Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Yuri tilted her head in confusion at my words.
“Swen, you’re saying you’ll go?”

“Yes.”
“Why? I mean, I don’t mind, but… do you have a reason?”
A reason.
I couldn’t exactly say, Because something in my head is screaming for me to intervene, and I’m too curious about what’s going on to ignore it.
Just as I was trying to come up with a suitable response—

An unexpected person came to my aid.
“Let Swen do as he wishes, my lord.”
“Jinor?”

“He is skilled in rhetoric and particularly adept at persuading his opponents to meet his demands. From what I’ve heard, he has successfully concluded several significant negotiations in the past. Considering that the opponent is none other than the sly Serpina, there is little risk in sending him.”
“Really? That’s the first time I’ve heard that.”
I maintained a neutral expression, keeping my head slightly bowed to mask any reaction.
Jinor’s statement, to put it bluntly, was completely made up on the spot.

I had engaged in negotiations a few times before. The results I had achieved while serving in Luna’s army were decent, one could say.
But—I had never once told him about what I’d done.
In other words, he was just throwing out a convenient excuse to support me.

Even if it was just a hasty cover, the fact that he held the position of National Strategist and had the Imperial Chancellor title in his past made his words sound extremely convincing.
“Hmm… If Jinor says so, then fine. Lutz, Swen will handle this instead, so just focus on completing your assigned task. That’s fine with you, right?”
“…There’s no need to ask. I’ll follow orders.”

Lutz answered, though he looked slightly disappointed.
Was he upset that he missed an opportunity to make a name for himself?
His gaze wasn’t exactly warm, but I let it slide.
After all, if you went, you wouldn’t be able to achieve the best possible outcome.
Honestly, you should be thanking me instead.
Our opponent wasn’t just anyone—it was Serpina.
A woman fully capable of cutting off a diplomat’s head the moment she was displeased.

“Swen, then I want you to act as our envoy and make contact with Serpina’s forces.”
I bowed my head in acknowledgment.
“I will make sure to bring back results that satisfy you, my lord.”
“Good.”

Yuri closed her eyes briefly, then stood from her throne, looking down at all of us.
“…All of you, thank you for gathering despite the sudden summons. Our Aishus army will never abandon its family. Just as we are doing everything we can to rescue Anima right now, each of you is precious to me. Don’t forget that. Until you receive further orders, focus on your tasks with dedication. Understood?”
“Yes! We will remember!”

The resounding response of the soldiers marked the end of the brief meeting.
“Swen, you can take a break until I call for you again.”
“Yes.”

With that, the others began leaving the royal palace.
As I exited the audience chamber, Airen approached me.
“Swen. Do you have some kind of plan?”
“A plan?”

“When you take the initiative like this, it usually means you already have everything figured out.”
A plan, huh?
I only had predictions, but no real plan.
Not that I needed to hide that from Airen.
“Sometimes, the only way forward is to charge ahead.”

“Is that so?”
She gave me a small smile at my words.
It was the same smile that had always supported me until now.
Her crimson side bangs shimmered slightly, framing her pale face beautifully.
“…I believe in you, Swen. I won’t lie—Serpina’s reputation is terrifying, and I’m worried. But… I think you’ll handle it well.”

“…”
Instead of replying, I reached out and lightly took her hand.
“…!”

She flinched in surprise, staring at me for a moment—
Then, after a pause, she accepted my touch.
“You’re heading to the barracks, right? I’ll escort you.”
“Huh? O-oh… okay.”

Her face reddened as she lowered her head.
Moments like these reminded me of just how incredibly adorable she was.
Seriously, what did Lyn Brans dislike so much about this woman?
Just then—
“…I apologize if I’m interrupting.”

At the sound of a man’s voice, I turned my head.
Jinor had silently appeared behind us at some point.
Airen quickly withdrew her hand and respectfully bowed.
“Greetings, Strategist.”

“Mm. General Airen. I’d like to have a brief word with Swen. Would you mind sparing him for a moment?”
Airen glanced at me.
I silently gave her a small nod, and she immediately understood my meaning.
“I understand. Then, I’ll excuse myself. Swen, I’ll see you later.”

It was a bit disappointing that we couldn’t go together, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Yes. See you later.”
With that, Airen left first.
I adjusted my pace to match Jinor’s as we slowly walked outside the royal palace.

“Thank you for earlier. I honestly had no idea how I was going to convince them.”
“I helped because it seemed like that’s what you wanted… but do you actually have a plan?”
I said nothing.
Jinor slowly nodded.

“…So, you saw a future where you had to go personally, did you?”
“Not this again…”
"Whether it’s nonsense or not… the results of the negotiation will tell us. Since you're going in person. Isn't that right?"

Jinor smirked as he spoke.
Rather than arguing back, I chose to remain silent.
If I said something unnecessary, he might actually figure out my abilities—and that would be troublesome.
Letting him misunderstand things just a little was actually beneficial to me.
Jinor, too, didn’t seem keen on pushing the issue any further.
Instead, he changed the subject slightly.
"She’s a fine general."

"…Pardon?"
"I’m talking about General Airen."
Jinor looked in the direction Airen had left.

"Among the soldiers, her reputation for character is exceptional. As the National Strategist, I can’t help but hear what kind of evaluations generals receive on the field, whether I want to or not. Even Emma, who is highly respected within the Aishus army, doesn’t receive this level of admiration. She has truly won over the hearts of her soldiers."
"Well, she always gives her all. She treats her soldiers sincerely, fights on the battlefield without hesitation, and serves her lord with absolute loyalty."
"Is that why?"

"…Why what?"
I turned to look at him, wondering what he was suddenly getting at.
"Why she was the one you chose."

"…Excuse me?"
"Swen, I mean the woman who will become your first wife."
"…"

I was momentarily speechless, just staring at him.
Jinor, on the other hand, remained completely serious, as if he didn’t understand why I was so surprised.
"Am I wrong? No matter how I look at it, that’s what it seems like. You two are already living under the same roof, aren’t you?"
"…That’s true, but…"

"Then it’s practically the same as deciding to share a bed. Don’t tell me you have no thoughts about it?"
No thoughts…
No.
He was right.
And since Airen wasn’t here, there was no reason to hide it.
"As you say, Jinor, I do have feelings for Airen."

"I see. Then the woman who will be your wife will also be your sword and shield."
"If you put it that way, then yes… but it’s just my own feelings for now."
"Swen."

Jinor looked straight into my eyes.
"A woman doesn’t smile like that at a man she has no feelings for."
"…What?"

"I saw her from behind. When General Airen looked at you and smiled—it was the expression of someone in love."
"…"
His words made me recall the smile I had just seen.
It truly was an incredibly lovely expression.
If there really was love in that smile…
Did that mean Airen had feelings for me too?

"More importantly, why are you bringing this up all of a sudden?"
"Just an old man’s whim. The older you get, the fewer fun things there are in life. And—"
Jinor chuckled lightly and looked at me.

"I also wanted to tell you that having a sword and shield is good… but wouldn’t it be even better to have someone by your side who can use magic, just like you?"
"You're being quite blunt about it now."
"Is there any reason to beat around the bush? If you and Airen become family, that means I’ll be related to her as well. Compared to General Airen, my daughter may still lack experience, but she could still be of great help to you. She has a calm and steady nature, too. What do you think? Wouldn’t it be worth considering?"

"Jinor."
"Hm?"
"Have you always been like this?"

"Hah!"
Jinor burst into laughter at my words and patted my back several times before striding ahead.
"Regardless of what you think of me, I’m just a weak old man who doesn’t want to be at odds with you. Well then, I’ll take my leave."

I stood there for a moment, watching as Jinor disappeared from view—
And then, I let out a quiet sigh.
Truly, you never really know someone until you meet them in person.
Lunarian.
Lyn.
Yuri.
Airen.
Reika.
Even Jinor.

No matter how much information I had on them, their age, their abilities—
Until I met them in person, I never truly knew them.
If that was the case… perhaps—
‘I might not know anything about Serpina either.’

With that thought lingering in my mind, I stepped out of the royal palace.
***
Hisphil Castle – The Royal Palace

"The repairs on the castle walls have been completed, my lord."
Sitting in the lord’s seat, Serpina listened to Yuan’s report with a satisfied expression.
"You’ve done well. Inform the commanders who were assigned to the task that they may return to their original duties."

"Yes, understood!"
Just as Yuan was about to leave—
"Wait."

"Yes, my lord?"
"What’s the current situation with our captive?"
"You mean Anima Ingram? Well, it’s the same as before. She hasn’t said a word."

"I see."
"Yes. I’ve heard that some attempts have been made to persuade her to serve you, but… she refuses to eat and remains completely silent."
"…"

Was she staging some kind of silent protest?
Well, of course, they must hate me.
That hatred was precisely why they had fallen into the trap I had laid for them.
But if she continued refusing food and ended up dying, that would be a problem.
Not because I cared about her life, but because letting a captured prisoner simply die was an incredibly inefficient approach.
"Yuan."

"Yes, my lord."
"Take me to the underground prison."
"Do you intend to interrogate her personally?"

"Yes."
Yuan bowed deeply and answered in a firm voice.
"Understood! Please follow me."

"…"
Serpina rose from her seat and followed Yuan—
Heading toward the underground dungeon where Anima was being held.