Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 61

Eden quickly shifted her gaze from the stairs back to those gray eyes still staring at her. They were still distant and indifferent—but something about them had changed, ever so slightly.

What is it…?

Even as a strange sense of dissonance crept in, Eden forced herself to recall her current quest. She couldn’t afford to waste time—not when a warning window about Serman’s return might pop up at any moment.

“Hagenti.”

Eden took a step closer to him, lifting her face to meet his gaze.

“Thank you for waiting.”

When she said this with a warm smile, the depths of Hagenti’s eyes darkened just a little.

“As a thank-you… I want to show you something really cool. Wanna see?”

She used a gentle tone—like someone luring a child with candy—but underneath, she was nervous.

Hagenti was unlike any ordinary person. Eden didn’t know why he was written this way, but she was now certain: he was a character wholly uninterested in the world. Utterly detached.

There was no way such a shallow tactic would pique the interest of someone so locked within his fortress of apathy.

But her worry was rendered meaningless in an instant.

“Okay.”

Still wearing that indifferent expression, Hagenti nodded again—just like before.

“Show me.”

With those quiet, added words, Eden’s pupils dilated.

He was genuinely looking at her—as if he really wanted to see what she had to show him.

“I want to see it.”

This time, there was no mistaking it. A wave of emotion surged through her. It was enough to make her heart clench with the fierce resolve that she must save Hagenti, no matter what.

Overcome with emotion, Eden grabbed his hand without thinking. The touch sparked a sharp static shock, making Hagenti’s hand twitch ever so slightly.

Eden, lost in her excitement, didn’t notice. She gazed at him earnestly.

“But I need your help.”

At the mention that she needed him, something subtle flickered in Hagenti’s eyes.

“I need to go outside—right now. I need a monster.”

She blurted out the ridiculous request, gripping his hand tightly, terrified he’d pull away and refuse.

Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained…

It would’ve been entirely reasonable for him to shake her off right there. Who could expect to lure a man who’d stayed secluded for fifty years with a few childish lines?

But then—it happened.

The sensation beneath her feet suddenly dropped away. Eden didn’t even have time to blink before the scenery around her completely changed.

Whhhhhhhhhh—!

A freezing gale roared past her ears, and flurries of snow stung her skin. The abrupt shift was so disorienting it felt like a dream, leaving Eden frozen in place.

“……”

The dark, stone hallway where she’d stood just moments ago was gone. In its place stretched a snow-covered mountain range—white as far as the eye could see.

And standing beside her, still holding her hand, was Hagenti, staring at her with his usual, indifferent expression.

Teleportation…!

Eden finally realized—they were outside. Hagenti had taken them out of the castle with his magic.

As if to confirm that realization, a glowing notification appeared above the snowy ground.

【★】Basic Quest Completed!
“Thanks to you, Hagenti’s reclusion has ended!”
Please choose your reward:
<Prophecy Scroll / Item / Attribute Points>

Even after seeing the clear completion window, she couldn’t fully grasp what had happened.

That was it? That easy?

She was still struggling to process it when, suddenly, a bone-rattling roar erupted from afar.

UWAAAAAAAH—!

Eden spun around, startled. A hulking figure came charging toward them, shaking the ground with every thunderous step.

It was a monster. A towering one, made entirely of ice—clearly a top-tier beast.

“H-Heck…!”

BOOM! BOOM!

Each stomp sent tremors through the snow-covered earth, shaking down the snow resting on nearby branches.

Then Eden realized: Hagenti hadn’t ignored her earlier plea about needing a monster. He’d taken it literally.

He really summoned one?!

“WAAAH! Not that one!”

Eden shrieked and yanked Hagenti’s hand, who was still just calmly watching her without so much as flinching at the approaching monster.

“L-Low rank! I meant a low-rank monster!”

Panicked, she clarified the request at the top of her lungs. Hagenti looked at her silently. The monster was almost upon them.

UWAAAAH—!

Frenzied by the prospect of prey after so long, the massive ice beast raised its fist and swung it straight down at their heads.

In that instant, Hagenti and Eden vanished again.

The creature’s enormous fist crashed into the snow where they’d stood, sending up a geyser of powder and rumbling like an earthquake.

“Huff…!”

Eden, eyes clenched shut, only opened them when she realized she hadn’t been crushed by a block of ice. She blinked rapidly, scanning her surroundings.

Gone was the dungeon-like landscape from moments ago. In its place was a tranquil snowy field, untouched by storm or monster.

With no threats in sight, Eden finally let out the breath she’d been holding.

“Haah……”

Even though they had just been in the middle of a snow-covered mountain range, Eden’s face was damp with cold sweat.

Everything had happened so suddenly that it was hard to process, but one thing was absolutely clear—

“Quest complete…”

Hnnng. It had been the hardest and most time-consuming quest so far, and a wave of joy and emotion surged up… but it was too soon to relax.

Eden lifted her gaze and found that somewhere along the way, their positions had flipped—and now she was the one holding Hagenti’s hand.

Despite all the chaos, Hagenti’s expression hadn’t changed. He simply stared at Eden with that ever-unchanging gaze.

“Where… do you think we are?”

Eden asked cautiously, and only then did Hagenti finally look away. His gaze slowly turned.

Curious, Eden followed his line of sight—then spotted a small creature silently hopping around in the snow.

It looked like a snowball rolled up into the shape of an animal. One of them spotted Eden and tilted its head at her, and she practically had cartoon hearts pop out of her eyes.

“Oh my god, it’s so cute!!”

She squealed, completely forgetting the purpose of her visit, and a notification window popped up across the pristine snow.

       [

• Length: 0.6 ft / Weight: 6 lbs

• Type: Beast / Lowest rank

• A monster native to the snowy plains that feeds on snow blossoms. Since it lives far from people, it rarely causes harm. However, bringing a Lutata into town is forbidden—its scent attracts other monsters. Lutata are sometimes used to lure mid- or high-tier monsters   ]                       

A low-rank monster…

It seemed Hagenti had listened carefully to her earlier, panicked shout for a “low-rank monster,” and teleported them straight to where one lived.

Which was helpful, yes, but…

“……”

I can’t kill it.

Eden bit her lip, conflicted. A fierce internal war of emotions broke out inside her.

Sure, it was a monster—but if it didn’t hurt anyone, could she really just kill it? Even if this was a game world where morals were supposedly irrelevant…

And more than anything…

“It’s too cute…”

She mumbled, on the verge of tears. Hagenti continued to stare at her silently.

Wrestling with her conscience, Eden finally turned to him with a determined face.

“Um, Hagenti… I’m sorry, but… can I show you the cool thing later instead? What if we just… went back for today?”

“……”

“…You’re not gonna let me, are you?”

Eden let out an awkward laugh and reached up to scratch the back of her head—just as the ground vanished beneath her feet again.

Suddenly, they were back in that same dark and cold corridor atop the stone staircase.

Eden stood frozen in surprise, staring at Hagenti. He had now teleported them three times in response to her words.

And he still wore that unreadable, placid gaze.

“Ah…”

Eden finally noticed that he was still holding her hand. Apparently, touching him allowed her to be included in his teleportation.

That’s incredible.

All three transfers had happened in an instant, seamless and perfectly smooth—completely unlike the clunky feeling of using a portal.

Eden once again felt the reality of Hagenti’s status as the Empire’s only Archmage. And—equally astonishing—he was listening to her very well.

Alright. Let’s push forward a bit.

Feeling a surge of confidence, Eden decided to ask him something more substantial this time.

Just as she opened her mouth, she paused and looked around. The grim, shadowy corridor didn’t seem like the right setting for a meaningful conversation.

“Um, Hagenti?”

Since he was being surprisingly responsive, Eden decided to test the waters further.

“I’m feeling really cold from that snowy field just now… Do you think we could have a warm cup of tea somewhere?”

She rubbed her opposite shoulder and shivered for effect, pretending to be freezing.

And in the blink of an eye, it happened again.

The two of them were suddenly seated in a cozy room with a warm fireplace.

Eden found herself curled up in a comfortable chair without meaning to, and across from her sat Hagenti, watching her quietly.

Wow…

Eden was truly stunned this time.

First, because the room was so warm and lovely it was hard to believe it existed in the same castle as that grim corridor.

Second, because Hagenti was now responding to her every word like lightning.

Was this… okay?