<Wasn’t this a Strategy Game? Chapter 99>

Huh?

Chediak snapped his eyes open and looked at Eden. Eden was staring at Chediak with eyes shimmering as if she was truly moved.

And next to her…

“……”

Huh?

Wasn’t that young mage’s eye, who just a moment ago looked like he was seeing microorganisms, a bit sharper now…?

“It’s not easy to get involved in someone else’s affairs this much… It’s admirable.”

Chediak wondered if she was being sarcastic, but her face didn’t seem to show that at all.

Chediak blinked in slight bewilderment.

“D-Doesn’t it seem, like, weird? Me getting so involved in someone else’s issues…”

“Not at all.”

“Didn’t you just say I was nosy…?”

“For things like this, being a hundred times nosy is completely fine.”

At this, somewhere in Chediak’s heart, there was a thud. He looked at Eden as if jolted in shock.

‘No one has ever said something like that to me before…’

Everyone had treated him like a fool for risking himself by getting involved in other people’s affairs and ending up harmed, chased, or worse.

“Mr. Chediak, you are truly remarkable.”

Eden added politely.

This was sincere. Eden respected those who meddled with good intentions.

I might have caused a commotion by getting involved in countless incidents since coming here, but it was still for the sake of clearing the game.

But Chediak wasn’t in a game, nor did he have a competitive spirit for clearing it. He was genuinely helping others at the cost of his own disadvantages.

To help someone like this, it was truly a delightful quest after a long time.

“So how about you let me meddle a bit too? Right now, I really want to help.”

Eden smiled brightly, and Chediak looked at her with teary eyes.

“So, I first learned about that mine fifteen days ago.”

Calming down, Chediak began to explain the whole story to Eden.

Having gone all day without food, his stomach was growling, so the three of them found a suitable spot, kindled a small fire, and shared Chediak’s bread as they listened to the story.

“I stumbled upon that mine by accident. I took the wrong path.”

“You’re bad with directions, huh?”

“A bit of that, yes. Anyway, I accidentally entered the mine, and as you both saw, it was clearly a scene of illegal forced labor.”

Eden nodded.

Although Hesmoro had a class system, there were no legal slave systems, so putting handcuffs on workers and exploiting labor like that was outright illegal.

That scene earlier was obviously illegal, and the mine was probably an unreported illegal one in the Empire.

“I even saw children inside.”

As Chediak clenched his jaw and spoke with a choked voice, Eden’s face also hardened.

“Children? Are you sure?”

“Yes, I clearly saw with my own eyes. From what I observed over a few days, it seemed that the children went through a narrow gap inside the mine and came out every three days.”

“What the hell?!”

When Eden yelled angrily, Chediak flinched in surprise.

Hagen’ti was merely watching Eden’s rapidly diminishing bread with no concern for her outburst.

“So, I just couldn’t ignore it… I planned to blow up the mine while it was empty.”

“…Blow it up?”

“Yes. Ah, of course, the workers inside the mine won’t be harmed at all.”

“How? Is there magic for that?”

“It’s a bit tricky magic, but since I’ve found the materials, it should be possible.”

Eden furrowed her brows for a moment, thinking of something, and then her eyes widened.

“Then what you just found…”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Chediak took out what he had tucked into his pocket, revealing a stone that looked like a slab with incomprehensible inscriptions on it.

This time, Hagen’ti’s gaze also turned to the slab.

“You know this forest is filled with ancient magic, right? The ancient mages left many things in Mabelios.”

“Oh… I see.”

“This is a fragment imbued with ancient magical power. With this, it’s possible to pull a multitude of people from a collapsed mine to safety without a scratch on them.”

Eden looked at the slab and suddenly glanced at Hagen’ti.

“Our Choco did it without a slab.”

At those words, Hagen’ti’s gaze, which had been fixed on the slab, slowly shifted back to Eden. Eden was looking at him with innocent eyes.

“Right, Choco?”

Our… Choco…

Hagen’ti’s heart fluttered lightly, but Chediak broke the moment.

“No way! That can’t be!”

“It’s true.”

Eden casually responded while taking a bite of the remaining bread.

“While using explosion magic inside the belly of the mine to subdue enemies, I also provided shields for everyone and teleported them all to safety.”

What Hagen’ti had done on Eloch’s Ship followed the same course as what Chediak was saying.

And during that time, he had blown away every single one of those who charged at him.

But Hagen’ti didn’t have a slab like that.

Chediak looked at Hagen’ti with an expression close to shock.

“Y-You really did that, Choco?”

But Hagen’ti didn’t bother answering Chediak’s question. Chediak barely calmed himself and added:

“B-But this is different. That mine is related to a Dark Sorcerer.”

At that, Eden’s eyebrows shot up.

“A Dark Sorcerer?”

“Yes. You saw the ones who were trapped inside the prison earlier, right? They plan to use them as sacrifices for dark magic.”

What?

Eden’s face quickly grew serious.

‘I never expected a Dark Sorcerer would pop up here…’

But meeting Chediak was part of the quest.

In other words, this was also part of the game’s progression, and it might be related to the Dark Sorcerers, who could possibly be the final boss.

‘So, this ties into it.’

A small thrill bubbled up within Eden.

“So, actually, I was wondering about Choco and you… um, what should I call you?”

Chediak asked politely, and Eden looked slightly flustered.

‘Oh no, I should have come up with a pseudonym.’

Eden tried hard not to show her panic and vaguely covered it up.

“Just call me Eddi.”

“Yes, Eddi. Anyway, you thought Choco and Eddi were Dark Sorcerers, right?”

Only then did Eden seem to understand why Chediak had been so wary of them as she nodded and shoved the remaining bread into her mouth.

Then Hagen’ti, who was watching her, quickly offered his share of bread to Eden. It was untouched and entirely clean.

Eden looked at Hagen’ti in surprise.

“You should eat too.”

“I’m fine without it.”

Hagen’ti replied blandly, causing Chediak’s face to turn awestruck again.

“Wow… I’ve heard that magicians who reach a certain level can survive without eating, but…”

“It’s not that. I just have a small appetite. Hurry up and eat, Choco?”

Eden hurriedly intervened, fearing that Hagen’ti being a Great Mage might get exposed. Then she took the bread from Hagen’ti’s hand and held it up to his mouth.

“Come on.”

As Eden shot him a look, Hagen’ti had no choice but to take a bite.

His puffed cheeks looked so cute that Eden couldn’t help but smile, prompting Chediak to cautiously ask:

“By the way, what’s the relationship between Eddi and Choco…?”

At those words, Eden’s mind snapped back into focus. She quickly erased her smile and stiffened as she looked at Chediak.

“We’re friends.”

Ah… That doesn’t quite seem right…

Even as Chediak thought inwardly while watching Hagen’ti not take his eyes off Eden, he decided to say nothing.

“Anyway, so you were planning to blow up the mine? But won’t blowing it up just lead to more labor exploitation for its restoration? Those wicked bastards would create more victims if the workers fled.”

Yikes, is that so?

Chediak stiffened as if he had been hit on the back of the head.

‘Definitely a bit clueless.’

Eden sighed inwardly at the well-meaning yet shallowly thought-out mage’s plan and continued softly.

“In that case, publicizing this illegal labor exploitation would be the most effective route. Of course, it won’t be easy, but…”

Considering that it involves the owner of such a large mine and a Dark Sorcerer, their power is not to be underestimated.

But conversely, that could make it even more effective.

“First, we need to know who owns the mine…”

“I know who the owner is!”

“Oh, really?”

Eden looked at Chediak with delight, but for some reason, his face had turned even more serious.

“He must be a pretty tough opponent, huh…?”

“Please promise me you won’t be surprised by my guess.”

“I won’t be surprised.”

“For the last fifteen days, I’ve been investigating the owner of this mine. And as a result, I found out to whom this illegal mine belongs.”

Chediak let out a small sigh.

“Who is it?”

Eden asked in a tense voice as well. Chediak paused for a moment before answering.

“It belongs to the Milstein Family.”

The Milstein Family?

Eden spent a moment pondering where she had heard that name before, then her eyes widened.

“Are you talking about Rachel Milstein’s family?”

“You know her?”

Of course she did. Rachel Milstein is…

Chediak continued his explanation.

“She’s the fiancée of the 1st Prince.”