Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

"Is that what you’re saying?"

"Yes, that’s correct."
In the empty corridors of the royal castle, Serpina was engaged in a secret conversation with a soldier dressed in attire suited for covert operations.
"You’re certain about this?"

"Yes. We’ve conducted cross-verification with multiple soldiers from Brans Army."
Serpina remained silent for a long while, deep in thought—
Then, turning to the soldier, she spoke in a firm tone.
"I understand. However, keep in mind that this is still within the realm of speculation. Do not escalate matters unnecessarily."

"Understood."
After the soldier vanished from sight,
Serpina turned and made her way toward the audience chamber for another meeting.
*

Upon arriving at the audience chamber, Serpina greeted me with a smile.
Ever since that incident where my advice happened to align with reality and led to the early expulsion of traitors… she had been considerably more amiable toward me.
"Lord, I was told you summoned me."
"You’ve come, Swen. Yes, I’ve been waiting for you."

Alright.
It’s been a while since I last saw her—should I put some effort into social niceties?
"I’m truly relieved to see you in good health."
"Even if you don’t mean it, I appreciate the sentiment. Now, show your respects properly."

For some reason, she seemed amused, a smile full of intrigue lingering on her face as she asked,
"There is something I would like your opinion on this time."
"Is it regarding the alliance with Roland Army?"

"So, you’ve already heard about it?"
Serpina crossed her legs and spoke in a somewhat playful tone.
"Yes. The Roland Army has expressed their desire to form an alliance with our forces for a period of 12 months. I wanted to hear your thoughts on the matter."
An alliance, huh…

I did wonder if it was really appropriate for her to be asking me, a mere civil servant rather than an official state strategist, about such matters.
But since the question had been posed, I might as well feed the input into my ability and see what it says.
Would forming an alliance with the Roland Army be beneficial to our forces?
[This will be an alliance that results in losses in the future.]

Just as I thought.
As expected, this was an alliance we had no reason to accept.
For us, it was a meaningless agreement—but for them, it was a massive advantage. With this, they could seize Brans Army’s territory and expand into the central continent without our army needing to intervene at all.
An arrangement where we gain nothing while our counterpart reaps all the benefits could only be considered a loss for us.
Even if Roland Army was a smaller nation than ours, if we agreed to a one-sided diplomatic arrangement like this, we would essentially be handing out favors for free.
And if we later decided to break the alliance due to dissatisfaction, it would be our army alone that suffered the repercussions of damaged reputation.

That meant—I needed to confirm what they were offering in return.
"And what are they offering in exchange?"
"They are willing to provide 28,000 gold."

"…Excuse me?"
28,000 gold?
As a lump sum?
They’re offering more money than I expected…

It seemed they had accumulated quite a bit of surplus funds from focusing on domestic affairs during the long period of peace in the southern continent.
Even though Serpina’s army never struggled with tax revenue thanks to its vast territory, in this world, gold was something that could never be in excess.
With an offer of 28,000 gold, it was tempting to just close my eyes and accept a mere 12-month alliance.
So, was Roland Army simply throwing out an obvious overpayment, knowing that the alliance wasn’t particularly beneficial to us?
If I were in Serpina’s position, I might have just taken the offer.

However—my prediction stated, This will be an alliance that results in losses in the future.
If that gold were truly crucial to our army, such a prediction wouldn’t have appeared.
No matter how appealing the sum was, the fact that it was deemed a future loss meant it was no different from a poisoned chalice.
"What do you think, Swen?"

"If possible, may I first hear the strategist’s opinion?"
"Jenna has advised that we accept the alliance. After all, 12 months is not an overly long period, and given that timeframe, the amount being offered is rather generous."
It wasn’t an unreasonable assessment.
Honestly, if I didn’t have my 100 Intelligence foresight, I probably would have taken a stance similar to Jenna’s.

Besides, Jenna wasn’t particularly outstanding in terms of intelligence. To maintain balance, Serpina’s subordinates were generally not individuals with exceptional capabilities.
Ultimately, the decision lay with Serpina.
So, I supposed there was no harm in stating my opinion.
"I believe we should not form this alliance."

"I would like to hear your reasoning."
"In this alliance, the only party gaining a strategic advantage is Roland Army. From the perspective of our army, which is focusing on fortifying internal affairs, this alliance provides no meaningful benefit. In fact, I believe there is a possibility that it could hinder us instead. Even in a hypothetical scenario where our army engages in battle, I do not see a situation where we would require Roland Army’s assistance."
"That much is already known to me. However, even so, wouldn’t receiving 28,000 gold still be a good deal from our nation’s perspective? After all, it’s only for a single year."

One year… Just one year.
That was true.
If it was just one year, then why had my prediction given such a warning?
The fact that an answer had been provided meant that there was something to be extracted from it.
Up until now, I had always traced the reasoning behind why a prediction was correct.
This time, I had to consider—why wasn’t it correct?

"Somehow… I feel like there’s an even better opportunity ahead."
"A better opportunity?"
This translation is the intellectual property of .

Once an alliance is formed, it becomes nearly impossible to establish another with a different nation.
This would likely apply to the southern countries, including Hesna Army, Ohana Army, and Karelia Army, as well as the forces in the north—Brans Army and Aishus Army, without question.
From there, I arrived at a hypothesis: Is there another nation currently considering an alliance with us?
If such an alliance were to hold significantly greater value than 28,000 gold, then my prediction—This will be an alliance that results in losses in the future—would prove to be correct.
"Lord, now that the balance in the southern continent has been disrupted, our army essentially holds the strongest hand. Rather than hastily forming an alliance with Roland Army, I believe it would be wise to observe the situation a little longer. There’s no reason for us to rush a decision, is there?"

"Is that your opinion?"
"Yes."
As I bowed my head after speaking—
Serpina approached me, her footsteps echoing through the chamber.

"The one who aligns with my thoughts is not Jenna, but you, Swen."
"…Pardon?"
"28,000 gold is certainly a hefty sum. However, now that the balance has been broken, the rulers seeking to advance into the central continent will inevitably come to see our army as their greatest obstacle. Even if it means tarnishing their reputation by siding with a tyrant, they will desperately seek to ally with us. We have a line of desperate rulers ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) waiting at our doorstep—why should we settle so soon?"

Serpina spoke with a knowing smile.
As always, if there were ever a human embodiment of absolute confidence, it would be her.
"And… more importantly, considering that a man as unbearably arrogant as Seta Roland is willing to make such an offer, doesn’t it seem worthwhile to wait and see what other rulers might be willing to bring to the table?"
Seta Roland, ruler of Roland Army.
Beyond possessing decent combat prowess and some talent in one-on-one duels, he had no particularly noteworthy qualities as a leader.
What good was physical strength when he was a fool, arrogant to the point that he fell for every provocation thrown his way?

Compared to him, even Chel and Carlints seemed like respectable men.
"Of course, Swen. You were aware of this, weren’t you?"
…Huh?

"A ruler as insignificant as Roland has offered such an exorbitant sum. That is why you were confident in saying, ‘A better opportunity awaits us.’ Even without you saying it outright, it’s something anyone with sense would understand. Fufu…"
"……."
I remained silent and bowed my head.
Well… there was nothing wrong with letting her believe that.

"I see. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Swen."
"It was nothing. I’m simply glad if it was of help."
The moment I said that—
She suddenly changed her tone, her expression turning serious.

"Do you really think so?"
"…Excuse me?"
"I asked if you truly believe that you were of help to me."

…?
What was she suddenly getting at?
The subtle shift in the atmosphere around Serpina caught me off guard, but I maintained a composed expression and responded as politely as possible.
"Of course… I serve you, Serpina. Naturally, I would feel that way."

"Is that so? Then, I suppose I can consider myself to hold a place in your heart?"
"Of course."
Step, step.
I could hear her approaching me.

"Swen. Raise your head and look into my eyes."
As I lifted my gaze—
Her breathtakingly beautiful face filled my vision.
Golden eyes, gleaming brilliantly, locked onto mine…
No, more precisely, they seemed to be piercing through me, searching for something within.

"I will ask one more time, Swen. Do I—Serpina von Eingart—truly reside within your heart?"
I couldn’t quite grasp why she was fixating on this question,
But I made sure not to let my curiosity show, nodding as I answered.
"Yes. From the moment you accepted my wager and granted me mercy, I resolved to serve you. Did I not vow to become your loyal hunting dog?"

She did not respond immediately, only continuing to stare directly into my eyes.
I met her gaze without looking away.
Before long… her voice pierced through the air with an almost overwhelming intensity.

"…Very well. No matter what happens, I will trust you, Swen."
"…Yes."
The sudden shift in her demeanor was unexpected—
But for some reason, I didn’t get the sense that this was merely an act of reaffirming my loyalty.

Had she heard something about me?
Well, from the perspective of Serpina’s army, I was an outsider who had settled into a position of influence.
Rather than consulting her state strategist or other officials, she frequently summoned me personally to discuss matters of governance, both significant and trivial.
For those who had long harbored ambitions within her army,
It would be all too easy for jealousy to breed accusations against me.

Besides, I was a man who had already switched allegiance between three different lords.
Regardless of the circumstances, that alone made me an easy target for suspicion.
It looks like I’ll have to devote myself entirely to Serpina’s army for now.
Serpina was an incredibly intelligent woman.
And to be honest… wasn’t what I had just told her a lie?

The one I truly held in my heart was not Serpina.
So in a way, those seeking to undermine me weren’t entirely wrong.
To conceal her doubts,
I would have to ensure that my actions were unmistakably aligned with Serpina’s interests.
It wasn’t difficult—
As long as I continued to provide her with the right advice,
She would have no reason to doubt me.

And if I wanted to escape from here safely with Airen and Reika,
I needed to secure Serpina’s trust.
"Believe in me, my lord. I am prepared to dedicate myself entirely to your great cause."
"I have already told you—I will trust you. That is my decision."

Serpina spoke with finality,
Her golden eyes holding my gaze.
A faint scent of yuzu lingered in the air.
***

The audience chamber, after Swen’s departure.
Seated upon the throne, Serpina rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought.
"When he moved from Brans Army to Aishus Army… and then again when he became a general in Brans Army… his movements have been anything but ordinary."

"Perhaps… he is…"
Recalling the report delivered by the soldier earlier,
Serpina closed her eyes, severing the thread of speculation before it could take root.
Rumors about him.
Yet, she chose to cast them aside.

I will trust Swen.
More than anything—
She wanted to make him hers.
She wanted to claim his heart,
To grasp it in her hands, no matter what it took.

And how could she ever hope to win his heart without first offering him her trust?
She refused to push him away over mere baseless accusations.
And even if—by some chance—those accusations were true…

—I will win him over with my own hands.
Murmuring the thought to herself,
Serpina stared at the red carpet stretching across the empty audience chamber, lost in contemplation.