I Became the Strategist the Monarchs Obsess Over

“Then, here is the second question.”

“The one you said I didn’t have to answer?” I replied.

“Yes.”

“Why have you been hiding your talent until now?”

Oh, great. First the princess, and now even Dian is starting to misunderstand. It’s not that I’ve been hiding my talent; I was suddenly possessed by a game character. But even if I explained that, they’d never believe me, would they? In situations like this, it’s better to let the other person imagine whatever they want.

“No comment.”

Silence is golden. It allows the other person to imagine things in whatever direction they want. By now, Dian must be considering hundreds of scenarios about why I might need to hide my abilities. None of them would be correct, of course. After all, how could anyone guess that I came from another world? Thinking about it like that made me feel oddly amused. After pondering for a while, Dian spoke again.

“Then, here’s the final question.”

“Yes.”

“Have you ever considered serving His Highness the Crown Prince?”

Here it comes. A recruitment offer from Crown Prince Leonhardt. Dian de Balboa is not only a professor at Arcadia Academy but also the vanguard who serves the Crown Prince. If Dian is making this offer, it’s clear that I’d be given a good position under the Crown Prince’s command.

The Crown Prince was undoubtedly a strong option. If someone were to ask who was closest to global dominance right now, it would be the Crown Prince. With the Emperor incapacitated and no heir officially named, the noble with the most land and wealth in the empire was Crown Prince Leonhardt. While his talent was slightly inferior to Princess Leonia’s, his overwhelming power and influence couldn’t be ignored.

The Crown Prince. A good choice, but for now, I decided to postpone my decision.

“Professor, someday I, too, will need to serve a lord, but for now, I’d like to focus on my studies.”

“You want to weigh your options further?”

“Yes. For now, I plan not to join any faction until I graduate from the academy.”

For now, I’ll watch the fight between the princess and the Crown Prince and side with the winner—the one with the upper hand. Do you think that’s cowardly? Well, I’ve always been a coward.

“Hahaha!”

Dian laughed heartily, as if he found my answer amusing. It seemed he liked my response.

“But by then, there might not be any positions left for you.”

“That’s fine. By then, I’ll make sure I’m the kind of talent you’d want to create a position for, no matter what.”

“I thought young people these days lacked ambition… but I see that’s not the case.”

Look who’s talking about young people. You’re only 29 yourself.

“If you ever change your mind, let me know. With the talent that defeated Yuria Russell, His Highness the Crown Prince would surely value you highly.”

Would he, though? The Crown Prince, who values bloodlines so much, probably wouldn’t be too fond of a member of the fallen nobility like me. Still, even if I don’t win the Crown Prince’s favor, I’ve already earned Dian’s. My future success is practically guaranteed.

“Thank you.”

I bowed politely and left the professor’s office. By the time I came out, the mock battle had ended. Well, not entirely—it was just over for today. The remaining matches would continue tomorrow.

Tomorrow, I’d be facing the princess. She must be itching to crush me. Just thinking about it sent a chill down my spine.

“Tomorrow’s going to be rough…”

Facing the princess… what should I do? Honestly, whether I win or lose, it’s a problem. If I win, I’ll attract too much attention from various factions, making it hard to stay neutral. If I lose, it’ll just be humiliating.

The best outcome would be to create a thrilling, close match and then lose by a narrow margin. But would the genius Princess Leonia fail to notice if I deliberately lost? If she realized I threw the match, she’d despise me.

“It’s a problem either way~”

Muttering to myself, I lay down. The mental exhaustion from today’s mock battle made me fall asleep almost immediately.

—–

Morning came the next day. After washing up and getting dressed, I prepared to head out. But just as I was about to leave the dormitory, someone knocked on the door.

-Knock, knock, knock.

Even though it was inside the dormitory, this was Arcadia Academy. You never knew what might happen, so I decided to ask who it was first.

“Who is it?”

“Isabel de Poitiers, vassal to Her Highness the Princess.”

A vassal refers to a feudal subject—a subordinate who receives land and provides taxes and military service in return. And I knew exactly who Isabel de Poitiers was.

If Yuria Russell was the princess’s left hand, Isabel de Poitiers was her right. For someone like Isabel, who I’d never even met, to seek me out, it had to be something important.

When I opened the door, I saw a woman with short black hair and glasses. It was indeed Isabel de Poitiers, just as I knew her.

Isabel de Poitiers. The princess’s right hand and a jack-of-all-trades excelling in military strategy, swordsmanship, politics, diplomacy, and even construction. However, while she was the right hand now, later in the game, she would drop to being the fifth-ranking member of the princess’s faction and end up guarding some remote region. Why, you ask, does someone so versatile end up like that? It’s because, despite her well-rounded skills, she falls just short of being A-grade in any area—a slightly lacking jack-of-all-trades.

But at this point in time, Isabel de Poitiers, still regarded as the princess’s right hand, stood before me.

“What brings you here?”

“There are eyes watching. May I come in?”

“If you don’t mind a cramped and messy room.”

I invited her in. It was embarrassing to let her see my room, with clothes scattered everywhere, but it was better than leaving her standing outside. She looked around the room for a while before speaking.

“Are most men’s rooms like this?”

“Huh? No, it depends on the person…”

So, this was her first time entering a man’s room?

“I see. My apologies. I didn’t mean to intrude. I’m Isabel de Poitiers, as I mentioned earlier, a servant to Her Highness the Princess.”

“The princess’s right hand, correct?”

“Your reputation for having excellent information-gathering skills seems well-deserved. Many do refer to me as the princess’s right hand, though I find the title excessive.”

Excessive? Not at all. While she might end up guarding remote regions later, early-game Isabel was a reliable workhorse who could perform competently in any field.

“So, what brings you here, Isabel?”

“I’ve heard that you’ve been hiding your talent.”

Well… it’s obvious who told her that—the princess, of course.

“And if I have?”

“I don’t know the full extent of your military talent. However, Yuria Russell is the most skilled in military strategy among Her Highness’s knights. If you were able to defeat Yuria so decisively, it’s safe to assume your talent isn’t far behind Her Highness’s.”

Between Princess Leonia and me, who’s better… Honestly, I’m not sure. I’m confident in leading troops, but most of my knowledge comes from games and history studies. Whether I could beat someone like Leonia, who’s honed her skills in real battles, is uncertain.

“I don’t know how you view your own talent, but from my perspective, it seems sufficient to pose a threat to Her Highness.”

“So? Are you planning to eliminate me before I become a threat to the princess?”

At that, she chuckled softly.

“You have an amusing sense of humor. While some might think that way, it’s not the Poitiers Family’s approach.”

“Then what is the Poitiers Family’s approach?”

“Negotiation and persuasion.”

With that, Isabel de Poitiers pulled out a pouch. When I took it and opened it, I found an enormous amount of gold coins inside.

“200 ducats. You’re aware of how much value that holds, aren’t you?”

Of course. It’s enough to arm 40 heavy infantry, open a small shop in the imperial capital, or pay Ehrenberg’s salary for eight months.

“That’s quite a sum.”

“Indeed.”

“And what do you want in return for this fortune?”

“Lose to Her Highness in the finals.”

“Hmm…”

Honestly, that’s not going to happen. With the princess’s pride, she’d be furious if she found out I threw the match on purpose. She’d accuse me of mocking her.

“That’s not possible.”

“So, you want to win the championship?”

“That’s not it.”

I don’t particularly want to win. Winning the mock battle would draw too much attention from various factions, making school life a hassle. My goal is to maintain a moderate presence while keeping my options open.

In short, whether I win or lose, it’s a problem for me.

“Isabel de Poitiers.”

When I called her name, she met my gaze.

“Think about it rationally. If I deliberately lose to Her Highness, wouldn’t she be furious?”

“That’s unavoidable. Even if Her Highness is momentarily angry, as long as her reputation is preserved…”

Ugh, so frustrating. This is exactly why you end up losing your position as the right hand and dropping to number five later. You don’t truly understand the princess. You’re too focused on pragmatic thinking.

Fine. Should I teach you a thing or two?