Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 71

Eden chewed her lips nervously as she stared at the mangled plan chart, covered in harsh strikethroughs and scattered asterisks.

It had been a stroke of luck to discover that Kyris, the man she’d desperately tried to make Emperor ever since arriving in this world, was in fact a thoroughly rotten and despicable individual.

‘If Kyris had become Emperor, peace and prosperity would’ve been a pipe dream.’

Of course she couldn’t hand over the Empire’s throne to someone like that. She wouldn’t be satisfied until she had repaid him in full for everything he had done.

Just recalling how she nearly died a senseless death from Lady Marens’ sword during the hunting tournament made her blood boil.

And then, remembering how Asmun had thrown himself over her to protect her in that moment…

“……”

As Eden bit her lip and sank deeper into thought, a shadow quietly loomed beside her.

“What are you doing?”

“Eeek!”

Startled by Asmun’s sudden appearance, Eden yelped and quickly hid the paper behind her back.

“Y-Your Highness…”

Asmun glanced at the paper Eden had concealed behind her.

“Are you writing a diary or something?”

His nonchalant question made Eden nod awkwardly.

“Haha, yes. A diary is a good way to keep records.”

Eden hurriedly stuffed the paper into her pocket and glanced at Asmun, trying to gauge his reaction.

“You came for a walk…?”

She knew better than anyone that Asmun wasn’t the type to be wandering around here for a stroll at this hour, but she had nothing else to say.

Asmun quietly observed her, then sat down in front of her.

“No. I came to see you, Priest.”

His casual reply made Eden’s heart drop slightly. Saying something like that with such a straight face felt like cheating.

Eden tried to appear unfazed.

“Good idea. The weather’s really nice.”

“……”

“Ah, would you like some tea? It’s from Reblum—it has a wonderful aroma.”

“I’m fine.”

With even the tea declined, Eden found herself at a loss for words. In the end, she asked bluntly:

“Um… Did you have something to say?”

Asmun looked at her again for a moment, then replied.

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

This confident answer threw Eden off more than anything.

“Then why…”

“I just needed to make sure.”

His voice was calm and composed. But his eyes were far from relaxed.

“Make sure of what…?”

Now genuinely confused, Eden asked carefully. Asmun, still looking at her, spoke again.

“…Did you know?”

The unexpected question left Eden stunned. His deep, pleasant voice continued to flow from his dry lips.

“That you always seem like you might suddenly disappear at any moment. It makes me anxious.”

“……”

“That’s why I came. To make sure you haven’t disappeared, and that you’re still here.”

Having said that, Asmun kept his eyes fixed on her with a brazen intensity. As if the moment he looked away, he might really lose her.

For some reason, Eden’s chest tightened. It was true. Not right now, but once she cleared the mission, just like he’d said—she would suddenly disappear.

Just thinking about it made her vision swim. She’d never shown any signs of it, but somehow, Asmun had sensed it instinctively. That was frightening… and also—

“That won’t happen. Not until Your Highness becomes Emperor—I won’t leave, even if you tell me to. So don’t worry.”

Eden answered confidently, but Asmun’s unwavering gaze didn’t ease in the slightest.

“So you’re saying… you’ll disappear once I become Emperor.”

His words made Eden’s heart jolt even harder. Flustered, she looked at him before quickly steeling her expression.

“No? I said I’ll see it through. I’ll make sure Your Highness becomes Emperor and leads this Empire into peace.”

Of course. That was her assigned mission—so it wasn’t a lie. Even if Asmun became Emperor, she still had countless things to do.

She had to exterminate the monsters, prevent Hegenti from going berserk, and ensure the man in front of her didn’t become a tyrant.

“So you’d better brace yourself. You’re going to see a lot of me, whether you like it or not.”

With a playful warning and a bright smile, Eden’s teasing finally softened the persistent weight behind Asmun’s crimson eyes.

His gaze blurred as it filled entirely with Eden’s figure, and a faint smile began to spread across his face.

“…That promise just now.”

Eden’s own smile faltered at the rare sight of Asmun’s gentle expression.

“You’d better keep it—no matter what happens.”

His tone was mild, but for some reason, it sent a chill down her spine.

Just then—ding!—a notification rang out, and alongside Asmun, a profile window popped up.

‘A profile window?’

Eden’s eyes quickly scanned the alert.

『【★】Asmun Carcillante’s Affection Level has reached 90!

: Hidden information has been unlocked as a reward!』

Affection level? Affection level? That was a thing?

‘Wait… this is a strategy game, isn’t it…?’

Trying to maintain her composure, Eden pretended to sip her tea while sneaking a glance at the profile.

『Asmun Carcillante

Intelligence: 80
Combat Power: 80
Authority: 60 → 70
Magic Power: 80
Divine Power: 0

Traits: Third Prince of the Hesmore Empire. 90% chance of becoming a tyrant.
The Third Prince’s secret nickname: “As.”』

Clatter. Eden set her teacup down, eyes wide in shock. Asmun’s Authority had increased by 10 without her noticing, and his trait list had actually grown.

“As…?”

She murmured it unconsciously, and Asmun—who had been watching her the entire time—froze.

Realizing his expression too late, Eden hurried to close her mouth. But it was already too late.

“…What did you just say?”

Gone was the gentle smile from earlier. Asmun now stared at her with an expression that had turned terrifyingly cold.

‘A nickname, you said!’

But that expression on his face didn’t belong to someone being called by an affectionate nickname.

“Ah, I didn’t say anything.”

That excuse, of course, had no chance of working. Asmun’s gaze turned icy as if recalling an unpleasant memory, staring straight at Eden.

Whatever the affection system actually was, her slip just now had clearly cost her about five points.

“You did. You said ‘As’.”

As he precisely picked out her earlier slip of the tongue, Eden’s neck stiffened.

Damn it!

“T-that is… uh… I, I suddenly thought that ‘As’ might suit Your Highness as a nickname. I only meant to think it, but it just slipped out. I apologize.”

“……”

Asmun’s face grew even more rigid at the feeble excuse.

“So, what I mean is… ma-maybe only on rare occasions, when it’s just the two of us… if I were to call you ‘As’…”

No—stop it!

Eden’s mouth was moving on its own, crossing every line there was.

“Of course, that’s ridiculous, right? Haha.”

But just then, Asmun’s eyes—which had looked ready to devour her—softened. And in them now gleamed something even more persistent as he looked at Eden.

He slowly parted his lips to speak—when it happened.

“Your Highness! A message from Grand Duke Zephar!”

Startled, Eden instantly forgot the moment just before and jumped to her feet.

One of Asmun’s retainers came running up, a sealed letter in hand. He offered the envelope with both hands.

Asmun calmly opened it.

“An invitation.”

At those words, Eden’s pupils dilated. Immediately, a notification window appeared beside Asmun.

『【★】Event Quest Achieved!

: You have successfully obtained a hint through <Reblum’s Secret Trade>!
A ‘special reward’ will be given.

Would you like to receive the special reward now?』

‘Ha… so the invitation was the hint all along.’

While Eden stood there in belated realization, Asmun casually read through the message and spoke again.

“Two days from now, the coast of Badelnut.”

At the low-toned words, Eden sucked in a breath. Badelnut—that was not far from here.

‘So it was this close all along!’

As Asmun’s eyes scanned the letter, they briefly narrowed. He continued reading aloud:

“On the ship Eloch.”

Eden and Asmun’s eyes met.

On a ship, off the coast?

The location was anything but ordinary. Eden furrowed her brow.

“Why a ship? I thought it would be held in Tebel. They haven’t caught on, have they?”

“I don’t think so. If they had, they would’ve postponed it.”

“Then…”

As Eden puzzled it over, a realization struck her like a bolt. Her face hardened.

The reason the auction was being held on a ship off the coast—

“That coastline…”

Her pupils widened in shock.

“It is Tebel!”

Asmun had clearly arrived at the same conclusion. A chilling sense of clarity spread through them both.

‘Tebel needs to be larger than you think.’

The cryptic words from the man, and the reason Tebel had been so thoroughly hidden, all clicked together like puzzle pieces.

Tebel, the hidden zone within the coastal city of Reblum, was in fact on the waters of Badelnut. And the auction was being held right on that ship.

With the final pieces of the Reblum episode falling into place, Eden’s face flushed with exhilaration.

“Ha… Tebel is on the sea…”

Asmun, too, looked surprised—as if even he hadn’t anticipated this.

Then, one of Asmun’s subordinates stepped forward with another letter, glancing nervously at him.

“Um, and this one is addressed to the priest…”

Asmun didn’t say anything, so the man hesitated before handing the letter to Eden.

Sensing something, Eden quickly opened it. As she’d hoped, it was from Zephar—and it contained information she’d been eagerly waiting for.

Before Zephar departed, Eden had sent him off with a single request.

『Grand Duke, I’ve heard rumors that the Eloch is also involved in human trafficking. Would you be able to look into that for me as well?』

Though Zephar had looked puzzled, he nodded.

『I can. But why…?』

『A child I know might have been kidnapped by them. No matter how I think about it, I can’t figure out why they’re abducting children or what they’re doing with them.』

Zephar had quietly studied her troubled face.

『…Did His Highness say he didn’t know either?』