The National War Strategy Meeting had begun. In the grand hall, the King and his advisors discussed the battle formations for the upcoming war against the One-Handed King, the tyrant ruling the neighboring kingdom.
Maps were spread across the long table, detailing the battle positions of their forces. As the King announced the final strategy, shockwaves spread through the room—
Asher's forces were placed on the front lines.
---
The Advisors' Outrage
"This is madness!" one of the advisors shouted, slamming his fist on the table. "Why would we put a young, inexperienced noble at the most dangerous position? This is a death sentence!"
Another noble scoffed. "Inexperienced? Are you forgetting who he is? Asher is one of the descendant of the strongest nobles in the kingdom."
"Strong? He's just a boy!" the advisor retorted. "You expect him to survive in the bloodiest part of the battlefield?"
Another noble chuckled. "Why not? Didn't he claim he could defeat Lord Azura in just 15 seconds?"
Silence.
The advisors turned to Asher, expecting him to deny it.
But he simply smiled. "Yes. I did say that."
The room was filled with murmurs of disbelief. Some nobles looked impressed, others disgusted. The advisors, however, were defeated. If Asher had this much confidence, there was no use arguing.
The King nodded. "Then it is settled. The meeting is adjourned."
Asher left the hall calmly, while the advisors shook their heads in frustration.
---
The Real Plan
Later that night, Selena confronted Asher.
"You shouldn't have said that to the Queen." She crossed her arms. "Now you're really on the frontlines! What are you going to do?"
Asher leaned against the wall, his expression unreadable.
"This was my plan all along."
Selena frowned. "What?"
Asher sighed. "The enemy king… the One-Handed King… he's dangerous. But the closer I am to him, the safer I'll be."
Selena blinked. "That makes no sense. Shouldn't you want to stay farther away from him?"
Asher chuckled. "That's what most people think. But you're forgetting one thing."
"He is a long range weapon user; an accurate sniper never missed a shot." He said
"But he only has one hand how can he snipe someone using a bow and an arrow."
"Well Selena that's the scary part let you ask you ,would you rather be shot by an arrow in your eyes or by a javelin javelin through your chest?".
Selena went pale. "Wait… you're saying…?"
Selena shivered. She finally understood. The One-Handed King was deadly not in close combat, but from afar. The farther away you were, the more dangerous he became.
And Asher had tricked the King into putting him in the one place where the One-Handed King's advantage was useless—
Right in front of him.
Asher smirked. "That's why I needed to be on the front lines. Normally I planned to take my shoulders to him cause It's the only way to make sure I don't die before I even get to fight him, but I guess plan a worked."
Selena watched as Asher entered his room, shutting the door behind him.
For the first time, she truly realized—
The One-Handed King was a was a deadly furnace but his clone Asher was a menace._