* * *
After the meeting ended, I checked the duties I had been assigned.
'Commerce... is it.'
I don't know what my Politics stat is, but I'll have to do what I'm told regardless.
I'm not sure exactly what I need to do at the market.
Well, in this game, Intelligence wasn't a stat that particularly affected commerce.
And I don't even know what I'm supposed to do in the first place.
When I was in Lunarienne's army, I did exploration once, but otherwise I was just doing maintenance... Embarrassingly, since my Strength was insufficient, Tifa and Luna did all the direct repairs to the fortress walls while Kein and I worked in more of a supporting role.
'I'll figure it out when I get to the market.'
It seemed that official duties would begin the day after the meeting ended.
In Lunarienne's army, things just rolled along without any systematic organization, but I guess big organizations really are different.
Anyway, I'd completed everything I needed to do today.
And as for the woman who came with me, Irene Juliet—
Once again, she wasn't assigned any duties.
While there were a few other officers in the Brands army without assignments, they were all unremarkable C-rank officers.
Only Irene was left with nothing to do despite her high abilities.
"..."
I silently followed behind her as she wordlessly headed home.
*
She only began speaking after we arrived home.
Her face, which had maintained a consistent expressionless look, now clearly showed apologetic feelings.
"I'm sorry, Swen. I didn't mean to ignore you, but I was worried that if you appeared too close to me in front of others... you might receive unfavorable treatment."
"Why bring that up now? I already publicly agreed with your opinion in front of all those people."
"Yes. That's exactly what I want to ask about!"
Irene asked me with strange excitement:
"What... what did you mean by that? That the Charam army is planning to betray us through a secret agreement? Do you really believe that?"
Oh. Thank you.
After mentally thanking Irene for asking the very question I wanted to input, I entered the question in my mind: 'Does the Charam army plan to betray our army?'
But the result was [Unknown].
This result wasn't unfamiliar.
It was the same result I saw long ago, before joining Lunarienne's army, when that old man I used to chat with asked me if he would win or lose at gambling.
'I thought this might happen, but it seems impossible after all.'
In this game, the advice from a Strategist with 100 Intelligence concerned matters of the ruler and state, battle outcomes or strategy success, mission assignments, or the most efficient policies.
It seemed that such specific questions couldn't be answered even with 100 Intelligence.
I'd have to rely on wringing out my own thoughts.
I don't know the exact criteria yet, but I should be able to figure it out once more big data accumulates.
"And you said we should attack Serphina's territory in the north? What does that even mean? Isn't that too reckless?"
I answered in a calm tone to pacify the excited woman before me.
"Irene. If I may, before answering your questions, could I ask you something first?"
"...Go ahead."
"Why did you suggest strengthening our defenses by sending troops to the north?"
Irene sighed briefly after hearing my question, then spoke.
"Let's sit down first."
She removed her heavy armor and hung it up, then took a seat at the table.
I naturally sat across from her and looked into her eyes.
I was ready to listen.
"Do you know about the decisive battle our army fought against Serphina's army in the north for several months recently?"
"I've heard about it."
While I was enjoying peace at Jeilant Castle, the Brands army must have had a hard time battling Serphina's forces.
"During that time, we managed to hold them off somehow... but we weren't able to defeat the enemy forces efficiently despite it being a defensive battle. Our army may have won the immediate battle, but in the long run, the reality is that our Brands army is falling behind."
"You mean we lost in terms of exchange ratio?"
"That's right."
As expected of Irene with her siege specialty, she seemed to have some insight in this area.
"There's quite a large population in the north. The central region, which makes up most of our Brands territory, is excellent land too, but it's still chaotic. While the area around Anel Castle may be peaceful, the residents of territories near the border have already been heavily conscripted as soldiers. So in a situation where we can't quickly raise more troops, I think it's premature to mobilize 56,000 soldiers to subjugate the Aishers army. I'm convinced that Serphina's army will seize the opportunity to attack Kelstein Castle again."
After saying this, Irene rose from her seat saying [Wait a moment] and prepared tea.
She really was a diligent woman.
Soon after, I accepted the teacup she offered and took a sip.
The tea had a subtle smoky aroma.
"Now that Farfalle has raised the issue, there's a very high chance it will pass. She's the most trusted woman in our army."
"Is that why you raised your hand?"
"Yes."
She nodded and took a sip of tea.
I see.
Despite knowing she would be disliked, she raised her hand out of concern for the country, believing the current course was wrong.
Even though Lynn wouldn't appreciate it, and Irene herself no longer expected such appreciation—she still spoke up when necessary.
She was truly loyal, but in most timelines of the game, her loyalty ended in tragedy.
Will she end up dead because of this?
Because of her unbending personality?
One fact I know: 'Lynn Brands kills her officer Irene Juliet, with whom she has poor compatibility, with her own hands.'
It felt like puzzle pieces were gradually coming together for this statement that only showed the outcome.
As she stared blankly at her teacup, I carefully asked her a question.
"...Irene. This might be impertinent, but—"
"It's fine. I can't grow if I take an officer's words as disrespect. Feel free to speak your mind."
"Then I'll ask directly. Do you know that you're disliked by our lord?"
"..."
She smiled bitterly and said:
"Yes. I know."
"Yet you remain loyal?"
"Yes."
"May I ask why?"
"..."
Irene Juliet.
S-rank officer. Red hair with purple eyes. [Siege] specialty and high Strength. The ill-fated officer who ultimately gets beheaded by her lord Lynn Brands.
This was all the information available about her in the game.
The tips were equally simple: [If you want to utilize Irene, either choose Lynn Brands directly or destroy the Brands army as soon as possible! However, even if the Brands army falls, Irene rarely gets recruited, so try with patience!] That was all that was written about this woman.
But.
This "that's all" Irene Juliet practiced her disciplines every day, waiting for her lord to call for her.
This "that's all" Irene Juliet always offered loyal counsel for the sake of the country, despite knowing she was disliked.
This "that's all" Irene Juliet was generous to her subordinate officers, didn't overestimate her abilities, and never took out her frustrations on those beneath her even when she suffered humiliation.
I became curious.
Why was Irene so loyal to Lynn Brands despite being disliked?
Not because of a character setting that said [Deep loyalty], but why this woman before me—who lived and breathed, who made tea, who never neglected her daily practice—didn't betray the lord who hated her.
And if possible, I wanted to save her.
This woman before me, whose smile looked like it might crumble at any moment.
"...This is somewhat personal."
She said this while lightly scratching the rim of her teacup with her finger.
"It was my father's request."
"Your father's?"
"Yes. After the Empire fell, the man who claimed the central region's prime territory, Anel Castle, faster than anyone else was the man known as the Empire's watchdog, Olland Brands. You know of him, right?"
Olland Brands.
A name I'd heard, but never actually controlled in the game.
He was already dead by the time the game started, and the Brands army had been inherited by his third daughter, Lynn Brands.
"My father, Kafka Juliet, was Olland's personal guard."
This was a name I'd never heard before.
Unlike Lynn Brands, who was a powerful ruler in the game, Irene was just an officer with good abilities.
The game didn't detail the background settings of such officers.
"On the day I first held a sword, my father always told me something. That we live to serve the Brands family. That our very existence was because of them. Indeed, when Olland was alive, our family could live without worry."
I focused on her story without adding any comments.
"My father died protecting Olland's life."
"What happened?"
"There was an assassination attempt on Olland."
Ah.
I could roughly picture what had happened.
"At that time, right after the Empire had just fallen, people still had an 'Imperial citizen' identity, and many still followed the Aingart family. After my father died, my mother also fell ill and passed away."
"So you've been carrying on your father's will... until now?"
"Yes."
Irene looked at me more clearly than ever before as she spoke.
In her eyes, even if somewhat faded, there was a distinct pride.
"Serving the Brands family and living for them—serving Lynn Brands, who became the successor after Olland Brands passed away—is only natural for me. Don't you think so, Swen?"
"..."
I took a sip of tea without answering.
Saying "I don't think so" here wouldn't convince her anyway.
In this game, the stat that most affected officer recruitment was Charisma.
With 100 Charisma, even officers who were difficult to recruit would usually bite eagerly.
Based on my ordinary appearance, my Charisma stat would probably be around 50 to 60, though that was a meaningless thought.
Methods I used in the game to recruit legendary officers with [Loyalty 100]:
1. Raise favorability to MAX.
2. Establish a special relationship (deeper friendship than others, etc.).
3. Use strategies to lower their loyalty.
These were just three that came to mind.
Of course, from my perspective of just pressing buttons, I had no idea how to apply these in this world—but for now, doing what I could would be best.
No matter her circumstances, there must be ways to recruit Irene to our side.
'Let's start by raising her favorability.'
With that thought, I felt more at ease and carefully spoke with as much consideration in my voice as possible.
"I understand now. I see why your loyalty to Lynn remains unshaken."
"I'm glad you understand... but I'm worried I might have burdened you by sharing such personal matters when we haven't known each other long."
"It's fine. Learning about you is a truly wonderful thing for me."
"...!"
At my words, Irene's pupils dilated slightly—
Then she blushed and turned her head to the side.
Is she awkward around men?
Well, since I said it to raise her favorability, this reaction should be good.
"Ahem. Um... anyway, my story is fine to leave at that. Let's get to the main point."
She covered her mouth with her fist, cleared her throat several times, and then spoke again.
"I'd like to know the basis for the conclusion that we should attack Serphina's territory in the north."
"The basis, huh."
To be honest, I don't know either.
I just made inferences based on the results so far -> and when Farfalle conveniently asked a question, I applied it and the answer turned out to be correct.
But the fact that the result turned out that way meant something was definitely going to happen.
"..."
I considered making something up right now, but it seemed better to wait until I was more certain.
We weren't in the middle of a debate, the policy was already decided, and there wasn't much Irene could do even if she heard my reasoning.
"I have some vague ideas, but my thoughts aren't refined yet. Could you give me some time?"
"That's fine with me."
"That's a relief."
I didn't have anything to say right now anyway, so that worked out.
This was something I needed to think about alone.
At that moment.
"Swen."
"Yes?"
"...Thank you."
She said this with slightly flushed cheeks.
Why?
Whether due to her manner of speech or something else, Irene, who had seemed like a strong warrior, now appeared like a woman who simply needed someone to lean on.
"For supporting my opinion... thank you. ...It's the first time this has happened."
I spoke in a serious tone.
"Irene. Let me say this—I didn't raise my hand out of pity. I did so because I thought your opinion was the most rational. Please keep that in mind."
"...I will."
She smiled at me again.
This time, it wasn't an expression that looked like it might crumble at any moment.
*
That night.
After Irene had finished her practice and fallen asleep.
I spread out the map of the northern region I had drawn and, by the dim light of a lantern, stared at it deep in thought.
'Something is definitely happening in the north.'
Attacking the north being the optimal result was the prediction of 100 Intelligence.
But no matter how I looked at it, I couldn't see the angle.
The castles in the north all had large concentrations of troops, and if we mobilized forces to enter from our side, it would inevitably create a perfect situation for someone else to attack Kelstein.
Even looking for variables related to newly built fortresses, nothing seemed to fit.
'There's a reason Farfalle was incredulous.'
Even I, who had cleared this game thousands of times, found it absurd—how much more so for her?
Of course, since this world was based on a game that wasn't very realistic in tactical terms, it wouldn't be impossible if we used cheats to bring multiple SS-rank officers with [Siege] specialties.
But that was a meaningless assumption right now.
Anyway.
If "attacking the north" was indeed the most efficient method—it meant something seemingly impossible would actually happen.
I recalled all the variables within the game.
Everything that could happen in the game.
From those, I selected events that would put Serphina's army in distress while creating an opportunity for our army to invade.
First, I eliminated events that wouldn't benefit our army much even if they occurred.
Quite a few "variables" disappeared at this stage.
Then I organized what remained. There were three in total.
First: A natural disaster occurs.
Natural disasters existed in this game.
If you were really unlucky while playing, an earthquake could destroy your castle—something truly absurd.
What is an earthquake? It was more plausible than being destroyed by a meteor strike, though that possibility also existed, albeit remotely.
From the beginning, this was a somewhat arbitrary world where even magic-using wizards existed, so there were quite a few unfair events like this.
But the probability was extremely low. Even based on the prediction of 100 Intelligence, recalling scenes I'd rarely seen while playing the game lacked plausibility.
Unless this was the only possibility.
So let's ignore this one.
The second was the sudden death of a ruler.
If a ruler died without designating a successor, countries with many territories would likely split into three or four parts.
That's why some players used the trick of repeatedly saving and loading to assassinate rulers of large nations.
If a country split apart, it would certainly be a good time to advance into the north.
But... Serphina dying?
She was a key figure in this game who survived throughout the scenario, and in a way, was even the face of the game.
In most timelines, she was the absolute powerhouse who unified the continent.
Plus, she was young. And healthy.
So this also seemed as unlikely as a natural disaster.
Right.
Only one option remained.
A sudden increase in fronts that Serphina's army would need to respond to.
Which means—
I marked two castles in the north with O symbols.
Chorel Castle in the northwest, and Cherien Castle in the northeast.
One of these two castles.
In one of them—
'A rebellion... will occur?'
The third option.
A rebellion and uprising in a castle due to a coup.
No matter how I thought about it, this seemed like the answer.