<Wasn’t This a Strategy Game? Chapter 92>

“I’ll tell you the reason after the Ceremony of the Saint. Until then, let’s meet later.”

Asmun ghosted Eden’s question and just like that, he was gone, leaving Eden as a rookie saint preparing for the ceremony.

‘Phew, I knew it wasn’t ordinary abilities…’

Who would have thought this was the requirement to become a saint?

But I definitely wasn’t the saint they were hoping for.

Asmun must’ve had his fingers in that prophecy cake. I have no idea where he got the Holy Stone from, but there were a few lying around in the Abandoned Hall of the Great Temple, so getting one wouldn’t be too much trouble if he set his mind to it.

“What are you thinking, Asmun…”

Eden bit her lip in anxiety.

Whether it was sheer luck or fate that my skills matched the conditions of a saint, I knew full well that, having not really become the saint, there would come a day when my abilities would be put to the test.

Of course, if anyone wanted to dig into why Asmun was so keen on making me the saint, they would find plenty of reasons.

Supporting a saint definitely sounded better than an apprentice priest for him.

“Still, not even a single word…!”

My anger bubbled up again.

The part that frustrated Eden was why on earth such an important matter was being pushed forward without even consulting me.

She knew that if I became a saint, it would be more advantageous for Asmun to become emperor, but still, this sudden turn of events was bewildering.

At this point, the birth of a new saint held a great deal of significance.

“Is it because the Chancellor’s divine power is running out?”

“It’s definitely unsettling that dark sorcerers have managed to breach the Chancellor’s shield a couple of times.”

After the founding ceremony and up till the Sacred Solar Event, a lot has happened, and everyone was starting to wonder if Sereman’s divine power had hit its limit and it was time for a new Chancellor to arise.

Therefore, the atmosphere in the Great Temple was gloomier than ever.

In these turbulent times, the birth of a new saint felt like a dangerous gamble. If lucky, it could be a jackpot, but otherwise…

‘It’s all over.’

I was even getting anxious that no new quests had popped up yet, worried that this twist might mess everything up.

‘If I really needed to be a saint, a quest would have shown up by now.’

But tomorrow was the Ceremony of the Saint, and there was no turning back.

‘But this isn’t the way to go about it…!’

As Eden sat in the VIP room provided by the temple, staring blankly out the window, she couldn’t hold back any longer and stepped outside, only to be met by the priests stationed at the door who rushed toward her.

“Is there something you need?”

“You must take it easy since the Ceremony of the Saint is tomorrow.”

Eden’s face fell into an awkward expression.

The treatment she received from the temple, presuming her to be the saint, had completely changed. Unlike her freely roaming days as an apprentice priest, she was now under constant surveillance.

“I just want to take a little walk.”

“Please hold on a moment. I’ll get permission from the Chancellor.”

“Huh? Oh no, wait a minute. What kind of permission do I need for a walk…!”

“We must ensure everything goes smoothly for the Ceremony of the Saint tomorrow.”

The persistently strict priests weren’t having it.

“Sigh… fine.”

Just as Eden was about to give up and turn around…

“I’ll accompany you.”

The heavy footsteps, followed by a deep voice, made her jump.

When Eden and the priests turned to look, Karon’s face was unusually devoid of a smile.

“Commander.”

Eden happily called out to him, while the priests looked on, perplexed.

“Isn’t it a little lacking for the protection of the saint?”

Karon gazed at them with a steady stare.

As the commander of the Holy Knights and the Empire’s top sword master, he was more than enough to guard her. The priests had no choice but to nod in agreement.

“Just don’t take too long.”

Eden finally escaped the suffocating protection after days and strolled through a quiet garden with Karon.

Just having the gazes that had followed her every step vanish brought a refreshing sense of freedom.

“Thank you, Commander.”

Karon smiled faintly at her gratitude before getting serious once more, looking at Eden.

“Is it really you who is the protagonist of the prophecy?”

Eden felt a twinge of embarrassment at that question. It seemed even Karon was skeptical about the manipulation of the prophecy.

Honestly, with Asmun being involved all along, it was hard to blame anyone for doubting.

Since I genuinely had the ‘monster elimination’ skill, there was just no arguing against that point.

“Well… I’m just as confused.”

However, sharing the fact that Asmun had manipulated the prophecy was out of the question.

The core of Karon’s character was his faith, and I couldn’t afford to act against that and risk losing his support.

“You’ve probably heard, but it’s true that I have one of the great saint’s abilities.”

Eden did her best to paint Karon in a positive light so he wouldn’t think Asmun had lied about her.

Karon had, of course, heard about her ability. It was all the talk across the Empire, he couldn’t not know about it.

Indeed, the ability to eliminate monsters was unique to the great saint, and if the saint had returned, it would undoubtedly be Eden.

The only thing troublesome was Asmun’s involvement in interpreting the prophecy.

‘But even if the priestess isn’t the saint…’

Karon gazed at Eden with a look he rarely displayed and quietly added, “It’s clear that Hamun has chosen you.”

At the grand proclamation, Eden felt a bit flustered and could only smile. It was partly true, and partly not.

“From now on, things will be completely different from the normal life of a priest.”

Karon’s eyes reflected concern.

“If you need my help, just say the word. I’ll support you with anything regarding you being a priestess—or rather… the saint.”

Hearing Karon say that made Eden feel a little lighter.

She felt guilty for deceiving him about her faith, but there wasn’t much she could do.

“Oh, by the way, I heard the Holy Knights will be setting out again soon.”

Eden recalled the priests discussing this and asked worriedly.

While she wouldn’t notice what was going on from the safety of the capital, a war against monsters was still raging outside the city.

Because of that, Karon was unable to stay in the capital, as he was out there hunting down monsters in various locations.

“I plan to depart after witnessing your Ceremony of the Saint.”

Karon’s kind words provided Eden some comfort amid all this chaos. She was indeed lucky to have such a dependable holy knight on her side.

“I’m grateful to have you, Commander.”

That made Karon smile softly.

And finally, the day of the Ceremony of the Saint arrived.

The ceremony was held at the Great Temple, and the place buzzed with excitement as everyone gathered to see the birth of the new saint.

With even more people than during the Sacred Solar Event, Eden felt her anxiety creep back in as she searched for Asmun.

Asmun only showed up just before the ceremony, strolling in casually before Eden.

“You look great.”

Asmun casually complimented Eden, who was now dressed in the newly tailored garments of a saint.

“Your Highness!”

Eden grabbed his hand and pulled him to a corner, unleashing a stream of rapid-fire complaints.

“Your Highness, I can’t shake the feeling that this isn’t right. I’ve not stepped outside the temple for three days! Forget about a walk, they’re even following me to the bathroom! If this keeps up, meeting with you will become a struggle!”

The saint was treated as a person of significant status, just like the Chancellor, and in light of such importance, people were overly protective and constantly on alert, scared that something might go wrong while the revered saint was distracted.

Although Eden burst out her frustrations, Asmun just regarded her calmly.

“Don’t worry. It’s not at all unusual for a prince of the Empire to meet a saint.”

“……”

“It’s far more natural than meeting through Priest Roman’s office.”

Eureka! That made Eden realize that Asmun had foreseen the entire situation and orchestrated everything.

“Your Highness!”

Just as she was about to burst with frustration, Eden managed to take a deep breath and attempted to persuade him again.

“Just look at the crowds outside. Do you understand how big this has become? What if Priest Roman confesses that everything was a hoax…!”

“Why?”

Breaking her anxious rant, Asmun tilted his head slightly, looking at Eden.

“Do you think it’s a lie?”

His relaxed response left Eden momentarily speechless.

‘Is… is this real?’

Yet, there wasn’t a hint of tension on Asmun’s face, as if everything was indeed on the level.

Someone as clever as Asmun would surely grasp the dangers of this situation.

My becoming the saint was a double-edged sword.

If used wisely, it could yield immense benefits, but if a single mistake revealed that everything was a facade, exposing Asmun’s involvement…

‘I’d lose not just my position as heir but even that of a prince.’

If that happened, the game would be over.

The emperor, the Great Temple, and the Empire’s citizens would never forgive a prince who toyed with their faith in the name of the divine.

Yet, despite all this, Asmun wore an overly relaxed expression, seemingly ignoring all the looming risks.

“The prophecy is manipulated, you see.”

“……”

“The Holy Stone isn’t some magical artifact that comes together with the prophecy.”

Asmun’s eyebrows lifted slightly at that. He hadn’t expected Eden to know about it.

As she pointed out, the Holy Stone was not a product of the prophecy. It was simply a special magical stone that had been used for political manipulation long before this.

That was why Asmun did not trust the divine.

He hadn’t eliminated Eden at their first meeting because she hadn’t presented him with the Holy Stone.

If she had offered it and whispered about prophecies, Eden would have lost her life right then and there. In retrospect, that’s chilling to consider.

“The conditions for a saint to have the monster elimination ability and that you have one of the great saint’s powers, both are true.”

Well, of course that was true…!

Just as Eden was about to launch into a rebuttal, Asmun spoke again.

“And while priests can’t marry, saints can.”

What…?

The unexpected statement froze Eden’s face. This was such an out-of-the-blue topic given the context.

“Your Highness, what do you mean by that…?”

“So, even if it’s a bit frustrating, please stay in your role as the saint for a while longer.”

Eden was stunned as she glanced into his dark red eyes hauntingly shining with persistent intensity.

“After becoming emperor, I’ll formally propose.”

The sweet yet explosive declaration left Eden breathless and frozen in shock.

“You mentioned that, didn’t you?”

Within the overwhelming silence, his gentle voice continued.

“To fill the empty place with something more precious.”