Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 50

To the winner of the hunting competition, the Emperor personally bestows a token of honor—and along with it, grants a single request.

However, that was all a ceremonial reward on the surface. No one in their right mind dared to ask the Emperor for anything excessive.

And yet here Asmun was, declaring he would use that opportunity in the worst possible way.

“Your Highness, you absolutely must not do that.”

Eden barely managed to squeeze out a warning, her voice catching in her throat.

If he pulled such a stunt, not only would the entire Empire brand him as a lunatic, but it would also be exposed that he was eyeing the throne—and Kyris would go berserk.

Even the Emperor, who had only just begun to regard Asmun differently, would no doubt be displeased.

Surely, Asmun must have considered all this… but knowing the man who had rejected Reblum, Eden felt a growing sense of urgency. He really might go through with this madness.

“It’s not the right time yet. You know that too, don’t you?”

Even though she knew Asmun wasn’t doing this just to punish her, Eden couldn’t shake her anxiety.

When he didn’t reply, she instinctively reached out and grabbed his hand.

At the sudden touch, Asmun’s eyes narrowed.

“You won’t really do it… right?”

Asmun still didn’t answer, but the look in his eyes, watching Eden cling to him so desperately, seemed to soften—just slightly.

It was then—

“There you are, Priest.”

A displeased voice rang out behind them. Startled, Eden hastily flung Asmun’s hand away.

“…”

Asmun’s gaze turned cold again as he stared at the hand that had suddenly been emptied.

“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Ah, and the Third Prince is here as well.”

Zephar gave a light smile to Asmun, but Asmun didn’t smile in return—not in the slightest.

Eden tensed up and stole a glance at Asmun. This combination—Asmun and Zephar—gave her a very bad feeling.

“I suppose Your Highness must’ve heard already. Priest Eden will be joining the competition as my aide.”

Zephar graciously pointed out the exact matter that had turned Asmun’s insides upside down. Asmun didn’t even bother to mask his expression as he looked at Zephar with a frosty glare.

“Astonishing. For the Grand Duke to go so far as to accept disgrace for someone he’s met only once.”

It wasn’t entirely incorrect.

All participants were permitted an aide, but it was rare for proud men to bring one along. Doing so was considered undignified.

At Asmun’s cold remark, Zephar let out a faint chuckle.

“When it’s someone like the Priest, even disgrace can become an honor.”

With a pleasant smile, Zephar stepped to Eden’s side.

Seeing the red eyes beside her glow ever colder, Eden screamed internally.

Enough, you bastards!

“It was an opportunity I couldn’t let slip by.”

Asmun, standing just beside her like a protective guardian—or something more—glared at Zephar with sharp hostility.

That smooth, refined face, exuding lazy confidence, made Asmun’s insides twist.

Of course Zephar must have sensed Eden’s uniqueness.

No—soon, not just Zephar. Everyone would start to recognize Eden’s true value. And, like the man before him, they would covet it.

In Asmun’s crimson eyes, a chill passed—and just as quickly vanished.

“I see.”

The dry reply was no longer cold. Asmun looked straight at Eden as he spoke.

“I hope that turns out to be the right choice.”

And with that, he turned on his heel and walked off the terrace without another word. Eden, unable to stop him, felt a sudden urge to cry.

This is bad.

Things were going far worse than she had imagined. If an angry Asmun ignored her warnings, all her efforts would be wasted.

“Are you all right?”

After confirming that Asmun had completely disappeared, Zephar turned back to Eden and asked. Her gaze remained fixed on where Asmun had gone.

“Priest?”

“Yes? Ah—yes, I’m fine.”

Finally snapping back to her senses, Eden forced a smile.

Zephar looked at her for a moment, then spoke in a kind voice.

“It seems everyone is quite interested in our relationship.”

At that, Eden let out a genuinely awkward laugh.

Of course they would be. Everyone here must have heard, in bits and pieces, about what happened in the Grand Duchy’s forest. Even so, it was no wonder they found it odd that Zephar had suddenly shown up with a trainee priest as his aide.

“I’ve only made things difficult for you, Your Grace.”

“Not at all. Though…”

Zephar leaned casually against the terrace railing, gazing at Eden.

“I did start thinking it might be good if we defined our relationship a little more clearly.”

His noble, handsome face wore a soft smile. Eden blinked in slight confusion.

“Just like everyone else inside, I find myself becoming more and more curious about you.”

Zephar had a knack for making people uneasy, even when smiling.

Just as Eden was at a loss for how to respond, he opened his mouth again.

 

“Tomorrow, you mustn’t stray from my side.”

This wasn’t a difficult request to respond to, so Eden nodded right away.

“Yes, I will.”

She had no intention of wandering off alone in the dangerous hunting competition. There were still quests remaining, but she could probably manage a low-level monster on her own.

The goal of the hunting competition episode was to get through it with as little trouble as possible.

“I’ll stay with you.”

At her obedient response, Zephar smiled in satisfaction.

“The wind’s getting cold. Shall we head back in?”

Eden nodded, deeply regretting that she had come out to the terrace to escape people’s eyes.

“Yes…”

As they returned to the banquet hall, the atmosphere had grown noticeably more chaotic. It seemed some sort of argument had broken out; people were gathered in a circle, watching something unfold.

With a puzzled expression, Eden approached the crowd—and through a gap, she saw Asmun and Kyris.

Eden froze in horror.

“To think you finally received a high-ranking badge. Truly commendable, Asmun!”

Even as Kyris praised him, Asmun remained expressionless.

“I was always troubled that you were the only one failing to earn a badge each time. I worried that if it happened again, it would make not only you, but the imperial family itself, look ridiculous. This is a relief, wouldn’t you say, Patrian?”

Patrian, who stood nearby watching, gave an awkward smile as Kyris roped him into the conversation.

“Indeed. But as His Highness Asmun is undoubtedly of His Majesty’s blood, I always believed he would earn a badge eventually.”

A sly gleam surfaced on Kyris’s face.

Eden clenched her jaw. She immediately realized Kyris had staged this entire scene to humiliate Asmun again.

That bastard!

“But still, I can’t help being a little concerned.”

“…”

“Are we sure you really were the one who killed that golem that day?”

At those words, the noisy hall instantly fell silent. Eden finally understood what Kyris’s ploy was.

“Unfortunately, not a single witness was present. Not even the monster’s corpse was ever recovered, apparently.”

As Kyris deliberately emphasized the rumors, a ripple of murmurs spread among the nobles.

They had all heard that Asmun had saved the Emperor in Lebeim, but not in such specific detail.

Kyris was clearly using that gap in information to corner Asmun.

Ah, for heaven’s sake!

Caught off guard, Eden glanced anxiously at Asmun’s face.

He didn’t look angry or flustered, but his expression was so unreadable it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.

“I ask this only out of sincere concern for your safety, so please don’t take it the wrong way, dear brother.”

Kyris played the part of the caring older sibling to perfection, even furrowing his brows in worry.

“You’ve never set foot in one before, but high-ranking hunting grounds aren’t so easily handled. That’s why entry is restricted.”

“…”

“If you were to get hurt because you pushed yourself beyond your capabilities, that would be a real tragedy.”

So that was the crux of Kyris’s scheme.

To frame Asmun as an incompetent who had somehow cheated his way into obtaining a high-ranking hunting badge.

“Do you truly believe you can handle it on your own, without even an aide? You’ve rarely encountered high-level monsters, so you might not understand how dangerous they are. It’s not too late—if you confess now, that would be the bravest thing of all.”

“…”

“If the monster fled on its own and there happened to be no witnesses, and if you gave into temptation in the moment and lied—that wouldn’t be a crime. Of course not.”

“…”

“After all, what matters most is that you stayed behind alone to face the monster in order to protect His Majesty. Isn’t that right?”

Kyris had clearly come to the prelude banquet with every intention of disgracing Asmun.

That smug face, treating everything as a foregone conclusion, was unbearable—but in this moment, there was nothing Eden could do.

She had witnessed with her own eyes Asmun defeating the golem that day. But she couldn’t testify to it here—not in front of everyone.

Even if Kyris was spewing nonsense, the badge had already been granted. And Asmun had weathered worse than the curious stares of nobles, so Eden could only hope he would once again let this pass.

Just then, as Asmun silently endured Kyris’s barrage, he slowly turned his head—and looked directly at Eden.

Their eyes met at just the right moment. Eden stiffened her neck and gave a subtle shake of her head.

Hold it in!

Asmun, staring intently at Eden as she gave him that desperate signal, finally opened his mouth.

“To think so many people care for my well-being… I’m deeply moved.”