Wait a moment.
Let’s stay calm.
Again, I mulled over her question in my mind:
‘Can I, Lunarien Iniang, unify this world?’
The result was the same.
[No, you cannot.]
No matter how many times I thought about it, the same conclusion emerged.
‘That means she can’t unify the world… Wait a minute.’
The implication was clear: she could unify it. Could it be that Lunarien Iniang, of all people, has the potential to unify the continent?
Luna, unaware of my internal turmoil, wiped her tears and apologized repeatedly, bowing several times.
“I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have shown such an unsightly side… I won’t bother you again, Mr. Sven. But may I ask one last question?”
“…Go ahead.”
I tried to maintain a composed tone, but I could feel a slight tremor in my voice.
Luna seemed not to notice my unease and asked earnestly, “Who is the closest person to being a ruler capable of unifying the world… Can you tell me?”
“A ruler capable of unifying the world, you mean?”
“Yes.”
She nodded determinedly. Despite the harsh words she heard from me, she wasn’t giving up on her dream of unification. Had she been the type to give up just because someone said she couldn’t, she wouldn’t have raised an army in the first place.
“Even if I am not fit to be a unifying monarch, as you say, Mr. Sven, I cannot turn a blind eye to people suffering in agony. Please, give me your wisdom. Whom should I aim to follow or emulate in your opinion?”
“Whom to follow…”
Her words barely registered in my mind. All I was doing was repeatedly pondering the question: ‘Can Lunarien Iniang unify the world?’ The answer was always the same.
But then.
‘Wait a minute.’
Whom would be the best ruler to follow?
This could be a question I could leverage.
“Lady Luna. Before I answer your question, may I say a few words?”
“Yes? Oh… of course.”
She replied, visibly sweating. Though she tried to appear resolute, she was clearly tense. Despite the harsh words and the rejection of her scouting offer, she was still trying to extract useful information from me.
Information that I, as a mere game player, would not have known. The fact that Lunarien Iniang was such a resilient person was new to me.
But that was fine.
Now was the time for me to answer the question.
“Lady Luna, you must have a few leaders in mind who you think possess the potential to be the ideal unifying monarch. There must be people already making their names known in this time of chaos.”
“…Yes.”
“Who do you think would be a suitable leader? Could you tell me?”
My ability’s limitation.
I could only predict when someone asked me a question.
I was confident in my intelligence of 100.
But even then, I found it somewhat hard to believe that my brain kept concluding that Lunarien Iniang would unify the world. So, what choice did I have but to test it?
Luckily, Luna seemed to understand my request and, after pondering for a moment, cautiously posed a question.
“…What about Lin Brans of Brans’ army? Could she be the one to unify the world?”
Question input.
‘Can Lin Brans unify the world?’
The answer comes easily.
She cannot.
“…Lin Brans is undoubtedly talented, but she has a certain indecisiveness when it’s crucial. Moreover, her inferiority complex regarding her brothers is a drawback. I cannot guarantee she can achieve unification.”
I added a plausible reason. All I could predict was ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ I had no way of knowing ‘why’ or ‘how.’
Luna nodded at my words, then spoke again.
“…Then, what about Baranga Yoori Eisher? Do you think she could unify the world?”
‘Can Baranga Yoori Eisher unify the world?’
Conclusion. She cannot.
“She has excellent leadership in gaining people’s trust, but her foundation is weak, and she’s often unlucky at critical moments. It’s unlikely.”
“Then, does it mean that Serpina von Eingardt, who currently holds the greatest power… will eventually swallow up this continent…?”
Luna’s expression twisted as she spoke of the last leader.
Tyrant Serpina.
A legitimate descendant of the fallen unified Eingardt Empire, with an impressive pool of talent, territories almost akin to cheats, and abilities so exceptional they seemed foolish.
Excluding her oppressive politics, she was in fact the closest to unification.
In the game, if you let the CPU run about ten simulations, she would unify the continent in six or seven of them.
The remaining victories belonged to Brans’ army.
However, the nickname ‘tyrant’ attached to her was not without reason.
She was extremely aggressive and showed no mercy to her enemies.
She didn’t maintain particularly close relationships even with those close to her, hence playing as her meant there were absolutely no personal events outside of war.
Choosing Lin Brans meant events with her brothers, and selecting Varanga Yurie Aishers meant simple events involving team bonding with her subordinates. Considering that almost every leader had one or two such minor events, she was the only named ruler who didn’t have such events.
Of course.
The reason I was dragged into this world was, in a way, because of her.
After she stubbornly rejected me with her intelligence of 99, she had my head cut off.
Seeing Luna’s expression filled with horror, it seemed she hated Serpina.
It wasn’t hard to figure out.
She had said she became a leader because she hated seeing everyone suffer and wanted to bring peace to this world.
Serpina was a woman who would unify the continent with blood.
Many people would die miserably.
Considering the chaos that would continue for decades due to her distrustful nature even after unification, Luna’s reaction was understandable.
Now,
I slowly remind myself of the question she posed to me.
‘Can Serpina von Eingardt unify this world?’
My brain, with an intelligence of 100, quickly reaches a clear conclusion.
[She cannot unify it].
“……”
Here, I also lost my words.
I could find plausible reasons for other rulers, but I couldn’t find any reason why Serpina wouldn’t be able to unify.
The biggest reason she couldn’t was, in fact, the player.
Without the player’s intervention, she was almost an unbreakable existence.
Unable to find a suitable sentence to add, my silence was perhaps interpreted as affirmation by Luna –
Her complexion visibly darkened.
“So… to complete the unification of this continent, I must become a ruler like Serpina…”
Then, trembling for a moment –
she took a deep breath as if making a resolution.
“…Swen. I truly appreciate your valuable insights today.”
Then, for a fleeting moment, she showed a very sad expression, as if touching it would break it –
but soon, she forced a circle and showed a pitiful smile.
“As Mr. Swen said, I might not be fit to be a unifying ruler. But thinking about the people who will tremble in fear due to Serpina’s tyranny… I cannot just sit here and give up. However, I cannot become someone like Serpina either. I think… I will find my own way.”
Lunarien Inieng.
In the game, she was just a character summarized as [if you want a royal concept, go for it].
Her ideals, beliefs, and the trembling voice she spoke with in front of me, about to break any moment… all were unknown to me.
And, my brain, with an intelligence of 100, kept insisting –
At least at this moment.
She was the only ruler who could unify this world.
“So, I’ve been very rude these five times. I just hope you stay healthy.”
As I was about to get up and leave –
“Wait a moment!”
I caught her without even realizing.
“…?!”
Luna, seemingly not expecting to be stopped, looked at me in surprise.
I thought.
Why did I try to join Brans’ army?
Because I wanted to survive.
It seemed like a safe bet for survival.
Since there was no guarantee of unification in my lifetime, I honestly wanted to live leisurely for the time being.
But-
If unification happens, I can escape this turbulent world and return to my original world.
Then?
Logically, joining Luna, who is likely to unify, is the right answer.
Moreover, unification means survival.
It also fulfilled the condition of [safety].
Of course, [Luna’s unification] doesn’t necessarily mean [I won’t die], but as long as I don’t go to the battlefield, the risk to my life is low.
With a leader like Lunarien Inieng, I was confident I
could manipulate and cook up strategies as her strategist.
It seemed she would listen to me in most cases.
Crucially, my intelligence is 100. I wouldn’t engage in battles I was likely to lose.
So-
“You’re prepared to be a unifying ruler, aren’t you?”
“Yes, yes…? …Yes, but…”
“Using me means, you trust me. Can you promise me your absolute trust?”
“That means, could it be…!”
She realized why I stopped her and looked at me with widened eyes.
Yes.
The best position for me is undoubtedly beside the unifying ruler.
And if Lunarien Inieng is to be that ruler-
“I will join Lunarien’s army.”
There was no reason for me not to serve her.
