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“Damn.”

As usual, Eden clenched her fist at the sudden quest that popped up in mid-air, causing water to drip from the soaked laundry in her hand. This meant she had to go find Asmun again, all because of this.

“……”

However, Eden didn’t want to back down this time. She was really annoyed that Asmun hadn’t shown any appreciation for her hard work.

She even felt a bit hurt that he didn’t recognize her efforts. No matter the reason, she was giving it her all for him.

“Please stay where you are. Once I find out what the Priest requires, I’ll get back to you.”

What do you mean, what I need?

What Asmun truly wanted was just one thing. The Imperial Throne. That’s the very heart of this game and everything else.

But what more could there possibly be to find?

As Eden sulked while remembering Asmun’s cold eyes, someone suddenly grabbed her shoulder.

“Eden, there you are!”

Startled, Eden turned around to see Hernah looking at her with an excited expression.

“Hernah.”

“Eden, Jepar the Grand Duke is looking for you!”

Eden’s eyes widened at the unexpected name that popped up.

“Jepar? Jepar, I mean, the Grand Duke is at the Temple?”

Hernah nodded vigorously, seemingly thrilled.

“Yes! Because of you, he said he’s captured a monster and wants to offer it at the Temple!”

“What?”

Eden blinked in disbelief.

She hurried to the most beautiful garden in the Temple, the Maze Garden. Following the Priest who was kindly guiding her, she reached a pavilion and, indeed, there was Jepar waiting for her.

“Grand Duke.”

As soon as Eden called out, Jepar turned around from admiring the garden. His splendid silver hair fluttered in the wind, revealing his handsome face.

“Priest.”

When he smiled warmly, Eden felt slightly flustered.

Hernah had mentioned that Jepar had made an offering of around 500 dricks. That amount could renovate the entire Great Temple.

She knew he was rich, but spending that much money on someone he had barely met was puzzling. Not knowing Jepar’s intentions set Eden on edge.

“Have you been well?”

Jepar’s friendliness was disarming, especially since she had approached him with a wary attitude. It was quite different from the aura he had in the forest.

“Yes, Grand Duke, have you been well?”

“Thanks to you, I’ve been well. Ah, please sit.”

Jepar moved closer and pulled out a chair for Eden. She nodded slightly in response before sitting down.

Not long after they were seated, tea and snacks were served. The aroma of what had to be the finest tea leaves filled the air, but there was no time to enjoy it now.

Eden took a sip of tea and jumped straight to the point.

“Um, I heard about the offering you made.”

“Yes, it’s a small token compared to the grace you’ve shown me, but I hope it helps in some way.”

A small token?

Cold sweat trickled down Eden’s back. Jepar’s cheerful smile showed no hint of regret or hesitation.

Did he really thank her for taking down the monster with such a big offering?

No, that couldn’t be right. From what Eden knew, Jepar wasn’t that kind of guy.

“Of course, I’ll repay you separately.”

“……Huh?”

“Didn’t I promise? I’ll definitely repay you in honor of the Yuren family. Ah, you didn’t think our family’s honor was worth only 500 dricks, did you?”

Jepar cracked a cheeky joke while smiling. Eden had indeed remembered their promise. She was just saving it for when they had built a closer bond and she might really need his help.

“But I never did anything expecting a reward.”

As Eden pretended to be modest with those words, Jepar merely smiled softly at her.

“I know, but you have to give me a chance to repay you.”

“……”

“To be honest, I was deeply impressed by you that day.”

Eden was taken aback by Jepar’s confession. She hadn’t interacted much with him, but she remembered that he wasn’t the type to be easily impressed.

“That’s too kind. Anyone would have done the same.”

“Oh, by the way, I heard that you stopped the 3rd Prince from rushing in.”

A glint of interest sparked in Jepar’s eyes.

Eden felt taken aback by how quickly the rumor spread, though she maintained a humble demeanor.

“I simply did my duty.”

“That’s not something just anyone could do.”

Jepar said this with a peculiar smile.

In fact, Jepar had not been having the best of days lately. The discovery of a fifth magic stone mine by the 3rd Prince had caused problems for the Yuren family.

This fifth mine contained more top-tier magic stones than the renowned Runelet mine owned by the Yuren family, instantly decreasing its value and leaving even the Emperor flustered.

While the Runelet mine still had many magic stones being excavated, the Emperor had become more lax, making it uncomfortable for Jepar as the Emperor was trying not to upset the Yuren family.

Jepar stared at Eden with sharp eyes.

‘It’s certainly strange that the 3rd Prince would find a mine buried in the harsh Leveim, not the 1st or 2nd Prince.’

He could sense the peculiar behavior in Asmun lately and felt the seemingly lifeless 3rd Prince starting to stir.

And within that odd movement…

“I can’t thank you enough for your kindness.”

Here stood Eden, blushing a little while smiling shyly.

It seemed coincidental at first, but Eden had helped Asmun twice.

A seemingly useless apprentice priest and the incapable 3rd Prince had somehow caught Jepar’s keen sense.

Of course, if Eden were truly a completely useless apprentice priest, she wouldn’t have bothered coming all the way here, but her capabilities shown in the Grand Duchy Forest were hard to ignore.

‘A priest who can read monster information…’

This was a useful skill not only for the Imperial Palace but also for Jepar.

Now that the value of the magic stone mine had significantly diminished, the completion of a bestiary could be crucial for Jepar to grab power.

So, Jepar himself had come to the Great Temple. To meet Eden.

“In any case, I owe you a great debt. I’ve come to keep my promise, so please help me maintain my honor.”

Seeing the sincere expression on his face, Eden felt a bit awkward.

It wasn’t entirely bad for Jepar to feel indebted to her, but she didn’t really want anything now, and there wasn’t much he could do for her…

Wait a minute.

Eden’s eyes lit up.

“Grand Duke.”

“Yes?”

“You’ll be participating in the hunting competition, right?”

At her sudden question, Jepar looked at her with a puzzled expression before responding after a moment. Hunting competition? He couldn’t grasp her intention and failed to analyze it before answering.

“Of course.”

With that concise answer, something exploded in Eden’s mind, and she felt clarity wash over her thoughts.

“Grand Duke.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

As Eden’s expression shifted, Jepar finally realized she had something she wanted.

He radiated a relaxed confidence, as if nothing was impossible within the Empire and he could give Eden whatever she desired without effort.

She liked that spirit.

Eden smiled brightly and spoke decisively.

“I want to participate in the hunting competition too.”

Huh?

Jepar’s eyebrows raised in surprise at her unexpected statement, but Eden didn’t care and continued.

“As your attendant.”

At her added words, the faint smile that lingered on Jepar’s lips faded entirely.

Eden headed towards the East Tower, recalling Jepar’s astonished expression.

He looked utterly thrown off by the unexpected request, his smile wiped away, his face caught off guard.

Yet, he didn’t appear flustered or uncomfortable at all, which confirmed that Jepar was indeed a unique person.

Eden paused for a moment and looked up. Despite it being early evening, the full moon hung brightly in the clear sky, not a cloud in sight.

The moon in this world was unusually large. It felt like she was witnessing a supermoon every single day.

Sometimes, it seemed like it might fall and crush the huge Great Temple with a thud, reinforcing the surreal feeling that this place wasn’t real.

“……”

Thinking about her life in reality, where she hardly had the luxury to gaze at the moon, made her feel fortunate for this experience.

Eden hurriedly moved forward and finally arrived at the Chancellor’s Office in the East Tower.

“I came to clean.”

The once-stern doorkeeper had become so familiar that he opened the door without a fuss.

Eden climbed the stairs to the Chancellor’s Office with ease. Although she knew that the Chancellor had been absent for several days, Eden was feeling anxious.

Gaining this opportunity was nearly as challenging as a quest itself. At first, Hernah had been pleased about skipping cleaning duty, but as time dragged on, she began to grow anxious.

‘They say staying near the Chancellor allows you to receive the aura of Divine Power.’

It was nonsense, but being a deeply faithful priest, Eden knew she wouldn’t be able to persuade Hernah to skip out on it next time.

This meant Eden had to clear the quest of leading Hagen’ti out of the castle within the next month.

 

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