Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? – Chapter 75

Author: B0ucha

But there was no time to marvel at Hegenti’s power. The commotion had drawn more thugs—their heavy footsteps echoed as they rushed toward the warehouse.

On top of that, something was clearly happening above deck—explosions and crashing sounds rumbled nonstop.

BOOM! THUD! KRAK!

“Eek!”

Startled, Eden flinched and ducked—but the area where she and Hegenti stood remained the safest place of all. Snapping back to her senses, she grabbed Hegenti’s hands with both of hers.

“Hegenti.”

She called to him, her voice filled with resolve. Hegenti, who had been silently watching the hand she had seized, lifted his gaze to meet hers again.

“We need to get out of here.”

“……”

“All of these kids too. Can you do it?”

Hegenti tilted his head slightly.

“Who are they?”

It was a question Eden had not expected. Caught off guard, she stammered, then answered quickly.

“They’re kids who were kidnapped by the owner of this ship. We have to send them home—safely!”

At her words, Hegenti glanced toward the children, who were still trembling.

“…So you didn’t come because of them?”

What?

Eden furrowed her brow in disbelief. This was no time for such pointless questions. He clearly didn’t grasp the gravity of the situation.

“That’s not important right now!”

Hegenti continued to stare at her, unreadable as ever. His indifferent gaze gave away nothing, just like when she had first met him—but one thing was certain: Hegenti had enough power to move her, the children, and the entire ship if he wanted to.

Frustrated, Eden yanked her hands free.

“Forget it! I’ll do it myself!”

But Hegenti quickly reached out and grabbed her hand again.

“…Where do you want me to move us?”

At those words, Eden cheered internally.

“Right, so…”

Then—

BANG!

A deafening crash shook the warehouse as the half-shattered door finally burst open. Through the gap, a blood-soaked, deadly figure appeared.

It was Asmun.

“Priest.”

His eyes swept over the wrecked warehouse before locking onto Eden. His voice trembled.

Eden’s throat tightened painfully. Hegenti turned his head to look at Asmun as well.

“Your Highness…!”

He hadn’t let her down. Relief swept through her so suddenly her knees nearly gave out.

“……”

Hegenti turned his gaze back to Eden, his eyes boring into her face as if trying to read everything inside her.

Asmun, mistaking Hegenti for a threat, raised his sword and charged—

But in that moment, a blinding flash filled the dark warehouse—

“Priest!”

In the blink of an eye, Hegenti, Eden, and the children vanished.

Asmun froze in place.

***

“Gasp…”

Eden was just as stunned. The suffocating space had vanished, replaced by crisp, cold night air and the sharp scent of the sea.

She turned to see the children looking around in confusion. They had been transported with her.

Eden quickly did a headcount. Not a single one was missing.

Once she confirmed that, she finally looked around. The quiet coastline stretched before her, completely deserted. They had escaped the ship.

But—

“Ahh! Asmun…!”

The memory of Asmun’s terrifying expression hit her a moment too late. She clutched her face in horror.

Hegenti, the one who had caused all this, simply looked at her, calm as ever.

Just then, a new quest window appeared against the cold night sky.

『【!】Main Quest

: Infiltrate the Tuma operation aboard the Eloch and obtain the spectator list!』

Eden stared blankly at the quest—then gasped.

This damned game!

“We have to go back!”

She grabbed Hegenti’s hand, but he didn’t budge. Even now, her mind was spiraling at the thought of Asmun destroying the ship in a rage after she vanished.

“Hegenti!”

She pleaded. Hegenti, staring at her, finally spoke.

“You didn’t come because of that man, didn’t you?”

Eden couldn’t answer. Because he was right.

Strictly speaking, she hadn’t come because of the game—but the game’s path led to Asmun. So it wasn’t wrong. And she had stayed in Reblum the whole time.

She hadn’t had the capacity to worry about Hegenti too.

“I…”

As Eden faltered, Hegenti stepped closer and stared at her.

“…Who is he?”

The persistent question made her uncomfortable.

The Hegenti she knew—the one she understood as a character—wouldn’t be asking questions like this.

In fact, Hegenti leaving his fortress on his own had already broken character.

But there was no time to dwell on that now.

“He’s the third prince. He came to arrest the ones who kidnapped these kids.”

Even with her calm explanation, Hegenti looked dissatisfied.

“I need to go back. Please, send me.”

“You said earlier we had to get off the ship.”

His soft rebuttal left Eden speechless.

Well—yes, that was true…

“……”

Unable to respond, she bit her lip.

“The situation changed. The children…”

She glanced over at them. They were starting to shiver in the cold night breeze.

“There’s a place nearby—Manchel Castle. Could you send them there?”

She asked carefully. Hegenti looked at her indifferently. Then, with a subtle flick of his eyes, the children vanished.

He had done it.

My god…

Even though she had made the request, Eden was still shocked. She hadn’t given exact coordinates—only a name—and yet…

Maybe this coast was still considered part of Tebel, and Hegenti’s magic was amplified here?

Otherwise, this insane magic power…

“You did great, Hegenti. Really, thank you.”

Eden smiled warmly, hiding her thoughts.

Then—

“Can you send me back to the ship now?”

“……”

“You can come with me.”

She gripped Hegenti’s hand tightly. He lowered his gaze, as if thinking deeply.

Eden waited nervously for his answer. Finally, a quiet voice broke the silence.

“Can I… stay with you afterward, too?”

It was so unexpected that Eden couldn’t keep her expression in check. Her eyes widened in surprise.

“Uh… what?”

“I want to stay with you, Eden.”

Uh-oh…?

A cold sweat crept down Eden’s back.

‘Hegenti wants to stay… with me? But where? At the temple…?’

She glanced at Hegenti, who looked at her quietly, as if waiting for an answer. Her thoughts spun out of control.

But time was not on their side.

Asmun, covered in blood… The ship…

Aaaugh!

“Then—sure!”

Eden gave up trying to think and plastered on a wide smile just to keep things moving. Seeing her response, Hegenti finally smiled, slowly.

And then, before she could blink, the dark coastline vanished.

***

“Priest! Find the priest!”

As Eden had predicted, the ship was complete chaos.

Knights had stormed in and were arresting every Eloch merchant they came across. In retaliation, the merchants fought back, leaving parts of the ship broken and ablaze.

And at the center of the chaos—merciless as ever—was Asmun. Like a man possessed, he tore through the ship, cutting down anything in his way.

He kicked open a door—and a man inside lunged at him with an axe.

Before the attacker could even swing, he was airborne.

“Aaaaagh!”

Asmun grabbed the man by the collar and growled:

“How many mages are aboard this ship?”

“I—I don’t know! I have no idea! I’m not with them! Please, spare me!”

Asmun tossed the sniveling man to the knights and moved on to the next room.

Then—

“Your Highness! We found the priest!”

At those words, Asmun’s breath caught.

“She’s here, sire!”

He rushed toward the gathered knights—and there she was. Eden, just as she had been, stood before him.

Only when he saw her face did the crushing weight on his chest finally loosen.

“Your Highness!”

Eden greeted him warmly—but Asmun couldn’t return the smile.

Standing next to Eden… was that pink-haired man he had seen earlier.

Asmun’s expression turned cold again. Sword still stained with blood, he walked toward them, blade in hand.

Startled, Eden stepped in front of Hegenti.

“Your Highness, it’s a misunderstanding!”

But Hegenti, even facing Asmun’s murderous glare, didn’t flinch. He simply stared at him with his usual dispassionate expression.

“…What part of this is a misunderstanding? The priest vanished before my eyes.”

Asmun’s voice was low and dangerous. The image of Eden disappearing before him still made his throat tighten.

“He was trying to save me! Right?” Eden turned to Hegenti for confirmation, but he remained uncooperative. Only when she nudged him did he lazily nod.

Seeing that, Asmun’s expression grew even colder. Something felt off.

He looked at Eden.

“…Do you know him?”

His sharp question hit a nerve. Eden flinched and looked away.

“Y-yeah, a little…”

Asmun turned his gaze back to Hegenti.

Pink curls. Gray eyes.

Striking features. But Asmun didn’t recall seeing anyone like this. A mage capable of transporting that many people at once—and so young?

How could Eden possibly know someone like that?

No matter how much he thought about it, nothing made sense.

A strange unease settled over his heart.

Then Eden cut through his thoughts with an unexpected statement.