Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 193: The Unleashed Reins

Among those who spent the most time in Airen’s mansion, it was neither Airen, its owner, nor Swen, whom she had wanted to live with.

Instead, it was Reika.

Airen, as Serpina’s personal escort knight, was often absent.

Swen, constantly being summoned by Serpina, found less and less time to return home.

And so, Reika was left alone in the mansion.

She felt a little lonely—but staying here wasn’t all that bad.

With so much unexpected free time, she wandered the estate, read books, meditated...

"Huu—!"

["You’ve done well, my lady."]

["Ah... N-No! If... if I was of any help... then I... um, I’m happy. Hehe."]

["As I mentioned, this is our duty to handle, my lady..."]

["It-It's fine...!"]

Reika helped the mansion’s maids with various household chores.

To her, these tasks suited her surprisingly well.

At first, the servants were startled, begging, "Please, my lady, leave these menial tasks to us!"

But as time passed, they grew accustomed to her presence.

Now, the sight of her sweeping the halls or assisting in the kitchen had become familiar.

That day, after finishing her household chores, Reika found herself with time to spare.

The sun was still high.

It would be a while before it set, and only then would Swen and Airen return.

She wondered what she should do to pass the time—

Then, something caught her eye.

Huh?

A few potted plants sat in the corner.

They looked withered and lifeless, adding an air of gloom to the otherwise elegant mansion.

["Um... Excuse me."]

Reika called out to a passing maid, bowing politely.

["Oh, Lady Reika. Good afternoon."]

["Are those pots going to be... thrown away?"]

["Yes. We took care of them properly, but for some reason, they ended up like that... We were planning to replace them with new plants."]

Tending to plants was harder than it seemed.

Even in the imperial family, specialists were assigned to care for the royal gardens.

It was no surprise that the mansion’s servants struggled with it.

...

At that moment, a thought occurred to Reika.

She hesitated, fidgeting.

["Uh... um... that is..."]

["...?"]

["I mean... you see... um..."]

She had the thought, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

The maid, watching her squirm, observed her closely.

Then, as if she had figured it out, she whispered behind a hand—

["My lady... would you like to take the plants?"]

["Ah...!"]

Reika nodded vigorously.

Perhaps it was because they had spent so much time working together.

The maid, having learned to read Reika’s expressions, smiled knowingly.

["We were going to throw them out anyway. You’re welcome to take them. Would you like me to place them in your room?"]

["N-No, it’s fine! I’ll take them myself. Th-Thank you...!"]

She bowed deeply.

With some effort, she successfully carried three of the discarded flower pots to her room.

...Alright.

The mana within the mansion was... plentiful.

Reika closed her eyes, attuning herself to its flow.

She recalled the technique she had instinctively grasped back at Valharat Castle, when she had tried to save that dying rabbit.

This wasn’t a skill she had learned from books.

It was something that simply came to her—a method she sensed deep within her being.

A gift of her innate genius.

At her fingertips, a sphere of white light began to form.

"Now, if I do this...!"

The glowing orb expanded, its tendrils gradually reaching toward the withering plants.

She could feel it.

Something within the plants was responding.

Fortunately, they were still alive.

Had they already perished, there would have been nothing to connect with.

"...!!!"

And then—

A miracle unfolded.

The lifeless, wilted leaves regained their vibrant green hue.

Drawing from the radiant orb, the plants absorbed the energy they needed to return to their original state—just as they had looked when first placed in their pots.

How much time had passed?

Plop!

"Haa... haah."

Reika wiped the sweat from her brow, gazing at the result before her.

It worked...!

Just as she had hoped.

By drawing upon the abundant mana in the air, she had revived a fading «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» life.

This was a technique once spoken of only in ancient religious scriptures—

A feat described in myths, long lost to history.

Yet Reika had accomplished it.

And she had done so instinctively, just as she had when she first awakened to magic.

It was a remarkable discovery—

But...

"I’m... so... tired..."

She had managed to save one plant.

But for the remaining two... she simply didn’t have the strength to cast the technique again.

She could feel it—

An intense exhaustion unlike anything she had ever experienced.

Of course, using magic repeatedly often left her drained.

But by now, she could manipulate fire and ice with ease—she had thought this would be no different.

"Is there something... I still don’t understand?"

It was her first time using this kind of magic.

With practice, she would surely grow accustomed to it, refining her control.

And after all—

Swen was by her side.

By following the meditation routine he had taught her, she would eventually master this new magic.

She wasn’t worried.

"I just have to work harder... and become a mage who can truly support Swen...!"

At first, she hadn’t found being a mage particularly enjoyable.

Escaping life as an orphan was good, but being locked away, training endlessly without freedom, had been suffocating.

But now—

Now, she was grateful for her talent.

Because of her magic, she had been taken in by Jinor.

Because of her magic, she had met Swen.

If not for that, none of this would have happened.

That was why—

She wanted to become stronger.

For him.

This wasn’t a duty. It wasn’t for the Nighhardt family.

This was her own choice.

Her own free will.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Swen’s presence had already begun shaping her into something more—

An existence unlike any other mage on the continent.

"If there had been enough mana in Valharat Castle... I could have saved that rabbit..."

As that thought crossed her mind—

A sudden wave of drowsiness washed over her.

"I must have... used too much mana..."

And just like that—

Reika collapsed onto the floor, drifting into a deep sleep.

***

"Was it really possible to stop the epidemic midway?"

The sourc𝗲 of this content is freēwēbηovel.c૦m.

This was inside the mansion where I often conversed with Serpina.

As I passed through the now-familiar corridors and entered, I was met with an almost unbelievable piece of news.

["Yes. Didn’t you instruct General Irian to conduct a survey around Roze Castle? That means it was all thanks to you."]

At first, I hadn’t fully understood why she had insisted on sending Irian, of all people, to conduct the search in that area.

But it seemed that decision had caused a butterfly effect—one that ultimately prevented an epidemic from spreading across the entire northern continent.

From what I had gathered, they had discovered an infected patient by sheer chance and had successfully contained the disease through strict quarantine measures.

The details of the process weren’t important.

What mattered was the result.

More than anything, the fact that this outcome was something even I could never have logically deduced—that was what made this situation eerily similar to when we had uncovered Lahelrn’s rebellion.

From beginning to end, the entire thing felt like a series of impossible coincidences.

But this wasn’t the first time something like this had happened.

And by now, I understood—

That my 100 Intelligence advice had unknowingly prevented an epidemic before it even had a chance to spread.

From an outsider’s perspective, it must have seemed as though Serpina had been touched by divine inspiration, making near-prophetic decisions.

But Serpina herself knew better than anyone else where these decisions had truly come from.

There was no need to discuss how I had predicted this.

By now, even Serpina understood my ability.

Then... why did she call me here?

The question arose naturally.

From the moment I had arrived, the way she had been looking at me... felt different.

["It’s true, Swen."]

["...Excuse me?"]

["Your Insight... it truly only ever reveals the correct outcome...!"]

Serpina whispered in awe as she slowly began approaching me.

Her flushed cheeks...

Her slightly unfocused gaze...

The way she was looking at me—

It wasn’t the gaze of a ruler admiring a talented subordinate.

It was something... much more intimate.

Something much closer to the way a woman looks at the man she desires.

Without even realizing it, I felt my own heartbeat quicken.

["Swen... this is a problem."]

One step closer.

["I had planned to take my time—to gradually open your heart."]

Another step.

["But the more time I spend with you... the stronger my desire for you grows."]

A third step.

["Both as a ruler... and as a woman."]

Four steps—

Until, finally, her face was right before mine.

["...My lord?"]

["If I told you... that being by your side makes me feel as though I could overcome the burden of my sins... you would likely call me a fool."]

["I would never say something like that—"]

Her face was right in front of me.

The delicate, lingering scent of yuzu began to invade my mind, clouding my thoughts.

And then—

She said it.

Words so insane I had to question if I had heard them correctly.

["Become my husband, Swen."]

["...Excuse me?"]

For a moment, I thought I had misheard.

I looked directly into her face.

But she was utterly serious.

["Be my husband. I will mix my blood with yours. As a vow, we will be bound together, and I shall bear your child."]

["W-Wait, my lord—please, calm down for a moment—"]

["Ahh... Swen...!"]

Serpina sighed as she clasped my hand tightly—

["I don't want to lose you. No matter what. I absolutely refuse to let you go."]

["No matter what it takes, I want to keep you by my side. If there is someone else in your heart, then I will settle for second. But I will remain by your side."]

["Please... do not abandon me. Fight alongside me."]

["With you by my side, I can achieve anything. I can unify the continent. No—perhaps even establish an empire greater than any before it."]

["As long as I have your Insight, anything is possible."]

["So... so...!"]

["Stay with me. Forever."]

["If it means keeping you, I will do whatever it takes."]

And at that moment, I understood.

The invisible leash wrapped around my neck.

Serpina’s obsession with me had grown far beyond what I had anticipated.

I had already fallen too deep into her grasp—

Too deep to escape without consequences.