Reincarnated as an Elf Prince-Chapter 72: Strategies (2)

Lindarion leaned forward, his eyes flicking across the coastal fortress map.

Vivienne's plan was clever, but it assumed the enemy would fall for false weaknesses.

Lindarion didn't like leaving things to chance.

He liked forcing the outcome.

So he spoke.

"They'll expect traps in the water," he said. "They'll assume we've prepared defenses along the coastline."

Vivienne's sharp blue eyes flicked toward him, intrigued. "Go on."

Lindarion pointed at the map.

"They want to siege the fortress, right? Which means their goal isn't just landing their troops—it's controlling the city."

A few nobles leaned in slightly, listening.

Lindarion's gaze stayed on Verrian.

"They'll try to destroy the walls first. Siege weapons are slow, but they have range. They'll sit just outside of our attack radius and bombard the defenses until there's a breach."

Verrian nodded slightly. "So?"

Lindarion's lips curled.

"So we let them."

Silence.

Some students looked confused. Others alarmed.

Cassian muttered, "Okay, you seriously lost me there.."

Lindarion pointed towards the fortress.

"We let them destroy a section of the wall. We make them think they're winning. Let them believe they've created an opening."

He dragged his finger inward, toward the streets leading into the city.

"And then, when they rush in—we collapse the surrounding buildings on top of them."

Several students stiffened.

Vivienne's smirk widened.

Verrian?

He grinned.

"You're talking about a controlled collapse," Verrian mused. "Turning the city into a trap itself."

Lindarion nodded. "Instead of defending the walls, we force them into kill zones. The moment they break through, they won't find an open city waiting for them. They'll find an ambush."

He leaned back, crossing his arms.

"They'll waste resources destroying their own escape route. By the time they realize it's a trap, they'll be stuck in our territory, on our terms. And then we wipe them out."

A slow, knowing silence stretched through the room.

Then—

Verrian laughed.

It wasn't loud.

It wasn't mocking.

It was genuine.

"Now that," Verrian said, his smirk sharp, "is how you turn a losing battle into a slaughter."

Cassian muttered, "You're actually terrifying."

Vivienne tilted her head slightly backwards to turn to Lindarion.

"You're better at this than I expected," she mused.

Lindarion rolled his eyes.

Vivienne smiled faintly at him.

Verrian clapped his hands together, drawing attention back to the front.

"Well, that's enough for today." His eyes flicked across the class. "Some of you have potential. Some of you need work. And some of you need to stop thinking with your family's outdated war strategies."

Several students shifted uncomfortably.

Lindarion smirked. He was going to enjoy this class.

Verrian turned back toward his desk.

"Next time, we'll discuss real wartime case studies. You'll be given battle scenarios with limited information and forced to make real-time decisions."

His gaze landed on Lindarion once more.

"Some of you," he added, "I'll be watching closely."

Lindarion sighed internally.

'I'm attracting too much attention…But it is what it is..'

Cassian patted his shoulder. "You're attracting way too many people who want to test you."

Lindarion exhaled. "I noticed."

Verrian gestured toward the door.

"Class dismissed."

—

The moment they stepped outside, Cassian let out a long breath.

"I don't know if I should be impressed or deeply concerned that you figured out multiple ways to trap an entire army in like, two minutes."

'All those video games I played are finally coming in clutch..'

Lindarion shrugged. "It's not that hard."

Cassian stared.

"It is for normal people."

Vivienne walked past them, her usual composed expression still in place. "I wouldn't call him normal."

Luneth, who had been silent the whole time, finally spoke.

"You hesitated before answering," she said, glancing at Lindarion as Vivienne just kept walking without saying anything else.

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Lindarion raised an eyebrow. "I was thinking."

"You shouldn't, you're smart."

With that Luneth walked off leaving Cassian and Lindarion by themselves.

'Is something wrong with her..?'

He sighed as he tapped Cassian on the shoulder.

"I'm gonna go train now, you should as well."

He turned to leave before Cassian could even say anything.

—

He made his way toward the training grounds.

The sun was starting to dip, casting long shadows across the academy's open courtyards.

Most students were either heading back to rest or wasting time in the city.

But Lindarion?

He had no interest in either.

'I want to get stronger, people have such high expectations of me..'

Expectations.

It was a curse but a blessing at the same time, which haunted him even in his past life as Felix.

The times when during competitions people looked at him with those eyes.

They were the eyes of believers, people who wanted and knew he would win.

He always wanted to meet the standards of others.

Just like a puppet.

But, it wasn't the thing he had to focus on at the moment.

Today's lessons were useful. More useful than most of the empty lectures people loved to waste time with in his past life.

But learning and applying were two different things.

And Lindarion wasn't someone who half-learned anything.

So he walked past the main sparring rings, past the areas where students usually practiced drills—

And found a quieter spot.

An empty section of the training field, far from prying eyes.

'This is perfect.'

Lindarion exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

Then, slowly, he let his mana stir.

Not flare.

Not explode.

Just move.

The techniques they had learned today weren't about raw strength.

They were about control.

Most people thought power came from pushing harder. Pouring more mana into every strike, every spell.

But what Nyx had shown them today?

It was about efficiency. Refinement.

Making mana work for you.

Lindarion extended a hand, focusing.

The first technique—Passive Circulation.

Mana flowed through his body in a steady, uninterrupted stream.

No force. No strain.

Just an invisible hum beneath his skin.

It felt natural. Too natural.

'How long have I been doing this without realizing it?'

His control had always been precise. It had to be. After all, he was loved by mana.

But now, with the techniques spelled out so clearly, he realized—

He had been refining his circulation long before stepping into the academy.

A small smirk tugged at his lips.

No wonder it felt effortless for him…well, it would have been weird if it wasn't effortless.

He adjusted, shifting into the next technique—Controlled Circulation.

This one required more precision. Instead of just letting mana flow, he directed it, channeling it into specific points of his body.

Faster circulation through his arms.

Denser mana reinforcing his core.

He could feel the difference instantly.

His muscles felt lighter. More responsive.

Like he was moving with half the effort, twice the speed.

'This could be dangerous.'

Not for him.

For his opponents.

Because if he had been fighting this whole time without fully utilizing this—

Then what happened when he did?

Lindarion flexed his fingers, testing the balance.

Then—he took a step forward.

And vanished.

He wasn't actually teleporting.

He was just moving more efficiently than ever before.

A blur of motion—then he reappeared several meters away, barely winded.

The technique wasn't just meant for speed.

But it made speed effortless.

Lindarion exhaled slowly.

He had only started using it, and already, he could see the potential.

In a real fight?

This would be devastating.

He adjusted his stance, rolling his neck.

Now for the final one—Mana Reinforcement.

The most aggressive of the three.

Not just controlling mana, but enhancing it.

Not just refining energy, but turning it into a weapon.

He focused—and his aura sharpened.

The air around him shifted.

The stillness broke.

And for a brief moment—

The entire training ground felt heavier.

Not from weight.

From presence.

His own.

Lindarion clenched his fist.

This technique wasn't about power.

It was about turning your very existence into a threat.

If Passive Circulation made him efficient—

If Controlled Circulation made him fast—

Then Mana Reinforcement made him an actual unit..

Lindarion let go, pulling his aura back in.

The air returned to normal.

The pressure faded.

But his mind was already racing.

With these techniques mastered, his fighting style would shift entirely.

He had relied on speed, precision, and instinct before.

But this?

This was another level.

He exhaled.

'Good. This is exactly what I needed.'

He turned, ready to leave after practicing for a while.

But then he suddenly felt it, multiple presences walking towards him.

He exhaled sharply, turning—just in time to see a group of figures stepping out from behind one of the stone pillars near the training ground's entrance.

The third-years.

The same ones who had bothered him before.

The auburn-haired one, the arrogant idiot from earlier, was leading them, a smirk already stretching across his face. However Nathan wasn't with them this time.

Lindarion immediately felt his patience evaporate.

'These idiots again?'

The blond one was there too, along with two others he didn't recognize.

They moved casually, like they weren't even trying to be threatening this time.

Like they were pretending this was just a coincidental meeting.

Lindarion didn't buy it for a second.

The auburn-haired third-year tilted his head slightly.

"Well, well. Out here training all alone, huh?"

Lindarion didn't respond.

Mostly because he was debating whether it was worth acknowledging their existence.

The blond one grinned. "You trying to get stronger, first-year?"

Lindarion blinked slowly. "No, I was actually just trying to get worse."

A pause.

Then—

The blond's grin twitched.