Chapter 53
<Isn’t This a Strategy Game? Episode 53>
Eden found it hard to respond to the valid point made and just mumbled.
It was me who knew that it was the Marquis Ogden who would be cursed by that magic, and that Asmun would be the one attacked, as I had experienced it once before.
“But you said you’d kill him even if he isn’t aiming for the position of Crown Prince. Who would that be?”
“You can’t interrogate the royals based on just that story.”
Ibthan replied succinctly, raising Eden’s eyebrows.
“…Are you going to act like this?”
“Unfortunately, there’s nothing I can do.”
In an instant, the sense of kinship and sympathy I had for him moments ago dissolved.
Eden glared at him with a frustrating expression and swiftly turned away. This time, I felt Ibthan following closely behind without the slightest hesitation.
“I think it’s better for you to head back now.”
“I suppose so.”
As Eden replied stiffly, Ibthan stopped nagging further.
Eden hurried her steps without glancing back at Ibthan, who was sticking close to her. I had to give up on the event quest and get some rest to replenish my energy. I needed to think of a way to rescue Asmun from Marquis Ogden tomorrow.
The sound of angry footsteps and calm footsteps echoed along the quiet corridor, intertwining as they went.
Eden and Ibthan walked in silence until they arrived in front of Eden’s room.
Offended by the cool Ibthan, Eden was about to enter without saying goodbye when Ibthan stepped in front of the door first.
“What is it?”
Eden asked, clearly showing her displeasure, while Ibthan stared at her quietly, then parted his dry lips.
“There should be secret portals set up throughout the hunting grounds.”
“…Pardon?”
“In the places where blue hyacinth flowers bloom. If you pick that flower, the portal will activate, but it’s a one-time use, disappearing right after. Monsters shouldn’t go through along with you.”
At those words, Eden’s pupils widened.
‘The Secrets of the Hunting Grounds.’
Remembering the title of the event quest sent a thrilling shiver down my spine.
This was indeed the secret of the hunting grounds. Moreover, it felt like a pretty useful tip. If I pass this on to Asmun, he’d be able to escape even if attacked by Marquis Ogden.
My heart raced at this unforeseen advantage.
“…Where does it lead to?”
“It’s still within the hunting grounds. Just an emergency escape from the immediate crisis.”
Ibthan silently observed Eden, who was shocked, just as expected. This was a secret known only to a select few, but the 1st Prince and the 2nd Prince probably knew too.
Since the portals were only installed in high-level hunting grounds, it wouldn’t have been shared with Asmun, who had never participated before.
No, even if he had participated, he wouldn’t have known the secrets of the hunting grounds.
That was the point Ibthan found frustrating.
I couldn’t understand how Eden could support such an incompetent prince who couldn’t even guarantee his own safety.
“Can you really tell me this?”
Eden asked quietly, and Ibthan lightly clenched his fist. Obviously, revealing such confidential information to someone like Eden, who wasn’t even a participant, was taboo.
“…No, of course not.”
“But you’ve already told me?”
As Eden provocatively prodded, tension crept into Ibthan’s forehead.
“Let’s pretend you didn’t hear that, alright?”
Just as Ibthan, annoyed, was about to turn away, Eden grabbed his arm. Startled, Ibthan looked back to see Eden quietly smiling.
“I understood Chancellor’s intentions well.”
Her playful tone felt teasing.
“Come back alive…”
“…”.
“I’ll contribute to the Chancellor’s mission.”
For some reason, something tingled in Ibthan’s throat. Beckoning for a moment, he gazed at Eden’s innocent smile before finally freeing his arm from her grip and turning away.
Eden watched Ibthan’s departing figure before her eyes caught the clear window that rose up against the dark corridor.
: You’ve discovered ‘Secrets of the Hunting Grounds’! ‘Special Reward’ will be granted.
Do you want to receive the special reward right now?』
In the morning, the once quiet Star Palace became bustling in no time.
Eden donned the hunting outfit sent by Jepar and proudly held her head high. The deep green hunting outfit, skillfully chosen by the fashionable Jepar, complemented Eden’s rich brown hair perfectly.
With a sword specially made and sent after being inspired by the Grand Duchy Forest, Eden looked less like an Apprentice Priest and more like a noblewoman participating in a hunting tournament.
Unfortunately, this sword didn’t seem to have any special abilities, not boosting her strength or anything, but still, she felt quite secure.
After having breakfast with Jepar, Eden headed to the hunting grounds.
Everyone she had seen last night in the Banquet Hall appeared to be ready and waiting as well.
With anxious eyes, Eden searched for Asmun. She had been too busy since morning to have a chance to meet him.
‘I need to tell him about the secret portal…’
It became evident that Kiris planned some scheming, and now knowing a vital tip, she was eager to pass it on, but for some reason, Asmun was nowhere to be seen, even right before the tournament started.
‘Why isn’t he coming? Did he give up or something?’
Even if Asmun showed up now, with so many eyes watching, there was nothing she could convey. At this point, it might just be better to give up, when suddenly Asmun entered the hunting grounds.
Damn…
Gritting her teeth against the escalating situation, Eden clenched her fist.
She spotted Kiris giving a scrutinizing look as Asmun passed through the final inspection, causing her mind to go into overdrive.
The hunting tournament was about to begin.
“Wait a moment.”
At that moment, Asmun, who was about to mount his horse after preparing, turned back.
“I’ll switch horses.”
Edens’ eyes widened at the quiet statement.
I thought he would just ignore her because he was mad…
As he abandoned his personal horse and chose one of the emergency horses prepared in the hunting grounds, Eden felt a slight warmth in her chest.
Ibthan was wrong. Asmun was not a fool ruled by emotions without weighing the pros and cons. He was a strategist deserving of becoming an Emperor.
Eden smirked playfully at Kiris, whose expression was thrown off, and locked eyes with Asmun.
He stared at Eden for a moment before turning away. Still, he didn’t seem unpleasant, at least not today.
Ultimately, the opportunity to inform him of the portal passed by, but she had relayed that Kiris would use Ogden to do some underhanded work, so she believed Asmun would somehow find a way to evade it.
She had to trust him that much.
Soon, the Emperor made his appearance. The Emperor loved hunting but did not participate in the tournament.
The reason being, if the Emperor entered the royal hunting tournament, the participants might not be able to aim for victory out of fear of his judgment.
He wanted this tournament to be politically beneficial, and that meant that the Emperor would genuinely treat the winner of the tournament.
“Now, everyone, showcase your skills and let Hesmoro’s prowess shine!”
With the Emperor’s encouragement, the hunting tournament began.
The signal announcing the start was fired, and the participants burst forth as if competing against one another; Asmun quickly blended in with the crowd.
“Let’s go, Priest.”
Jepar, who took Eden as his support, set off at a leisurely pace while Eden followed him into the hunting grounds.
The true episode of the hunting tournament was about to begin.
The utmost priority was the rank of the monsters.
Of course, the more advanced monsters one could catch, the higher the chance of victory, but given that the high-level hunting grounds were extraordinarily treacherous, danger followed, regardless of the monsters.
The alternative was to hunt as many mid-level monsters as possible to get closer to victory.
As a result, most participants targeted the relatively easier mid-level hunting grounds first. It was much more efficient to aim for several mid-level monsters than to seek one high-level monster.
However, with Eden as a cheat, Jepar headed directly to the most rugged region in the high-level hunting grounds, appearing quite determined to win.
‘Good mindset, but if he does that, there won’t be time to hunt lower-level monsters for quests.’
Eden followed closely behind Jepar with an anxious heart.
As soon as they entered the high-level hunting grounds, they encountered a monster the size of a house, but with Eden’s abilities and Jepar’s swordsmanship, they successfully hunted the monster within ten minutes.
After wandering for about an hour, they found one more and succeeded in hunting it, already securing two prey.
Eden was surprised to see that Jepar’s skills were quite impressive, something she hadn’t been able to gauge in the Grand Duchy Forest.
“Thanks to you, Priest, I’ll definitely win.”
Jepar joked pleasantly as he cut off the fallen monster’s tail to take with him. After all, it was a rule to take only the part with the royal hunting tournament emblem since they couldn’t carry the entire large monster.
‘I can’t believe hunting high-level monsters is this easy.’
Eden recalled Asmun’s words that the high-level monsters were inferior to the mid-level ones. That was a setting that one could never know outside of the game.
This world sure is full of corruption.
“Grand Duke.”
“Yes.”
“There shouldn’t be any low-level monsters in the high-level hunting grounds, right?”
Jepar turned to Eden with an odd question.
“Haha… I got curious since it’s my first hunting tournament.”
“Not necessarily. High-level monsters are dangerous, so there would’ve likely been magic cast to keep them from leaving the high-level hunting grounds, but the others wouldn’t require such effort.”
As he spoke logically with a smile, Eden’s eyes sparkled with joy.
So there could be low-level monsters here?
“But…”
However, Jepar followed up, snipping off the budding hopes right there.
