Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 246: Proof (1)

First and foremost, the situation in the war-torn central continent.

Chel's army somehow managed to defend the capital city of Heisel from Carlints' advancing forces.

Carlints, just as he had done throughout his life—at the most critical moment—once again made the wrong decision.

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, due to the plague, no one in the central continent could move recklessly.

With a low infection rate but an extremely high fatality rate, and without any available cure, the nations of the central continent tacitly chose the most "efficient" method available to them, as if it was the only option.

Isolating all those infected, waiting for them to die... and then disposing of the corpses.

Chel’s army, along with Carlints' forces who had gotten caught up in the mess, had actually resorted to this very measure not long ago.

They abandoned any hope of recovery from the disease, merely passing time, waiting for things to settle.

Whether they wanted to or not, when faced with an insurmountable situation, there was nothing to do but submit.

The only ones who managed to avoid the plague’s indiscriminate scythe were Serpina's army in the north, who had preemptively blocked the spread of infection, the nations of the southern continent, who had enough distance to prepare, and Brans' army, who, despite being in the central continent, had observed Serpina's actions and wisely followed suit.

As time passed, more and more people perished.

By this point, they were able to gather some statistics.

A fatality rate of approximately 10%.

A terrifying plague that claimed the lives of one out of every ten people.

In such a situation, there was little that humans could do.

They could only... hope for all of this to pass.

***

"......Yuri."

Inside the royal castle of Rangbow Fortress.

Yuri sat in a chair, her head bowed deeply, both hands covering her face.

Even when Epinnel called her name several times, she did not lift her head.

Epinnel, understanding her emotions, did not press her. Instead, she slowly sat down beside the lord's seat where Yuri was sitting.

"I understand how you feel... but you need to pull yourself together, Yuri. If you don’t, you won’t be able to do anything."

"......"

"Which do you want to hear first? The hopeful news, or the less hopeful... No, this isn't the time for word games. There’s news, and it isn’t exactly good."

After saying that, Epinnel remained silent, waiting for Yuri to respond. frёewebηovel.cѳm

How many minutes passed?

At last, Yuri spoke in a barely audible voice.

"...The hopeful news."

The hopeful news, huh.

Yes, in any case, it had to be said.

Epinnel had a duty to report what she had learned to Yuri.

So perhaps, starting with the hopeful news wouldn’t be such a bad idea... With that thought in mind, she carefully relayed what she had seen and heard.

"Anima's condition has improved significantly."

"......!!!!"

The moment Yuri heard those words, she sprang up from her seat and turned her head toward Anima.

"R-Really?"

"Who do you think I am? Why would I lie about this? It's true. The attendants said her fever has almost completely subsided, and she can now hold a conversation for more than three minutes. Even the coughing up of blood has weakened significantly."

"Thank goodness... really..."

Hic.

Tears streamed down Yuri's face.

"I... I couldn't do anything for her. If I could’ve suffered in her place, I would have, but I couldn’t even do that... Hic."

She had lost Hernandorf.

And right now, she was in a situation where she couldn't even avenge him.

If she had lost Anima as well—if Anima, whom she had defied her duty as a ruler to save, had ended up dying from the plague—she truly might have broken completely.

The five of them together made up Aishus, but to Yuri, Anima was like her other half.

"Really, really... thank goodness..."

"I told you, didn't I? It’s going to be okay. Some people die from the plague... but more people survive."

"Mm..."

She continued to cry for a long time.

Then, naturally, her thoughts drifted toward that topic.

"Epinnel. What about Emma...?"

"......"

"How is Emma doing...? Is she getting better?"

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Epinnel, who had spoken smoothly when explaining Anima’s condition, immediately fell silent at the mention of Emma.

Yuri slowly examined Epinnel's face.

Her complexion had noticeably darkened.

"...Epinnel...?"

"Yuri..."

Before she even had time to feel puzzled by Epinnel’s lack of response, Yuri recalled what she had said earlier.

The hopeful news.

And... the opposite of that. The news that wasn’t good.

"...No way..."

"Yuri."

After hesitating for a long time, Epinnel finally placed both hands on Yuri’s trembling shoulders—her pupils trembling ceaselessly as well.

Then, more serious than ever, she spoke.

Yes.

That strict expression from back when she had been an instructor at the academy.

"Listen carefully, and don’t panic no matter what I say."

"Why...? What is it? Hurry, tell me..."

"......Emma is in danger."

"Ah...!"

She had expected it.

It was an answer she had fully anticipated, and yet, the moment she heard it, all the strength drained from her body.

But she didn’t collapse.

Epinnel held her firmly, keeping her upright.

"Listen to me, Yuri. It’s true that she’s in a critical stage right now, but Emma developed symptoms later than Anima. Just like Anima, this could just be part of the process. So don’t think too negatively... You understand, right?"

The fatality rate was high, but there was still a chance of survival.

"...Hic."

Epinnel comforted Yuri as she cried.

Seeing her looking like she was about to collapse, Epinnel could once again feel just how dire the situation really was.

‘Haah...’

According to what she had heard, the next three days would be the critical period for Emma.

After pressing the reluctant doctor for information, the answer she received was... Emma’s chances of survival were extremely slim.

Among those infected, nearly 90% of those who had died experienced a specific symptom—sudden necrosis of the fingers.

Emma’s fingers were already in an advanced state of necrosis, with three of them completely blackened.

Anima hadn’t experienced this symptom.

But Emma...

She was already beyond the point where she could even speak with others.

Which meant... they had to prepare themselves.

That was all Epinnel had been told.

She needed to explain the reality to Yuri properly.

But...

She didn’t think the frail Yuri before her could endure the weight of such a cruel truth.

Epinnel swallowed down the brutal reality, unable to bring herself to say it.

Hernandorf’s death.

And now, Emma’s impending death.

No one had expected that two of their five would die on this campaign.

And not even in battle against Serpina’s forces.

They hadn’t even made it that far.

To die meaninglessly, in a skirmish with Chel’s army... and from the plague.

What a fleeting, miserable end.

‘If only there was something I could do...’

Of course, there was absolutely nothing Epinnel could do in this situation.

There was no one here who could make an infallible prediction.

No miracle worker to change fate.

The outcome was merely the result of the choices they had made.

If this was the consequence of the "choices" she had made in those crucial moments...

Then there was no choice but to accept it.

Perhaps, the only comfort for Yuri and Epinnel was that they didn’t even realize this was the result of their choices.

All they could do was hope—

Hope for a miracle.

Because aside from whispering such unreachable wishes into the void...

There was nothing else they could do.

***

And.

In stark contrast to Epinnel's wish, a few days later――

"......"

Without a word, the doctor covered Emma's pale ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ face, which had been lying with her eyes closed, with the blanket she had been under.

Then, slowly... he turned to the attendant who was standing next to him and spoke.

"Tell the lord."

"Ah..."

"General Emma... has passed away."

Emma Adlen.

She had been unable to avenge her closest friend, Hernandorf, and ended her once brilliant life in this place, with an utterly empty conclusion.

Two of the five heroes of Aishus... had ended their lives unexpectedly, in a way no one had anticipated.

***

After some time had passed,

The plague was finally beginning to subside.

The number of new infections dropped rapidly, and in the central continent, the origin of the plague, things had become considerably calmer.

Yes.

If things had continued like this, I would have been able to relax as well――

"Please do not worry too much, my lord. As I told you, this is within the range of what I expected."

"......"

The day before leaving for Kelstein Castle,

I responded to Serpina, who was in deep sorrow, with a smile as best I could.

"For now, please focus on domestic affairs. The duty is ours to bear. This is merely a storm in a teacup."

"Swen......"

At that moment,

Serpina approached me, grabbed my hand tightly, and said,

"Have I... done the right thing?"

"Of course."

Not only had she done the right thing,

She had made the best decision for her country as well.

"But... my life has always been like this. The more I tried to fix things, the more they seemed to veer off course, as if I were unintentionally causing harm to something I didn’t even mean to hurt..."

I could feel her voice trembling as she spoke.

Now, I understood exactly what she meant. When no one acknowledges your accomplishments, and every decision you make is met with criticism and hatred, it's only natural for a person to shrink back.

"So, if you’re going to get swept up in some strange reputation as well..."

"My lord."

I looked straight into her eyes and said,

"In the end, sincerity reaches others. And, unlike before, I am here by your side, aren’t I?"

"......!"

"So, trust me. I will prove that my 'vision' guiding you to the right path has not been wrong."

Why had things turned out like this—

There needed to be some explanation for this.