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<Wasn’t This a Strategy Game? Chapter 76>

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

That statement made Asmun furrow his eyebrows.

Opening the Tumagrave? All of Eloch’s merchants had already been captured, and the monsters and items on board had also been secured.

The ambush was hastened because of Eden, the ship was half-destroyed, and Asmun had given up on the Tumagrave list.

“As your majesty instructed, we will not miss this opportunity and will capture all the clear evidence.”

Eden confidently smiled while saying the impossible. Asmun looked at her with eyes sparkling with a subtle thrill and a peculiar vibrancy, as always.

By the next evening, Eloch’s Ship was perfectly restored, as if no commotion had ever occurred, and it docked at the promised location, the pier.

“Is this that Eloch’s Ship? It’s quite impressive, just as the rumors said!”

A plump man wearing a half-mask gazed up at the large vessel in admiration, and the woman beside him nodded in agreement.

“It truly exceeds expectations. This is definitely Eloch.”

“Moreover, I didn’t expect so many guests. Eloch really knows how to handle things.”

“Rumor has it that Grand Duke Yuren is also attending.”

“What? Ha! That guy, acting so noble and all. I knew he’d show up!”

“Honey, lower your voice. There are many ears around.”

“Hmph, who cares? They’re all the same kind of people anyway. Whether it’s a Grand Duke or an Emperor, no one would want to miss this rare opportunity. I’m already getting excited.”

They happily chatted as they crossed the long bridge towards the entrance of Eloch’s Ship.

“Hello. I will check your invitation for a moment.”

Unlike the passengers, the crew member wearing a completely covered white mask politely requested the invitation, to which the man in the half-mask proudly presented it. This time, it was the invitation of a Count and his mistress.

Not only the high nobility from the capital but also nobles from various regions, wealthy merchants, and even bosses of crime organizations were present.

It seemed there was a valid reason for designing such a large ship, as attendees for the Tumagrave had exceeded a hundred.

“Yes, I’ve verified it. Thank you for taking your valuable time to board our Eloch’s Ship this evening.”

“Thank you! Ah, the Tumagrave will proceed without a hitch, right? I flew all the way here from the capital just to see that.”

Upon that remark, the staff stared at him for a moment and then kindly replied.

“Of course. I will guide you inside.”

The man in the half-mask and the woman linked arms and cheerfully boarded the ship. Guest after guest continued to pile in.

Around the massive vessel, it was as if a grand and lavish party was happening, with fireworks erupting nonstop and romantic music flowing.

Luxurious party scrolls were generously used to transform the ship into a place of indulgence.

It was an extravagant sight that was hard to believe came from the abandoned pier of a corrupt city.

“You’re the last guest. The ship is about to set sail.”

“I arrived just in time!”

The crew member in the white mask gently tucked the last guest’s invitation into his pocket.

“Please proceed this way. May you have an unforgettable and perfect evening.”

After the last guest boarded, the main event of the Tumagrave, Eloch’s new venture, which all these people eagerly awaited, was about to begin.

“I can’t believe they constructed such a gigantic Tumagrave. Just look at that cage. Can you see the powerful magical energy flowing? It’s visible to the naked eye!”

“I told you, Eloch’s Tumagrave would be different. It’s fundamentally unlike those cheap Tumagraves that only have mid-level monsters. You can tell just by the quality of the drugs.”

“There were rumors that they rescued Palaf, you know!”

“Damn! This is going to be incredibly fun!”

“Isn’t it dangerous?”

“Ha ha. You don’t know how well Eloch handles monsters? I’ve bought monsters from these people several times. If it were dangerous, Eloch’s merchants would have been eaten first, so relax.”

An insane excitement swirled inside the Tumagrave. Soon, it seemed the Tumagrave was about to begin, and a man appeared in the vast arena. He too was wearing a white mask.

The eyes of those chatting instantly turned to him.

“Thank you all for waiting so long!”

His voice boomed with excitement.

“What a splendid evening this is.”

“Stop the chit-chat and start already!”

Even at the angry voices, the man in the white mask continued unfazed.

“We are truly delighted that you all voluntarily gathered here. Thank you so much for stepping into our trap! A sincere salute to all of you who have fallen prey to sinful indulgence and wicked pleasures.”

With that, the man gave a solemn salute. The bizarre words made the audience stir restlessly.

“What the hell is that lunatic saying?”

“How rude! Change the host immediately!”

“Something feels off… Wait, this is Eloch’s Ship, right?”

The excitement that had enveloped the air began to fizzle out, slowly being consumed by unease.

The man continued speaking.

“You all know that as a result of the hunting festival, the Empire of Reblem has come under the ownership of His Royal Highness, the 3rd Prince! Our esteemed 3rd Prince is currently doing everything possible to purify the decaying Reblem.”

The man spoke reverently, placing both hands over his chest in a heartfelt voice.

“Ah, I expect many of you here might not be fond of our 3rd Prince. That’s quite unfortunate. But then again, if you had discerning eyes, you wouldn’t be here!”

Suddenly mentioning Asmun stirred the audience into an even bigger uproar.

“What the hell is he talking about! When is the Tumagrave starting?”

“Asmun? Why is that guy coming up now?”

The knights who had been waiting behind the prepared tent instead of monsters turned pale.

“Who sent that Nakhar guy out?”

“The recruit insisted on giving it a try. Apparently, his childhood dream was to be a clown.”

“That mouth of his…”

Despite receiving criticism from both enemies and allies, Nakhar’s excited chatter showed no signs of stopping.

At the highest point of the Tumagrave, Asmun watched the scene with an unsmiling face while thinking of Eden.

「The ship will be fixed and the Tumagrave will proceed as planned tomorrow evening. Of course, it’s not the real thing, but an act.」

Eden’s plan was perfect.

「As expected, those who received invitations will flock here, and we will trap them inside the ship. After sealing every exit to escape, we’ll catch them all at once.」

「But you can’t fix a ship in just a day.」

At Asmun’s remark, Eden smirked at Hagen’ti.

「We can do it.」

After that, everything proceeded just as she said. The unknown mage restored the ship in just one minute.

Everyone was astonished, but the mage didn’t even break a sweat, and Eden looked at him with prideful eyes.

With a proud and affectionate gaze…

「So, we can secure clear evidence of not just Eloch’s merchants, but also the list of Tumagrave attendees.」

“Anyway! We are here to rectify this corrupt city of Reblem.”

“Who is ‘we’! Who are you!”

“You’re rather impatient. I was about to introduce myself. We are the Knights of His Royal Highness, the 3rd Prince Asmun Decland, the rightful owner of Reblem.”

At that declaration, gasps of surprise echoed throughout the room.

Nakhar continued in a grave voice.

“As of this moment, we will bind all of you visiting this illegal Tumagrave and accumulate remarkable achievements.”

After finishing his words, Nakhar dramatically threw off his mask and cloak. The armor hidden beneath came into view, turning the audience’s faces pale with fear.

“Ah! Get back!”

Everyone jumped to their feet in a panic, creating instant chaos.

“Gah!”

However, knights had already been stationed at the entrance, preventing anyone from escaping even a single step. Instead of the screams of monsters within the Tumagrave, the cries of the audience began to fill the air.

“We have to get out of here! I knew we’d need to call for help, so don’t worry!”

Some barely managed to push through and attempted to escape, but they were obstructed by the knights waiting in the corridor.

“Oh dear, this is unfortunate. That ship has probably been captured by now.”

“What?”

“Or it might have been shattered into pieces. As you know, we can’t offer any compensation.”

The ships around the grand vessel had already been captured long ago.

Asmun had anticipated that a few nobles who were agile and wary would sneak their ships nearby, and he couldn’t fully trust Eloch.

“Therefore, there is no way out of here.”

At those firm words, the hope lingering on the face of a certain Count turned pale, and he slumped down in defeat as the knights marched over to seize him.

The first party aboard Eloch’s Ship was a monumental success.

Not only had they secured Eloch’s merchants alongside dangerous monsters, smuggled goods, and forbidden items aboard Eloch’s Ship, but they also captured the visiting list and those on it alive.

Asmun promptly headed to the Imperial Palace to request a summons once the evidence was secured.

“Ha, so there was that level of crime syndicate in Reblem?”

“Yes. Confirmation revealed that most of the syndicate was located on the sea. That’s why it was hard to catch.”

The Emperor, upon hearing all the details, was astonished, yet he admired Asmun, who had swiftly grasped the core of Reblem.

 

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