Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 31

“Elder brother, have you been well?”

Patrian greeted cheerfully, flashing a wide grin.

After dismissing their attendants, the two brothers sat down for a private conversation.

Patrian, claiming he thought of Kyris while passing through, presented a gift.

“And what is this?”

“I recently traveled to the east, remember? This is powdered medicinal herbs from there. It’s highly effective for headaches.”

Kyris stared at the small vial Patrian handed him but quickly set it aside without interest.

“I see. How thoughtful of you.”

His flat tone made it clear that he wasn’t grateful at all, but Patrian kept smiling as if unbothered.

Though the two weren’t exactly affectionate brothers, Kyris didn’t dislike or distrust Patrian as much as he did Asmun.

Unlike the scheming Asmun, Patrian had no interest in the throne.

In fact, Patrian was more of a frivolous fool, the kind who would waste time traveling east and bring back cheap herbal powder as a gift.

“Oh, by the way, have you heard the rumors, Brother?”

Patrian suddenly lowered his voice, as if he were about to share a secret.

Kyris glanced at him, unimpressed.

“You mean the one about the novice priest who can read monster information?”

His voice was bored, as if the matter was barely worth mentioning.

“I’ve heard of it. But such an ability is ridiculous. The priest must have overheard some details and is just pretending to know everything.”

“But even the chancellor acknowledged it. Surely, it has been verified.”

At the mention of Chancellor Ivatan, Kyris’s expression darkened.

“What, is he omniscient now?”

Hearing that name alone irritated Kyris.

Even though he tried for years to win Ivatan over, the unyielding chancellor had never wavered.

After countless failed attempts, Kyris finally gave up, but the resentment lingered.

“If the ability is real, we’ll find out soon enough. Let’s just wait and see.”

Kyris scoffed, dismissing the absurdity of the idea.

“A novice priest who can read monster information just by looking? What nonsense.”

“And a mere novice at that—one who hasn’t even been formally promoted.”

Patrian paused, his amusement growing as he realized Kyris hadn’t heard the full story yet.

 

“Brother, do you remember the priestess who caused a stir at the Founding Banquet?”

 

Kyris’s eyebrow twitched.

The memory of that clumsy, foolish novice priestess who had nearly gotten eaten by Tanir came rushing back.

The same one who had ruined his carefully laid-out plans that night.

“That very same novice priestess is the one who can supposedly read monster information.”

Patrian grinned as if sharing the most entertaining gossip.

But Kyris’s expression twisted in disbelief.

“…What?”

***

“Ugh, it’s freezing.”

Eden shivered, surprised by how cold the stream water was as she dipped her hands in.

The temperature had dropped drastically as the sun began to set.

Still, there was no other choice—so she splashed water onto her face, letting out a deep sigh.

“Haa…”

It felt refreshing, washing away some of the exhaustion from the long ride.

Riding a horse had been an exhilarating experience—a skill she never imagined mastering so effortlessly.

However, the initial thrill had faded quickly.

“Ugh, how much longer do we have to travel…?”

Even though portals and teleportation scrolls existed, they clearly weren’t available for knights or soldiers.

“Well, with this many people moving, the mana stone cost must be outrageous.”

The expedition team included a small group of priests and mages.

The priests were particularly powerful, selected for their strong divine energy to act as healers.

“Healers, huh…”

As she stared at the gently flowing stream, Eden suddenly thought of Hegenti.

 

“…You’re not a healer?”

 

His voice echoed in her mind.

Hegenti had stabbed himself just to test her.

“Why would he need a healer? Was he sick?”

She frowned, recalling how much pain he had been in.

“Was he suffering from an illness?”

She mentally retraced the events, breaking them down step by step.

Then, her eyes widened.

“Wait… Did his pain stop when I appeared?”

When she had arrived, Hegenti suddenly passed out.

And when he lost consciousness, his suffering ended.

If he had noticed that…

“Could he think I’m the reason his pain stopped?”

That would explain why he assumed she was a healer.

But…

‘That was just a coincidence…’

Just as Eden muttered to herself, a shadow loomed behind her.

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

A low voice startled her.

Eden whirled around, only to find Asmun standing right behind her.

Heart pounding, she jumped to her feet.

Asmun glanced around, then looked back at her with a cool expression.

“You shouldn’t be alone after sunset. Especially not in a forest.”

His tone was calm, but there was a hint of reprimand.

Eden frowned.

“You’re the last person who should be lecturing me!”

Her sudden protest made Asmun fall silent, his crimson eyes gleaming under the fading sunlight.

The expression in his gaze sent a shiver down her spine.

Feeling intimidated, Eden quickly softened her tone, fumbling for an excuse.

“No, I mean… This isn’t the time for this. If you waste time like this—”

“Did you receive a divine revelation?”

Asmun cut her off with an abrupt question.

“Huh? Oh… No, not yet.”

“Then my only task right now is to ensure that you stay alive and receive that revelation safely.”

His cold voice made Eden sigh in frustration.

Of course. That’s why he was here.

Asmun was blatantly obvious about it—he didn’t even bother to hide his intentions.

Naturally, if she were to die, it would be a huge loss not only for Asmun but also for Ivatan.

And since this was a strategic game, people were bound to judge each other based solely on their usefulness.

Eden was no different—she was also using Asmun for her own purposes.

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. I won’t die until you become Emperor.”

Eden spoke confidently, her tone carrying a hint of mocking defiance.

Asmun’s crimson eyes darkened slightly.

A moment of silence settled between them.

The setting sun cast its glow over his sharp features, painting his already striking face in deep, burning red hues.

It was clear now—Asmun was undoubtedly the character the game developers had poured the most effort into designing.

Kyris and Patrian were handsome as well, but neither of them had this majestic, almost ethereal presence.

Eden found herself staring, almost admiring the picture-perfect moment, until Asmun suddenly spoke again.

“Are you only following the will of the gods?”

“…What?”

“Do you have no personal will in this?”

It was a strange question.

Personal will?

Eden blinked, caught off guard by Asmun’s unexpected words.

Why would that matter?

“I also genuinely hope for Your Highness to become Emperor.”

She answered nonchalantly, but Asmun persisted.

“Why?”

The simple yet sharp question made Eden falter.

The answer was obvious—because she needed to clear the game.

But, of course, she couldn’t say that.

“Well…”

As she hesitated, Asmun’s gaze bore into her.

“I just… have a feeling Your Highness would make a great Emperor.”

The moment she spoke those words, the atmosphere changed subtly.

The soft murmur of the stream, the distant chirping of evening insects, and the gentle night breeze—they all blended into the quiet stillness between them.

“It’s just a gut feeling. No—I’m certain. You’ll be a great ruler.”

Asmun listened, silent.

Eden, trying to ease the tension, smiled lightly.

“After all, aren’t you already leading the monster subjugation efforts?”

A transparent flattery, but Asmun’s expression remained unreadable.

“…….”

“…….”

The silence stretched, thick with an unspoken weight.

Feeling awkward, Eden quickly dropped her smile.

“Well, that’s all I meant.”

She looked away, avoiding his piercing gaze.

The sun had now fully set, casting shadows over his face, making it even harder to read his emotions.

The air between them felt so stifling, it sent goosebumps down her arms.

Worried he might press her for a more convincing reason, Eden hurriedly spoke up.

“I—I should go now. There’s a lot to prepare. Take your time washing up.”

It was an obvious excuse—what would she, of all people, have to prepare?

But she didn’t care—she just needed to escape.

Turning on her heel, Eden rushed back toward the encampment.

“…….”

She didn’t realize that Asmun, silent as ever, was still watching her retreating figure—his gaze never wavering.