<Wasn’t This a Strategy Game? Chapter 14>

“……”

Can I really prevent Asmun from becoming a tyrant?

Overcome with sudden anxiety, Eden bit her lip. My task isn’t just to make Asmun the emperor. I also need to rein in the anger and malice within him to stop him from becoming a tyrant and guide him to be a sage king who saves the empire.

But how?

That path, I’m sure, will be more difficult than any game I’ve ever played.

The memory of those red eyes made my heart sink. If Asmun ends up becoming a tyrant, it would undoubtedly be irreversible.

My chest, now empty of pain, felt a familiar ache creeping back.

“…Ha, it’s just a game anyway.”

Even as I said that, thinking of the empire being reduced to ashes by Asmun’s tyranny sent a chill down my spine. My heart started to pound again, the sudden anxiety making it thump loudly.

Eden swallowed hard.

“……”

The more dangerous and difficult it is, the more thrilling—this was a common trait of all games. You can’t let a little worm scare you away from pickling the vegetables.

Eden closed the book with a thud and glared blankly into space.

“Let’s see if you win or I win.”

With renewed determination, Eden headed off to find Priest Mobrin.

“I want to see the Chancellor. No, I absolutely must see him.”

Mobrin blinked in surprise at her abrupt declaration.

“The Chancellor? Eden? You mean Chancellor Ibthan?”

“Yes.”

Eden nodded firmly, her face set with resolve. Taking a deep breath, she declared in a steady voice.

“I can provide information about the monsters.”

Eden’s nervous eyes gleamed with determination.

“Information on all the monsters present on the continent.”

Contrary to her concerns that meeting the imperial Chancellor would involve a complicated process and take a long time, the situation unfolded quickly.

Sereman, who was still out of the loop in such a chaotic situation, heard Eden’s story and allowed her immediate access to the Imperial Palace. With Sereman’s authority, she faced a few simple interviews and was able to meet Ibthan just three days later.

“……”

Thus, Eden found herself visiting the Imperial Palace once again.

Upon arriving and being guided to the Chancellor’s office, Eden sat in an empty space, anxiously waiting for its owner. She never expected to face Ibthan like this.

‘The room looks just like Ibthan.’

The neat room, with a touch of sharpness, mirrored its owner perfectly. As Eden stared at the herbal teas placed before her—one in front of her and one across from her—the door creaked open.

She jumped up from her seat and turned to see a man stepping into the room. It was none other than Ibthan, the subject of this quest.

The youngest Chancellor of the Hesmoro Empire, unparalleled in his theoretical knowledge about monsters, hailed as the empire’s hope.

Many citizens hoped that Ibthan could put an end to the horrific life of coexistence with monsters, and indeed, since his appointment, the number of monsters hunted had increased by 30%.

Eden swallowed hard, taking in the sight of the extraordinary man, who was half-responsible for the empire’s stability. With light brown hair and pale green eyes, his delicate features remained strikingly beautiful.

[Ibthan is the world’s greatest bullet. He’s shot straight through my heart…]

[I want to wipe out all the monsters in this world and make our precious Ibthan smile. Just once, please smile for me… Ibthan…]

Eden recalled the reviews she’d seen, where readers often wept for Ibthan. Thinking about it, she was having a truly precious experience right now.

However, the cold expression resting on his fair face still showed signs of annoyance. It seemed something unpleasant had just occurred.

“……”

Damn it, Eden cursed internally.

‘Why is he in a bad mood today of all days?’

Ibthan had also paused when he spotted Eden, probably recognizing her as the priest involved in the national foundation banquet chaos.

Their eyes met, and a transparent window popped up beside him.

『Ibthan Rainveren

Intelligence: 90

Strength: 50

Power: 80

Divine Power: 0

Magical Power: 20

Features: Youngest Chancellor of Hesmoro』

Zero Divine Power. Divine Power, of course, referred to holy abilities, but it was also a mark of faith. Throughout playing the game, I had learned that any usable Divine Power started from 10, meaning you had to have at least a score of 5 to possess faith.

But Ibthan, like Asmun, not only lacked faith, but he didn’t even believe in the gods.

‘So, of course, he won’t believe what I say.’

A chill crept up Eden’s spine. Ibthan studied her for a moment before walking over to stand opposite her at the table.

“Hello, Chancellor.”

As Eden greeted him first, Ibthan opened his mouth too.

“Yes.”

Huh? Is that it?

‘What a rude guy…’

Coming from a Confucian country, Eden quietly glared at Ibthan after a quick greeting while he pulled out a chair to sit.

“Please, have a seat.”

His voice offering a seat was nothing short of coldly businesslike. Eden forced a smile and sat back down.

Surely, since that day, Ibthan’s lack of sleep and burdensome work had taken its toll on him. His pale face looked even more haggard than when she first saw him. But somehow, that look seemed more fitting.

“I heard you can provide information about the monsters.”

After reading some basic documents about Eden, Ibthan finally looked up to meet her gaze.

“Is it true?”

In his voice was a notable hint of suspicion that made Eden feel a sense of déjà vu. Ibthan was doubting her like Asmun had.

Realizing she was involved in the chaos from the foundation banquet day, it only made sense for him to be more cautious. This was anticipated, so Eden, refusing to be intimidated, answered confidently.

“Yes, it’s true.”

Of course, it was true. Eden had leveled up after clearing the monsters that day, obtaining the special skill ‘Monster Bestiary,’ which allowed her to read information on all monsters across the continent—an incredibly powerful skill.

Since such an ability was unheard of, Eden had discreetly inquired within the empire about anyone possessing such a skill, but found none. Just reconfirming that the man before her was the one who had the most knowledge of monsters in the continent.

If word got out that she had such an ability, many eyes would soon be on her, especially since she had already made an impression during the foundation banquet. Even the simple-minded Kiris would start to hesitate in disbelief.

Because of these thoughts, she was still reluctant to be a standout, but to meet Ibthan and clear this quest left her little choice. Eden absolutely had to clear this quest to obtain the Prophecy Book. Because…

「Now you and I are bound by the same fate.」

Asmun turned out to be even crazier than she had thought.

「If you can’t make me an emperor, that will also be considered betrayal for me.」

Damn it. Eden felt her heart twinge painfully, like she was really shedding tears of blood inside.

“What do you suggest?”

Ibthan still looked at Eden with eyes full of suspicion.

It had been 200 years since the Demon King was sealed, yet new monsters emerged every year due to the remnants he left behind, and Hesmoro had never neglected the study of them to combat these monsters.

Being second to none in monster information, even I couldn’t confidently say I knew everything about the monsters. So, it was highly improbable that a mere Apprentice Priest would have all the monster information at her fingertips.

Yet still, Eden wore a confident smile that dared him to test her.

“Would you like to know?”

After letting it hang for a moment, Eden asked slyly, and Ibthan looked back at her, clearly baffled.

“I’m spending my time here specifically to find that out. The reason you can sit in my office is precisely that.”

His cold voice made a dull statement.

‘In other words, he’s telling me not to waste the time of an Apprentice Priest.’

As she stared into Ibthan’s increasingly stiff green eyes, Eden flashed a smile.

“Of course, I’ll tell you. No need to worry. You’ve taken time out of your busy schedule, after all. It would be rude not to.”

As Eden stretched things out a bit, Ibthan’s expression hardened even more. Unbothered, Eden tenderly cradled her now-cold teacup.

Since the quest completion prompt hadn’t popped up, mere chatting over tea clearly wasn’t going to cut it.

In that case, there was only one option remaining.

“But before that.”

“……?”

“How about having some tea?”

An awkward silence fell in Ibthan’s office at her suggestion. He raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at Eden, who wore a cheerful smile.

What was she playing at?

“Please, do.”

“You must be thirsty after hurrying here, so why not have a cup as well? We can talk slowly afterward—there’s no rush.”

“……I’m good.”

Ibthan forced a suppressed annoyance in his refusal, yet Eden was relentless. Taking a deep breath, she calmly continued.

“Just think for a moment, Chancellor.”

“……?”

“How much effort and care went into this tea reaching your table? If it ends up cold without you even taking a sip, wouldn’t that be truly sad for the tea?”