Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 240: Retreat to the Border, and What Follows (5)

How many more soldiers did she shove aside as she ran?

Finally, the doors to the audience chamber came into view, and Emma burst through them without hesitation.

"Ah...."

The moment she arrived, her eyes immediately fell upon her comrades—

Epinnel, Anima, and Yuri.

One of them was missing.

The man who had always stood there, unwavering, protecting them—he was nowhere to be found.

"...Yuri."

Emma’s voice trembled as she spoke.

"Where... where is Ern?"

"..."

"No... it can’t be true, can it?"

Emma slowly approached Yuri, her voice shaking.

"Ern... Ern is dead... is that... what you’re telling me?"

The moment she uttered the word ‘dead’—the emotions she had been suppressing surged violently.

Her voice quivered beyond control, and tears began to fall from her eyes.

Neither Epinnel, nor Anima, nor even Yuri could bring themselves to answer her question.

"Why won’t you say anything...?"

Step. Step.

Emma walked closer to her lord, Yuri.

By now, they were close enough that she could reach out and touch her.

It was an act of absolute disrespect for a subordinate, but at this moment, their relationship was no longer just that of ruler and vassal.

"Answer me, Yuri! Tell me if Ern is really dead!!!!"

Emma grabbed Yuri by the collar.

Absurd events were unfolding one after another, yet Yuri did not show any anger.

She simply let herself be grabbed, remaining silent.

"Emma! Calm down...!"

Anima and Epinnel, who had been watching with sorrowful eyes, tried to intervene.

But the very person being held back—Yuri—raised a hand to stop them.

Then, with her gaze alone, she signaled them.

...Let me handle this. Please.

"Emma."

Facing Emma, who was unable to suppress her grief, Yuri finally spoke—her voice quiet, barely audible.

"...I’m really sorry."

"Ah... Ahh."

Thud.

At those words, Emma’s strength gave out, and she collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Why... why... why did this have to happen?!"

The five of them had always been close. But among them, there were especially strong bonds—

Like Yuri and Anima, who had been like sisters since their academy days.

Like Emma and Hernandorf, who had served together since their time as mere soldiers.

They had trusted each other, fought alongside each other, and survived together to reach this moment.

They had believed they would always be together.

But the battlefield was both unfair and fair in its own way.

Anyone could become a hero, and anyone could lose their life in an instant.

Given Hernandorf’s reckless style of fighting—always at the vanguard—it was, in hindsight, a miracle he had survived this long.

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!"

Yuri closed her eyes and remained silent as Emma wept.

She waited.

She waited until Emma’s grief ran its course.

Epinnel turned her gaze away, looking to the side.

Anima wiped her tears away with her sleeve.

He was gone.

Hernandorf.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

The man who had been a pillar of strength, an unshakable force—was no longer with them.

Anima stole a glance at Yuri’s face.

The dark circles under her eyes told her everything.

The one suffering the most right now—was undoubtedly Yuri.

It had been her decision.

To send Hernandorf to lead the vanguard, to appoint Anima as commander, to capture the castle with minimal troops—

That had been her call.

Even if it hadn’t been her direct order, she was still the ruler.

She bore the ultimate responsibility.

How much time had passed?

Finally, when Emma’s sobs began to subside, Yuri slowly opened her eyes.

"Emma... just wait. Your enemy—our enemy—will pay for this."

Her eyes, shining with two different colors, blazed with fury, as if she was ready to devour someone whole.

"Wait a moment."

At the mention of revenge, Anima, who had been silently wiping her tears, suddenly spoke.

"Are you thinking of waging an all-out war against Chel’s forces?"

"What else is there to do?"

"..."

Anima hesitated, looking at Yuri, who barely held onto her composure.

She understood how she felt.

She was angry, too.

But the best course of action was ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ not to go to war with Chel—it was to change course and target the Hesna forces instead.

"...Do you have something to say, Anima?"

A low, cold voice.

Unlike the Yuri they all knew, her tone was sharp enough to cut.

Anima... could not say a word. freewebnøvel.com

She could have spoken.

She wasn’t afraid.

But her guilt held her back.

Because it was Yuri who had thrown away everything—her pride, her dignity—to save her.

Had it not been for Yuri, her head would have rolled under Serpina’s orders.

Serpina, that treacherous, cunning woman—

She would have used Anima’s life as nothing more than a chess piece to strike at Yuri.

Anima had escaped that fate because Yuri had traded her own honor to save her.

And Anima was the beneficiary of that sacrifice.

Even if she had never asked for it...

Even if she never wanted it...

The fact remained that she was alive because of Yuri.

How could she ignore that debt?

Because of that, Anima could not say—

‘Hernandorf wouldn’t have wanted this.’

‘We should act in Aishus’ long-term interest instead of chasing revenge.’

‘If we prepare, an opportunity for vengeance will come.’

She couldn’t say it.

Because Yuri’s sacrifice to save her—

Had become a shackle that now bound Anima in return.

"...Forget it. Now isn’t the time to argue."

Yuri, after glancing at Anima’s conflicted expression, turned to Emma.

She reached out her hand.

"Emma. Stand up."

"...Hic."

"Let’s avenge him. Hernandorf’s death. And Chel Brans—"

Yuri’s brow twitched.

A level of fury she had never felt before.

From this moment forward, Chel Brans was now her greatest enemy—

Even more than Serpina.

"He needs to understand exactly what he has done, don’t you think?"

"We’ll take his head with our own hands, mount it on the walls of Valharat Castle—"

"And honor Hernandorf’s soul. Do you understand?"

After muttering those words, Yuri turned to Epinnel.

"Epinnel. Prepare the troops immediately."

"You’re launching an invasion right away?"

"Yes."

Epinnel thought for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"...Got it. Leave it to me. I have my own debts to settle with that bastard."

"Good. Thank you."

Anima, seeing Yuri force a smile as she said those words...

Slowly closed her eyes and lowered her head.

—There’s nothing I can do.

Even though she knew something was terribly wrong, the cruel reality was—

That in this situation, she was powerless.

And that truth weighed heavier on her than ever before.

"So, General Hernandorf... is dead."

After returning home, I relayed the news I had heard from Serpina to Airen and Reika.

"That’s... Lord Hernandorf..."

Both of them must have known him.

Reika had spent a considerable amount of time at Valharat Castle, and Airen had once worked under Yuri alongside me.

If anything, Airen, as a fellow warrior, likely had a closer bond with Hernandorf than I did.

"For now, it looks like Chel’s forces and the Aishus Army will be waging a full-scale war."

As I spoke, Airen, as if knowing I would say that, poured tea into my empty cup.

It wasn’t intentional, but the tea leaves were the same kind I used to drink often when we lived together in the Aishus Army.

"That is likely. Lady Yuri valued the Founders greatly. The proof of that is that you, Swen, are here."

"There doesn’t seem to be anything to gain from fighting Chel’s forces, but she’s not the type to change her mind."

"That is true..."

Airen probably knew as well—that this was not the best choice for Aishus.

No matter how one looked at it, this decision risked wasting all the potential Aishus had built up so far.

"Um..."

At that moment—

Reika, who had been quietly listening, raised her hand and joined the conversation.

"Reika, is there something you’d like to say?"

"Well, I... spoke with Lady Serpina about something..."

"Hm?"

"..."

Reika hesitated, glancing between us, then bowed her head multiple times before speaking.

"I-I’m sorry! I just... I need to organize my thoughts first... I’ll tell you once I have them straight. Trying to put it into words right now feels overwhelming..."

"It’s fine. Take your time and explain when you’re ready."

"Ugh... I feel bad, though..."

"No need to apologize, Lady Reika. If it’s not urgent, taking the time to think things through is important."

"Airen niiim..."

Reika murmured, leaning her head against Airen’s shoulder.

Airen, flustered, turned slightly red but didn’t push her away.

I was curious about what Reika had wanted to say, but I knew by now that she was someone who needed time to process things.

Instead, my attention was drawn to something else entirely.

‘...They’ve gotten quite close, haven’t they?’

I wondered when they had grown this familiar, but from my perspective, there was nothing bad about them getting along.

Then—

‘...!’

Why?

For some reason, in that moment, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Serpina and Luna—

As if they were sitting in the empty chairs, laughing and talking alongside these two.

I blinked a few times. ...A hallucination?

"Swen...?"

Noticing something was off, Airen looked at me with concern.

"Ah... It’s nothing. I guess I’m just feeling a little tired today."

"Is that so? Well, if you say so..."

"Um, but if you ever need help... please, you have to tell us...!"

Seeing Reika looking so anxious, I forced a reassuring smile.

"I will."

It wasn’t anything troubling.

I had no idea why I had suddenly seen that vision—

But if those two could truly stand together and smile one day, that would be something wonderful.

And so, I spent the rest of the evening with the two people by my side.

...There were still so many things left to do.