Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 91

“What do you mean by that?”

“I mean that nothing I do will bring harm to the Empire.”

Ivatan’s eyes subtly hardened.

That statement, in other words, meant that making Asmun the crown prince was the path best suited for the Empire.

As the two locked eyes in a tense, unwavering standoff—

“E-Eden! There you are!”

The library door burst open with a loud bang as Rita rushed in, grabbing Eden by the shoulders.

“I’ve been looking everywhere for you!”

“Me? Why?”

Eden asked with a puzzled expression, glancing briefly at Ivatan. Though visibly displeased at being interrupted, Ivatan waited for Rita to finish.

“A divine oracle came down…!”

At Rita’s trembling voice, both Ivatan and Eden looked equally confused.

A divine oracle?

The word made Eden’s stomach drop unexpectedly, especially since she’d just been using the notion of a divine oracle to manipulate Ivatan during their conversation.

But what did a real oracle have to do with her?

“What kind of oracle?”

“Well… the Saint…”

That was when Eden finally realized how unnaturally pale Rita’s face was.

And then—

Bang!

The massive doors of the library swung open once more with a thunderous sound. In walked Saerman, a group of priests, and… Asmun.

They, along with Rita, rushed toward Eden and came to a stop right in front of her.

Stunned, Eden turned her gaze toward Asmun.

“Your Highness…?”

It was a bizarre combination of people to be meeting in the library of the Grand Temple—so much so that even Ivatan’s expression tightened ominously.

“……”

But Asmun, too, appeared caught off guard to see someone unexpected. His brows slowly arched upward when he spotted Ivatan standing beside Eden.

“High Priest.”

Eden glanced at the priests—who all wore expressions ranging from severe to shocked—and locked eyes with the most composed one among them: Saerman.

“Priest Eden. A divine oracle has descended.”

At those words, Eden’s expression turned even more bewildered. It was the same message Rita had brought.

‘…And what exactly am I supposed to do with that?’

Was it standard practice for the temple to track down even apprentice priests every time a divine oracle came down?

“Ah… I-I see.”

“The oracle says the Saint has returned to the Hesmoro Empire.”

Eden was still in a daze, but Ivatan’s expression grew grim.

The Saint…? What the hell…

“Will Your Highness explain personally?”

When Saerman turned to Asmun and spoke, Eden’s face contorted with even more confusion.

What the hell is this.

“Yes, I’ll explain.”

Asmun stepped forward calmly, with an air of collected grace.

What the hell are you planning.

“The Saint mentioned in the oracle of Hesmoro…”

Asmun turned his gaze to Eden with leisure.

“…is none other than Priest Eden.”

At that, Eden’s eyes widened as if they might pop out of her skull.

“Me…?”

Unable to stand by any longer, Ivatan stepped forward.

“This oracle—who received it? Is there a divine stone? Has the oracle been fully interpreted?”

It was Saerman who answered the cold barrage of questions.

“This morning, the oracle came to Priest Roman. His Highness was already here to offer a tribute and heard the news. Upon hearing the oracle, His Highness claimed that there was someone who matched the description of the Saint.”

Asmun responded with steady composure.

“Yes, Priest Eden perfectly matches the conditions described in the oracle.”

What condition? Which? What are you talking about?!

Eden stared at Asmun in utter confusion, but he avoided her gaze entirely.

If it was Roman who received the oracle, then he was one of Asmun’s people. This was definitely something Asmun had orchestrated—and yet, not a single word of it had been shared with her beforehand.

The Saint? The Saint?!

“There must be verification!”

Other priests, unable to hold back any longer, began to protest all at once like a dam had burst.

“Priest Eden is just an apprentice! How can an apprentice possibly be—!”

“We must conduct verification immediately!”

“This is outrageous! How can we believe this?!”

As the library grew noisy, the librarian ran out with a stricken face and tried to calm the group.

“Th-this place is not for such things!”

Verification? Of what?! What exactly?!

Speechless, Eden turned toward Saerman.

After a moment of contemplation, he solemnly declared,

“We will conduct the verification in the Central Garden immediately.”

The group—composed of the priests, Asmun, and even Ivatan—began to move at once toward the Central Garden.

It was the grandest and largest space within the temple grounds, positioned at the very heart of the complex.

“Your Highness? What’s going on? Huh? What Saint?”

As they moved toward the garden, Eden sidled up to Asmun and frantically whispered her questions—but Asmun responded as if he hadn’t heard a word.

Oh, come on, what the hell is happening!

When they arrived at the garden, a crowd had already formed—evidently the rumors had spread quickly.

Priests, apprentice clerics, visiting devotees—everyone had gathered, packing the wide garden.

“……”

All eyes turned to Eden with open curiosity, increasing her sense of panic.

I’m going to lose it.

Saerman chanted a spell to disable the protective shield over the garden, then raised an orb brought by an attendant.

When Eden saw what it was, her eyes widened in shock.

A magu…!

A cursed artifact—in the sacred Grand Temple! And Saerman himself was using it!

The developments were so unpredictable that Eden’s nerves grew even more on edge.

“Priest Roman. Please recite the oracle you received.”

At Saerman’s request, Roman gave a polite bow and stepped forward. He raised his hand high, revealing a large divine stone glowing atop his palm.

Eden’s eyes widened in disbelief.

There was no way this was a real oracle. But could it be…?

“It’s a divine stone!”

“A real oracle has descended…!”

“My goodness, Hamyun!”

The gathered crowd buzzed with awe and amazement at the sight of the divine stone.

Roman waited for the murmurs to settle. Once the atmosphere had calmed, he slowly opened his mouth.

“The oracle speaks thus…”

Everyone held their breath and focused on his words.

“The Saint who shall save the Empire has returned. The one who inherits the power of the Great Saint Haila—through that one’s fingertips shall the Empire be saved.”

Eden frowned slightly.

The one who inherits the power of the Great Saint Haila will save the Empire?

That was such a generic oracle. It had nothing to do with her.

But at those words, Ivatan—who had worn a cold expression throughout—suddenly turned toward Eden with wide, shocked eyes, as if he’d realized something.

“The bearer of that sacred power is already one of God’s chosen.”

Even Eden could interpret this. “Already one of God’s chosen” clearly meant someone in divine service—i.e., a priest. Although she was merely an apprentice, she technically fit the criteria.

But that alone was far from sufficient to identify her.

What in the world is His Highness thinking?

“You mean she fits the conditions, then?”

“Yes, without a doubt.”

When Saerman asked, Asmun answered smoothly. Turning slowly to Eden, he wore a rare, gentle smile.

“Priest Eden possesses the power to vanquish monsters with a mere touch.”

BWONG—.

As soon as he said it, it was as if someone had slapped the back of Eden’s head—hard. Ivatan, stiff as stone, couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Your Highness, what in the hell…?

Eden shot him a glare full of disbelief, but Asmun kept smiling, as if he were utterly unaware of her reaction.

Gasps and shocked murmurs echoed like waves across the crowd.

Frozen in place, Eden finally snapped out of it and protested desperately.

“N-no! That’s not true!”

But Asmun, without mercy, took the cursed artifact from Saerman’s hands and tossed it to the ground.

“Gasp!”

“Everyone step back!”

The magu shattered, and from within sprang a monster—less threatening in appearance, but a monster nonetheless. Information about the creature sprang to Eden’s mind.

Whether fortunate or not, it was a low-tier monster. Still, the centipede-like form made Eden’s skin crawl.

It was motionless, as if in a deep sleep, but grotesque nonetheless.

He wants me to touch that?!

“I-I can’t do that. Your Highness must be mistaken.”

“You only need to touch it. If I’m mistaken, nothing will happen.”

“No, thank you!”

Asmun sighed quietly, as if expecting her refusal, and turned to the side.

Then, from somewhere unseen, Ronpel hurried over. He had been observing from the sidelines and now rushed in, grabbing the dormant monster and bringing it to Eden.

“Gah…!”

“My apologies, Priest.”

Ronpel whispered sheepishly, clearly feeling guilty.

Asmun stepped up beside Eden and gently took her hand, guiding it toward the monster’s thick hide.

“Aaack!”

“It’s alright. It’ll be over quickly.”

And then—a sharp zap ran down Eden’s spine like lightning.

“Gasp!”

“My god, Hamyun…!”

Just like before, a brilliant light flared up, and the monster disintegrated in an instant, scattering like sunlight.

It was a clean and total annihilation.

An eerie silence fell across the vast garden.

Saerman, Ivatan, Rita—everyone was frozen, their eyes fixed on Eden.

“It—it’s the return of the Saint…!”

Someone shouted, and a series of gasps followed in quick succession.

Asmun looked upon Eden with eyes full of satisfaction.

****

After that, Eden had to undergo multiple rounds of verification, and once it was confirmed that she truly possessed the power to vanquish monsters, the Empire was thrown into an uproar.

The return of a Saint was something everyone had longed for—but since the days of the Great Saint Haila, who had sealed away the Demon King, no one had ever met the qualifications.

Two special powers had been granted to Haila, who saved the Empire from the Demon King 200 years ago.

“One was the ability to heal even the dead.”

Eden recalled Asmun’s calm voice.

“And the other was the divine strength to destroy monsters with a mere touch.”

It was only then that Eden understood why Zephar had worn that expression when the monster disappeared at her touch—and why Asmun had warned her never to tell anyone about her ability.

But why Asmun had declared her a Saint without telling her a single word beforehand—that, she still couldn’t comprehend.