Wait.

    Calm down.

    I went over her question in my head one more time—

    ''Is it impossible for me, Lunarian Iniang, to unify this world?''

    The result was the same.

    [That’s wrong.]

    No matter how many times I checked, the conclusion didn’t change.

    ''It’s not impossible... Wait.''

    If it’s not impossible, then it means it’s possible.

    So... the ruler destined to unify the continent is none other than Lunarian Iniang?

    Oblivious to the fact that I was spiraling into a mild panic, she wiped away her tears. Then, bowing repeatedly as if feeling guilty, she spoke to me in a subdued voice.

    “I’m sorry... I showed you such an embarrassing sight. I won’t trouble you anymore, Swen. But... may I ask you one final question?”

    “...Go ahead.”

    I tried to keep my voice as steady as possible.

    Even so, I could feel it.

    Despite my best efforts, there was a slight tremor in my tone.

    Luckily, Luna didn’t seem to notice. Instead, she gazed at me with a resolute expression and asked seriously,

    “Could you tell me who is the most likely ruler to unify the world?”

    “The ruler most likely to unify the world?”

    “Yes.”

    Nod.

    With determination in her eyes, she nodded firmly.

    Even after hearing my harsh words, she clearly wasn’t willing to give up on her dream of unification.

    Well, if hearing something like “You won’t be able to do it” was enough to make her quit, she wouldn’t have raised an army in the first place.

    “As you said, Swen, perhaps I’m not fit to be a unifying ruler. But even so, I can’t turn a blind eye to the suffering of the people. So, please, grant me your wisdom. In your opinion, what kind of ruler should I aspire to be?”

    “What kind of ruler...”

    I couldn’t focus on what she was saying.

    I just kept repeating the same question in my mind—

    [Can Lunarian Iniang unify the world?]

    And the answer didn’t change no matter how many times I asked.

    Then—

    Wait.

    What kind of ruler would be ideal?

    This... might actually be a question I can use.

    “Lady Luna. Before I answer your question, may I speak a few words first?”

    “Huh? Ah... Y-yes, of course.”

    Sweat beaded on her forehead as she answered.

    She was trying to put on a brave front, but it was obvious she was extremely nervous.

    After being rejected and criticized, her confidence must have taken a hit.

    Even so, she was doing her best to keep it together and extract any useful information she could from me.

    That was something I never knew from just playing the game.

    I had no idea Lunarian Iniang was such a tenacious person.

    But that didn’t matter right now.

    What mattered was that it was my turn to ask questions.

    “Lady Luna, surely you can think of a few leaders who seem most promising as potential unifiers. After all, in these chaotic times, there must already be some whose names are widely known.”

    “...That’s true.”

    “What kind of leader do you think would be suitable? Could you share their names with me?”

    My ability had a critical limitation.

    I could only make predictions when someone else asked me a direct question.

    I was certain my Intelligence stat was 100.

    The biggest obstacle to Serpina’s unification was... the player.

    Without direct intervention, she was practically unstoppable.

    But since I couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation, I kept my mouth shut.

    Luna, however, seemed to interpret my silence as agreement—

    Her face fell.

    “...I see. So, in the end... to unify this continent, one must become a ruler like Serpina...”

    Her body trembled briefly before she took a deep breath, as if steeling herself.

    Then, locking her ruby-red eyes on mine, she spoke.

    “...Thank you for sharing your valuable insights today, Swen.”

    For just a fleeting moment, her expression turned heartbreakingly fragile—

    But she quickly forced a bitter smile.

    “As you said, I may not be fit to become a unifying ruler. Even so, I can’t simply give up when I think about all the people who will tremble in fear under Serpina’s tyranny. But at the same time... I can’t become someone like Serpina either. I’ll have to find my own path forward.”

    Lunarian Iniang.

    In the game, she was just a character labeled, ‘Try her out if you want a comeback-kid storyline.’

    Her ideals, her convictions, and even the voice that trembled as if she might break at any moment—

    These were things I had never seen in the game.

    And yet, my 100 Intelligence kept screaming the same thing at me—

    At this moment—

    She is the only ruler who can unify this world.

    “Well then, I apologize for troubling you so many times. This was already my fifth visit. I sincerely hope you stay in good health.”

    She stood to leave, but—

    “Wait!”

    Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her.

    “...?!”

    Luna stared at me in shock, clearly not expecting me to stop her.

    I...

    Why had I planned to join the Brans Army?

    Because I wanted to survive.

    The Brans Army seemed like the safest bet for a stable, uneventful life.

    There was no guarantee unification would happen in my lifetime, so my goal was simply to enjoy a quiet existence in the countryside.

    But—

    Unification meant escaping this chaotic world and returning to my original one.

    If that was the case—

    Wouldn’t it make the most sense to join the ruler destined to unify the world?

    Besides, unification also meant survival.

    It guaranteed Luna’s faction wouldn’t be destroyed.

    And while her unification didn’t automatically mean I’d survive, the odds of dying were pretty low as long as I avoided the frontlines.

    Lunarian Iniang was the kind of ruler I could manipulate as her strategist.

    Someone I could mold to suit my plans.

    With my 100 Intelligence, I could avoid losing battles entirely.

    So—

    “You’re prepared to become the ruler who unifies the world, aren’t you?”

    “W-what? I... I suppose so, but...”

    “By hiring me, you’re agreeing to trust me completely. Can you promise me that?”

    “Wait... does this mean...!”

    She finally realized why I had stopped her.

    Yes.

    For someone like me, the best seat in the house was right next to the ruler destined to unify the world.

    And if Lunarian Iniang was that ruler—

    “I will join your army.”

    There was no reason not to follow her.