Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 245: Are You Satisfied, My Lord?

The royal palace of Arnel Castle—the former capital of the Brans Army, now the capital of Carlints' forces.

Several officers knelt before Carlints, who sat on the throne that had once belonged to Lyn, pleading with him.

“Lord Carlints! Please reconsider, even now... Deploying the troops like this is too dangerous! The plague has already spread to the outskirts of Arnel Castle... If we’re not careful, our entire army could be at risk—”

“Silence! How many times must I tell you? This is our opportunity! If we crush Chel’s forces, who are constantly scheming to take Arnel Castle, then Lyn’s army of weaklings will be nothing! This is our chance to restore the true Brans Army—how can you all not see that?!”

“It’s not too late, my lord! Hesna’s army, Roland’s army, and even Lyn’s forces have all declared lockdowns. Even if we cannot save the outskirts of Arnel Castle, the central district is still safe! For the future of Carlints' army, I beg you to reconsider...!”

“For the future...?”

Carlints’ tone sharpened as he repeated the words.

“So you’re saying my decision does not benefit the future?”

“N-no, my lord, that’s not what I meant—”

“You’re all the same. Just like Lyn, just like Chel... You think I’ll never be able to surpass those so-called ‘brilliant’ individuals! Even now, when Lyn has already fallen, you refuse to put your faith in me, preferring instead to grovel at Chel’s feet—do you think I don’t see the way they look at me?!”

“My lord...!”

In truth, Carlints should not have been so agitated. The fact that these men still remained under his command should have been proof enough of their loyalty.

But unfortunately for him, he was only proving why those who had abandoned him for Chel or Lyn had been right to do so.

“My name is Carlints Brans! The blood of House Brans runs through my veins! I have heard that this plague has a low infection rate. If we waste time waiting for this crisis to pass, we’ll be stuck behind castle walls just like before! The time is now—now, I tell you!”

Carlints glared down at the officers and pointed at them aggressively.

“Now get out of my sight and prepare for war! If any of you refuse, I will personally execute you for insubordination—on the spot!”

At this point, there was no one left to stop Carlints' rampage.

The rational and competent individuals had already sided with Chel.

The naïve and hesitant had remained with Lyn.

And the only ones left in Carlints’ army... were the indecisive, the ones who had belonged to neither camp.

They knew that Carlints’ choice was reckless. If their own lives weren’t at risk, they might have tried to dissuade him.

But with a blade now poised over their necks?

No, from the standpoint of self-preservation and stability—the values they had clung to all this time—there was no need to resist.

Fortunately, Carlints himself would be leading the army as Supreme Commander. Only a few warriors would be dragged along into this disaster, while the majority of officers could simply remain within Arnel Castle’s walls and hold out.

And if Carlints' army collapsed? Well, then they would just pledge themselves to another lord.

So they stopped offering advice.

And silence filled the hall, as if their duty had ended here.

Thus, Carlints Brans personally led sixty thousand troops toward Chel’s forces—

An army already weakened by both war and plague.

And then...

***

Some time had passed since I had confidently told Serpina, “In the end, we will win.”

As we predicted, the plague had begun spreading across the central continent.

And, just as expected, when the situation was beginning to stabilize, Carlints’ army suddenly intervened—escalating the chaos and leading to even greater casualties.

It had turned into a true hellscape.

If there was one small silver lining, it was that the plague did not have an extremely high infection rate.

...Though it made up for that with a terrifyingly high fatality rate.

Regardless, while the central continent was turning into a wasteland, the north had been enjoying an extended period of peace.

The strict lockdown imposed on Kelstein Castle had paid off.

Of course, chaos and instability between nations were never the most efficient methods. There had to be a better way.

But ironically enough... the reason why this had ended up being the most efficient method was something even I could not have foreseen.

I had only predicted the plague.

How could I have possibly known that, as a result, three entire nations would simultaneously start collapsing?

Even the woman standing before me, Serpina herself—

“Your advice has always felt this way, Swen... But this time, the outcome is truly terrifying.”

—Had never imagined such a result.

The first shocking event had been Hernandorf’s death.

That led to an all-out war between Chel’s forces and Aishus’ army.

As the battle raged on, the Aishus army—previously gathering power across the central continent—began declining at an alarming rate.

At one point, they had even been bold enough to declare war on our Serpina Army.

But due to their pointless war against Chel’s forces, more than 80% of that power had been wasted.

Now, if Aishus had completely devoured Chel’s forces, or if the opposite had happened—if Chel had miraculously pulled off an upset victory—

Perhaps...

That might not have been the optimal result for us.

After all, the emergence of a dominant power in the central continent would never be in our best interests.

But as if on cue, the plague had begun spreading at the perfect moment.

A terrifying disease that wiped out the majority of those infected—

It spread so rapidly across an already meaningless battlefield that it erased even the smallest possible benefits from the war.

If it had been more contagious, even our forces might have been in danger.

...Though as I reached that thought, I immediately dismissed it.

‘No... there’s no point in thinking about that.’

If our army had been at risk, the outcome would have changed accordingly. We would have retreated further, or come up with yet another outlandish plan.

This was the power of 100 Intelligence.

I had only said, “Do this.”

But the results—

What they became—

Were things that an ordinary person could never have predicted.

“I told you, didn’t I? In the end, we would win. Your decision, my lady... was the right one.”

“...”

It was, perhaps, a personal thought.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

When Serpina had made the decision to relocate her people, fully prepared to bear the stigma that would come with it—

If I said that I hadn’t, even for a moment, hoped that her actions wouldn’t be in vain, I would be lying.

If the plague was bound to spread anyway, then at the very least, wouldn’t it be a good thing if her efforts to save lives held meaning?

"Are you satisfied, my lady?"

At my question, Serpina let out a bitter smile.

"Satisfied...?"

She didn’t answer for a long time.

Then, slowly, she ran her fingers through her golden hair.

"It’s just... regrettable."

"Regrettable, you say...?"

For a brief moment, I wondered if she meant she wasn’t satisfied with the fact that three major factions in the central continent had collapsed without us even needing to lift a finger.

But her answer was the complete opposite of what I expected.

"If the plague was truly inevitable, then... perhaps I should have taken more people. Even by force, if necessary."

"Ah..."

"Yes, it would have garnered more resentment. But... in the end, many more lives could have been saved. They were once under Serpina’s banner, after all."

She... wasn’t lying.

A tyrant, mourning the lives she failed to save.

Based solely on my understanding of her character, these words felt more fitting for someone like Karelia.

Not Serpina.

Though, having never met Karelia in person, I couldn’t be certain.

"...Well, even so."

Serpina turned to face me, a small smile playing on her lips.

"I am satisfied with at least saving some of them. I did not do this in the hopes of being acknowledged."

"..."

"I know. No matter what a ruler thinks, in the end, they must stain their blade with blood. I am aware that this was, in many ways, merely an act of self-satisfaction."

I said nothing, simply remaining by her side.

And then—

"Swen."

"Yes, my lady."

Once again, just as always...

The faint scent of yuzu drifted toward me from her presence, reaching places I hadn’t even considered.

"Thank you for your counsel."

"...Pardon?"

"All of this was possible because of your advice."

For a brief moment, I found myself at a loss for words.

I was a strategist—a tactician with high intelligence. Advising my lord was my duty.

It was as natural in this world [N O V E L I G H T] as eating when hungry.

And yet... hearing a simple ‘thank you’ for giving counsel...

It made me feel strangely off-balance.

"...It was merely my duty."

"I see."

Serpina reached out her hand toward me.

At first, when I had seen that pure-white hand stretch forward, commanding orders, she had seemed like an untouchable presence. A sovereign, far beyond my reach, one whom I had no right to even speak to.

And when she had clung to me too much, it had made me uneasy, as if I wouldn’t be able to leave her side no matter what I did.

But now, things felt different.

Now, it felt as if—if I wished—I could reach out and take her hand. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm

If I wished, I could also refuse it.

As if, for the first time in our relationship, the decisive choice no longer belonged to her—

But to me.

"One day, you will leave," Serpina murmured.

"And that’s fine.

Until then, Swen... I ask that you stay with me."

And in those words—

I realized that it wasn’t just a feeling.

***

And after that, time continued to flow, aimlessly forward.