Lucifer's words fell in the bedchamber, carrying an authority that brooked no argument, yet tinged with a hint of playful probing. The title of "Advisor" felt like a splendid yet heavy shackle, fastened upon Lin Xi.
He gave her no time to prepare. Almost the instant his words ended, the heavy palace doors swung open. Two guards entered silently, not escorting her but gesturing with an almost "inviting" posture for Lin Xi to follow.
Lin Xi pulled the oversized black velvet robe—soaked in Lucifer's scent—tighter around her, dragging the cold shackles behind her as she trailed after him. The clanking of chains against the floor echoed through the empty corridor, a stark reminder of her current predicament—transformed from a dungeon prisoner into a "possession" with slightly greater freedom of movement, yet still bound.
They did not head to the training grounds, nor to the study. Instead, they arrived at a more austere, military-style operations room, its walls covered with enormous maps of the Northern Realm. Several formidable Wolf Clan commanders stood solemnly around a massive obsidian table. Their battle-hardened aura hung heavy, their eyes sharp as hawks. When they saw Lin Xi trailing behind Lucifer—clad in ill-fitting velvet robes and shackled—they all wore expressions of shock and undisguised contempt.
A sacrifice? A worthless fool? His Majesty actually brought him to the war room?
Lucifer strode straight to the seat of honor and sat down, ignoring all the probing stares. He lifted his chin, gesturing toward an empty seat opposite the table, and said to Lin Xi, "Sit."
That seat was closest to him, directly facing a spread-out map of the border defenses covered in dense symbols.
Lin Xi walked over without hesitation and sat down. The hem of his velvet robe fell open, revealing slender ankles shackled in chains—a grotesque and jarring contrast to the iron-blooded generals surrounding him.
"Kyle," Lucifer addressed the body without honorifics, his tone as matter-of-fact as instructing a tool, "Tell us. If it were you, how would you handle the Blood Clan's frequent incursions into Shadow Canyon?"
He casually tapped a perilous canyon region on the map. It was the frontline of friction between the Wolf Clan and the Blood Clan—a complex terrain, easy to defend but hard to attack, where Wolf Clan patrols had suffered heavy losses.
In an instant, all the generals' gazes converged on Lin Xi, filled with suspicion, scrutiny, and more than a hint of mocking anticipation for a spectacle. What did a useless waste without even pheromones know about military strategy?
Lin Xi felt those stabbing glances, but she didn't flinch. She lowered her head to the map, her eyes swiftly scanning the contour lines, river flows, and marked troop deployment points for both sides. Shadow Canyon... Fragments of "Kyle's" memories flashed through her mind, blending with her own instinctive understanding of terrain and tactics as the Chief Wolf Tamer.
The war room fell silent, broken only by the faint crackling of the fireplace flames.
Seconds later, she lifted her head to meet the gaze of the scarred commander who had questioned her—General Gregor, the most dismissive-looking officer present, responsible for that sector's defenses.
"General Gregor," she began, her voice still hoarse yet unusually clear, "You have positioned sentry posts on the high ground flanking the gorge and set up ambush points along the main passage in the valley floor, correct?"
Gregor snorted coldly. "So what if it is? It's the most standard defensive strategy."
"Standard means predictable," Lin Xi countered calmly, her fingertip pointing at several inconspicuous side paths on the map. "The Blood Clan's 'Shadow Bat' scouts excel at infiltrating through these routes hidden by terrain shadows. Your sentry posts have blind spots."
Gregor's expression darkened. "Nonsense! Those paths are impassable for large forces!"
"No large force is needed." Lin Xi met his gaze, her eyes sharp. "Just three or five elite Blood Clan assassins could easily wipe out your outpost, rendering your entire defense system blind. Over the past three months, you've lost four outposts and twenty-seven soldiers in total. Am I wrong?"
Gregor's pupils contracted. These casualty figures were classified military intelligence—how could this sacrificial offering know?!
Ignoring his shock, Lin Xi continued, "Instead of passive defense, let's set the trap ourselves. Withdraw half your visible sentries and conceal your forces in the blind spots—the reverse-facing mountain hollows. Then, send a small decoy unit to march ostentatiously through the valley floor at night."
Her finger traced a clear route across the map.
"The Blood Clan will strike. Once they enter the ambush zone, our concealed forces will sever their retreat routes from the flanks and rear. Simultaneously, we'll exploit the canyon's unique echo effect to create the illusion of overwhelming forces approaching from the opposite end." She lifted her gaze to Lucifer, who sat silently at the command seat, and concluded, "We don't need total annihilation. Just one swift, decisive counterattack that inflicts devastating losses will secure at least three months of border peace."
Dead silence filled the war room.
The generals exchanged glances, their initial disdain gradually giving way to shock. This plan was bold and precise, completely overturning traditional defensive thinking and striking directly at the heart of the Blood Clan's guerrilla tactics!
Gregor opened his mouth to object, only to realize the flaws she had pointed out were spot-on, and her proposed solution was flawless. His face flushed crimson as he finally managed, "…That's just armchair theorizing! Real combat isn't that simple!"
"Which is precisely why it requires a commander who is both bold and meticulous," Lin Xi replied calmly, her gaze lingering suggestively on Gregor. "Someone like yourself, General Gregor. Success would be a monumental achievement."
Her casual deflection of credit only highlighted her extraordinary vision.
Lucifer remained silent, leaning back in his chair, his fingertips tapping lightly on the armrest. His crimson pupils were unfathomably deep, concealing his thoughts.
After a long pause, he spoke slowly. His voice was not loud, yet it instantly silenced the entire operations room.
"Proceed as he suggests," he ordered Gregor, then turned his gaze to Lin Xi. His eyes now held a new, intensely aggressive scrutiny. "You. Come with me."
He rose, no longer acknowledging the generals, and walked straight toward the exit.
Lin Xi took a deep breath. Under the watchful, complex stares of the others, she once again dragged her shackled feet and followed his footsteps.
This time, he led her to his private study.
The door closed behind them, sealing out the outside world.
Lucifer turned, his back to the massive floor-to-ceiling window framing the deep night outside.
"An impressive performance, 'Advisor,'" he said, studying her with a faint, emotionless curve of his lips. "Now, there are no spectators."
He advanced step by step until only a single pace separated them, his towering frame nearly engulfing her entirely.
"Tell me," he extended a hand, not to touch her, but to pinch the soft collar of her velvet robe with his fingertips. He tightened his grip slightly, forcing her to tilt her head back and meet his gaze. Is this tactic knowledge from your 'otherworld,' or... are you actually a spy sent by some hostile faction?"
His voice was low, carrying an oppressive sense of knowing everything.
[Time Remaining: 1 hour 02 minutes]
Lin Xi's heart clenched violently.
Translated with DeepL.com (free version)