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“Wasn’t this supposed to be a strategy game?”

But tagging along for the hunt? Eden was slightly annoyed by Asmun’s outrageous behavior. It wasn’t like I was thrilled to go on this expedition either. Last Kingmaker was a game that wouldn’t progress unless you cleared the basic quests.

‘They have no idea I’m putting myself through this hell to make myself emperor…’

Eden tried to ignore Asmun’s intense gaze and looked around instead.

Karon, noticing this, quickly gestured to his subordinate. Soon, a waiting aide brought up a horse.

“It’s the Priest’s horse,” he announced.

Seeing the handsome brown horse, Eden’s eyes brightened immediately. Riding was a luxury sport in the current world, and chances to ride were rare. Eden cautiously reached out.

“Hello there?”

For a moment, the horse looked at her hand, then gently nudged its face toward her, causing a bright smile to spread across Eden’s face. Asmun was watching Eden, who was rarely so unguarded.

“Will you accept this too?”

Karon pulled something from his cloak and held it out to Eden. Both Eden’s and Asmun’s eyes were drawn to Karon’s hand.

On his palm rested a ring with a small, mysterious stone set in the center.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a magical ring. It connects to the spell cast on the Priest’s horse, making it much easier to ride. The horse will recognize you as its true master. It’s a one-time use, but it should last until the end of the expedition.”

Touching to see Karon’s thoughtfulness, Eden looked at him with misty eyes. If she hadn’t obtained the Rider’s Bracelet, Karon’s gift would have been incredibly precious.

At that moment, Asmun suddenly butted in, breaking the mood.

“It’s magic using Blackstone, huh? I’ve heard rumors that the magical power of Blackstone has been unstable lately.”

With his indifferent tone, both Eden and Karon turned to him.

“How could anyone put their life in the hands of unstable magic? It’s simply reckless.”

Asmun’s voice was casual, almost as if he were just commenting on the weather.

“What effect does it have?”

Worried, Eden asked, and Asmun flashed a slight smile in her direction.

“Ah, no need to be too scared. It might just throw you off the horse unexpectedly and break your neck.”

As Eden’s face went pale, Karon, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

“I appreciate your concern, but so far, none of my members have broken their necks. Blackstone is the most commonly used magic stone in wars. That means it’s been rigorously tested.”

Despite Asmun’s rudeness, Karon’s tone remained friendly and unshaken. However, Asmun looked completely uninterested in whether Karon’s members ended up with broken necks or limbs.

Eden, caught in the middle, nervously glanced back and forth between the two men when Karon added,

“Of course, someone like His Highness the noble Prince, who always uses the finest magic stones regardless of the treasury, wouldn’t know this. If you’re not familiar with the scene, it’s understandable.”

As Karon delivered his usual angelic smile with a hint of sarcasm, Eden’s stomach dropped, realizing what was coming. But surprisingly, Asmun’s face was unfazed.

“I see. I understand the financial situation of the Commander of the Holy Knights well.”

As Asmun replied flatly, Karon’s face suddenly stiffened. Noticing this, Eden felt like screaming. As expected, the two were opposites.

And they hadn’t even set off yet!

Asmun waved his hand, and this time his subordinate stepped forward with something in hand. When he presented it to Eden, her and Karon’s gazes shifted to his hand.

It was a small potion bottle. Seemingly more smug than Asmun, his aide excitedly explained.

“It’s a potion with control magic! If you give this to the horse, you won’t even need to pull the reins! The magically enchanted horse will do everything by itself. Its movements will be far smoother, and it won’t wear itself out nearly as much. And of course, there are no side effects. It’s very expensive!”

At those added words, Karon’s eyebrows raised slightly. His hand still held the ring, unmoved.

“……”

Eden found herself in a very awkward position, alternating her gaze between the two items presented to her. Karon’s and Asmun’s eyes were solely focused on Eden, and the others behind them watched this ridiculous situation with keen interest.

No matter who she chose, one of them would inevitably be displeased, but Eden couldn’t afford to lose either.

With a decisive nod, Eden lifted her head.

“I appreciate the thought, but I’ll just accept your intentions, both of you.”

Boldly rejecting their offers, Eden turned around and effortlessly hopped onto the waiting horse.

At her sudden action, everyone present stared in disbelief.

“……!”

Among them, the most shocked was none other than Eden herself. It was truly astonishing.

Under normal circumstances, getting on such a high horse in one go was utterly impossible for her, but now, her body felt as light as a feather, crafting the image she desired in an instant.

‘Amazing.’

Even though she had never ridden before, she automatically found her balance, feeling as if she had become one with the horse, with an assurance coursing through her that she could handle this beast.

This must be the power of a first-grade rider.

What a satisfying item it was. Well, considering it was the price for saving Asmun, it sure had to be valuable.

“I’ll handle my own horse.”

Sitting firmly in the saddle, Eden smiled at the two men. Asmun looked at her with unreadable eyes, while Karon’s lips curled upward with newfound interest.

“Shall we get going then?”

As Eden eagerly suggested, itching to ride, the standoff between the two men fizzled out. Asmun and Karon made no further remarks and prepared to set off as well, both mounting their horses.

“Then the Priest should follow behind me…”

Karon turned to Eden to instruct her to follow when suddenly, Eden darted forward in a flash. Everyone watched, speechless, as she skillfully took charge of the horse.

Thrilled, Eden dashed ahead, stopping after a while to glance back at the wide-eyed onlookers.

“Let’s go!”

“I told you not to contact me for a while. I also added more covert watchers to keep an eye on things. Don’t worry too much, Your Highness. They’re diligent and won’t get caught.”

Kiris sighed irritably as he received a report from his subordinate.

“What the…”

The agitated Kiris finally slammed his fist down on the armrest of his chair.

“How on earth did Asmun manage to take down that monster!”

As Kiris spat his curse, the aide glanced cautiously at him.

“They said the golem only has its core in its feet and can’t be defeated unless stabbed there. We’ve checked the scene several times, but the golem has definitely been destroyed.”

Kiris clenched his jaw. That was exactly the problem. The fact that the golem disappeared without a trace meant Asmun had undoubtedly taken it down.

Kiris had anticipated that the sly one, pretending he had the emperor’s interests at heart, would sacrifice himself to save the emperor. This time, Kiris planned to take him down for good.

The “they” the subordinate mentioned were the Dark Sorcerers, who believed the monster they summoned would take care of Asmun, but Asmun had returned alive.

「The Retargo Golem is indeed a ruthless creature that is hard to handle even after being summoned. Surviving against it will require luck and skill, both.」

Kiris’s expression grew sharper. The only one present at the scene had been Asmun, so no one knew how he had taken out the monster. They only knew that Asmun had evacuated the emperor and remained behind to deal with that massive creature.

But Kiris couldn’t comprehend that process at all. How could someone face an advanced ancient monster?

He was beginning to solidify his suspicion that Asmun might indeed have the ability to handle monsters of intermediate level or higher.

“Damn it!”

Kiris slammed the armrest again, pressing his aching temples.

Given that this happened in front of the emperor, it was more than just an incident involving the 3rd Prince—it had turned into an attempted regicide.

The emperor must have been moved by Asmun, who faced the monster alone for his sake. Moreover, with the furious emperor now seeking the mastermind behind this, Kiris had to tread carefully for the time being.

“Lately, that guy seems to be unreasonably lucky.”

Kiris stared into the void, mulling over Asmun’s recent moves. Yes, he could chalk it up to sheer luck during the founding banquet, but dodging the Count Retton matter was puzzling.

He pondered the fact that there shouldn’t have been any chance for information to leak out. Retton had completely switched sides, and he had secretly prepared for this plan.

And then there was Leveim. Just thinking about Leveim made his teeth grind. Who would have thought there was a magic stone mine tucked away?

Kiris genuinely didn’t believe that Asmun was capable of overcoming all these hurdles through skill. He simply suspected that the guy’s luck was inexplicably astonishing.

That luck… what could possibly grant him such luck?

“…I need to get rid of him as soon as possible.”

Just then, someone knocked on the door, announcing a visitor.

“Your Highness, Prince Patriar is here to see you.”

At the mention of Patriar, Kiris’s eyebrows twitched up.

“Let him in.”

Moments later, the door swung open, and the 2nd Prince Patriar walked in.

 

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