Chapter 144
<Wasn’t This a Strategy Game? Chapter 144>
“Yep.”
“Really? This is your diary?”
At those words, Hagen’ti’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.
Diary?
Eden soon realized what it meant and gasped, covering her mouth.
Diary?
“…Hagen’ti, can I take a quick look at this?”
Hagen’ti looked at the diary for a moment before nodding. As soon as he gave the green light, Eden quickly opened the diary.
Don’t tell me it’s really a diary…
Her inflated hopes came crashing down the moment she saw the blank pages with not a single dot written on them. Flipping through the following pages yielded the same empty results.
“It’s an empty notebook…”
Hagen’ti’s expression returned to its usual calm demeanor, settling into stillness.
Of course, it couldn’t be anything else.
“You can have it.”
“No way!”
Eden grumbled as she tried to shove the empty diary back to its original spot. Just then—
Ding!
Huh?
Eden froze, her eyes drawn to the notification window that popped up above the bookshelf.
『【!】Event Quest: Hagen’ti’s memories are contained here. Enter the buried memories of Hagen’ti and rescue him. Special reward upon quest completion.
Do you want to proceed with the event quest?
※Warning: The difficulty of this quest is the highest, with a risk level. If you fail, you will be trapped in the memories forever.』
Gasp…
It really does exist…
Eden looked down at the diary still in her hands, her eyes wide. So, this diary was a hidden item.
‘His memories are contained within it.’
As the Prophecy Book had hinted, finding Hagen’ti’s memories was going to be the key point. Completing this event quest would put her much closer to the final clear.
But…
“…”
Even with this golden opportunity, Eden hesitated. She had already explored others’ memories, twice even.
Ibthan’s memories, and Jepar’s memories.
‘Ugh, both were…’
So horrifying she never wanted to experience it again.
Plus, that warning…
『※Warning: The difficulty of this quest is the highest, with a risk level. If you fail, you will be trapped in the memories forever.』
The ominous red text was a warning she had never seen before.
Trapped forever…?
‘Wait, forever? So that means I won’t even be able to go back?’
This was a huge risk.
She had already sensed that this game was more than just a game, but being trapped forever in Hagen’ti’s memories made her not want to even consider the risk.
As Eden stood there in a daze, Hagen’ti approached and gently grasped the hand holding the diary.
“Are you okay, Eden?”
His question snapped Eden back to reality.
“Oh… yeah, I’m fine. Just, uh, had a moment of thought.”
It was a clumsy excuse, but Hagen’ti didn’t press her further.
“Hagen’ti, I’m sorry for changing my mind, but can I keep this? I want to write.”
Without any hesitation, Hagen’ti nodded immediately. His expression showed he didn’t care whether she changed her mind or not.
Eden quickly grabbed the diary.
There was no need to dive into the quest right now. Event quests were a choice, not a must, and surely there were other paths that didn’t involve taking such risks.
‘This is for the last resort.’
In other words, she planned to use it only when there were no other options left.
‘Hopefully, that day won’t come.’
Having finished sorting herself out, Eden grabbed Hagen’ti’s hand, her lively expression returning. Hagen’ti noticed that her hand was slightly trembling.
“Let’s go somewhere else. To a brighter place.”
At those words, Hagen’ti nodded and tightly grasped Eden’s shaking hand.
The two soon arrived in a part of the castle they had never encountered before. This time, it was a space they had never come across in the castle.
Eden’s eyes widened as she let out an amazed gasp.
“Wow!”
The cold air from the underground storage vanished in an instant, replaced by a cozy warmth that enveloped her skin, previously chilled by the cold.
“Is this place for real?”
The fragrant scent of flowers wafted softly in this room, and it was so cozy and snug that it was hard to believe it was located in the snowy north. Especially the green scenery and warm sunlight peeking through the window looked utterly unrelated to the north.
“Hagen’ti! Look here! How could such a forest exist here? It’s unbelievable!”
Caught up in the breathtaking view, Eden forgot all her chaotic thoughts from just moments ago.
“Oh my… There’s a huge lake nearby? No, how do such birds exist in this area…! It’s so beautiful!”
Everything in sight was mesmerizing. The scenery that filled her view seemed to gently dissolve the remnants of the turmoil swirling in her head, leaving no room for dark thoughts.
‘This intoxicating feeling feels oddly familiar…’
Eden recalled where she had felt this déjà vu before.
In a flash, she remembered witnessing the aurora with Jepar.
‘That’s it!’
It was the same enchantment as before. It felt as if she were lost in a spring that had been magically manifested, far removed from reality.
‘Magically?’
When Eden turned around, she saw Hagen’ti quietly looking at her with a satisfied expression that was devoid of any emotion.
Eden glanced around the room again.
With a cozy, spacious bed, plush sofas, tables, tea tables, and an abundance of everlasting flowers gracefully decorating the space, books that looked like they belonged to the study filled one entire wall. This room is possibly…
“…my room?”
At Eden’s quiet question, Hagen’ti nodded. Eden was left speechless as she surveyed the room once more.
There was no trace of the cold winter atmosphere here. It was clear that every effort had been made to suppress such feelings.
Eden soon realized something. The warmth in this room resembled the warmth of the Saint’s Room that Hagen’ti had seen long ago.
So, Hagen’ti thought that since this was a chilly northern castle, she wouldn’t stay long, huh?
Thinking that made her heart ache unbearably. She could feel Hagen’ti’s remorse piercing through.
“I thought you’d prefer a warm place over a cold one.”
Imagining how Hagen’ti had decorated the room in spring for her consideration made everything she had repressed come flooding out in an uncontrollable rush.
Eden couldn’t help but rush over to Hagen’ti and embrace him tightly.
Hagen’ti, taken aback by the sudden hug, remained steadfast, bearing Eden’s weight.
“Ugh, really… What am I supposed to do if you act like this…”
Eden buried her face in Hagen’ti’s chest, murmuring in distress. Hagen’ti, not understanding what she was lamenting, wrapped his arms around her gently.
Eden swallowed the rising remorse and slowly lifted her head to look at Hagen’ti.
“Hagen’ti.”
“Yeah.”
“I’ll take back what I said about curing your illness without finding your memories. I’m sorry, that’s beyond my ability.”
Despite the despairing words, Hagen’ti did not despair. He only stared at Eden, accepting her words quietly.
“But if I find your memories, I can resolve that curse.”
“…”
“So I’m going to start looking for your memories now.”
If that was the only way to uncover the contract between Sereman and Hagen’ti and dissolve it, then she had to do it.
Her selfish desire to slow things down just a little longer crumbled in the face of Hagen’ti’s sincerity.
“To do that… I’ll have to do something really cruel to you.”
Without hesitation, Hagen’ti nodded.
“It’s fine.”
“…Are you sure it’s okay to find your memories?”
Eden asked, feeling an odd sense of guilt. She felt truly sorry for rummaging through Hagen’ti’s mind once again.
Resurrecting someone who had wanted to die, planting hope that she would cure him, only to admit she couldn’t, and now digging through his upheaved feelings that had been buried deep.
“Yeah.”
Hagen’ti’s response held no hesitation.
Eden grasped Hagen’ti’s face, making him look at her. She noticed that Hagen’ti’s hand was slightly shaking.
“If you don’t want to, you don’t have to do it. I’ll look for another way.”
As Eden said that, she thought of the diary that was nestled in her arms.
Entering Hagen’ti’s memories and sifting through his feelings to extract memories. Which would be the path for Hagen’ti?
One thing was certain: both methods were equally dangerous.
“I want to.”
Hagen’ti replied quietly and carefully placed his hand over Eden’s, which was holding his face, gently wrapping it around her hand.
“Anything you want to do.”
Eden realized that Hagen’ti knew what she was about to do.
“I want to impress you, Eden.”
His emotionless voice, as usual, conveyed a sincere confession, and then all noise faded away.
Hagen’ti lowered his head and kissed Eden.
The affectionate air permeated the warmly decorated room, slowly wrapping around the two of them.
Contrary to her assumptions that it would be awkward, there was not a hint of clumsiness from Hagen’ti; he held her closely for a long time without letting go.
Had it not been for the continuous notification sound ringing in Eden’s ears after a while, startling her into pushing Hagen’ti away, the two might have remained in Eden’s new room for much longer.
As Eden unexpectedly pushed against Hagen’ti’s chest in surprise, he stepped back willingly, and she could see the notification window floating above the bed.
