Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 210: The Return of the King (4)

This memory was a fragment of time that Luna had always cherished deep in her heart.

A moment from that brief, peaceful period after she had met Swen in Zeilant Castle, when they had accomplished things that once seemed impossible, and she had ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) spent her days alongside him.

"Swen!"

Whenever she passed through the audience chamber and entered the study tucked away in one corner of the royal citadel, she would find him—Lunarian’s sole strategist, the first outsider to ever be recruited, and the one who had, in practice, taken on the role of the kingdom’s chief tactician.

A strikingly handsome young man with silver hair, Swen was seated at his desk, quill in hand, sketching something on parchment.

"You’ve arrived, my lord."

"What are you working on?"

"I’m drawing a map."

Curious, Luna stepped closer to take a look. What she saw was a remarkably detailed map of the terrain surrounding Zeilant Castle.

"Wow... Swen, were you originally a cartographer?"

"Not quite. I’ve just traveled around quite a bit."

His skin was far too smooth and unblemished for someone who had supposedly roamed the continent, but Luna didn’t press the matter.

She trusted Swen.

Who else would believe in him, if not her—the only one he had ever chosen?

And ever since he had arrived, the Lunarian Army had begun to change.

Tifa had always been by her side, of course, but Cain—who had one day appeared out of nowhere, offering only vague explanations—had been little more than a passive officer who followed orders without much enthusiasm. But after Swen arrived, producing remarkable results time and time again, even Cain seemed to have been inspired, becoming far more proactive in handling the kingdom’s internal affairs.

And honestly—Luna herself had changed as well.

Winning a small territory and raising her own banner had been exhilarating at first. But the reality of their situation had soon caught up to her. In the end, she had been no different from the other weak states surrounding her—merely waiting for the day when the Brans Army would inevitably conquer them.

But then Swen had come, and with him, hope.

For the first time, she had begun to wonder—perhaps she truly could accomplish something.

Perhaps she really could make her mark on history.

It had all started with Swen.

Which was why, once again, she found herself saying—

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"Swen, you’re amazing. Really."

"..."

Hearing those words, Swen set his quill down for a moment, exhaling lightly as he turned to look at her.

Perhaps such a gesture was inappropriate for a subject addressing his ruler, but Luna had never been the type to care about such things.

"My lord. I’ve said this before, but... wouldn’t it be better if you used informal speech when speaking with me?"

"But this feels more natural to me."

"While your comfort is certainly important, as the future ruler of a unified continent, you must learn to project authority. I am merely a vassal under your command. If you continue addressing me so formally, it may undermine your dignity as a sovereign."

"I understand what you mean, but... our kingdom is still small. Once the time comes, I promise I’ll try to speak casually like you suggested!"

"..."

Swen regarded her in silence for a moment before turning away again.

Something about his demeanor made her curious.

"Swen. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, my lord."

"Do you really think I can become the ruler who unifies the continent?"

At that, Swen’s hand froze.

Slowly, he turned his head to meet her gaze.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Well... you always tell me things like, ‘You must conduct yourself with the dignity of a ruler who will unite the continent’ and ‘A future sovereign should not behave this way.’ That’s... um... It’s a bit embarrassing to say out loud, but..."

Luna hesitated, her fingers fidgeting against each other, her face flushing red.

"I mean, I know that our kingdom is far too weak to seriously think about unifying the continent. Sure, we’ve managed to hold onto Zeilant Castle, and we’ve even managed to push back the Brans Army time and time again, but... I don’t know. It just feels like... you really believe in this idea."

She laughed awkwardly.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"Of course, it’s not that I don’t believe in you! Or that I don’t want this. I do want it. And I do believe in the possibility. It’s just that... um... ahaha, my thoughts are all over the place..."

Luna knew.

She knew she was naive.

She had lost count of how many times Tifa had scolded her for being too soft-hearted.

But—

Swen always spoke to her as though it was an inevitability that she would one day unify the continent.

And while everything he had predicted so far had turned out to be correct, she couldn’t help but wonder—

Why?

Why did he trust her so much?

Why was he so certain?

Swen didn’t answer right away.

He gazed off into the distance for a moment, lost in thought.

Then, at last, he turned back to her.

"Well, there is a condition that would ensure you become a unifying ruler."

"A condition?"

"If you promise not to laugh, I’ll tell you."

Luna’s eyes widened. She shook her hands wildly in protest.

"Laugh? I would never! Swen, no matter what you say, I would never laugh at you!"

Swen’s expression turned oddly serious.

As though he had steeled himself for something.

And then—

"You simply have to do everything I say."

"...Huh?"

"That’s all. If you follow my every order—without question—then one day, before you even realize it, you will find yourself ruling a unified continent."

Luna blinked.

For a few moments, she simply stood there, stunned.

And then, slowly—she began to smile.

"I see... So I was worrying over nothing, then. Of course, I should just follow your advice and do my best. That was such a silly question to ask. Sorry for bothering you with it."

"I wasn’t joking. I was completely serious."

"Swen, honestly! Hehe... But I do get what I was doing wrong."

Of course.

Simply saying, "Just follow my every command," would only sound like a joke to the one listening.

But why had he phrased it that way?

It wasn’t difficult for Luna to realize—if she thought about it for just a moment.

To Swen, her question had likely been meaningless.

“Can I really do it?”—at its core, it was nothing more than a childlike plea for reassurance.

So in response, he had given her an equally hollow answer.

He hadn’t been dismissing her concerns—he had merely forced her to understand that such a question had no meaning to begin with.

If she thought back to the very first moment they had met, Swen had asked for her absolute trust.

And remembering that, his words now made sense.

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed before Swen sighed again and spoke.

"My lord, you need to learn to be colder. A ruler must be willing to extend their hands into filth. There will be times when you must stain your hands with blood. Pure ideals alone do not make a sovereign."

"...Can I really do that?"

"It is not a matter of whether you can—it is something you must do."

"...It sounds difficult. I feel like I might not be capable of it, and that makes me feel guilty."

Seeing Luna’s shoulders slump, Swen let out a quiet breath before saying,

"...Still, if nothing else, your strength lies in the fact that no matter what happens, you will never abandon your ideals. As long as that remains unchanged, you will be able to shape the future you dream of."

"Swen..."

Hearing his words, Luna lowered her head, her face burning.

Sometimes, this man—

It was as if he had appeared before her for the sole purpose of completing her.

As if, no matter what, he always knew the exact words she needed to hear.

Swen didn’t say anything more. He merely turned back to his work, picking up his quill once again.

Then, as if throwing out a casual remark—

"Don’t worry too much, my lord. There’s no need to rush. No matter how difficult things seem right now, in the end—we win."

"...!!"

In the end, we win.

Strangely enough, those words wrapped around Luna like magic.

It wasn’t just a promise—it carried an almost divine certainty.

"That’s why—don’t lose hope. As long as nothing happens, I’ll be here, by your side."

That unshakable confidence.

The missing piece that had never existed within the Lunarian Army—

Yet was essential for turning dreams into reality.

Luna felt it, gleaming before her eyes.

So she answered with a bright smile.

"...Yes!"

***

"I remember what you said back then—you told me you would give me your absolute trust. Was that a lie?"

Of course not.

"I am not throwing myself away. As your vassal, I am merely choosing the best move. I will survive. And we will meet again."

Swen was waiting.

On that fateful day—

The day he had taken everything upon himself.

The day he had told her he would place the world in her hands—

And then, to protect her, had thrown himself into the jaws of the Brans Army.

Her strategist, the silver-haired man who had willingly given his life for her sake.

"Lunarian, if you believe in me—then as the price for that trust, I will place the world in your hands."

It was beyond trust now.

Not even for a moment had Luna stopped thinking about him.

And now—

Wait...

Tifa’s words jolted her back to the present, making her reassess everything.

The unconditional faith Karelia had placed in her, despite the opposition.

The sheer authority she had been granted as supreme commander of the invasion forces.

With this position, she could freely maneuver the army.

She could redirect supplies.

Since she would be issuing orders for the war effort, she wouldn’t even need to seek permission from the ruling council.

Of course, with Vanessa constantly working against her, it was possible this authority wouldn’t last long.

But—

Luna slowly turned her hands over, staring at her palms.

If she chose to turn against Karelia—

Then in these hands—

She would hold Tepello Castle, a highly strategic territory.

She would have 93,000 soldiers under her command.

She would have complete control over vast amounts of resources.

Would she cast aside honor for the sake of practicality?

Or would she uphold her faith, even in times of chaos?

Luna realized—

No matter what decision she made here—

This moment would shape everything that came next.