Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Irian let out a bitter smile before speaking in a firm tone.
"Let me make one thing clear. No matter what position I hold, my loyalty to my lord will never waver. And I believe that Lady Airen was the right person for that position. The comrades who fought beside me on the battlefield may not be happy that I wasn’t given the role, but…"
I carefully observed his expression as he spoke.
There was no hint of falsehood in his eyes.

"I am a warrior. It doesn’t take much for me to recognize someone stronger than myself. Airen, the red-haired knight, one of the two generals who made Brans' Army the ruler of the central continent, and a siege warfare specialist. Her legendary feats are well known—it's not hard to see why she was chosen."
I expected this, but Airen seems to be an even greater figure than I had imagined.
Of course, her stats—her raw abilities—were exceptional.
But in the first scenario of the game, Lyn Brans had already taken control of the central continent, and Airen had been demoted by that point.

Lyn had stubbornly refused to use Airen despite her talents, only to cast her aside in the end.
Looking back now, Lyn was no ordinary fool.
Then again, even back when Airen was with the Aishus Army, she had managed to keep Chel Brans in check to some extent.
Either way, she was currently at my side, supporting me.
That alone made me feel reassured.

"So, I have no complaints about the decision. What matters isn’t my position, but what I can do for my lord. However…"
Irian sighed deeply before continuing.
"Janis didn’t see it that way. He was furious, saying that no one else had sworn loyalty to the royal family for generations and contributed as much to the conquest of the central continent as I had. He couldn’t understand why anyone else would be chosen over me."

So that was what had been happening during the nights when Janis disappeared from our quarters.
He had been coming here to argue with Irian about this.
"I’ll say it again, Swen—I support my lord’s decision. Lady Airen is an outstanding general. Fighting alongside her on the battlefield will only make me stronger. Internal power struggles, career advancement… none of that matters to me."
"Brother…"

"But, like I said, I don’t think this has anything to do with what’s happening now. I doubt I can be of much help to you. He’s an adult—he probably just needs time to sort out his emotions on his own."
With that, Irian stood up.
For a brief moment, I considered telling him everything.
But in the end, that would only escalate the situation without actually helping.

At the very least, I had gained something valuable.
Janis resented Airen’s appointment.
If that resentment had led him to take part in a conspiracy, resulting in the downfall of the Al Kasky family…
That would explain why I had no memory of them.
But just that alone isn’t enough to justify treason.

Irian himself was perfectly calm about the matter.
Would Janis really endanger his entire family over this, acting on his own?
That would be far too reckless.
Besides, if I hadn’t already known that I had never heard of the Al Kasky family after playing this game for ten thousand hours, I wouldn’t even be suspecting them of rebellion right now.

Of course, people could be incredibly foolish when driven by emotions.
Yuri and Lyn had already proven that much.
But Janis, at least from what I had observed, wasn’t the kind of person to lose himself so easily.
There must be something more to this.

"If there’s nothing else, I’ll take my leave. Ah, Swen."
"Yes?"
"Next time, I’d appreciate it if you came to visit properly, rather than showing up like this. If it’s not such short notice, I’ll gladly sit down and talk with you anytime."

"Brother, please stop…"
With Ioline blushing furiously behind me, Irian exited the room.
Now that only the two of us remained in the quiet reception hall, Ioline spoke up.

"May I ask you something?"
"What is it?"
"I was wondering why you sought me out first."

"...Excuse me?"
"Wouldn’t it have been more natural to go directly to Irian and organize a search team instead of coming to me?"
She didn’t sound distrustful—just genuinely curious.
Still, it was something worth addressing.

Hearing my reasoning, she nodded in understanding.
"Actually, I’ve heard a bit about you, Swen."
"You have?"

"Yes, from my second brother… Janis. He said that his roommate might be the famous ‘White-Haired Mage.’"
"...Did he?"
"He did. And from what I’ve heard, I could tell that you were a good person. Forgive me for saying this, but… I thought that maybe I could rely on you."

White-Haired Mage.
No matter how many times I heard that title, I never got used to it.
Janis never made a big deal out of it when we were together.
Looking back, maybe that was his way of being considerate.
If he had kept bringing up the fact that I was a mage, it would have made things awkward for both of us.

He really isn’t the type to be a simple villain.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t reach a clear conclusion.
But I had learned from experience—sometimes, the best answer was to get some rest and let things settle.

"It’s late. Let’s meet again in the morning."
"I understand. Where should I go?"
"Meet me at the small plaza near the lodgings."

"Alright. I’ll be there. But…"
She hesitated.
Was she worried about waiting idly?
There was likely nothing happening just yet.
If something had already occurred, then logically speaking, we were already too late.

But since we hadn’t confirmed anything yet, the best thing I could do was reassure her.
"Don’t worry. As long as he’s still within the territory, we’ll find him soon."
"…Alright."

After parting ways with Ioline, I left the Al Kasky estate.
By then, the sky had already turned dark.
As I rode the carriage back to my lodgings, I found myself lost in thought.

Am I doing this right?
Thinking back, so much had happened.
No matter what, until the day I reunite with Lady Luna…

I must protect Lady Serpina.
For now, that was my only focus.
With that thought, I returned to my empty lodgings alone.

***
The next morning.
Together with Ioline, I made a thorough circuit of the places where Janis might have gone.

Since my body was weak, I couldn’t afford to wander aimlessly. Prioritization and efficiency were key.
After discussing with Ioline to narrow down the search area—
Surprisingly, it turned out that I was the person Janis had shared the most personal conversations with.
So, using the casual talks we had as a basis, I focused on searching locations where he was likely to have spent his time.

We searched tirelessly throughout the morning, but—
"You’re saying you haven’t seen him?"
"That’s right. He visits often, but he hasn’t come by in the past few days."

"I see. Thank you."
There wasn’t a single trace of Janis anywhere.
It was as if he had simply vanished into thin air.

Should I just tell Lady Serpina everything and ask for her help?
But saying, "I’m searching for someone who might be plotting treason," would be an incredibly awkward thing to bring up.
I was sure she would listen if I asked sincerely, but there was a world of difference between "she might help" and "she will definitely help."
The difference between an Intelligence stat of 99 and 100, so to speak.

Still, I didn’t want to stand by and watch as people I had come to know were slaughtered.
If Janis really was considering treason, then his death was inevitable—but Ioline and Irian dying needlessly alongside him? That didn’t sit well with me.
I wasn’t sure if Irian would remember, but when he first joined Serpina’s army, he had owed me a small favor.

And given how he had accepted Airen’s promotion—despite knowing that he could have been in that position instead—I didn’t see him as the type of man to hold a grudge.
Of course, when the time came, I would ultimately side with Serpina.
But if I could prevent the needless deaths that seemed to be approaching, that would be beneficial not only to me but to Serpina as well.
So, onto the second option.

I could be honest with Airen and ask for her help.
That would be far less burdensome than going directly to Serpina.
She and I had traveled through three different nations together, building a strong bond along the way.
Yes, Airen would be the best person to turn to.

Just as I made up my mind—
"Swen."
Ioline approached, carrying something wrapped in cloth.

"What’s all that?"
"A lunch box. You’ve been working hard all day, so…"
"Thank you."

I took it from her and opened it.
This translation is the intellectual property of .
Inside was a rather delicious-looking meal.

"Did you make this yourself?"
"No, I didn’t. I’m sorry about that."
Well, she was a noble lady from a prominent family, even in these chaotic times.
Unless it was a personal hobby, like in Reika’s case, there was no need for her to cook herself.

As I ate, we exchanged a few casual remarks.
"Are there any more places we should check?"
"There are, but it’d be difficult to visit them all today, and I’m not entirely certain about them either… I think it would be better to find someone who can help instead."

"Someone who can help?"
"Yes. I know someone who can assist us quietly without causing a commotion."
"And that person is…?"

I took another bite of soft, white bread and answered nonchalantly.
"Someone mentioned in my conversation with Irian yesterday."
***

Life at the barracks was largely the same every day.
Swords, spears, and various weapons in hand, the soldiers trained tirelessly.
Maintaining discipline and continuing rigorous training could be tough for soldiers stationed in the capital.

But ever since Airen took charge of training—
"Too slow! Remember what I taught you!"
"Yes, ma’am!"

The barracks had become more disciplined than ever.
With her fame and the genuine way she treated her soldiers, Airen had long since won over the majority of the occupation forces.
Now, just her presence alone was enough to send morale soaring.

And so, like any other day, training continued—until.
"Lady Airen."
"What is it? We’re in the middle of training."

A lieutenant approached her, one of the officers assisting in overseeing the barracks. He was known for his loyalty to Airen.
"I thought we agreed that anyone who isn’t our lord should be asked to wait until training is over?"
"Yes, but they insisted that if I said their name, you would definitely come out to meet them…"

"Who is it?"
Who could be interrupting her training?
Unless it was her lord summoning her, a knight’s duty was to complete their orders first.

"It’s Swen."
"!!!"
Swen?

Why was he here?
The moment she heard his name, Airen threw aside any thoughts of knightly protocol.
"If it’s urgent, I can oversee the training for now."

She would have preferred to finish it herself, but—
This was Swen.
Before she was Serpina’s knight, she was his knight.

"I’ll leave it to you, then. Sorry for the trouble."
"Not at all. You work hard for us every day. Please, go."
Without hesitation, Airen left and hurried to where Swen was waiting.

Wait. I’m all sweaty… Will I smell?
She wanted to take a bath first, but considering how rare it was for Swen to come looking for her, it must have been urgent.
She picked up her pace, wanting to show him only her best side—

"Lady Airen."
"Swen!"
And there he was.

The silver-haired man who suited white so well, the one she had sworn to protect—Swen.
That was good.
That was very good.

But then—
…Huh?
Airen suddenly ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) stopped in her tracks.

Standing beside him…
Was a woman she had never seen before.