Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Chapter 50

After Luna bid farewell to Karelia and left, only two people remained in the audience chamber.

At last, Vanessa spoke.

"My liege."

"I know. I already know what you want to say. You don’t have to."

Karelia’s tone was lighthearted, but Vanessa remained serious, her expression unchanging.

"I must say it regardless. You should not place too much trust in Lunarian Iniang. She was once a ruler. Someone like her will never be content serving under another."

"…."

When Luna had first arrived, pleading to be accepted along with Cain and Tifa, the Karelia Army had been divided.

Some, like Karelia and Cecil, had advocated for taking her in. But others had strongly opposed the idea.

Vanessa had been the most vocal among them.

To her, accepting Luna was no different from raising a tiger cub.

Of course, what she truly wanted was to kill Luna the moment she walked through their gates.

But she knew Karelia would never agree to that.

Even now, Vanessa did not trust her in the slightest.

Karelia let out a short sigh, then looked at Vanessa with a calm expression.

"Vanessa, have you heard what people are saying about Luna’s work?"

"I have. The people she worked with praise her endlessly, don’t they?"

"Exactly. In just a short time, she has managed to win over the hearts of those around her. Not only that, but she has also excelled in agriculture, trade, fortifications, and even soldier training. Everything she touches yields results."

Luna had claimed she might not meet her quota, but that had been purely due to the weather.

Her skills were undeniable—anything she took on, she mastered.

And it wasn’t just her competence. Wherever she went, she naturally won people’s hearts.

"Tepello Castle is our military’s frontline stronghold. Its future is crucial to us. With Luna’s capabilities, I have no doubt she will manage it wisely. If we fail to make use of such talent, that would be a far greater loss to our army."

"Or a great threat. The people of this army should only have room in their hearts for you, my liege. A nation must not have a second figure who rivals its absolute ruler."

"As our nation grows, will that not become inevitable?"

"It doesn’t matter. I will ensure that never happens."

"…I see."

In most countries, the second-in-command was often the chief strategist.

Strategists advised their rulers on the most crucial decisions, standing closest to power.

But Karelia’s Army was different.

Vanessa had never sought power for herself. She remained firmly in Karelia’s shadow, ensuring that every accomplishment reflected solely on her liege.

Governance could not be maintained through virtue alone—someone had to get their hands dirty.

That was Vanessa’s role.

As a result, Karelia’s Army had been shaped into a nation where Karelia stood alone, untouched and revered.

Vanessa saw similarities between Luna and Karelia.

And that was exactly why she couldn’t allow Luna to rise any further.

But Karelia only smiled wryly before responding in a relaxed tone.

"It’s fine. If someone like Luna were to rise and claim the world, if she were to surpass me and become a ruler greater than I am… I wouldn’t mind. As long as this world finds peace, does it truly matter who sits upon the throne?"

"…The only ruler I will ever serve is you, my liege. If anything, your words only strengthen my resolve to remain by your side and ensure no one threatens your place. Nothing more, nothing less."

"…Is that so?"

Karelia chuckled warmly.

She knew she was a soft-hearted ruler.

She also knew that the only reason she had been able to expand her influence in the south was because of Vanessa’s unwavering loyalty and skill.

"Let’s change the subject. Have you heard the latest rumors?"

"Which ones?"

"They say a miraculous man has appeared in the Brans Army."

"You mean the report about the massive boulder that fell from the sky onto Serpina’s forces?"

"So you have heard. Seems the news has already spread far and wide."

"With such an incident, how could it not?"

A rock had fallen from the sky.

That alone was unusual enough, but combined with the reports of a white-haired man performing some kind of strange ritual before it happened, the story had become a sensation.

Even in Karelia’s distant southern territories, the rumors had reached them.

That meant no ruler on the continent had been left unaware.

"A man capable of making stones fall from the heavens… What kind of person do you think he is? I’m beginning to wonder if a sorcerer from legend has finally emerged."

"That’s one way to see it… But I have a different theory."

"Oh? And what is that?"

"It’s simple. I don’t believe magic exists. There’s no such thing as a sorcerer. So rather than assuming this man cast a spell to bring down the boulder, wouldn’t it be more likely that he simply knew it was going to fall and staged the ritual to make it look like he caused it?"

Karelia’s green eyes gleamed with interest.

"Oh? That’s quite the unique perspective. And why do you think that?"

"It’s simple. The idea of someone using magic to drop a boulder from the sky is absurd. Magic is nothing more than a myth. If we exclude the impossible, then the most plausible explanation is that he predicted when and where the boulder would fall and merely made it seem like his doing."

Karelia tilted her head thoughtfully.

"But then, how did he predict it? Even without magic, isn’t that impressive enough on its own?"

"…"

Vanessa fell silent.

Indeed.

Whether he had conjured the boulder himself or had simply foreseen its fall, both feats were beyond comprehension.

She had called it "some method," but truthfully, she had no idea what that method could have been.

"I would like to meet him. The reports say he is a young man with white hair."

"If such a man were in the Brans Army, knowing Lyn Brans’ personality, she would have already put him at the front lines to showcase his abilities."

"Perhaps he was an undiscovered talent until now. Much like how I found you. If we speak with him, perhaps he will share our vision."

"…"

Vanessa thought to herself.

Whether it was magic or an uncanny ability to predict events, anyone capable of performing such a miracle—

It was safer to kill them than to try and control them.

A person with that level of power would never be satisfied serving under another.

"We must tread carefully when we eventually face the Brans Army."

But for now, there was a more pressing task.

The conquest of the south.

Brans could wait.

"I will make sure our ruler becomes the sovereign of a united continent."

Soft-hearted though she may be, Karelia was the only ruler who genuinely cared for her people and the peace of the continent.

To Vanessa, a world where Karelia did not unify the land was simply a world gone wrong.

*

"It’s time to set off."

Just as Luna finished preparing to depart and was heading toward her horse, she overheard soldiers talking.

"Did you hear? A sorcerer has appeared in the Brans Army."

"They say he summoned a boulder from the sky and crushed Serpina’s forces."

A sorcerer?

Now that she thought about it, she had vaguely heard the rumors before but had been too focused on her work to pay attention.

She also recalled hearing that this so-called sorcerer’s miracle didn’t match any known magic from legends.

But when she thought of the Brans Army, she wasn’t particularly interested in the rumors of a sorcerer.

Instead, one name echoed in her mind—

"Swen… are you doing well?"

Swen, who had been all but sold to the Brans Army.

She worried about how he was faring under Lyn Brans’ command.

And then—

A phrase she could not ignore reached her ears.

"They say he’s a young man with white hair. He was performing a ritual facing the sky."

"…!!"

Young men with white hair were rare on the continent.

In fact, among all the people she had ever met, there was only one.

"Excuse me! Pardon me!"

"Uwah! L-Lady Lunarian?!"

The soldiers, recognizing her, immediately bowed in surprise.

"D-Did we say something wrong? Have we offended you…?"

"Are you certain this man had white hair?"

The soldiers had been nervous at first, but as soon as she asked about the "white-haired man," they relaxed.

"Oh! You mean the rumor? Yes, I heard he definitely had white hair. He performed a ritual facing the sky."

"And after that, the sky darkened, and a massive boulder—like divine punishment—fell directly onto Serpina’s forces."

"Is that so…?"

A miracle.

A white-haired young man in the Brans Army.

For some reason, she was absolutely certain.

"Swen… You’re alive!"

A miracle?

That wasn’t even surprising.

Swen had always been like that.

Even when they had been together, he had performed "miracles" time and time again.

So if something this absurd had happened—

Who else could it be but Swen?

"Um… Lady Lunarian, we need to get going now. May we take our leave?"

"…"

"Please excuse us, then. We apologize if we were disrespectful."

The soldiers quickly left, but Luna barely noticed.

Slowly, she sank to the ground.

"Swen…! You’re alive! You’re truly alive…!"

How long had it been since she had last heard news of him?

She had believed in his promise—"I will return to your side"—so she had never despaired.

But she had still worried.

Swen was someone who spoke with absolute conviction.

That was something she loved about him, but she also knew it could be dangerous.

Particularly in front of someone as arrogant as Lyn Brans.

She had feared he would provoke the wrong people.

But somehow, he had survived.

And just like when he had been by her side—

He was once again performing absurd, impossible miracles.

He had summoned a massive boulder from the heavens.

An unbelievable feat—

And yet, the moment she realized it was Swen, she found herself accepting it without question.

Of course he did it.

That was simply the kind of person he was.

"This will happen." "This is how it will be."

He would say those impossible things—

And then he would make them reality.

Luna slowly stood up.

Her ruby-red eyes burned with determination.

Now that she knew Swen was alive—

Hesitation was a sin.

"…I have to prepare for the day I meet him again."

When the time came—

When the moment was undeniable—

She would seize it.

For the sake of the man who had survived until now—

For the strategist who had always believed in her.

With that conviction in her heart, Luna mounted her horse and rode toward her new destination—Tepello Castle.

She would tell Tifa and Cain the news as well.

For the first time since losing her nation—

Her heart pounded with excitement.

***

And Luna was not the only one in the southern continent to lose her composure upon hearing the words "white-haired man."

"Is that true? A young man with white hair and gray eyes?!"

"Kuh…!"

Serpina grabbed General Julian by the collar, her voice filled with uncharacteristic urgency.

She was rarely this flustered.

In a battle where she had led 33,000 troops—

A massive boulder had crushed over 30,000 of them.

Julian had barely escaped with his life, returning with only 3,000 survivors.

And now, she was hearing that before the boulder had fallen—

Some man had been performing a ritual at the fortress.

The entire situation was absurd, but none of that mattered to her right now.

"White hair… gray eyes… That man…!"

She had almost never seen a young man with white hair.

In fact, there was only one time she had.

In her dreams.