Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

After sending Swen to negotiate, Airen stood at a suitable spot outside the royal capital and approached Reika, who was gazing up at the sky.
"Lady Reika."
"Ah, a-ah...! What is it, Lady Airen…?"

"You seemed lost in thought."
"Ah…."
Reika offered a faint smile as she replied.

"I just… had a bit of an uneasy feeling when I came here. But now that I'm actually here, it seems like it's not as big of a deal as I thought…?"
"An uneasy feeling?"
"Yes. The truth is… I had a bad dream."

With that, Reika began recounting the dream to Airen. Airen listened attentively and nodded.
"I see. A dream where Swen was in danger… So, when you said you followed him because you were worried, that was what you meant."
"Yes… that's right."

"You don't need to worry about that."
Airen turned her gaze toward the royal capital, her eyes unwavering.
"I won't allow him to be harmed."

Her words were not mere bravado. Airen was far too formidable a general to be assigned the simple role of escorting an envoy. The only reason Lyn had given her such minor duties was to prevent her from resenting her lack of assignments. But even if she were to express discontent over being given such menial tasks, no one would dare to say anything—she was simply that powerful.
"If it's Lady Airen protecting him… then yes, that does put me at ease."
"Of course. But Swen isn't the only one I'm protecting."

"Huh…?"
"You're included as well, Reika. It only makes sense. I came here to escort both of you."
"Ah…."
Reika’s face flushed slightly. At first, she had found Airen somewhat difficult to approach. But now, she realized that Airen was far more admirable than she had expected. Gathering her courage, she spoke carefully.

"Th-thank you…! But honestly, talking about dreams and worrying because of them… it felt a bit too ridiculous to bring up so soon after meeting you…."
"I understand. My reputation isn’t exactly the best, after all."
"Huh…?"

Airen’s voice was calm and indifferent as she spoke about herself.
"I hear it often from the soldiers—that I don’t leave a good impression. After surviving on the battlefield for so long, I learned that I can’t afford to appear weak. So, I always carry an imposing expression. At some point, that expression just became my default. Naturally, people hesitate to talk to me."
"I see…."

"Of course, that was intentional to some extent. In battle, letting the enemy read your expressions is one of the most dangerous things you can do. A person’s face inevitably reveals their emotions—anger, fear, hesitation, distress. And those emotions can become weaknesses."
Reika listened in silence, absorbing every word. Then, after a long pause, she hesitantly spoke in a barely audible voice.
"Um, that is… uh…"

"Hmm?"
"Um… if this is out of line, I apologize in advance."
"It's fine. Speak freely."

"Isn't that… lonely?"
"…What?"
Airen's eyes widened slightly, as if she had never considered the question before.

"But… if you have to suppress your emotions, doesn’t that mean you can’t share your feelings with anyone? Wouldn’t that be… incredibly lonely?"
"…."
"I was lonely too. I didn’t have any friends to share my thoughts with… so I think I understand. It's presumptuous of me, but… I feel like I can imagine what it was like for you. Seeing the fear in the eyes of the soldiers around you, knowing how they looked at you… I feel like I understand, even if just a little…."

Reika fumbled over her words, repeatedly apologizing for her lack of eloquence. Airen, watching her, gently reassured her.
"What should I say…? I just… don’t think that way!"
"What do you mean?"

"I don’t think you’re scary, Lady Airen. Actually… I think you're admirable. You must have gone through so much to reach where you are… I could never be as strong as you. That’s why I think you’re amazing."
Her words weren’t particularly refined. They were clumsy and raw, pulled straight from her heart. And perhaps because of that, they struck a chord deep within Airen.
"…I see."

Airen smiled softly at Reika, who was awkwardly fidgeting.
"Thank you, Reika. You're a kind person."
"And so are you, Lady Airen… you're kind as well."

After that exchange, silence fell between them once more. But this silence wasn’t a heavy or uncomfortable one. It carried an unspoken understanding between them. In this quiet, Reika felt not loneliness, but warmth.
After a few minutes, Reika hesitantly spoke again.
"Somehow… I like this."

"Like what?"
"This."
Reika's voice was more relaxed now as she answered Airen’s question.

"The three of us traveling together… I think I could get used to it."
"The three of us together, huh? Yes, I think that sounds nice."
And then—

Reika, without thinking, dropped a bombshell.
"If I became Sir Swen’s wife… would we keep living like this?"
"Keuh—!"

"L-Lady Airen?!"
Cough, cough!
Airen coughed violently, completely losing the composed expression she had maintained all this time. Her eyes, wide with disbelief, locked onto Reika.

"W-what…? What did you just say?"
"Ah, um, well, that is…"
Reika panicked, frozen under Airen’s suddenly intense gaze. Noticing her own reaction, Airen hastily covered her mouth with her hand.

"No, it’s just… s-sorry. I just thought I heard something… strange."
"A-ah… I'm so sorry…! Someone like me…!"
"You don’t need to apologize, but… if I heard correctly…"

Airen, her face flushed, asked in an uncharacteristically cautious voice. Any trace of her usual knightly dignity had completely vanished.
"You said… 'wife'…?"
"Yes? Ah, well, it's just that there have been marriage discussions regarding Sir Swen and me…."

Thud.
The moment those words left Reika’s lips, Airen’s entire world turned gray.
What…?

Swen… was getting married?
To the girl standing in front of her?
Reika continued speaking, mentioning that it wasn’t finalized yet, that it was just something her father had brought up, but Airen could barely process any of it.

"Marriage… Swen… marriage."
Of course, it was natural for a grown man to marry. Given Reika’s surname, Nighhardt, it was clear that her father was Jinor. A political marriage like this wasn’t unusual.
But.

Why?
Why did hearing that make Airen feel as if everything inside her had stopped working?
Her mind was sluggish.

She couldn't even tell if she was breathing.
Her vision blurred.
Why… why…?

As she spiraled into confusion, Reika’s voice gradually reached her ears.
"…Lady Airen! Lady Airen…!"
"…Ah."

Only then did she register the wind against her cheeks. Only then did she notice the deep concern in Reika’s eyes.
"Are you okay, Lady Airen…?"
"Ah? Uh, y-yeah… I’m fine. Yeah."

Airen let out a short sigh, observing Reika, who was watching her with concern.
She hadn't been paying attention before, but… Reika was truly beautiful. Unlike her own skin, rough and scarred from countless battles, Reika's was smooth, fair, and unmistakably feminine. Her voice was sweet, and her every movement exuded an innocent charm.
If someone were to compare the two of them side by side—there was no question that Reika was the kind of woman men preferred.

Swen was a man, after all. Wouldn't he naturally be drawn to someone as lovely and delicate as Reika rather than someone like her, who always seemed dull and rough?
Wouldn't someone like Reika… suit Swen's side much better than she ever could?
As these thoughts swirled in Airen's mind, Reika’s voice reached her ears.

"Um… did I say something wrong…?"
"…No. Of course not. There's nothing wrong with getting married. Yes. Nothing at all."
Even as she spoke, Airen's shaken composure was still evident.

Reika tilted her head in confusion before speaking again.
"But the marriage hasn’t been decided yet… Besides, from what I gather, Lady Airen, you’re still in the same position."
"…Huh?"

Airen frowned in confusion.
"Why are you bringing me into this? It doesn’t matter what happens to me… does it?"
"What? Of course it does…."

Something in their conversation wasn’t quite aligning.
As Airen stood there puzzled, Reika took the initiative.
"Lady Airen, you’re supposed to be Sir Swen’s first wife… aren’t you?"

"Kehh! Koff! Cough!"
"Ahh—L-Lady Airen?!"
Reika broke into a panic as Airen coughed far more violently than when she had first heard about Reika's engagement.

"W-what…."
Barely regaining her senses, Airen turned toward Reika, her face flushed bright red.
Seeing Airen’s completely bewildered expression, Reika tilted her head again—this time in the opposite direction—like a small rabbit staring up at a predator.

"But it’s true… isn’t it? Or am I mistaken? When I spoke with Sir Swen, that’s what he said…."
"S-Swen…?!"
The moment she heard his name, Airen coughed again. After struggling for a moment, she managed to speak.

"I… I am…."
She was supposed to be Swen’s first wife?
What in the world was happening?

How had Reika come to that conclusion? What exactly had Swen said to her?
There were a thousand things Airen wanted to ask, but—
The situation wasn’t going to allow the two of them to sit and have a normal conversation.

"You two, over there."
"…?"
A guard from Serpina’s forces was approaching them.

His expression was far from normal. Even if they were escorting an envoy from an enemy nation, the level of wariness he showed was excessive.
"What’s going on?"
"Do not resist, and follow us quietly."

"And the reason?"
"There is no obligation for me to explain."
"And if I refuse?"

At Airen’s firm response, the guard’s tone grew sharper.
"Then we will use force."
The soldier drew his sword from his waist.

Without hesitation, Airen positioned Reika behind her and drew her own sword in response.
"This doesn’t seem like the kind of treatment an envoy’s escort should be receiving."
"The circumstances are… unique."

Unique circumstances?
Now that she thought about it—quite a bit of time had passed.
And yet, Swen had not come out of the royal capital.

Just what was going on?
***
"Huh…?"

I blinked up at Serpina.
She wanted… me?
Just like that?

I was so caught off guard by how suddenly she dropped that statement that I froze.
In stark contrast, Serpina maintained a completely composed and relaxed demeanor.
"Hm. Yes, Swen. I need you. I’ve heard plenty about your reputation. If someone with your abilities were to assist me, I could send another Anima Ingram a dozen times over."

"…Apologies, but that’s not something I can decide."
"Good. You understand your place well, Swen. You're absolutely right."
Serpina smiled again.

I couldn’t deny it—her smile carried an aura that made it feel like one should kneel and revere her.
"It is not something you can decide. It is something only I can decide."
"…Huh?"

What kind of insane logic is that?
Just as that thought crossed my mind, a realization struck me like lightning.
***

[Lord of Serpina’s Army / Serpina]
["Is there no one there?"]
["Take this man to the underground prison."]
***
"No way…!!"

"Guards."
Serpina addressed the soldiers behind me.
"Detain the envoy and transport him to the underground prison."

"Yes, my lady!"
The moment her command was given, the soldiers began marching toward me.
"Are you out of your damn mind?!"

She was actually planning to arrest an envoy?
She was seriously doing this?!
And did this mean… my most efficient prediction had been that I would be captured and thrown into a dungeon?

"That’s impossible!"
There was no way my 100 Intelligence brain would have determined that getting imprisoned was the optimal outcome.
Up until now, I had never ended up in a truly dangerous situation.

That’s right. If I thought back carefully… the prediction wasn’t just "this is the most efficient outcome."
It had also said that "the outcome depends on fate."
Which meant that this was one of those moments—where I had to step in, no matter what.

In the end, my predictions were always right.
So, I just needed to trust myself.
"Wait just a moment, Lady Serpina."

"…"
I made sure to maintain a composed expression as I spoke.
Thankfully, Serpina lifted a hand—silently ordering the soldiers to halt.

Even without being told, I could tell.
She was interested.
This was my chance.

It would’ve been nice if I had more time to think and come up with the best possible response, but…
Right now, I had no time.
All I had was the absolute certainty of my 100 Intelligence predictions.

I had to shape my future in real time.
Stay calm.
Even in the tiger’s den, if you keep your wits, you can survive.

Repeating that thought in my mind, I carefully made my proposal.
"A duel, Lady Serpina. If you truly wish to claim me, then you must accept my challenge."