Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 55

“Ahhh!”

Each time the blade grazed a strand of her hair, Eden’s chilled skin jolted with a shock like static.

If I get caught, I’ll die.

She didn’t know why Lady Marens was acting this way, but she was certain of one thing—if she was caught, she would be killed.

“What the hell is this?! What is happening?!”

Eden realized something was deeply wrong.

The appearance of a low-rank monster like Chupi—something that shouldn’t exist in a high-level hunting ground—the horse that had suddenly gone mad, and then, waiting for her like a trap, Lady Marens attacking her…

A bolt of lightning seemed to crash down in Eden’s mind.

“……!”

Finally, she understood where it all had gone wrong.

It was me…!

Her breath caught as she recalled the conversation she had overheard the night before between Kyris and the unknown man.

「The control magic is stable, right?」

「Of course. Once the spell is cast, they lose their reason, and their physical ability spikes fivefold. They won’t let the target escape.」

So the one under control wasn’t Marquis Ogden—it was Lady Marens.

And the target to be hunted wasn’t Asmun.

It was her.

Damn it…!

Eden realized she had walked right into Kyris’s trap.

Astonishingly, Kyris had figured out she was helping Asmun. Rather than targeting Asmun first, he had decided to eliminate her.

Eden had neither the ability to fight back nor subdue Lady Marens. And even if, by some miracle, she managed to defend herself, it would only end with her being falsely accused.

She was a commoner. Striking a noble was a crime punishable by death.

This was a perfectly laid trap.

“That bastard Kyris… damn him!”

She cursed him, but it changed nothing. The snare had already sprung, and she had no means to escape.

Then she saw it—an abrupt dead end ahead.

She turned around. Lady Marens was still sprinting toward her, face unbothered, unrelenting.

Is this really the end? I just… get cut down like this?

A flash of the teleportation scroll crossed her mind—but it was too late to retrieve and use it now.

Lady Marens, now within striking range, raised her sword high. Eden could feel it in her bones—this time, she wouldn’t be able to dodge.

Resigned, she shut her eyes tightly.

“Ugh!”

A sharp cry pierced her ear. But—it wasn’t hers.

Lady Marens?!

Startled, Eden snapped her eyes open.

“Your Highness!”

Asmun was there, having rushed in just in time. He stood between Eden and Lady Marens, sword raised, shielding her from the attack.

Lady Marens, flung back by a blow to her hand, used her sword to brace herself as she staggered upright. Meanwhile, Asmun stayed firmly planted in front of Eden, sword still drawn.

“Did Hamyun not see fit to warn you about this outcome?”

Asmun’s voice was humorless as he tossed out a grim joke.

Lady Marens, enraged, gripped her sword tightly and advanced again.

“Your Highness, you mustn’t attack her!”

Eden shouted, pale as a sheet.

Lady Marens wielded far more political power than Marquis Ogden. If something were to happen to her, and the blame was pinned on Asmun instead of Eden—Kyris’s plan would be complete.

Asmun, too, had realized as much.

“Haahh!”

Lady Marens lunged with a flash of silver. Asmun raised his sword and deflected the attack.

Clang! Clang! The harsh clang of metal filled the air.

Her physical strength—bolstered by control magic—was monstrous. Asmun was forced on the defensive, barely managing to block her furious strikes.

Eden, overwhelmed, clutched her head in both hands and squeezed her eyes shut.

Think, think—what’s the way out of this…?!

The best option now was escape.

But Lady Marens, her body enhanced, was impossibly fast. She would catch them in seconds. Fleeing on foot was out of the question for both of them.

If only we could teleport—!

The scroll again flashed through Eden’s thoughts.

But…

Would the scroll even work for two people?

What if she used it and left Asmun behind?

That was worse. She would rather be the one who stayed. But staying alone meant certain death.

If only there were a way for both of us to escape together…

Suddenly, Eden’s eyes snapped open.

-“There are hidden portals scattered throughout the hunting grounds.”

Ivatan’s cold, impassive voice echoed in her mind like a divine revelation.

-“You’ll find them where blue hyacinths bloom. Pluck the flower, and the portal activates. It’s single-use, so it disappears immediately. Monsters can’t travel through it.”

Frantically, Eden scanned her surroundings. Was there one nearby?

Please…

Her stinging eyes stopped on something in the distance—about 30 meters away, a single blue flower stood unnaturally tall.

A blue hyacinth. Around it, delicate white baby’s breath traced a soft circle.

It’s a portal.

There it is…!

The moment she saw it, the crushing weight on her chest eased like cold water pouring over burning skin.

They could survive this!

“Your Highness!”

Eden, still looking back toward Asmun who was locked in combat with Lady Marens, called out in a trembling voice.

“This way! There’s a portal over here!”

Portal?

Asmun, while blocking a blade that was nearly pressed to his throat, quickly glanced in her direction.

Far away, Eden stood waving her arms high over her head, signaling desperately.

“Hurry!”

At her pleading cry, Asmun steeled himself and looked for an opening. But it was no easy task to shake off Lady Marens, who was attacking with a singular, murderous focus.

Asmun’s arms began to tremble, and he gritted his teeth, pouring strength into his limbs.

Then, flames of blue burst up from beneath Lady Marens’ feet, startling her enough that she flinched back, stumbling in surprise.

This was his chance.

Seizing the brief window, Asmun forcefully shoved her away and broke into a sprint, dashing toward Eden.

“Aaahhh!”

Enraged, Lady Marens quickly regained her footing and charged after him at terrifying speed.

“Your Highness!”

Eden stomped her feet anxiously, reaching out toward Asmun. He was getting closer—almost there.

Please…!

But Lady Marens was faster. She abruptly shifted targets, bypassing Asmun entirely and rushing straight for Eden, who was now standing atop the portal.

Eden and Asmun’s eyes both widened in horror.

“Gasp…!”

Just as the sword swung toward her, Asmun leapt into the portal’s circle and threw his arms around Eden—shielding her. The blade sank deep into his shoulder.

“Urgh…!”

Eden’s breath caught as she felt the horrible vibration of the strike through his body.

Lady Marens pressed harder into the wound, and Asmun’s knees buckled. He and Eden collapsed together—but even then, he didn’t let her go, refusing to leave an opening.

“Aaaaah!”

Lady Marens yanked her sword free and moved to attack again—but this time, Eden wouldn’t allow it.

Clinging tightly to the groaning Asmun, she scooped up a handful of dirt with her left hand and flung it straight at Lady Marens’ eyes.

“Aagh!”

Caught off guard, Lady Marens took the dirt full in the face and staggered back out of the portal’s bounds. Eden didn’t miss the opportunity—she reached down and plucked the flower.

In a blink, both she and Asmun vanished.

“Aaaaahhhh!”

Lady Marens let out a furious shriek as her prey escaped. She lunged toward the portal—but it no longer responded.

Their bodies landed in a thick patch of grass, far from the sound of Lady Marens’ screaming.

The change in air around them was immediate and unmistakable. Eden knew the plan had worked—they had escaped.

But she still clung tightly to Asmun’s large, solid frame, unwilling to release him.

“Ha…“

Asmun’s pained groan rang in her ears.

When she finally opened her tightly shut eyes, she saw him slumped against her, his head resting against her shoulder, his body trembling.

Lady Marens was gone. Silence had descended all around them.

The relief of survival washed over her like a tidal wave, choking her up.

“Your Highness…”

“How did you know about this…?”

Asmun muttered, almost dazed. He, too, had realized they had truly managed to flee Lady Marens. The strength had drained from his body.

Eden carefully touched his wounded shoulder—where Lady Marens’ sword had struck. She felt the warmth of blood seeping through.

“You’re bleeding too much!”

Asmun exhaled softly, then slowly lifted his head to look at her.

“This much won’t kill me. Don’t worry.”

His eyes, calm and unwavering, showed no hint of exhaustion. Somehow, that simple, steady gaze made her eyes brim with tears.

Asmun pulled away slightly and knelt back, pressing hard on the bleeding shoulder.

Eden stared at him with a trembling lip—and then, tears spilled over.

“I thought I was going to die!”

“This isn’t—”

“No, me! I was going to die!”

“……”

“That damn Kyris! That bastard!”

She shouted, overcome with emotion. All the suffocating tension that had been weighing her down exploded at once, and tears poured out in great, sobbing waves. Her hatred for Kyris burst forth like blood from a severed artery.

She had almost died—alone, in a place no one would have known to look for her.

She had faced monsters. Even crawled inside one of those grotesque creatures. But being hunted down by a person, by a sword-wielding noble trying to kill her—that was something else entirely.

She sobbed miserably as she looked at Asmun.

If not for him, she would have had no way to block Lady Marens’ sword. No way to survive.

She would’ve been utterly defenseless—killed on the spot.