Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game?

As Eden recited the monster’s name and its details with pinpoint accuracy, Ivatan’s brow furrowed deeply.

“It weighs about 2,000 pounds. Must’ve been quite a hassle to capture.”

“…….”

“It resides in dense forests, creating storms with each flap of its wings. It’s a man-eating monster that particularly favors infants under one year old. Regular fire won’t harm it, but it’s vulnerable to flames produced by dragon-type monsters.”

At this, Ivatan’s eyes widened. The method to defeat

was still under research, and this was information his team didn’t yet possess.

“Carcillante’s feathers can neutralize venom from snake-type monsters, so you’d better stock up on those.”

Eden finished speaking and turned toward Ivatan, who now looked at her with a mixture of bewilderment and wariness, his previously aloof demeanor nowhere in sight.

“Was I wrong?” Eden asked humbly, though she knew that wasn’t possible. This world was intricately designed, and she had access to the blueprints.

“…You’re really saying you can see all of that?” Ivatan finally managed to ask, his voice steady but tinged with disbelief. Eden nodded firmly—it was the truth, at least.

Ivatan, now visibly unsettled, studied Eden. Carcillante was a monster that had taken over a decade to capture, and this was the only one ever sighted. There was no way an apprentice priest could have such detailed knowledge of it.

Her words, therefore, seemed unlikely to be a lie or baseless trickery.

After a moment’s thought, he spoke abruptly.

“Is eliminating monsters truly your goal?”

His gaze remained sharp, betraying his lingering doubts. Ivatan was clearly perceptive, suspecting that Eden might have motives beyond simply destroying monsters.

Eden’s heart skipped a beat at his keen question, but she answered gently.

“Of course.”

Their gazes locked for a moment before Ivatan turned away.

“Understood. Return for now. I’ll contact you soon.”

Eden responded with a light smile. “As you wish.”

***

As soon as she excused herself to the restroom and moved out of the soldiers’ line of sight, Eden hurriedly reopened the completion window.

Just as she had learned to read monster information by mentally commanding it, she simply had to think “Quest Completion Window!” for it to appear. By now, Eden had fully adapted to this bizarre system.

“Alright,” she murmured, selecting the

without hesitation. Almost immediately, a rolled parchment floated into the air, surrounded by radiant light.

“Wow, definitely shouldn’t claim this in front of others.”

With a dry chuckle, Eden snatched the glowing scroll. The rush of acquiring it felt as exhilarating as finding rare loot in a game.

Unrolling the parchment, her demeanor turned serious.

This much Eden already knew, and she sighed softly.

“Even after losing the Count of Retten, he’s sticking to his plan? What a fool, Kyris. This is why I kept failing.”

She clicked her tongue in frustration.

Pasaram, located on the eastern coast of the empire, was a seemingly insignificant piece of land—Asmun’s only inheritance from his late mother, who had grown up there. Everyone assumed Asmun kept it purely out of filial piety.

In truth, however, Pasaram concealed a secret: it was home to an unregistered

.

A Tebel was a magically imbued land where one’s magical power could be amplified manifold. While Tebels were generally controlled by the empire and used for public benefit—research, experiments, or defense—the one in Pasaram served a different purpose.

Asmun had been secretly leasing the Tebel to rogue magicians and merchants, earning an astronomical fortune in return.

“I wouldn’t report it either if I were him,” Eden muttered, understanding Asmun’s perspective. To him, Pasaram was an irreplaceable asset.

Kyris, however, had caught wind of the Tebel’s existence and intended to seize it during Asmun’s anticipated period of disgrace, simultaneously cutting off Asmun’s funding and enriching his own coffers.

Though Asmun hadn’t been placed under censure this time, Kyris’s tenacity remained unchanged.

But for now, Pasaram wasn’t Eden’s primary concern. Her eyes widened as she continued reading, uncovering a revelation neither Kyris nor Asmun, nor even Eden herself, had known.

Eden’s eyes darted over the prophecy’s astonishing details. Once she finished reading, she looked up slowly.

“Guess annoying Ivatan was worth it,” she muttered, a sly smile spreading across her lips.

****

Upon returning to the temple, Eden sought out Roman, the senior priest Asmun had mentioned.

Despite his high rank, Roman was surprisingly receptive. This was, of course, no coincidence—Asmun had deliberately placed a loyalist in the temple to ensure swift communication when needed.

“I’ve been expecting you, Sister. This way, please.”

Roman led her to a small chamber connected to his office. There, Eden froze as she spotted a familiar figure approaching—Asmun.

“Has the oracle arrived?” Asmun asked, his tone composed as he took a seat before Eden.

Momentarily speechless, Eden stared up at him. Asmun spoke again, his words nonchalant yet calculated.

“I set this up a while ago. We can’t afford delays in meeting with you, can we?”

“……”

“I can’t keep showing up with antidotes every time.”

Eden was stunned. Asmun had installed a portal in Roman’s office—no small feat in a world where even magic came with significant costs and restrictions.

“Isn’t portal installation banned in the temple?” she asked cautiously.

Asmun gave her an unreadable look. “It is.”

“……”

Eden felt a wave of confusion. She had severely underestimated Asmun’s capabilities. To infiltrate the temple with loyalists and secretly establish a portal connection required immense resources and audacity.

“Where does it lead? Don’t tell me…”

“To my study.”

“That’s far too risky!” Eden protested.

Asmun’s lips curled into a faint, detached smile. 

“Don’t worry. Unless you betray me, it won’t be discovered.”

Rendered speechless, Eden realized he still didn’t fully trust her.

What an ungrateful bastard.

“Has the oracle arrived?” 

Asmun pressed again, his gaze sharp and expectant. Eden steeled herself, setting aside her irritation, and nodded.

“Yes, the oracle has arrived.”

Asmun’s crimson eyes gleamed faintly. Straightening her posture, Eden took a deep breath and spoke.

“Prince Kyris will soon attempt to seize Pasaram.”

Asmun’s expression remained unreadable, though it seemed he had already anticipated this. He would never willingly give up the land, of course.

“Relinquish Pasaram,” Eden said firmly.

For the first time, Asmun’s gaze shifted, turning deadly. As expected, his reaction was cold and calculating.

“What do you mean?” he asked, his voice polite but laced with icy malice.

Eden met his piercing stare, her tone unwavering. “Exactly what I said. Hand over Pasaram to Prince Kyris.”

The room fell into a heavy silence as Asmun’s menacing eyes bore into her. Eden felt a cold sweat trickling down her back but held her ground. This was the correct course of action.

“Did your god truly say to sell the land and become emperor?” Asmun’s quiet voice carried a chilling edge, as though he might slay the divine being who had dared deliver such a decree.

Though she had anticipated resistance, Eden couldn’t help but be puzzled by the intensity of his reaction. She had known Pasaram was significant to him, but his defensiveness felt almost personal.

“…Yes, the oracle was clear,” she replied, refusing to back down.

Asmun let out a cold laugh.

“How unfortunate. I’d expected something a bit more… constructive from this oracle.”