Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100\% Accuracy-Chapter 275: The Third Woman

Hearing the soldier’s voice, I immediately turned to Reika, who sat across from me with her head down.

“Um... I think we’ve arrived, Miss Reika.”

“Y-Yes?! Ah, ah... y-yes...!”

“......”

And just like that, our conversation ended.

To be honest, ever since we left the relief camp near Kelstein Castle and began the journey here, things between me and Miss Reika had been more or less like this.

Aside from essential exchanges, we hadn’t spoken a word to each other. We couldn’t even meet each other’s eyes.

It was strange, considering we’d shared idle chatter on the way to the relief camp.

...No.

Actually, maybe it wasn’t that strange.

After all, “that” happened. Of course things had gotten awkward between us.

‘......’

Unconsciously, I swept my tongue lightly over my lips.

Even though a fair amount of time had passed, I still felt like I could taste that oddly sweet sensation lingering in the air.

‘Miss Reika... kissed me.’

Why?

Thanks to how suddenly and recklessly she charged at me, my own feelings had gotten tangled up too.

She suddenly developed feelings for me? I couldn’t recall any specific moment that might have triggered that.

She had feelings for me all along? Then wouldn’t she have said something back when the marriage talks were happening?

Wait.

Does that mean she’s actually thinking about marrying me?

Yeah, that has to be it. She didn’t seem like the type to just kiss someone she didn’t plan on marrying. Miss Reika, if anything, leaned more toward the shy and reserved type.

‘Hmm...’

No matter how I tried to piece it together, I still couldn’t figure out what made her act so impulsively—but if you asked me whether I disliked it, the answer would be no.

I glanced over at Miss Reika’s face.

Her pale skin looked soft and cozy, her chest gave off the impression of being pretty big, and her plump thighs peeked out beneath her skirt.

For someone who liked soft things, she had the kind of body that definitely matched that taste.

And not just her body—her face too... it was on the pretty side. It only seemed plain compared to someone like Serpina, who had an entirely different class of beauty. But in truth, Reika was more than attractive enough to charm plenty of men. She just didn’t have the confidence to use it.

Did I dislike kissing a girl like that?

If it had been someone I just met, maybe I would’ve felt awkward. But with someone like Miss Reika, someone I’d spent a decent amount of time with...

Bottom line: I liked it. Honestly. My reaction as a man made that clear enough.

Either way, I didn’t want to keep dragging this awkwardness out.

We lived under the same roof, after all. If ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) this weird tension continued, even Lady Airen would start to feel uncomfortable.

And now that we’d arrived in the capital, maybe it was finally a good time to say something.

“Um, Miss Reika.”

“Hiiieek...!”

“......”

Just as I started thinking that I might actually get my feelings hurt here, Reika quickly waved her hands and said,

“N-no! L-L-Lord Swen, I-I’m sorry...! I was just... thinking about something else...”

“Really? Are you not in the mood to talk?”

“N-no, I can talk! Totally! Totally fine... I think...”

With that, she ducked her head again and started murmuring things like “I’m sorry” and “I’ll just die,” as if mumbling to herself.

“...You know... about what happened that day.”

“......!”

“You remember, right?”

At my words, Miss Reika gave a few small nods.

She didn’t respond aloud, but her face turned red like a ripe tomato.

“Um... honestly, I was a little caught off guard, but... I didn’t dislike it or anything.”

“Ah... y-yes.”

“So, I mean... that.”

...Damn it.

I was trying to keep my tone as casual as possible, but saying it out loud really was harder than I thought.

I rubbed my now-burning forehead and looked away from her as I continued.

“So, um... let’s just treat it like it never happened...”

“......!”

“I mean, don’t let it get to you too much. I’d really prefer it if you could just act normal. If things stay weird between us, I think I’d end up feeling really lonely.”

After saying that, I waited—maybe for longer than I realized—for her to reply.

But when I turned toward her, no response came.

“......”

“Miss Reika...?”

Tears were streaming from her eyes.

Startled, I quickly leaned in toward her.

“W-what’s wrong? Miss Reika?”

“A-ah, it’s just... um...”

She hurriedly wiped at her tears with her sleeves.

From the way she looked, it seemed like even she didn’t know why she was crying.

“I mean... huh? I just, um...”

‘......??’

My brain went into overdrive.

Even if I typed in “Why is Reika Nighhardt suddenly crying?” into my head, I probably wouldn’t get any solid answers.

So instead, I had to think about what I could do right now.

‘...Could it be.’

Luckily, I had a guess.

Saying it out loud was incredibly embarrassing, but... more than my embarrassment, I hated seeing Miss Reika cry.

“When I said ‘let’s treat it like it never happened,’ I didn’t mean it literally.”

“...What?”

“It's just... if we keep being awkward and embarrassed about what happened, then it'll get harder to even talk to each other, right? So let’s just let it go. Accept it. That’s all I meant. That, um... the kiss... I wasn’t saying it was meaningless or that nothing happened at all.”

For some reason, it felt like that was the right answer. Maybe what made her cry was thinking I’d treated that kiss as if it meant nothing.

Just a moment ago, I couldn’t even look her in the eye because I was so flustered—yet now, here I was, saying things like this just because I saw her crying.

It was clear I had a weakness for seeing people cry. It had been the same with Lady Serpina, and with Lady Airen too.

“So... please don’t cry. Okay?”

“......”

Instead of replying, Reika opened her arms and hugged me.

I returned the hug, pulling her gently into my arms.

Her warmth enveloped me. I could feel her shoulders trembling with little sobs, and the same sweet scent I’d caught during the kiss tickled my nose once again.

‘Maybe... maybe it’s time I start thinking a little more seriously about marriage...’

I’d kept telling myself, “I can always decide after I return to Luna’s army”—but really, there was no harm in settling things now.

Marriage, huh.

I thought back to the women I’d imagined as potential partners.

Lady Airen.

Miss Reika.

And then――

‘...Ah.’

At that point, a certain person’s face popped into my mind before I even realized it.

That person was...

***

“So, it’s today.”

Serpina’s voice held a strange note of excitement, more than usual. Airen responded with a light tone, slightly more cheerful herself.

“If there are no delays in the schedule, he should be arriving today.”

“Fufu... You can’t quite hide the joy in your voice, can you, Airen?”

Airen responded with nothing but a soft smile.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

Since that night—when they’d confessed their feelings to each other over drinks—the relationship between Airen and Serpina had grown significantly closer.

Part of it, no doubt, was due to Airen’s role as her personal guard, which meant they spent nearly every waking moment side by side.

Regardless, during this time, Serpina had become more than just someone Airen owed a debt of gratitude to. She was becoming something far greater.

It felt like the most fulfilling role of her entire life in public service—finally, she was serving a master truly worth following. That sentiment filled her with strength.

Serpina, too, kept Airen closer than any other advisor.

Of course, it had once been Swen who stood in that place, and she wanted someone close to him by her side. But more than that, she felt certain—at least with Airen—she wouldn’t be stabbed in the back.

And honestly, compared to Swen—who carried with him that odd air of tension, both strategic and sexual—being with another woman like Airen was simply... more comfortable.

A ruler talking about sexual tension might sound scandalous, but Serpina was human, after all.

The point is, the bond between them had changed completely since Swen left.

“Just for today, stay by his side, Airen. He’s been through a lot. I’m sure he’ll need you.”

“Pardon? But... wouldn’t it be better to give him some time to rest alone, since he’s just finished such a grueling mission...?”

Hearing Airen’s genuine concern, Serpina let out a quiet chuckle.

“If you’re being completely serious, then you really are something, Airen. You’re making me reconsider what kind of woman suits Swen’s tastes. Quite the response.”

“Ah...”

Airen flushed red and looked down, suddenly shy.

She wasn’t entirely sure what Serpina meant by that... but hearing her speak like that didn’t feel bad.

It was like their wavelengths just... matched. On a human level.

Especially compared to how oil-and-water things had been with Lyn, this felt like a welcome change.

Serpina didn’t press the subject further, instead shifting to their usual kind of conversation.

“Well, I suppose it’s time I got back to what needs doing. The plague seems to be settling down...”

“Are you planning to go to war?”

“There’s no better opportunity to return to the central continent. I’m still wary of interference, but... it’s something I should at least discuss with Swen.”

Airen nodded in agreement.

The Aishus Army—once a threat—had been reduced to a third of its strength. The Carlints and Chel factions were both in chaos from the outbreak as well.

This was, without a doubt, a golden opportunity for Serpina’s forces.

It might not be feasible to move right away, since there could still be traces of the plague—but...

“Still, it would be nice if we could act quickly this time. Something odd is happening in the south.”

“The south?”

“Yes. It seems the rumor that the rebels defeated the Karelia Army is true.”

At the word “rebels,” Airen’s shoulders flinched ever so slightly.

Of course. That rebel force was none other than the newly formed Lunarian Army.

Swen had said he’d be heading there soon, but for some reason, he was still here... Not that it mattered much to Airen. Her loyalty was to Swen, not Luna, so where he was didn’t change her priorities.

“Then, the rumor about a mage appearing—was that true as well?”

“It seems likely. After all, when you’re that outmatched in numbers, something extraordinary has to tip the scales.”

The rebels had taken down a full army, and now—conveniently—a mage had appeared.

Swen’s words suddenly came back to her: “The one who will become the unifying monarch... is Lunarian.”

“With Karelia’s fall, the long-standing balance in the southern continent may be broken. That’s what I believe. Which means we can’t afford to sit still either.”

Having said that, Serpina turned to Airen with a neutral expression.

“By the way—do you remember the name of the rebel leader?”

“If you mean the leader of the rebels... Lunarian Iniang, correct?”

“Yes, Lunarian. Lunarian Iniang...”

...Huh?

The moment she heard that name, Serpina’s eyes widened, and her pupils shrank.

They began to tremble—just slightly.

She had heard before that “Kyle von Eingart declared himself a supporter of Lunarian.”

At the time, it hadn’t meant much. After all, the name she’d heard was just “Lunarian.”

But now... what?

Lunarian... Iniang...?

“My lady...?”

Airen’s voice was filled with concern—but Serpina didn’t hear it.

Instead, what echoed in her mind was――

“Your Highness, please... bring peace once more to this continent torn by chaos... So that my little brother can live without fear... Please, rebuild the unified empire... This is my final request...”

“If someone like you became my sister-in-law... it would’ve been so wonderful... I’m sorry... I wasn’t good enough...”

The woman who had died right in front of her—the mistress of her brother, Algott.

Aria Iniang.