<Wasn’t This a Strategy Game? Episode 75>

But there was no time to be impressed by his skills. I could hear the sounds of more people rushing back in after the commotion.

To make matters worse, there were explosions and crashes occurring from above.

Bang! Boom! Crash!

“Eek!”

Eden flinched, but the area where Hagen’ti and Eden were was the safest place of all. Suddenly aware, Eden grabbed Hagen’ti’s hand tightly with both hands.

“Hagen’ti.”

As Eden called him with determination, Hagen’ti looked up from the hand Eden was holding and met her gaze again.

“We have to get out of here.”

“…”

“All of these kids. Can you do it?”

Hagen’ti’s head tilted slightly.

“Who are they?”

That was an unexpected question. Eden was a bit flustered and quickly replied.

“They’re kids kidnapped by the owner of this ship. We have to send them back safely!”

At that, Hagen’ti’s eyes shifted to the trembling kids.

“…Is that why we’re not leaving?”

What?

Eden furrowed her brow in disbelief. This was hardly the time for such a meaningless conversation amidst all this chaos. He clearly didn’t understand how serious the situation was.

“No! Is that really important right now?”

Hagen’ti stared at Eden with a blank look again.

That indifferent gaze was just as unreadable as when I first saw it, but it was clear that Hagen’ti had the power to move both me and the kids, or even the whole ship, if he wanted to.

Frustrated, Eden slapped Hagen’ti’s hand away.

“Then forget it! I’ll handle this myself.”

Hagen’ti quickly grabbed Eden’s hand again.

“…Where should I move them to?”

Hearing that, Eden felt a surge of triumph.

“So…”

Just then.

Bang!

A deafening crash rang out as the already half-destroyed warehouse door came crashing down, revealing a blood-splattered, menacing face emerging through the opening.

It was Asmun.

“Priest.”

As Asmun quickly scanned the chaotic warehouse and found Eden, he whispered in a shaky voice, making Eden’s throat tighten. Hagen’ti also turned his gaze to Asmun.

“Your Highness…!”

As expected, Asmun didn’t betray me. A wave of relief washed over me, nearly buckling my knees.

“…”

Hagen’ti stared intently at Eden’s relieved face.

Just then, Asmun, misreading Hagen’ti as an enemy, raised his sword and lunged forward.

In that instant, a blinding flash filled the dark, musty warehouse.

“Priest!”

In the blink of an eye, Eden, Hagen’ti, and the kids vanished. Asmun froze in place.

“Ugh…”

Eden was equally flustered. Just like that, the stuffy, suffocating space disappeared, and she could feel the refreshing yet cold night breeze mixed with the salty scent of the sea.

Turning around, she saw the kids traveling with her wearing confused expressions, looking around.

Eden quickly counted them. Not a single one was missing.

After confirming the kids, she looked around to find a dark night sea before her. It was a quiet coastline, with no one else in sight. They had finally escaped from the ship.

But…

“Eek! Asmun…!”

The last image of Asmun’s fierce face flooded Eden’s mind, and she gasped, covering her face. Hagen’ti was calmly gazing at Eden.

Just then, a new quest appeared in the cold night sky.

『【!】Basic Quest

: Storm the Tumagrave site of Eloch’s Ship and secure the spectator list! 』

Eden blankly stared at the quest, then gasped.

This felt like a crazy game!

“We have to go back!”

Eden grabbed Hagen’ti’s hand, but he stood unmoving. As she imagined Asmun smashing the ship with all kinds of thoughts racing through her head, her throat felt parched.

“Hagen’ti!”

As Eden pleaded, Hagen’ti, still looking at her, slowly opened his mouth.

“You’re not coming because of that man?”

Eden had no words to respond. He had hit the nail on the head.

Strictly speaking, she had to progress in the game, but Asmun was at the end of that progression, so it wasn’t entirely inaccurate. Plus, she’d been tied up with Reblem all this time.

She truly had no spare energy left to worry about Hagen’ti.

“That’s…”

As Eden hesitated and trailed off, Hagen’ti took a step closer and gazed at her.

“…Who is he?”

Eden was taken aback by his persistent questioning.

The Hagen’ti she knew, the one she had assessed, was not someone who’d ask such questions.

No, it was already a character deviation seeing Hagen’ti leave the castle on his own.

But there was no time to be confused about that.

“It’s the 3rd Prince. He came to capture the guys who kidnapped these children.”

Despite the calm explanation, Hagen’ti didn’t seem satisfied.

“We need to go back. Send them back.”

“But you just said we needed to get off the ship!”

Eden’s rebuttal left her speechless.

No, that’s not true!

“…”

Eden bit her lip, running out of things to say.

“Things have changed a bit. The kids…”

Eden looked at the kids, who were starting to shiver in the cold sea breeze, and fell deep in thought.

“If we go a little further, there’s a place called Mancel Castle. Can you take us there?”

After her careful plea, Hagen’ti looked at her with an indifferent expression. He glanced sideways, and in the blink of an eye, the kids disappeared. Hagen’ti had complied with her request.

‘Unbelievable…’

Eden couldn’t help but feel shocked, even after having asked him. How could she rely solely on a castle’s name without even knowing the exact coordinates?

Was it possible that this coastline was also part of Tevel, and Hagen’ti was channeling his magic like crazy?

Otherwise, how could this insane magic…

“You did well, Hagen’ti. Thank you so much.”

Eden hid her true feelings and smiled brightly.

And then…

“Now can you take me back to that ship?”

“…”

“It’s okay if you come with me.”

As Eden tightened her grip on Hagen’ti’s hand, he seemed to ponder something, his gaze lowered.

Waiting with bated breath for his decision, a low voice soon emerged.

“Can I stay with you after that?”

The quiet utterance was completely unexpected, causing Eden to fail at managing her expression, her eyes widening.

“Huh…?”

“I want to be with Eden.”

Huh…?

Cold sweat trickled down Eden’s back.

‘Hagen’ti wants to be with me? But where… from the Temple…?’

Looking at Hagen’ti, who was staring at her as if waiting for her response, made Eden’s head spin. Meanwhile, the time was mercilessly ticking away.

Asmun was covered in blood… the ship…

Ahh!

“Th-then!”

Ultimately, Eden gave up on her thoughts and forced a bright smile to extinguish the urgent fire within her as Hagen’ti, who was waiting for her response, slowly smiled back.

And before she could blink, the dark coastal scenery vanished.

“Priest! Find the Priest!”

As Eden had expected, the inside of the ship was in utter chaos.

The knights that burst in were capturing every Eloch merchant they encountered, and the merchants were resisting, causing the ship to break apart and catch fire.

Among them, Asmun was undoubtedly the most merciless. Asmun tore through the ship like a madman, cutting down everything in his path.

When Asmun flung open a door, a man hiding inside charged at him with an axe. The man’s hand was severed before he could swing the axe.

“Aaaaah!”

Asmun seized the screaming man’s neck and demanded.

“How many mages are on the ship?”

“I-I don’t know! I’m not associated with this group! Please spare me!”

Asmun tossed the pleading man to the knights behind him and turned to search another room.

Just then.

“Your Highness! We found the Priest!”

At those words, Asmun’s breath caught in his throat.

“Here, Your Highness!”

Rushing towards where the knights were gathered, he really found Eden there, looking just like before. Seeing Eden’s face relaxed the tight grip around Asmun’s throat.

“Your Highness!”

Eden cheerfully called out to Asmun, but he couldn’t smile. Because the pink-haired man he had seen before was standing next to Eden.

As Asmun’s expression turned icy again, he pulled out his bloodied sword and walked toward them.

Eden, in horror, stood in front of Hagen’ti.

“Your Highness, it’s a misunderstanding!”

Hagen’ti faced the deadly stare without flinching, merely gazing at Asmun with an indifferent expression.

“…What’s a misunderstanding? The Priest disappeared right in front of me.”

Asmun continued to glare at Hagen’ti with a fierce voice. Remembering the dreadful moment when Eden vanished before him made the tightness in his throat return.

“You were trying to save me, right? Is that it?”

Eden looked back at Hagen’ti, seeking his agreement, but he remained uncooperative. When Eden poked Hagen’ti, he finally nodded, albeit without enthusiasm.

The oddness of that response made Asmun’s face turn even colder. He turned to Eden and asked.

“…Do you know him?”

The sharp question made Eden’s heart skip a beat. She averted her eyes, fumbling for a response.

“Yes, a little…”

At that, Asmun looked back at Hagen’ti.

With his pink curls and gray eyes, he was clearly an eye-catching figure, but she had no memory of such a person. A mage capable of moving so many people at once. Plus, he was so young.

How on earth Eden could know him was beyond Asmun’s understanding, creating a strange sense of unease settled in his chest.

“Your Highness, we need to fix the ship right now.”

Eden unexpectedly interrupted his thoughts with her sudden remark.

“As planned, we’ll open the Tumagrave tomorrow evening.”