Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 230: Against the Aishus Army, the Retreat from the Border (1)

"Pfft."

Serpina let out a quiet chuckle, and somehow, even my own tension seemed to ease.

Well—since she was quick-witted, I supposed I didn’t need to go through the trouble of ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) explaining everything in detail.

I met her golden eyes and spoke directly.

"...I believe a severe plague is about to spread. That is the only explanation that satisfies both conditions—"

"—Preparing for war while simultaneously withdrawing troops without engaging in battle."

Exactly.

If an epidemic broke out, stationed soldiers would collapse at an alarming rate.

From my past experience in games, I knew that within a single nation’s borders, the spread of infection could be ridiculously fast.

Given that the mechanics of the ‘meteor’ event had played out just as they did in the game, it wasn’t hard to predict that the same logic would apply here.

However... while I had only considered the impact on the military—

Serpina had taken her reasoning a step further.

"In that case, I was thinking of relocating not just our troops, but also the residents of Hisphil Castle and the surrounding territories to the unclaimed lands of the northern continent. What are your thoughts?"

"What? Oh...."

I was momentarily caught off guard, but I went ahead and inputted the question.

The response was simple. ƒгeewёbnovel.com

[Unknown.]

"Is relocating the residents an issue outside the scope of military strategy, preventing an answer?"

No, that’s not the real problem here—

"But, my lord. If you issue a forced relocation order upon the residents—"

"You mean I would lose public favor?"

"Yes. It would also affect the morale of our officers."

In this world, rulers were the heads of their respective territories, but ultimately, they were still vassals.

Serpina had stronger authority than most due to her claim to the imperial lineage, but—

She was not the only one carrying the Aingart name.

Now that Kyle von Aingart—who had lived in hiding under the alias Cain Nerkis—had revealed himself, Serpina’s weight as a ruler had diminished somewhat.

Thus, issuing a forced relocation order upon the people would not be well received.

Unlike military officers, common soldiers often surrendered to other armies without being treated as criminals.

This was because the true source of an army’s manpower was its residents, who could change allegiances depending on the political landscape.

If a ruler massacred civilians simply for serving another army, they would immediately be labeled as a tyrant unfit to rule.

Forcing a mass relocation under these circumstances?

Strategically, it was a terrible move.

The residents took great pride in their homeland.

At best, Serpina’s already infamous reputation as a tyrant would gain yet another black mark.

That being said, I understood why she had come to this conclusion.

She wasn’t just thinking about her soldiers—

She wanted to save the residents living in those lands.

Otherwise, there would be no reason to go through the hassle of issuing such an order.

"I do not misunderstand your intentions, my lord, but—"

"If there are lives to be saved, then saving them is the right thing to do, is it not?"

At this moment—

As a strategist, I had to give the advice that was expected of me.

"I have two reasons to oppose this plan. May I state them?"

"Fufufu. Do your worst, Swen."

She sounded oddly competitive.

Ignoring that, I laid out my reasoning in purely practical terms.

"This plan is based on our assumption that 'a severe plague will break out in Hisphil Castle and the surrounding border regions.' However, since we do not know the source of the plague, relocating the civilians to the northern continent—unlike relocating our soldiers—could be a dangerously reckless decision."

Serpina’s choice was idealistic.

But if the outcome was disastrous, no amount of noble intent would make up for it.

Bringing the plague to the northern continent in an attempt to save lives was not a rational decision.

Serpina seemed to understand this, as she slowly nodded and asked,

"First, Swen—there is something I would like to ask you."

"Please, go ahead."

"Where is your 'clairvoyance' pointing?"

"...Excuse me?"

"If, as you say, this decision would bring the plague into our lands, then wouldn’t your ‘clairvoyance’ indicate that this is inefficient?

Shouldn’t we ask that question first?"

"Ah..."

Withdrawing the troops was one thing—

But when we had asked whether relocating the residents was efficient, the answer had simply been [Unknown.]

"My lord, my clairvoyance did not deem it 'inefficient.'"

"Then it is not an inherently bad choice."

She smiled in clear amusement.

"Swen. The more I learn about your ability, the more fascinating it becomes.

With such a power, it is a wonder why you have not already conquered this continent."

That’s because...

The range of my ability was shorter than people assumed.

Unlike what Jinor had expected—

And perhaps what Serpina was hoping for—

My power wasn’t nearly as all-knowing as they imagined.

...Wait.

Hold on.

There might be another way to test this.

"My lord."

"? "

"For now, would you be willing to make a decision in your mind?"

"A decision?"

I nodded.

"Please decide, in your mind, that you will relocate the residents of Hisphil Castle and the northern territories to the northern continent."

"...You want me to make a firm resolution?"

"Yes. Do not think about my answer or anything else—simply decide that this is what you will do."

Serpina had once attempted to negotiate a peace treaty with Lyn.

Back then, the moment she resolved to meet Lyn in person, the results of my predictions shifted.

Because of that, I had been able to save Serpina’s life.

I was applying the same logic now.

If Serpina made her decision first and then we asked the same question again—

And if the answer changed—

Then it would confirm that my assumptions were correct.

A plague spreading through our army could never be an efficient outcome.

If the result shifted to [No], then it would mean my hypothesis was completely accurate.

Serpina looked momentarily perplexed, but then—

She slowly nodded and spoke.

"It is done."

"Now, please ask the question again.

'Is withdrawing all troops from the border the most efficient course of action?'"

"Do you believe that withdrawing all troops from the border is efficient?"

And the answer—

[Yes.]

...So it does not affect the outcome.

Even with a decree in place, not every single person would be moved.

Some would remain behind due to various circumstances.

But what mattered was this—

Even if the civilians were gathered and relocated, the catastrophe awaiting that land would not follow them.

At that moment—

"It seems that issue has been resolved."

"...What?"

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

I was so startled that I instinctively responded, but Serpina spoke in her usual calm tone,

as if wondering why I was surprised.

"Your lips moved."

"...Excuse me?"

"As if you were relieved."

"Ah..."

Damn it.

Hiding anything from this woman was practically a nightmare-level difficulty.

"Even if that issue is settled, my lord, this decision gains you nothing. To outsiders, all of this will seem like mere coincidence."

My point was simple.

"A plague in Hisphil Castle? So that’s why Lady Serpina forced the evacuation! She saved us!"

Such a fairy-tale scenario was not going to unfold.

Even if she ended up saving more lives—

Her reputation would not improve.

Instead, people would only see her as an unpredictable tyrant.

From a purely strategic standpoint, the most efficient course of action would be to leave the civilians behind.

No one would blame her for failing to save them from an unforeseen plague.

"Well, you may be right."

Serpina, as always, wore that audacious smile of a so-called tyrant.

"But one who wishes to rule the continent should not hesitate to act simply because no one will acknowledge them for it."

"..."

"A few more disgraceful titles make no difference. What matters is that more people continue to live."

Hearing those words—

I felt something stir within me.

To the outside world, she was the victor of the Crown Prince War and the tyrant responsible for the massacre at Fibiola Academy.

No one would ever recognize what she was trying to do.

Suddenly, an image of her from long ago flashed through my mind—

The moment she had pleaded with me, tears in her eyes, telling me she had never wanted to kill anyone.

My jaw clenched involuntarily.

Why was it...

That she could never be the one to unify the empire?

Noticing the change in my expression, Serpina slowly stepped toward me.

"And did I not tell you before, Swen?"

She locked eyes with me.

"You are the one who sees it all."

"...What?"

"It is the same as before. When I wagered that bet with Yuri over you.

Even if no one else acknowledges my choices—"

She raised a pale hand and gently stroked my cheek.

"—You, Swen, will see everything with your own eyes and understand."

"My lord..."

"And that alone is enough for me to consider this decision worthwhile.

It is not an inefficient choice."

She took a step back, her expression curling into a fox-like smile.

And as for me...

I nearly let myself sink into deep thought again, but I managed to pull myself back and bowed my head.

"Then... I will leave the aftermath in your hands."

To the world, this would look like an act of cowardice—

Abandoning the battle before it had even begun, even though we were fully capable of fighting.

Convincing the officers and vassals—

That was Serpina’s task, not mine.

"Do not worry, Swen. As long as you stand behind me, I have no doubt that I will never lose to anyone."

As I watched the golden light of her eyes flicker, a thought crossed my mind.

No matter what anyone said—

She was no tyrant.

In fact, she was more fit to restore the empire than the likes of Algott or Sidmid.

She was a ruler who would have left her name in history as one of Aingart’s greatest sovereigns.

At least at this moment—

I found myself curious about the world she might create.