Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Tepello Castle, Karelia Army’s Territory

“Hah… Haah… J-just a little… just a little more rest, please…”
Francis, the eldest among Cain’s children entrusted to Luna, and a prodigious spear-wielder, planted his spear into the ground and gasped for breath as he pleaded with his teacher.
“What? You’re already collapsing, kid? How long have you even been training?”

His red-haired female instructor scoffed at him, looking at him as if he were utterly pathetic.
“We’ve been training from sunrise until just now at sunset… except for lunch.”
“And? What, you planning to play house at night? You’re old enough to know better. If you want to get stronger, you should be training °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° right up until you drop into bed.”

“Um… Lady Tifa, I understand that, but training all day without rest is a bit…”
Tifa stepped closer to Francis, her tone growing even more serious.
“Hey. You do want to make a name for yourself, don’t you? You want to impress Luna, right?”

“N-no, that’s not…”
Francis stammered, his face turning slightly red as he lowered his head.
“I-it’s not about impressing her… I just don’t want to bring shame to my uncle’s name. I want to produce solid results…”

“Cain? That old bat? What honor does that gloomy old man even have left?”
Tifa burst into laughter, completely disregarding any sense of decorum.
It might have been an incredibly disrespectful remark under normal circumstances, but Francis had spent enough time here to understand the unique bond between Tifa, Cain, and their lord, Luna. He wasn’t particularly offended.

“Listen, Francis. You’re already better than that old man. Sure, you’ve got talent, but on top of that, you’ve got the looks. That wrinkly old man’s got a shady face, but you? You’ve got the refined features of some noble prince. And your skin’s not half bad, considering how much time you spend training.”
“……”
Francis lowered his head, remaining silent.

Honestly—
At his age, he was well aware that his appearance stood out among his peers.
It was a small but comforting source of confidence, even in these turbulent times.
Of course, good looks hardly mattered in an era of chaos, especially for a man, but still…

“At the very least, you’re the second-handsomest guy I’ve ever seen. So be proud, damn it! Why are you worrying about Cain’s reputation? Forget about that old geezer. Francis, work hard so that one day, your own name shakes the continent.”
Tifa had meant it as a lighthearted way to encourage him—
But one particular word choice was something that the young Francis simply couldn’t let slide.

“…Second?”
A normal person might have realized they had just misspoken and hesitated.
But Tifa wasn’t just someone who disliked lying—she genuinely didn’t know how to lie.

So, without any particular thought, she answered honestly.
“Huh? Yeah. You’re second. There’s someone way better-looking than you.”
For Francis, who had grown up hearing, "You’re quite handsome," from those around him, this was no small matter.

“…Really? Who?”
“Swen.”
“…Swen?”

“You’ve never heard of him? He was our army’s strategist… Oh?”
At that moment—
Tifa noticed Luna approaching from the distance and casually raised her hand in greeting.

“Oh, Luna? You finished up already?”
“Yes. Until the higher-ups give their next orders, there’s nothing in particular for me to do.”
Right now, the southern continent was more war-torn than ever, with the Hesna Army leading the charge.

Tifa had been pushing Francis through intense training because, unlike other officers, she believed that with his talent, he could be thrown straight into real combat.
For a general, battlefield experience was more valuable than any amount of training—that was her firm belief.
“Did you take care of that thing I asked?”

“That’s actually why I came to find you. Ah, wait a moment.”
Luna turned toward Francis and gave him a warm smile.
“Francis, you’re always working so hard. Have you been training diligently today as well?”

“Ah… Y-yes, ma’am!”
Still seated on the ground, Francis immediately jumped to his feet and responded energetically.
“I’ve been doing my best to become someone who can support you, Lady Luna!”

“Really? Hehe, that’s reassuring.”
With that, she flashed him a smile as radiant as starlight.
Francis—

Couldn’t meet her gaze.
He quickly turned his head away, trying to cool his burning face.
Did she really recognize his efforts?

Did she understand how much he wanted to be of use to her?
“What were you two talking about? Training?”
“We were talking about Swen.”

“…Huh?”
At that moment—
The instant Luna heard Swen’s name, her face turned visibly red.

“Swen…? Wh-why are we suddenly talking about him…?”
Seeing her flustered expression, Tifa casually shrugged and answered.
“Oh, I was just telling Francis about him. He’s going to be one of our future generals, so it makes sense for him to learn about our strategist, doesn’t it?”

“Ah… so that’s what you meant…”
Luna let out a quiet sigh of relief.
And then—

…!
A smile.
A smile too blissful to belong to a ruler.

A smile too radiant to belong to a warrior.
A smile brimming with happiness—so much so that it was neither a political gesture nor a courteous nicety.
It wasn’t the kind of smile Luna had ever shown him.

She had always been kind to him, always gentle, always polite and warm—
But she had never smiled like that before.
“That’s right. There’s only one strategist in our army—Swen. No one… No one could ever replace him.”

“……”
“I just hope he’s doing well.”
A soft giggle—

The unmistakable look of a girl in love.
“He’ll be fine. After all, every ridiculous thing he ever said turned out to be right, didn’t it?”
“…That’s true, isn’t it?”

It wasn’t difficult to see the overwhelming longing in Luna’s eyes.
And in that moment—
Francis, who had sworn to wield his spear for her sake, realized something.

He would never surpass that wall.
Who was Swen?
What kind of man could make Lady Luna wear that expression?

For the first time in his life—Francis felt something he couldn’t quite put into words.
Silently—
He wondered just who that man truly was.

***
"Serpina… my lady…?"
"……."

It was only after hearing her unilateral declaration that I, half-dazed, barely managed to call out her name.
Serpina watched me silently… then slowly reached out, placing her hand under my chin and tilting my head upward.
"You did it again. Just like last time, at the crucial moment, you call me Lady Serpina."

"I—no, that’s, my lord—"
"It’s fine. There’s no need to mind such trivial things. Didn’t I just say it clearly? I don’t care who resides in your heart. That doesn’t matter. Right now, you don’t even have to serve me."
"…I am already a part of the Serpina Army, though."

I spoke evasively, avoiding the word serve outright—
And yet, she smiled.
A slight curve of her lips.

This translation is the intellectual property of .
A moment ago, those very lips—soft, glistening, and warm—had been pressed against mine. The reality of it still hadn't fully sunk in.
"Swen. You really are quite good at lying to me, aren’t you? No one else would dare stand before me and attempt to deceive me without even flinching. Fufu…"

"……!"
She knew I was lying.
How…?

How could she be so certain?
Had she uncovered some information I wasn’t aware of?
She was a ruler—if she truly wanted to investigate my background, she could have found something. Perhaps it wasn’t that difficult for her to trace my connection to my true liege—Lunarian.

The thought was unsettling, but it could have just been a guess. I clenched my teeth and forced an expression of confusion.
"I’m not sure what you mean, my lady."
"Swen. Whether your true allegiance lies with Lyn Brans… or with Baranga Yuri Aishus… or someone else entirely… I have no way of knowing. You are not someone who would be careless enough to expose yourself."

That was a fair assumption—though, in truth, I was far more careless than she gave me credit for. But there was no reason to correct her.
"However, I have no intention of letting you go. The blood of Eingart does not relinquish what it desires. Be it this continent—"
Her golden eyes locked onto mine.

"—or you, Swen."
The lingering scent of yuzu on her breath tickled my nose as she leaned closer.
"When I was younger, in those days when the empire flourished and everyone believed in its eternal prosperity, countless men approached me. They worked tirelessly to earn my favor, displaying themselves like peacocks flaunting their feathers.

"They would list their noble lineage, their titles, their talents, all to prove how worthy they were of me. How they could glorify the imperial bloodline. How they could bring honor to the royal family.
"But not a single one of them ever captivated me.
"They were all… too predictable.

"I could see right through them—their thoughts, their ambitions, the way they wagged their pathetic tails as they groveled before me. They were nothing more than men I could read at a glance.
"Every single one of them."
Her golden eyes shimmered.

Beautiful.
"Once I became a ruler, they didn’t even dare approach me anymore. I had washed away blood with blood—I had become a tyrant.
"And only then, when I had become a being they feared too much to even approach, did I finally find freedom.

"Isn’t it absurd? That even though I am now far more powerful, far more valuable than I was in my youth—people fear me too much to even try?"
Serpina laughed softly.
It was a laugh that reminded me of Lyn Brans—but where Lyn’s laughter dripped with arrogance, Serpina’s was genuinely amused, like a mischievous child reveling in a game.

"But you, Swen.
"You are different."
She leaned in even closer.

"I cannot read you.
"You are the first man I have ever met whose thoughts I cannot grasp.
"Not once has any man made my heart race the way you do."

Her voice dropped, growing thick with something intoxicating.
"If we were to combine your talent with the noble blood of Eingart…
"What do you think would be born from it, Swen? Fufu…♥"

Her flushed face, her gaze brimming with raw desire—
Then, her final whisper.
"I’ll say it once more.

"The blood of Eingart never lets go of what it yearns for.
"And—"
—I yearn for you.

I realized then.
In this world—
The woman I would be most entangled with—

Would not be Lady Luna.
It would be her.
And for someone like me, who needed to stay by her side to ensure her survival—

That was nothing less than a ticking time bomb.
"Thank you so much!"
In the bustling marketplace of Eingart Castle, Reika Nighhardt moved from stall to stall, freely making purchases without hesitation.

For the first time, she had true freedom—
The ability to walk outside, unburdened by restrictions.
'Thanks to Lady Airen, I’ll soon be able to leave the lodging as well… Maybe I should start trying my hand at cooking?'

Technically, the household maids took care of all meals, but Reika had always wanted to spend time in the kitchen herself.
It wasn’t just about baking sweets, cakes, or bread—there were so many dishes she wanted to try making.
For someone who had spent her entire life trapped in a cage, practicing magic over and over again, even something as simple as planning her own meals felt like an exhilarating act of rebellion.

'So after this, I’ll stop by over there and—huh?'
At that moment—
Reika’s gaze landed on something unusual.

Something was happening.
Something… that felt wrong.