Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Chapter 36

A dream.

For the past few days, she had been having the same dream over and over again.

A place that seemed familiar, yet she couldn't quite pinpoint where it was.

A city filled with buildings built of white brick and adorned with blue rooftops.

And in that place, a man approached her.

A man with pure white hair and gray eyes—unbearably beautiful.

She didn’t know who he was.

But in the dream, she did.

His name was—

'…….'

Even though she had spoken his name naturally in the dream, the moment she woke up, it slipped away completely.

She furrowed her brow slightly, pressing a hand to her forehead.

His appearance was so dazzling that even the slight narrowing of his golden eyes was breathtaking.

'Who is he…?'

Had she the time, she might have calmly pondered the identity of the man.

But the place where she now stood—where she had climbed with her own two feet—offered no such luxury.

And she knew that better than anyone.

With that thought, she quickly pushed herself up from the soft bed.

'……Enough.'

Today, as always, she would become the "her" that everyone needed.

As if resigning herself to fate, she picked up the signature hairpin resting on the table, quickly composed her thoughts, and prepared to leave the bedroom.

*

Exiting her chamber, she passed by the guards and strode down the long corridor.

As she walked, she closed her eyes for a moment.

This was a ritual of sorts.

The "real me" who had just woken up would walk through this hallway with her eyes closed—

And by the time she reached the end, she would have become the "me" that everyone expected her to be.

Soon, a heavy door came into view.

And beyond it—

'…….'

The creaking of the door echoed as it opened.

A woman with brown hair, tied back neatly, bowed deeply before her.

"You have awakened, my lord."

"……Mm."

She nodded slightly before making her way to the throne—the seat of absolute authority prepared solely for her.

The brown-haired woman stood close beside her, promptly delivering her report on the matters she needed to hear.

"The forces for the fourth Kelstein campaign have been fully assembled at Chorel Castle and Cherien Castle. Additionally, General Julian has sent word suggesting we prioritize the destruction of the fortress that Brans Army has recently built to the north of Kelstein Castle."

"The number of troops stationed there?"

"Approximately twenty-eight thousand."

"If we were to strike the fortress, the deployment would begin from Chorel Castle, correct?"

"That is correct."

She fell into brief contemplation before turning her gaze toward the woman at her side.

"Jenna, I'd like to hear your thoughts."

"Shall I speak frankly?"

"I would prefer it."

At that, Jenna smiled faintly and responded.

"Regarding the fortress, I don't quite understand why it was built there in the first place. It holds no particular strategic significance. Rather than concerning ourselves with it, I believe we should move our main force through the southeastern route of Cherien Castle and launch a direct assault on Kelstein Castle.

If we do so, the twenty-eight thousand troops stationed at the fortress will be forced to move down to defend. At that moment, the troops advancing from Chorel Castle can engage them separately, defeating them piece by piece. Targeting them while they’re in motion would be far more advantageous than trying to break through a fortified position."

"I see."

She tapped her fingers against the armrest of the throne.

Her golden eyes gleamed slightly.

"So, in the end, the key is Cherien Castle… Anything else to report?"

"There are reports of troops gathering near the border between Aishus and Brans Army."

"…Hmm?"

Could they be planning an offensive in the east at this time?

She wasn’t sure of their exact intentions, but for her army, this was an extremely favorable development.

How could they break free from the northern front and advance elsewhere?

If they continued southeast from Cherien Castle, they would eventually encounter a massive mountain range. Beyond that lay the territory of the Aishus Army, but there were no viable paths for an army to march through.

The southwestern region near Chorel Castle was also out of the question, consisting of treacherous mountains and swamps. It would be unwise to attempt an advance into the central-western lands from there.

That left only one option: Kelstein Castle, standing directly in the middle of the path leading to the central regions.

If they could break through Kelstein, they would finally escape the northern confines and make their way south.

The first three campaigns had ended in failure—but despite that, the war of attrition was turning in their favor.

If they pushed forward, they would eventually win.

And now, Brans Army was expanding their front lines, playing right into her hands.

She didn’t know what their strategist was thinking, but this was an opportunity she could not afford to ignore.

Just then—

Jenna bowed her head slightly and asked.

"Lady Serpina, what are your orders?"

"……."

Seated upon the throne, Serpina von Eingart—the sole inheritor of Eingart’s legacy, the one closest to becoming the continent’s ruler—slowly responded in a dry voice.

"The operation date will be set within a week. Until then, I want detailed reports on the Brans Army’s movements along the eastern border."

"Understood. I will ensure that we are ready to mobilize at any time."

"I’m counting on you."

And then—

Bang!

The doors to the audience chamber burst open with an urgent clatter.

"My lord!!!"

A soldier came rushing in, breathless.

Serpina, unshaken, asked in a calm tone.

"What is it?"

"Ch… Cherien Castle—"

The soldier was gasping for air, struggling to get the words out as if he would collapse if he didn't speak immediately.

"The lord of Cherien Castle, Ian Rashfalt—has declared rebellion…!"

"……!!!"

"……."

Jenna’s eyes widened in shock, while Serpina merely furrowed her brows slightly, showing no other reaction.

"He claims that he is purging the false witch of Eingart, restoring order under the Rashfalt name, and declaring Lord Algott as the true heir of the Eingart Empire!"

'…….'

Serpina’s thoughts upon hearing that were simple.

A pathetic fool, clinging to the legacy of a dead man.

Algott von Eingart—her brother—would never have desired something like this.

For a moment, she thought back to the past and clenched her teeth.

But she could not allow such emotions to show.

"How many have joined him?"

Jenna’s voice cut through the air.

"The lord of Mati Castle, Solana Rashfalt, has pledged allegiance. In total, thirteen nobles have sided with them. The majority of the rebels are those connected to the Rashfalt family."

Mati Castle was a small stronghold near Cherien Castle.

"I see."

Ian…

So all that groveling, all that humility—had been nothing more than a ploy for this moment.

Serpina let out a quiet, derisive laugh.

A desperate attempt by those who would never change history.

"…What are your orders, my lord?"

"The fourth campaign will be postponed."

"But—"

"It’s fine. Brans Army doesn’t have enough troops to interfere right now."

According to the most recent intelligence, Kelstein Castle’s garrison had only increased by ten thousand since the last report.

If they had truly sensed the impending invasion, they would have deployed far more soldiers.

Brans Army certainly had the numbers to do so.

"……Understood."

With Jenna’s acknowledgment, Serpina rose from her throne and extended her hand toward the soldier.

"Go. Summon all generals currently on assignment! We march soon. Send messengers to every stronghold and instruct them to prepare for deployment without awaiting my direct order!"

"Yes, my lord!"

The soldier rushed out at full speed.

'Rebellion…'

Nothing had changed.

She would do as she always had.

Crush them.

To raise the imperial banner once more.

To uphold the legacy of Eingart—no, to uphold herself.

"……."

She whispered a name to herself.

Algott von Eingart.

The man she had killed.

If this was the fate she was meant to bear—

'…Another storm of blood is coming.'

The so-called tyrant of Eingart was having an uncharacteristic thought.

Though, by now, even she was unsure what truly defined her.

***

It didn’t take long before things finally went to hell.

"A rebellion… is that what you’re saying?"

Kneeling before Rashion, Airen spoke with measured disbelief.

Rashion nodded grimly.

"Yes. Ian Rashfalt, the lord of Cherien Castle, has raised an army. According to the most recent intelligence, he has around forty thousand troops, though he may have gathered even more since then."

A rebellion, just as expected.

Truthfully, I had more or less anticipated this outcome.

But even so, seeing it unfold in reality left me feeling oddly unsettled.

And then there was the name of the rebel leader.

Ian Rashfalt.

A name I was very familiar with.

But there was something unfamiliar about the situation—

He wasn’t originally a commander under Serpina’s army.

In the game, Ian led his own independent faction in the northern regions, known as the Ian Army.

Of course, since he spawned in the north, there was a high probability that he would end up under Serpina’s rule at some point.

But seeing him start as one of Serpina’s subordinates only to then declare independence—

That was a first for me.

Rashion stared at me, still kneeling beside Airen.

At first, I thought he was going to ask some meaningless question, but instead, he cut straight to the point.

"General Carlints has requested reinforcements. Excluding the troops needed to maintain our own defenses, only the ten thousand soldiers General Airen brought with her can be mobilized. How long will it take to prepare for deployment?"

"We can leave immediately."

"…What?"

Rashion’s eyes flickered with doubt.

Airen, however, reaffirmed her stance with absolute certainty.

"Yes. We are ready to depart at once, my lord."

"……."

A bead of sweat rolled down Rashion’s forehead as he let out a deep breath.

"…Did you anticipate this?"

"……."

Airen simply looked up at him in silence.

Rashion had been present during our previous discussions—

He must have realized that the moment to mobilize had finally arrived.

And that, ultimately, Airen’s judgment—my judgment—had been correct.

Well, it was too late now.

An additional ten thousand troops wouldn’t be enough to turn the tide.

But waiting for further reinforcements would mean missing the optimal timing to strike.

I just hope we can at least take Valharat Castle out of this.

Not that it seemed likely.

At this moment, I was struck by the realization—

My abilities were meaningless without a lord who believed in me.

Rashion let out a brief sigh before raising his voice.

"General Airen, take your ten thousand troops and move to the fortress where General Carlints is stationed!"

"Understood!"

After saluting, Airen immediately departed for the capital.

I watched her leave, deep in thought.

What exactly is Carlints trying to do?

The fortress currently had about twenty-eight thousand troops stationed there.

Adding our ten thousand would bring the total to thirty-eight thousand.

That still wasn’t enough to reclaim Cherien Castle, where at least forty thousand enemy troops were stationed.

If Kelstein Castle sent reinforcements, then maybe…

But Serpina’s army would never sit back and let that happen.

Rashion’s decision to send only a limited number of reinforcements was a wise one.

Could Carlints really be planning to just… blindly push forward and hope for the best?

That was the worst-case scenario.

But surely, a named character like Carlints Brans wouldn’t be that reckless.

Among the Brans siblings, Carlints was the most level-headed.

And he was still an S-rank general.

Most likely, he would probe the situation, then click his tongue in frustration and pull back once he realized the numbers didn’t favor him.

I hadn’t run any simulations, but I was fairly confident that was how it would play out.

Still, I had my orders.

Once we left the capital, Airen finally turned to me, her expression one of utter disbelief.

"…Swen. I have a question."

"Please, go ahead."

"Did you… predict this would happen?"

Ah.

Now that I thought about it—

From Airen’s perspective, it probably seemed like I had foreseen all of this.

If I had somehow overturned Parfalle’s argument and convinced everyone of Airen’s plan, more troops would have been deployed to defend the north.

And if we had positioned a larger force up there, we could have struck Ian’s army before Serpina even had a chance to react.

We might have even been able to capture Cherien Castle outright.

In the end, my predictions had been correct once again.

Airen might not be my lord, but in the long run, she was someone I had to work with.

It wouldn’t hurt to make myself look more impressive.

So, in my most nonchalant tone, I replied—

"I had a bad feeling about the north. I have some relatives in the region, and they occasionally send me letters with local news. I suspected a rebellion was possible, though I wasn’t entirely certain.

Had I been more confident, I would have pushed harder for reinforcements."

"……!"

Airen’s eyes widened in shock.

She stared at me, speechless.

And just to drive the point home, I added—

"I told you before, didn’t I? Your judgment was not wrong, General Airen. In fact, your judgment was the only correct answer. I believe you’ll soon come to understand exactly what I mean."

"Ah…"

Airen froze for a moment, then lowered her head slightly.

She murmured in a small, almost trembling voice—

"So I wasn’t… wrong after all."

"That’s right. It doesn’t matter that no one else agreed with you. In the end, you were right."

"……."

And then—

She lifted her gaze back to me, her face flushed.

"And… you were the only one who believed in me, Swen."

…?

Well.

It wasn’t so much belief as it was me taking her side to boost her favorability.

But given how things played out, I guess her statement wasn’t entirely wrong.

I recognized this as the perfect moment to raise her favorability even further.

Smiling at her, I said—

"I already told you, General Airen. I didn’t support you out of pity. So you don’t have to feel disheartened."

She nodded at my words.

Her violet eyes shimmered, as if she were on the verge of tears.

"…I see. Thank you, Swen."

If we had more time, I would have taken the opportunity to discuss exactly why her strategy had been correct.

But for now, we had orders to move to the northern fortress immediately.

Trying to lighten the mood, I said—

"Well, what’s done is done. Let’s head for the fortress as ordered."

"Agreed."

With that, I set off alongside Airen, Jack, and Silin toward the newly constructed fortress.

***

And when we arrived—

To my utter dismay—

The worst-case scenario had already become reality.