“Here! Take as much as you need. Don’t worry!”

    “Take some bread! There’s still plenty left!”

    All the money in the chest was used to rebuild the village destroyed by the typhoon.

    Half of it went entirely toward purchasing food.

    Under Kane''s supervision, soldiers assigned to odd jobs distributed the food to the villagers.

    Although the orders came from Luna, it was Kane and I who took the lead in the relief efforts.

    Among us, Kane stood at the forefront, assisting people directly.

    Whether he liked it or not, Kane was making a significant impression on the villagers.

    *"Thank you so much..."

    "Thank you, sir."

    "We won’t forget your kindness."*

    Kane, maintaining a kind smile, responded to a woman who vowed never to forget his generosity.

    *"All of this is thanks to Lady Lunarian. Please remember that.”

    “Oh... Yes! I will never forget the grace bestowed by Lady Lunarian’s army!”*@@@@

    Well, for now, giving out food would undoubtedly boost the public opinion of Luna''s army in the city—

    ‘But is this really the right thing to do?’

    Honestly, I couldn''t shake the feeling that this wasn’t the best course of action.

    After all, we were going to abandon this city eventually. What was the point of raising its morale?

    With that money, we could have hired a mercenary group. If we could muster even 10,000 soldiers, it would be possible to defend the city with some effort. Then, we wouldn’t need to abandon it and could use it as a base.

    Sure, improved morale would naturally restore public order, leading to the development of commerce and agriculture, which would in turn increase the population and the number of conscriptable soldiers.

    But that would take an enormous amount of time.

    And in the middle of this chaotic era, it was hard to imagine that a small nation like Luna’s army could enjoy such a long period of peace.

    Still, my 100 Intelligence had concluded that this was the right choice, so I had to trust it.

    *"Hey, strategist."

    “What is it?”*

    Kane, taking a moment amidst the relief efforts, approached me and asked.

    *"Was it truly the commander’s will to distribute all this money?”

    “Yes, that’s correct. The idea was to return what was found in this village to the villagers.”

    “Hmm, I see.”*

    Kane cleared his throat a couple of times before looking straight at me.

    "Did you have no objections to the commander’s decision to give away all the money? Honestly, it’s a noble intention, but as you know, our army doesn’t have much money. In our current state, it seems like the kind of thing one would naturally oppose.”

    His gaze was unusually sharp. It wasn’t the usual unfocused look but more like the eyes of a lion in its prime.

    I replied with a faint smile.

    *"Do you think I’m someone so heartless and cold-blooded, Kane?”

    “No, that’s not what I mean. I know you’re an extraordinary person since our commander brought you in. But I’m curious why you didn’t oppose this decision.”*

    The way he circled around his words made it clear he had something specific he wanted to ask me.

    It felt like he was testing me, gauging what kind of person I truly was.

    Kane wasn’t a villain.

    The very fact that a royal like him served under Luna rather than another minor lord was because he saw a purity in her that couldn’t be found in other leaders.

    Was he now testing my character as well?

    Keeping my tone light, I answered.

    "To be honest, I did consider opposing it. But the commander’s resolve seemed firmer than ever. A strategist must sometimes voice their opinion, but there are also times when they must support their commander’s will, don’t you think?”

    The real reason I didn’t oppose it? My 100 Intelligence concluded that giving away the money was the best course of action.

    But I couldn’t exactly say that outright.

    So, I dressed it up with a plausible reason.

    After all, even I didn’t fully understand why yet.

    I suppose I’ll keep finding plausible reasons as I move forward.

    "I see."

    Kane nodded.

    *"Well, I intend to follow your lead, Swen. After all, if you hadn’t sent Tifa to the marketplace, we wouldn’t have even found that money.”

    “You’re too kind.”

    “Well, it seems everything here is wrapping up... I’ll handle the reports. You should take a break.”

    “I’ll leave it to you, then.”*

    *"And..."

    "You don’t have to say more."*

    Serpina von Eingart.

    Among the countless members of the imperial family, she wasn’t the firstborn, nor was she male.

    How had she become the head of the most powerful military faction and gained such influence over the continent?

    Because she had purged all her brothers and sisters.

    A tyrant, a lord of blood.

    It was well known that the blood of the Eingart lineage now flowed only through her.

    Though, in reality, that wasn’t entirely true.

    *"So... in the end, it’s about revenge, isn’t it? For your sister?"

    "Perhaps. It might be revenge."*

    She admitted it with a bitter smile. But then, lifting her head, she looked me in the eye.

    "However, I want to end this chaos with my own hands. I want to create the ideal nation I envision, one with a system that prevents this kind of blood-soaked intrigue within families. I want to bring peace to the continent and honor my sister’s memory. If it were just about revenge, I could’ve joined someone else’s cause. ...But I don’t want to take the easy path."

    "She’s had her share of struggles, too," I thought to myself, nodding as I replied.

    *"I understand. Thank you for telling me."

    "No need to thank me. You’re not just anyone, Swen."

    "What’s so special about me?"*

    Luna smiled at my curt response.

    "As I said before, you’re the first person to join my army. No one else has ever accepted my offer."

    I turned my gaze away from her and spoke.

    *"You’ll become the unifying ruler."

    "...Do you really think so? Can I truly become a unifying ruler?"

    Seizing the opportunity, I ran the prediction through my mind again.

    The result was the same.

    Yes. It’s you. The one who will unify this continent.

    Even if I still find it hard to believe.

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

    Lunarian Iniang was destined to unify the continent.

    With confidence in my voice, I said,

    *"Who am I? Am I not the strategist of Luna’s army? Trust my words."

    "Pfft."

    Though it had only been about a month and a half since we met, we’d spent every day together, working as founding members of a fledgling nation.

    Maybe that was why I’d developed a peculiar fondness for her.

    It helped that we were close in age.

    "The wind is growing cold. Shall we head inside?"

    "Good idea."

    Just as we were about to head back without much thought—

    "Commander!!!"

    From beyond the distance, a soldier came sprinting toward us, panting heavily.

    No, to be precise, he was running straight toward Luna.

    "...What is it?"

    Luna quickly shifted into her leader mode and responded.

    I examined the soldier’s attire.

    His plain silver armor looked no different from the others, but the red band tied around his right arm caught my attention. It was a familiar sight.

    This man... was a messenger, wasn’t he?

    ‘Ah, damn.’

    In this game, a messenger only appeared under one circumstance—

    "The Brans Army is marching toward Zeilant with approximately 8,000 troops!"

    When someone initiated conflict.