Chapter 6

Of course, naturally so, after hearing my words, Tifa spoke to me with an air of disbelief.

“Hold on a second! That old geezer you entrusted with repairing the castle walls—I get that—but why am I being sent to the market?! You know I have no clue about commerce!”

“That’s right, Sir Swoen. Honestly, I must admit this directive seems incomprehensible.”

Well, truth be told, even I didn’t fully grasp it.

But my mind insisted this was the right move.

So, it had to be correct. My Divinity level is 100, after all—my words are infallible.

“…Swoen…”

I could feel Luna looking at me with concern.

She too must have felt puzzled.

Though she’d decided to trust me as her strategist, I hadn’t given her much reason yet.

Still…

If they follow my orders now, something will definitely happen.

And if anything, it’ll only be beneficial—not harmful.

With newfound confidence, I spoke in a firm tone.

“Everyone, please listen to me. I understand this may not make sense to you, but this is currently the best decision for our army. If the outcome isn’t favorable, I’ll gladly accept decapitation without complaint.”

“…!!”

The abrupt declaration drew everyone’s attention toward me.

It was drastic, yes, but there was no other way to convince them.

Naturally, complaints followed.

“You need to explain yourself properly, don’t you think? Assigning us tasks we’re clearly unsuited for?”

“Yeah, give us an explanation!”

Seemed like this approach wouldn’t work.

If the result remains unchanged, fabricating plausible reasoning won’t hurt.

We can always adjust the process later and spin the narrative accordingly.

At that moment, Lunarien standing beside me spoke up.

“To everyone here, listen to what I have to say.”

All eyes turned to Luna.

“When I brought Swoen here, I promised to trust him. Though this first directive might seem questionable, I believe giving him a chance is worthwhile. What do you all think?”

She’s stepping up for me now.

I couldn’t help but feel grateful.

No amount of persuasive rhetoric from me would’ve convinced them entirely.

As their newly appointed strategist, I lacked the authority to command true respect just yet.

Thus, it was fitting for Luna, the leader, to step forward.

Right.

If Luna trusts me, I should support her as well.

“My lord, I humbly request your final decision.”

She looked into my eyes, slowly closed them for a moment, then reopened them and addressed Cain and Tifa with a curious expression.

“For now, let’s follow Strategist Swoen’s advice. Any objections?”

“Shall I refuse, my lord? Very well, I shall dedicate myself to the wall repairs.”

“Well, if Luna says so, I guess I have nothing to argue against… but I gotta say, I really don’t feel confident about this. Don’t blame me if results aren’t great.”

After some grumbling, both eventually accepted.

Luna concluded the meeting.

“With that, this month’s conference is adjourned. Please withdraw any necessary funds from the treasury for your tasks. I look forward to seeing your accomplishments next month.”

As the two left the castle, I bowed deeply to her.

“Thank you for trusting me, my lord.”

“No, it’s nothing. I did promise to trust you, after all.”

She sighed softly.

“…You know, speaking casually to you is harder than I thought.”

“Did you not usually speak casually before?”

“Yes. Both Cain and Tifa were expected to recognize their roles as leaders, but for me, it’s been quite difficult. Though thanks to your encouragement, I managed somehow… hehe…”

“Even when we’re alone, maintaining your dignity as a ruler could prove advantageous in various ways.”

Her lips curved into a faint smile after hearing my suggestion.

Frankly speaking, she looked incredibly adorable.

It’s hard to see her as the unifier of the continent—a minor flaw, perhaps.

“Ahh, right. Swoen, I have one question for you…”

“Speak freely.”

“Why did you send Cain to repair the walls and Tifa to the market? While I said I trust you, I still can’t shake off the feeling that these assignments seem swapped…”

Why did I do that?

I don’t know.

My Divinity 100 brain told me to.

What I needed to do now was package these three sentences convincingly.

“Cain, despite his cunning political style, will undoubtedly learn valuable lessons on the frontlines repairing the walls. As for Tifa, growing up in such rough conditions means she needs new experiences to mature further as a general. Being skilled in combat alone isn’t enough for leadership. Ultimately, this path will lead to significant achievements.”

“Is that so…?”

Luna nodded slowly, impressed.

“By the way, Swoen, you’re truly remarkable.”

“What do you mean?”

“You accurately perceived Cain’s cunning nature and Tifa’s rough upbringing at first glance!”

Ah, that—

‘Because I’ve played as the Lunarien faction before.’

“Indeed, someone of Swoen’s caliber must possess the ability to read people’s life trajectories by simply observing them. It’s a skill I aspire to learn.”

“Perhaps.”

Anyway, being seen as competent wasn’t bad.

Wouldn’t it make her more likely to heed my words?

“So, what task should I take on?”

“Ah, now that you mention it, I haven’t assigned you anything yet… Is there anything you’d like to do?”

“Not particularly.”

“Hmm…”

‘Let’s test this out.’

Looking directly at Luna, I said:

“My lord, would you kindly ask me this question: ‘What task do you think suits Swoen?’”

“Ask you a question? Not too difficult…”

Though unusual, thankfully Luna asked without suspicion, reinforcing my belief in her deep trust.

“What task do you think suits Swoen?”

This method might seem convoluted, but using my Divinity 100 stat requires it.

And soon, a conclusion emerges.

“It depends on the will of heaven.”

“…?”

No matter how many times I reflected, the answer remained the same.

Depends on the will of heaven.

I’ve seen this phrase before.

Which allowed me to quickly comprehend the situation.

The original game world I’m in, *[Garland Eternity Saga]*, is an old classic supporting hotseat multiplayer.

Meaning multiple players could participate, taking turns—1P finishes, then 2P plays, and so forth.

In such cases, [Divinity 100] cannot foresee absolute outcomes due to player intervention creating variables.

When 1P proposes an alliance to 2P, predicting 2P’s decision would exceed the capabilities of computers back then.

Thus, strategists resorted to vague prophecies like “[It depends on the will of heaven].”

So—

My fate lies in my actions.

After all, I could’ve ignored advice like “Go into commerce,” and stayed put.

My behavior isn’t predictable.

Though technically a penalty, it holds little significance—it’s obvious anyway.

“…Swoen?”

“Ah, apologies. I was lost in thought.”

Rubbing my chin unnecessarily, I declared:

“I’ll explore the surrounding area. There may be hidden talents we’ve yet to discover.”

“Understood. Please do your best.”

With that, I exited the castle.

Despite the bright day, few people roamed around, and those visible lacked vitality.

‘Dreary place.’

Might not matter since this city will either grow or be abandoned anyway.

I moved to scout the nearby region.

* * *

A few days later.

Tifa sat sullenly in a corner of the marketplace, exuding dissatisfaction.

‘What exactly am I supposed to help with here?’

On the first day, she greeted merchants and attempted to brainstorm ideas for revitalizing the market.

But the townsfolk, burdened by poverty, participated half-heartedly.

Without basic commercial knowledge, she had no way to teach them anything.

Using force wasn’t an option either.

Her actions directly impacted Luna’s reputation in the city, and tarnishing her childhood friend’s image was the last thing Tifa wanted.

‘Really, what does that scrawny strategist think he’s doing, assigning me here?’

Assigning someone as inexperienced as her here—what was he thinking?

‘Luna also seems off. She gives commands confidently but has a vague, foggy aura… Could it be because of that guy?’

Could he have charmed her?

Though not overly masculine, Swoen possessed a certain charm that naturally evoked maternal instincts—an attractive young man, one might say.

Like the kind who could easily pass as an older brother working at an inn.

‘If he’s using his good looks to cloud Luna’s judgment… I won’t forgive him.’

Should she intervene?

While pondering this, a voice called out to her for the first time since arriving.

“Uh… Miss Tifa?”

“?!”

Turning, she saw a boy trembling nervously under her gaze.

“There’s no need to be scared. So, kid, what’s up?”

“Um… Are you really here to oversee the market revival?”

“That’s right.”

“Could you possibly help me?”

The boy pointed somewhere with his finger.

“Our shop was destroyed by the typhoon a while back. My father is bedridden, and my mother isn’t in great health either. My younger siblings are too young, so I have to fix everything alone, but it’s overwhelming…”

Ah, so he needs physical labor.

Better than sitting idle, wasting time.

Helping the townspeople would improve Luna’s reputation too.

“Sure, I’ll help. Where should I go?”

“Really?!”

Relief washed over the boy’s face as he began walking slowly.

Tifa followed behind.

*

“This is insane…”

A week ago, a typhoon struck Jeilrant.

Its aftermath left scars across the market.

‘There are plenty of collapsed houses around here too.’

Though some reconstruction had occurred over the past week—

The shop belonging to this boy lay in complete ruin, utterly devastated.

“We might as well rebuild the whole house.”

“Um… Would that be difficult?”

“Not at all. That’s why someone like me is here, after all. Hey!”

“Wha—Yes?!”

Summoning a passing merchant, Tifa ordered:

“Bring me ten strong men and shovels. I’ll pay their wages.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

He quickly gathered ten burly men.

Had she merely demanded, they’d likely comply out of fear, but offering payment made recruitment effortless.

“Here’s your shovel.”

Taking the shovel, Tifa instructed the group to clear the wreckage of the fallen wooden structure.

‘This house was built terribly.’

Though a typhoon hit, the winds weren’t extraordinarily fierce.

Clearly, the low development level of the city led to shoddy construction practices.

‘We should start with a proper foundation. Something sturdy.’

With nothing else pressing during the month, Tifa picked up the shovel and began digging.

After a few strokes,

Clang!

“Huh?”

A strange noise vibrated through her arm holding the shovel.

Clang, Clang.

After a few more strikes, she realized something non-soil-like was buried beneath.

Initially assuming it was a rock, rocks wouldn’t produce such metallic sounds.

This sensation. It feels like metal colliding.

Tifa cleared the surrounding dirt and unearthed the object.

‘This is…!’

What emerged before her eyes was—

An extremely aged, heavy chest.