Wait a second.
Calm down.
Once more, I went over the question she had asked in my head—
-–Am I, Lunarian Iniang, truly incapable of unifying this world?
The answer was the same.
[That statement was wrong.]
No matter how many times I thought about it, the conclusion remained unchanged.
If it doesn't mean she can't do it… then wait.
It means she can.
Then… the one to unify the continent isn't someone else, but Lunarian Iniang?
She, unaware of the panic that gripped me, wiped her tears and bowed her head several times as if apologizing.
"I'm sorry… I've shown you an unsightly side of myself… I promise not to bother you again. But, may I ask you one last question?"
"...Go ahead."
I tried to sound as indifferent as possible.
But I could feel it.
That I had trembled slightly from the suddenness of it all.
Thankfully, Luna didn't seem to notice, and with a serious tone, she asked, "Could you tell me who, in your opinion, is closest to being a ruler who can unify the world?"
"A ruler who can unify the world, you say?"
She nodded firmly with determined eyes.
Despite my harsh words, she hadn't given up on her dream of unification.
Of course—if she were the type to give up after a few discouraging remarks, she wouldn't have raised an army in the first place.
"Just as you said, Sir Swen, I may not be fit to be a unifying ruler. But even so, I cannot ignore the suffering of those around me. So please, grant me your wisdom. In your opinion, what kind of ruler should I strive to become?"
"What kind of ruler, huh."
I couldn't hear a word she was saying.
All I was doing was repeating the question in my head:
-–Can Lunarian Iniang unify the world?
The answer was always the same.
Then it hit me.
Wait.
She's asking me what kind of ruler would be most ideal?
This… might be a question I could use.
"Lady Luna. Before I answer your question, may I say a few things?"
"Huh? Oh… o-of course."
She replied, sweating nervously.
She was pretending to be calm, but she was clearly tense.
The rejection and my blunt words had no doubt impacted her.
Yet, she was doing her best not to show it, and trying to extract whatever helpful information she could from me.
That was something I couldn't have known just from playing the game.
I never expected Lunarian Iniang to be this strong-willed.
But that didn't matter.
What mattered was that she had asked me a question.
"Surely, Lady Luna, there are several individuals that come to mind when you think of potential unifying rulers. There must be people who have already made a name for themselves in these chaotic times."
"…Yes."
"Please tell me who you think those people might be."
Here was the blind spot in my power:
I had to be asked a question in order to predict anything.
I had absolute faith in my Intelligence stat being 100.
But even so, it was hard to fully believe the conclusions my brain kept reaching when they all pointed to Lunarian Iniang.
So there was only one thing to do—verify.
Thankfully, Luna understood what I meant and, after some thought, asked me carefully,
"…The leader of the Brance Army, Lynn Brance… don't you think she could be the one to unify the world?"
Question input:
Can Lynn Brance unify the world?
Answer: No.
"…Lynn Brance is certainly talented, but she can be indecisive at critical moments. She also harbors an inferiority complex regarding her older brothers. I wouldn't bet on her unifying the continent."
I added a plausible explanation.
Because what I could see was only [Yes] or [No].
I had no way of knowing why the answer was what it was.
Luna nodded and offered another name.
"…Then what about Baranga Yuuri Aishas, who's won the hearts of so many? Might she be able to do it?"
Can Baranga Yuuri Aishas unify the world?
Answer: No.
"She's a strong leader who draws people to her, but she lacks a solid foundation and tends to be unlucky when it matters most. I'd say it's unlikely."
"Then… what about the tyrant Serpina von Aingart, who currently leads the most powerful faction? Will she eventually devour the entire continent?"
Her expression twisted in disgust.
The tyrant Serpina.
She had the legitimacy of being from the fallen Aingart Empire's royal family, an impressive roster of subordinates, near-cheat level territories, and overwhelming stats.
Aside from her despotic rule, she was the one closest to unifying the world.
In simulations where the CPU controlled all leaders, she unified the continent six or seven out of ten times.
The other victories usually went to the Brance Army.
Still, Serpina had rightfully earned the title "tyrant."
She was aggressive, showed no mercy to enemies, and even among her allies, she kept emotional distance.
When playing as her, there were no side events beyond war.
With Lynn, there were events involving her brothers.
With Yuri, you could bond with your subordinates.
Almost every ruler had at least a couple of minor events.
Serpina alone had none.
Come to think of it, she was also the reason I got dragged into this world.
She'd proven wrong the advice of an advisor with Intelligence 99 and chopped my head off.
Luna's shocked expression made it clear—she must have hated Serpina.
Not surprising.
She had said she became a leader to stop people from suffering, and to bring peace.
Serpina would unify the world through blood.
Countless lives would be lost.
And even after unification, her paranoia would lead to purges and prolonged chaos.
Luna's reaction made perfect sense.
Slowly, I recalled the question again:
Can Serpina von Aingart unify the world?
My 100 Intelligence brain answered instantly.
[She cannot.]
"…"
Even I was speechless.
I had found at least some plausible reason for all the others.
But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't come up with any reason why Serpina couldn't do it.
The only reason she wouldn't was because of the player.
Without player intervention, she almost never failed.
I couldn't even come up with a convincing excuse.
Perhaps misinterpreting my silence as confirmation, Luna's face darkened.
"I see… so in the end, to unify the continent, I must become someone like Serpina…"
She shivered, then took a deep breath, seemingly steeling herself.
With her ruby-like red eyes locked onto mine, she said,
"…Sir Swen. Thank you for your valuable insight today."
For a moment, her face held a sorrow so delicate it looked as if it might shatter if touched.
Then she forced a graceful, bittersweet smile.
"As you said, I may not be suited to be a unifying ruler. But when I think of the people who will tremble under Serpina's tyranny… I cannot give up. And I cannot become someone like her either. I will… find my own path."
Lunarian Iniang.
In the game, she was just a character for those who liked a "fallen noble rises to glory" fantasy.
Her ideals, her convictions, her trembling voice as she looked at me, ready to break—none of it was anything I had ever known from behind the monitor.
She alone was fiercely claiming to be the sovereign who could unify this world.
"Then, I apologize again for visiting five times already. I sincerely wish you good health."
As she stood up to leave, I—
"Wait a moment!"
I stopped her without thinking.
"Waaaaa?!"
Luna looked completely stunned, staring blankly at my face, as if she never imagined I would stop her.
Why had I tried to join the Brance Army?
It was simple. I wanted to survive.
I figured that I could survive safely under the Brance Army.
There was no guarantee that unification would happen within my lifetime, and honestly, I just wanted to live quietly in obscurity until then.
But—
If unification happened, I would escape this chaotic age and return to my original world.
Then?
Ultimately, joining Luna, the sovereign who would achieve unification, was the correct answer.
Furthermore, unification also meant she would never perish.
In a way, it even satisfied my condition of safety.
Of course, [Luna's unification] didn't necessarily mean I wouldn't die under her command, but as long as I didn't rush into a suicide mission, the chances of dying were low.
With someone like Lunarian Iniang as the sovereign, I was confident I could manipulate her to my advantage as her strategist.
She seemed like the type who would listen to me no matter what.
Most importantly, my intelligence stat was 100. If a battle looked like a losing one, I simply wouldn't fight it.
Therefore—
"Are you resolved to become the sovereign who unifies the world?"
"Y-Yes... I mean, yes, but..."
"Using me means trusting me. Can you promise to grant me your complete trust?"
"That means, you're not saying... surely..."
She widened her eyes in realization, staring at me with shocked pupils.
Yes.
The most favorable position for me would be right next to the unifying sovereign.
And if Lunarian Iniang was that sovereign—
"I will join the Lunarian Army."
There was no reason not to serve her.