Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Just as I was getting used to life in the annex, Serpina visited my room for the first time in a while.
"Welcome, my lord."
Serpina didn’t respond immediately. Instead, she looked at me and spoke.

"Follow me."
"Right now?"
"Yes."

She gave a slow nod.
Her striking appearance, coupled with the deep citrus fragrance that lingered with her every movement, nearly made me lose focus for a moment. I forced myself to regain composure.
"I'm about to make my next move. So, I thought it wouldn’t be a bad time to test you."

"In that case…."
"We're resuming the invasion."
So soon?

She was already preparing for an aggressive campaign.
"Didn’t the Battle of Zelstrom Castle deplete our available forces? Are you planning to enlist mercenaries?"
"Yes. On top of that, reinforcements are expected to arrive soon."

Ah.
I quickly understood and nodded.
Of course—this was Serpina’s army, the greatest power on the northern continent after its conquests.

Even after expanding the frontlines this far, they still had the manpower to continue their campaigns?
But… was further conquest really the right move here?
Even just among the neighboring forces, they still had to contend with Brans Army and Aishus Army.
I hadn’t run a full prediction yet, but from a strategic standpoint, continuing the war didn’t seem like the best choice.

"What’s the matter?"
Serpina turned her head slightly as she walked, questioning my momentary silence.
"Ah, it’s nothing. I’ll follow you."

I’d find out once we reached the royal castle.
For now, I simply followed behind her in silence.
*

One distinct feature of the royal castle in Hisphil was that about a quarter of it remained in ruins.
It seemed to have ended up this way during the Brans Army’s conquest of the territory.
Renovations were currently underway, making the place somewhat chaotic, but despite that, the castle was still functional.

Upon arriving, I took a moment to observe the officers of Serpina’s army stationed in Hisphil.
Aside from Irian al Kasky, whom I encountered shortly after entering, I didn’t recognize a single face.
Serpina’s army had only one notable weakness in this game—there were barely any S-rank generals.

The faction’s foundational strength was already so overwhelming that if they had too many elite officers capable of single-handedly turning the tide of battle, it would have broken the balance.
I understood the reasoning behind it, but I didn’t expect to see only unremarkable officers that I hadn’t even bothered remembering.
If I didn’t commit their names to memory, it meant they were just filler units meant to bolster numbers.

One man, Yuan, who appeared to be the lord of the castle, seemed vaguely familiar.
I probably ran into him a few times in past battles while cycling through my playthroughs as a random ruler.
Then—

"Swen."
A soft voice called from behind me.
"Lady Airen."

She smiled brightly upon seeing me.
"You were summoned by our lord as well?"
"That’s right. And you, Lady Airen?"

She nodded.
"It seems she’s preparing for battle."
It was reassuring that both Airen and I weren’t being left to sit idle after being recruited.

Just as I was thinking that, the rhythmic sound of approaching footsteps echoed across the hall.
The sound of boots striking the ground.
A golden-haired sovereign walked toward us, each step exuding elegance.

Though graceful, there was a distinct contrast—the sound of her steps wasn’t the refined click of noble shoes but the heavy thud of military boots.
""Your Majesty.""
The moment Serpina reached the throne, the assembled officers all lowered their heads in unison, greeting her in a manner befitting a monarch.

The interesting part?
They referred to her as "Your Majesty" rather than my lord.
It seemed Serpina von Eingart’s forces saw themselves as a higher order of governance, not just another warlord faction.

With a simple motion—raising her hand slightly—Serpina commanded silence.
"Listen well, all of you."
From her elevated position, she gazed down at us.

Even in a gesture as minor as this, the difference in status between us and her felt tangible.
"Before we move forward with our plans, I wish to hear your opinions. Speak freely on what you believe we should do next."
As soon as she finished speaking, a voice rang out.

This translation is the intellectual property of .
A young man’s voice—one I had heard before.
"I have something to say, my lord."

So here, they do use ‘my lord’ instead.
It made sense. Having observed Serpina for a few days, I got the impression that she wasn’t particularly fixated on formalities or honorifics.
"Speak."

The one who had spoken—Irian al Kasky—clenched his fist over his chest and declared,
"We must attack Zelstrom Castle once more."
"Zelstrom Castle?"

"Yes."
Zelstrom Castle had already repelled Serpina’s forces once before.
Epinnel and Emma had successfully defended it, a testament to their exceptional military prowess.

That had been a significant stroke of luck for Yuri.
Though that luck was now beginning to fade.
"Attacking a place we’ve already failed to conquer… I’m curious about your reasoning."

Well, in reality, if they had to continue their military campaigns, Zelstrom Castle was the only viable target.
"If we must continue our invasion, that is the only logical option."
Oh.

So he actually had a functioning brain.
I had assumed he was insignificant since I didn’t recall his name, but maybe I had underestimated him.
"And why do you believe that?"

"Invading Brans Army’s territory is not an option—we’ve already determined that leaving them alone is the more efficient approach. Attacking Laccline Castle would only increase the number of enemy states bordering us. While we may be able to handle them one by one in isolated battles, the risk increases significantly if they decide to form an alliance.
Therefore, if we must seize new territory, Zelstrom Castle is the best choice."
His reasoning was exactly the same as mine.

If we could obtain a castle without shedding blood—through negotiation, an exchange involving Anima, or some other means—then targeting Laccline Castle might be preferable.
But since we were preparing for war, the answer changed.
If we were to continue our military campaign while avoiding direct confrontation with Brans Army, then Zelstrom Castle was the clear target.

Serpina then asked,
"Then—do you believe we can win?"
Right.

The problem was that, objectively speaking, we didn’t have the means to break through Zelstrom Castle.
If we gathered every available soldier and launched a full-scale assault, it might be possible.
But would Brans Army simply sit back and watch while we made such a bold move?

Lyn Brans might be emotional, but she wasn’t stupid.
Even if we deployed mercenaries, if we couldn’t guarantee an overwhelming advantage, we would only be setting ourselves up for another failure.
At this point, I was curious to see what kind of strategy Irian had in mind.

So, I kept my mouth shut and waited.
But—
His response was beyond disappointing.

"I can do it, my lord."
Irian spoke with burning determination.
"I have lived my life solely to achieve military merit. I know this is a demanding request, but if you grant me a sufficient force, I will reclaim the castle and bring you victory."

I had seen his type before.
Carlints had been exactly the same.
The only difference was that Carlints had overestimated his actual abilities, whereas Irian…

Perhaps it was just his youth, but his confidence felt more like the product of momentum rather than actual competence.
‘For someone who's still young myself, I sure sound arrogant thinking this.’
As I was mulling over my thoughts, Serpina spoke in a cold tone.

"Irian al Kasky. If you lose, then what?"
She continued,
"You do realize that if this battle ends in another defeat, we won’t be expanding our frontlines—we’ll have to contract them instead."

"Yes, but that doesn’t matter."
"You’re saying you have a foolproof way to win?"
"I will prove that Eingart’s soldiers never suffer defeat."

Irian’s voice was brimming with enthusiasm—
But the response that came back was freezing cold.
"I did not ask for something that simply sounds good to your ears."

"…I apologize."
Serpina’s voice remained unwavering.
"Let me ask again. What exactly is your guaranteed way to win?"

"……."
When Irian failed to answer, Serpina shifted her approach.
"Then let me phrase it differently—if you lose, how will you take responsibility?"

"Then…"
Irian hesitated for a moment before steeling himself again and declaring—
"You may take my head."

"Is that so?"
Serpina’s lips curled slightly into a smirk.
I understood why.

That smile wasn’t one of approval toward his loyalty.
No, it carried something different—a distinct coldness.
"And what exactly do I gain from taking your head?"

"Th-That is…"
"Executing a failed commander might serve as a means of personal venting. It could even be justified as an act of maintaining discipline.
But practically speaking, what would I actually gain?

I can already think of what I would lose, but I fail to see what I’d gain in return.
Surely you’re not about to argue that your execution holds more value than an entire territory, are you?"
"……."

A heavy silence fell over the chamber.
In truth, Luna was the outlier—anyone who gave it a little thought would realize Serpina was absolutely right.
Life was an important asset, but if one wished for their life to hold value, then they shouldn’t have been born into an era of chaos.

Serpina turned her gaze across the room.
"Let us hear from others. Speak freely."
Several opinions followed.

Some suggested catching Brans Army off guard with an unexpected attack, but—
As had already been established, there was no need to take that proposal seriously.
Even so, Serpina listened attentively, responding to each suggestion with logical counterarguments just as she had done with Irian.

Even the most foolish ideas were not outright dismissed.
Observing this, I began to understand what she meant when she said she wanted to test me.
‘Since I’ve joined her ranks, she wants to see how I act when given the freedom to move.’

In that case, perhaps it was time to share my thoughts.
I wasn’t answering a direct question, nor was I running a prediction.
But if it were me making the call, I had a fairly good idea of what should be done.

"Does anyone else have anything to add?"
At that moment, I slowly spoke up.
"My lord."

"Hm."
She turned her gaze toward me.
The unfamiliarity of my presence in this chamber drew subtle glances from others, but I paid them no mind.

What mattered to me wasn’t them—
It was Serpina’s gaze.
Unlike others, she didn’t offer me any special treatment.

Her eyes were cold, indifferent.
And if I wanted to change that—if I wanted to make those eyes acknowledge me—
I needed to prove my worth.

"May I share my thoughts?"
"You need not ask. Speak freely."
If I were in Serpina’s position, I would simply—

"Halt our expansion into the central continent for now."
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
"What do you mean?"

I nodded before answering.
"We should return to Eingart Castle and focus on internal affairs."