<Wasn’t this a Strategy Game? Chapter 132>

“Yeah, that’s it……. Huh, how did you know?!”

Asmun casually interrupted her, and Eden’s eyes widened in surprise.

It was purely his speculation, based on the hint about the Fairy Tribe from the Quest.

As Eden headed to the capital of the Grand Duchy, he had to constantly rack his brain to guess the connection between the new Quest and Lydia.

How could finding the Holy Sword and saving the Fairy Tribe be a way to uphold the Saint’s position?

Lydia had already shown her abilities as a Saint, and if she was from Patriar, that alone couldn’t possibly cancel the scheduled Ceremony of the Saint.

Therefore, there were two assumptions.

Either the Fairy Tribe were important figures to the Emperor, or…

‘Or Lydia is an important figure to them.’

The speculation progressed to the conclusion that Lydia herself could be part of the Fairy Tribe, and as he thought about it, he could entirely guess the nature of this bizarre Quest and its connection to Lydia.

‘She’s being threatened.’

The Fairy Tribe was being oppressed by Patriar, and Lydia was pretending to be a Saint due to that threat.

If Lydia was indeed from the Fairy Tribe, it would explain all her mysterious healing powers.

Thus, Eden was planning to ask Asmun to track down the location of the Fairy Tribe that might be captured by Patriar.

But Asmun already knew about it.

“The Saint’s assumption is correct. Lydia Laferte is from the Fairy Tribe.”

Upon hearing that dull statement, Eden’s face froze, as did Karon’s.

Soon, Karon too seemed to have realized the nature of Lydia’s inhuman healing powers and let out a sigh like the wind.

The Fairy Tribe was a race believed to possess healing powers that were most similar to Divine Power.

However, they were a gentle race with significantly low self-defense capabilities compared to their terrifying healing powers, and had been hiding away for over a hundred years from numerous humans wanting to exploit them.

‘But why would someone like that participate in such a deceptive act?’

From what Karon knew, the Fairy Tribe had developed a pathological fear of humans due to centuries of exploitation and oppression, which made them extremely averse to being seen or interfering in human affairs.

The answer to that question was also provided by Asmun.

“Some of the Fairy Tribe have been captured by the tree Monster, Akalneta. They are probably being used to threaten Lydia Laferte.”

Karon’s face hardened, and Eden’s eyes widened again. Once more, his assumption was spot on.

So the only way to clear this Quest was to save the captured Fairy Tribe and inform Lydia of the fact, thus making her give up on the Ceremony of the Saint.

‘Akalneta!’

As Eden desperately called out Akalneta’s name in his mind, her information window immediately popped up in front of him.

Eden quickly read through it, and his gaze stopped right where it described how to kill Akalneta.

『There are two ways to kill Akalneta: the first is to cut off the magic-infused roots with Hesmor’s Sword. In this case, Akalneta will go berserk, and all living beings captured as nutrients will die alongside.』

Hesmor’s Sword…

Eden’s breath caught involuntarily.

『The second way is to cut off the magic-infused roots with a sword that flows with powerful Divine Power. In this case, everyone captured by Akalneta will be saved, but since such a powerful sword flows only with the Holy Sword, it’s essentially impossible.』

Only after reading all the information on Akalneta could Eden put together the pieces of this Quest.

Therefore, the way to ‘save’ the Fairy Tribe captured by Akalneta was only through the Holy Sword, and thus the Quest included finding the Holy Sword.

But…

Eden’s heart began to race.

“Your Highness… Have you possibly… found Akalneta?”

The cruelly indifferent gaze looked at Eden for a moment, just like when they first met.

“Yes.”

At that expressionless answer, Eden’s heart sank. If he had already found Akalneta, then it was a good thing. The time wasted on searching for him would be cut in half.

But Asmun had Hesmor’s Sword.

And if it was Asmun—

“……”

He would probably think that the fastest way would be to kill all the Monsters, including the Fairy Tribe, leaving Lydia with no lingering attachments or desires.

The Holy Sword had been missing for over 200 years, making the second method seem impossible.

Of course, even if that happened, the Fairy Tribe captured by Akalneta were only part of it, and the Quest could be about the safety of the entire Fairy Tribe, so the game might not be over yet.

But…

“How… did you do it?”

As Eden asked with a near-tearful face, Asmun looked at him blankly.

It seemed like he could see what Eden was thinking, and it almost made him chuckle. Yet, there was no reason to be upset since it was all his doing.

And it was true that he had been deeply conflicted.

Yeah. If it were the original me, I would have recklessly unleashed Akalneta, sacrificed the Fairy Tribe, and brought her the bodies, breaking her spirit completely.

Asmun also knew the characteristics of the particularly weak Fairy Tribe.

So if he chose that path, Lydia Laferte would lose all motivation and collapse without the need to be led by Patriar while turning against her true nature, and the Empire would no longer receive the blessings of a ‘false’ Saint.

They might even have taken revenge on Patriar in a fit of rage.

It was an incredibly ideal outcome. So I definitely would have chosen that unquestionably perfect and clean method.

“……”

So, if it were the original me who hadn’t met Eden.

“You shouldn’t have that expression since it was left as is.”

As Asmun answered in a disinterested voice, Eden’s eyes widened even more.

“You left it as is…?”

With a face that seemed to doubt it, Asmun nodded slightly, looking a bit displeased.

“But… you have Hesmor’s Sword.”

Eden cautiously repeated back, still finding it hard to believe that he left the Monster untouched despite having Hesmor’s Sword.

It was truly an unthinkable statement, and Asmun really had turned away without remorse right in front of all of it.

The reason was only one.

“I’m going back to Reblem right now.”

“I didn’t think the Saint would appreciate it.”

Eden would not welcome his return to his side.

“……”

This time, that was truly an unexpected answer, so Eden’s breath, which had been trembling, stopped completely.

“……”

Karon, who had roughly figured out the situation from the two’s conversation, also looked at Asmun with a somewhat surprised expression, his eyes mixed with doubt and astonishment.

But Eden gazed at the lovely man before him with nothing but gratitude, breaking into a heartfelt smile.

It felt as though the fear that had long been condensed somewhere in his heart had vanished in an instant.

My choice was not wrong. Asmun was a figure who would not become a tyrant but a virtuous king, making Hesmor prosperous.

Finally, the false ambition, which was his most powerful attribute and essence, was changing.

“You did well, really!”

Unable to hold back, Eden stepped closer to Asmun and clasped his large hand with both of his.

Asmun felt the warm touch after a long time and looked at the woman before him completely.

Just the smile on that face was worth the choice.

“Thanks to you, things have become easier.”

“…Did you receive a prophecy?”

As Asmun, now familiar with Eden’s patterns, asked casually like he’d asked if she had eaten, Karon furrowed his brows.

‘A prophecy doesn’t come that easily…’

However, Eden immediately nodded, shattering Karon’s last doubt.

“Yes.”

Without being surprised by that, Asmun only solidified his gaze and waited for Eden’s instructions.

“We need to go to Halebrock Mountain Range right away. The Holy Sword is there.”

Karon looked at Eden with a face not knowing whether to be amazed or to be in awe.

Something he had never felt before was bubbling inside, and he couldn’t calm the wild beating of his heart.

“How long are you planning to stay here?”

Hagen’ti said coldly, but Chediak ate the soup he had just brought with a totally unbothered face.

Hagen’ti hadn’t touched the food Chediak brought for several days even after waking up, but Chediak no longer cared. He knew the person before him was the Great Mage Hagen’ti.

“I also want to go to the place you told me right now.”

“Then go.”

Hagen’ti replied irritably, and Chediak shrugged as he gulped down the soup stuffed in his mouth.

“I promised the Saint. I wouldn’t leave you alone.”

As Eden’s story came up again, Hagen’ti fell silent.

Thinking of Eden, who must have asked him not to leave her alone, a twinge of something stirred in his heart.

It was a feeling he had never felt before. Everything related to Eden.

“Can you really not tell me why you took that?”