Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 217: The Lunarian Army Reveals Itself to the Continent Once More (3)

Vanessa lowered her head in front of Karelia, who asked her question in a trembling voice.

In the end, this was something that was bound to happen sooner or later.

She had only two choices.

She could tell the truth—or she could lie.

If she told the truth, Karelia, who valued trust above all else, would be devastated.

Even if Luna had chosen betrayal, Karelia was far too pure to accept the fact that it had been their side that had pushed her toward it.

There was even a possibility that she would lose all will to fight—and in the worst-case scenario, she might surrender.

So for Vanessa, who dreamed of Karelia’s rule over the continent, there was only one option.

She had to lie.

But.

Instead of lying, Vanessa calmly presented something even more shocking.

"That’s right."

"W-what...?"

"I incited Metz. Regardless of whether Lunarian Iniang chose to betray or not, I intended to eliminate her in one way or another. It was all my doing, planned entirely of my own accord."

"H-how... Vanessa... What are you saying...?"

Karelia trembled, her face filled with disbelief.

"If Metz was telling the truth... then Lady Luna never intended to betray me until the very end...! How could you do something so despicable to someone who only wished to keep her faith!"

"Her very existence is a threat—to our nation and to you, Karelia. Even if it was a dishonorable method, my resolve to eliminate her has not changed. That is why—"

Execute me.

"...What?"

Karelia’s eyes went wide. Her voice barely came out, as if she had choked on her own breath.

But Vanessa remained unnervingly calm, her expression utterly serene.

"I will take all responsibility. Cut off my head, declare my crimes, and display my body in the square. Announce that I violated Karelia’s laws and that I manipulated Luna into betrayal. Then, offer the rebels one last chance to reconsider their actions."

She had made her choice.

As she had planned from the beginning—she would throw away her life.

Her life was disposable anyway.

If it meant eliminating Lunarian Iniang safely, Vanessa would do anything.

She locked eyes with Karelia, unwavering.

"Vanessa... Do you even understand what you’re saying...?"

"If my lord publicly executes me and extends a gesture of conciliation, our forces will gain a great deal. Not only will we regain the trust of the people, which has been strained during war preparations, but most importantly—we will reclaim the justification that was stolen by Lunarian Iniang.

"Luna has already committed to betrayal. Whatever ambitions she harbors, she can never return to this side. But her generals... they are different. Unlike Luna herself, the officers of Karelia's army prioritize trust and righteousness above all else. This will be our advantage in battle."

"I asked what you are talking about—!"

"The fact that I failed to see Luna for what she truly was, and allowed this disaster to happen, is entirely my fault. That is the truth. So please, punish me as I deserve. This is your moment to make a sovereign’s decision."

"...Vanessa Trinity!"

"Karelia!!"

Both raised their voices, but once again, Karelia’s cries were swallowed up by Vanessa’s resolute declaration.

"Please, my lord... Do not abandon your vision of unifying this continent. This is an opportunity. Eliminate Lunarian Iniang, the greatest threat to you, and use that momentum to pacify the southern continent—then remove the wicked Serpina with your own hands. Only you can bring peace to this land!"

Silence fell over the chamber.

Minutes passed.

"...I..."

"......"

"I cannot kill you."

Vanessa slowly lifted her gaze.

Karelia was crying.

"I cannot... kill you, who has stained your hands with blood so many times for my sake... Just to use you as a tool, to push all of this onto you... I cannot do it."

"My lord..."

Vanessa closed her eyes.

She was intelligent enough to understand.

This was the defining moment of the Karelia Army.

If—

If Karelia had chosen to execute her, the Lunarian forces, robbed of their cause for rebellion, would soon fall into chaos and collapse.

Perhaps those who had stood with Luna from the beginning, like Kyle or Tifa, would remain steadfast. But the officers who had once served Karelia? They would waver.

After all, as Metz had said, it was Vanessa who had given them the justification for betrayal in the first place.

By executing her, Karelia would prove that she had removed the cause of the rebellion and could persuade the wavering officers to return.

The people’s pent-up resentment would also ease with Vanessa gone.

And within the Karelia Army itself, this act would prove that Karelia was not simply a ruler being controlled by Vanessa. Her authority as sovereign would remain intact.

Vanessa knew—better than anyone—that apart from her own death, there was no decision more efficient for Karelia’s survival.

Moreover, no ordinary person would even conceive of a strategy that required ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ sacrificing their own life.

If Karelia simply remained silent, the truth of Vanessa’s scheme would be buried forever.

But.

Vanessa was also intelligent enough to know.

Karelia would never use her that way.

Even when faced with an opportunity she could not afford to lose...

She was the kind of person who would rather abandon victory than betray her faith.

"I will not listen to this any longer."

"..."

"Enough, Vanessa. Say no more. No matter what happens, I will not discard you. You are my precious subordinate. Just like the others... you are also important to me. The world I wish to build... will always have a place for you."

And it was this softness—

This hesitancy—

That made Karelia incapable of catching up to someone like Lunarian Iniang, who could make the decision to betray when necessary.

That was why Vanessa had sought to eliminate Luna.

She should have used even crueler methods to end her before it came to this.

But now...

After all this time serving Karelia, admiring her, striving for her cause—

Vanessa wondered if, perhaps, she had become a little more like her than she realized.

Regardless.

If Karelia would not make the decision, then it didn’t matter.

Because for Vanessa—there was still far too much work to be done.

***

Following the official uprising, Cain Nerkis—Kyle von Eingart—publicly declared his support, seamlessly shifting the tide.

Then, as Metz revealed the secret orders he had been given, Tepello Castle’s flag was replaced.

Gone was the deep green.

In its place, a bright, resplendent shade of light green unfurled in the wind.

In the process, every single officer stationed at Tepello Castle defected to Luna’s side.

For Lunarian’s forces, this was as ideal a start as they could have hoped for.

However.

No matter how much they had managed to siphon from Karelia’s supplies—

No matter how impressive an army of ninety thousand was—

That did not mean they could immediately overwhelm the Karelia Army, whose national strength still surpassed theirs by several times over.

"They’ve positioned troops at the border?"

"Yes. From what we’ve gathered, approximately one hundred and ten thousand soldiers have been mobilized."

It was no surprise that Karelia had pushed through additional conscription. That much had already been expected.

But turning new recruits into actual soldiers took time.

The forces Karelia was deploying now were likely the standing defensive units that had already been stationed across their territories.

Ninety thousand against one hundred and ten thousand.

In a defensive battle, they naturally held the advantage.

But the real issue...

Was that this wasn’t the end of it.

"Additionally, it seems they’ve already begun constructing fortifications in the area."

"I see..."

Their range of movement was being restricted.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Even if Luna wanted to make a move, finding the right moment to strike was proving difficult.

But that wasn’t the only problem she was facing.

"And what about negotiations with the Ohana Army?"

"They have refused to come to the negotiating table entirely. No matter what we offer, they won’t budge."

The Ohana forces in the rear—

It was clear that they had no intention of even entertaining a discussion.

"The ruler of the Ohana Army is a very transparent person. It seems they’re simply waiting for us to exhaust ourselves in battle with Karelia so they can swoop in and claim the spoils."

"Does Vanessa really think she’ll let that happen?"

At Luna’s question, Violet hesitated for a moment before carefully opening her mouth.

"...This is only my own speculation."

"Go on."

Updat𝓮d from frёewebnoѵēl.com.

"I suspect... that Vanessa is deliberately letting Ohana think that way."

"You mean she’s baiting them into attacking us, hoping they’ll try to steal the advantage?"

"Rather than exhausting all their forces to wipe us out directly... it would be far more beneficial if they could use another country’s hand to do it instead."

"But wouldn’t that risk Karelia losing control of this territory to Ohana?"

"I don’t think she cares."

Luna’s eyes widened slightly.

"She’s willing to give up one castle, as long as she can eliminate you in the process. To Vanessa, that trade is more than worth it."

"That’s..."

"To put it bluntly—if two forces of equal strength were to collide, who do you think is more terrifying?

"Even someone as inexperienced as myself can tell that you, Lady Luna, are the greater threat.

"There’s no way someone like Vanessa wouldn’t see it too. And it’s not as if Ohana would ever truly accept you after this. You already carry the stain of being a traitor. If we lose, we’ll all be executed."

"..."

"With that in mind, Vanessa’s plan, however ruthless, is still perfectly logical from their perspective. Ideally, they would reclaim this castle themselves. But if they can’t for whatever reason... well."

Hearing Violet’s analysis, Luna fell into thought.

So then...

Would they just have to sit here and wither away?

The first step was to repel Karelia’s initial offensive.

But immediately after that, they had to seize at least one Karelia-held territory.

Otherwise—

If the Ohana Army marched on them first, if they failed to secure land before that happened—

Then all of this would shatter into dust.

Those who had placed their faith in her would be beheaded.

And history would remember them all as nothing more than dishonorable traitors.

"What will you do, my lord?"

At Violet’s question, Luna fell into deep thought.

The situation was undeniably unfavorable.

And yet—

She was not too worried.

Because soon, Swen would arrive.

He will come.

He promised he would come.

As soon as word of our uprising spreads across the continent, he will find his way here.

If only Swen were by her side right now—

He would surely say, "This is the most efficient solution," and present an answer none of them had even considered.

And so, Luna waited.

She held firmly to the promise he had made.

"For now, there’s no need to act prematurely. We will wait for the right moment."

"...Understood."

Violet seemed hesitant about something, but she did not argue with her lord’s decision.

Breaking through ninety thousand defenders with only one hundred and ten thousand troops was not feasible.

A far larger force would be required.

And given how much Karelia had lost in resources when Luna seized their supplies, mounting an immediate offensive would put an enormous strain on them.

Moreover, considering the formidable defenses of Tepello Castle, time was not their enemy just yet.

Ohana would hesitate to commit too many troops as well—

Because at any moment, Hesna’s forces could turn their blades on them.

Of course—

Violet knew that, in the end, they were the ones at a disadvantage the longer they dragged this out.

As time passed, Karelia’s vast lands would naturally accumulate more food, more men.

Compared to that, their own narrow territory could not sustain them forever.

But for now—

As a fledgling strategist barely taking her first steps, Violet could think of no better plan.

It’s fine. Lady Luna must have a plan. She’s a cautious person.

And so—

As the two of them quietly contemplated their next moves, time continued to flow, ceaseless and unrelenting.

***

Days turned into weeks.

Weeks into months.

And yet—

No matter how long she waited—

The silver-haired strategist, Swen, did not appear before Luna.