Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy – Chapter 31

Episode 31. Monthly Regular Meeting / Brans Army (2)

As soon as I stood before Parfalle, a message suddenly appeared before my eyes!

[Which command will you choose?]

And the options for 1:1 debate commands floated before me, allowing me to overwhelm the opponent with commands infused with my intelligence of 100 –

—such a development, of course, did not happen.

If that were the case, a status window would have appeared when I arrived here.

In the game’s 1:1 debates, intelligence was the most crucial factor.

Just as a general with high strength would slaughter a weaker one in a duel, the basic mechanism in a debate was for a more intelligent general to take the lower one on a “tour” rather than the logic itself being applied.

The game itself wasn’t designed with such granularity; it was fundamentally a simple classic game.

However, now that the game world has become real, just because I have high intelligence doesn’t mean the opponent will say “Hmm, indeed…!” and tremble in fear as their health bar depletes.

I had to genuinely persuade the opponent.

So – what I had to utilize wasn’t my intelligence score.

It was the truth I alone could know – things like the rules of this world I learned by playing the game for 10,000 hours.

Those and the timing of “how do you know this?” to strike the opponent.

The battleground was precisely those two points.

My weapons were those two.

This place wasn’t Lunarien Army.

People here wouldn’t take my assertions at face value as Luna did, assuming I’m just being stubborn.

To make my story convincing, I had to show them that I knew things they thought I wouldn’t.

“Create an opportunity.”

Then, Parfalle spoke to me in a gentle tone.

“You may speak first if you like.”

I nodded lightly at Parfalle, who conceded the first move, and then I began.

“Attacking Aeshers Army at this point is not a good strategy.”

“May I know the reason?”

“Before I state my reasons, I would like to, if I may be so bold, ask Parfalle – and even our noble lord – a question.”

I said this while looking past Parfalle’s shoulder –

At Lynn, who sat on the throne, looking intrigued by the situation here.

She was smiling. Luckily, she seemed not to be in a bad mood.

Then it should be okay to proceed.

“Why have we not attacked Aeshers Army until now?”

“…I will answer on her behalf. It’s because the opportunity has not arisen.”

“What do you mean by opportunity?”

“As you know, Aeshers Army is not to be underestimated. Although their territory is small, they have a considerable number of talented generals, and the number of soldiers corresponds to the populous land of Balharat. No matter how small their territory, if we decide to attack, we must be prepared to risk other fronts becoming vulnerable.”

I nodded at her explanation.

“Yes, I completely agree with Parfalle’s opinion. But that’s why I ask. Why now propose the invasion of Balharat Castle?”

“If Aeshers Army attacks Alephel Army, inevitably, a gap will appear.”

“Is that the only reason? I believe Aeshers Army has the capacity to fend off our forces even while attacking Alephel Army.”

“If that were the only reason, I wouldn’t have proposed it.”

Her confident reply slightly slipped through as she responded to my probing question.

“…It aligns with what I said earlier. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity has come to us.”

An opportunity has come.

In other words, if not for this opportunity, attacking would be overreaching.

And the only possible opportunity in this context was an external intervention.

Hearing this, I pondered.

Airen mentioned that Charlam Army came here to present tribute.

In the game, giving money for no reason was 99 out of 100 times for the purpose of using the [Betrayal] tactic.

Though not a prediction made with my intelligence of 100, as someone who played the game for 10,000 hours, I knew this fact.

“If a policy is decided, everyone, including the lord, will be briefed on the situation… but I cannot speak precisely yet.”

Her added words reinforced my speculation.

Of course, she couldn’t say now, in front of all these people, “Charlam Army will cooperate with our army to attack Aeshers Army from the back.”

She was the strategist of the Brans Army. Even if she spoke vaguely like this, she naturally gained trust due to the results she had shown and proven before.

Just like in Lunarien Army, when Cain and Tifa started to trust my abilities little by little.

Moreover, since she said she would disclose the plans when decided, to the audience here, she had no choice but to ask for trust, making her even more trustworthy than me under Luna, who had to blindly trust me.

Then.

The opponent I had to shake was not the audience, not Lynn.

It was the planner of this scheme, the violet strategist standing before me, Parfalle.

I deliberately made a face as if I knew something significant, as if holding a grand strategy, and confidently.

With a slight smile and as leisurely a voice as possible.

“Parfalle, are you considering a joint attack?”

“A joint attack?”

“Specifically… I’m asking if you’re thinking of a plan to conduct a joint attack by making a secret pact with Charlam Army.”

“…!!”

Good.

I didn’t miss it.

For a moment, her pupils contracted, visible to my eyes.

Though she quickly regained her composure – it was clear.

She was momentarily surprised by my words.

“This is it.”

After all, what else could there be?

I continued assertively.

“If that’s the case, then I must say it’s even more reason not to proceed with the invasion. Charlam Army’s monarch, Charlam Masakuru, is not trustworthy. If this plan was proposed by them, not us, I think it’s highly likely to be a trap aimed at our Brans Army.”

“…”

Lynn in the background nodded as if intrigued, focusing intently on my words.

“I have one more question. Did the information that Aeshers Army would attack Alephel Army also come from Charlam Army?”

“…”

“If so, it’s safe to assume Alephel Army is in collusion.”

Parfalle didn’t respond immediately but eventually spoke.

“You speak very assertively.”

Parfalle, with a reinforced gaze, seemed surprised that I had seen through her plan.

“Although I can’t speak precisely yet… Both Charlam Army and Alephel Army are not on good terms with Aeshers Army. If you were a bit involved in central politics, this would not be difficult to know. Perhaps Swen, being new to Brans Army, might not be aware. The assumption that they are conspiring to deceive us lacks plausibility.”

She tried to provoke me awkwardly, but it didn’t work.

Recalling that the game’s intelligence 100 was immune to the [Provocation] keyword, I naturally smiled.

“Parfalle, I apologize for the grave words, but even if they are neighboring, blindly trusting facts easily known by a third country like Brans Army is not wise.”

Lynn chuckled at my words from behind.

Parfalle, unaffected by her amusement, maintained her composure and spoke.

“I understand your point. Indeed, Charlam Masakuru and furthermore, Alephel Jaramka are indeed not the most trustworthy. But that’s precisely why it’s reasonable to believe they won’t betray.”

“Can you provide a basis?”

“…”

After taking a deep breath, she began to speak.

“Assuming we are in secret communication with them, their primary goal is to maintain their territories. If they can ensure their safety, they’re men without ambition who are satisfied with any situation. Such people, if given exactly what they want, can become the most reliable allies.”

Her meaning was – ‘If their safety is guaranteed, they’ll follow orders, so it’s implausible for this to be a backstab.’

“Compared to that, Aeshers Army’s leader, Varanga Yuri Aeshers, is an ambitious and capable monarch. Gaining the territories of Charlam Army and Alephel Army would essentially lay the foundation for her to make a name for herself on the continent. As such, it’s unlikely that these spineless monarchs would cooperate with her. They’re not foolish enough to help a woman who’s always eyeing their castles.”

At first glance, it sounded plausible, but –

Thinking about it, there were quite a few loopholes to exploit.

Had she been flustered by my insight into her backstabbing plan?

Well.

I didn’t come here to work passionately as I did in Lunarien Army.

Though I felt a bit sorry for her, maybe I should exploit this opening.

“That’s exactly the point, Parfalle.”

“Yes? What do you mean…?”

“Have you considered why Charlam Army and Alephel Army still exist on the continent, assuming Varanga Yuri Aeshers is an outstanding monarch?”

“That, that’s because.”

Good. She’s flustered.

I pressed on more aggressively.

“It’s simple. If you were Varanga Yuri Aeshers, wouldn’t you first consolidate the minor countries nearby to strengthen your foundation before facing a major power like Brans Army?”

Parfalle couldn’t respond but – seemed to agree with my point.

After all, she bit her lip in frustration for the first time.

But she was a smart woman. Instead of giving her time to think, it was better to push further.

After all, convincing the onlookers watching this debate was about showing ‘I’m in a superior position’ rather than actually being superior.

“And why didn’t she do that? If we assume she’s not foolish, there must be a reason, right?”

“Do you have any guesses?”

“I have some ideas.”

Of course, it was a lie.

But there was no need to reveal my hand by saying, “I don’t know.”

“Then please share. What are those grounds?”

“Parfalle, recall your words just now. Didn’t you say ‘I can’t tell you yet’? I believe there’s a reason you said that. I too have my reasons.”

She understood what I was implying since she had something to hide too.

Parfalle, after pondering for a moment, asked me.

“Assuming your opinion is correct for the sake of argument, let’s say our secret joint attack plan was a scheme and we’re being deceived. Wouldn’t it then be an excellent opportunity to turn the tables and strike Aeshers Army from behind? It’s as if we’ve already seen through their plot. If that’s what you’re arguing, I would have agreed. However.”

Her voice became clearer.

For the first time, I felt she was sincerely engaging with me.

“Your opinion isn’t about ‘using the scheme to our advantage.’ You agreed with General Airen’s opinion – to send troops north and strengthen our defenses. Is your opinion still unchanged?”

“…”

Right. I came up here to push Airen’s opinion.

She’s shifting the focus since I seemed to be losing momentum on the previous topic.

Of course, she wasn’t a strategist for nothing.

Without the power of prediction and with no one here blindly trusting me like Luna did, I had to weave through with rhetoric…

But even the intelligence 100’s brain didn’t say it was the most efficient method, just “almost there.”

If it’s not “yes,” but “almost there,” what’s the difference?

“The action is correct, but… the conclusion is different?”

It wasn’t the exact answer, but it was an opinion close to it.

The existence of an answer like “almost there” in a mechanism that only gives 100% accurate predictions highlights one fact.

That Parfalle’s “use the scheme to our advantage” isn’t such a good method.

If it were, when I asked about Parfalle’s opinion, it would have said “almost there” because it involves an action related to Aeshers Army.

To sum up, “using 56,000 troops to do something with Aeshers Army” itself is far from the most efficient method.

Then, what’s left is Airen’s opinion.

Applying the same logic here.

“The action is correct, but the conclusion is different.”

Here, the phrase [almost there] appeared.

“Then, sending troops north… That itself is the correct answer…?”

Not “strengthening defense,” but “sending troops” was considered correct.

It was hard to argue that strengthening the defense was unnecessary from the start.

So, let’s assume sending troops is the correct conclusion.

There are only two things you can do with troops.

Either strengthen the castle’s defense more firmly.

Or gather them for an attack.

And-

“…!”

Realizing this, my back broke out in a cold sweat.

Although it was a guess close to deduction… if that’s the case…

“Strengthening the defense isn’t the right answer, but close to it, so the answer is…!”

An unexpected result from the compass.

But I know this compass speaks the truth.

I slowly began to speak.

“…We must send troops north. I still support that opinion. However-”

“Then you’re advocating for defense? I have a lot to say about that. First, including the troops building the fortress, the current number of soldiers in the north-”

“Parfalle, please forgive my rudeness. However, I have not finished my point.”

Though I interrupted her, Parfalle, acknowledging she had interrupted me first, nodded and allowed me to continue.

“…Sorry. I got a bit carried away. Please, take your time to explain.”

“Sending troops north is correct. But, we should not focus solely on defense. No, it’s not enough to send troops just for defense.”

“…Yes?”

My statement surprised Parfalle.

Lynn, who had been watching the debate with a relaxed expression, was surprised.

The vassals within hearing distance were all surprised.

And… even Airen, the planner of this policy, was surprised.

But.

After eliminating “what’s not correct,” what remains, no matter how absurd, is the answer.

Bypassing the logic of how it could happen, the sparkling answer foreseen by intelligence 100.

I confronted her once more with that absolute “answer.”

“We must gather troops in the north and invade Serpina Army’s territory.”