Strategist

"F#CK!!!!"

Viktor continues raging for another few seconds before Riou comes to his side and comforts him.

"Damn it. He got away…. Damn it…."

"Don't worry, Viktor. We will get him next time he appears."

"..... Yeah. If he shows his ugly nose once again, I will be the one killing him, but this time he will be dead for sure."

Viktor then looked at us before saying.

"Let us get out of here."

I nod at Viktor's suggestion and begin to follow Riou toward the exit of the castle. While there is still a monster roaming around the castle, it was not as bad as when we came here the first time.

After walking away from the castle, we stop to see the sun already setting, and the night will soon cover the land.

"We accomplished our mission, and Neclord has fled. We should go back to the South Window and report our mission."

"..... Yeah. I guess you are right, Freed. I also want to see how Flik and the others are doing."

Freed and Viktor have a conversation about our next plan. Freed wants to quickly go back to the South Window as soon as possible and go back to his lord Granmeyer. While still wanting to hunt for Neclord, Viktor knows that he will come out empty-handed as he doesn't know where Neclord's location currently is. So the next logical thing he can think of is to meet his brother in arm Flik.

While both of them want to go back to the South Window, Khan has a different destination.

"Well then, Goodbye for now. I'm going to follow Neclord's trail as much as I can. When I find him, I'll send a word to you."

"Thank you, sir Kahn."

"Think nothing of it, young Riou. May we meet again, Viktor Riou."

We then see Khan walk away from us. After a five-minute break of fighting monsters inside the castle, Freed suggests they should hurry up and go to the South Window to arrive there before midnight.

We walked toward the gate of the North Window; however, before we could reach the gate, I saw a group of more than a hundred people walk inside the gate of North Window. The one leading them is Flik, the Co-Leader of the Mercenary group that protects Muse City and also Viktor's brother in arms.

"Eh? Eh? What is happening? Why is everyone here?!?"

Nanami looks around with a surprised expression as she knows that everyone should be staying in the South Window city.

And the first person to answer Nanami's question is Flik.

"..... South Window has fallen to the Highland."

"WHAT?!?"

Riou and his companion look at Flik with a surprised expression. 24 hours have not even passed, and the South Window has fallen? That is something that should never be happening. Not only does the South Window have an advantage of the wall that surrounds the city, but the city also has a large mountain behind it, making it difficult for the army flanking the South Window city.

The only explanation is…

"What did you say?!? What happened to Lord Granmeyer?"

"Killed… By the Highland General Solon Jhee."

Freed looks at Flik with a shocked expression, then sadness, then anger, then back to shocked expression. Freed snaps from his state after a few seconds of muted shock and says.

"Tell me exactly what happened."

"Yes."

Flik takes a deep breath before saying.

"Just after you left South Window, we were attacked by Solon Jhee, the General of Highland 1st company. Lord Grenmeyer must have judged that we don't have any chance of winning… Lord Grenmeyer surrendered unconditionally without a blow being struck."

Flik then looked at Freed with sadness in his eyes.

"The next thing we know, the mayor's head was hanging in front of the Mayor's mansion. I was with the children and woman so I could escape from the city."

"Ho Ho Ho. Who do you have to thank for that? Hmmm?"

"Shut up!"

Rina walks toward Flik with a mischief smile on her face. While the other did not notice, I can see a little bit of face powder, and his lip is a little bit redder than any male should be. It looks like Rina does a makeover to Flik so he can escape with the woman and children.

Rina is the big sister of Eilie and a little sister to Bolgan. They are a small family of traveling performers. They go from one city to the other to perform and gather some money. They meet Riou and his group when Riou visits Ryube to buy some flour for Viktor and his mercenary.

Riou and Eilie family separate when Riou and Jowy arrive in their hometown, Kyaro.

From there, I don't know what is happening to them, but they somehow escape Kyaro before the military of the Highland kingdom can capture them and interrogate them.

Eilie, Rina, and Bolgan somehow arrive in Coronet, a fishing town on the northern side of Dunan Lake. They then decide to follow Riou and his party to the South Window, where they meet Flik and Viktor, who get ordered by Lord Granmeyer to investigate the North Window for the kidnapping of a woman around that area.

Eilie decides to follow Riou while Rina and Bolgan decide to stay with Flik in the South Window.

The rest is what happened not too long ago.

"Ahem! Anyway, we successfully run away from the South Window, and on the way here, we meet Apple and Tsai who have a hundred or so scattered soldiers of Muse and now combined with the soldier that came with us from the South Window, we now have two hundred people, not including civilians."

"Why did the soldiers of the South Window come here? Shouldn't they fight?"

"No, Freed. They are the people that fight against the Highland. The highland decided to 'spare' the South Window soldiers if they did not rebel and join the rank of their army. However, I hear from the Highland soldier that the South Window soldier will be killed after Highland crown prince Luca Blight comes here."

"That is…"

"Cruel, I know, but that is Luca Blight's personality. He wants blood, and there is much blood in the South Window ready to be harvested."

Apple walks forward and says.

"The Highland are afraid of rebellion, so they execute and arrest as many soldiers of Muse and South Window as they can. This is the only soldier we meet on our way in here. The rest either have been imprisoned in the South Window and forced to join their army or executed."

Viktor begins to walk to the left and right with his hand on his chin.

"Which means that it's only a matter of time before the Highland Army come here and attack us. We only have a few people and maybe this old castle."

All of us stay silent for a few minutes before Riou says.

"There must be a way."

"But Riou, can we stop the whole army coming our way?"

The people around cannot talk anything before Eilie walks forward and shouts at Flik and Viktor.

"What is wrong with all of you!!! Is running away all you can think of?!? Riou is right! There must be a way! There must be!"

"But to fight a war with no chance of winning is stupid…."

Suddenly Apple, who stayed silent for a while, shouted.

"We do have a chance!"

The rest of the people look at Apple, who begins her explanation.

"For a small force to have a chance of winning, a strategy is what we needed. With the right strategy, we have a chance to win."

Viktor looks at Apple and says.

"Yeah… And do you have this strategy?"

"No, I'm not up to the task. I've learned it the hard way, but I know someone who is. In Radat town, there is someone named Shu. He and I were students of Master Mathiu. Master Mathiu expelled him, but he is a brilliant student. A first-class strategist that even master Mathiu acknowledges."

Mathiu Silverberg. The main strategist in the Toran Liberation War, the main storyline in the Suikoden series. He is the reason why Tir McDohl, the main character of the first Suikoden and the holder of Soul Eater, one of twenty-seven True Rune, win the war.

Mathiu is the key member of the Toran Liberation War that led Tir and his army to Victory.

"If we can manage to recruit him, I'm sure that he will come up with some strategy that leads us to victory."

Flik and Viktor stay silent for a few seconds before saying.

"I guess you are right. We can't keep running to the edge of the world."

"Okay, let's do our best. Flik, you and I should gather any Muse and South Window soldier that scattered around the area. As far as this Shu goes, I will leave it to you, Riou."

Apple nods at Viktor.

"This is Important, Riou. Radat Town is on the East side of South Window. Seven hours of walking from South Window. I'll go along with you."

Leona, the barkeeper and a friend to Viktor and Flik, says.

"Don't worry. I will keep an eye on Pilika here."

Seeing the opportunity to talk, I say.

"I will also stay here to help the others cleaning up the castle and taking care of the people here. It would be best if you slept now because you will go to Radat early this morning. There is a bed in the castle. It should be enough for now. I will create a temporary house with my magic, so you don't have to worry about us for the time being."

Riou looked at me with a grateful expression before walking inside the castle with Nanami and Apple. When I see him walk away, I take out my wand and use my magic to create a temporary sleep place.