Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 94

Back then, I had only been a trainee priest, so I could dismiss it as a nightmare. But now the situation was different. Publicly, I had become the Saintess, and that nightmare could no longer remain just a dream.

“Ah, yes. That’s right. But thinking back, it really was just a dream. Absolutely ridiculous. I haven’t had anything like it since—not even a little.”

Eden hurried to explain, and Serman watched her quietly.

“I see.”

He gave her a gentle smile.

“But Saintess, if you should ever receive a revelation about the Empire’s fate—or anything of that nature—please tell me at once.”

His voice was soft, almost like a request.

“If you do, I’ll do everything in my power to support your mission. From now on, you and I are in the same boat.”

His ever-calm gaze seemed tinged with longing, and Eden couldn’t help but feel a little ache in her chest. At the same time, she couldn’t stop Hegenti from coming to mind again.

From everything she’d seen, Serman was truly a priest who fought tirelessly for the Empire’s peace and safety. If that was true, then it was highly likely his office really was connected to Hegenti’s castle, just as she’d suspected.

‘So he’s been watching to keep Hegenti from going berserk, huh?’

The urge to tell Serman everything about Hegenti’s existence and recent movements rose to the tip of her tongue, but Eden swallowed it back down and smiled instead.

Until she had proof, she couldn’t afford to let her guard down.

“Yes, of course. I’ll make sure of it.”

Serman smiled kindly, as if grateful for her answer.

“Ah, I’ve been inconsiderate. You must be tired from such a grand ceremony. Rest well, Saintess. You’ll have much work ahead.”

He bowed politely and left.

At last, Eden was truly alone.

“Haa…”

She let out a deep sigh and glanced around the room with a weary face.

Compared to the cramped trainee priest quarters—with nothing but two small beds and a pair of nightstands—the sheer size of this room left her oddly hollow.

“Well… it’s nice, I guess.”

There were even three more rooms within this one. Likely a parlor, a study, and a bedroom.

If only Rita could stay here with her, too.

“…Being Saintess has its perks.”

It would’ve been a shame to miss out on exploring a place this mysterious.

“But what’s the point, if I can’t even go out freely?”

She knew Asmun’s high-handed decision came from concern for her safety, but being locked up in such safety wasn’t her style.

Going along on the journey to find Silverstone would’ve been far more fun.

As Eden, dulled by the game-world life into a kind of safety-blindness, muttered with a sigh—

Ding!

The notification sound she’d been waiting for made her eyes flash open.

Finally!

But what popped up wasn’t a quest window. It was an achievement window.

『【★】Hidden Quest Achieved!

: You have entered the hidden map <Saintess’ Chamber>! As a reward, you will receive a hidden item. A new episode will now begin.

Would you like to receive the hidden item right away?』

Eden’s face went blank.

“A… hidden quest?”

Just entering the Saintess’ chamber was enough…?

A shiver ran down her back as she realized it.

“What the heck…”

As she stared in confusion, another window appeared.

Ding!

This time it really was a new quest. Eden quickly glanced around, but she was still alone in the room.

『【!】Main Quest

: Find the mage Chediak, aid in his operation, and obtain new clues. His last known destination was the Dark Forest, Mavellios.』

Eden’s face fell as she read it carefully.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Three priests were stationed right outside her door, and now she was supposed to go to the Dark Forest?

And “last destination”? That phrasing alone was already irritating. No doubt it would be another endless, multi-stage quest, just like the one to find Ella.

“Calm down, Eden. First, let’s claim the reward…”

She steadied her spinning mind, took a deep breath, and chose to accept the hidden quest reward.

Surely, being a hidden quest, the reward would be incredible. A Tier 1 Summoning Scroll, maybe… something like that.

Eden, filled with anticipation, shouted “Yes!” to the prompt.

A new window appeared.

『The item “Colorful Egg” has been granted to the player.』

“?”

Right before her eyes, an actual colorful egg floated into view. It looked exactly like an Easter egg, decorated lovingly by someone with real skill.

Eden blinked several times. No matter how much she blinked, it was still just an egg.

“Haha… what?”

She picked it up. Still just an egg. No features, no description. Just a plain egg.

“……”

After being forced into sainthood, monitored even on her bathroom trips for days, enduring the exhausting Saintess ceremony all day, receiving a prince’s confession, and standing at the brink of a potential change to the game’s entire course—what she was handed was…

“…An egg?”

“Are you kidding me!”

Finally snapping, Eden hurled the egg at the statue of Hamyun.

Smack!

The egg cracked against the statue’s chest with a satisfying sound.

And then—light flared from the spot it had struck.

“What now…”

Eden gaped as the once-still statue moved, turning its head toward her.

Her eyes went wide just as the statue opened its mouth.

“Wow.”

The statue clapped its hands together in excitement.

“My, my. To find the Easter Egg right after entering the Saintess’ chamber!”

Eden’s jaw dropped in horror.

The stone was speaking… and that stone was… Hamyun?

‘There really was a Hamyun…?’

Her body froze, caught between fear and awe. More terrifying than the fact that the statue was moving was the realization that this was God.

Wait… Easter Egg?

“D-did you just say… Easter Egg…?”

The statue burst into a careless laugh.

“No need for formal speech. That’s right—an Easter Egg.”

Her mind spun back into sharp focus. An Easter Egg—something hidden in a game by its creator for fun. A secret feature, unrelated to the main story, just for amusement. The conditions for triggering them varied, but in this case…

“……”

Her eyes fell on the dripping egg sliding down Hamyun’s chest. So the trigger condition had been throwing an egg at him.

Her survival instincts kicked in. She looked up. Hamyun was wiping the egg off in the fountain water.

“Who are you?”

“Wow. From formal speech to blunt right away.”

Forgetting her fear, Eden marched toward him. The fact that he’d said “Easter Egg” meant he wasn’t just some in-world lore.

He knew. He knew this was a game.

“Answer me!”

“Hamyun.”

Not that! She was about to shout when he added—

“The being humans call God. And also the creator of this game.”

Eden stood stunned, parsing his words.

Humans? Which humans? The ones outside the game? The ones inside? Me? Or the characters here?

As if sensing her confusion, Hamyun smirked.

“No need to overthink it. I’m God. To you as well.”

Suddenly, everything clicked.

Ah. He really was God.

Ivatan, you doubted. Asmun, you wanted proof. Karon, the god you’ve been searching for is this weirdo.

Yes, he was God. Otherwise, how else would all this be happening to her?

She finally understood why so many people begged God for truth and answers.

Because He really did hold all the answers.

“So you’re the one who made this game—no, you’re God and… wait a second.”

“A God, yes.”

“Fine, God! But why would God make a game?”

“Why not? Can’t God make a game?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

“Tsk. Broaden your thinking. You’ve experienced plenty already, haven’t you?”

“Forget that! I’ve been waiting to ask—why did I…!”

“…end up inside the game?”

Eden nodded vigorously.

Hamyun grew slightly serious, furrowing his brows and stroking his chin.

“Hmm… perhaps you could call it a mission? Or destiny? Maybe just coincidence.”

Eden’s face twisted.

In other words—there was no reason!

Seeing her expression, Hamyun looked almost sulky.

“What… is my game not fun…?”

He looked genuinely anxious, as though awaiting her evaluation.

Eden, flustered, managed a reply.

“It’s… fun…”

And it was. Too thrilling, too suspenseful, too nerve-wracking.

Hamyun’s face lit up.

“Right? Fun, isn’t it? I poured my soul into it! Those ignorant humans gave it one-star reviews… but you won’t, right?”

Eden’s stomach twisted with guilt.

She had planned to give it one star. Maybe even leave a nasty comment.

“They only complain because they couldn’t clear it. But you—you might just be able to. You’ve made it this far, after all. I really can’t wait to see.”