"Huff, huff… Let’s take a break."

I plopped down on the side of the road, calling out to Luna, who was leading the way ahead.

Seriously, how long had we even been walking?

I couldn’t believe how quickly I was worn out. Having such a low physical stat was turning out to be way more of a pain than I expected.

“Ah! O-okay!”

Luna hurried back to where I’d collapsed and carefully sat down beside me, looking guilty.

“I’m really sorry… I couldn’t arrange for a carriage. But we’re almost at my territory, so let’s take our time and rest properly once we get there. Here, have some water.”

I took the water bottle she handed me and gulped it down.

The moment the cool liquid hit my throat, it felt like my brain started working again.

That’s when I finally noticed her sitting there, looking all worried and apologetic.

I decided to just get straight to the point.

“By the way… are you seriously still talking to me so formally?”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“I joined your army today, didn’t I? That makes you my lord now. And honestly, I don’t think it’s a great look for a ruler to be speaking so politely to her subordinates.”

I wasn’t trying to lecture her or anything.

I just figured it was worth pointing out that a ruler should act like one.

Sure, in modern times, people might think it’s admirable for a leader to be humble and down-to-earth.

But this was a medieval world—

A chaotic one, at that.

In times like these, a ruler who didn’t carry themselves with authority was asking for trouble.

Luna seemed to take my words to heart.

Her shoulders slumped as she let out a quiet sigh.

“…I guess you’re right. But I just… I feel so grateful to you, Swen.”

“Grateful? To me?”

Her cheeks flushed slightly.

“Yes. Aside from the few people who’ve been with me since the beginning… you’re the first person to join my army. Honestly, I just want to treat you well, if that’s okay.”

So I’m her first official recruit?

I thought back to playing as Luna in the game.

Recruiting subordinates had been a nightmare.

I mean, with her weak kingdom and average reputation, it wasn’t exactly surprising.

Nobody picked her unless they were specifically going for a “comeback king” storyline.

“Alright, how about this?” I suggested.

“When it’s just the two of us, feel free to talk however you like—formal, casual, whatever. But when we’re around others, like the soldiers or the other officers, I’d prefer if you treated me like any other subordinate. What do you think?”

“…Like the other rulers, you mean?”

“Exactly. If you’re going to lead people, you need to look the part. Sure, values might change over time, but since you’re aiming for the top, it only makes sense to act like it.”

The reality was harsh.

This wasn’t a world where ideals were enough.

To inspire loyalty and trust, a ruler had to be strong—or at least seem strong.

But—

Luna looked conflicted.

“Ambitions, though… That feels a bit much. I just want everyone to live peacefully. It’s not really ambition—it’s more like a dream.”

“My lord.”

I cut her off before she could finish.

A typical ruler might’ve been offended if some newbie subordinate interrupted them like that.

Hell, they might’ve even had me executed on the spot.

But—

“Y-yes?”

Luna just blinked at me, like a lost lamb waiting to be guided.

“Call it ambition. In a world like this, dreams will only get you killed. Didn’t you say you wanted to bring peace to everyone? A ruler who gets hung up on semantics like this won’t survive long enough to make that happen. Do you understand?”

“…Peace for the continent…”

Her ruby-red eyes wavered as she looked at me.

Even now, she didn’t seem like someone who could unify the world.

But—

I had 100 Intelligence.

And my brain was absolutely certain.

“Yes. Don’t second-guess yourself. If you can grow into a ruler worthy of unifying this continent… I, Swen, will make sure the Garland Continent is yours.”

“…!”

Her face flushed again as she listened to me.

And I had to admit—

She was beautiful.

Delicate, like a lone flower blooming on the edge of a cliff.

Honestly, I had no idea how someone like her had decided to lead an army.

“…Alright. If you really believe that, Swen… I won’t run away from ambition anymore.”

“That’s what I like to hear.”

To keep things from getting too heavy, I shifted the topic.

“By the way, your territory’s farther than I thought.”

“Huh? Oh… I guess it is. But it’s not so far that you can’t make the trip in a day.”

Luna nodded as she answered.

This woman.

She’d come to see me five times.

Did that mean… she’d made this long trip back and forth all five times?

Suddenly, that old story about someone being appointed after visiting three times made a lot more sense.

It was honestly kind of impressive.

‘Alright. I might as well do this properly.’

I glanced up at the sky.

The sun was still out, but we’d need to hurry if we wanted to reach her territory before dark.

I still wasn’t used to this weak body of mine, but I couldn’t just sit around forever.

“Let’s get going.”

I stood up, moving a bit stiffly.

I still hated how sluggish my body felt, but I’d just have to deal with it.

“Ah! Y-yes!”

Luna quickly got up and started walking ahead of me again, pushing through the bushes.

***

"Huff, huff."

Damn it.

The body I’d promised to “adapt to quickly” was already throwing me under the bus.

Just climbing this stupid hill had left me completely winded.

Honestly, my physical stat might’ve been even lower than the 10–15 I’d estimated earlier.

“We’re almost there… Are you okay?”

The sun was already starting to set.

Traveling at night wasn’t exactly safe, but camping out here would basically mean wasting a whole day.

And considering Luna’s precarious situation, wasting time like this wasn’t a great idea either.

“I’m fine… Let’s keep going. I can handle it.”

I really wished this exercise would at least help improve my stamina, but—

Nope.

This game didn’t have any commands for training or leveling up stats.

Everything so far lined up perfectly with my predictions, which meant this world was still bound by the game’s rules.

But since I didn’t know exactly how those rules applied, I couldn’t afford to act carelessly.

“…Hmm.”

Luna hesitated for a moment before suddenly stepping closer.

“Um, Swen?”

“…Yes?”

She stared at me for a second before turning around.

Then, without any hesitation, she bent forward slightly and said—

“Would you like me to carry you?”

“…What???”

Did I just hallucinate?

“You seem really tired, Swen. It’s fine—you can ride on my back if you’re okay with it. We’re almost there anyway.”

“That’s not the issue here—”

I wanted to argue, but my legs were shaking too much to get the words out properly.

I thought about Luna’s physical stats.

Sure, they were a bit above average, but… was she really okay with this?

I glanced at her again.

She didn’t look the least bit tired.

Still, I was a guy—and her subordinate, no less.

Letting my female commander carry me?

That was humiliating.

But…

‘Wasting more time out here would be even more pathetic.’

Realistically speaking, letting her carry me was the right call.

So I swallowed my pride and leaned against her without hesitation.

“…I’ll be counting on you.”

“Of course!”

She hoisted me up effortlessly and started walking.

Was I lighter than I thought?

I mean, my arms and legs were pretty skinny, and I hadn’t been eating much lately either.

As I clung to her back, I found myself glancing at her profile and thinking—

“She wants to unify the continent for peace, huh?”

I guess there were probably plenty of players who shared that kind of idealistic goal.

But this game already had a ruler made for that concept—

Makana Karelia.

Leader of the Karelia Army, Makana was the last descendant of the Makana royal bloodline—the kingdom destroyed by Serpina’s empire during the previous unification.

She had emerald-green eyes and a righteous personality that made her the perfect rival to Serpina’s tyrant role.

The game practically treated her as the main character.

In fact, the tutorial even had you leading her army as a way to learn the basics.

Her talent pool was small but packed with SS-tier officers.

And once you survived the early-game struggles, her army was just as stable as the Brans Army.

She wasn’t beginner-friendly, but she was clearly designed for heroic playthroughs.

In other words—

Luna’s faction?

Completely irrelevant.

In the game, her army never did anything noteworthy.

They never took the lead, never made a name for themselves.

Even with randomized factors in the gameplay, Luna’s faction was always one of the first to collapse.

Unless someone intentionally picked her for a comeback king challenge, she was the kind of ruler who would never unify the world.

And yet—

I—no, my 100 Intelligence—was absolutely certain.

Luna’s faction would unify this continent.

Not Serpina’s, not the Brans Army’s, not Ashers’—

Luna’s.

‘I still don’t get it.’

But my predictions had been flawless so far.

Whether it ended in disaster or success, one thing was clear—I had to stay by her side.

And just like that—

I arrived safely at Luna’s territory, the small city of Zeilant.

***

 

“This is the place?”

A crumbling little castle.

Dark, lifeless market alleys.

A landscape drenched in gloom.

My first impression of Zeilant, labeled simply as a “small city” in the game, could be summed up in two words—

Abandoned town.

“Yes, that’s right.”

Luna pointed to a rickety wooden house with a calm expression.

“This will be your residence, Swen.”

Well…

It wasn’t like I’d been expecting luxury accommodations anyway, so I wasn’t exactly disappointed.

Still—

“This is where I’ll be staying?”

“Yes. Once the sun rises, please come find me at the castle in the center of the city.”

With that, Luna gave a polite nod and turned to leave.

“Goodnight, Swen. I hope you rest well.”

I watched her disappear down the dimly lit street before stepping inside the wooden house.

Creak.

The door let out an unpleasant groan as I pushed it open.

Inside, the dim moonlight spilling through a small window revealed a tiny, bare room.

Aside from the rickety bed shoved against one corner, there wasn’t a single piece of furniture in sight.

Sure, it wasn’t much now—

But once the city grew and expanded, I’d probably end up with something better.

At least, that was the hope.

“Let’s just get some sleep.”

I sank onto the creaky bed.

My first day as a strategist was about to begin.