Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy Chapter 153: An Unexpected Reunion (5)

When did it start?

When did I begin to hate you?

"Have you heard about Airen? They say she’s already sparring with adult soldiers at her age. She’ll be your shield in the future, so make sure to stay close to her."

"Lyn, did you hear? Airen is said to be the most talented warrior in the history of House Juliet. No, actually, among all the families that serve House Brans. Isn’t it reassuring to know she’s in our generation?"

"Since you were born into the Brans lineage, it's only natural that you must surpass her."

From the mont Lyn began to grasp how the world worked—

From an age when she had barely started making sense of the people around her—

She had heard Airen Juliet’s na far more often than her own.

Airen was an exceptional girl.

That much was obvious, even to Lyn’s young eyes.

She possessed a dazzling talent for swordsmanship and had a sharp mind, capable of understanding and applying military strategy at an age when most children still played with wooden swords.

And above all—

As a bodyguard, her greatest trait was her utter lack of ambition.

"Lady Lyn, I am a sword and shield for House Brans. I was born for this, and that will never change."

Airen had always said that to her.

Even when they were children, Lyn could tell she ant it.

So, naturally—

Shouldn’t she have felt reassured?

Shouldn’t it have been comforting to see soone bow their head and swear loyalty, simply because Lyn carried the blood of House Brans?

But instead—

Lyn, as a child, didn’t like her.

To put it bluntly, she hated her.

"Who do you think you are?"

Why did her father and brothers care more about Airen’s future—a future spent propping up her—than about the path Lyn herself would carve?

Maybe it was just childish jealousy at first, but as she grew older, that resentnt only solidified.

The only thing that allowed her to endure it was the simple fact that she was superior to Airen.

No matter how skilled Airen beca, she would always serve beneath her.

And no matter what happened, Lyn would never bow to her.

It was as absolute as the sky above and the earth below.

That single truth was the only thing that kept her resentnt in check.

But at so point—

Ironically, even Airen’s sincerity began to irritate her.

If she had been a hypocrite, it would have been easy to hate her.

But she wasn’t.

And that made Lyn feel like she was the one in the wrong for despising her.

Still, back then, it wasn’t unbearable.

She wasn’t the heir yet.

She could simply avoid seeing Airen too often.

But as ti passed—

As Lyn grew older—

The empire crumbled, just as her father had foreseen.

After the emperor’s death, the Ingrart Empire fractured as his successors tore each other apart.

The central continent descended into chaos.

And Brans Army, having already secured the pri territory of Arnel Castle, found itself in an ideal position to rise.

After years of bloodshed, ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) when the war of succession finally ended—

It was neither Algott, the strongest candidate, nor Sidmid, his main rival, who claid the throne.

It was Serpina—

A naless, insignificant youngest sibling who had suddenly erged from the shadows.

Rumors said she had ruthlessly eliminated her brothers using cunning and cruelty, securing the throne in a storm of blood.

As Lyn watched the empire fall into turmoil, she thought—

This is House Brans’ responsibility to fix.

Not for the people.

Not for peace.

But because she was Lyn Brans.

And a ruler of House Brans should act accordingly.

Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—

Her brothers were uninterested in ruling.

Chel was a warrior, not a politician.

Carlints was too concerned with self-preservation.

And so, the crown that had once rested on their father’s head naturally fell onto hers.

Lyn thought—

That was when her true life would begin.

This was her chance to prove she was more than just the daughter of House Brans.

Just like Airen had shone, she would shine as well—

By eliminating the tyrant Serpina and restoring order.

When she was summoned to her father’s deathbed, she had gone with excitent in her heart.

But—

"Lyn, Airen will always be by your side. She has the potential to beco the greatest knight in our house’s history. She will protect you as you claim the continent... just as her father once protected ..."

Even in his final monts—

Even as he passed the throne to her—

His last words were not about her.

Not that she would beco a great ruler.

But that Airen would beco the greatest bodyguard.

Even as he died, he spoke her na.

That was the mont.

That was when sothing inside Lyn snapped.

When she ascended to the throne—

Unlike the chaos of the empire, her succession was smooth.

There were no rivals to eliminate.

No need to consolidate power.

And so, her first decision as ruler was an aggressive expansion campaign.

With Chel, soon to be known as the greatest swordsman of Brans Army, and Airen, a prodigy in siege warfare, leading the charge—

Brans Army conquered the central continent at an unprecedented speed.

But it was at the peak of that success—

That Lyn let go of Airen’s hand.

Officially, it was to give her a much-needed rest after commanding the frontlines.

But in reality, it was nothing less than a demotion.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

While Chel was placed in charge of the southern front, given full command of his forces—

Airen was relegated to overseeing the second military barracks of Arnel Castle.

It was obvious to everyone.

But Lyn was untouchable.

She had seized the central continent.

No one in Brans Army could question her decision.

Instead, Lyn beca obsessed with recruiting new talent.

Yes, Airen was exceptional—

But she wasn’t irreplaceable.

Chel was superior in open battle.

And even though she was skilled in tactics, she was not unmatched.

There had to be soone better.

Lyn scoured the continent, searching for a replacent.

She tested every strategist, every warrior, every promising talent she encountered.

But not a single one passed.

Every candidate she deed worthy chose death over submission.

Even so, she refused to give up.

She had to find soone.

And finally—

One day, a young man with white hair appeared before her.

Swen.

"If I lose, I will forfeit my life. But if you lose, Lady Lyn—

You will lose the world."

A shiver ran through her.

His proposals—so bold, so impossible—

Had all turned out to be right.

After putting him through multiple tests, she knew—

This man would stay by her side.

I found him.

I finally found soone even greater than Airen.

And unlike her—

Swen had no ambition.

Even when she offered him courtesans, he remained unmoved.

He desired only one thing: to rise.

Swen...

You’re the one I’ve been waiting for all this ti...

And so—

All that remained was to remove the nuisance from her path.

She had only been waiting for the right opportunity.

And then, as if fate itself had handed it to her—

The perfect mont arrived.

***

"...My lord, my lord!"

"Mm... ugh..."

"My lord, are you awake?!"

"Parfalle...?"

When Lyn opened her eyes, she found Parfalle staring down at her with deep concern.

A dream...? A mory...?

As the sensation returned to her limbs, she realized she was lying down sowhere.

Her vision slowly cleared.

And the mont she fully grasped where she was—

And, more importantly, who she had last seen—

"Ah..."

Her mind pounded violently.

It was as if soone had taken a blade to her heart and was butchering her from the inside.

"No... Swen... why... why... how could you..."

"My lord, please—please compose yourself! You must sign the docunts first. We must return, regroup, and wait for the right opportunity."

"Swen... Swen... weren't you... weren't you supposed to stand by my side...?"

But he had lied to her.

He had deceived her.

And then—

At that mont, a terrifying realization dawned upon her.

The reason Swen had always followed her orders, no matter how cruel or dismissive she had been.

The truth behind his unwavering presence.

It had never been because of so boundless loyalty like Airen’s.

No—

It was simply because...

He had never once truly served her as his lord.

Not for a single mont.

From the very instant he had co to her, leaving Lunarian behind—

Not even once—

Had he ever considered her his true ruler.

Lyn wanted to wail.

But she realized she no longer had the strength to cry.

So, in the end—

I lost everything.

Airen.

Swen.

The talent I had envied.

The talent I had unearthed myself.

All of it, by my own hand—

"...My lord?"

——And thus, Lyn Brans' ti ca to a halt.

***

After Lyn collapsed, Parfalle and several attendants hurriedly supported her.

Serpina, in a show of false generosity, had provided a space for her to recover.

And after so ti had passed—

Lyn walked into the room once more.

To sign the alliance.

But her eyes...

Her eyes were dead.

The once-dominating, radiant Lyn Brans—

The woman who had rejoiced in destroying our army just to obtain —

Was gone.

In her place stood only a lifeless puppet, moving as if strung along by invisible threads.

She signed the alliance papers without hesitation, without expression.

A hollow, chanical action.

The reason why an alliance with Brans Army would be beneficial for us—

Even now, I couldn’t predict it with absolute certainty.

But looking at the utterly broken Lyn before ,

I felt that it could only be an advantage.

"Brans Army is finished."

I didn’t need 100 Intelligence to know that much.