Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

"After that...?"
"We fled as far away as possible, to the safest place. We kept running, running until we finally planted our flag near this area, Valharat territory. That was the moment the Aishus army began."

Anima spoke in a calm tone, casually explaining a tragic event.
"Having lost my arm, I could no longer wield a sword. From that day on, I searched for every available military treatise and devoured them. I thought our army was lacking in strategists. Luckily, I seemed to have some ability in that area, as studying didn’t prove too difficult."
"...I see."

After hearing her explanation, it became a little clearer why things were unfolding as they were in this country. The strong sense of camaraderie among the founding members of the Aishus army, the deep bond forged through shared tragedies, likely played a big part in their success. Five people had managed to create a state of this scale, and just recently, they even captured Raklein Castle.
One could say they were quite successful as feudal lords, given the circumstances.
However, the real situation wasn’t something you could understand with a single sentence like "They’re close comrades." Their unity, built on a foundation of mutual deception in these troubled times, no doubt had its advantages. But at the same time, would this very unity eventually become the Aishus army’s downfall?

Just then, Anima suddenly spoke, turning to me.
"Jinor Nighhardt."
"Yes?"

"He was the last chancellor of the Unified Empire. He was someone who had eaten from the Aingart family’s table."
At that moment, Anima’s eyes briefly flashed with something almost like anger, a faint trace of fury barely concealed behind her usual calm expression.
"A person who held such a position couldn't possibly have been unaware of what was happening in the Empire. If he didn’t know, that itself would be a problem. His abilities were exceptional, there's no doubt about that. But... if I had been a little more capable, I wouldn't have needed to entrust such an important position to someone from the fallen Empire’s ranks. It was all my own fault."

"......"
"If I had been more helpful, we might not have needed to rely on his strength. Thinking about it still makes something lodge in my throat, something I can’t quite explain. I’m sorry to everyone. Epinnel, Emma, Hernandorf, and even Yuri..."
So that was it. After hearing her, I thought I understood Anima’s defiance. While Jinor may not have done anything wrong, it seemed like his connection to the Empire—being one of their 'high-ranking officials'—was what caused Anima to feel uneasy.

The soldiers who attacked the Fioviola Academy in the past were definitely part of the Empire, and only people from the Aingart family could have moved them. Anima wasn’t the only one who suffered from that assault—Yuri and others had experienced the same. But it seemed that only Anima couldn’t accept it, and that had become a difficult burden for her.
Thinking back on it, Luna and Anima both seemed to have lost something precious because of the infighting within the Aingart family.
I didn’t know the exact reason, but something about this felt a bit contrived.

Wasn’t too much of the blame being placed on the Aingart family? It felt almost like all the resentment in the world had been focused on Serpina von Aingart, the last known successor to the fallen Empire.
It felt... unnatural.
Of course, Serpina was a tyrant on a whole other level, capable of pulling me from another dimension to kill me. But still, I couldn’t shake the strange sense of discomfort.
Was it right to just accept her as the embodiment of evil and call it a day?

'...That’s not important right now.'
Anyway, that was secondary. Right now, I needed to get this lady back to Yuri.
Perhaps there was something I could say to pique her interest.

"Anima, there's something I haven’t told you."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember me mentioning that we just retook Raklein Castle?"

"Yes, I remember."
"Lord Luna said she would like to appoint you as the castle’s new lord."
"...!"

Anima’s eyes widened in surprise.
Perhaps I could press this advantage a little more.
"As you know, being a lord gives you certain powers. Powers that even the national strategist cannot interfere with."

I looked her directly in the eyes and spoke like a salesman.
"Wouldn't now be the perfect time to show what you’re capable of once again?"
After hearing my words, Anima was silent for a long while, then spoke in a voice almost like a whisper.

"...Did you say lord of the castle?"
"Yes. As I mentioned, you would have exclusive authority that even the national strategist couldn’t intervene with."
I deliberately repeated the part about the national strategist not being able to interfere, and Anima seemed to pick up on my intent. She looked at me with a meaningful gaze.

"Your name is Swen, correct?"
"Yes."
"It seems we have an interesting person here in our country."

"Thank you for the compliment."
It seemed like my reply amused her, as she smiled before speaking again.
"...I understand. I’ll follow you to Hasan."

"Good choice."
I meant every word of it. I really didn’t want to come back here again.
Anima muttered something under her breath and then looked at me.

"Would you mind waiting outside for a moment? I have some things to take care of. It won’t take long."
***
Anima nodded at Swen's words.

"It doesn’t matter how long it takes. Take your time with your work."
"Thank you."
Once Swen had left the house, Anima rested her chin on her hand and fell into deep thought.

‘The fact that we took Raklein Castle means... the Brans army has fallen.’
The Brans army had been the greatest threat to the Aishus army. Anima had always believed there was no way to defeat them by her own strength. They could only endure and hope something would happen, but there was no real solution beyond that.
Since entering the mountains, she’d spent her time reading and rewriting military treatises, trying to organize her thoughts. She had cut herself off from news of the outside world, whether she wanted to or not. She had also turned away all visitors from the Aishus army; now that she was supposedly on a training retreat, she wanted to return with concrete results.

But...
If the situation had changed, then things were different.
What could have happened inside the Brans army? Or perhaps Jinor had played a role in the outcome?

‘...I can always think about it when I get back. It’s not too late.’
She had spent a lot of time in the mountains, thinking. She had no intention of stubbornly clinging to her previous biases about people from the Empire, but if an opportunity to prove herself came, she was ready to take it.
‘...’

Anima remembered the white-haired young man who had asked her, with absolute conviction, if it wasn’t time to show her abilities once again. That look in his eyes. She had seen that look before.
It was the kind of gaze she used to see in Yuri, back when they were at the academy. It was the kind of look someone had when they were completely certain that everything would go the way they wanted.
A sharp, confident gaze—something no one could possess unless they were sure that whatever they aimed for would become reality. It was a look of someone who couldn’t be a mere ordinary human, no matter where they went.

A time when talent was gathering. The fall of the Brans army.
‘Perhaps… this is a chance for the Aishus army.’
Honestly, more than the prospect of becoming the lord of the castle, it was the feeling that "an opportunity has come" that was driving her to act. She had spent her life thinking only about the unification of the continent under the Aishus army. If she let this opportunity slip by, how could she forgive herself?

After sorting out her thoughts, Anima stood up, gathered her things, and left the room.
***
Nighthart Family Estate.

Reika, who had locked herself in her room, lay on her bed, hugging a doll as she rolled around.
He didn’t come today...
She had been eagerly looking forward to going out with Swen. However, it seemed that due to a summons from their ruler, Yuri, Swen wouldn’t be able to visit her today.
I had something I wanted to show him...

Last night, Reika had finally managed to conjure not only a fireball, but also something resembling an ice spear, which she created with her own hands.
She had never thought she could use any other magic, and had assumed that creating a fireball was the extent of her magical ability. To create something other than the fireball was a huge shock in itself.
While meditating in the mountains, she felt an overwhelming surge of mana, and then... a sensation as if something inside her body had ‘broken through.’
Ever since then, whenever she closed her eyes and gathered mana, she felt like she could create something other than fire.
She had then tried to create the “Ice Spear” Swen had mentioned, and it was a brilliant success.
He's truly amazing...

At this point, Reika couldn’t bring herself to believe Swen wasn’t a magician.
How could someone who wasn’t a mage train her so exceptionally?
As she thought about this, her adoptive father’s words suddenly came to mind.
"What do you think of him as a husband?"

...
Naturally, she tightened her hold on the doll in her arms.
The word "husband" seemed strange coming from her mouth, and her face flushed.
A husband—someone to spend your life with, a companion.
Reika closed her eyes and imagined her life as Swen’s wife.
She would bake him bread or cakes, prepare his meals, take care of the housework while he worked hard, and raise about three children.

Though she instinctively felt she would eventually have to fight in battles as a mage, she had never really thought about living such a life with a man—a quiet, family-centered life.
She had heard that Swen was also a general who fought on the battlefield. Perhaps her magic could help him somehow.
That wouldn't be a bad life, would it?
Reika didn’t dislike the idea of creating such a future with Swen.
But...

Is this really okay?
There was a clear difference between “not disliking something” and “liking something.”
At this moment, Reika couldn’t be sure of her feelings. She didn’t know Swen well enough yet.
Of course, she would get to know him better if they married and lived together... but what if he turned out to be someone entirely different from the person she imagined?
Perhaps there were some strange, insurmountable barriers that her abilities couldn’t bridge.
Though she felt a little pathetic for thinking about this at such a time, wasn’t it natural for married couples to share responsibilities?
She wasn’t too young to understand that.

What do I want to do...?
Her father had told her that if she truly hated it, she should speak up.
Of course, she had no intention of rejecting him. She wanted to repay the kindness of the father who had taken her in.
But still—she hadn’t even had an official proposal from Swen yet, so there was no need to think too deeply about it.
And yet, for Reika, who had lived a life far removed from such thoughts, she couldn’t help but think about it.

Becoming Swen’s wife—could she really manage such a life if that happens?
And so, Reika spent the night thinking about her white-haired master.
At this moment, Reika was no longer the mage who had first awakened to mana on the continent.
She was simply a 20-year-old girl, contemplating the future with the man who might one day become her husband.
***

"It's been a while."
In front of Valharat Castle's gates, Anima stood, staring for a long time at the red flag fluttering atop the spire.
In her eyes, countless emotions surged like a tidal wave, and I quietly waited beside her, allowing her the time she needed for her brief reunion.
"...Thank you for waiting."

"It's nothing."
I nodded lightly and followed Anima as she entered the castle.