Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

"Swen...?"

It sounded like Serpina was calling my name—
But I couldn’t bring myself to listen to that voice.
The fate of the continent's unification now rested with Serpina’s army.
Serpina von Eingart could not unify the continent.
The meaning behind these two ‘correct answers’ was painfully simple.

Serpina’s army—no, to be exact, the enormous nation that would become the unified state of the north—
The one sitting on that throne would not be Serpina.
Since I couldn't imagine her willingly relinquishing the throne, there was only one natural conclusion.
—Serpina von Eingart would lose her life.
‘Wait…’

My legs trembled instinctively.
I had never even considered this possibility before.
Still, I needed to think this through carefully.
I wasn’t receiving direct confirmation, so I couldn’t jump to conclusions just yet—but if things followed the same pattern as before, the one destined to unify the continent was likely Lady Luna.
However, if Serpina were to die, the fate of the unifying ruler would be overturned.
And if it was overturned, it meant that the one who originally held that destiny had ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ been removed from it.
In other words—

If Serpina died, then Lady Luna—
Lunarian Iniang, who held the fate of unification in her hands—
‘…would no longer be able to unify the continent.’
If Serpina died, the world would slip from Lunarian’s grasp.
The final condition for her unification was—

"……."
The golden-haired woman staring blankly at me with astonished eyes.
Serpina von Eingart.
‘How… could this happen?’

Honestly, it had been bothering me ever since I started staying here.
Why was this seemingly perfect nation unable to achieve unification?
It wasn’t that all of her generals were exceptionally outstanding, but their numbers were considerable.
And while they weren’t necessarily the most gifted strategists, their deep loyalty allowed her to control them with absolute precision.
She didn’t impose her own subjective beliefs onto her subordinates but instead upheld a universal standard that applied to all.
She kept those she needed close and distanced those she didn’t, gradually assembling a pool of highly competent personnel despite unfavorable circumstances.
Even if someone was of no renown, she never dismissed them outright. She always listened to their opinions.
Every general under her command had, at least once, been granted the opportunity for a private audience with their sovereign.
Considering that her nation was the largest on the continent, this was no small feat.
She alone bore the crown.
The ruler—there was only one.

The vastest territory, the greatest population.
She had absorbed the infrastructure of the northern continent, including the capital of the old empire—
The ‘Red’ of the Overlord’s Unfair Map.
And on top of that, she possessed an overwhelming legitimacy that outstripped any other claimant to the throne.
Though her life had been steeped in infamy,
Even if you asked a passing child, they would say that Serpina was the one destined to rule the continent.
Yet—
I alone understood.
Only I knew that she would never become the ruler of a unified continent.

Why?
Why had fate chosen to side with Luna, the woman who had lost everything, rather than Serpina, the woman who had everything?
The answer was none other than Serpina herself.

Because she was the ruler of this country, this country could not become the unified state.
The moment she stepped down from the throne, unification would become possible.
If that wasn’t proof, then what was?
What an ironic twist of fate.
‘For now… I need to calm down.’

The crushing weight of this revelation threatened to smother me—
But I had to regain my composure and finish this conversation with Serpina.
At that moment—
"Swen, have you calmed yourself?"

"…Ah."
I turned toward the voice—
And there she was, my sovereign, Serpina von Eingart—
Looking at me with an expression I had never seen before.
"I apologize. I… briefly felt dizzy. I am ashamed to admit it, but as you can see, my body is not particularly strong…"

"I understand. Take your time to answer. Do not overexert yourself, Swen."
The way she said it—
She was worried about me.
The woman who always carried herself with an unapproachable charisma now had a deep, unmistakable concern clouding her features.

So, Serpina was capable of making that kind of expression, too.
"…I am grateful for your kindness, my sovereign."
I took a slow breath and once again sorted through my thoughts.

If—
If my goal remained the same as when I first entered this world,
That is, to simply become an officer in a unified state and pass time until I could return—
Then my course of action would be straightforward.

I only needed to encourage her further.
She trusted me greatly, speaking of my ‘clairvoyance,’
So if I sincerely urged her, she would undoubtedly comply.
No, I wouldn’t even need to persuade her—
The suggestion to go herself had already come from Serpina’s own lips.
In that case, this was a guaranteed victory.
An irrefutable advantage dictated by perfect foresight.

My faction would seize the fate of continental unification.
The flow of destiny would carry on—
The woman who had never been born to win would perish,
And a new ruler would ascend the throne, uniting the continent at last.
At that point, I would naturally belong to the unified state and safely return to my original world.
There was never any requirement that a specific ruler had to achieve unification.
However.

‘I made a promise with her.’
That day.
The final day of Luna’s army—
When the fate of war dictated that no action could lead to victory against Brans Army.
This translation is the intellectual property of .

I still remember the way those trembling crimson eyes gazed at me in the empty palace.
Even when I spoke absurd words over and over again.
Even when I stubbornly insisted, without proof, that my predictions were correct.
She was the only one who believed in me.
To believe in someone—
It wasn’t just a simple matter of taking their words at face value.

It meant entrusting them with your life.
Not even Lyn or Yuri had ever done that for me.
Only Luna had.
And I—
I had promised her.

I told her that if she believed in me, I would give her the world.
So—
‘No matter what happens… I cannot betray her.’

And that wasn’t the only reason.
No matter what,
I did not want to see the woman standing before me—Serpina—
meet such an untimely end.
Was it simple sympathy?
Or was it something else…?

‘There’s no need to think about it any further.’
I could not betray Luna.
That left me with only one course of action.
For Lunarian Iniang’s unification—
For the most crucial piece in that puzzle—

I had to save Serpina von Eingart.
"My sovereign."
"Speak."

"The matter you spoke of—specifically, the idea of going there yourself—
There is a possibility that it could result in an unfavorable outcome for our side."
"…An unfavorable outcome?"
"Yes."

The clearer my objective of saving Serpina became,
The faster my body, once trembling from the shocking truth, regained its composure.
Now, it was time to convince the woman standing before me.
"I agree that your personal presence could shake Brans Army to its core. However—
There is also the risk of public sympathy towards Lyn Brans.
No matter how many miscalculations she has made or how incomprehensible her alliances may seem,
Witnessing the humiliation of their ruler firsthand
Could be a deeply shocking experience for her people."
"Sympathy, you say… That is a valid point."

"Let things follow their natural course.
Even if we do nothing, suspicion, once ignited, will continue to spread within Brans Army.
It will take on a life of its own and linger in their thoughts.
I believe that you, my sovereign, should avoid direct involvement."
"……."
Serpina fell silent, contemplating my words—
Then, slowly, she nodded.

"…I see. You are saying that even I must exercise restraint."
"I would never presume to command you, my sovereign—"
"No, Swen. I appreciate your counsel. However."

She looked straight at me.
For just a moment, I thought I saw her eyes tremble.
"Would it not be acceptable to summon them here instead?"
"By 'them'… you mean Brans Army?"

"Indeed. If we are to spread word of this alliance across the continent,
There is no method more effective than a direct meeting."
So, she intended to use her reputation as a tyrant to further isolate Brans Army.

Nothing spreads rumors faster than a face-to-face encounter.
While nations in the distant southern continent might not care,
Lyn Brans ruled in the central region.
If she were to align herself with Serpina, the shock to her own people would be far greater.
In short, it was not a bad idea.

Moreover, by adding the premise of a direct meeting,
It could lend even more credibility to my and Serpina’s deductions.
I observed Serpina as she pondered, then once more posed my internal question.
This time, with the added premise that Brans Army would come to us.
‘Would an alliance with Brans Army be beneficial to our forces?’

[It is an exceptionally advantageous alliance for our side.]
"…It came back."
The exact same answer as before.
Not only that, it was the identical response from my first query.

In other words—
‘The assumption that Brans Army is internally unstable is 99% correct.’
If this was another bizarre butterfly effect,
The change in conditions should have resulted in a different outcome.
Yet, the result remained the same—
Meaning that my prediction was solid.

I left a margin of 1% for uncertainty, but I could afford to feel reassured.
I exhaled silently in relief.
Here, in Serpina’s army—
My role had become undeniably clear.

Until the day Lunarian’s forces once again stepped onto the stage of history—
I would protect Serpina.
No matter what happened.
I would shield Serpina von Eingart from the threat of death.

As long as I had the absolute certainty of my 100 Intelligence,
I was confident that I could accomplish it.
After all, I had managed far more difficult tasks than this.
‘Right. No matter what happens, it’s still easier than summoning a meteor.’

Lowering my head before the deep-in-thought Serpina—
I whispered words that could never reach her.
"My sovereign. I will find you, no matter what. I will keep my promise. Please… stay well."
***

After Swen had left,
Alone in the empty villa,
A glass of rather inexpensive wine sat filled atop the table.
Perhaps from the alcohol, Serpina’s face had flushed slightly as she leaned back in her chair,
Replaying Swen’s expression in her mind.
"Swen…"

They had been speaking smoothly—until suddenly, his expression had changed dramatically.
And then…
He had called her—
"Serpina-nim."

Ever since he had become her subordinate, he had always addressed her as "My Sovereign."
Yet, in that moment of utter shock,
He had called her by name.
He had been visibly shaken, trembling ever so slightly—
And that answer, slipping from his lips, felt like—
An unconscious truth escaping.

Her mind grew restless,
And she hadn’t been able to properly read his expression at that moment.
The conversation had gone well, yet something unsettled her.
Something she couldn’t put into words.
"Swen. Who is it that holds a place in your heart…?"

Was there someone other than her?
That wasn’t the only thing on her mind.
More than the outcome of the alliance,
She couldn’t shake the feeling that Swen’s true intent
Was to prevent her from moving.

If he was truly concerned about evoking sympathy,
Should he not have objected to summoning them as well?
This wasn’t the first time.
Previously, when discussing the defense of Amir Castle,
He had spoken as if having troops stationed there was more important than the defense itself.

And now, again—was there something more behind his words?
She could not grasp his true thoughts.
Serpina traced the rim of her wine glass with her fingernail.

She had been so certain that she would make him hers.
Yet today, she felt an unfamiliar tremor in her conviction.
"Swen…"
A thought arose.

She wished that someday, instead of looking at another,
He would make that same expression while carrying her in his heart.
Was this merely the desire of a ruler toward a talented subordinate?
Or—

She drowned the unanswerable question in her wine,
Swallowing it down.
The bitterness clung to her throat.