<Wasn’t this supposed to be a strategy game? Chapter 131>

Karon confirmed once again with a serious face.

“……”

Eden’s expression became as blank as that priest who had tricked me earlier.

So, the new Saint was almost sacrificed as a vessel back then, and now she’s working with Patriar.

Moreover, her divine power was so immense that she was healing countless plague victims and even performing miracles by resurrecting some of the dead.

“She must be a woman with divine power. Using a human with divine power as a vessel amplifies the effects.”

Chediak’s offhand comment hit me like a ton of bricks.

‘Got hit on the back of the head again…’

At this rate, the title of the game should be changed to “Last Backstab.”

“But there’s no way Lydia would willingly cooperate. She was almost sacrificed…”

Patriar’s narrative was flawless.

The 1st Prince, Kiris, had been dealt with by Patriar.

Caring for the unfortunate citizens who almost became sacrifices at the hands of that wicked prince, she noticed her own immense divine power with her unique insight and actively dealt with the catastrophe to save the empire’s people. Truly, a prince overflowing with imperial qualities.

It was a perfectly staged show.

Then, another thunderbolt struck Eden’s head.

‘Could it be that trying to use Lydia as a vessel was part of a larger scheme?’

Was this story crafted on purpose?

“Ha… that jerk Patriar…”

Eden muttered with gritted teeth without realizing it. Karon silently observed Eden for a moment before speaking up.

“So, you suspect the Saintess of the 2nd Prince?”

It was a calm yet sharp question. Startled, Eden lifted her head to meet Karon’s gaze.

Even in the current situation where a powerful new Saint had appeared, Karon showed trust in me. I felt I should do the same.

“Yes. I’m convinced the 2nd Prince is colluding with the Dark Sorcerer.”

Karon wasn’t surprised by my firm answer. He wore a face that seemed to have a hint of understanding.

“So, you think both the plague and the new Saintess are all part of his scheme?”

“That makes sense. Everything happened right after the Saintess left.”

As we engaged in this unsettling conversation, the wagon came to a stop. Karon escorted Eden as she stepped down from the wagon.

We arrived at a location I had previously visited with Karon.

“This is…”

“Yes. The fastest portal to Reblem.”

At Karon’s calm response, Eden turned to him with a look of sheer gratitude.

“Commander, you’re truly the best.”

Karon’s heart fluttered quietly. Just that praise made all the hardships he’d faced vanish in an instant.

Karon smiled dazzlingly at the Saintess, his face radiant.

Since Asmun was residing in Manczel Castle, Karon and Eden crossed through the portal and headed straight for Manczel Castle.

“Saintess!”

Upon hearing the report that Eden had passed their stronghold, Asmun and his knights, who had returned to Manczel Castle to await her, greeted her with faces that seemed almost reverent, as if they had finally found their path to survival.

It was indeed a glorious reunion, but while the emotional Ronpell wiped away tears, Asmun’s expression remained surprisingly serene.

“I’m back.”

As Eden walked up to him to greet him, Asmun’s gaze remained tranquil.

“Yes. I was waiting.”

Of course, I wasn’t expecting him to cry like Ronpell or smile as widely as Baint, but his complete lack of surprise was quite something.

“Aren’t you surprised?”

Feeling a bit sulky, Eden asked bluntly, and Asmun leisurely looked at her and replied.

“You promised you would come.”

Those words momentarily slowed Eden’s breath. Her once-faithful gaze now seemed solidly resolute, without a hint of doubt.

The words, absent of any joy, were almost stiff, but something deep inside her heart began to swell.

‘Seriously, how can you evoke such emotion like this…’

Asmun had truly come to fully trust me. The distant days filled with distrust felt like a blur.

“Still…”

Asmun’s gaze never wavered and stayed entirely focused on Eden.

He took a step closer to her and took in her face completely, especially the annoying one he’d seen in his dreams, testing his faith every night.

“I missed you.”

His voice was as calm as ever, but the yearning at the end of his words came through unfiltered.

At the quiet confession, Eden’s ears flushed secretly. She noticed the knights behind him awkwardly glancing around, trying not to eavesdrop.

Moreover…

“I’m afraid we need to figure out the identity of that monster as soon as possible. The Ceremony of the Saint is in three days.”

Since meeting Eden after her return, Karon’s demeanor, which had been soft, suddenly became serious.

His cold voice sliced through the delicate atmosphere, prompting Asmun to glance at Karon.

“…I’ve been meaning to ask, what brings the Commander of the Holy Knights here?”

“It’s not strange for the Commander of the Empire’s Holy Knights to seek out the monsters’ appearances.”

Karon smiled gently and shot back at Asmun’s words.

The annoying smirk almost made me furious, but Eden was quickly won over by his words.

“Ah! The Commander is right! This isn’t the time. Where’s the monster appearing? I need to see it right now!”

Eden completely forgot the emotional moment and hurriedly focused on the task at hand, causing Asmun to glare at Karon with slow eyes.

Unpleasantly, Karon seemed to know exactly how to push Eden’s buttons, smiling even with that icy gaze, which only irritated me more.

“Hurry up, Your Highness!”

As Eden suspiciously glared at Karon and grabbed Asmun’s arm, a chuckle escaped him.

After the long-awaited reunion kiss, it had been many days since they last met, but for the woman before him, it seemed saving the world came first.

Eden Lilyart knew all too well how to evoke my impatience.

It was frustrating, yet I had no choice. I was the one hopelessly caught up in her antics.

“This way.”

Unable to hold out any longer, Asmun gripped my hand that was clinging onto him and pulled.

The three of us and his knights headed towards the underground prison within the castle, where a single monster was thrashing around inside a containment barrier.

“Is that the one?”

Asmun nodded.

Asmun had faith that Eden, who possessed the power of the Bestiary, would return, and so he had caught one monster to quickly deal with things once that moment came.

And today, that patient suffering was finally about to pay off.

“Hmm.”

Eden frowned and glared at the creature. It looked like a mole, and with surprising strength, it continued to thrashed around in the transparent containment box, seemingly unaware of fatigue.

An information window rose above the creature.

“This is a Huldabi. It hides underground and is rarely seen, but it reacts to Porop.

Porop is a fruit in this world that only royalty or nobles can sample.

“But there’s no mention of the disease…”

Eden frowned.

The Bestiary is an absolute system, so there’s no way it would omit any crucial information about a monster of this importance.

This means, as expected, that this bizarre plague must be manipulated. It’s most likely tied to dark magic.

“Fortunately, it seems that if we sprinkle the powdered Winterberry, it’ll mistake it for winter and fall into slumber until next spring, so we need to get that powder immediately.”

Eden turned around decisively, noticing that Asmun and Karon, along with the knights, were staring at her blankly.

As she watched their bewildered faces, Eden frowned and clapped her hands to snap them back to reality.

“What are you all doing? Move quickly!”

The knights, who had been stunned, lit up at her words.

“I knew that when the Saintess came, everything would be resolved!”

“We were finally saved! I thought I would die capturing those creatures day and night for fifteen days straight!”

“I will find a trading company that can supply powdered Winterberry in bulk immediately!”

Once again, it seemed they would be caught up in a flurry of activity, but the knights moved quickly with joyful faces and rushed out of the castle.

“I have a special request for you, Your Highness.”

At those words, Asmun, who had been gazing only at Eden until all his knights left, raised an eyebrow slightly.

“You know who the new Saintess is, right? Lydia.”

“…Yes.”

Of course, he knew. He had dug up every bit of information about the woman who, over the past few days, had slipped away like a mouse.

The suspicious woman who had been rescued by Eden last time and then unexpectedly showed up as the new Saintess after falling into Patriar’s hands.

“I think… well, don’t be surprised. Lydia is likely a…”

“Fairy Tribe.”