Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

I blinked, alternating my gaze between Jinor and Reika.

Reika wasn't just bowing her head now; she had her face pressed to the floor, her ears flushed red, and her body trembling slightly. On the other hand, Jinor had a calm and serious expression, completely at odds with Reika’s nervousness.
"That's my request," Jinor said.
"You want me to marry Reika?" I asked, still trying to wrap my head around what was happening.

"Yes. I think it’s a good match for you," Jinor replied.
Wait... this sudden request? Without any prior warning?
Why?

Seeing the confusion on my face, Jinor calmly asked again.
"Do you not want to?"
"No, it's not that I don’t want to... it’s just..."

I glanced at Reika. Had she already heard everything? Was she ready to marry me just because her adoptive father, Jinor, said so? She was still keeping her head down, so it was difficult to read her expression.
"Speak freely, don’t hesitate. Say what’s on your mind," Jinor urged.
I hesitated for a moment, then carefully spoke up.

"Well, you asked me to speak freely, so I will. I’m not married yet, but I already have someone I intend to marry."
"Already four potential candidates?" Jinor asked, raising an eyebrow.
"...No, just one," I corrected.

"Then what’s the issue? Why not take Reika as a second wife?"
"..."
I knew that in this world, a man could have multiple wives, so that part wasn’t surprising. But coming from a world where monogamy was the norm, I had built up certain values over the years that made it difficult to accept such a suggestion easily.

Would I hate having multiple wives? Honestly, no, it wasn’t that bad. But how would my wives feel about it? That was a different story.
"...Ah, if you’re uncomfortable with inheriting the title, you don’t have to. If it’s not beneficial for you, I won’t force it," Jinor added.
It seemed like Jinor thought I was concerned about the title and the family legacy. He probably assumed that the woman I was marrying had a much higher status than the Nighhardt family. The concept of discussing marriage based on political and familial advantages was something I hadn’t fully adjusted to, but... well, here I was.
"...Reika."

"Y-Yes...!" she stammered, finally lifting her head slightly.
"What do you think, Reika?"
"I... I, well... I think... Swain is a good person, so..." she murmured, visibly trembling with sweat running down her face. She looked like a mouse that had fallen into water, and it was hard not to feel sorry for her.

"..."
I briefly glanced at Jinor, who was quietly closing his eyes. He didn’t seem to be pressuring her directly, but I couldn't shake the feeling that she was being subtly influenced by his presence, as if she were under some unspoken weight.
"Jinor, could you step out for a moment?"

"Me? Why?"
"I just want to have a serious conversation with Reika about marriage. Just the two of us."
"..."

Jinor nodded and stood without saying anything, then quietly closed the door behind him as he left.
Once Jinor was gone, I turned to Reika, who was still hunched over.
"Reika."

"Ah... yes?"
"Please, feel free to speak now."
At my slightly softened tone, Reika finally raised her head. Her face was still bright red, and I could see her pinkish eyes trembling slightly.

"Is this the end of the conversation about our marriage?" I asked.
"Ah... well, not exactly, it’s just...?"
"What I mean is, have you agreed to marry me, Reika?" I asked more directly.

"...Eh...?" Reika tilted her head, confused.
"I’m asking if you’ve agreed to marry me, not just because your father said so."
"...Yes...?"

Reika’s voice was small, and she seemed uncertain, but she nodded nonetheless. It was clear that, in this world, listening to one's parents was an automatic part of the process.
"Is it natural for daughters to listen to their fathers’ wishes in this world?" I wondered aloud. It hadn’t been that long since the concept of marriage autonomy appeared in the world I came from, after all.
"I..."

At that moment, Reika nervously stammered.
"Um... do you... not like me?" she asked, lifting her eyes to look at me with wide, innocent eyes.
I hadn’t consciously thought about it, but her gaze struck me as incredibly cute. It was a side of her that felt completely different from Irene.

"No, it’s not that I don’t like you."
"Ah... I’m glad..."
Her relief caused another silence to fall over us. The stillness was almost suffocating, so I tried to break it by carefully speaking again.

"Well... Reika, I have a question. Just answer honestly, please."
"Yes? Ah... yes, of course!"
"Would you mind being my second wife?"

"Eh? Well... I... suppose so...?"
I couldn’t help but feel unsettled. Was it really so easy for women in this world to accept such an arrangement?
"Ah... I also have a question," Reika said shyly.

"Go ahead."
"Is your first wife... the red-haired knight?"
"...."

Now that she mentioned it... Reika had met Irene, hadn't she? Was Irene my first wife?
I was suddenly overwhelmed with the thought, and my mind went blank, leaving me unable to answer.
But...

"I see..."
Reika nodded as if she had understood something, though I hadn’t said a word.
"...I didn’t say anything though?" I asked, confused.

"But... Swain, your expression..."
"My expression?"
"Your face turned red... you were blushing. So, I thought... your first wife, she must be the one, right?"

I blushed?
I wanted to deny it, but I couldn’t bring myself to. I knew my face was burning hot, and I could feel it more than anyone else.
So, Reika was going to be my second wife, huh?

The thought of it made me feel an emotion I couldn’t quite describe, like I was floating in the air. I suddenly realized something: I must really like Irene.
"Or is there someone else? Another woman?"
"No, no... Reika, please be a little more careful with your word choice. Referring to another woman like that makes me sound like a womanizer, doesn't it?"

"Huh? A womanizer...?"
Reika tilted her head, clearly not understanding.
"Isn't it strange for a man to spread his love equally among his wives...?"

"......"
I guess it's fine.
In this situation, there was no need for me to stick to my own thoughts. There's an old saying, when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

"Anyway, Reika, are you okay with this?"
"Yes. Even if I'm the second wife, I'm fine with it..."
"No, that's not what I mean."

I asked as seriously as I could, without any humor.
"I mean, will you marry me?"
"Swen...?"

"Yes. Forget about reasons like 'Jinor asked me to' and all that. As a man and a woman."
"Uh... th-that's..."
Reika seemed flustered, unable to respond immediately. She hesitated for a long time, thinking it over. I nodded in understanding.

"You don’t have to answer right now. Please think about it seriously. How do you feel about me? When you're ready, I'll hear your answer."
"Huh? B-but..."
"Why? Is something wrong?"

"I just... I don’t really know what to say..."
Reika, clearly at a loss for words, struggled to respond. Honestly, what worried me most was her nature. She always had trouble expressing her own opinions...
Wasn't it likely that this whole marriage thing just happened because Jinor told her to? If she became my second wife, from my perspective, there was no reason it would be bad. She had the potential to become an exceptional mage, and a connection with her would only benefit the Lunarian Army, not hurt it.

Besides, if I said she lacked charm as a woman, that wasn't the case either. I had been seeing Airen's... well, the kind of chest that no woman could surpass, so Reika might have slipped my notice, but she had quite the bust herself, and her face was cute and pretty.
However, that didn't mean I wanted her opinions to be dismissed like this. Especially not when it came to a decision as important as choosing a life partner.
It might be an unconventional way of thinking for this world, but marrying someone who didn't want to marry me would hurt me as much as it would her.

"Uh... I-I'm sorry. I just... can't organize my thoughts properly... Uh..."
"It's alright. There's no need to apologize."
"...Aren't you frustrated?"

"No. Not at all. The fact that you're struggling to speak means you're someone who weighs their words carefully."
Reika lowered her head again after hearing my words.
"Take your time and think it over. Let me know when you're ready. Really, if you want to marry me, that is."

She nodded slowly at my words. I figured it was best to leave it like this for now.
"Well then."
I stood up and spoke.

"Shall we practice your magic today?"
"Huh? Ah... yes, yes!"
Reika stood up and followed me closely. The way she scurried behind me made her seem a bit like a hamster, and I couldn't help but find her cute.

 
That evening.
"Airen?"
"What is it?"

I asked as I sipped my tea, relaxing in comfortable clothes.
"If, hypothetically, you were married..."
spits tea

Airen spat out the tea she had been drinking and started coughing uncontrollably.
"Are you okay?"
I handed her a handkerchief as she covered her mouth.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to... make you see something so embarrassing."
"No, no, it's fine. I didn’t expect you to say something so surprising."
"Anyway... what if?"

"What if your husband brought home a second wife?"
"A second wife?"
"Yes."

Airen thought for a moment before casually looking at me and replying.
"Well... if it's a bit hard to adjust after coming to our house, I suppose I’d help her out."
"You'd be okay with a second wife?"

"Huh? Well, sure. It's just like adding another member to the family, isn't it?"
At that moment, I realized once again that I had come to a completely different world.
"Is that so..."

"But... why are you asking about marriage all of a sudden?"
Airen turned red and looked at me, her voice filled with curiosity.
"I was just wondering what you think about it."

"Is that so?"
"Well, that's not the only reason..."
"Then...?"

I smiled at her, noticing her surprise.
"That's a secret."
"......"

Airen lowered her head and sighed softly.
"...Anyway, you're really an unpredictable person. In my life, Swen, I've never met someone whose mind is so difficult to understand."
"Do you dislike it?"

"Well... it's not like that."
She smiled at me with those words.
Anyway, if Airen wasn't particularly opposed to me having multiple wives, depending on Reika's answer, I’d have to think about what to do next.

With that thought in mind, I spent a relaxed evening with her.
 
After capturing Raklein Castle, the Aishus Army, who had been holding back, suddenly marched into the territory of the Charam Army. The occupying forces led by Hernandorf quickly conquered Charam’s lands, and Lord Charam was executed, vanishing into history.
With Raklein Castle and four other forts, the Aishus Army was no longer a small nation. At this point, it wouldn't be wrong to call them a mid-sized power.

Soon after, news arrived that Serpina's army had captured Hispil Castle, which had been under Brans Army’s control, located to the northwest of Raklein.
Yes, this marked the moment when the borders between Serpina's and Aishus' territories finally touched.
Not long after the border was drawn...

"A messenger from Serpina's army?"
"Yes, that's right."
Yuri nodded and fell into thought after hearing the messenger's words.

"What could this be? I can't think of anything diplomatic to discuss with Serpina’s army."
"Jinor, what do you think?"
"There's no obvious clue. At least you should meet with them."

Though it bothered me, as Jinor said, meeting them would make things clearer. After preparing herself mentally, Yuri spoke to the messenger in a calm tone.
"Alright, bring them to the audience room."