Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? – Chapter 92

Author: B0ucha

「I’ll tell you the reason after the Saint’s Ceremony. Until then, let’s meet again.」

Without answering Eden’s question, Asmun vanished just like that, and Eden, caught off guard, had suddenly become the would-be saint preparing for the upcoming ritual.

‘Ha… I knew my ability wasn’t ordinary, but still…’

To think it matched the criteria of a saint.

But Eden wasn’t the kind of saint they were hoping for.

The oracle was clearly fabricated by Asmun. She didn’t know where he’d obtained the divine stone, but if even the closed halls of the Grand Temple held divine stones, it wouldn’t be impossible for someone like him to get one.

“What exactly are you planning, Asmun…”

Eden bit her lip, anxiety plain on her face.

Maybe it was a coincidence that her skill matched the saint’s conditions. But since she wasn’t a real saint, eventually someone would come along to test her ability again.

Of course, there were plenty of plausible reasons Asmun would want to make her a saint.

Having a saint support him looked far more credible than having just a novice priestess on his side.

“But still… to do all this without a single word…!”

She seethed again.

What made Eden truly angry was that such an important matter had been done without even a single consultation with her.

Sure, she understood that her being a saint would greatly strengthen Asmun’s bid for the throne—but this abrupt development was still too much to handle.

At this point in time, the emergence of a new saint carried huge implications.

「Could it be that the High Priest’s divine power has run its course?」

「It’s certainly worrying that the High Priest’s shield was breached multiple times by black mages.」

After the calamities during the Founding Festival and now the sacred Sun Festival, people had begun to suspect that Saerman’s divine power was waning, and that it might be time for a new High Priest to emerge.

As a result, the Grand Temple had become tense and unsettled.

And now, a new saint? At a time like this?

This was a dangerous gamble. If things went well, it would be a jackpot. But if not—

‘Then it’s all over.’

To make matters worse, no new quests had popped up, and Eden began to fear this sudden development had thrown the game off-course entirely.

‘If becoming a saint were necessary to the storyline, a quest would’ve triggered already.’

But the Saint’s Ceremony was tomorrow. There was no turning back.

‘Still, this is absolutely not how it should go…’

Staring blankly out the window of the luxurious suite the temple had prepared, Eden finally couldn’t take it and tried to step outside—only for temple priests standing guard at her door to rush over immediately.

“Do you need anything?”

“You should be resting. The Saint’s Ceremony is tomorrow.”

Eden looked awkwardly between them.

Now that the Grand Temple had identified her as the likely saint, their treatment of her had completely changed. Unlike her days as a free-roaming apprentice priest, she was now constantly watched and accompanied.

“I just wanted to take a short walk.”

“Please wait a moment. We’ll get permission from the High Priest.”

“What? No—wait, why do I need permission just to take a walk?!”

“It’s for your safety and the sanctity of the ceremony tomorrow.”

These strict priests left no room for argument.

“Haa… Forget it…”

Eden sighed and was about to turn back when—

“I’ll accompany her.”

A low voice rang out, heavy footsteps following.

Eden and the priests turned to see Karon, his face devoid of the usual smile.

“Captain.”

Eden called out to him in relief, while the priests’ expressions grew stiff.

“Is the saint’s escort not enough?”

Karon asked, staring at them directly.

As both the leader of the Grand Temple’s Holy Knights and the Empire’s greatest swordmaster, there was no way he could be deemed inadequate as an escort. The priests quickly bowed their heads in submission.

“Just don’t stay out too long.”

****

For the first time in days, Eden was free from suffocating security, walking alone with Karon through a quiet garden.

The simple absence of eyes following her brought a sense of immense relief.

“Thank you, Captain.”

Karon offered a faint smile at her gratitude, but soon turned serious, his eyes fixed on her.

“Are you truly the one the oracle spoke of?”

The question made Eden’s heart jump. As expected, Karon too suspected the oracle had been fabricated.

Well, considering Asmun—who had always been involved with her—was the one verifying it, Karon and others couldn’t help but harbor doubts.

The only reason they couldn’t outright deny it was because Eden really did possess the monster-vanishing ability.

“Honestly… I’m confused too.”

But Eden couldn’t tell Karon that Asmun had fabricated the oracle.

Karon’s core was his faith—and to keep him on her side, she couldn’t violate that.

“You’ve probably heard already, but it’s true that I possess one of the Great Saint’s powers.”

She did her best to defend Asmun, not wanting Karon to think he had lied.

Karon, of course, had already heard of her powers. The entire Empire was talking about it, after all.

Indeed, the ability to vanish monsters was unique to the Great Saint. If a saint had truly returned, it would undoubtedly be Eden.

What made him hesitate was Asmun’s involvement in the interpretation of the oracle.

“Even if Priest Eden isn’t the true saint…”

Karon looked at her with an expression rarely seen on him and added quietly,

“It’s clear that Hamyun has chosen you.”

The grand words made Eden awkwardly smile. It was both true and not true at the same time.

“From now on, things will be very different from when you were just a priest.”

Karon’s gaze was tinged with worry.

“If you ever need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask. If it concerns you—no, the saint—I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

His words lifted a weight off Eden’s chest.

She still felt guilty for deceiving his devout faith, but there was no other choice.

“Oh, by the way—didn’t I hear the Holy Knights are heading out on another expedition soon?”

She recalled what some of the temple priests had said and asked with concern.

Although she remained safe in the capital, the rest of the Empire was still deeply embroiled in war against the monsters.

Thanks to that, Karon had no time to remain in the capital and was constantly being dispatched for subjugation missions.

“I plan to depart after witnessing your Saint’s Ceremony, Priest.”

Karon’s warm words brought Eden comfort, even amidst the chaos. It was truly fortunate to have such a dependable holy knight on her side.

“I’m really glad you’re here, Captain.”

Only then did Karon offer a small smile.

***

And at last, the day of the Saint’s Ceremony arrived.

It was held in the Grand Temple, and the place was in complete chaos from the early morning, packed with people eager to witness the birth of a new saint.

The crowd seemed as large as, or perhaps even larger than, during the Sun Festival. Uneasy, Eden sought out Asmun.

Asmun finally appeared before her just moments before the ceremony was to begin, as calm as ever.

“It suits you well.”

He made that carefree remark while looking at Eden, who was dressed in the newly tailored saint’s ceremonial robes.

“Your Highness!”

Eden grabbed his hand and pulled him into a corner, speaking in a rapid-fire whisper.

“Your Highness, I’ve thought it over, and I really don’t think this is right. I haven’t set a foot outside the temple in three days! Never mind walks—they even follow me when I go to the bathroom! If this constant surveillance continues, it’ll be difficult for me to even meet with you!”

A saint was on par with a High Priest, a person of immense significance. Everyone was terrified that something might happen while the reawakened saint was left unattended, and so, in the name of protection, she was being subjected to intense monitoring.

Eden poured out her frustrations, but Asmun merely looked at her calmly.

“Do not worry. It’s not at all strange for a prince—let alone one of the imperial family—to request an audience with the saint.”

“……”

“Surely, it’s much more natural than meeting through Priest Roman’s office, isn’t it?”

From those words, Eden realized that Asmun had anticipated everything and acted accordingly.

“Your Highness!”

She was about to burst in anger, but managed to take a deep breath and tried again to persuade him.

“Have you seen the crowds outside? Do you know how big this has gotten? If Roman were to suddenly break and confess it was all a lie…!”

“Why?”

Asmun interrupted her anxious words with a quiet tilt of his head, looking directly at her.

“Do you think it’s a lie?”

The relaxed question left Eden speechless.

What, so it’s true now?

But there wasn’t a shred of tension in Asmun’s face. As if everything really were true.

Someone as clever as Asmun couldn’t possibly be unaware of how dangerous this situation was.

Having Eden become the saint was a double-edged sword.

If used well, it could become an incredible advantage. But if, by a single slip, it was revealed that everything was fabricated—and that Asmun was behind it—

He wouldn’t just lose his claim to the throne. He’d be stripped of his title as prince altogether.

And that would be game over.

Neither the Emperor, the Grand Temple, nor the citizens of the Empire would forgive a prince who dared manipulate the name of God.

Yet Asmun remained far too composed, as if not the least bit concerned about any of it.

“This oracle is fabricated.”

“……”

“The divine stone isn’t the same magic stone that accompanies a true oracle.”

At those words, Asmun’s brow subtly twitched. He hadn’t expected Eden to know that.

As she had said, the divine stone wasn’t some by-product of an oracle. It was a special kind of magic stone that had been politically exploited since ancient times.

This was precisely why Asmun didn’t believe in gods.

Back when he first encountered Eden, he hadn’t eliminated her because she hadn’t presented a divine stone.

Had she pulled one out and whispered the word “oracle,” she would have died on the spot. Thinking back, it had been a chillingly close call.

“It’s true that the condition for sainthood is the ability to annihilate monsters. And it’s also true that you, Priest, possess the power of the Great Saint.”

Yes, that was all true, but…!

Just as Eden was about to burst out in frustration, Asmun continued:

“And though priests cannot marry, saints can.”

…What?

That completely random comment left Eden frozen in place. It was such an off-topic remark that it felt utterly nonsensical in the moment.

“Your Highness, what on earth are you saying right now…?”

“Which is why, even if it’s frustrating, I ask that you endure the status of saint for just a little while longer.”

Eden looked up, startled, into the red eyes that had darkened like ink.

The obsessive glint that had been gradually creeping into his gaze was now laid bare.

“Once I become emperor, I’ll formally propose to you.”

The sudden declaration—sweet enough to seem romantic at a glance—left Eden breathless and frozen in place.

“You said it yourself, Priest.”