I was completely dumbfounded that morning. How did she overcome so many with only two? I wondered, thinking back to her words and trying to come up with a strategy she could have implemented. Who am I kidding? Even with more Int, I still have a long way to go, I thought to myself as I looked at Commander Daphne's back.

  We snuck in undetected and were now using the Empire's forests, which continued past the Abandoned Woods as cover, but I couldn't figure out what she wanted to do next. Heck, I can't even fathom why anyone would want to invade the Empire with such a small force. If I were her, I'd use my incredible talents to develop a defensive battle strategy that'd help the Kingdom fight off the invaders, but my thoughts would soon be interrupted.

  "Time to set up camp!" Kimmel ordered in a loud voice. He was like the second-in-command of this Company, and now that Commander Daphne had taken me as her apprentice, I didn't know where I stood with him or pretty much any of her party members. My fellow soldiers didn't want anything to do with me either, so I'd usually set up my tent far away from theirs, preferably in a pce where they couldn't see me. As I ate my bread and drank my water, Kimmel approached me on horseback, so I hurriedly stood up and saluted,

  "Sir!" I'd done this hundreds of times in the army, but the movements were a bit stiff this time.

  "There's no need for that. You are Daphne's apprentice," He said with a reassuring smile.

  "Er, may I ask why you are here?" I tentatively inquired.

  "Daphne asked me to call you," was his reply.

  "Oh, uhm, tell her I'm coming!" I said, quickly devouring my remaining bread and finishing my water as Kimmel rode back. I was bubbling with excitement for the first time in what felt like ages. I'd finally be able to learn about strategy, and I couldn't help but wonder what she was going to teach me on my way there. Formations? Military history? Or famous tactics? I couldn't wait to find out as I entered the Commander's tent. Woah! It's like a world of white, I thought to myself as I gawked at the ceiling, floor, doors, and the roundtable at the center of the vast tent interior, where the Commander was sitting with a rge map of the Empire id out before her.

  "Hey!" She greeted me with a beaming smile and a wave as soon as our eyes met, and I didn't know what to say for a moment.

  "Commander Daphne, I've—"

  "Drop all that Commander stuff, Arnaud. It's nice to hear, but you're my apprentice now, not a mere soldier," She expined.

  "So, can I call you teacher?" I asked.

  "Sure," She agreed, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

  "Thank you, teacher," I said as I bowed my head deeply.

  "Won't you sit?" She asked, looking a bit puzzled as to why I had been standing at the entrance for so long.

  "Oh, I'm very sorry," I said as I quickly entered the tent and took a seat opposite hers.

  "Do you know why I called you here?" Daphne asked after a brief moment of silence.

  "Yeah, I-I assume you want to teach me something," I answered.

  "You're right about that, but this isn't going to be the usual stuff. I won't dive into formations, history, or the tactics that can be applied to different situations. Those lessons can come ter," She began. "I want you to understand the idea behind this invasion, as it'll teach you principles that'll serve as a tactical foundation for you."

  "My teacher, forgive me for my insolence, but I would love to write down your words."

  "Oh, yeah, almost forgot about that! Give me a sec," Daphne said as she got up from her seat and ran up the white spiral staircase into a room I assumed was the storage area. She came down a few minutes ter with some paper, a quill, and an ink bottle, handing them to me as soon as she returned to the table.

  "Thank you," I said.

  "No problem," was her response as she sat down, looking like she was trying to organize her thoughts. "Okay. First things first, what do you think about this invasion? I won't get angry with you, so feel free to give me your honest thoughts." She said while cupping her chin with both hands and leaning in. I don't want to offend her, but she said she wouldn't get angry...

  "Honestly, I think it's incredibly reckless," I said after hesitating for a while. I expected a more heated reaction, but she only smiled and followed up with another question,

  "Why do you think so?"

  "Because this is a small force. We can't hope to possibly go against such a rge and powerful nation all by ourselves," I answered, but that's where she corrected me, folding both arms as she began,

  "A rge and weakened nation. Bigger isn't always better, Arnaud. The bigger an Empire, the more they run the risk of stretching themselves too thin. Why do you think we had such an easy time breaking through the border?" I couldn't come up with an answer, but she did not wait for me, "I'll tell you why: because they took most if not all their best soldiers to the frontlines and left the weak, inexperienced reserve forces behind." Oh, I never considered it from that angle, I thought to myself as I listened intently. "We'd be sughtered by the Empire's elite if we stayed behind and fought a defensive battle with the Kingdom. That's the first principle. In war, you must avoid what is strong and target the weak."

  "Avoid what is strong and target the weak," I quietly repeated her words to myself as I wrote them down.

  "But that's only the surface," She continued. I'd never heard anything more simple yet incredibly profound, but it was only the surface?! "Essentially, this invasion is nothing but a diversion tactic."

  "A diversion tactic? What do you mean?" I asked, unable to comprehend it.

  "We're trying to buy time for the Kingdom by diverting Empire forces away from the frontlines. We'll do this by causing a bit of a ruckus within the Empire's borders." S-she's crazy, I thought to myself quietly. "Big nations have massive egos, so we can count on the fact that the Empire won't let us roam around freely," She expined. "They'll call some of their soldiers back and when they do, we'll have a wonderful surprise waiting for them."

  Her devious smile coupled with the calmness of her expnation made me feel like I was staring at something alien. My teacher is scary, I thought to myself as I asked, "S-so, w-w-what are you trying to say?"

  "Aim to always control your enemies' actions, Arnaud. That's the second principle. A pn where you only react to everything is mediocre at best. By controlling your enemies' actions, you can lure them into deadly traps that will improve your position and make you stronger. I could go on and on about this, but I wouldn't want to overwhelm you, so we'll end things here for today." I'd already finished writing my notes and was about to stand when she asked, "Before you go, which of these three Forts should we attack first?" I looked at the map, carefully analyzing each one until it finally hit me.

  "This one! Fort Zaraban!" I pointed at the one in the middle, and Daphne smiled heartily as if completely satisfied by my answer.

  "Bingo! Its historical fame would make it an excellent choice for an unforgettable debut!" Debut? What does that mean? "And the more other nations hear about it, the faster the Empire would have to act to save face! You're really getting it!" She praised me with an exuberant smile that almost melted away the fear sprouting up within me. At the end of it all, I left the tent that morning, thinking, She's scary, but her insane pn might just work.

  Kureous

  [colpse]