Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Chapter 26

I left the castle and joined the ranks of Brans Army.

The streets of Zeilant, which I had walked daily, suddenly felt unfamiliar.

When I turned my gaze toward the castle, I saw the bright sky-blue flag of Brans Army billowing in the wind.

Right.

Castle Zeilant, along with its surrounding lands, now belonged to Brans Army.

As we marched, I passed by the bustling market district that had only recently started to flourish—Tifa had even helped construct new buildings here.

Further ahead, golden wheat fields stretched as far as the eye could see—the same fields Luna and I had once watched together.

And just a little farther, the town square where we had danced.

Now, the streets were empty.

The citizens had all hidden inside their homes, driven by fear of the invading army.

The silence was chilling.

Yet, I couldn’t stop the memories from surfacing.

Traces of the time I had spent here with her were everywhere.

…Lunarian.

I pushed those lingering thoughts aside.

If I wanted to survive, I couldn't let anyone suspect that I intended to return to the Lunarian Army.

The green flag of Castle Zeilant.

One day, it would fly again.

Until then, I was Swen of Brans Army.

Or rather—

I would become anyone’s Swen if it meant survival.

Even if it meant serving under the tyrant Serpina, I would endure.

I would live—

And eventually, I would return to stand beside Luna, the one destined to unify the continent.

As long as she still held that fate in her hands.

And so, I cast aside my lingering attachment to her.

I let go of that past and embraced a new sky-blue sun.

Following the army’s march, I departed from Castle Zeilant.

***

The first thing Lyn did upon returning to Arnel Castle was to redeploy her massive force of 80,000 back to their respective battlefronts.

"Brother, I’ll leave the south to you, okay? Let me know if anything happens."

"Understood."

Chel gave a firm nod before quickly leaving the castle.

Since most of the troops had come from the south, he had to move the fastest.

The southern continent was a battlefield of competing nations.

Aside from a few small, insignificant territories, four major powers ruled the region:

1. Roland Army, which shared the longest border with Brans Army.
2. Hesna Army, with a smaller but still notable border.
3. Karelia Army, positioned farther south, with no direct border.
4. Ohana Army, also in the southern region, unconnected to Brans Army.

These four forces maintained a delicate balance.

If they ever united, their combined strength would dwarf Brans Army.

Of course, such an alliance was unlikely.

But if Brans wanted to launch a southern campaign, the current wide-spread battlefront had to be narrowed first.

For now, Serpina in the north was a threat, but before dealing with her, Brans Army needed to consolidate power in central and eastern territories.

Only then could they safely advance southward.

This was why Lyn’s grand strategy was as follows:

1. Deploy Chel to the south as a stabilizing force.
2. Rapidly subjugate the central and eastern regions.
3. Once those territories were secured, focus on the southern conquest.

"Our position is annoying."

Brans controlled the most fertile lands of the central continent.

A desirable advantage, yes—

But it also meant being surrounded by conflict on all sides.

"Shall I continue assisting Lord Chel in the south?" Parfalle inquired.

Lyn shook her head.

"No. Stay here for now. Something’s about to happen in the south… but it won’t concern us immediately."

"Oh? What kind of situation?"

"I got word from our spies. A commotion is brewing."

"The Hesna Army?"

"Oh my,~" Lyn smirked at Parfalle.

"Seems like you already have an idea?"

"Well, I was stationed in the south until recently."

There had been reports of troop gatherings along the Hesna-Ohana border.

A war wasn’t guaranteed.

But if one did break out—

Roland Army would likely shift focus toward Hesna, rather than worrying about Brans.

That would create an opening.

Either attack Roland’s weakened front or strike Hesna first—the choice would be theirs.

A win-win situation.

"Exactly. Let’s watch and see how things play out." Lyn grinned. "More importantly—bring me Swen."

"Swen…? You mean the man who was abandoned by Lunarian?"

"Yep!"

Parfalle’s brow furrowed slightly.

"He doesn’t seem particularly remarkable."

"No, no, no. I completely underestimated him before. Maybe it was because you weren’t by my side, but—anyway, he’s definitely not an ordinary man! And now that he’s part of the family, I have to properly introduce him, don’t I? Hehehe?"

Parfalle fell into thought.

Was her ruler, Lyn, truly someone who cherished her subordinates so deeply?

No.

Objectively speaking, no.

She only cared about S-rank talents.

Anyone beneath that was just a number—filler for administrative roles or minor battlefields.

Lyn’s judgment in selecting people was… peculiar.

But generally sound.

Was Swen truly that special?

Even Parfalle was beginning to wonder.

"I will summon him immediately."

"Mm-hm! And tell him not to be nervous! He’s family now~!"

"Understood."

Parfalle left the castle.

Exactly ten minutes later—

Swen arrived, walking beside her.

He kneeled before Lyn and spoke words that filled her with satisfaction.

"You summoned me, Your Majesty."

"Mm! Welcome, welcome! Seeing you here feels so nice!"

The man who had once faced her as an envoy—who had spoken so arrogantly on behalf of Lunarian—

Was now kneeling before her.

Calling her his ruler.

Oh, the thrill!

Few things excited Lyn more than talented people swearing loyalty to her.

She lived for moments like this.

"Since we’re family now, I figured we should have a proper introduction!"

Lyn grinned widely, her enthusiasm uncontainable.

"I’m Lyn Brans! As you know, I’m the ruler of Brans Army! And I’m also the one who will unify this continent! Swen, what do you think? You agree, don’t you?"

Parfalle, standing beside the throne, glanced at Swen.

She felt… a little bad for him.

What exactly had he done to capture Lyn’s attention this much?

Lyn only ever cared about results.

If he didn’t deliver—

He would be discarded.

Reduced to a minor officer with no real authority.

For someone with no ambition, that wouldn’t be a bad outcome.

But if he did have aspirations…

He would soon realize—

The burden of Lyn’s expectations was a crushing weight.

And not a single person had ever met them.

"……."

Swen lowered his head slightly before carefully speaking.

"I will do my utmost to assist you in achieving your goal, Lady Lyn."

"Good! I like that attitude! Mm! From now on, I expect you to use that brilliant mind of yours for me, alright?"

"Of course."

Lyn gazed at him in satisfaction.

Then, as if something had just occurred to her, she tilted her head and spoke.

"Oh, right. You don’t have a place to stay here, do you?"

"I don’t, but I can stay at an inn."

"An inn? What are you talking about? Sure, Arnel Castle has some decent inns, but I can’t have one of my valued subordinates staying in a place like that. Hold on a sec—Parfalle, do we have any vacant rooms?"

"No, Your Majesty. There are no vacancies," Parfalle replied calmly.

Obviously, Lyn didn’t personally arrange accommodations for all her subordinates.

She was making a clear exception for Swen.

"Hmm… where would be good…?"

Lyn pondered for a moment, drumming her fingers on the armrest of her chair.

Then, as if struck by an idea, she clapped her hands together.

"Ah! I’ve got it. East Arnel, Street 32. There’s a general there with a spacious room. You’ll stay with them."

"I’ll be living with them?"

"Yup! Think of it as a roommate situation. That area is all government-owned housing, so it’s a good place to settle in. Plus, the person staying there is one of my subordinates, so you can ask them about anything you need to know."

Swen nodded.

"I understand. I will reside there as instructed."

"Great!"

Lyn beamed, clearly satisfied.

"You can go now! Our next strategy meeting is in three days, so be at the castle then. Your roommate will fill you in on the details. See you then!"

"Understood."

Swen stood, offering a final bow before exiting the castle.

The moment the door closed behind him, Lyn turned to Parfalle.

"So? What do you think?"

"Well…"

Parfalle hesitated.

To be honest, her first impression of Swen was unimpressive.

Sure, he had a decent face, but he looked far too frail to be of any real use.

And good looks wouldn’t help him on a battlefield.

A man needed skills to be useful.

She still had no idea why Lyn was so fixated on him.

But there was no need to provoke her ruler’s temper.

After a brief pause, Parfalle carefully chose her words.

"He certainly carries an unusual presence."

"Right? I told you so!"

"That should be enough."

Parfalle let out an internal sigh of relief.

Lyn’s mood could be unpredictable.

It was best to avoid setting her off unnecessarily.

And then—

"…Wait a moment."

Something clicked in her mind.

Lyn had just sent Swen to East Arnel, Street 32.

Told him to live with the person residing there.

Parfalle knew that area well—she lived in East Arnel herself.

And she knew exactly who lived at Street 32.

"That place…!"

A chill ran down her spine.

She turned to look at Lyn, who was casually sorting through papers, humming to herself.

This was deliberate.

Lyn had intentionally sent Swen, a man, to that residence.

"…A person who has fallen out of favor with the ruler truly suffers."

In Brans Army, the key to survival was simple.

Never fall out of Lyn Brans’s favor.

Outside Arnel Castle

"I’m Lyn Brans! As you know, I’m the ruler of Brans Army! And I’m also the one who will unify this continent! Swen, what do you think? You agree, don’t you?"

At that moment, I ran my prediction.

"Can Lyn Brans unify the continent?"

The result was swift and absolute.

[No, she cannot.]

"Sorry, new ruler."

It was the same answer I had received when I first met Luna.

Lyn Brans was not destined to become the unified ruler.

But there was no need to say this out loud.

If I wanted to gain her trust, I needed to make myself useful.

I took a look at the town map and set off toward East Arnel.

The district was far more developed than the worn-down structures of Castle Zeilant.

Even in the evening, people bustled through the streets.

The houses, made of sturdy brick, stood in stark contrast to the old wooden buildings of Zeilant.

After walking for a few minutes, I finally arrived at East Arnel, Street 32.

"This is the place?"

It was a standard brick house, modest but well-kept, with a fine tree standing nearby.

Compared to the barebones room I had back in Zeilant—where all I had was a bed—this was a clear improvement.

Under normal circumstances, I would have felt a sense of achievement.

But something didn’t sit right.

"Where is Lunarian now?"

Was she somewhere along the road south?

Were Cain and Tifa still with her, ensuring her safety?

"…Enough."

Thinking about her wouldn’t change anything now.

I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

And then—

A voice called out from within.

"Who is it?"

"…Wait."

It was a woman’s voice.