<Wasn’t this a strategy game? Chapter 79>

“…….”

Asmun’s story made Hagen’ti’s eyes freeze in an instant. It was clear that the game’s creator had set every character to hate each other without reason, just to give players a hard time.

“Alright, that’s settled. We need to hunt down all those monsters.”

Yet, it seemed like Hagen’ti couldn’t care less about monster hunting, maintaining a disinterested expression.

Eden, looking for a way to motivate Hagen’ti, suddenly had a thought and opened her mouth again.

“And lastly, I’ll cure your sickness.”

At those words, Hagen’ti’s eyes shifted.

“You promised, didn’t you? You’ll get better. But for that, we need to sort all of this out. Only then can I gain the power to heal you.”

Eden spoke tenderly, like a nurturing figure, and Hagen’ti gazed at her quietly.

“I can’t rely on medicine every time. You know that, right?”

Eden slowly took Hagen’ti’s hand into her own.

“I will heal you, no matter what.”

Just then, as Hagen’ti was about to respond to Eden’s dangerous promise, there was a loud knock at the door.

Bang! Bang!

It sounded like someone was going to break the door down. Soon, the identity of the visitor was revealed.

“Priest!”

The voice, filled with displeasure, belonged to Asmun.

Surprised by the voice, Eden let go of Hagen’ti’s hand and jumped up, causing Hagen’ti to glare sharply.

“Your Highness.”

As Eden opened the door, she saw Asmun standing there, his expression as sharp as Hagen’ti’s.

“I’ll fulfill the priest’s request.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll arrange a place for the author within the castle.”

Asmun’s cold gaze landed on Hagen’ti. Hagen’ti, staring back defiantly, got up and walked toward Eden.

“Really?”

“Yes. So it’s best for you to not worry about it and return to the temple.”

“If you could do that for me…”

Just when Eden finally sighed in relief and was about to smile broadly, Hagen’ti abruptly interrupted their conversation.

“So all I need to do is get better, right?”

At those words, Eden and Asmun’s gazes simultaneously shifted back to Hagen’ti. Hagen’ti was staring intently at Eden, ignoring Asmun as if he didn’t exist.

“Um…?”

“I’ll find a way.”

Asmun glared at Hagen’ti as if he found his conversation annoying, while Eden stared at Hagen’ti, flustered.

“So after that, you’ll be with me, Eden.”

As Hagen’ti called out Eden’s name, Asmun’s eyes turned icy.

Eden was stammering when suddenly, Hagen’ti swept her into his arms. No, “swept” seemed too mild; it felt more like he enveloped her.

“Gah….”

The room’s atmosphere froze at Hagen’ti’s audacious move. Like a large animal cradling its master, Hagen’ti whispered into Eden’s rigid ear.

“I’ll be back.”

After saying his goodbyes, Hagen’ti vanished in an instant, leaving behind a chilling silence in the room.

“…….”

“…….”

Soon, Asmun let out a chuckle that sounded incredulous, a cold smirk that made Eden feel uneasy.

Sliiick, Asmun’s gaze returned to Eden.

“…So, have you made a promise to be with the author?”

The question was sharp, completely contrasting the calmness of his voice. In his red eyes simmered an unmistakable malice.

If she answered incorrectly here, it felt like the game might end right there. Eden froze, unable to respond as Asmun took a step closer.

“Priest.”

Then, in a much calmer voice, he whispered.

“I know you handle those of value quite well.”

“…….”

“I’m aware.”

Asmun murmured, his eyes still boiling at a low temperature. It seemed he was holding something back.

Asmun reached out toward the spot on Eden’s shoulder where Hagen’ti had just placed his hand.

Startled, Eden flinched, but Asmun remained unfazed, casually picking up a strand of pink hair that was left behind.

“So I’ll overlook that much.”

Eden swallowed hard, staring at the pink hair in Asmun’s hand. And it happened in an instant. Flames erupted from Asmun’s hand, consuming the delicate strands.

‘Gulp….’

“Sadly, I guess you won’t be able to keep your promise to the author.”

“…….”

“You promised me you’d be by my side even after I became Emperor, didn’t you?”

Saying that, Asmun flashed a truly regretful smile. Eden found herself nodding without realizing it.

“Yeah… of course.”

Satisfied with her answer, Asmun carelessly scattered the ashes left from the hair and quickly returned to his usual indifferent gaze toward Eden.

“I’ll clean up Reblem and then I’ll head back, so you should return to the temple now.”

Since staying in Reblem wouldn’t yield much for her anymore, and Eden needed to prepare for the next episode in the temple, it was a relief to be able to return quickly.

But…….

‘There was no mention of a favorability system; that much is certain.’

Even after returning to the temple, Eden struggled with her thoughts. A favorability system? This was a concept she hadn’t encountered in previous gameplay or reviews.

Was this a system only granted to hidden characters?

‘What does it mean to be a victim of a fraudulent contract?’

Furthermore, Hagen’ti’s new information as a “victim of a fraudulent contract” was a tough phrase to decipher. But maybe that was a hint regarding Hagen’ti’s sickness.

‘So he suffered due to some fraudulent contract? With whom?’

Eden wanted to call up Hagen’ti right away to ask, but then she recalled that he had lost his memory.

“Damn it.”

She muttered a curse under her breath while pressing her temples, feeling a throbbing headache. The further she got in this game, the deeper she seemed to sink into a mire.

Amidst all this confusion, one thing was abundantly clear: both Asmun and Hagen’ti showed special affection towards her.

‘What should I even call this…’

Just thinking about Asmun’s persistent, possessive gaze and Hagen’ti’s embrace made her face flush hot.

It was undeniable that amidst that ‘affection’ lay some sort of rational emotion.

Suddenly, the faces of Karon, Jepar, and Ibthan flashed through Eden’s mind, causing her to feel awkward.

“Could it be… other characters have this system too?”

If it was just Asmun, that’d be one thing, but now that it was confirmed that Hagen’ti had a favorability system too, it was likely that other characters involved had it as well.

“Sigh….”

If this place were a dating sim, she would have been ready to fully enjoy it, but…. Was it okay for such a game to have this element? Or was she expected to use those feelings as well?

“You handle those of value quite well. I’m aware.”

Asmun’s pointed words echoed in her mind, raising the heat in her ears.

“I’ll overlook that much.”

The obsession of a man who could dangerously turn into a tyrant if not careful.

And furthermore—.

“I’ll find a way. So after that, you’ll be with me, Eden.”

The affection of a man set on a path to annihilate the Empire.

“This… isn’t it a bit risky?”

Only then did Eden faintly realize how serious the situation was, cold sweat trickling down her neck.

What if one side exploded…?

“Ah, no!”

The deeper her thoughts spiraled, the more her head felt like it was going to burst. Eden shut her eyes and shook her head as if trying to shake off the stray thoughts.

“Later. Let’s think about it later. Right now, the Sun Festival is the priority.”

Eden closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and, once she calmed down, opened them again. The Sun Festival was about to begin.

The Sun Festival.

A celebration to commemorate the day Saint Haila defeated the Demon King, the biggest festival in Hesmor, filled with profound significance. It was also the moment the faith of the Empire’s people in Hamun was solidified.

And this day was the one Eden had been waiting for all along.

The Sun Festival had to be the perfect day for Asmun, and for that, a thorough buildup was necessary.

Eden recalled the contents of the prophecy book she had obtained as a reward for clearing the Tumagrave list quest.

“The 1st Prince Kiris Deckland’s funds were cut off due to the Reblem incident, and his reputation has worsened. Cornered, Kiris Deckland is planning a counterattack using the Sun Festival. Kiris Deckland’s plan is…….”

‘Just as I expected.’

As her predictions came true, annoyance bubbled up inside her.

When she played as Kiris, not a single dirty scheme came to light. The fact that he was in league with a Dark Sorcerer was never revealed; he merely had a setup of receiving help from mages.

‘It was the same during the Sun Festival episode.’

Back then, Kiris had discovered Tevel of Reblem, which led to him receiving Hesmor’s Sword.

And during the Sun Festival, he suddenly emerged as a prince who received praise from the masses after using that sword to subdue the monsters that appeared out of nowhere. At this point, Eden had begun to suspect that there was a dirty, sinister backstory hiding behind all of that too.

“So the sudden appearance of monsters during the Sun Festival was Kiris’s doing….”

The feeling of being blindsided mixed with the thrill of uncovering that scheme came crashing down on her.

“What a sneaky jerk.”