Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 125: Prediction, and the Outcome (1)

After Swen left, the audience chamber remained silent.

Serpina sat in her chair, lost in deep thought.

"...My lord."

"..."

There was no response, but Jenna was unfazed and continued speaking.

"I would like to share my thoughts on the opinion just presented. What do you think?"

Serpina turned her head slightly, her golden eyes settling on Jenna.

Having spent many years at her side, Jenna easily recognized this as an unspoken cue to continue.

"It is certainly a reasonable argument. Even if it’s based on mere speculation, it carries credibility. The fact that he was with the Aishus army until recently only strengthens that credibility. However..."

Jenna hesitated before speaking cautiously.

"But I am not entirely convinced that Yuri would act purely out of emotion. If Swen's explanation is correct, it means an invasion is imminent... but—"

She lowered her head slightly, choosing her words carefully.

"His unwavering confidence and insistence that this is the most efficient option... It’s difficult to accept. In the end, wouldn’t this just result in Aishus wasting troops for nothing?"

"But she is also the woman who handed over her own subordinate to me. Assuming that people always act rationally is a dangerous level of arrogance."

"That is true... but back then, Anima Ingram was at stake. Right now, there’s nothing of similar importance on the line. As we discussed earlier, diverting attention away from internal issues isn’t something that can only be achieved through war."

"A fair point."

"There’s something about Swen’s argument that feels... off. I don’t know quite how to phrase it, but it feels like he’s avoiding something important. Instead of addressing the core issue, it’s as if he’s directing the discussion toward more peripheral matters..."

Jenna struggled to articulate her thoughts, but Serpina slowly turned to her and asked:

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"What you mean to say is that the core of his argument isn’t actually ‘the Aishus army’s invasion,’ correct?"

Jenna blinked in mild surprise.

There were times when Serpina put her own unspoken thoughts into words, making them clearer than even she could express.

"Yes, that’s right. The issue isn’t whether the Aishus army is attacking or not... It’s just that, when I listened to him speak—"

"He was more concerned with reinforcing Mair Castle."

"Exactly. Rather than emphasizing the need to stop an invasion, it seemed like Swen’s real focus was on stationing additional troops at Mair Castle. That might also explain why much of his argument was based purely on speculation..."

Jenna and Serpina were both sharp.

They had successfully identified that the real core of Swen’s argument was not the Aishus army’s ambush, but rather the reinforcement of Mair Castle.

However, that was as far as Jenna's reasoning went.

She was a brilliant tactician, but she was not the sharpest mind in the country.

That title still belonged to the woman standing before her—Serpina.

"Hey, Jenna."

"Yes?"

"Could this be some kind of magic?"

"...What do you mean?"

"I mean, something like the ability to see the future. Swen might actually be a mage, don’t you think?"

Jenna hesitated.

"But you don’t seem convinced of your own theory."

"Well... He is a man who can drop boulders from the sky, so it’s possible that he possesses abilities beyond our understanding. However..."

She trailed off, frowning slightly.

"If he truly had such a powerful ability, why would his former masters abandon him? Why would he keep moving from one country to another?"

If he really could see the future, then it made no sense that he had been discarded so many times.

In the end, Jenna reasoned that he was likely not a mage.

"This is as far as my reasoning can take me."

Serpina sat in thoughtful silence for a long while before letting out a quiet chuckle.

"Did you notice, Jenna?"

"Notice what?"

"Swen’s expression. More specifically, his eyes."

Jenna furrowed her brows in confusion.

During the discussion, right before he presented his opinion—

In that fleeting moment, Swen’s gaze had flashed as if he had just realized something.

Perhaps others had missed it, but Serpina had seen it clearly.

"What do you make of that?"

"His... eyes? I didn’t notice anything unusual."

"That’s fine. I expected as much."

Jenna knew that Serpina wasn’t just saying that to be polite.

Serpina had an uncanny ability to see through people—to read their emotions even when they tried to maintain a perfect poker face.

Even when someone desperately tried to hide their flustered feelings, she could see right through them.

"Jenna. What is the current distribution of our forces along the border?"

"The troops are evenly stationed across all key fortresses. If war were to break out, we should still be able to hold our ground."

"In other words, we have some flexibility at the moment?"

"Yes, but..."

At that moment, Serpina finally turned her full attention to Jenna.

"Jenna. Issue a conscription order for Mair Castle immediately."

"Understood. And after the order is issued?"

"Keep the newly recruited soldiers stationed there without delay and have them prepare for defense."

"Then...?"

Jenna’s voice trailed off, and Serpina responded with a knowing smirk.

It was the kind of smile one might expect from a fox who had already devoured its prey but was still hungry for more.

"I’m going to bet on that look in Swen’s eyes."

"You mean... you’re going to follow his suggestion?"

"Yes. But before I place my full trust in him, I need to verify a few things first."

Magic, huh...?

If Jenna was right, and some form of foresight magic really did exist, then all she needed to do was test it.

Serpina chuckled lightly to herself, refraining from speaking further as she immersed herself in thought.

"Just what is it that makes him so certain...?"

***

"A strategy proposal meeting?"

At Janis’s words, I nodded casually.

"Yes."

"Already? You’ve barely been here for any time at all! I haven’t even had my turn yet!"

"Are there that many people who actually want to do it?"

Janis nodded enthusiastically.

"Of course! It’s one of the rare opportunities to have a one-on-one audience with our lord and make a lasting impression. If you manage to stand out, you could be promoted to an important position! Do you know how many people are desperate for that chance?"

"I just thought it was something that all new recruits had to do."

"Well, yeah. Everyone gets a turn eventually. But there are so many officers serving under the lord that it takes a while. You got your chance incredibly fast, Swen. You’re really lucky."

Was it really such a big deal? I scratched my head, unsure whether to take it seriously.

As I expected, Janis didn’t let up and quickly started chattering again.

After spending a few days around him, I’d come to realize that he was exceptionally talkative.

"Oh, right! I almost forgot—I had something to tell you! You know, those tea leaves on the table?"

"Oh, that?"

He must have been talking about the tea leaves Airen had given me.

Janis had shown interest in them, so I had allowed him to brew a cup for himself.

"Do you have any idea how expensive those are? Where did you even get them? You’re more of a gourmet than I thought!"

"A friend gave them to me."

"A friend? Oh, you mean, like a close friend?"

"Yeah."

I almost added, ‘Someone precious to me.’

But I held my tongue.

There was no need to reveal that much about myself.

"That’s tea endorsed by the Clemente family, the most prestigious tea merchants. The peach aroma is divine! If only there was something sweet to go with it, it would’ve been perfect."

"You seem to know quite a bit about tea, Janis."

"Huh?"

He tilted his head in confusion.

I kept my tone casual, treating it like small talk.

"I mean... Most guys aren’t really into that kind of thing, are they?"

For some reason—

The moment I said that, Janis’s expression changed.

"...What?"

"?"

We stared at each other in silence.

Then, as if he had snapped out of a daze, he broke the awkward pause.

"W-Well! You know, a man can be interested in tea too! I’m a member of the Kasky family! This kind of knowledge is just common etiquette for any noble household! Serving quality tea to a lady is one of the key traits of a nobleman!"

There was a strange desperation in his voice, like he was trying very hard to justify himself.

I decided to let him have this one.

"That makes sense. I wouldn’t know—I don’t come from a noble family."

"That’s fine! I mean, these days, being from a noble family isn’t that big of a deal. Most of it is just for show anyway."

Janis laughed sheepishly.

He was a bit overbearing, but he didn’t seem like a bad person.

The only thing that truly bothered me—

"Neither Irian nor Janis exist in my memory."

I had never encountered either of them in the game.

Janis was one thing, but Irian al Kasky was supposedly from a prestigious family and a promising talent in Serpina’s army.

So why did I have no recollection of him?

With his looks and reputation, he should have at least been mentioned somewhere in the game.

Serpina’s army had no S-rank commanders, but there were a few notable figures who appeared frequently—yet I had never seen Irian’s name.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Huh?"

"You were zoning out for a while there."

Snapped back to reality by Janis’s voice, I nodded in acknowledgment.

"It’s nothing. I’m just a little tired."

"Really? I hope I didn’t annoy you with all my talking... Sorry about that. I’ll shut up now. I have night patrol duty today, so don’t wait up for me—just go ahead and sleep first."

"Alright."

Maybe they weren’t important characters.

That was the simplest explanation.

Thinking no further on it, I lay down on the lower bunk of the two-tiered bed.

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As I settled in, my mind wandered.

...I missed Airen.

It was almost ridiculous that, in the end, she was always the last person I thought of before sleep.

I wondered who she was thinking about.

I hoped... that it was me.

With that thought, I drifted off to sleep.

***

The Next Day

After finishing his night patrol, Janis informed me that Serpina had summoned me.

I switched shifts with him and left the barracks.

Surprisingly, the location of the summons was not the royal palace.

Instead, she had called me to a residence near the palace.

I was curious about what this was all about, but I figured I’d find out soon enough.

I quickened my pace.

"Lord Swen, we’ve been expecting you. This way, please."

The moment I arrived, a guard clad in ornate armor greeted me.

Passing through the gates, I was met with a beautifully arranged garden.

It was undoubtedly picturesque, but considering Serpina’s status as royalty, it was rather modest.

I followed my escort through the corridors and into the building—

And then, I noticed something.

A basement?

Descending a staircase, I entered a wide underground chamber.

Standing alone in the center of the room was Serpina.

"Welcome, Swen."

She was wearing the same combat uniform she had worn when we first met.

The dazzling gowns suited her, but in that officer’s uniform, she exuded an entirely different aura.

Even in such attire, her overwhelming femininity was impossible to conceal.

...It was hard to keep my eyes from straying.

"I greet my lord."

As I bowed, I took in my surroundings.

The room had a peculiar atmosphere.

Several mannequins clad in armor stood along the walls.

Various weapons were displayed on racks.

At the very center of the chamber was a circular arena-like space.

"My lord... What is this place?"

"Swen."

Serpina’s voice was as cold and emotionless as ever.

"Is your current weapon sufficient?"

I followed her gaze.

She was looking at the green rapier strapped to my hip—the one I always carried.

"My weapon...? What do you mean?"

Without answering, she walked toward the weapon racks.

After a moment of searching, she picked up a rapier similar to «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» mine.

Then, without hesitation, she strode toward me.

And in a voice barely above a whisper, she said—

"This may be sudden, but I challenge you to a duel, Swen."