Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 218: To Side or Not to Side

Even as Luna waited anxiously for Swen, time continued to flow relentlessly.

How many more days had she spent waiting, her heart aching with anticipation?

"Still... no news today?"

"That’s correct."

Why isn’t he coming...?

A considerable amount of time had passed.

By now, news of their uprising should have reached every corner of the continent.

And yet—

There wasn’t a single whisper of Swen’s arrival.

From what Luna knew, Swen was likely with the Aishus Army rather than Brans, or—if the troubling rumors were true—he might even be under Serpina’s command.

Regardless of where he was, if he had ridden at full speed upon hearing the news, he should have arrived by now.

Their uprising had been grand.

It had the backing of none other than Cain—no, Kyle von Eingart.

It had been the most spectacular and unmistakable declaration of rebellion anyone could have made.

Now, at the beginning of their movement, what was the first thing they needed to do?

Engage in battle?

Wait for the perfect moment?

Or perhaps, wage war through diplomacy?

For all of these decisions—each and every one—Swen’s guidance was indispensable.

Fortunately, they still had time to wait.

So he had to come soon.

He would come.

He had promised her.

For Swen to know of this and not come—

That was simply impossible.

Which meant that the only logical conclusion was—

Could he be somewhere where he can’t receive the news?

If something had happened to prevent him from hearing about their rebellion—

Or worse—

If something had happened to him—

No—

Had I... been too late?

The thought alone sent a shiver through her.

But she shook her head, forcing the worst-case scenario out of her mind.

No. Just trust him. Believe and wait. Swen will come. He will come.

She clenched her hands into fists, steeling herself once more.

Swen would return.

He had sworn to her that he would.

Still, even as she struggled to suppress her disappointment, the soldier standing before her could only hesitate awkwardly, at a loss for words.

Noticing his discomfort, Luna sighed and offered a light apology.

"I’m sorry. Don’t worry too much about it, Violet."

"No, my lord. I’m sorry I could not bring you better news. However, if anyone of note expresses intent to join us, I will report immediately."

"I’ll be counting on you."

Waiting for Swen was crucial, but...

They couldn’t afford to only wait.

A few hours later—

Luna sat with Violet, reviewing the latest reports on the current state of affairs.

"Neither the Ohana Army nor the Karelia Army has made any direct movements?"

"That’s correct."

For now, it was Violet who handled these reports—as she was effectively acting as the kingdom’s strategist in Swen’s absence.

Of course, that role belonged solely and indisputably to Swen.

But until he arrived, it didn’t truly matter who filled the seat.

No movement...

As Violet predicted, they must be suffering from a shortage of supplies.

In time, the harvest season would inevitably arrive.

And when it did, Karelia’s forces would launch their full-scale offensive.

They were using this lull to recruit additional soldiers and train their existing troops, but whether or not they could last until then remained an open question.

What could she do in this situation, without Swen?

As long as it wasn’t an existential crisis, she needed to rely on her own mind and judgment, without depending on anyone else.

Violet was here, yes, but she was still only a fledgling strategist.

Lost in thought, Luna was pulled back to reality when Violet spoke up again.

"I’ve finished updating you on our situation. Now, I’d like to brief you on the state of the continent."

"The continent?"

"Yes. I thought it would be beneficial for you to be aware of the bigger picture."

Understanding the broader landscape was always valuable for a ruler.

It reminded her of the past—of a time that now felt so distant—when Swen had once said something similar while they were still in Zeilant Castle.

Luna nodded in agreement.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

"To start—Brans Army has fractured into three separate factions.

"Lord Carlints' forces have successfully defended Anel Castle from Chel Brans’ army.

"As for Lyn Brans, she has withdrawn to the westernmost part of the continent and remains dormant, with no significant movements."

"How long do you expect this chaos to last?"

"I suspect it will stretch into a prolonged conflict. The fact that Chel failed to seize Anel Castle was a rather unexpected turn."

"I see..."

Brans Army—the faction where Swen had presumably been active.

The fact that it remained splintered into three warring factions suggested that this confusion wouldn’t be resolved any time soon.

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

And that, in turn, was actually beneficial for Luna’s side.

The longer the internal strife lasted, the more complicated things would become for Roland and Hesna—the two northern nations positioned above the southern continent.

Ideally, this chaos would persist long enough that, if the Ohana Army turned on them, Hesna would take the opportunity to strike Ohana from behind.

However...

Would Hesna truly risk expanding their frontlines for the sake of this war?

That was what troubled her.

"The Aishus Army, on the other hand, is steadily increasing its troop numbers while continuing to observe the situation.

"However, I believe they may act soon.

"I’ve received reports that they recently rejected a proposed alliance with Hesna."

"And next?"

"Lastly... there is news regarding the Serpina Army."

The moment Luna heard that name, her eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

"It seems that, for the time being, they are focusing on maintaining their current territories rather than waging any further wars, including the newly acquired regions in the central continent."

"And why is that?"

"The northern continent remains unstable. There are still sporadic uprisings breaking out.

"Well... I suppose that's only natural. The rule of a tyrant without public support will always be met with resistance."

It was an answer that required no further questioning.

There was no mystery as to why so many people continued to reject Serpina’s rule.

She was a tyrant.

A merciless ruler who had plunged the continent into suffering, a woman so consumed by her own greed that she had murdered her own siblings.

To those who had lost their loved ones at her hands—like Luna, who had personally ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ witnessed her sister's death—this resistance was nothing but a natural consequence.

Then—

"...However, there is one piece of news that caught my attention."

"And that is?"

"It seems that the rumored magician of Serpina's forces has finally appeared."

"...!!!!"

The instant she heard the word magician, Luna sprang to her feet.

Violet, however, remained unshaken.

She had already expected this reaction.

After all, she remembered how Luna had acted that day—

The day they had returned together by carriage, the day she had first heard of Swen’s magic.

"Was it... a young man with silver hair? Did he use magic?"

"No. It wasn't a man who used magic."

"...What?"

"The reports say it was a woman who conjured flames with her own hands.

"There were many witnesses who saw it happen.

"A young woman with pink hair.

"This, at the very least, appears to be an undeniable truth."

A woman with magical powers?

It wasn’t Swen?

That meant there was another person entirely who possessed such abilities?

What the hell is this...?

Luna’s thoughts became increasingly tangled.

Hadn't the Aishus Army sold Swen to Serpina?

That had been the rumor, hadn’t it?

So was that just another fabrication planted by Serpina?

If so, that would actually be good news.

Because it meant that Swen wasn’t under that wretched woman's command.

But then—where was he?

It was certain that he wasn’t with the Brans Army.

Was he still under Aishus' command, then?

Or had he gone somewhere else?

...And beyond that, she had barely registered the most important part of this report—

The term magician.

So, then...

Magic really was real?

Had Swen truly been a magician all along?

But—

From all the time she had spent at his side, she had never once seen him use anything that resembled actual magic.

Yes, he had done things that felt impossible.

Yes, he had predicted the future with terrifying precision.

But wasn’t that more akin to foresight or prophecy?

Was that truly the same as magic?

In the end—

Regardless of whether magic existed or not—

If Serpina had a magician under her control, then what the hell were they supposed to do to counter it?

As Luna struggled to make sense of it all, Violet carefully summarized her thoughts.

"For now, Serpina is in the north, while we remain at the southernmost end of the continent.

"So we don’t need to concern ourselves too much just yet.

"But it would be wise to acknowledge the reality that magic does exist."

For even Violet to say something so definitive—

It must have been a matter backed by undeniable proof.

"I understand.

"Violet, I will leave the investigation of this magician in your hands."

"Understood, my lord."

With that, Luna fell deep into thought.

Fine.

Magicians or not... in the end, it won’t matter.

Because once Swen returns, everything will be resolved.

He will lead the way, just as he always has.

For Luna, the idea that Swen had betrayed them was simply impossible.

It wasn't even a possibility worth considering.

If he had not come, there could be only one explanation.

Something must have happened to prevent him from returning.

But then—

This is Swen we're talking about.

A man who always knew what would happen before it did.

A man who never made mistakes.

A man who had performed miracles across the continent.

Could someone like that truly have found himself in danger?

No.

No, it was impossible.

It wasn’t a thought—

It was faith.

Lord Swen...

I will wait for you.

No matter how long it takes—

I will wait... because I know you will come...

And so—

As Luna’s desperate wish carried into the wind—

***

"Swen."

"...Huh?"

A voice called his name.

Snapping out of his daze, Swen turned toward Airen Juliet, who was looking at him with concern.

"You seem troubled."

"Ah, well..."

"..."

Troubled.

Yes.

That was the right word.

Because perhaps—

This was the greatest dilemma he had ever faced since arriving in this world.