Chapter 239: Jim’s Arrival, and Planning
“It looks like you’re really having a tough time, aren’t you?”
Upon hearing the sound, Luna, Valen, Natasya, and Guren gasped in shock.
Quickly, they turned toward the voice and saw a handsome man in a black kimono robe walking toward them.
He was strikingly attractive, wearing glasses and a faint smile that gave him the air of an approachable scholar. His calm and graceful demeanor would make anyone meeting him for the first time perceive him as a pleasant person.
However, those who knew him better understood the truth: he was one of the most dangerous and terrifying men in the world, known by the nickname Four-Eyed Demon—Jim Terra.
Seeing Jim’s sudden and unexpected arrival, Luna, Valen, Natasya, and Guren’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“Jim? How is this possible? Why are you here?” Luna asked in surprise.
She had never anticipated Jim coming to the battlefield, given his crucial role as prime minister and palace strategist, which made it nearly impossible for him to leave.
The confusion was clear not only on Luna’s face but also on the faces of Valen, Natasya, and Guren.
Jim simply smiled at Luna, bowing slightly with his hands clasped.
“Good morning, Bow Hero Luna,” he said calmly.
Luna quickly regained her composure, took a deep breath, and gave a slight nod.
“Good morning to you too, Jim,” she replied in her usual nonchalant tone.
Jim then lifted his head, glanced at Valen and Guren, and gave a slight bow.
“Good morning, Spear Hero Valen and Marquis Guren,” Jim said warmly.
Valen and Guren, shaking off their initial surprise, responded with friendly smiles.
“Good morning to you too, Jim! I didn’t expect to see you here,” Valen said with his usual careless smile.
“Good morning, Prime Minister Jim,” Guren added with a small smile. “It’s quite surprising to see you on the battlefield.”
Jim lifted his gaze with a slight smile and replied, “Indeed, I deliberately concealed my arrival to avoid raising suspicion among the enemy troops and to surprise you.”
At his words, Luna, Valen, Guren, and Natasya immediately smiled, easing the previously tense atmosphere.
“By the way, Jim, how did you get here? Did you come to help us?” Luna asked curiously, folding her arms across her chest.
Jim gave a small nod, meeting her gaze with calm reassurance. “Yes, Bow Hero Luna. I’m here to assist you all.”
Relief spread across Luna, Valen, Guren, and Natasya’s faces at his words.
In the midst of the ongoing stalemate, they had felt utterly stuck and disheartened.
However, with Jim, the renowned war strategist, offering his help, they felt a renewed sense of hope. After all, Jim was known for never losing a war, and they were confident he had a solution to break the deadlock.
“Jim, I need to ask,” Natasya interrupted abruptly, “Did you come here alone, or were you accompanied by troops?”
Given Jim’s high status, she was certain he wouldn’t have come alone.
As she anticipated, Jim nodded and replied casually, “I was escorted by troops, but I separated from them and came on my own.”
This revelation left Luna, Valen, Natasya, and Guren both surprised and puzzled.
“Separated? What do you mean?” Natasya asked hesitantly.
Jim smiled slightly and was about to explain when Rain, who had been silent until now, interrupted.
“Jim arrived with the escort troops, but I used teleportation magic to bring him here, Natasya,” Rain said flatly.
Natasya was startled and turned to her with furrowed brows.
“You did? Why didn’t you tell us?” she asked, her charming face betraying a hint of irritation.
Rain shrugged nonchalantly and replied, “It’s not that I didn’t want to tell you, but Jim requested that I keep it quiet.”
Natasya was silent for a moment, then let out a small sigh and nodded, saying no more. This brought the tent’s previously lively atmosphere back to a quiet calm.
Seeing this, Luna swiftly turned to Jim and changed the subject. “Jim, can you tell us the best strategy for fighting the Demon Race’s troops?”
Jim crossed his arms and stepped closer. “Of course, I have a strategy to defeat the Demon Race, but there are a few conditions that must be met for it to be executed.”
Luna was pleased to hear this but was taken aback by the mention of conditions.
“Conditions? What kind of conditions?” she asked, curious.
Jim didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turned his gaze to the map of the Desert of Chaos, a smile still playing on his lips.
After a moment, he looked back at Luna with a calm expression.
“The condition is that you must pull back your troops and avoid engaging the Demon forces for two days,” Jim said nonchalantly, causing everyone in the tent to startle.
“Pulling back the troops? Jim, are you serious?” Natasya asked, her eyes wide with disbelief.
Jim shook his head. “I’m not joking. I’m completely serious.”
His statement quickly silenced the tent, leaving Luna, Valen, Guren, Natasya, and Rain with confused expressions.
Despite their reactions, Jim remained untroubled and slowly pointed to a location on the map of the Desert of Chaos.
“On my way here, I brought about 30,000 additional troops, who will arrive in two days. I want to wait for their arrival before we implement the strategy,” Jim explained.
Hearing this, they finally understood his reasoning, though Luna and Natasya still appeared slightly skeptical.
“But if we pull back our troops, won’t the Demon forces take the opportunity to attack and breach our defenses?” Luna inquired, narrowing her eyes.
In response to the question, Jim simply chuckled and said, “You don’t need to worry, Bow Hero Luna. They won’t do that.”
“They won’t? How can you be so sure?” Luna inquired, a slight furrow in her brow.
“Because they lack the courage to do so,” Natasya interjected, prompting a smile and nod of agreement from Jim.
“Exactly,” Jim confirmed with a light tone. Pointing to the Demon troops’ position on the map, he continued, “The Demon troops employ a defense-focused strategy. They wouldn’t risk attacking because it would dismantle their formation and leave them vulnerable.”
“I’m confident they won’t be foolish enough to attack us, so you needn’t worry, Bow Hero Luna.”
With Jim’s explanation, Luna finally understood and let out a deep sigh.
“Jim is truly formidable,” she whispered to herself.
While she had heard of his strategic prowess, this was the first time she had witnessed it firsthand, leaving her genuinely impressed with Jim.
Snapping out of her reverie, Luna’s expression turned resolute. “In that case, I’ll quickly organize the troops and withdraw from the battlefield.”
As Luna turned to leave, Jim stopped her.
“Wait, Bow Hero Luna!” Jim called out, causing Luna to startle and glance back in confusion.
“You don’t need to leave,” Jim continued, looking at Natasya. “We can leave this to Natasya. Can I count on you, Natasya?”
Natasya nodded firmly. “Of course, Jim. Leave it to me.”
Jim smiled slightly and looked at Luna, Valen, and Guren. “While Natasya and Rain handle the troop arrangements, Bow Hero Luna, Spear Hero Valen, and Marquis Guren, could you come with me for a moment?”
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