Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Chapter 43

"Swen. As you instructed, I’ve built a simple platform for you to stand on."

"Excellent."

I turned to inspect the structure Airen had assembled near the fortress wall.

It had small steps on either side, and if I stood at the center, I would be clearly visible from outside the fortress.
Just to be sure, I decided to ask her.

"Lady Airen."

"What is it?"

She stepped in closer.
Too close.
Close enough that I could feel her body brush against mine.

And since she had taken off her heavy breastplate to move the bricks more easily—
Her absurdly large chest pressed lightly against my arm.

The distance between us suddenly felt different than usual.
Well, if it meant she trusted me more, I wasn’t about to complain.

"For example, that hill over there—if soldiers are descending from it, will they be able to see me clearly?"

"The slope is gradual, so… yes, I believe they will."

"Good. That will do."

"…Why do you ask?"

Right.

I should probably tell Airen—at least partially—what I was doing.
I couldn't be completely honest, of course.

But what mattered was that she believed I was doing something significant.

"Lady Airen, can you promise me that no matter what I say, you will not be alarmed?"

She responded without hesitation.

"I promise. No matter what you say, Swen, I won’t be surprised."

"…"

I slowly closed my eyes.

This was it.

This was where the real act began.

First, I needed to fool even myself.

From this moment forward, I was about to summon a natural disaster—
A miracle.

But it could not appear to be magic.

If I claimed it was magic, people would demand proof.

And obviously, I couldn’t prove I had the power to summon natural disasters.

Magic did exist in this world—
But it was an extremely late-game element in Garland Eternity Saga.
Not a single mage had made themselves known yet.

If I were to be labeled the first mage of the continent, it would only bring unnecessary trouble.

Lyn Brans, my current lord, did not like subordinates she couldn’t control.
If I was perceived as some untouchable, supernatural figure, she would see me as a threat.

And if Lyn saw me as a threat, she would absolutely move to get rid of me.

So, I needed to frame this as something else.

Not magic.

Just… insight.

I took a deep breath, then—
With a look of revelation, as if I had received a divine message—
I spoke with a slight tremor in my voice.

"Last night, I gazed at the sky. I saw seven stars, shining more brilliantly than any others."

"Seven stars…?"

"Yes. And then… three of them… they flickered before suddenly vanishing."

"…?"

Airen tilted her head, confused.

Of course, she had no idea what I was talking about.

Even I didn’t know what I was talking about.

I was just stringing together vague, cryptic nonsense.

And if I didn’t understand what I was saying, there was no way she could.

But that was fine.

Because once the miracle happened, these words would gain meaning retroactively.

"The heavens are in turmoil. If I can read this flow correctly… I believe I can bring forth a miracle."

"A miracle…? What kind of miracle?"

"A miracle that will eliminate Serpina’s army in one fell swoop."

"!!!"

Airen’s eyes widened.

"Can… can you explain in more detail?"

I wanted to say something grand, like "I will summon lightning."

But the sky was still clear.

I knew a natural disaster was coming, but I didn’t know what kind.
Revealing too much too soon would be a mistake.

"If we wait a few more days… I will be able to read the sky’s will more clearly. That is why I asked you to build this altar. I must communicate with the heavens."

"I… see?"

Airen looked even more confused, tilting her head again.

Like a small, puzzled animal.

It was oddly cute.

But after a moment, she closed her eyes and nodded.

"…Alright, Swen. I don’t understand what you’re saying, but… I don’t believe you would speak nonsense."

Her words were reassuring.

Though I did feel a little guilty about deceiving her.

Still, once I showed results, that guilt would be irrelevant.

"Thank you for believing in me. I will spend the next few days here, communing with the sky. If possible, could you bring me simple meals during that time?"

"That is not a difficult request."

Good.

Now I just needed to sit here and act like I was doing something important.

Alright.

Time to talk to the sky.

I looked up.

Then I just… stared blankly.

Like watching a campfire, my mind drifted into a quiet, meditative state.

Oddly enough, it was kind of relaxing.

Of course, there was still the occasional thought—What the hell am I even doing?—but…

I had checked my logic over and over again.

This was the answer.

"It’ll be fine. Everything is going according to plan. This was the only possibility left."

And so—

I sat atop the altar, sometimes making dramatic gestures,
Sometimes murmuring lyrics from pop songs I remembered from my previous life.

And this scene—

It was firmly seared into the eyes of every soldier in the fortress.

Including Airen, who brought me my meals.

*

A soldier hurried toward Airen as she oversaw the affairs inside the fortress.

"Lady Airen, I have a question."

"Speak."

"Um… Lord Swen has requested two drums to be prepared."

"Drums?"

"Yes, something that can be beaten to make noise."

"I know what a drum is, but… he specifically asked for that?"

"Yes, ma'am. He said they don’t have to be perfect, just similar in function. But we’re not sure where to procure them…"

Airen paused to think.

‘If we carve wooden frames and stretch cowhide over them… we could make something similar.’

"Lady Airen…"

"Hm? What is it?"

The soldier hesitated.

He seemed unusually cautious, as if he felt guilty even bringing up the matter.

"I just… is this really the right thing to do? I mean… um… how do I put this…"

His words were careful, almost fearful.

"Lord Swen’s orders… I simply don’t understand them. The Serpina army will soon be attacking this fortress, won’t they? Shouldn’t we be reinforcing our defenses or making more arrows? But instead, Lord Swen is standing on that strange altar, singing in an incomprehensible language while… dancing. Forgive my ignorance, but I truly don’t understand what he’s trying to accomplish."

The wording was cautious, but his meaning was clear.

He didn’t get it.

As a mere soldier, he followed orders without question. But this? This was bizarre.

He wasn’t the only one wondering if they were wasting precious time—
He was simply the first to voice it to Airen, someone above Swen in rank.

And Airen understood immediately.

This wasn’t just a question.

It was an appeal.

"I understand your concern. To be honest, I don’t fully understand what he’s doing either."

"Then—"

"However."

Airen slowly closed her eyes, exhaled, and nodded.

Then, she opened them again—her gaze locking onto the soldier’s.

"I give you my word. Swen is not a man who does anything without reason. If it helps, think of this as following my orders—Airen Juliet’s orders."

"…Your orders, Lady Airen?"

Yes.

He still wasn’t sure about Swen.

But if General Airen was taking responsibility—
If she was saying this was the right course of action—

Then he could trust it.

Because Airen was the only commander in the Brans Army who had ever cared about the common soldiers.

"…Understood."

"Good. While we’re at it, I have a request."

"Anything, General."

"Prepare wooden frames and cowhides for the drums."

"Yes, ma’am!"

The soldiers had eyes.

They had seen everything Swen had been doing.

This soldier was simply the first to ask, but many others had harbored the same doubts.

One by one, they had approached Airen, expressing their unease.

And one by one, she had silenced their concerns.

If Airen hadn’t intervened—
If she hadn’t held their trust—
Swen, a new and unproven officer, would have been completely ignored.

His so-called altar would never have been completed.

He would have been dismissed as a madman before he could do anything.

But Airen—

"Swen. I believe in you. I won’t hesitate anymore."

She had chosen the man she would protect—

And she was making sure no one could stand in his way.

***

The sky darkened as if it had been waiting for this exact moment. Thick clouds gathered overhead, swirling ominously, though they did not yet obscure visibility.

"Just as expected!"

The most probable natural disaster after a landslide was lightning.
And it seemed that was exactly what was about to strike Serpina’s forces.

I had banked on this from the beginning.

That was why I had spoken to Airen about reading the heavens—
Why I had built up this entire farce.

So I continued my meaningless murmuring,
Had two soldiers drum at random,
Scattered sheets of parchment with incomprehensible symbols onto the altar floor,
And placed stones on them to keep them from blowing away.

It all looked elaborate.

But in reality, I was doing absolutely nothing.

"You’ve worked hard again today, Swen."

"Lady Airen."

She had brought my daily meal once more.

It wasn’t anything luxurious, but it was just enough to keep me going.

"Thank you, truly."

"No, you’re the one working hard. So, how is your communication with the heavens progressing?"

"Smoothly. Before Serpina’s army arrives… I believe I may be able to bend the flow of fate itself."

"I see."

And all the while—
Not once had Airen questioned my bizarre behavior.

She had merely continued supporting me.

She made sure the soldiers stayed in line.
She trained them.
She quelled their doubts.
She maintained discipline.

Even amidst all that, she still cared for the wounded.

Frankly, between the two of us—
She was the one working far harder.

"I wish I could brew you some tea, but unfortunately, there are no tea leaves in this fortress."

"Then make some for me when we return home."

At my words, she smiled softly.

Lately, she had been smiling a lot more.

"I will. We will return together."

Seeing that smile—

For the first time, I genuinely wanted to pull off a miracle.

I was going to make it happen.

And having a place to return to—
It filled me with a sense of purpose I hadn’t realized I needed.

"It’s going to work."

I repeated the words like a mantra, searing them into my own mind.

*

The enemy arrived just as the sky threatened to burst with rain.

"The enemy is approaching!"

"Serpina’s forces are in sight!"

Even without the soldiers shouting, it was easy to confirm.

"Swen! I heard the reports—are they really…?!"

Airen rushed to my side, staring out at the approaching army.

"…They’re here."

Serpina’s forces loomed before us.

The sheer number of troops was overwhelming.
And the number of siege weapons—far more than necessary to take a single fortress.

It was overkill.

With this much firepower, the fortress walls wouldn’t last a day.

Hell, they might not even last hours.

Once the enemy reached the walls—
Once the catapults were in range—

That would be the end.

Unless—

Unless my prediction was correct.

Unless my assumption was right.

"Now."

This was it.

If I was right, lightning would strike them at this very moment.

And that was when the real battle would begin.

Slowly, I rose from the altar.

"Swen…?"

I turned to her and spoke gently.

"Lady Airen, I will bring you victory."

Then, I turned to face the incoming army.

"Come."

I stretched out my arms wide.

My grand performance—
The gamble of a lifetime—

Was about to begin.