Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

Parfalle was overseeing the governance in place of Lyn, who had lost her ability to make sound decisions.
One day, while handling state affairs, she received an urgent summons from Lord Rem. Without hesitation, she hurried to the royal palace in Zeilant Castle.

"What is the matter?"
"Strategist... This decree just arrived…!"
"A decree? …A decree?"

The throne was vacant. Who could possibly issue a decree under these circumstances?
As the thought struck her, Parfalle’s heart sank.
'No way…!!!'

"I—I don’t fully understand what is happening either, but here, please read this…!"
Parfalle took the parchment from Rem’s trembling hands. Stripping away unnecessary embellishments, the message contained the following:
[We can no longer entrust the future of Brans Army to Lyn Brans.
It is one thing to lose most of the central continent’s territories due to reckless governance, but now, aligning with Serpina—the very fiend we have long considered our mortal enemy?
Therefore, I, Carlints Brans, hereby proclaim myself the rightful ruler of Brans Army, inheriting its legacy.
Lords loyal to me shall respond swiftly.
Any territory that fails to reply will be deemed an enemy, and we shall reclaim our land through war if necessary.

—Carlints Brans, 2nd Ruler of Brans Army.]
A rebellion.
Parfalle reeled with shock—but not for the reasons one might expect.

'Carlints Brans… is behind this?'
Carlints was currently serving as the acting lord of Arnel Castle. He might not have known the full extent of Lyn’s condition, but he was certainly aware that she required recovery.
The reason Parfalle had chosen Carlints over Chel as the acting lord was simple: he lacked the ambition for treason.

If anyone had the influence to stage a rebellion, it would be Chel, the battle-hardened warrior with a following of devoted soldiers. His military prowess alone had earned him immense respect.
Carlints, on the other hand, had no such reputation. He had never distinguished himself in battle, nor had he gathered a faction of loyalists. Even with Brans blood running through his veins, there were few who would rally behind him.
That was precisely why Parfalle had entrusted Arnel Castle to him—because he was not a man who would attempt something as reckless as a coup.

And yet, here it was. A rebellion.
Carlints Brans, of all people.
Parfalle pressed her fingers to her throbbing temple, trying to process the impossible.
"Strategist… what should we do?" Rem hesitantly asked.

"What should we do? This is treason! We must not respond to this under any circumstances. Our lord is still alive, and it is unthinkable to recognize such an act!"
"…But…"
Rem hesitated, looking troubled. He knew Lyn’s current condition was far from stable.

Parfalle, unable to lash out in frustration, merely gritted her teeth and rubbed her temples.
Why now?
She had ensured that news of Lyn’s deteriorated state was tightly controlled. Could the information have leaked?

It was the only explanation.
For Carlints, a man of no great ambition, to resort to treason—he must have known that Lyn was incapable of leading. Someone must have let the truth slip.
Once a secret left one’s lips, it was no longer a secret.

Parfalle cursed the heavens.
Why were these disasters striking Brans Army one after another?
No, she realized, something else was even more concerning.

'Chel… that prideful Chel… is following Carlints?'
Chel had only ever followed Lyn for one reason: her political acumen far exceeded his own.
He understood his strengths and weaknesses well—he had no desire to meddle in governance, and he knew Lyn was the right ruler. That was why he had served her without complaint.

But Carlints?
This translation is the intellectual property of .
Carlints was inferior to Chel in every way—politically, militarily, strategically. He wasn’t incompetent, but compared to Chel, he was nothing more than a common noble.

And yet, Chel had allowed Carlints to claim the throne?
That was impossible.
For the decree to have reached Zeilant Castle, Chel—who was stationed near the capital—would have had to know about it. The odds of him being completely unaware were next to none.

A suffocating sense of unease gripped Parfalle.
Then—
"Lord Strategist!"

A soldier rushed into the audience chamber, panting.
"What is it?"
"F-from Heiser Castle…! A rebellion…!!"

"!!!"
"If this is about Carlints, we are already aware," Rem said calmly. "We will not side with them."
But unlike Rem, who remained composed, Parfalle stiffened completely upon hearing the soldier’s words.

Heiser Castle.
A crucial military stronghold near Arnel Castle.
And…

Carlints was not stationed in Heiser Castle.
"Wait… did you say Heiser Castle?"
"Y-yes…!" The soldier stammered, his voice trembling.

"In Heiser Castle… General Chel has risen in revolt…!!"
"Ah…!!"
Thud.

"Strategist…!!"
Parfalle collapsed onto her knees, and Rem quickly rushed to support her.
Brans Army had barely managed to stabilize the northern front after their humiliating defeat. They were still struggling to reclaim their lost glory—

And now, everything was crumbling.
The greatest rival of Serpina’s forces, Brans Army…
It was shattering into three factions, spiraling into self-destruction.

All because of the butterfly effect caused by their alliance with Serpina’s army.
[This was an efficient alliance, one that would greatly benefit our forces.]
Swen’s 100 Intelligence had predicted this outcome with perfect accuracy—

But Parfalle, a strategist of a foreign army, had no way of knowing that.
"This… this can’t be happening…"
For the first time, Parfalle had no answer.

There was no way to restore the shattered Brans Army.
Even if a solution existed, it was beyond her reach.
Before the ironclad logic of Swen’s predictions, she could do nothing.

'Is this… really the end?'
If this had happened under normal circumstances, she might have found a way to turn things around.
But with Brans Army splintered into three factions, she lacked the authority to lead a nation in crisis.

Even now, with Lyn absent from the throne, her position as acting regent would be questioned. The generals would demand to know why their ruler had not taken command—
And if that truth were revealed…
'No… No, please…!!'

Parfalle was spiraling into despair when—
"Parfalle!"
"……?"

Parfalle lifted her head and turned toward the voice calling her name.
That voice…
It was her lord, Lyn Brans.

"Lord…?"
"I'm sorry. …It looks like I've caused you a lot of trouble."
Parfalle gazed up at her sovereign.

Lyn had been lost in trauma, completely detached from reality.
And yet, now—her expression was completely different from before.
"Lord, could it be…?"

"Yes. I remember now. …Everything."
"Lord…!!!"
Parfalle, still kneeling, broke into sobs before her.

At the very last moment, when everything was about to be extinguished like a candle in the wind, Lyn Brans had miraculously regained her senses.
Parfalle had never believed in gods.
But at this moment, it felt as if heaven had answered her prayers.

No matter the reason, this was an incredible relief.
"This is… this is truly fortunate…! Thank the heavens…!"
"Lord, have you… really returned to yourself?"

Beside them, Rem cautiously asked.
Lyn nodded.
"Yes. And I owe you as well, Rem. I’m sorry."

"Not at all. This is truly a relief."
Lyn spoke in a calm tone.
"In any case… I heard most of it on my way here. It seems a rebellion has broken out. Is that correct?"

"Lord, well…"
"It’s fine. …Half of this is my fault anyway. Who is behind it? Brother Chel? Or someone else?"
"…Both General Chel and General Carlints are leading separate rebellions."

"What? So they joined forces after all?"
"No… It seems they each launched their own rebellion."
"…I see."

Lyn let out a deep sigh before leaning down and pulling Parfalle to her feet.
"The best course of action right now is defense. Who is holding Arnel Castle?"
"General Carlints."

"Then that means the capital defense forces are under his control. If those two have split their factions, then any officers with true loyalty would have sided with Brother Chel.
With most of our forces and armaments lost, reclaiming Arnel Castle is impossible."
"Lord…!"

Seeing Lyn calmly assessing the situation, Parfalle caught a glimpse of the brilliant mind she once knew.
"For now, we need to notify the lords that I am still alive and rally any factions that have not yet joined the rebellion to build the strongest defense possible.
What do you think?"

"I agree. It is the most viable option. Considering that General Chel and General Carlints are in direct opposition, they are unlikely to form an alliance.
We might even be able to exploit the situation to our advantage.
Observing for now may be the best course of action."

"…Understood. Things will get busy starting today.
I’m sorry for everything you've had to endure, Parfalle."
"No, my lord. I, Parfalle, will remain by your side and serve you until the very end."

Lyn did not respond.
Instead, /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ she gave Rem a few brief orders before quietly exiting the audience chamber.
Listening to Parfalle’s footsteps following behind her, Lyn fell into deep thought.

Looking at things objectively, even if they survived this crisis, the chances of Brans Army ever becoming a unified empire were now gone.
With the nation divided into three, there was no future for a Brans-led unification.
But—they could not afford to fall like this.

If nothing else, they would not perish through mere self-destruction.
Even if their end was inevitable, they would go down as a nation that fought to its last breath.
Because if they failed to do so—

Lyn forced herself to hold back the tears welling up.
She had no right to face Airen otherwise.
Airen had fought with her life on the line to protect Brans Army.

No.
They could not fall like this.
Even if it was too late, Lyn could not betray Airen's sacrifice any further.

'Even if Airen never forgives me… I will fight for the name of Brans until the very end.
I will not let us vanish without a fight.'
The dream of a unified empire that Lyn had once pursued had long since crumbled under the weight of her own mistakes.

But now, freed from that ambition, Lyn Brans shone brighter than ever before.
Ironically, this was the very potential that her father, Oland Brans, had recognized in her long ago.