I Became a Strategist with 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

* * *

“Then it’s fortunate. First question—”

The initial query directed at Serpina was about the method of invasion.

Without hesitation, Serpina slowly explained her thoughts.

“Our troops number around 180,000. Cranfis as the general-in-chief, and Iren as the assistant.”

“Aye.”

“And siege weapons?”

“We’re planning to bring them along. Won’t the enemy fortify themselves?”

That’s right. Logically speaking, they will fortify. Even if around 20,000 under Chel could break out, ultimately, they’d be overwhelmed by numbers. To hold on even a day longer, it would be advantageous to quickly deal with siege weapons and lock down the castle gates.

―That is, until today’s common sense.

But…

“My lord, are you deliberately leaving something out?”

“…!”

At my words, Serpina blinked in surprise before giving a wry smile.

“You mean Reika.”

“If there’s a mage on the enemy side, there’s a high possibility they’ll respond differently. It could become an unforeseen variable.”

“Hmm. Can’t say for sure. Not from where I stand.”

“Is there any reason?”

Serpina wore an expression of great surprise.

“Judging by how you ask, it seems Reika hasn’t told you.”

“A…?”

“It happened not long after she returned from the relief camp. While carrying out her usual duties in the library, Reika collapsed.”

…What?

Startled by this unfamiliar tale, Serpina continued explaining.

“As it happened, I was nearby inspecting the area and managed to get to her quickly. Her breathing was labored, and she was drenched in cold sweat. She looked like a sick person.”

“Such… an incident occurred?”

“Aye. Though she didn’t make it obvious, I knew. That it was a side effect of using magic. The symptoms were similar to what I saw after she healed me.”

No…

She was fine until we reached Einhardt Castle, so why collapse here?

―At that moment, I realized the magic she used at the relief camp, which she described as ‘something to make one healthier’—a buff-type spell.

“Surely…!”

To hide her exhaustion, did she cast a buff spell on herself during the return?

Was the depletion of mana merely delayed because of that?

It’s an extreme example, but thinking this way made everything fit together.

“Swoen. I don’t understand what mana is or how magic works, but I do know it’s cutting into her lifespan. If I close my eyes and borrow her power, perhaps we might win future battles more easily. But—”

—I don’t want to do that.

I don’t want to step on her sacrifice and climb higher.

Seeing her face with such seriousness toward an unattainable goal… honestly, it wasn’t something a human should do.

Reika is no different.

Even if she didn’t want to worry anyone, hiding something this important is problematic. This isn’t just about the mage going wrong. I don’t want to lose Miss Reika.

“…I understand my lord’s intentions. And I agree with them. However, I believe you also know that your intentions are most important in the questions we must now address.”

“That’s right. Your Mind’s Eye discerns the ultimate truth.”

“So, here, please just ‘decide’ according to what I ask. It’s part of confirming the future based on your decisions.”

For a nation’s ruler to follow my instructions…

While it might sound incredibly disrespectful, Serpina nodded obediently.

And then—

With no intention of losing to my shameless request, she said something truly awkward with complete nonchalance.

“Understood, Swoen.”

“I shall dedicate both my body and heart to your will. Whatever you command, I shall obey absolutely from the depths of my soul. Instruct me.”

‘…!’

Perhaps it was the overly explicit wording.

Speechless, I could only swallow hard.

Though she spoke with an extremely serious expression, I knew this wasn’t one of her usual “jokes.” Instead, her sincerity struck a chord within me.

Suddenly, her large bosom, which I usually try hard not to notice, caught my eye.

Not just her chest—her beautiful face, golden eyes, pink lips, and the scent of yuzu all combined to shake my perception of Serpina as a monarch, turning her into a woman who disrupted my thoughts.

‘Why have I been like this lately?’

Ever since that kiss with Iren… these past few days, thoughts of women have made sleep difficult.

Of course, desire is something one can quietly handle alone—but…

What exactly am I seeking that keeps making me feel… ‘unsatisfied’?

“…Swoen?”

“Aye.”

“Is something troubling you? Is the future seen by your Mind’s Eye unfavorable…?”

Her words snapped me back to reality.

Right. There’s no time for such thoughts now.

“Anyway, would you consider allowing Reika to participate in the battle?”

“Understood.”

I posed the same question again.

[We will win the battle itself.]

‘Same result.’

So, the participation of the mage doesn’t affect the outcome.

Afterward, I repeatedly fed various scenarios to Serpina and sought countless outcomes: changing commanders, altering the lineup of participating warriors, etc.

Despite injecting numerous situations to derive the best conclusions—

[We will win the battle itself] remained unchanged.

‘What is it? What preparations has Chel made that only this result appears?’

No matter how our army responds, it remains constant?

Or am I missing something?

“Swoen.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Certainly, you’ve acknowledged that victory itself is true, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Then why continue asking questions? From my perspective, all your queries seem aimed at finding a way to overcome an unwinnable situation…”

This far, I decided to honestly explain the situation to Serpina.

“I see. So, despite winning, there may be losses for our forces…”

“Yes. That’s the gist.”

“…Losses, huh.”

Serpina paused, resting her chin in her hand.

“How about considering what those losses might be first?”

…Huh?

“Even if we lose the battle, if we imagine what kind of impact Chel Brance could inflict on us, perhaps we might find the answer there?”

“…That does make sense.”

True, it wasn’t a difficult conclusion to reach upon reflection—but I had been too fixated on questioning the cause-effect relationship of the outcome.

“Thank you. Every time this happens, I realize our partnership exceeds expectations.”

“Discovering that fact only now is disappointing.”

Serpina’s smirk was undoubtedly haughty, yet somehow cute.

“Then, what losses might our army suffer?”

“We could consider the death of one of the commanders, or being outmatched in the exchange ratio of the battle.”

“The commander won’t die. I’ve cycled through the names, and the result remains the same. If someone was fated to die, excluding them would’ve changed the conclusion.”

“In that case, only one possibility remains.”

Our army suffers excessive losses while overpowering the enemy?

Given the troop disparity, assuming the enemy fortifies, it’s hard to picture us suffering a major defeat…

‘Eh?’

A single sentence flashed through my mind.

“The enemy might not fortify.”

“What?”

“They might come out without fortifying and intercept us outright.”

“Meaning Chel willingly abandons the castle she occupies?”

“Yes. But if we assume our army suffers unexpected damage, nothing else comes to mind.”

Something as unrealistic as an enemy mage suddenly appearing is unlikely.

“True, if they’re willing to burn their territory and flee, they likely have little ambition as vassals… Still, I have doubts.”

“If they make such a decision, what’s the reason? Simply out of hatred for us? Chel Brance is an excellent general. Without a valid reason, they wouldn’t undertake such reckless actions.”

Indeed, abandoning the castle and coming out to intercept is akin to suicide from Chel’s perspective.

Our army would lose more soldiers, and all our prepared siege weapons would be destroyed.

The immediate thought is hatred for Serpina.

After all, every vassal on the continent rebelled against her leadership.

Deciding to strike her before dying isn’t entirely illogical.

But is that all?

Would they move solely for that reason?

To establish a strategy, we need a firm belief in understanding the enemy—but I felt something lacking.

…Right.

Let’s think from Chel’s perspective again.

If they must bring troops out, what could the reason be?

—Ah.

“Did you realize something, Swoen?”

“Purely hypothetical, but if the enemy recognizes Miss Reika… or rather, the mage—”

“…!”

“Facing inevitable defeat from a mage, bringing out an interception force might not seem suicidal but rather a rational action.”

No matter how many times I thought about it, no other conclusion came to mind.

Striking preemptively before the mage takes effect.

“This time, I feel certain.”

“Then let me ask again. Do you think we will win this battle?”

And the answer that surfaced in my mind was—

* * *

Chel, ambushed, quickly assessed the situation upon seeing Swoen standing before him.

Why is he here?

And with a pink-haired woman presumed to be a mage?

SHING!

As a green rapier was pulled from Chel’s chest—

Burning wounds gushed blood like a waterfall.

With a thud, he fell off his horse, barely clinging to consciousness.

Trembling, he whispered—

“W-what… is this…”

No.

That’s not the important part.

What matters is that he had fallen to Swoen.

So, following Iren here…

“Everything… was within… your grasp… wasn’t it…?”

Looking up at Swoen’s hollow gray eyes without response, Chel understood.

The fear Lin Brance must have felt toward this man at some point.

* * *

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