"Come get some bread! We still have plenty!"
All the money in the chest was used to rebuild the village devastated by the typhoon.
About half of the amount was spent entirely on food.
Under Cain's lead, the soldiers assigned to miscellaneous tasks stepped forward to distribute food to the villagers.
Though the order was given by Luna, the ones who actively led the relief effort were Cain and me.
Among us, Cain took the frontline in helping the people.
Whether he liked it or not, Cain was making a strong impression on the villagers through this opportunity.
"Thank you so much..."
"Thank you, my lord."
"We will never forget your grace, sir."
Cain responded with a warm smile to the woman who vowed not to forget his grace.
"It is Lady Lunarian's generosity. Please remember that."
"Ah... Yes! We'll never forget the grace of Lady Lunarian's army!"
Well, since we were handing out food, the city's favorability toward Lunarian's army was bound to rise—
'Is this really the right thing to do?'
Honestly, I couldn't help but wonder if this was the proper approach.
It was a castle we were going to abandon anyway, so what good would raising public opinion do?
That money could have immediately hired a mercenary company. With a total of 10,000 soldiers, we could probably hold the city with some desperate effort. In that case, we could even turn this city into a stronghold instead of abandoning it.
Sure, if public sentiment improves, public order naturally recovers, and with that, commerce and agriculture also develop simultaneously. As development progresses, the population increases proportionally, which means more soldiers can be conscripted—but that would take far too much time.
Besides, I highly doubted that a small country like Lunarian's army would enjoy such peaceful times in the middle of this chaotic era.
Well, I have 100 intelligence, and I've concluded that this is the right choice, so it must be.
"Excuse me, tactician."
"Yes, what is it?"
Cain, who had been involved in relief efforts with the soldiers, found a moment to come speak to me.
"So, it was the lord's will to distribute all the money, was it?"
"Yes, that's correct. Since it was found in this village, she wanted to return it to the people—something like that."
"I see. Hm."
Cain gave a few meaningless coughs before staring straight at my face.
"Now that I think about it, did you not oppose the decision? I mean, the idea of distributing all the money. The intent is admirable, sure, but as you know, our army doesn't exactly have funds. It's not like we have spare money lying around. I think most people would object to doing something like this."
The look in Cain's eyes was incredibly sharp as he asked that.
It wasn't the usual half-lidded, unmotivated look. It was more like the eyes of a lion in its prime.
I answered with a faint smile.
"Do I really seem like someone completely cold and heartless to you, Lord Cain?"
"Well, no, that's not it. I just assumed that any tactician our lord brought in would be someone remarkable. Honestly... I'm just curious why you didn't try to stop it."
The way he kept circling around the question made me think he had something else he truly wanted to ask.
I couldn't shake the feeling that he was testing me.
Cain isn't a bad person.
Maybe he's testing my character as a human being.
I responded in the smoothest tone I could manage.
"To be honest, I did consider stopping her, but the lord seemed more resolute about this than anything else. A tactician should sometimes voice their opinion, but also be the one to support their lord's will when necessary. Don't you agree?"
Why didn't I stop her?
Because, with 100 intelligence, I concluded that giving away the money was the right call.
But I couldn't say that outright.
So I added a convincing reason.
I still didn't know the real reason myself, so I had no choice.
I'll probably keep attaching plausible reasons like this as I go.
"I see."
Cain nodded.
"Well then, I'll follow your judgment, Lord Swen. If you hadn't sent Lady Tifa to the market, we wouldn't have found that money, right?"
"You flatter me."
"Anyway, things here seem to be wrapping up... I'll handle the report, so why don't you take a break?"
"I'll gladly accept."
I accepted his kindness.
I had been exhausted from hauling flour sacks with my pitiful strength anyway.
I leaned against the castle wall and looked up at the sky.
It was blindingly blue.
So vividly blue that I found myself lost in the illusion that this peace might last forever.
'No way it will.'
Maybe it's time to start mentally preparing.
I gazed at the drifting clouds and savored the very brief moment of peace.
* * *
After that, the days passed quietly with internal affairs.
Cain's recommended assignment was [Commerce], and Tifa's was [Training].
Whenever my brain recommended those two tasks, nothing in particular happened.
Cain, who had high political aptitude, handled commerce, and Tifa, with her high combat strength, took care of training.
Well, it would've been strange if absurd good luck kept happening endlessly.
During this time, instead of exploring, I followed Luna around and helped her with rebuilding the village.
That's right. Lunarian Inniang, despite being a leader, personally went around doing hard labor and helping out.
And I, knowing how unreasonable it was to leave everything to her alone, decided to follow and assist her—that's basically the situation.
"Please stay strong. Our army will do everything we can to help this village regain its former liveliness."
"Oh, thank you so much. Truly, thank you, my lord..."
Maybe it was the effect of distributing all that money recently.
The people of Zeilant greeted us warmly wherever we went, and they were especially welcoming of Luna as she helped with all sorts of chores.
Public sentiment is like a blade.
In chaotic times, the one who rules can change at any moment.
That kind of sincere gratitude? Had she only gone around saying 'we'll do our best,' she never would've earned it.
"My lord. I believe this is a good stopping point."
Seeing the sky darkening, I walked up to Luna and spoke.
"But... I haven't checked that alley over there yet."
"This should be enough. After all, you'll be going around the domain again tomorrow to help people, right? You should get some rest tonight."
"...That makes sense. I'll comply."
Luna wasn't the stubborn type.
She usually listened to what I said.
If I, the tactician, had told her not to, she probably wouldn't have insisted on giving all the money to the people either.
Of course, one of the conditions when she scouted me was that she would completely follow my advice, but ultimately she was the lord, and I, tactician or not, was just one of her vassals. If she had really insisted, I wouldn't have been able to override her decision.
So thinking about it now, this might be proof of the size of her character.
Her capacity.
That word popped into my mind, and with it came curiosity, prompting me to ask her a question.
"My lord. I have something I'd like to ask."
"What is it?"
"I know the general story, but since I'm now in your service, I'd like to hear the full details. What led you to raise an army in the first place?"
"..."
Luna paused to think after hearing my words.
Then she looked up at the darkening sky and spoke.
"I... lost my only family, my sister, to the war."
The story of Lunarian Iniang.
The reason why the monarch of a small, revival-themed nation rose to lead an army, a story not properly explained in the game.
Here, in this world that exists not as a game but as reality, she began to tell her tale.
"Five years ago, the Emperor died without naming a successor, and the declining Empire fell apart. Countless lords rose up in rebellion. The nobles who managed the fiefs all declared independence, and in the process... so, so many people died. My sister was one of them."
"What did your sister do?"
"..."
Luna gazed at the sky for a long time without speaking—
Then, with a somewhat sorrowful smile, she looked at me.
"Ahaha. I don't usually tell people this... but I feel like it's okay to tell you, Swen. How strange."
I said nothing and simply focused on her voice.
"My sister was... an unofficial concubine of Algot von Aingart, the Emperor's eldest son."
"Algot von Aingart, the eldest son? Don't tell me..."
She slowly nodded.
"The older brother of Serpina von Aingart. Because of her low status, she was never officially part of the imperial family, but she did receive Algot's affection. Even from my young perspective, it was clear that they truly loved each other."
A common story.
But the setup of "My sister was related to the imperial family" added credibility to why a royal like Cain would hide his identity and join Lunarian's cause.
The only information available in-game was something like "He trusted in Lunarian's purity and entrusted himself to her."
It struck me anew that this world truly existed.
"And..."
"You don't need to say any more."
Serpina von Aingart.
She wasn't the firstborn among the many royals, and she was a woman, yet how did she rise to lead the most powerful military faction and influence the entire continent?
It was because she purged all her brothers and sisters.
The Bloody Monarch, the Tyrant.
The blood of Aingart that remained on the continent was said to run only through her.
Though in truth, that wasn't entirely accurate.
"So... in the end, it was revenge? For your sister?"
"Yes, perhaps. Maybe it started as revenge."
She smiled bitterly, seemingly accepting it—
But then she lifted her head and looked me in the eyes.
"But I want to end this war with my own hands. I want to build the kind of nation I idealize... one where bloody internal power struggles like this won't happen again. I want to bring peace to the continent and honor my sister's memory. If it were just about revenge, it would have been easier to join someone else. ...But I don't want the easy path."
I nodded and said, "I understand. Thank you for telling me."
"No need to thank me. It's you, after all, Swen."
"I'm not sure I deserve that."
She smiled at my curt reply.
"Well, like I said—you were the first person to join our army. Not a single person accepted my offer before you."
"..."
I looked away and said, "You'll become the Unifying Sovereign."
"...Really? You think I can unite the continent?"
Since the question came again, I ran it through my head once more.
The result was the same.
Yes.
'It's you. You're the one who will unite this continent.'
Even I could hardly believe it, but...
No matter how many times I thought about it, the conclusion didn't change.
She, Lunarian Iniang, was the one destined to unify the continent.
I spoke with certainty.
"Who am I if not your strategist, Lunarian? Trust my words."
"Heh."
It had only been a month and a half since we met.
Not that long, really—but maybe because I was practically a founding member of her fledgling nation.
Having spent everyday together, I felt strangely attached to her.
We were close in age, too.
"The wind's getting chilly. Shall we go in?"
"Alright."
Just as we were about to return home without a care—
"My liege!!!"
From afar, a soldier came running toward us in a panic—
No, not to us—to Luna specifically.
"...What is it?"
Luna quickly switched to leader mode and responded.
I examined the soldier's uniform.
His silver armor looked the same as the others'... but the red armband on his right arm—I recognized it.
This guy... he's a courier, isn't he?
'Damn.'
In this game, a courier appeared at only one moment.
And that was—
"The Brance Army is marching toward Zeilant with approximately 8,000 troops!"
—when someone initiates a conflict.