Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 251: Proof (4)

"...Huh? You want me to rest my head on your lap?"

The situation was so surreal that I found myself staring at Reika again, asking for confirmation.

She simply nodded with a serene smile.

"I-It's fine...! I mean, it's Swen, after all...!"

"Uh..."

Honestly, my first reaction to this situation was sheer bewilderment.

Why was the usually shy Reika acting like this all of a sudden?

Lately, she had started talking more comfortably with both me and Airen, but... I didn't recall her ever doing something this bold before.

While I stood there, unable to respond or react properly—

"Um... do you not want to...?"

Her voice wavered, as though she were on the verge of tears, and before I realized it, I was frantically waving my hands.

"Huh? No, not at all. There's no way I wouldn't want to."

"I-I see...!"

Hearing my response, Reika let out a relieved breath, the corners of her lips lifting into a soft smile.

Then, looking strangely determined, she patted her lap once again.

I wavered. My chest tightened. It was a simple action, yet my gaze was effortlessly drawn to that particular part of her body.

"Then... excuse me."

Clearing my mind, I slowly lay my head on her lap.

...It was warm.

A gentle, pleasant sweetness drifted from her—similar to the scent of cake, but diluted to a tenth of its strength. It was difficult to describe, yet oddly comforting.

"Here, Swen... Just relax and rest."

I wanted to tilt my head up to see her face.

But her chest blocked my view, leaving only a small glimpse of her eyes visible.

From the way she carried herself, she didn’t seem particularly embarrassed.

...Rather, it felt like I was the one overly conscious of the situation.

Hidden beneath her pure white outfit, her chest swayed in sync with the carriage’s movements, right in front of my face.

'...They're big.'

For some reason, I had been having a lot of close encounters with women’s chests lately.

My own liege, Serpina, had such a formidable figure that I couldn't help but notice, no matter how hard I tried to ignore it.

And Airen... well, no need to even mention her. I had never in my life seen a woman with a larger chest than hers.

Since Reika had been constantly by Airen’s side these days, I had naturally come to think of her as 'average' in comparison.

But now, seeing them with my own eyes... I realized that was only in a relative sense.

Along with the faint sweetness of her scent, the undeniable fact lodged itself deep into my brain.

'...After Airen and Serpina... She's next in line.'

As I reached that ridiculous conclusion, I let out a quiet chuckle.

Here I was, about to embark on something entirely unhelpful to the nation’s welfare, and yet I was lost in such absurd thoughts.

Anyone watching would think I was heading off on some vacation.

"Um... Swen, are you uncomfortable? You keep fidgeting..."

"Huh? Oh, no. I'm fine."

"Really? That’s a relief..."

Reika let out a small sigh, then—

"E-Excuse me...!"

"..."

Slowly, she reached out and placed her hand on my head.

Then, gently—

"You’ve worked so hard, Swen... I hope you can truly rest for a while."

She ran her fingers through my hair, her touch feather-light.

As she continued stroking my head, she murmured,

"You’ve really been through a lot... Thank you for enduring it all."

Hearing those words over and over, I couldn't help but wonder.

Something about this felt deliberate.

So, cautiously, I asked,

"Did something happen?"

"Huh? No... It’s just that... Swen, you’ve seemed really exhausted lately."

"Me?"

"Yes... You always have dark circles under your eyes. And from what I’ve seen, you’re not sleeping properly..."

"...How did you know?"

"At night... haven’t you been wandering around the mansion?"

...That was true.

Ever since I heard the news that Luna had raised an army, I hadn’t been able to rest properly.

Whenever sleep wouldn’t come, I would roam the halls of the mansion, lost in thought.

She must have heard me.

"I must’ve disturbed you while you were sleeping."

"N-No...! It’s just... I’m a light sleeper, so I happened to hear it. That’s all. Swen, you didn’t do anything wrong."

With those words, she hesitated before revealing her true intentions in her usual shy manner.

"That’s why... I wanted to do something to help you. Even just a little... I wanted you to relax, even for a moment."

"Reika..."

"So... just this once, you don’t have to think about anything. Helping our liege, helping Airen and me—all of that is important, but... just this once, I want you to rest while thinking only about yourself."

I said nothing and simply let myself sink into the warmth of her lap.

Since I remained silent, she asked again in a slightly trembling voice,

"Um... Was this... a bother?"

"No. Thank you, Reika."

Honestly, I truly meant it.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Her words made me realize just how much energy I had been unknowingly draining from myself all this time.

While struggling to keep Serpina alive instead of returning to Luna, I had been wearing myself out without even noticing.

"Since I’m already here, I should make the most of it. Would it be alright if I fell asleep?"

"O-Of course...! I don’t mind at all. It’s Swen, after all..."

"Then, keep stroking my hair."

"O-Okay...!"

Obediently, she resumed running her fingers through my hair.

"Sleep well, Swen..."

The carriage rumbled as it traversed the rough roads.

But lying on her lap felt softer and more comforting than any bed.

As I inhaled the faint sweetness in the air, for the first time in a long while, I was able to sleep soundly.

***

'To think I'd be back here again.'

As soon as we arrived at Kelstein Castle, I stepped down from the carriage and took a moment to glance around.

A wave of nostalgia washed over me.

...Nothing has changed. Or rather, perhaps everything has changed so much that it only feels like nothing has.

The first time I came here, the insignia on my cloak bore the mark of the Brans family.

Now, I stood in this same place with the insignia of Eingart upon me.

The sky-blue banners of the Brans Army that once fluttered from the spires had long since been replaced by the yellow banners of Serpina’s forces—so much time had passed to make that a reality.

Before long, several soldiers recognized us and approached, offering their greetings.

"You have arrived, Lord Swen. Lady Reika."

"A-Ah, hello..."

Standing beside me, Reika gave a small bow.

The more I observed her, the more I thought she really wasn’t suited for places with rigid hierarchies.

"Where is the lord of the castle?"

"He is waiting inside. Please, follow me."

"I understand."

Just as I was about to step forward—

"...?"

"A-Ah, um... I-I’m just a little nervous."

It seemed that the thought of entering a new royal castle was making Reika anxious.

She was trembling slightly, glancing around hesitantly.

It was oddly endearing—this same person who had been so bold while giving me a lap pillow earlier was now once again shrinking away in front of others.

Instead of saying anything, I simply reached out and took her small, white hand in mine.

"Ah...!"

"Let’s go, Reika."

"Ah... Y-Yes...!"

And with that, I led Reika by the hand as we stepped into Kelstein Castle.

***

Upon our arrival, a familiar face was there to greet us.

"You’ve made it, Lord Swen."

"It is an honor to see you, Lord Cransis."

"I-It is a p-pleasure to m-meet you, L-Lord Cransis...!"

Cransis paid no mind to Reika stammering behind me and instead fixed his gaze on me.

The man who had once opposed my opinions—Cransis.

I had heard that before the army withdrew, he had been governing Hisphil Castle as its lord.

Now that they had been pushed back to Kelstein, it seemed he had remained here without any new assignments.

Glancing at the empty lord’s seat, I asked,

"Where is the lord of the castle?"

"He stepped out for a moment. More importantly, I have something to ask you."

"Please, feel free."

"I heard you plan to conduct relief efforts. What do you mean by that? As far as I know, the northern continent has been spared from the plague due to our liege’s strict blockade."

"It means exactly what it sounds like."

I briefly explained the significance of these 'relief efforts' to Cransis.

First, the fact that there were many people who had been stranded in the central regions when the blockade was issued—citizens of the northern continent who could not return, as well as those with family or relatives still in the central lands.

Their resentment toward the blockade had been steadily growing, and there was a need to address these concerns before they became a larger issue.

"And as you know, Lord Cransis, Yuri has been making absurd accusations against us. Given the circumstances, our army must take direct action."

Of course, I emphasized that the relief efforts would be limited to the areas around Kelstein and would only involve those whose families resided in the northern continent.

Cransis listened in silence, nodding slightly at the end of my explanation, though his eyes still held skepticism.

"I understand. However... if it's relief work, wouldn’t it be enough to simply send supplies?"

"To another nation? I doubt it would be managed properly."

"But according to your explanation, you’ll need personnel to staff the relief centers—people who may have to treat patients potentially infected with the plague."

That was indeed the biggest ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) issue.

Even if there were only a handful of cases, the nature of the plague meant that if things went wrong, there was no guarantee it wouldn’t spread to the northern continent.

"That’s why I brought her."

Saying that, I placed a hand on Reika’s shoulder.

She flinched, lowering her head in embarrassment.

Yes—

As soon as Serpina had mentioned that ‘forcing soldiers to participate despite their fear of the plague would lead to unnecessary complications,’ I had let out a wry laugh.

Why?

Because my intelligence of 100 had immediately pointed to the perfect solution—Reika.

"...So you are Lady Reika?"

"Y-Yes...! Th-That is correct..."

"I assume you are well aware of what abilities Reika possesses, Lord Cransis?"

Even without me explaining further, Cransis quickly grasped my intention and nodded before raising another point.

"But how much faith can we place in this magic of hers?"

"You haven't heard the news from the northern continent?"

"That’s not what I meant."

Cransis waved his hand dismissively.

"I’m not questioning whether I believe in it or not."

...Ah.

"If I simply issue an order saying, 'Trust in the protection of magic and focus on your relief work,' the soldiers will have no choice but to comply. However, is that truly the best course of action?"

He had touched on quite a sharp point.

For soldiers who had only heard about Reika’s magic from afar, no matter how much it was explained, it would still seem like they were being sent into a death trap.

If any of them felt coerced, complaints could arise, which might hinder the relief efforts.

It was necessary to secure complete trust.

'How should I persuade them?'

As I was contemplating this—

"I will do it."

A familiar voice rang out from behind me.

Turning around, I saw a man I knew well approaching.

"If I take the lead myself, the soldiers participating in the relief efforts will have no reason to complain, will they?"

The speaker was none other than the acting lord of Kelstein Castle—

Irian al Kasky.