Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 223: The End of Fate

As if the entire world had stopped, Luna's vision froze—

and in that stillness, she saw him.

The white-haired man. The strategist.

The first person who had joined their army when no one else paid them any attention.

The man who had promised to place the world in her hands—Swen.

Luna remembered every single word they had exchanged.

Of course, she also remembered everything she had said.

Swen knew.

He knew that Serpina was her sworn enemy.

He knew that Serpina was the one who had brutally killed her elder sister, the unofficial concubine of the Crown Prince.

That meant he understood everything.

So how could he possibly be helping Serpina of his own free will?

After all, Swen was hers.

A strategist who existed only for her.

Him working for her enemy—it was an impossibility. At least, in Luna’s mind.

Wasn’t he the very man who had declared he would bring her the world?

Hadn’t he said that as long as nothing happened, he would always stay by her side?

There was no way Swen was in the wrong.

The idea that he was willingly aiding Serpina—it was absurd.

This wasn't a matter of Luna being unable to accept reality.

It was simply something as natural as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

If Swen was truly working for Serpina,

it was as impossible as the sun rising in the west.

And when she reached that conclusion, only one possibility remained.

Swen is... being threatened.

Yes!

If Swen was being threatened by that vile woman—

If his life was in danger—then everything started to make sense.

"Lord Swen...!!"

Thud.

Luna collapsed onto the ground.

"There’s no way Lord Swen would help someone like Serpina of his own accord... He must be under some kind of life-threatening coercion. He has no choice but to cooperate with her."

Thinking that, everything clicked into place.

But at the same time, she couldn't stop the sharp pain gnawing at her heart.

"Lord Swen... You... you sacrificed yourself for me... for our army... And now, you are suffering under that wretched woman."

And she—

She had spent all this time wondering why he hadn’t returned, entertaining foolish thoughts.

She should have acted sooner.

She should have moved faster, thrown away things like justification and honor, and made her move, no matter how underhanded the methods.

While Swen endured an unbearable humiliation working under Serpina—

she had wasted time waiting for the right moment, pretending to be a noble leader.

"This cannot go on...!"

"...Violet."

"!!!!"

Violet, who had been silent this whole time, instinctively took a step back.

She had never felt such an overwhelming chill before.

Luna’s eyes... were dead.

The woman who had always looked at her and everyone else with warmth—

was now like a completely different person, possessed by something else.

"We cannot sit still any longer. We must prepare for war. We can’t... we can’t keep him waiting any longer."

"W-Waiting...? We can’t keep him waiting...?"

"..."

At that moment—

Tears started flowing from Luna’s eyes.

"L-Lady Luna...?"

"Lord Swen... even now... even now..."

"He is suffering under that demonic woman."

"Groaning in agony... forced into submission... doing things against his will..."

"Swen is trapped under Serpina’s thumb, drowning in misery."

"So... I cannot—"

"I will not waste any more precious time."

"Every single second that passes, the pain Lord Swen must be feeling is unimaginable...!"

"I... I..."

To be honest—

Violet found it difficult to say anything to Luna in her current state.

But she had to speak.

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Because she could not understand what Luna was saying.

"...May I ask something?"

"...?"

"That is... um... Is it truly such a painful thing... for Lord Swen to be serving under Serpina’s army?"

"Of course it is!!"

Before Violet could even finish her sentence, Luna exploded with fury.

The sheer force of her voice was unlike anything Violet had ever witnessed before.

"I-I... that is, I..."

But no matter how strange her lord was acting—

Violet had to say this.

Because this was the duty of a strategist.

"Lord Swen... is, um... from what I’ve heard, in Serpina’s army..."

"..."

"He... appears to be doing quite well, actually?"

"..."

"It’s even said that Serpina herself is quite fond of him."

Violet shut her eyes, lowered her head, and simply waited for Luna’s response.

How long did the silence last?

Finally, Luna’s voice—cold as ice—pierced through the air.

"That is nonsense."

"...Pardon? I-Is there any reason you’re certain of that?"

Violet had expected Luna to explain it logically in her usual manner.

But instead—

"Because it must be nonsense, obviously."

The words that reached her ears were chilling.

Luna, who had always gazed upon others with warm eyes, now looked at Violet with deadened eyes, her voice as sharp as a blade that could cut with the slightest touch.

"Of all people, do you think Lord Swen could ever be happy under that wretched Serpina?"

"‘Favor’? ‘Affection’? It’s all just a game. It’s nothing more than a form of cruel torment. She forces people into her grasp, manipulates them at will, and enjoys it. Lord Swen has simply been caught in her web. And now that such disgusting rumors have spread, he’ll only be put in an even worse position."

"She is vile. Beyond words... the lowest of the low."

After saying that, Luna let out a short sigh.

A flicker of light shone in her ruby-red eyes.

Violet, witnessing that terrifying gaze ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ firsthand, found herself unable to speak further about what she had learned.

"Violet, I understand that you believed such words because you didn’t know any better. But if you understood what kind of heart Lord Swen had when he left us... If you understood what he truly felt—"

At that moment, her tears, which had been welling up, began to drip onto the floor.

It was the first time.

The first time Luna, who always carried an untouchable charisma beneath her warmth, had ever cried so wretchedly.

"If you knew what it must be like... for him to be working under the very woman who is our sworn enemy... you would never believe such lies."

"My lady, I only—"

"It’s all nonsense."

Luna cut Violet off.

"I don’t know what you’ve heard, but it’s all baseless rumors. Violet, from now on, learn to filter out the nonsense. Understood?"

Perhaps it should have been a relief—Luna’s voice had softened again, returning to her usual kindness.

But no...

Her voice was still hers, but it felt as though it belonged to someone else entirely.

This person...

"Do you understand?"

—She’s terrifying...!

"...Y-Yes, my lady. I... I deeply apologize."

"It’s fine, Violet. As long as you understand now, that’s enough. Things will get very busy from here on, so prepare yourself. Got it?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Good."

Luna rose from her seat without another word and walked away.

Violet watched her retreating figure in silence, lost in thought.

The moment she had heard the phrase ‘a young man with white hair,’ she had immediately begun searching for any veteran generals who had spent time in the Northern Continent.

By sheer luck, she had found an elderly man who had previously served in Serpina’s army but had retired due to age, returning to his homeland.

According to the old soldier, he had never been directly involved in central politics, so much of what he knew was based on rumors.

But one thing was clear—Swen was favored by Serpina.

No—‘favor’ didn’t even begin to describe it.

There were even rumors that the strikingly handsome Swen had completely ensnared Serpina, like a cunning fox.

That wasn’t all.

The female knight who had joined Serpina’s army alongside Swen had been granted an incredibly high rank in an exceptionally short period.

So then...

If Luna’s claim was true—that Swen was being threatened and forced to work under Serpina—

Then why would she favor him?

If tormenting him was the goal, why would she grant his companion a high position?

Violet kept these thoughts to herself, unable to voice them.

Instead, she recalled Luna’s chilling expression from moments ago.

Why?

Who exactly was this Swen—the white-haired mage?

What was he to Lady Luna...?

What kind of person could shake Luna so violently, a woman who was always composed, always noble?

At that moment, young Violet realized something.

If her lord, Luna—Lunarian—were ever to be led astray, it would be because of him.

And—

As Violet remained deep in thought, Luna, now outside the royal palace, wiped away her freely flowing tears with her sleeve.

She made a vow once more.

"I was foolish, Lord Swen."

"But now..."

"I will no longer leave you to suffer in pain and torment."

"First, I must deal with Karelia’s forces as quickly as possible."

"Then, I will find a way to unify the Southern Continent... and advance into the Central Continent."

The Aishus army—the ones suspected of selling off Swen.

And the Serpina army—the ones who had forced him into submission.

Luna slowly opened her hand.

A delicate, pale hand—far too untainted by blood to belong to a warlord.

But she knew.

Meeting Swen had been fate.

From the very beginning, he had bet everything on her.

More than Brans, more than Aishus, more than Serpina—he had believed that she would unite the continent.

He was the one who had shown her that hope.

Even now, Luna could feel it.

The string of fate connecting her to Swen.

It was invisible to the eye—yet she had never once forgotten that it was there.

Yes.

Perhaps what she lacked...

Was blood.

Only when her hands were drenched in red—only when they were fully stained—

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Would the fate binding her to Swen reveal itself, gleaming crimson in the light.

And so—

No matter what it took—

She would deal with them herself.

"Lord Swen, just wait a little longer. I—Luna—will save you... ♥"

"Just a little longer... just a little more...!"

***

At that very moment, within the walls of Eingart Castle—

"However, there is something I must ask of you."

Serpina’s golden eyes sparkled as she gazed at Swen, her voice dripping with warmth.

"Become my consort, Swen."

—Though Luna’s assumptions were very off the mark, in the end—

Swen was, indeed, in quite the predicament.