<Wasn’t this a strategy game? Chapter 66>

Eden’s eyes lit up at the sudden pop-up event quest. It was perfect timing. Quickly formulating a plan, she turned to Karon and spoke.

“Soon, Commander and I will face off against the bandits of Reblem.”

At that, Karon’s brows furrowed slightly.

“This was also something Hamun instructed us about. He told us to extract something from them.”

Inside, Eden silently cheered, ‘Yes!’

As the window indicating the start of the new quest appeared, Eden smiled widely.

“To fulfill Hamun’s wishes, I need your help, Commander.”

The mention of Hamun made Karon’s expression turn even more serious.

And then it happened. The sound of galloping hooves surrounded them as unfamiliar men encircled Eden and Karon.

Karon remained unfazed, calmly surveying those who had surrounded them. He seemed to just be contemplating how Eden’s prediction had come true.

“Well, well, just one man and one woman, huh?”

A rough-looking man, apparently the leader, revealed his yellow teeth and let out an unpleasant laugh, causing Eden to raise an eyebrow.

Contrary to her expectations of a shabby group of bandits, these guys didn’t appear weak. Of course, they wouldn’t stand a chance against the Empire’s greatest swordmaster.

“What a daring couple to come out on a date in a place like this!”

There were around a dozen of them, but Eden wasn’t the least bit nervous. She quietly observed the man’s attire.

She noticed a small bundle tied to the waist of a man holding a big sword.

‘It must be inside that.’

Though the bandits wielded threatening weapons, she wasn’t worried in the slightest. The bandit group from this small, remote village couldn’t even be compared to the Empire’s best swordmaster.

“Commander.”

When Eden quietly called out to Karon, he turned to look at her.

“If you trust me…”

Karon gazed at her with a look that was almost impossible to read. Eden met his gaze without flinching.

“Clean them up.”

At those words, the bandits’ expressions turned grim.

“Looks like this little lady has guts. You must’ve expected a conclusion like this when you came here, right?”

Just then, one of the men, losing patience, raised a crude axe and charged at Eden. Karon drew his sword and struck the man’s arm before he could even get close to Eden.

“Ack!”

The man’s arm wasn’t severed, but the axe flew out of his grip and narrowly missed the leader’s head. Everything was calculated.

“…”

As the bandits instinctively froze at the scene, Karon turned to them and spoke.

“I’ve known for a long time that the priestess is special.”

Indeed. There were countless moments when he realized Eden’s uniqueness. There was even the chance that she could fulfill his mission.

“So, I will trust the priestess.”

His voice was firm, as if solidifying his decision. It was at that moment Karon raised his sword without hesitation, ready to deal with the men before him.

“Huff…!”

An arrow that flew in from somewhere struck a bandit’s shoulder, and the man, who had been showing his teeth as if to swing his sword, froze in shock.

“…!”

Eden, startled by the sudden turn of events, quickly looked up to see the direction the arrow had come from. Her face went as pale as the bandits’ upon realizing it.

On a low hill, Asmun stood, leading a group of knights.

“…”

His face, staring intently at Eden without a hint of surprise, sent shivers down her spine, making him look like a reaper come to collect her soul.

“It seems you’ve informed His Highness the 3rd Prince.”

Karon didn’t find it surprising, thinking that Asmun must have received a heads-up from Eden, but she had never given him any such notice.

‘Crazy, how did he know?!’

But the situation unfolded regardless of Eden’s bewilderment.

Asmun’s knights surged forward, rapidly subduing the bandits. Trained knights were no match for these thugs, and in the blink of an eye, perhaps only seven or eight bandits were brought down.

Asmun watched the scene unfold before he dismounted and approached Eden once everything calmed down.

Clueless to the seriousness of the situation, Karon bowed politely, but Eden stood stiffly, sweating bullets instead.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t fathom how Asmun had arrived there.

And what was with that cold and unsettling gaze?

“May I ask why the priestess is here with the Commander of the Holy Knights?”

At that question, Karon’s expression turned subtly awkward as he realized their unplanned encounter. He looked at Eden, who seemed to be sweating profusely.

“Your Highness, how did you end up here…? Were you just passing by…?”

Asmun let out a cold chuckle at the cautious inquiry. The sound made Eden’s spine tingle.

“I certainly was.”

Asmun glanced at Karon before turning back to Eden with a smile.

“I was purging Reblem as the priestess wished.”

His voice, usually friendly, now sent chills down her spine. While purging Reblem was indeed his ultimate goal, it still felt too early to visit such a small town.

Karon silently observed the strange air between Asmun and Eden.

“Then I heard the priestess was using a portal to move to Reblem.”

Ah.

It finally clicked for Eden how Asmun managed to find her. It was the use of the official portal that had caused the problem.

‘Damn, no wonder things went smoothly!’

“I see…”

Eden sensed something was definitely off. Asmun’s face, scrutinizing her intently, was too cold.

No, was this really something to get so serious about?

“It would’ve been easier if you had just told me.”

His quietly added voice was sharp. That was true. But the reason Eden hadn’t opted for that method was—

‘I didn’t think he’d come rushing here right away!’

“I thought you were busy. You haven’t been in charge of Reblem for long, right? I figured you had a lot to oversee if you wanted to keep your promise with me.”

That promise referred to the one about becoming Emperor. To quickly purify Reblem and ascend to the throne, there wasn’t time to dawdle here.

Eden did her best to keep her voice steady, aiming for the mark, but Asmun’s expression didn’t reveal a hint of movement.

“It seems the priestess has no intention of keeping her promise with me.”

Huh?

Eden racked her brains to remember what kind of promise she had made with Asmun.

‘What did he ask me for during the hunting tournament?’

As she dug through her memories, the image of Asmun from that day grew vivid, and his low voice replayed in her mind.

「The priestess exists for me. So… you must not think of anything else.」

The persistent gaze that scrutinized her remained ever-present.

「I won’t tolerate even the slightest deviation.」

Uh…?

Eden’s face momentarily turned blank, feeling like something had gone horribly wrong.

It was at that moment.

“The priestess must have her reasons.”

Karon, watching the battle of wits unfold, interjected, further aggravating Asmun’s mood.

“There must be a reason it has to be her and no one else.”

Karon shot a bright smile at Eden, making Asmun’s expression stiffen for a moment before he responded with a slow grin.

“Being overly self-aware can lead to amusing delusions. You don’t seriously think you’re the only one capable of handling these guys, do you?”

Even in his casual mockery, Karon maintained a cheerful smile.

“That’s not it. But, I do believe that perhaps being with me would be more comforting than being with Your Highness.”

At those words, Asmun’s eyes turned icy. He must have instinctively recognized Karon’s words as truth.

Eden was just as taken aback by Karon’s insight.

‘How did he know?’

Sensing the atmosphere turning ominous, Eden hurriedly stepped between the two men.

“This is not the time for that!”

As Eden tried to act serious, both men’s gazes shifted towards her. Seizing the opportunity, she approached the bound bandits, who had passed out.

As Eden rummaged through the possible leader’s body, Asmun and Karon’s faces hardened at her abrupt action, but she proceeded without care.

Finally, as she retrieved what she wanted from a pocket at the man’s waist, she smiled brightly.

“Found it.”

Just as Eden pulled out a map, something else tumbled out of the man’s pocket and rolled to a stop in front of Asmun.

With a frown, Eden recognized the dark orb that looked oddly familiar.

At that moment, Karon urgently shouted.

“It’s weapons! Don’t touch it!”