Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Chapter 33

After the meeting, I checked my assigned task.

"Commerce… huh."

I had no idea what my Political stat was, but whatever the case, I had been given a job, so I had to do it.

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was supposed to do at the market.

Intelligence in this game didn’t influence commerce in any significant way.

And honestly, I had no idea where to even begin.

Back in Lunarian’s Army, I spent most of my time handling fortifications—aside from that one scouting mission.

It was a little embarrassing, but since I wasn’t strong enough to handle direct repairs, Tifa and Luna did all the actual construction work while Cain and I played support.

"I guess I’ll figure it out once I get to the market."

Official duties wouldn’t start until the day after the meeting.

Lunarian’s Army had been completely disorganized, running on sheer momentum.

Brans Army, on the other hand, was more structured—probably a reflection of its size and resources.

At any rate, I had nothing left to do for the day.

And as for Airen Juliet, who had arrived here with me—

Once again, she had no assigned task.

Brans Army had a surplus of officers, so there were a few other commanders without roles.

But unlike Airen, they were all fairly average C-rank officers.

She was the only one with outstanding stats who had been left with nothing to do.

"…"

Silently, I followed her back to the house.

She walked ahead, just as silent.

•  

Airen finally spoke when we arrived home.

For the first time in a while, her typically unreadable expression shifted into something distinctly apologetic.

"I apologize, Swen. I did not mean to ignore you, but I was concerned that if we appeared too close in public… you would receive unfavorable treatment."

"Oh, please. It’s a little late for that. I already voiced my agreement with your strategy in front of all those people."

"Yes. That’s exactly what I wanted to ask!"

For some reason, she sounded oddly excited.

"What on earth was that about? You believe Charam’s Army is secretly planning to betray us? Do you really think that?"

Oh. Thank you.

She had just handed me a question I had been meaning to test.

I mentally inputted the question: Is Charam’s Army planning to betray us?

But the result was—

[Unknown.]

Not the first time I had seen this result.

Before I joined Lunarian’s Army, I had an old man ask me if he would win or lose in gambling.

I had gotten the same [Unknown] result back then.

"I figured, but it was worth a shot."

In this game, a strategist with 100 Intelligence could only make predictions related to rulers, nations, battle outcomes, the success of strategies, mission assignments, or optimal actions.

Highly specific questions like this seemed to be beyond its scope.

I had no choice but to think through it on my own.

I still didn’t fully understand the limits, but over time, I would collect enough data to get a better sense of them.

"And we’re supposed to attack Serpina’s territory in the north? What are you talking about? Isn’t that far too reckless?"

To calm her down, I answered in an even tone.

"Lady Airen, if you don’t mind, may I ask you a question before I answer yours?"

"…Go ahead."

"Why did you propose sending troops north to strengthen our defenses?"

Airen let out a small sigh before replying.

"First, have a seat."

She removed her heavy armor and set it aside before taking a seat at the table.

I naturally sat across from her and met her gaze.

She was ready to talk.

"Are you aware that we fought a months-long battle against Serpina’s Army in the north not long ago?"

"I’ve heard about it."

While I had been enjoying relative peace in Zeilant, Brans Army had been struggling against Serpina.

"We managed to hold out, but… despite being on the defensive, we weren’t able to drive back the enemy as efficiently as we should have. We may have won the immediate battle, but in the long run, Brans Army is losing ground."

"In other words, our combat efficiency was lower than theirs?"

"Precisely."

As expected of someone with the Siege trait—her insight into battlefield attrition was sharp.

"The north is densely populated. The central region of Brans territory, which makes up most of our land, is fertile, but still unstable. While the area around Arnel Castle is enjoying peace, the border regions have already drafted most of their able-bodied men into the army. That means we can’t afford to pull troops from elsewhere. Sending 56,000 troops to subjugate Aishus is premature. I am certain Serpina’s Army will take the opportunity to launch another assault on Kelstein Castle."

After saying this, Airen stood and said, "Give me a moment."

She then walked off to prepare tea.

She really was a diligent woman.

A short while later, she handed me a cup.

A subtle, smoky aroma drifted from the tea.

"Since Parfalle was the one who proposed this plan, it will almost certainly be approved. She is the most trusted officer in the army."

"Is that why you raised your hand in support?"

"That’s right."

She nodded and took a sip of her tea.

So that was it.

Even knowing that she was disliked, even knowing that her input wouldn’t be welcomed, she still spoke up for the good of the nation.

Lyn wouldn’t acknowledge it.

And Airen didn’t expect her to.

But she said what needed to be said anyway.

She was the very definition of a loyal retainer.

But in most routes of the game, her reward for that loyalty was tragedy.

Would she really end up dead?

Because of her uncompromising nature?

There was one thing I knew for sure.

"Lyn Brans personally executes Airen Juliet, a subordinate with whom she has poor compatibility."

A simple statement.

But now, the puzzle pieces were coming together.

As Airen stared absentmindedly at her teacup, I carefully posed a question.

"…Lady Airen. I hope you won’t find this question offensive, but—"

"It’s fine. A subordinate should not hold back for fear of offending their superior. Speak freely."

"Then I will be blunt. Are you aware that your lord despises you?"

"…"

She gave a bitter smile.

"Yes. I am aware."

"And yet, you remain loyal?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"…"

Airen Juliet.

An S-rank commander.

Red hair, violet eyes.

The Siege trait and high martial prowess.

A tragic officer who, in the end, was executed by her own lord, Lyn Brans.

That was all I knew about her from the game.

Even the tips were simplistic:

"If you want to use Airen, you must either select Lyn Brans as your ruler or destroy Brans Army as soon as possible! However, even if Brans Army falls, Airen is rarely recruitable, so be patient!"

That was all.

But—

This so-called simple Airen Juliet trained every day, waiting for the day her lord would call upon her.

This simple Airen Juliet spoke up for her country’s well-being, even knowing she was hated.

This simple Airen Juliet was kind to her subordinates, never overestimated her own abilities, and never took out her frustrations on those beneath her.

I was curious.

Why was she so loyal to Lyn Brans, even knowing she was hated?

Not just because of a character trait labeled loyal—

But because she was right here, in front of me.

Breathing.

Making tea.

Training every day.

Why had she never even considered betrayal?

And—I wanted to save her.

The woman sitting in front of me, smiling as if she might crumble at any moment.

"…This is a personal matter."

She traced the rim of her teacup with a finger.

"It is because my father asked it of me."

"Your father?"

"Yes. After the Empire fell, one of the first lords to seize the rich central lands was Oland Brans, a man once known as the Empire’s hunting dog. You’ve heard of him, I presume?"

Oland Brans.

I recognized the name, but I had never controlled him in the game.

By the time the game began, he was already dead, and Brans Army had passed to his third daughter, Lyn.

"My father, Kafka Juliet, was his personal bodyguard."

That was a name I had never heard before.

Unlike Lyn Brans, who was a major figure in the game, Airen was just a high-stat officer.

There had never been much backstory for her.

"My father always told me the same thing from the day I first held a sword. That we existed to serve House Brans. That our survival depended on it. And while Lord Oland lived, our family never lacked for anything."

I said nothing.

Simply listening.

"My father died protecting Lord Oland’s life."

"What happened?"

An assassination attempt on Lord Oland."

Ah.

I could already piece together what had happened.

"Back then, the Empire had just collapsed. People still identified as 'Imperials,' and many remained loyal to House Eingart. My father died protecting Lord Oland, and my mother fell ill soon after and passed away as well."

"So… you carried on your father's will all this time?"

"Yes."

Airen looked at me with a clarity I had never seen before.

Even if the light in her eyes had faded somewhat, the pride behind them remained unmistakable.

"Serving House Brans, living for House Brans. After Lord Oland Brans died, serving his successor, Lady Lyn Brans, was the natural course of action for me. Swen, don’t you agree?"

"…"

I took a slow sip of tea instead of answering.

Saying "I don’t think so" wouldn’t change her mind.

In this game, the stat that influenced officer recruitment the most was Charm.

With 100 Charm, even the most difficult officers could usually be recruited.

Judging by my fairly average appearance, my own Charm stat was probably around 50–60.

Which meant I wasn’t going to win her over easily.

In the game, there were three main ways to recruit officers with Loyalty 100:

1. Max out their Affinity.
2. Establish a special bond (such as a deep friendship).
3. Use strategies to lower their loyalty.

Three potential approaches.

Of course, in the game, I had simply pressed buttons to achieve these results.

Now, I had no idea how to translate that into reality.

Still, for now, the best course of action was to focus on what I could do.

Even if she had her reasons, there had to be a way to bring Airen to my side.

"Raising her Affinity should be the first step."

Once I decided that, my mind felt clearer.

Carefully, I adopted a warm tone.

"I understand now. I see why your loyalty to Lady Lyn has never wavered."

"I appreciate that you understand, but… I feel like I may have shared something too personal with someone I’ve only recently met. I hope it wasn't a burden to you."

"It’s no burden at all. Getting to know you better, Lady Airen, is a privilege in itself."

"…!"

Her pupils dilated slightly.

Then, flustered, she turned her head to the side, her cheeks tinged with red.

Was she uncomfortable around men?

Well, I had said it to raise her Affinity, so her reaction was a good sign.

"Ahem. Well… in any case, enough about me. Let’s get back to the main topic."

She cleared her throat a few more times before continuing.

"About your conclusion—that we should invade Serpina’s territory in the north—I want to hear the reasoning behind it."

"The reasoning, huh."

To be honest, I didn’t know.

I had simply followed the logical chain of conclusions from my previous predictions.

Then Parfalle had conveniently asked the right question, allowing me to confirm the answer.

That was all.

But the fact that this was the correct course of action meant that something was going to happen.

"…"

I briefly considered making something up.

But I didn’t have to explain it right now.

The decision had already been made.

And even if I told Airen, it wasn’t like she could do anything about it at this stage.

"I have some vague ideas, but my thoughts aren’t fully formed yet. Would you mind giving me a little more time?"

"I don’t mind."

"Then that’s a relief."

I had nothing concrete to say yet, so this worked out well.

I would need to think about it on my own.

At that moment—

"Swen."

"Yes?"

"…Thank you."

Her cheeks reddened slightly as she spoke.

Why?

For some reason, Airen—who had always felt like an unshakable warrior—suddenly seemed like a woman who just needed someone to rely on.

"Thank you for supporting my opinion… It was the first time that’s ever happened."

I answered seriously.

"Lady Airen. Please understand—I did not raise my hand out of sympathy. I did so because I believed your proposal was the most logical. Keep that in mind."

"…I see."

She smiled again.

This time, it wasn’t a fragile smile.

•  

That night.

After Airen had finished her training and fallen asleep—

I spread out the map of the northern territories under the dim glow of a lantern.

"Something is going to happen in the north."

100 Intelligence had predicted that the best course of action was to launch an attack on the northern territories.

But no matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t see a clear opportunity.

The fortresses in the north were well-defended.

If we mobilized our forces to launch an invasion, we would inevitably leave Kelstein Castle vulnerable to attack.

Even after considering the newly constructed forts, I couldn’t find an opening.

"I see why Parfalle thought this was absurd."

Even after clearing this game thousands of times, I couldn’t make sense of this conclusion.

Of course, the game’s battle mechanics weren’t particularly realistic.

If I had an army full of SS-ranked officers and multiple commanders with the Siege trait, I could brute-force my way through.

But that wasn’t an option right now.

Still.

If the prediction was correct—if attacking the north truly was the best course of action—then something extraordinary was going to happen.

I ran through every possible in-game event.

Everything that could possibly occur.

Focusing on scenarios where Serpina’s Army would be weakened while we would have an opportunity to strike.

First, I eliminated anything that wouldn’t give Brans Army a meaningful advantage.

That ruled out a lot of possibilities.

After narrowing it down, three potential scenarios remained.

The first possibility: A natural disaster.

The game included random disaster events.

On rare occasions, an earthquake could completely destroy a castle.

It was absurd.

But then again, this was a world where meteor strikes were also possible.

And magic existed.

It wasn’t completely outside the realm of possibility.

But the odds were too low.

Even with 100 Intelligence, it was unlikely to factor in such a rare event.

Unless it was the only possible outcome.

"Let’s rule that out."

The second possibility: The ruler’s sudden death.

If a ruler died without an heir, a large kingdom could easily split into three or four factions.

There was even a known strategy where players would repeatedly reload saves to assassinate rulers and trigger civil wars.

If Serpina died, it would create a prime opportunity for us to invade the north.

But…

Would Serpina really die?

She was a major character.

One of the key figures in this world.

In most timelines, she became the supreme ruler of the continent.

She was young.

And in perfect health.

Which made this scenario feel almost as unlikely as a natural disaster.

"No. That can’t be it either."

That left only one possibility.

Something that would drastically shift the balance of power in the north.

Something that would stretch Serpina’s forces thin.

I circled two fortresses in the north.

Chorel Castle in the northwest.

Cherien Castle in the northeast.

One of these two locations—

One of them would—

"Is there going to be… a rebellion?"

The third scenario.

A coup.

A large-scale uprising.

The more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

This had to be it.