"Huff, huff... Let's take a short break."
Flop.
I slumped down by the roadside and called out to Luna, who was leading the way.
I have no idea how I got this exhausted from walking such a short distance.
I didn't realize how inconvenient having low physical stats could be.
"Ah, y-yes..."
Luna, who had been walking ahead, came closer and slowly sat beside me, speaking apologetically.
"I'm sorry I couldn't rent a carriage... If we walk just a little further, we'll reach our territory, so let's rest properly for now. Oh, here's some water."
I took the water bottle she handed me and gulped it down.
As moisture reentered my weary body, I could feel my brain spinning back into gear.
Seeing her remorseful expression come into view, I spoke bluntly.
"That aside... are you seriously still using honorifics with me?"
"Eh? What do you mean?"
"As of today, I've officially joined the Lunarian Army. Which means you are now my lord. As a lord, I don't think speaking to your subordinates in polite speech all the time is particularly appropriate."
What I wanted to convey was that treating subordinates with respect might not be ideal for a ruler.
In modern society, where people are taught equality and often reject hierarchies, such behavior might be praised as being a noble leader or lacking in arrogance.
But this is clearly a feudal, medieval world. A chaotic era, no less.
In uncertain times like these, a ruler who lowers themselves too much is bound to face trouble.
Luna listened to me and then bowed her head, her face falling again.
"I... I see. But... I'm just so grateful to you, Swen."
"To me?"
She blushed slightly as she answered.
"Yes… Aside from the companions who've been with me from the start... you're the first person who willingly joined our army. So, if it's okay with you, I want to treat you well. That's how I really feel."
'Wait, so I'm basically the first official recruit of the Lunarian Army?'
I recalled my experience playing as Luna.
Yeah, recruiting subordinates was ridiculously hard.
No prestige, no resources – it was a no-brainer that no one wanted to join.
Unless you were specifically doing a "return of the king" type roleplay, no one picked Luna.
"Then let's do this. When it's just the two of us, feel free to speak however you like. But when there are others around – other retainers, or soldiers – I'd appreciate it if you treated me like any other lord would treat their subordinate. What do you think?"
"Other lords... you say?"
"If you want to command people, you need to appear capable of doing so. Values might vary depending on the age, but if you have ambition, it's natural to strive to look like a leader befitting this era."
Sadly, this was an age of barbarism.
To inspire confidence in your soldiers, you had to be a strong ruler.
Still, Luna looked troubled.
"Ambition... that feels a bit much. I just... want everyone to live peacefully. So rather than ambition, I'd say it's more of a dream—"
"My lord."
I deliberately cut her off.
A typical ruler would be offended to be interrupted by a mere newly recruited subordinate.
They could even have me executed for it, if they so chose.
"Y-yes."
But she wasn't upset at all. She simply waited for me to speak, like a gentle lamb.
"Have ambition. In an age without dreams, those who dream are killed. Didn't you say you want peace for everyone? A ruler who obsesses over trivial semantics won't bring peace to a continent in turmoil. Do you understand?"
"...Peace to a continent in turmoil... you say."
I met her gaze directly.
Her red eyes wavered pitifully.
No matter how many times I looked, she didn't seem like someone who could unify a continent...
But I had complete faith in my 100 Intelligence.
"That's right. Don't be timid. If you become a ruler capable of unifying this continent... then I, Swen, will make sure the Garland Continent is unified under you."
She blushed at my words.
Again, I have to say it – she really is beautiful. That delicate aura makes you want to protect her.
Like a flower blooming alone on a cliff.
It's hard to imagine how she ever decided to become a leader.
"...Understood. If you're saying so, Swen... then I won't avoid having ambition."
"That's good."
I casually changed the subject to lighten the mood.
"This place is a bit farther from where I was staying than I thought."
"Eh? Oh... yes. It's not impossible to reach it in a day, if you're determined."
Luna nodded as she replied.
This woman.
She came five times to recruit me.
That means... she made this round trip five times.
To have someone of no renown like me be pursued so earnestly... I should be grateful.
'Yeah. Now that I'm enlisted, I might as well give it my best.'
I looked up at the sky.
The sun was still up... but we should return to the territory before nightfall.
My body wasn't fully recovered, but I couldn't rest forever.
"Let's get moving."
I slowly stood up.
My body still felt sluggish, but adapting to it was my problem.
"Ah, yes..."
Luna heard me and got up, once again taking the lead through the underbrush.
"Huff, huff."
Damn it.
Despite resolving to adapt quickly, my body was already testing me.
Just climbing a hill and I'm in this state.
Maybe my Strength stat is even lower than the 10-15 I assumed.
"We're almost there... Are you okay?"
The sun had already begun to set.
Night would be dangerous. And camping out would be a waste of time.
For Luna's army, which could be attacked at any moment, wasting time on the roadside wasn't ideal.
"I'm fine... Let's keep going. I'm okay..."
If only this physical exertion increased my stamina...
But this game, true to its outdated nature, had no such command or feature to train and raise stats.
Given that all my predictions so far have come true, it seems this world really is bound by game logic... but I couldn't be sure how this part would work, so I couldn't act recklessly.
"...Hmm."
Luna pondered for a moment.
Then she walked up to me and said, "Um, Swen."
"...Go ahead."
She looked at me for a moment, then turned around and bent over.
Then, as if it were nothing, she said, "Would you like to hop on?"
"...Excuse me???"
What?
Did I hear that right?
"You seem really tired... If it's okay with you, I can carry you. We're almost there."
"No, that's not the issue..."
I want to say something, but my legs are shaking so much that I can barely speak.
I recall Luna's Strength stat.
It was definitely a bit above average... but is she really okay?
After thinking about it and looking closer, I couldn't see any signs of fatigue on her face.
Still, I'm a man and her subordinate.
Getting carried on the back of a female lord would look downright pathetic.
But.
'...Wouldn't wasting time like this be even more pathetic?'
Thinking realistically, the right choice here was to let her carry me.
With that, I leaned on her without hesitation.
"I'll be in your care."
"Yes!"
She hoisted me onto her back, balancing easily as she stood up.
Am I on the lighter side?
Well, my arms and legs are thin, and overall I have a slender frame.
I hadn't been eating much, either.
While I was on her back, I glanced at the side of her face and thought.
'She wants to unify the continent for peace, huh.'
You might think there would be plenty of players who wanted to conquer the continent as a peace-seeking ruler—
But the game already had a character for that concept.
Makana Karelia.
The ruler of the Karelia Army, a direct descendant of the royal bloodline of the Makana Kingdom, which was destroyed in the past by Serpina's empire in her quest for unification.
With an incredibly righteous personality, she was essentially the archrival and narrative foil to Serpina, who played the role of a tyrant in the game. A jade-eyed lord radiating the aura of a true rival.
If you played the tutorial, you'd learn the game basics while leading the Karelia Army, so you could say it was practically the protagonist nation.
The talent pool was limited, but everyone was SS-rank, and if you could survive the early stages, it was just as viable as playing as Lynn Brance. So it wasn't exactly a beginner-friendly faction, but still.
The point is—
Luna's faction was utterly insignificant in this game.
Nothing exceptional. Never leading anything important.
Even with all the random stat assignments in-game, it was always the same.
They were one of those weak, forgettable countries that always got wiped out in the early game. And Luna's army was right in the middle of that pack.
Unless someone wanted to do a bizarre fallen-hero roleplay, they would never choose this faction to pursue unification.
Even so.
I, or rather—
My Intelligence 100 brain continued to insist over and over.
That Luna's army would unify the continent.
Not Serpina's, not Brance's, not Aishas'—only Luna's.
'I don't get it, but…'
My predictions are always right in this world.
No matter what, as long as that remains true, I had to stay by her side.
And so, I safely entered the small town of Zeilant, the territory of the Lunarian Army.
"Is this the place?"
A crumbling old castle.
A dim market alley devoid of energy.
A bleak, ominous atmosphere.
My first impression upon arriving in Zeilant—classified in-game simply as a "small town"—was this:
An abandoned city.
"Yes, that's right. This is the house where you'll be staying, Swen."
With a calm expression, she pointed to a dilapidated wooden house.
Well... I hadn't expected luxurious living, so it wasn't like I was disappointed or anything.
"When the sun rises, please come to the castle at the center... please have a good rest."
After seeing Lunarian off with a farewell, I stepped inside the wooden house.
Creak — a spine-tingling noise greeted me, along with a small room bathed in moonlight from a narrow window.
Other than an old bed I could sleep on, there wasn't a single piece of furniture.
The house might be like this now...
But as the town grows, I'll surely be able to stay somewhere better.
'Let's just sleep for now.'
I laid my body on the worn-out bed.
My first day as a strategist was about to begin.