Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 65

Just as Karon had said, the forge had clearly not been in operation for several days. A desolate air lingered around the place.

But Eden couldn’t just leave now that they’d come all this way. She dismounted her horse and knocked on the door of the small house next to the forge.

“Hello? Is anyone home?”

No reply came from inside, but Eden continued knocking.

“Excuse me? Is anybody there?”

Karon, watching her, gently placed his hand over Eden’s reddened fist as she pounded the door, stopping her. He tried the doorknob himself, but it only rattled—it was locked.

“Step back. I’ll try opening it.”

With that, Karon drew his sword. It looked like he intended to break the door down.

Eden wondered if this was too much, but there was no other choice. She started stepping back—when the door, which seemed like it would never open, suddenly burst open.

From behind it appeared a large man, his face red from drink.

“Who the hell’s banging on my door?!”

Eden quickly sized him up. His bulky frame and the calloused, scarred hands told her this was probably Tethes, the blacksmith.

The heavy stench of alcohol surrounded him. Still, Eden was relieved and quickly stepped forward.

“Are you Mr. Tethes?”

But the man scowled and glared at her.

“Who are you?”

“Ah, excuse me, but you have a daughter, don’t you? Named Ella—”

The moment Eden said that, Tethes seemed to freeze—then his face flushed deeply with emotion.

Worried he might have misunderstood her intentions, Eden quickly removed her cloak, revealing her priestess robes underneath.

“I-I’m not suspicious or anything, really. My name is Eden Lilliette, a novice priestess from the High Temple. And this is the Commander of the Holy Knights.”

Even so, Tethes didn’t respond, only biting his lip.

Sensing his distress, Eden cautiously pressed on.

“Forgive me, but… may I speak with Ella?”

“A priestess… from the temple… What business do you have with my Ella…?”

His voice trembled as he finally spoke. Eden promptly delivered her prepared response.

“Well, actually, she was selected in the New Year’s lottery to attend a special temple learning experience held by the High Temple.”

With a warm voice, Eden wove the lie effortlessly. Even if such a program didn’t exist, she could easily play it off as a misunderstanding.

Karon, clearly unfamiliar with this so-called “temple learning experience,” looked at her in confusion, but Eden ignored his gaze and focused on Tethes. She was this close to completing the quest.

But then something unexpected happened.

“Ella… oh, Ella…”

Huh?

Tethes suddenly collapsed into a heap and began to wail, clutching at the ground.

“Ella!!”

He sobbed her name in a voice cracked with grief, shocking Eden.

She glanced at Karon, who seemed to realize something. Kneeling beside the man, Karon asked gently,

“Has something happened to your daughter?”

Then Tethes roared in agony,

“My daughter… Ella… she’s gone!”

Eden’s eyes widened.

Gone?

Karon’s expression also darkened as he stared at the weeping man.

Then Tethes turned to Karon with a desperate, pleading look, clutching his collar.

“You said you’re from the temple, right? That means you’re important folks… Please, I beg you, find my daughter!”

Eden stood there, stunned—like she’d been struck.

Above her head, the quest prompt reappeared in a cascade of glowing letters:

『Find “Ella,” who lives in the small village of Horun in Reblum.』

So that’s what the quest really meant… Find the missing Ella.

After finally calming the distraught Tethes, Eden and Karon listened to what had happened.

Ella had been missing for five days. A report had been made on the second day, but with Reblum’s systems in chaos, there had been no way to investigate.

Promising to do what they could, Eden and Karon left the forge.

Now understanding the true nature of the quest, Eden clutched the back of her head in dismay.

Of course it couldn’t have been that easy…

Disappearances weren’t uncommon in Hesmore.

With dangerous monsters roaming the land, people often assumed the worst when someone went missing—and learned to let go.

“But Reblum is almost devoid of monsters now,” Karon said calmly, explaining Eden’s unspoken question as they rested and dismounted.

It was true. The influx of criminals and smugglers had driven the monsters away. At one time, even monster hunters had gathered in Reblum to exploit that very fact.

“Yes… so it couldn’t have been a monster. Ella’s still out there, somewhere.”

Eden spoke in a serious voice before she realized it.

Karon silently turned his gaze to her.

Only a moment later did Eden notice—and realize she may have said too much.

Will he let it slide again this time?

 

But this time, Karon didn’t let it slide.

He stopped walking.

“Priestess Eden, may I ask why you’re trying to find this child named Ella?”

Eden silently sighed.

Here it comes.

She had anticipated this moment from the very moment she’d asked Karon to accompany her.

Of course it would seem suspicious to him that she was so desperate to find someone she didn’t even know. Her behavior would look odd to anyone.

Eden had accepted that risk when she chose Karon.

I can’t afford to lose Karon.

Between Ibtan, who was openly hostile toward Asmon, and Zephar, who would never help Asmon unless presented with something truly tempting, Karon was Eden’s final hope.

But she knew all too well that shallow tricks and lies would never work on him.

So then—what did Karon value more than anything?

The answer was obvious.

“You may find it hard to believe,” Eden said softly, offering bait.

Karon’s radiant golden eyes deepened slightly. Eden didn’t avoid them. She looked straight at him and slowly opened her mouth.

“What if I told you… I’ve been receiving divine revelations in my dreams? Would you believe me?”

As expected, his eyes hardened at her confession.

It was a gamble, using Hamyun. With a devout man like Karon, it could go either way—he might take offense, or he might believe her completely.

“Hamyun has revealed that Reblum is to be saved. And that Ella must be found for that salvation.”

Eden spoke with calm conviction—half-truths, half-lies. To her surprise, she felt no guilt.

Ever since she’d seen how devastated Reblum was, Eden had made a deep, unwavering vow:

She would see the Reblum episode through and restore peace to this miserable city.

“I’ll find Ella and fulfill that will.”

Karon looked into her eyes—so firm and clear despite the weight of her words.

Of course, Karon had never once thought Eden might be a villain.

But a divine revelation?

Such things were rare. Though Hamyun sometimes granted visions to the lowliest of stable hands or illiterate children, it was unusual—yet not impossible—that a novice priestess could receive one.

Still… entrusting such a divine mission to someone with so little status?

And she claimed she had no divine crystal, the sacred relic that proved a revelation’s authenticity.

Karon’s thoughts drifted—he recalled the moment Eden had emerged, bloodied, from Seruka’s trial. That moment had pierced him to the core.

As he gazed into her unwavering eyes, he felt that same resonance. A certainty that, somehow… she could do this.

Karon finally opened his mouth, voice low.

“To fulfill that will… do you need the Third Prince?”

The question was direct, precise. Karon had clearly grasped the strange connection between Eden and Asmon.

And again, Eden gave a response that was both lie and truth.

“Yes. And I always will.”

Her answer came without hesitation.

Karon said nothing. Asmon had already had multiple chances to prove himself—but Karon hadn’t.

In this world, those who truly received revelations were given a divine crystal as proof. Eden had no such relic.

So she had prepared herself. If Karon didn’t believe her, she would use her final card.

If I don’t have a divine crystal, then all I can do is show him my skill: Monster Banishment.

She already knew—roughly—how powerful the skill was. If even Zephar and Asmon were shocked by it, then Karon too would have no choice but to acknowledge its power.

Asmon had warned her never to reveal this secret lightly, but Karon was worth that risk.

“Commander… I…” Eden began, nervous, ready to share everything.

Just then:

Ding!

『【!】Event Quest
A gang of bandits is disturbing the Reblum area! Steal the map they’re carrying and obtain a hint.
Clearing the quest will grant you a “Special Reward.”
Would you like to proceed with the event quest?』