Became a Strategist with a 100 Intelligence and 100% Accuracy

"I see… So that was your intention."

"Precisely. Luring the enemy out of their fortress is a far easier method than launching a full-scale siege."

Only after multiple explanations did Yuan finally seem to grasp her plan, but Serpina did not reprimand him.

No matter what kind of life she had led before, the Serpina von Eingart of today was a sovereign who walked the path of conquest—an absolute ruler who would not tolerate anything standing beside her.

Many despised her, calling her a tyrant, a demon, a witch, and their hatred was not unfounded.
However, despite her fearsome reputation, she was not the kind of ruler who governed through terror within her own ranks.

Serpina’s public image was stained with blood, but inside her own nation, she ensured the loyalty of those who served her.

After all, even if she was the last living heir of the fallen Eingart Empire, the loyalists of the former imperial court had never seen her as their rightful ruler.
To them, the true heir had been Algott von Eingart, the eldest son—now long dead.

The retainers of the empire had no reason to welcome her, especially considering her brutal reputation.

She understood that ruling by fear alone could make people obey in the short term.
Executing subordinates at the first sign of disloyalty, enforcing an iron grip through purges—it might keep the state functioning, especially since her army had swallowed up the entirety of the northern continent and the imperial capital itself.

However—

That was not how a unified empire was built.

A ruler who could not inspire true loyalty in their soldiers would crumble when it mattered most.@@novelbin@@

This was the conclusion she had reached after thoroughly studying The Prince and other famous treatises on rulership.

Thus, Serpina had established her own unshakable principle:

Those who follow me shall never be disregarded.

She ruled with strict but fair discipline—
She never punished soldiers simply for failing to understand her instructions.
She would explain as many times as necessary and only executed punishments when betrayal or treason were involved.

This starkly contrasted with Lyn Brans, the ruler of Brans Army, who practiced a far more ruthless method of governance.

Lyn Brans was not stupid. Despite her recent string of irrational mistakes, she had proven to be a competent ruler.
Even though she had inherited a solid foundation, expanding her dominion further and becoming the dominant power in the central region had been no small feat.

However—Lyn was highly emotional.

She ruled through fear rather than merit.

Punishment was not based on the severity of an offense, but on how she personally felt about an individual.