Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game? Chapter 98

Chediak looked at Eden, a bit flustered.

“…I was searching for something.”

“What exactly?”

“That I cannot tell you.”

His firm reply made Eden’s face instantly chill with impatience. Startled, Chediak flinched, but still he held his tongue.

Eden stared at him, irritation plain on her face, then sighed as if giving up.

“Fine. I suppose I wouldn’t trust strangers easily either. Choco, release him. Just let him go.”

The unexpected words made Chediak’s eyes widen.

‘R-really? A trap?’

Suspicious, he glanced at Hegenti. Hegenti merely flicked his hand.

At once, the invisible power binding his body vanished. With a heavy thud, Chediak crashed to the ground.

“Ugh.”

Eden looked down at the pitiful sight and said with mild regret,

“If you won’t tell us, we can’t help you.”

“…”

“So be it. Off you go, then. We’ll go help someone else who needs it.”

Chediak snapped his head up.

“Are you serious?”

“Before I change my mind. Hurry.”

He scrambled to his feet and tried teleporting. Unlike before, his body instantly felt light.

Looking ahead, Eden and Hegenti were gone.

“They really… left?”

He let out a brief laugh of relief, then frowned.

“‘Someone else who needs help’…?”

What were they?

They definitely weren’t them. If they were, they never would have let him go. And there weren’t many who could wield power of that level anyway.

“Could it be… they really came to help me?”

Troubled, Chediak shook his head. He couldn’t accept help from unknowns.

He looked up. The forest was growing darker.

Mavellios, the Forest of Darkness, was thick with towering trees. Even at midday, it was dim. Once night fell, nothing could be seen at all.

He could use magic to summon light, but in this vast forest it would do little good—and too much light risked being discovered.

“Damn it, I need to find it fast.”

Dusting dirt off himself from the fall, he hurried on.

***

For two more hours he searched the forest. Only once night had fully swallowed it did he finally find what he sought.

“Found it! Ha! Mavellios truly has everything except what it doesn’t!”

Laughing with triumph, he abruptly stopped and scanned his surroundings.

Only the hoot of an owl answered.

“…”

He quickly hid his prize in his robes and teleported away.

This time, he emerged not in the forest but near a mine.

Despite the late hour, great torches blazed. The place teemed with people.

From his vantage, he saw guards brandishing weapons, driving chained slaves to haul minerals.

“Those bastards…”

Gritting his teeth, Chediak crept behind a massive boulder, watching. Then, moving cautiously, he made his way near a cave at the back of the mine.

He peeked out.

“…”

Soldiers stood watch at the entrance.

Behind them was a large wagon, topped with an iron-barred cage. Inside was—

‘Still alive.’

Chediak clenched his fist in relief.

Then—

“Holy shit, it’s a person.”

The shocked whisper came from right beside him.

He nearly screamed, but his throat seemed locked shut.

Whipping his head around, he saw—sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with him, peering into the cave—Eden and Hegenti.

‘Y-you—?!’

Mouth opening soundlessly in panic, he was ignored. Eden only studied the prisoner inside the cage.

A woman lay collapsed, barely alive.

Eden grimaced at the sight. Hegenti, by contrast, showed no interest, simply staying pressed at Eden’s side.

“So you were running around all day to save her?”

The question left Chediak speechless.

Had they been following him the whole time? He hadn’t sensed a trace of them…

“Hmm…”

Eden narrowed her eyes, assessing. Of course, releasing him had been part of the plan.

「Then, can you make it so Chediak doesn’t even know he’s being tracked?」

Hegenti had nodded.

「As long as I leave no trace.」

「…Ordinary mages can’t do that, right?」

He hadn’t answered, which itself was an answer.

It meant only someone of Hegenti’s caliber—a truly broken cheat of a mage—could pull that off.

「Okay, then… last question. Could you also leave a trace on purpose?」

He had stared at her and simply replied:

「Yes.」

So Eden had planned everything accordingly.

Leaving traces at first had allowed them to “find” Chediak, testing his character.

Though caught by Hegenti, that was only because his power was overwhelming. Chediak’s magic was still formidable. He was a bit bumbling, but not bad.

‘And stubborn enough not to reveal anything himself. Frail-looking, but strong-willed. Pass.’

Having assessed him, Eden had “let him go” as planned.

As expected, he had remained in Hegenti’s grasp, his every move shadowed until he came here.

Seeing the mine, Eden instantly realized his intent.

It fit perfectly with the theme of this “game.” At last, she understood why she had been given this quest.

‘My voice!’

Chediak clutched at his throat in silent protest, but Eden and Hegenti ignored him.

Uneasy, he glanced at the enigmatic Hegenti.

Who was this man?

“Well… it won’t be easy, but since we’ve got a broken character on our side…”

Broken character? What’s that supposed to mean?

“All right. So, Mr. Chediak, what’s the plan?”

Chediak stared, dumbfounded, at the strangely excited woman.

“You people… what are you?”

***

The three of them moved to a secluded spot to continue.

Once relocated, his voice returned—clearly their doing too. Now his gaunt face was heavy with wariness and bewilderment.

“You’ve been tailing me this whole time?”

“We had no choice. Otherwise, you never would’ve talked.”

Eden’s shameless answer made him snap back:

“Why are you doing this to me?!”

“I told you. To help you. You’re trying to save those people in that cage, aren’t you? Obviously illegal forced labor.”

Her words hit the mark. Chediak clamped his mouth shut. He really couldn’t lie.

Well, better that than a smooth liar.

“Does someone you know happen to be in there?”

After a pause, he shook his head.

“No.”

“Then… were you hired to rescue them?”

In lawless places like this, there were sometimes people who took money to free captives. Maybe he was one of them?

Again, he shook his head.

Eden exchanged a puzzled look with Hegenti. He, of course, looked utterly indifferent.

“Then why…?”

At that, Chediak’s ears turned red.

‘What?’

Eden squinted at him suspiciously. He stammered:

“…I-I just… happened upon it…”

“…Sorry?”

“I found out by chance…”

Eden blinked.

What?

“You mean… you saw it while passing by, and you couldn’t just ignore it?”

Nailed, his face turned crimson.

“Yes! My nosiness got the better of me! They’re strangers, but I couldn’t walk away! Are you satisfied now?!”

He shouted, then immediately regretted it.

This was his curse: his meddlesome nature, always dragging him into trouble.

「Chediak, why are you so nosy? Honestly… what a mess. What will become of you…」

「What’s it to you if Karail carves his name in the old tree? If you keep meddling like this, the Tower will have no choice but to expel you! Please, learn to mind your own business!」

「What’s it to you! Damn it, always meddling—so annoying!」

Damn it.

He recalled the countless scoldings and curses that had followed him all his life. But he couldn’t help it. He had been born this way.

“…My god. You really are nosy.”

The startled voice snapped him back. His face burned hotter. He was about to retort when—

“I’m touched, honestly.”