Why Won’t You Let Me Dote on You?! – The Arrogant Supporting Prince Falls for the Reincarnated Villainess and Loses His Mind - Chapter 1.7

And so, the territory-conquest game began.

“I’m pretty good at this game, you know. Brother, I’ll let you move first.”
“Really? Then I’ll gladly take the first-move advantage.”

My brother started by moving his light infantry.
These pieces are highly mobile and, being low-ranking, don’t cost many points if taken.
In contrast, I boldly advanced my most valuable piece—the Commander.

“That’s a bold move. Most people don’t risk moving their Commander so early.”
“To earn the trust of my troops, I have to lead by example, right?”

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.
The Commander, thanks to its superior abilities, can take a variety of special actions.
I used it to reveal one of the nearby terrain cards—intel only the Commander can access.

“Ah, I see. The Commander can reveal terrain data, can’t it? Not bad.”
“In war, bravery isn’t enough. Intelligence wins battles.”

My brother’s next move was to position a sniper.
He was probably aiming to take the high ground and gain the advantage of ranged attacks.
But I wasn’t about to let him dominate the terrain so easily.

“My turn. I’m sending my light infantry to charge the sniper. At this range, it’s hand-to-hand combat. Reinforcements?”
“Unfortunate. The sniper is too far ahead—no support nearby. I’ll have to rely on the dice.”

We moved our pieces together, signaling battle.
Combat is resolved by rolling dice, adjusted by unit bonuses.
In this case, snipers suffer penalties in close combat, while light infantry receive bonuses.

“Yes! My light infantry wins! No way a sniper beats me up close.”
“Hmm… I got too eager. I rushed my strategy.”

Leaning forward, my brother studied the board, hesitating slightly before moving his next piece.
His strategies were textbook-perfect, straight from the pages of military manuals.
Clearly, he had studied tactics seriously—and mastered them well enough to apply them here.
Any military scholar would’ve praised his skill.

“So, that’s your play? Then take this!”

But I had no intention of losing either.
As he launched methodical offensives and flexible defenses, I found myself thrilled—
It felt like I was facing the legendary generals who created those very tactics.
With feints and unpredictable moves, I chipped away at his forces.

“Wait, Clow-sama! That move—!”

As the match neared its climax, Eliza suddenly called out.
It was right as I moved my Commander into enemy territory.
Without missing a beat, my brother countered with a light infantry charge.

“You let your guard down, Clow. I’m ordering my light infantry to attack your Commander.
Given our positions, neither side can call reinforcements.”

“What?! If you do that, your infantry will be wiped out!”

Despite my warning, my brother just grinned confidently.
I scanned the board again.
My Commander was in enemy territory, facing his light infantry head-on—
And behind them… hidden just out of sight… was his sniper.

“Looks like you noticed. You’re right—the infantry won’t win.
But a wounded Commander won’t survive a sniper’s shot next.
That’s why I ordered the infantry to sacrifice themselves.”

“You gave a suicide order just to weaken my Commander? You’re a harsh commander, Brother.”

“Well, Clow, let’s roll the dice. If luck’s on your side, maybe you can drag the game out a little longer.”

My brother reached for the dice to signal battle—
But I flipped over a terrain card instead.
It was one my Commander had revealed earlier with his special ability.

“Heh. You didn’t know what this card said, did you?
Thanks to terrain effects, my Commander gains an advantage in close combat right here!”

“What?! You’re kidding me!”

Several pieces in the game have the ability to reveal terrain effects—
but all of them are high-risk units you can’t afford to lose.
A cautious player would usually avoid moving them at all.
In fact, my brother’s Commander hadn’t moved an inch from its starting position.
It made sense, then, that he was unaware of the terrain details I had uncovered earlier.

“Tch…! But depending on the dice roll, I might still turn this around…!”

“You’re right! It’s not over yet! Let’s roll!”

We threw our dice at the same time.
Both rolled average values.
Normally, my Commander would’ve lost over half its durability—
but thanks to the terrain bonus, I emerged nearly unscathed and completely overpowered his light infantry.

“Yes! I held strong! Now I’m advancing my Commander! Come on—bring it!”

“Then I’ve got no choice. I’m attacking with my sniper from the high ground!”

Trying to gain the upper hand, my brother’s sniper took the elevated position.
But even from there, he couldn’t break through my Commander’s reinforced defenses.
His snipers were left exposed—completely vulnerable.

“My Commander charges the snipers!”

With the Commander’s superior power, there was no need for dice—
lightly armored snipers were swept aside effortlessly.
Despite their desperate assault, my brother’s troops were utterly crushed by my tactics.

“S-So strong… I can’t believe you of all people are this skilled in strategy…”

He fought valiantly with his remaining pieces, but I slowly pressed forward,
cornering him bit by bit—
and ultimately surrounded his forces.
The game ended in my complete and undeniable victory.