Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy Chapter 67

After leaving Jinor’s mansion, I headed straight ho.

The reason I had asked for a week’s ti was simple—

It was because of what had happened during the recent strategy eting.

"A strong energy has been detected in the Valharat territory. It may be worth exploring the castle and its surroundings."

My 100 Intelligence had determined that this was the most reasonable course of action.

That suggestion had co from Jinor.

However, the ruler, Yuri, had chosen to side with Emma instead.

Most likely, they were busy preparing for war right now.

And if that were the case?

Then all I had to do was take advantage of this ti and search the territory myself.

I would either discover a talented individual or uncover a treasure.

Of course, my goal was treasure.

There were certainly plenty of useless artifacts, but there were also relics that could be imnsely beneficial.

If I stumbled upon a talented individual instead, it would an I had unintentionally done Aishus’ army a favor…

But considering that even B- or C-rank generals counted as hidden talents when left undiscovered, I wouldn’t mind too much.

Eventually, I would be leaving this place.

Doing a few good deeds before that wouldn’t hurt.

And so, for the first ti since Zeilant Castle, I embarked on an exploration mission.

Not long after I started, I was reminded of sothing—

"Hah… hah…"

My physical strength was abysmally low.

Right.

My very first mission in Zeilant Castle had also been an exploration task.

Back then, I had barely walked around before getting winded.

I haven’t improved at all…

Sitting down on a nearby rock to catch my breath, I took a sip of water and reflected.

Well, if there was one small improvent…

At least I could walk for a longer period than before.

I couldn’t see the progress, but my stamina had gotten slightly better.

Co to think of it, when I first t Luna, she had carried on her back.

Despite how she looked, she had been incredibly strong.

No matter how weak I was, I was still a grown man—

Yet she had effortlessly carried across a long distance without breaking a sweat.

That mory already felt like it belonged to a distant past.

I hope she’s doing well.

As I reminisced, I caught sight of sothing unexpected—

A young girl, crying.

…Huh?

If a child was crying, wasn’t it an adult’s responsibility to at least check on them?

I got up from my seat and approached her.

And then—

***

"Thank you so much, Lord Swen… truly, thank you."

“It was nothing. I only did what was necessary.”

The woman in front of kept bowing her head in gratitude, but I simply gestured that it was fine.

A crying child.

A girl who had traveled all the way from her village to Valharat Castle alone.

A bandit gang lurking in the area.

A father who had gone out alone to stop them.

A daughter who had followed him out of worry.

A mother who had been found thanks to a key piece of information uncovered during the rescue—

What a ridiculous, epic tale this had turned into.

So much had happened that it was honestly too exhausting to even recount.

"Big brother, thank you so much…!"

I ruffled the child’s hair and smiled.

“I’m just glad we found your mother before nightfall. From now on, don’t do anything this dangerous again, okay?”

“Yes!”

“…As for your father, once he recovers from his injuries, we’ll send him back to the village. As for the bandits, I’ll personally request the lord to have them eradicated. You don’t need to worry.”

“Thank you so, so much… I will never forget the kindness of Lord Swen and the grace of Aishus.”

This would improve the reputation of Aishus’ army.

Regardless of my personal reasons, they had taken and Airen in, so repaying that debt in small ways like this seed fair.

“Oh, right. Take this…”

The child’s mother handed sothing.

“This is…?”

“A treasured sword that has been passed down in our family. I had originally planned to give it to my husband, but… since we’ll be returning to the village, I believe you will make better use of it, Lord Swen.”

I accepted the item.

It was long and heavy, wrapped carefully in cloth.

So this is what Jinor’s prediction was about.

As expected, I had managed to obtain an item.

In the ga, it was simple—just pressing the Search button would result in a notification: You have discovered an item.

I had never thought about how those discoveries happened.

So this was what it looked like in reality.

“I gratefully accept it.”

“Then, we’ll take our leave now. We will never forget this kindness or the concern you have shown for my husband. Thank you, truly…!”

“See you again, big brother!”

After parting ways with them, I finally unwrapped the cloth.

This is…!

A slender rapier with a distinctive green hilt.

There was no doubt.

This was one of the treasures—

The Erald Forest Rapier.

Its stats weren’t great, but in the ga, it had co with a note saying, a beautifully crafted blade with an elegant design.

Rather than a combat weapon, it was more of an ornantal piece.

I recalled using it mostly as a gift for increasing affinity with NPCs.

If it had been a powerful sword, I would have given it to Airen…

But judging by its appearance, it wasn’t practical for actual combat.

Even so—

It looks amazing.

Seeing it as an in-ga icon hadn’t made much of an impression—

But in reality, it was stunning.

I gave it a few light thrusts in the air.

Despite my lack of strength, I could wield it without difficulty.

That probably ant it was useless in real battle.

But as a decorative piece to wear on my hip?

It was perfect.

A strategist should carry at least one impressive-looking weapon.

Strapping the rapier to my waist gave an odd sense of satisfaction—

Like I had beco sothing.

It might sound silly, but for soone like , who relied solely on perception and appearance to survive—

How I looked to others was my strongest weapon.

It was the only thing that could keep safe.

Alright. Ti to head back.

I would return ho and have tea with Airen once she got back from her mission.

Having soone waiting for at ho—

That simple fact made realize just how much a person could feel a sense of belonging.

It was a thought that lingered as I made my way back.

*

Ti passed.

The first day of training with Reika.

“Now, focus. Feel the sounds of nature. Empty your mind, let go of distractions, and reach a state where you no longer feel like yourself… Slowly, no need to rush… Good.”

We spent the entire day ditating.

After ditation, we lay on our backs, watching the sky, tracking the movent of the clouds.

The next day—

“So… I-I just hit this drum?”

“Yes. By creating sound, you can attract the mana that drifts in the air. It may not have any effect now, but as you continue your training, you’ll eventually sense the change.”

And so, we spent the day drumming.

Honestly, I had nothing better to do, and drumming was surprisingly useful for passing the ti.

After that, we attempted a light burpee workout together.

Reika collapsed after just a few reps—

And I? I drained my stamina just as quickly.

I had assud my endurance had improved a little since my last scouting mission. Since this training was essentially pointless anyway, I had figured I might as well include sothing that could benefit .

But… it was far too exhausting.

If I pushed through, maybe I’d see so progress.

But with a body this frail, it wasn’t just difficult—it was unbearable.

And so, the following days passed much the sa way.

From an outsider’s perspective, our activities probably looked profound and aningful—

But in reality, they were utterly pointless.

“Now! Punch forward with all your strength! Imagine yourself slicing through mana!”

“Y-y-yes!”

She threw a punch into the air.

“Repeat after ! I!”

“I!”

“Am cutting through!”

“A-am cutting through…!”

“Mana!”

“M-Manaaa…!”

The only thing improving was her stamina—

But hey, stamina was important too, wasn’t it?

Not to justify myself or anything, but seriously.

There was nothing wrong with having more stamina.

And so, another day of training ca to an end.

“Thank you for your hard work today.”

“N-no…! It’s you, Lord Swen, who worked hard…”

She didn’t have to add Lord, but since it didn’t sound bad, I decided to let it slide.

Then, Reika hesitantly spoke.

“U-um… Is this really okay? I just feel like… I don’t see any results from this training. N-not that I’m blaming you! I an… I-I think it’s my fault. I-I just… I don’t have any talent…”

“Reika, you don’t need to worry.”

Ti would make her strong.

It was inevitable.

So, I spoke with confidence.

“It took nearly five years to see any effects from my own training. But you have far more talent than I do, so you’ll notice results much sooner. Besides… if we keep training, there will co a chance for you to leave this place.”

“…What? I’ll be able to go outside?!”

Reika’s eyes sparkled as she instinctively moved closer to —

And in doing so, her soft body pressed against my arm.

She was… surprisingly well-proportioned.

Though after dealing with certain people on a regular basis, I had grown a little numb to such things.

Realizing what she had done, her face instantly turned red, and she quickly pulled back, stamring.

“A-ah… I-I’m sorry! I-I didn’t an to—um…”

“I understand. You want to go outside, don’t you?”

“I-I do… but I don’t want to be a burden…”

“You’re not a burden. True training should be done in nature. This courtyard may be spacious, and mana does flow here, but compared to the sheer vastness of mana in the wild, this place is nothing. To maximize your growth, you need to go outside. Don’t worry too much about it.”

“…R-really? If you’d do that for , then… um… th-thank you…”

Her voice beca smaller and smaller—

Probably still embarrassed from earlier.

But in a way, it made her look… endearing.

Almost like a younger sister who relied on .

“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”

“H-huh? Oh… Y-yes! I’ll do my best!”

She was definitely more motivated now.

The thought of leaving the mansion must have fueled her determination.

For the first ti since I started training her—

She smiled.

A real, natural smile.

***

And so, ti passed as Reika and I continued to engage in… mostly useless activities.

Then, a few days later—

While I was enjoying a rare day off, Airen returned ho earlier than expected from her mission.

“Airen? You’re back already?”

I studied her expression.

She looked far more serious than usual.

“Swen. The lord has summoned us. We need to head to the capital imdiately.”

“…Did sothing happen?”

“…An invasion.”

“…!”

At those words, my first thought was—

So it’s finally happening.

“Brans Army has mobilized 50,000 troops. They’re marching west toward the fortress near Valharat Castle.”