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“Wasn’t this a strategy game?”

Eden added some unnecessary words as a joke. There was no need to say it; the cookies were a complete disaster. It was clear at first glance that they were definitely made by a beginner.

Only then did Ibthan notice the bandages wrapped around Eden’s fingers, meant to cover her burn marks.

Staring at the cookies, Ibthan suddenly spoke up.

“There’s a way to clear yourself of the 1st Prince’s suspicions.”

It was a rather abrupt comment to make after receiving the cookies and expressing gratitude.

Eden looked at Ibthan in surprise. He was looking back at her with a completely emotionless face.

“As I suggested before, you should resign from the priesthood and focus on the hunt.”

“……”

“And stop getting involved with the 3rd Prince.”

At his cold words, a sigh rose within Eden.

‘Here we go again.’

Ibthan had no idea that her fate was intertwined with Asmun’s. It was an immutable law that had nothing to do with the mark etched upon her heart.

“But there’s an even more certain way.”

When Eden replied in a clear voice, Ibthan stared at her.

“The 3rd Prince will become the Crown Prince.”

Eden smiled confidently.

Ibthan’s gaze began to grow icy. The sparkle in his eyes, shining with trust in the 3rd Prince, was becoming really annoying.

“Do you really think the 3rd Prince has the qualities to be an emperor?”

“Of course.”

“What’s your basis for that?”

Eden paused for a moment. There was only one reason from beginning to end.

“Because he’s the one I chose.”

That was such a frustrating answer with no logic at all, and Ibthan’s expression hardened again.

“You’ll see soon enough. You’ll find out as well, Chancellor.”

Despite speaking like that, Eden was still smiling brightly, making Ibthan even more uncomfortable.

On the day of the hunting competition, it was a surprise for me that Eden was rescued by Asmun. However, the reason Eden was in danger that day was precisely because of Asmun.

I still couldn’t find a reason why Eden had to take such risks.

What Eden would gain from Asmun becoming the emperor.

While such a thing wasn’t visible to Ibthan yet, the reason was just starting to vividly rise in Eden’s mind.

Beep.

Eden’s gaze shot up to the sky at the timely notification sound she had been anxiously awaiting.

Upon seeing the quest notification, Eden’s eyes sparkled with excitement. The game was indeed progressing normally, and I was smoothly clearing it!

I was right, and Asmun would become the emperor and eventually return me!

‘Ella in Holun of Reblem…’

I had no idea who Ella was, but her residence was in Reblem, which meant the Reblem episode was finally starting.

Eden smiled leisurely as she looked at Ibthan.

“Would you like to make a bet? If Asmun successfully purifies Reblem, your Excellency will grant me one wish.”

It was a childish wager that made me want to laugh.

“……Don’t you think that’s too childish?”

“Only if you’re not confident.”

At those words, a small vein popped out on Ibthan’s forehead. It was strange. The priest before my eyes was overly provoking me.

No, I couldn’t even comprehend why I was being provoked by such a simple trick.

“Then what do I get if you fail?”

Eden rolled her eyes for a moment. Then she replied boldly.

“You will resign from the priesthood and come to the Imperial Palace to fully commit to hunting monsters.”

At those words, Ibthan slammed shut the book he had spread out on his desk.

“Alright.”

The stubborn intensity in both their gazes locked onto each other.

Moments later, Eden finished her task, turned on her heel without looking back, and left the Chancellor’s Office, while Ibthan remained behind, not even glancing at her as he organized the remaining documents.

As before, he worked late into the night, focused and not eating dinner when a meal was delivered to him.

Since the Emperor had ordered that no matter what happens, he must not skip meals while immersing himself in work.

“Chancellor, I’ve brought your meal, so please eat.”

Even with an uninvited guest, Ibthan didn’t blink and continued reviewing the documents.

The maid, looking half in reverence and half in disgust at that same sight, was tidying up the teacups when she noticed the cookie package sitting abandoned on the desk and tilted her head in confusion.

‘The Chancellor doesn’t eat cookies…’

Just as the maid reached for it to remove it, Ibthan’s sudden voice stopped her hand.

“Leave that.”

Startled, the maid froze and turned to see Ibthan still fixated on the documents.

“Pardon? This cookie…?”

She looked down at the cookies in disbelief. They looked like a messy heap that wouldn’t even have nutrition or taste. They seemed like they could be poisonous.

“If you want cookies, I can bring you better ones. Should I?”

“No.”

Ibthan’s voice was firm.

“Just leave that and go.”

“Ah… but this hasn’t been inspected yet…”

At that, Ibthan finally lifted his head and stared at the maid with eyes that seemed to be on edge from being interrupted so many times.

The maid gasped and took a step back.

“N-No, I will leave it!”

She hurriedly tidied up the tray and bolted out of the Chancellor’s Office. Once the office regained its silence, Ibthan looked down at the documents again, letting out an annoyed sigh as he raised his head.

Having been trapped in the stuffy office all day reviewing piled-up documents, he had a headache.

“……”

His gaze, pressing against his temple, eventually turned to the cookie package left by Eden. Ibthan hesitated for a moment before reaching out to pick it up.

Seeing the bizarre shape of the cookie, which clearly failed at forming a star, something in his chest felt tight and fluttered slightly.

As he glared at the cookie as if it were the source of his headache, Ibthan eventually opened the drawer next to his desk and shoved the cookie inside.

Asmun slowly guided his horse while surveying the desolate village.

Even though it was still daylight and the sun had not yet set, the village felt dark and eerie with no presence. The remains of crumbled buildings and piles of black ash lay scattered throughout the village.

“This village has been attacked by bandits twice recently.”

Ronpell, following behind Asmun, reported with a serious expression.

Located by the coast, Reblem had once been a thriving city due to fishing, but for some unknown reason, it suddenly became flooded with bandits and pirates, quickly turning into a crime-ridden city.

Attempts were made several times to send people from the Imperial Palace to locate the source of the crime, but every time they had failed.

Asmun was aware of all this up to this point.

However, Eden shared a story with Asmun that went beyond what was visible on the surface.

「Your Highness, there is a separate reason why Reblem has fallen so low. There is an unofficial Tevel in Reblem.」

With Eden’s confident voice, Asmun realized how quickly Reblem had fallen beyond repair.

「That’s why even low-tier mages can produce high-tier drugs with low-tier magical stones. Because the low-tier stones are valued the highest, pirates and bandits flocked to Reblem.」

The Tevel was dangerous and needed to be managed under the Empire.

Having operated an unofficial Tevel myself, I was aware of its power.

If a Tevel could bring an entire city to corruption, the magical power it harbored must far surpass what I had managed.

「So, the problem of Reblem is simply finding out where the unofficial Tevel is located.」

The problem was that Eden didn’t know the exact coordinates of the unofficial Tevel.

When playing as Kiris, it had only been a notification saying “<Finding the unofficial Tevel!>” after completing a few quests and mini-games.

Moreover, the prophecy book selected as a reward only stated that there was an unofficial Tevel in Reblem, which they needed to find.

Though already aware of this, Eden couldn’t help it since it was her first playthrough.

There was no choice but to clear the remaining quests to gather more hints.

「A prophecy will be given soon, so until then, Your Highness, please observe the people of Reblem and gain their support. We will definitely succeed.」

Asmun remembered Eden smiling as she said this.

Prophecy.

Although he did not believe in gods, if a god truly existed, it felt like he was just now beginning to understand why he chose Eden.

It was Eden, not him, who was chosen by the gods.

Thinking that made an inexplicable sense of urgency rise within him. Because of Eden, who seemed likely to just fly away once their challenging mission was accomplished.

At that moment, Ronpell shouted sharply and drew his sword.

“Your Highness!”

However, Asmun’s reflexes were quicker than Ronpell’s voice. In an instant, the arm of a bandit hiding behind a tree and attacking Asmun was severed.

“Aaaah!”

 

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