Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 149: An Unexpected Reunion (1)

"Did they really tell me to come in person?"

"Yes, they did."

Hearing Parfalle’s report, Lyn fell silent for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.

"They're really trying to humiliate me."

"......."

She didn't even want to acknowledge the fact that she'd already proposed an alliance, yet now they wanted to summon her in person—forcing her to bow even lower. They were trying to craft an image where she was conceding defeat.

From Lyn’s perspective, it was only natural to come to that conclusion. After all, this kind of humiliation was something she herself had used frequently.

But...

She had already wasted too much time. Lyn couldn't afford to sit idle any longer.

"Parfalle, what do you think I should do?"

"My lady..."

Ever since Parfalle had been reinstated and returned as the national strategist, the dire state of the Brans Army had slowly begun to stabilize.

Yes, they had lost Elgaim Castle, but if not for her, they would have lost even more territories—and at a much faster rate. Arnel Castle itself might have been at risk.

That was why Lyn trusted Parfalle more than anyone.

No—more accurately, she had no choice but to rely on her.

After losing Airen, losing Swen, and having several territories stripped away, Lyn could no longer trust her own judgment.

And Parfalle—

As if forcing Lyn to make a decision, she spoke in a firm, unwavering tone.

"...I sincerely apologize for saying this, but for the sake of our nation, you must close your eyes to your pride."

"You’re telling me to go in person?"

"Yes. Think about it—what does a little humiliation matter? You can suffer that indignity as many times as it takes. It is far better than allowing the Brans Army to be destroyed and going down in history as the tyrant who ruined what was once a mighty force."

Now that she understood how much Lyn relied on her, Parfalle no longer hesitated to speak bluntly.

In the past, she would have held her tongue, fearing Lyn's temper, but those days were long gone.

"......."

Lyn bit down on her lower lip hard.

The taste of blood spread across her tongue.

"Do I really have to go this far? ...We've already offered an alliance... That alone means they’ve won, doesn't it? Isn't that enough...?"

"We’re talking about Serpina—a tyrant feared across the continent. If it’s her, you can expect far worse humiliation than this."

Parfalle thought, deep down, that Lyn wasn’t much different.

But that didn’t matter.

Lyn was the ruler of Brans, and if the Brans «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» Army was to survive, supporting her was the only realistic choice.

Parfalle had rejected countless other offers to stand by Lyn’s side. If the Brans Army fell now, it would mean that her decision had been the wrong one.

And she couldn’t allow that.

She had endured imprisonment, suffered indignities, and risked everything just to stand here today.

So now, she would tell Lyn exactly what she wanted to hear.

"Think of it this way, my lady. Let this humiliation sharpen your blade. Endure it, bide your time, and your opportunity will come. Serpina von Eingart—mark my words—is not the kind of person who can truly rule the continent. You know how many people despise her.

The empire itself was torn apart because too many people refused to accept her after she slaughtered the crown princes to seize power. Never forget that."

"...I know. Of course I know that. But... haah."

Lyn let out a long sigh.

Parfalle, however, found that sigh reassuring.

It meant Lyn was listening to her.

"...Let me think about it."

But they both knew what the decision would be.

It was time to prepare the diplomatic envoy.

Since the sovereign herself would be traveling, the preparations would be extensive.

"I understand. But please, make your decision quickly."

Just as Parfalle turned to leave and begin preparations—

"My lady!"

The doors to the audience chamber suddenly burst open.

Normally, such a breach of protocol would have been enough to send the room into an uproar.

But there were exceptions.

The first was if the person barging in was a messenger.

The second was if they were someone with considerable influence in the kingdom.

This was the latter.

"...Brother?"

The man who stormed in was Chel Brans.

His recovery was complete, and he had been waiting to be assigned to the newly formed defense forces.

Following behind him was his younger brother—Lyn’s second eldest brother, Carlints.

"Is it true that you plan to form an alliance with Serpina's forces?"

"......."

Lyn sharply turned her head away at those words.

A wordless protest—one that clearly meant she didn’t want to discuss this.

But for Chel, this was not a matter he could ignore.

"My lady, you cannot do this! You know what kind of woman Serpina is—she is deceitful and treacherous! If you ally with her, it will be an irreversible disgrace that will shatter the trust of our people! And not just that—many of our commanders are deeply unsettled by this decision! Please, reconsider!"

"I..."

"My lady!

Not long ago, my comrades—Brans' brave soldiers—gave their lives fighting against Serpina’s forces! And now, you would shake hands with the very people who took their lives?

Even if an alliance grants us some temporary benefits, in the long run, it will cost us far more. I beg you—please think again!"

At Chel and Carlints’ desperate pleas, Lyn’s body trembled.

Ever since she had lost confidence in herself...

She had lost the sharpness, the charisma, that once defined her.

"I... I don’t know. Parfalle. Talk to Parfalle instead..."

"My lady..."

Carlints looked at his younger sister with sorrow in his eyes.

The once ferocious woman—who would have devoured anyone, even her own family—

Now, she was more fragile than she had ever been, even as a child.

"Strategist."

"......."

Chel stared directly into Parfalle’s eyes and spoke.

"Strategist, I understand why you are proposing an alliance with Serpina. Indeed, if we can afford to ignore the northern front for now, we’ll have a better chance at fending off the southern forces, including Hesna’s army. But what happens after six months? Even if we extend the alliance, what then? Do you really believe that simply clinging to our remaining territories is the best course of action?"

"We cannot afford to lose any more land. We've already... come too far."

At first, things had seemed manageable.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Back when Parfalle had not yet been imprisoned—

Had they immediately withdrawn all their soldiers and generals to Arnel Castle, things might have been different.

If Serpina’s army had launched an invasion, they would have lost that land quickly. But it wouldn't have been a significant blow, as they had already written it off as abandoned territory.

With all their forces gathered at Arnel Castle, they could have reorganized and prepared a solid front.

But Serpina hadn’t played into their hands.

Instead of attacking, she had left Brans' forces to wither, merely reinforcing her border defenses and halting her invasion.

This left the Brans soldiers and commanders stationed along the now-forgotten borderlands furious.

And as time passed, their numbers stabilized enough that their anger no longer had to be ignored.

In other words—

Back then, losing land quickly would have been advantageous.

This content is taken from freёnovelkiss.com.

Now, holding on to it was the better option.

Had they made their decision before losing Elgaim Castle, things might have gone differently.

But that was the past.

The only choice left was to minimize their losses as much as possible.

"General Chel, I apologize, but at this moment, joining hands with Serpina is our only option."

"So... we are to obey without question? We are to ally with our sworn enemy...? With the very people who, just months ago, took the lives of our soldiers?"

"......Yes."

"!!!"

Chel’s eyes widened at Parfalle’s resolute response.

His gaze immediately shifted to Lyn—

But she remained turned away, refusing to meet his eyes.

"...I see."

"General Chel, I understand how difficult this is to accept. But I ask that you endure this humiliation. Please, for the sake of Brans."

"......."

Chel remained silent for a long moment.

Then, without another word, he turned and gave a curt nod in Lyn’s direction.

"Let’s go, Carlints."

"......."

Under normal circumstances, such blatant disrespect toward their sovereign would have warranted punishment.

But Parfalle simply watched them leave without saying a word.

They may not understand now... but once we secure victory, they will.

Of course—

Parfalle knew there would be heavy resistance against an alliance with Serpina.

But politics was about profit.

And once the benefits became evident, the doubters would fall in line.

That was the foundation of her reasoning.

Parfalle had gained military achievements on the battlefield, but she had always been a strategist, not a warrior.

She studied tactics, not people.

And Lyn—who should have been the one to keep Parfalle in check—

Was now entirely reliant on her.

Brans' military strength had been cut in half due to repeated strategic failures.

Lyn no longer had the absolute authority she once wielded.

Could she punish Chel?

Of course not.

Despite her displeasure, there were still commanders in the Brans Army who remained loyal because of Chel.

Lyn had never ruled through personal charisma—she had ruled through results.

And without results, she had few genuine followers.

...It’s fine. As long as we win in the end, everything will fall into place.

And as for Serpina—

First, she had spread rumors that the Aishus Army was selling off prisoners.

And now, she was demanding that Lyn personally come to Eingart Castle if she wanted an alliance.

That vile woman—

Parfalle would never allow someone like her to rule the world.

I will prove that the ruler I chose was the right one.

With that thought, Parfalle pushed forward with her decision, convinced that this was the best course of action for the Brans Army.

She was an intelligent woman—

But not one who understood how to win over people’s hearts.

***

Though the meeting left a bitter aftertaste—

A diplomatic envoy was formed, with a single objective: securing an alliance with Serpina’s forces.

Lyn, Parfalle, several elite guards, and ten thousand soldiers.

Originally, Parfalle had considered bringing Chel or Carlints to lead the mission—

But provoking them further was unnecessary.

They would be stepping into enemy territory.

But since their purpose was diplomacy, even Serpina—no matter how ruthless—would not dare to harm the sovereign of Brans.

Doing so would not only alienate foreign powers, but also destroy what little goodwill she had among her own people.

As Lyn stared blankly at the assembled envoy, Parfalle approached her.

"My lady, are you ready?"

It was a simple question.

But what she really meant was—

Are you prepared to face this humiliation?

"...Yes."

Yes.

She didn’t want to make another mistake.

She had already lost Airen due to her stubborn pride.

She wouldn't make the same foolish decision again.

Parfalle’s logic was sound.

If the only thing she had to sacrifice was her pride—

Then pride was a small price to pay.

"Understood. We will be departing soon. Please board the carriage."

"Alright."

And so, Lyn and her envoy set off on a long journey—

From Arnel Castle, across the northern continent—

To Eingart Castle.