Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 203: A New Power

Descending into the underground prison, Serpina strode forward to confront one of the key figures of the rebellion—Arck.

Arck had been an old friend of Reni, her former knight who had betrayed her. The two had served the Eingart Empire together since their youth.

Perhaps because of that, he had also known Serpina when she was a child.

Facing a rebel like this...

Moments like these had always been unbearable for her.

It was the time when she had to listen to those who once swore loyalty to her, now spewing venom, revealing their hatred for her.

And the most painful part?

Much of that hatred was directed at her for crimes she hadn’t even committed.

Of course, it had been her choice to bear it all.

But no one, no matter how powerful, could ever truly become accustomed to being despised.

Even an emperor could not escape the suffocating loneliness that came from realizing their people did not worship them.

And this time...

It wasn’t just another rebellion.

It was a betrayal from a knight she had trusted.

Under normal circumstances, she might have collapsed under the weight of it all.

But this time...

She was different.

With lighter steps than usual, Serpina reached the prison and lifted her chin as she spoke in a firm, commanding tone.

"If you have something to say, say it now, Arck. You won’t get another chance after tomorrow."

"...Princess Serpina."

"Who do you claim to serve? Algott? Sidmid? There are plenty of fools like you who threw away their lives chasing after the ghosts of the dead."

"Princess."

Arck slowly raised his head and met her gaze.

"I serve no one, Princess. The enemy I wished to destroy... was the Eingart bloodline itself."

Arck closed his eyes for a moment.

"I have watched, far too closely, the unending slaughter in the name of imperial succession. Reni and I swore that when the time came, we would purge the Eingart family, a house steeped in sin. And since you were so kind as to kill the rest of your family, all that remained was to eliminate you. You actually made our plans much easier. The irony, don’t you think?"

Then, he opened his eyes again, glaring at her with burning hatred.

"The kind-hearted princess... Yes, Serpina. When I saw you stain your hands with the blood of your own kin, I understood something. The Eingart bloodline is a curse. Those who bear it... they crave blood! It is inevitable!"

"......"

Serpina did not respond.

She kept her thoughts to herself and simply let him speak.

"Do you know why we revealed that we were behind the assassination attempt, Princess? Because that was Reni’s final wish. The Eingart bloodline has no right to rule this continent. After all the lives it has claimed, how could it still dare to sit on the throne?"

"So what you truly wanted... was to take the throne for yourself? Without a single thought to the chaos it would bring?"

"Isn’t this already an era of chaos, Princess? Or have you forgotten? Two-thirds of the continent no longer live under the Eingart banner."

"...Such a trivial argument."

Serpina slowly rose to her feet, looking down at Arck with cold disdain.

"You are nothing but a man who would crumble under the very weight of the crown you claim I should cast aside. There is no need to listen to the useless barking of a coward."

"Princess. As I said, I am not the end. Consider this a warning from an old acquaintance—if you wish to live, step down now and disappear into obscurity. The Empire is finished. You cannot stop the tide of a new era!"

"...Perhaps I couldn’t have. Before."

Serpina turned away, pausing only to give him one last glance.

"But not anymore."

And with that, she left the prison.

Yes.

If it had been the old her, she might have been shaken by his words.

Just like when Lahelven had crushed her with a single remark, she might have let herself drown in self-pity, lamenting a fate she could not escape.

But not anymore.

Because I have him.

Because I have Swen.

As long as Swen was with her—

She could rebuild the Empire.

With his perfect foresight, with the truth in his words, she would never stray.

As long as he was there to shield her from the storm—

Even the cursed fate of the Eingart bloodline was something she could overcome.

Just the thought of him was enough to sweep away her confusion.

Swen was her anchor.

It didn’t matter if the world rejected her.

As long as he stayed by her side—

As long as he continued to follow her—

Serpina feared nothing.

I will prove it to the world.

I will prove that I am right!

And so, as time passed...

More and more, Swen’s existence seeped into every part of Serpina’s being.

This was no longer something Swen alone could stop.

Even Serpina herself could no longer halt this tide.

***

The next day.

Every last rebel who had dared to threaten Serpina’s life was executed.

The key figure, Arck, was wiped out along with his entire bloodline for three generations, and any soldiers who had actively participated in the rebellion were sentenced to death.

Of course, the number of survivors was already low—after all, Reika and I had bombarded them with magic without restraint.

And as for Reika herself—

"Ugh... I’m so sorry, Lord Swen. I should be recovering faster... I need to resume training soon..."

"It’s fine. You pushed yourself too hard on the battlefield. For now, just rest."

Not long after the battle, she had collapsed from exhaustion, and even after returning to the manor, she was still confined to bed.

This battle had been her first real use of magic in a true combat scenario.

Until now, she had only played around with small spells, using magic for practice rather than unleashing it with deadly force.

But this time, she had poured every ounce of her mana into it.

Naturally, her body couldn’t handle it.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

In the original game, powerful magic users had a built-in cooldown to maintain balance.

But here, that same concept had translated into mana exhaustion, which directly affected Reika’s physical condition.

Or rather, it was probably the other way around—since the game couldn’t realistically show physical strain, they had simply implemented a cooldown mechanic instead.

This time, she had pushed herself to the absolute limit, casting the largest spells she could to maximize the amplification effect of my rapier.

It would take a long time before she could use her magic at full capacity again.

"I can’t even help with household chores... and even when I try to gather mana again, it’s not working... Lord Swen, could it be that I’ve broken myself? If I can’t even use magic anymore... then I really am just a useless woman who only eats and takes up space..."

"Not at all. You just need time to recover. The more you push yourself, the longer it will take. As your teacher, I guarantee you’ll be fine."

"Really...?"

I nodded.

I wasn’t lying.

If she took enough time to properly rest, her magic would naturally return.

Seeing my confident expression seemed to ease her worries.

Finally, she covered her mouth with one pale hand and let out a soft, relieved laugh.

"If my teacher says so... then it must be true. Hehe."

"And please don’t call yourself ‘useless.’ You’re incredibly talented, Lady Reika. You bake wonderful bread and pastries, you’re skilled in housework... Even if you had no special abilities, I’d still look after you, so don’t worry too much."

"Ah..."

Her face immediately turned bright red.

This time, instead of responding, she yanked the blanket up over her face, completely burying herself beneath it.

Only her pink bangs peeked out from under the covers, which I found oddly adorable.

"...Thank yhou..."

Her muffled voice was almost impossible to understand, but I assumed she was trying to say thank you.

But truly, it was I who should be grateful.

"No, thank you, Reika. I won’t forget what you’ve done."

Even if my rapier functioned ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) as an amplifier, she had been the one who sacrificed her own strength—who stained her hands with blood—to help me.

Magic was a terrifying force.

But choosing to use it, despite everything, was an even heavier burden.

And for that, I was grateful.

For the next few days, I stayed at the manor, looking after Reika as she recovered.

Little by little, she was becoming an irreplaceable part of my daily life.

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***

As time passed—

Although Reika had not yet fully recovered, she had regained enough strength to move around again.

However, her mana was still too depleted for combat.

And so, as soon as she was able to leave her bed—

"Reika Nighhardt, step forward."

Serpina stood at the center of the audience chamber, extending a hand toward Reika, who knelt before her.

This was an appointment ceremony.

It had been delayed due to Reika’s condition, but now, it would finally take place.

Normally, such ceremonies were rare during times of war.

Most people who joined Serpina’s army—myself and Airen included—had simply been absorbed into her ranks without any formalities.

But this was different.

This ceremony was a statement.

A public acknowledgment that Serpina recognized Reika’s worth.

She knew better than anyone that if not for Reika, many more soldiers would have died suppressing the rebellion.

And so, in a clear, unwavering voice, Serpina declared:

"Reika. Do you swear to dedicate your body and soul to my service?"

Reika, unusually composed, nodded.

And then—

"...Yes, I shwear!"

She had bitten her tongue.

What had moments ago seemed like a solemn, dignified ceremony immediately shattered as she turned bright red, breaking into a cold sweat.

"A-Ah... I-I... I’m so sorry! I’ll just—die right now! Right here! Please forgive me—!"

"If you die, then what would be the point of forgiving you?"

"A-Ah, that’s true... Then I’ll just—find a place where my lord can’t see me and die there instead... Sorry for the trouble..."

"...Fufu."

Some might have found this disrespectful in such a sacred ceremony.

But fortunately, Serpina was not one to care much for formalities.

"Reika. I’m afraid I cannot grant that request. I’ve only just gained a valuable subordinate, and I have no desire to lose you."

"Lady Serpina..."

Reika slowly lifted her head, looking up at Serpina.

And in that moment—

She finally understood what Airen had once told her.

‘Our lord is like a god among people.’

For the first time, those words made sense to her.

"I accept your oath. From this day forth, you are a member of my army."

"...Y-Yes...! I-I will do my very best...!"

This time, she did not bite her tongue.

And so, Reika Nighhardt officially became a military officer under Serpina’s command.

She was no longer a civilian.

From this moment on, she was a recognized warrior, a soldier with a place in this chaotic era.

And this had all been her choice.

If she wanted to contribute on the battlefield, then her ambiguous status had to be dealt with first.

After all, Swen and Airen couldn’t always be there to personally escort her.

Reika understood that better than anyone.

And so, the appointment ceremony came to an end.

Among those present, the most politically astute individuals instinctively sensed something.

Swen, Airen, and Reika.

These three would become Serpina’s closest advisors.

They would be the foundation of a new power.

With the repeated rebellions draining Serpina’s pool of capable officers—

Few remained who could stand against them.

Just as magic had ushered in a new era of warfare—

A new power was rising within Serpina’s army.

A fragile power.

A precarious power.

A power that could vanish like a mirage at any moment.