I Am Being Mistaken for a Genius Strategist

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Whenever I delve into my memories of a past life, I often come across a situation like this.

It’s as if I’ve been possessed, or perhaps I was reincarnated.

In those instances, you’ll always find that their list of goals includes living well and prospering.

Sure, there are cases of revenge and whatnot, but I remember that about half the time, that was the goal.

At first, I questioned the absurdity of such a goal, but now that I find myself in a similar situation, I understand.

A normal life truly is the sweetest gift one could desire above all else.

I too set my ultimate goal to be living well and prospering just like this.

Of course, a part of that also includes taking good care of my family and our clan.

What’s the point of living well alone? For true prosperity, the family must be happy, and the household must be peaceful.

For that reason, as the firstborn of the Clausewitz Family and the Duke of Bertier Empire, I’ve always done my best.

I will continue to do so. I will endlessly strive for that.

Thus, as I became one of the main characters of the banquet alongside the princess, I could no longer think less of myself.

“I’ve said it on the way here, but I really think it’s amazing how you came up with a strategy right after the meteor fell, Prince Kael.”

“I merely did my best to think of what would benefit the Empire and the military, Your Highness.”

I no longer openly stated, “I’m not that kind of person.”

Of course, I didn’t drop my humility and boast, “Actually, I’m quite impressive.”

I held back on being arrogant, but I also made sure not to act timidly.

“Everything is for my family, our clan, and my future.”

It has already been over 20 years since I began living as a noble. With this much experience, I have a fair grasp of how the political world operates.

An impressive individual who pretends to be humble only gets regarded with even more respect and caution.

However, if that humility becomes excessive, it breeds insincerity, and people begin to see you as easy to handle.

If my mistake leads our family to receive any slight disrespect? That will absolutely not stand.

“Hahaha. How strange it is that Your Highness the Princess would secretly join the military, leading to such a situation.”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying. Could this all be a gift from the gods, moved by the direct involvement of the Imperial Family in the distant frontline?”

The officials from the Ministry of War and senior military commanders noticed my change and quickly joined in.

Indeed, one cannot ascend to high positions solely based on military ability.

It requires at least some political intuition and sense.

“Hehe. Is that so? I’m truly delighted to meet Prince Kael during this military campaign.”

As I received praise, the princess naturally gained some recognition in the process.

Just as the tension in this atmosphere began to lighten a bit,

“Your Highness.”

Someone approached and quietly whispered something into the princess’s ear.

The man delivering the message was a familiar face I had seen a few times.

‘He was one of the princess’s guards, wasn’t he? The man who disguised himself as a junior officer.’

The guard came to relay something, and the smile of the princess subtly faltered upon hearing it.

I couldn’t precisely know what had transpired, but one thing became clear.

Something uncomfortable had happened from the princess’s perspective, or perhaps someone had arrived.

“Everyone, Crown Prince Your Highness is expected to arrive shortly.”

And once again, my predictions did not miss the mark.

Moreover, the Crown Prince? This is bound to chill the atmosphere of the banquet immediately.

*

“What the hell? Why on earth is that guy coming to the banquet?!”

Isabelle was thoroughly flustered. This was something she hadn’t anticipated at all.

Gnaius Heldenberg, the Crown Prince, and currently the center of the pro-peace aristocrats in the Empire.

He was a person who believed that the Empire’s height could be maintained through diplomatic actions rather than military ones.

This made him a constant source of friction for her, who identified as pro-war, despite being just a year older.

The Crown Prince was quite distant from the military. He had never even attended a military banquet before.

It was said he wouldn’t engage in private conversations with military officials unless it was a national event.

So, it was completely shocking to suddenly see such a figure appear at the banquet.

“What are you doing?”

Thus, it was only natural for Isabelle to stop the Crown Prince as he was about to enter the banquet hall.

“Oh, it’s our cute little sister. How’s the banquet going?”

“Don’t dodge the question. Why are you here?”

“Why am I here, you ask? As the Emperor’s son, I merely wanted to see the hardships everyone’s been going through.”

Are you messing with me? The words almost slipped out.

If it weren’t for the eyes around and the ears listening, I would have said it outright.

“So then, why are you doing this? You’ve been nitpicking about the Imperial Army’s activities time and again.”

“This guy. Nitpicking? You think that because I took on the villain role when unnecessary harm arose due to excessive ambition?”

“That’s what you call nitpicking! You idiot!”

Even though they were the Emperor’s son and daughter, they were just ordinary siblings at the end of the day.

With an age difference of merely one year, it was only expected for them to have sibling squabbles.

“Are you trying to ruin the good mood with talk of wasteful resource consumption and unfortunate sacrifices like last time?”

“Bel, you should phrase that more delicately. As a member of the Imperial Family, we shouldn’t be careless about such matters, right?”

With that, Isabelle bit her lip, swallowing back a retort.

As the Prince pointed out, she was indeed too worked up. Her phrasing had been a bit too harsh.

To her, he was simply an older brother with whom she squabbled daily, but to others, he was the Crown Prince of the Empire.

If she didn’t uphold his authority as a princess, the order of the Imperial Family could shake apart.

“Ugh… Please. Just tone it down. Just a bit.”

“I didn’t come here to lower my tone today, you know?”

After a shrug of his shoulders, the Prince continued.

“I hear you’ve managed to prove the Empire’s superiority without avoiding battles and without provoking hostility from Nobogord.”

“Well…”

“That’s what I’ve been hoping for. There’s no need to fight with swords drawn, spilling blood and risking lives. There are plenty of ways to lower enemy morale and quell their fighting spirit without direct confrontation.”

I wanted to deny it, but objectively speaking, he was right, making it hard to contest his point.

In the end, Isabelle could only let out a sigh and step aside, allowing him to pass.

“Thanks. Now, let’s really go see those who achieved such a splendid victory.”

As she watched the Crown Prince enter the banquet hall followed by a few others, Isabelle thought.

For the sake of being an older brother, she would let it slide this once, but if he caused any trouble again, she would seriously kill him.

But did he sense the nuances of her thoughts?

“Greetings, Crown Prince Your Highness.”

“It’s wonderful to see you all. I hear you’ve had quite a tough time this time around.”

“Your words are overly generous, Your Highness.”

Previously, when facing military officials, the Crown Prince would consistently voice complaint after complaint.

“Too many taxes being taken. It seems like those in command are treating soldiers recklessly for their glory, and that all these resources we, the citizens, provide should not be squandered.”

He would subtly express himself in ways that made everyone uneasy.

Yet today, he chose not to utter such things.

Rather than repressing the military, he was commending them for their hard work.

‘What on earth did that guy eat wrong?’

At first, that was my thought, but upon reflection, it made sense.

As I previously mentioned, this time, they didn’t suffer massive casualties or losses while securing a victory.

The Crown Prince might think that the military had learned that not every expedition requires bloodshed.

“Ah, you must be Kael. The firstborn of the Duke of Bertier?”

“Yes, Your Highness. Kael Clausewitz at your service.”

“I’ve heard about you. With your outstanding strategies, you raised morale and forced Nobogord to retreat. You even cemented our Empire’s superiority in the end. Truly impressive! Haha!”

Hearing the Crown Prince praise Kael, I felt a wave of pleasantness wash over me.

It was proof that my judgment was correct. Even the meticulous Crown Prince was impressed by me.

“While your second strategy was astonishing, I found your first strategy even more appealing. It’s said that those who have learned about the stars instinctively regard falling meteors as ominous signs. Especially since it was within the military camp, that anxiety must have been even more palpable.”

Now, the Crown Prince spoke with such enthusiasm that it seemed he might lean in to embrace Kael.

“However, Kael, while everyone thought retreat was the only answer, you offered a completely different response. You merely suggested capturing the moment and using the falling meteor as a rallying point, lifting the spirits of the faltering allies while keeping the fortified enemies in check.”

“It was greatly assisted by the willingness of the Legion Commander to accept the idea, Your Highness.”

“Just as I heard — modesty too! A person who will bear the future of our Empire, indeed! Hahaha!”

What’s this? The atmosphere doesn’t seem bad at all? Maybe my worries were unnecessary.

Just as Isabelle felt a bit relieved from her earlier fretting,

“Crown Prince, could you also share your thoughts on the other military officials?”

A figure among the pro-peace nobles who had entered alongside the Prince suddenly chimed in.

“Apart from Prince Kael’s impressive actions, we mustn’t forget the importance of the pillars that uphold us. Anyone can come up with a clever idea once, but that steady role is not something everyone can maintain.”

At first glance, it seemed like they were praising the military officials, but that noble belonged to the pro-peace faction.

There was no reason for him to speak highly of the military out of the blue. There must be some ulterior motive at play.

Isabelle and a few others quickly caught onto that.

‘Could it be… is he trying to undermine him?’

That noble was apparently known as an impressive strategist beside the Crown Prince.

Seeing the Crown Prince elevate some young noble in stature must have irritated him.

Even though he was the firstborn of the Duke, to that noble, he likely appeared to be little more than a rookie noble.

Thus, it seemed he subtly attempted to undermine him. That’s what Isabelle thought.

‘If he’s aware that Kael comes from a prominent background, he must at least be associated with a Marquis family.’

Duke of Bertier is definitively pro-war. Conversely, this man is alongside the Crown Prince, therefore pro-peace.

It was a typical, light jab you might find in the political arena, a back-and-forth of nibbling and checking.

However, no matter how you look at it, displaying such an embarrassing scene at a banquet is unacceptable.

Just as Isabelle resolved to deliver a firm warning as the host of the event,

“That’s correct.”

Laughing heartily, yet looking completely serious in the eyes,

Kael stepped away from the Crown Prince and walked up to the noble before him.

“Just as you expressed, what I have done is indeed cleverness that anyone can achieve once. That’s simply the case.”

With those words, Kael held a boiled egg that had been presented as finger food in his hand.