices? Unheard of.
— "Your Excellency?"— "Shire! Order the Marquisate of Rush's main knightess force to head to the main granary. They are to wait for the enemy on the Western Great Plain. Tell the rest of the knightess to focus on the ones prowling through the city. Pressure them with numbers—use the mirage strategy. You know how it works."— "Understood, Your Excellency… Oh! I see where you're going with this. That's brilliant."
Now, finally, all the generals understand what's happening.
In chess terms, it's like cutting off two enemy knights with a single knight and three pawns.They have the terrain and the timing on their side—so it's a playable move.
General Zeta is convinced that with all of this: "the amazing communation technologie, Diamond strategy" even the two days that once seemed like a nightmare could very well be manageable for the Empire—if she takes command.
But if Anna had learned anything from her brother Rias, it was this: you must always consider all possibilities. And among them, choose the one with the greatest return.
So even before Commander-in-Chief Zeta could say a word, Anna jumps in:— "The Empire's army needs to split into two. The faster, more efficient force should head toward the Gliant in the south of Rush. Meanwhile, the battalion with the infantry should go to Rush."
But this time it's Zyon who contradicts Anna:— "But aren't their knightess coming from the north? From the direction of Marquis Asart? That's probably conquered territory. I think we should liberate it first."
And now it's Zeta who defends Anna:— "You're mistaken, Princess. Asart hasn't been conquered—Asart is surrendering willingly. That's for certain. The South is closer to Phype's capital. While the Phypes assume we're unaware, they'll likely circle around the continent and enter quietly through the Marquisate of Rush, minimizing losses by securing the Gliant. They're banking on a blitzkrieg—fast, coordinated strikes based on intel, communication, and speed. But they don't know that we're faster than them."
Zeta looks at Anna—her expression, stern until now, finally softens into a smile. Anna continues; everyone in the room is now paying close attention to her.
Then Majiid, the Empire's Commander-in-Chief, speaks:— "I think it's time we get moving. We all already know who's going where. But I want to recommend that Anna Fort De Rush stay here to help unmask the traitor. Her insight would be valuable—I don't want to delay the investigation of the guests any longer. Besides, I don't think it would be wise to let an asset like her be lost on the battlefield."
— "I'll be with you as soon as I place the reinforcement circles on my mother's and Aunt Rubi's horses."
In total astonishment, the Empress asks her:— "But did you really think it was possible to enhance animals like that?"
The generals are just as curious as the Queen.Anna answers:— "There's no issue with the circle itself. But riding such horses for hours and hours… that definitely won't be without risks."
The generals burst out laughing—Diamond and Rubi included. Anna just looks at them with her usual innocence and naivety. She doesn't understand what's so funny.
The Empress throws a few words at her—hard to tell if they're meant as a compliment or not. But in any case, they're true.— "For a moment, I almost thought you were some kind of monster fallen from the sky. But in the end, you're still just a child. Just way too smart for your age."
Anna smiles shyly, touched by the Empress's words.It's the first time in her life that she's accomplished something by herself—without being prompted or guided by Rias.This is her moment of glory.
Then all the women leave the war room. The generals start donning their armor. The commander of the imperial guard issues orders to secure all documents and detain personnel for questioning.
Zyon, arms crossed, watches Anna from the top of the hall through the window. Down below, Anna is drawing reinforcement circles on the backs of Diamond's and Rubi's horses. Zyon replays Anna's feats of the day in her mind, analyzing and assessing.But more than anything—she feels insecure.
Diamond and Rubi each arm themselves with a sword.As soon as Anna activates the spell, they ride off immediately—on their "Sabotage and Delay" mission.Meanwhile, Anna and Majiid head back inside the castle to begin their investigation.
4o