Chapter 60
<Wasn’t This a Strategy Game? Episode 60>
“Prophecy Book.”
Since there were always variables, even in familiar episodes, Eden decided to take the safe route.
Right in front of Eden, a familiar parchment floated up, having been seen multiple times. Eden unfurled it, read it with a subtle expression, and then rolled it back up and tucked it away.
Then, finally relaxed, he leaned against the side of the carriage and closed his eyes.
“Ha…”
Suddenly, the moment came to mind when he was almost killed by Madam Marens, and his throat went cold.
The boundary between reality and this place was becoming increasingly blurred, and Eden felt that he was getting more and more into danger in this world.
But this was definitely a game, and there was an escape route for him.
“Isn’t it enough to have just me for the Priest?”
As Asmun’s quiet voice brushed past his ear, Eden slowly opened his eyes.
As expected, Asmun was no ordinary character. He seemed to instinctively understand Eden’s desires to a terrifying degree, even not knowing what they were.
“I’m the only one who can fulfill the Priest’s wishes.”
Of course, Carron, Ibthan, and Jepar might also be capable of fulfilling his wishes and sending him back to his original world, but Eden had no idea that there was one more person crucial for that wish to be fulfilled.
‘Hagen’ti…’
When the last image of Hagen’ti came to mind, worry filled Eden’s eyes. No matter how unavoidable it was, he didn’t feel good about leaving someone in pain.
“He’ll be okay…?”
Remembering Hagen’ti nodding his head when Eden promised to return made his heart ache for no reason.
To feel pity for a Great Mage who might bring down the Empire. It was a ridiculous thing, but there was nothing he could do. After all, he was the only one who knew the backstory of Hagen’ti.
Feeling the carriage gently jolt, Eden closed his eyes again.
When Eden returned to the Temple, he received shocking news from Rita. A commotion had erupted south of the capital during the hunting tournament.
“Demon King’s worshipers?”
When Eden asked in surprise, Rita nodded seriously.
“They were using Dark Magic. They threatened that the Demon King would be resurrected and claim this land again while summoning high-ranking monsters…”
“What? And then?”
“Oh? Ah, don’t worry. There was no major damage. Fortunately, the Chancellor was there.”
Rita gave a thumbs up as if to reassure him, but that made Eden’s expression even more confused.
“The Chancellor?”
“He happened to have business there. Those guys didn’t even know that and got dealt with harshly.”
“Dealt with…?”
“Of course! The Chancellor subdued the monsters in one fell swoop, and they tried to catch him too, but unfortunately, they missed. But thanks to that, there were no casualties, so isn’t that a relief?”
Eden stared blankly into space.
Demon King worshipers…
Even though where he was was a game, the name Demon King was awkward and embarrassing, even to him.
There was originally no setting for something like a Demon King.
“Does this happen often?”
Rita looked puzzled at the somewhat strange question.
“This? What kind?”
“I mean… do the Demon King worshipers frequently appear?”
“That’s unlikely. Well, everyone knows there are those obsessed with Dark Magic, but causing a scene in the square like this is a first. That’s why it was such a fuss.”
“….”
“Oh, speaking of which, didn’t they say that guy was a Demon King worshiper during the foundation banquet?”
Right, that was the case.
Eden furrowed his brow.
‘But that guy is just a pawn planted by Kiris.’
He was merely a side character with no real connection to any actual Demon King.
If he was a Dark Sorcerer, there might be ties to Kiris, but causing a ruckus in an unrelated area during the hunting tournament didn’t seem to yield any benefits.
“Are there many Demon King worshipers?”
“Well, I heard from my grandma a long time ago that most of those learning Dark Magic are infatuated with the power of the Demon King. Ultimately, the source of Dark Magic is said to be the Demon King’s magical power.”
“The Demon King… doesn’t really exist, does he?”
At the somewhat absurd question, Rita widened her eyes and stared at Eden.
‘I’ve made another slip.’
Eden awkwardly smiled as Rita scolded him.
“He’s sealed!”
Oh, right. He was sealed.
Eden’s expression became awkward.
What a weird game setting this was.
“So, that’s what I’m saying. But why is that? He’s sealed too!”
Eden feigned excitement, raising his voice, which calmed Rita’s puzzled expression back to serenity.
“They dream of resurrection. Of course, as long as the Chancellor is around, that won’t happen.”
Rita seemed to conclude the conversation with that, casually eating fruit.
Eden couldn’t help but be surprised by the childish yet meticulous world-setting.
Even though it seemed like a haphazard creation, everything happening in this game had its reasons, and there must be a reason for that setting as well. Eden speculated that the reason was to keep reminding players of the Chancellor’s power.
‘That means, the only one who can subdue the Dark Sorcerers might also be the Chancellor.’
If Kiris was indeed colluding with the Dark Sorcerers as suspected, then Sereman was another crucial character that Eden would definitely need.
‘He was indeed a major player.’
Eden mechanically popped another grape into his mouth and kept thinking.
No matter what the intention was, the Dark Sorcerers coincidentally causing a ruckus during the hunting tournament was because all the high-level personnel were concentrated on the hunting tournament. It was the perfect timing.
‘Unfortunately, they all got caught by the Chancellor.’
Dark Sorcerers worshiping the Demon King.
Was this a situation Eden had to navigate through, or just one of the background settings of the world?
While Eden was lost in thought, his head began to throb, and he decided to stop speculating, shaking his head. He had no luxury to be worried about what lay ahead.
There was still an unresolved quest sitting heavily in front of him.
Eden raised an eyebrow and looked at Rita.
“So the Chancellor isn’t in the Temple right now?”
With a hopeful question, Rita nodded.
“He must have gone to the Imperial Palace. He needs to report to His Majesty the Emperor.”
Eden felt that some unseen force was consistently guiding the story along. Unfortunately, it was the day of tidying up the Chancellor’s office.
“I see.”
Even without a notification popping up, Eden could tell what his mission was. It was to clear the remaining quests.
『【!】Basic Quest
: Great Mage Hagen’ti has spent 50 years inside the castle. Please help Hagen’ti ‘come out’ of ‘his castle’.』
Eden recalled the daunting quest merely by thinking about it and popped another grape into his mouth. The grape burst pleasantly in his mouth, filling it with delightful sweetness.
In fact, just as Rita had guessed, the Chancellor was indeed absent today, allowing Eden to smoothly enter Hagen’ti’s castle.
They say practice makes perfect; now, even riding the hidden portal in the office didn’t make him feel nervous.
However, Eden knew this world wouldn’t keep providing him with such opportunities forever.
His days of cleaning the office were limited, and Hernah would no longer switch cleaning duties with him. So, he had to lure Hagen’ti out of the castle quickly.
Yes, he knew. Everyone knew.
‘But how…’
When he thought of the stubbornly indifferent eyes, the gray gaze that seemed uninterested in anything, he felt like he’d rather go through the hunting tournament one more time.
“This is worse than the dance quest with Hagen’ti.”
Complaining, Eden climbed all the dark stairs and accidentally opened a door only to scream at the shadow blocking his path.
“Ahh!”
Almost falling back in surprise, Eden’s body was suddenly held firmly in mid-air by an invisible force. Stiffened in mid-air, he saw the person standing at the door.
“Hagen’ti…?”
The shadow that stood stoic, too firm to guess how long it had been there, revealed itself as Hagen’ti.
Eden momentarily stared blankly into his face, which was looking at him intently, before realizing something and widening his eyes.
Hagen’ti had known about this passage all along.
Suddenly, her body hovering in mid-air steadied itself and she landed softly right in front of Hagen’ti.
“…….”
Eden tried to swallow his embarrassment and glanced at Hagen’ti’s face. Unlike the day he had felt so much pain, Hagen’ti looked composed again. The medicine seemed to be working well.
Seeing his healthy face made the guilt that had been lingering around his heart finally begin to melt away.
Once he felt a bit relieved, rationality kicked back in, and he felt flustered about why Hagen’ti was just standing there.
Could it be…?
“…Were you waiting?”
Hagen’ti stared at Eden and then nodded. That nod made Eden’s expression perplexed.
Should he be touched or should he feel awkward…?
“You’re not hurt, right?”
With a quiet question, Hagen’ti opened her lips.
“No.”
It was a short answer, but it was still a tremendous milestone. Finally, Hagen’ti’s feelings toward him had transformed positively.
The risk of sneaking in and out of Hagen’ti’s castle had paid off.
“Have you been down there?”
Eden cautiously pointed to the stairs he had just climbed. Hagen’ti glanced down the dark stairs with her indifferent eyes and replied.
“No.”
The slightly uninspired tone made Eden feel a weird sense of discomfort again.
Normally, someone would have panicked upon discovering such a suspicious space in their own home.
They should feel threatened, bewildered, scared, or cautious and go down to check where this space led.
But there were no signs of those feelings on Hagen’ti’s face.
Just like when she had seen him breaking into her house, there was no curiosity or intrigue whatsoever.
Those indifferent eyes still showed no emotions at all…
“…….”
No… Something seems to have changed a little…?
