Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 241: Retreat to the Border, and What Follows (6)

That Day Onward.

Yuri had officially declared war against Chel's army.

The full force she had amassed in preparation for unifying the continent was now, naturally, directed at Chel’s army. Likewise, Chel was left with no choice but to deplete all of the troops he had reserved for Brans Army’s consolidation efforts in a desperate defensive campaign.

The first round ended in a decisive victory for the Aishus Army.

The results were nothing short of astonishing. Not only had they seized Alkanwood Castle, but they also successfully captured Rainbow Castle, located to the west of Alkanwood and formerly under Chel’s control.

Chel’s forces were regarded as the strongest within Brans Army, gathering the most outstanding commanders. However, there was no one in Brans Army who could surpass Chel. In fact, there was no one even capable of stopping Emma and Epinnel from Aishus Army.

Upon hearing yet another report of defeat, Chel let out a deep sigh and reflected.

"Perhaps I made a mistake."

He had heard rumors of the Aishus Army’s unwavering internal unity, but he had not anticipated this level of relentless determination.

Logically, engaging in an all-out struggle to the death with his army shouldn’t have been beneficial to them. That much was clear. And yet—at this moment, Yuri no longer felt like a ruler with grand ambitions. Instead, she seemed like a vengeful specter fixated solely on destruction.

An ordinary ruler—had it been Carlints—might have gone beyond regretting this decision and instead sought to propose a humiliating peace treaty.

"Hah!"

But Chel was born a warrior.

To be honest, this was far more exhilarating than the sluggish siege warfare he had endured against Carlints. It stirred his blood.

"To throw everything away and charge at us over a single founding hero’s death—that kind of conviction is almost too pure for this age. Fine. I acknowledge it."

On the day Hernandorf’s severed head was displayed on the castle walls, Chel had witnessed something in the dying man’s eyes.

That moment sparked something in him, and he began training his body again, just as he had in his prime.

Although he still wasn’t as strong as he had been at his peak, he was confident he could return to the battlefield and fight as he once did.

If things continued as they were, his side—being the weaker nation—would inevitably be crushed by Aishus Army.

Fighting a stronger nation required more than head-on battles.

The only real regret he had was the lack of skilled commanders at his disposal.

"If I had someone like Airen to back me up, things might be different... But right now, there’s no one in our army of that caliber. I’ll have to carve out a solution on my own."

Back in the days when he had expanded Brans Army’s territory alongside Airen, Chel—who was a born warrior—had easily recognized just how crucial Airen’s role had been.

The enemy had Epinnel and Emma.

Both of them were formidable opponents, but at this stage of his life, facing them together in a two-on-one scenario was clearly a disadvantage.

"Enough."

Overthinking things like this was something his younger sister, Lyn, or his strategist, Parfalle, would do.

Chel had his own role to play. His place was on the battlefield, clashing swords with his enemies.

Without hesitation, he began preparing to depart.

The commander leading the charge would be none other than himself—Chel Brans.

Once known as Brans Army’s Strongest Swordsman, he now drew his blade once more, aiming straight at the heart of the Aishus Army.

***

With Chel personally entering the fray, the tides of battle began to shift.

The first move he made was an audacious one—he abandoned Rainbow Castle and launched a surprise attack on Alkanwood Castle.

But Rainbow Castle wasn’t the only sacrifice.

By extension, he also forfeited Jogh Castle, which Aishus Army had seized in a swift offensive.

Abandoning Jogh Castle was a significant decision. If the enemy managed to take it, they would have a direct, unobstructed path to Heisel Castle, the heart of Chel’s territory.

In the end, however, Chel’s strategy was a success.

With Alkanwood Castle falling back into Chel’s hands, Aishus Army found their supply lines cut off from their main base, causing their once-relentless advance to slow considerably.

From that point on, the two nations engaged in continuous skirmishes.

Day after day, battle after battle, with every fallen soldier replaced by fresh recruits—war waged on without end.

The blood that had flowed from Hernandorf’s severed head now pooled into great reservoirs of carnage.

The stench of death blanketed the entire central continent.

Neither Chel’s Army nor Aishus Army had gained a decisive advantage.

Both sides were locked in a brutal, grinding stalemate.

***

"Alright, both of you, do your best today!"

"Mmm. See you in the evening, Swen."

"Y-yes! See you later!"

After parting ways with them, I immediately headed toward the administrative office.

Rather than Serpina, I was greeted by Jenna.

"Swen, you’re here."

"Strategist...? Where is our lord?"

"I was just about to inform you of that. But before I do, may I ask you a question?"

Jenna stepped forward, gazing directly into my eyes.

"Was it your idea to appoint Irian as a castle lord and enforce the blockade order?"

"......"

The bluntness of her question caught me off guard.

For a brief moment, I considered dodging the question with a vague response.

But...

"A national strategist of her caliber would figure it out eventually anyway."

Rather than fabricate an excuse, I opted for honesty.

"Yes. It was my recommendation."

"...I see. Then you must believe this is the correct course of action?"

Just then, an ideal opportunity presented itself.

Cautiously, I inputted my query.

"Is appointing Irian as a castle lord and enforcing the blockade the most effective method?"

The response I received was... strange.

[I cannot determine that.] ƒгeewёbnovel.com

"......???"

What?

Not just "I don’t know," but "I cannot determine that"?

Something was off.

"Now that I think about it, ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ didn’t I already ask about appointing a castle lord last time... and receive an answer?"

Back then, I had also assigned Irian as the lord of Kelstein Castle.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Even if the system couldn’t predict the presence of a plague, it had been able to infer potential outcomes based on who held the position of lord.

Would the same work if I asked separately?

"Is appointing Irian as the lord of Kelstein Castle the most efficient choice?"

[Somewhat efficient.]

...So that’s how it is.

The system provided an answer regarding the selection of the castle lord, but not about whether the blockade was the right course of action.

And more than that, "somewhat efficient" meant that Irian wasn’t the optimal choice.

For now, I decided to let it slide.

At the very least, the basis for my decision—that a plague was coming—seemed to be on the right track.

As I was deep in thought, waiting for Jenna’s response, she unexpectedly said something that caught me off guard.

"In that case, I will handle the opposition myself. Could you inform our lord of this?"

"...Excuse me? The opposition?"

"The unexplained blockade of Kelstein Castle has not been well received by the people. Many of Serpina’s officers also argue that it is a waste of administrative resources."

"Ah..."

Now that she mentioned it, there had been no reports of a plague spreading through the central continent yet.

The only news that had come was of Chel’s Army and Aishus Army clashing in battle. That alone wasn’t enough justification to completely cut off interaction between the territories.

"But, Swen, I trust that you must have a reason."

"Strategist..."

Could she be the reason I hadn’t heard any direct complaints from either the people or Serpina?

I wasn’t sure, but at some point, Jenna had become extremely cooperative with me.

"So, I will assist you. Do not forget—we are on your side."

After saying that, she gave me a small nod before turning away.

Just before she disappeared from view, she spoke once more.

"Our lord is in the annex. She is waiting for you, Swen."

Then, she was gone.

Still somewhat dazed, I made my way to the annex, repeating Jenna’s last words in my head.

"Do not forget—we are on your side."

"......."

For some reason, upon hearing that, Luna’s face immediately came to mind.

...No.

I had already decided to find another path, one that would satisfy everyone.

There was no need to dwell on unnecessary thoughts.

I shook off the distraction and made my way to Serpina.

*

The moment I arrived at the annex, Serpina greeted me.

"You’ve come, Swen."

"On my way here, I ran into the strategist. She told me to inform you that she will handle the opposition herself."

"Is that so?"

Without much reaction, Serpina simply nodded and changed the topic.

"You are already well aware of the situation between Chel’s Army and Aishus Army, correct?"

"Yes. Although things seem to have reached a temporary lull... an overwhelming number of people have already died."

At my words, she fell silent, lost in thought.

Then, extending a hand toward me, she asked:

"Swen. Is this truly the result of your ‘insight’?"

"......."

"If so, then perhaps I have done something unnecessary to the people."

Serpina let out a bitter smile.

By "something unnecessary," she was likely referring to the forced relocation to the harsh northern continent.

If a plague wasn’t spreading in their homeland, the people could have endured despite Chel and Yuri’s war.

Neither Chel nor Yuri were foolish enough to target civilians in the middle of a battle.

If this was truly the outcome, then in the eyes of outsiders, Serpina had made a meaningless decision, acting as nothing more than a senseless tyrant.

Perhaps she had read my thoughts, because Serpina suddenly spoke in an uncharacteristically urgent tone.

"Swen, I am not blaming you. Every decision was mine to make. I do not want you to carry this burden."

As I looked into her eyes, I couldn’t help but wonder.

Was that really all there was to it?

It wouldn’t have been the first time that things played out differently from my expectations, yet still ended up benefiting our army in some way.

If Chel and Aishus Army exhausted themselves fighting each other, it would indeed be to our advantage.

So in that sense, she wasn’t wrong.

But...

"Something is missing."

The sacrifice was too great.

Giving up all the territory we had just secured in the central continent didn’t align with an optimal efficiency answer.

Moreover, the retreat had stopped at Kelstein Castle, which was essentially the gateway to the northern continent.

And then there was Jenna’s question—the response I got from the system had already suggested something was off.

"Lord Serpina, I cannot say for certain... but in my personal judgment, I do not believe this is the full picture."

"Then...?"

"I still believe that the plague will spread. No, I am certain of it."

No matter how I looked at it, there was no other possible reason for why the system would have indicated this as the most efficient course of action.

We had abandoned four entire territories.

"I am not saying this to comfort you. Please, trust me and give it a little more time. In the end, we will win."

"......!!!"

The moment I spoke, I saw Serpina’s eyes widen in shock.

At the same time, I suddenly became aware of the words that had just slipped from my mouth.

"In the end, we will win."

...Had I said that only for Serpina’s sake?

Or had I been speaking to someone else entirely?

"No."

Now wasn’t the time for such thoughts.

I needed to focus on Serpina’s Army first.

Was this truly the final outcome?

Or was there more to uncover?

The more backup plans I had, the better.

"Lord Serpina, I have a few matters I would like to discuss. Do you have time?"

She let out a quiet chuckle.

"A rather amusing question, Swen. I sit here for the very purpose of discussing state affairs with people like you."

Then, with a bright smile, she added:

"Come at me with everything you have, Swen. I will entertain you all day if need be."