Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 187: Overwritten Karma (2)

Airen calmed her startled expression, glanced around once more, and then stepped closer, lowering her voice to a whisper.

["...Is that really true?"]

["Yes. As I said, I can’t be certain... but right now, this is the most probable scenario."]

Assassination was the cleanest explanation that fit the situation.

At the very least, it was far more plausible than a natural disaster.

First, the number of people who harbored resentment toward Serpina was far greater than one might assume—even within her own country.

The repeated rebellions were proof of that.

If an uprising occurred again so soon after the last, it meant that the opposition to Serpina was deeply rooted.

She wasn’t unaware of this.

She must have realized quickly that staying put would lead to rebellion.

How many times had she endured people’s hatred to the point where she could say—

["I’m used to being despised."]

And second, Serpina leaving for a short time made assassination a far likelier possibility than a natural disaster.

Of course, it was possible that an attempt could still be made when she returned to Eingart Castle.

But if that were the case, my prediction should not have changed.

The fact that it had changed meant that, at the very least, I had succeeded in preserving Serpina’s life for now.

Of course, I would need to keep feeding questions into my ability to refine my foresight, but for now, this was a major hurdle we had overcome.

Airen, now fully serious, looked me in the eye and asked,

["What should I do?"]

["Please continue to serve Lady Serpina as you normally would. Just... keep this in mind."]

["Does she not know about the danger?"]

["For now, no. Though... knowing her, she may have some suspicions. But I haven’t told her."]

Even if she trusted my ability of Insight, I wasn’t certain of my own conclusions yet.

I lacked the necessary evidence to explain everything with certainty.

If I spoke carelessly, I could end up making things worse instead.

This was a situation where I needed to be especially cautious.

["Understood. In any case, once we suppress the rebels, we’ll return to Eingart Castle. I’ll investigate on my own in the meantime."]

["You can do that?"]

At my question, Airen gave me a small smile.

["I have quite a few people who follow me now."]

The fact that she had comrades who believed in her.

For someone like Airen, who had lived in isolation for so long... how much had she needed that?

Seeing her achieve that, at least within Serpina’s army, made me feel oddly proud as well.

["I trust you’ll handle it well, but if possible, please keep it discreet."]

["Don’t worry. I won’t make it obvious that I’m searching for an assassin. I’ll approach it from a different angle."]

Airen was not the type to bluff.

So, I had no reason to doubt her.

If I didn’t believe in her, then who would?

["I’ll see you later."]

["Mm."]

["Ah, right. Reika asked me to pass on her regards."]

Airen simply nodded without a word before turning to leave, heading off to fulfill her duties.

As I watched her walk away, I lifted my head and looked up at the sky.

Not a single cloud in sight.

The air of this world never felt particularly heavy to me... but Serpina was different.

She had once said that every day, as she lived, she could sense the hostility and intent to kill directed at her.

I couldn’t confirm it yet, but perhaps—just perhaps—

This was the condition preventing her from uniting the continent.

[If that’s the case, then Lady Serpina is truly pitiful.]

I almost lost myself in thought, but I shook it off.

First, I needed to deal with the rebels before me.

Like it or not, their uprising had ultimately saved Serpina’s life.

Had they not rebelled, I never would have questioned her fate.

I wouldn’t have realized that she was on the brink of death, and history would have simply swept her away.

The banner raised to overthrow Serpina had, in the end, ended up protecting her.

[How ironic.]

I decided to involve myself in her twisted fate just a little bit more.

As long as I remained by her side—

I wanted to be someone who stood entirely on her side.

And slowly—bit by bit—

I could feel myself being drawn to her even more.

***

After the army departed to suppress the rebels at Roze Castle—

I, having chosen not to participate, found myself in a different kind of engagement.

I spent my time right by Serpina’s side, closer than anyone else, discussing various matters with her.

Most of our conversation revolved around my ability—what she referred to as Insight.

["So, you can only see the outcome, not the process leading to it?"]

["That’s correct. And it’s not something I can always use—it depends on the situation. Sometimes, I can’t predict anything at all. But when it comes to matters of governance, I can usually foresee the results."]

["And this ability only activates when you are asked a question?"]

["Yes."]

["What happens if you ask yourself a question?"]

["In that case, I can’t predict anything. That’s why I always ask others to pose the questions."]

["I see... That is truly a fascinating ability."]

Serpina’s golden eyes gleamed with curiosity.

For once, the overwhelming charisma of an absolute ruler wasn’t present in her gaze.

Instead, she looked like a girl eager to unravel the mysteries of the world.

["Now I understand why you give such peculiar advice. However, I still have a few questions left."]

["I’ll answer as much as I can."]

If I wanted to keep Serpina alive, I needed to be on the same side as her.

There was no reason to hold back unnecessary information.

["Do you remember the time when the rebellion broke out in Sidmid’s name? The one led by Lahelven?"]

["Yes, I remember."]

["You predicted that the Aishus Army might invade. Did you learn that through your ability as well?"]

["No. That was... more of a deduction based on my own reasoning."]

["A deduction?"]

Serpina tilted her head slightly, intrigued.

...Perhaps it was inappropriate to think this way about one’s ruler, but—

Seeing Serpina react so eagerly to my words was... unexpectedly adorable.

["It’s simple. If I see an outcome, I work backward to determine how that result came to be. I eliminate impossible scenarios one by one until only the most plausible explanation remains. Then, I present my findings as advice to my lord."]

["So when you advised me that the castle needed more troops, it was because you deduced that it might be attacked?"]

["Exactly."]

["Hmm... But sometimes, you end up with completely unexpected conclusions, don't you? And that changes what you say and what you don’t say."]

As expected of Serpina.

She grasped the core of the issue instantly.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

["That’s correct. Even with my ability, there are limits to how much I can visualize in advance."]

["And the same logic applied when you dropped that meteor from the sky?"]

["Yes. At that time, the result I obtained was 'our army’s victory.' So I worked backward to determine how we could achieve that outcome."]

["I see..."]

Serpina nodded thoughtfully.

I offered her a wry smile.

["That’s all there is to it. I’m not particularly talented or insightful—I simply know the results. The reputation of me being some kind of ➤ NоvеⅠight ➤ (Read more on our source) 'flawless strategist' or 'hundred-battle wizard' is largely an illusion."]

After a brief silence, Serpina responded with unexpected firmness.

["I cannot agree with that, Swen."]

["May I ask why?"]

["If you lacked talent or insight, you wouldn’t be able to work backward and deduce anything in the first place. Even if you have this ability to see results, analyzing the why behind them requires intelligence. You must be well-versed in many subjects to make sense of what you see."]

Her gaze sharpened.

["Even without your ability, I am certain you would have become an outstanding strategist."]

The sudden praise caught me off guard, leaving me feeling slightly embarrassed.

["...I wouldn’t go that far."]

["You should learn to acknowledge your own worth. Excessive humility can be unpleasant to witness. Fufufu..."]

Serpina chuckled for a few moments as if enjoying herself—

Then, quite suddenly, her face flushed, and she grasped my hands tightly with both of hers.

["Lyn... and Yuri... They were fools to let someone like you slip through their fingers. Absolutely foolish."]

Her golden eyes gleamed with hunger.

["Not only did Lyn lose you, but she also lost General Airen. To me, this situation feels nothing short of fate, Swen."]

As she spoke, her tongue briefly flicked across her lips.

Her desire for me was blatant, almost childlike in its honesty.

Well, in Garland Eternity Saga, a commander with 100 Intelligence was an invaluable asset.

A strategist who only gave correct answers—someone who could solve every problem just by following their advice.

Of course, as seen in Lunarian’s downfall at the hands of Brans, not even perfect predictions could overcome an absolute disadvantage.

But still—having a flawless strategist on your side was undeniably powerful.

From Serpina’s perspective, I was someone she had to keep by her side.

However—

["Swen."]

Before I could finish my thoughts, Serpina interrupted them.

["Yes, my lord?"]

["There is something I need your advice on."]

["I may not be able to answer everything, but—"]

["That’s fine. If you cannot find the answer, simply tell me so. I will not blindly believe you, so do not feel burdened."]

Serpina’s golden eyes sparkled with anticipation.

I debated whether or not to proceed.

The 𝘮ost uptodat𝑒 novels are pub𝙡ished on freeweɓnovēl.coɱ.

But it wasn’t as if answering a few questions would change fate itself.

After all, most of my predictions tended to be straightforward, things that anyone could reasonably accept.

For example: 'It is more efficient to assign a high-strength general to repair castle walls.'

Most of my predictions fell within that level of practicality.

The only exceptions were the rare, inexplicable ones—the ones that haunted me.

So I was feeling rather relaxed—

Until Serpina threw a fastball straight to my gut.

["I, Serpina von Eingart—"]

Her grip on my hands tightened.

["Will I be able to unify the continent and rebuild the Eingart Empire?"]