Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game?

Karon’s gentle yet pointed words left the priests speechless, trembling with suppressed anger. They quickly turned around, as though unwilling to continue the confrontation.

“……”

Eden, still dazed, watched the retreating figures of the priests before snapping back to her senses and turning her gaze back to Karon. He stood there with a calm, serene expression, watching the departing priests as if nothing had happened.

“……”

His excessively composed demeanor sent an unsettling stiffness up Eden’s neck. The angelic face she had seen earlier now felt entirely different, almost chilling in its calmness.

‘This side of his character wasn’t mentioned anywhere…’

As Eden struggled to process this unexpected facet of Karon’s personality, he suddenly turned to her and offered an apology.

“Ah, I’ve kept you too long, haven’t I?”

“Ah, n-not at all.”

Eden stammered, instinctively shaking her head. Karon smiled warmly, and yet it made her feel as if her insides were freezing.

“You said you were heading to the East Tower?”

“Yes? Oh, yes.”

“Allow me to escort you.”

“Excuse me? Oh, no, that’s—”

Eden, forgetting her earlier determination to win Karon’s favor, stiffened and frantically shook her head.

“There’s no need to refuse. As you heard, my schedule has unexpectedly cleared up.”

Karon offered her a kind smile, leaving Eden no choice but to walk alongside him. Though the East Tower wasn’t far, the journey suddenly felt like an endless marathon.

Ever since she had been pulled into this game, Eden couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

‘What kind of Holy Knight Commander is this?’

Recalling how Karon had hurled barbed comments with a serene smile, Eden felt her vision spin. To think that she was supposed to draw this man into the throne struggle and use him—it was clear that any misstep would result in those barbs being aimed at her.

‘…Should I just give up on Karon?’

Her unease turned the walk into an awkward silence, and she abandoned her attempts to win his favor. Karon, however, broke the silence first.

“Ah, by the way.”

Eden turned to him reflexively, startled by his voice.

“Yes?”

“Regarding the Founding Celebration.”

“Oh, yes.”

“I was just curious.”

Karon maintained his dazzling, friendly smile. Eden, bewildered, replied hesitantly.

“About what…?”

“You didn’t deliberately come to me, did you?”

The innocent question sent a chill down Eden’s spine. Karon’s ambiguous words lingered as he continued to smile harmlessly. Eden quickly reined in her nerves and gave a flustered laugh.

“Of course not.”

Then, she smoothly launched into a prepared excuse, trying to keep her voice steady under Karon’s kind yet piercing gaze.

“I didn’t have the presence of mind to think. I just ran for my life, and it just so happened that I ended up near you. What a fortunate coincidence.”

Of course, in reality, Eden had deliberately run toward Karon. Among those present at the time, he was the most capable of dealing with the monster. And she had thought it wise to leave an impression on him for future purposes.

As the Holy Knight Commander, Karon’s initial inaction during the monster’s appearance likely stemmed from the political constraints imposed by Prince Kyris’ claim:

However, when the monster shifted its focus to Eden, the Holy Knight Commander could step in without being accused of undermining the royal family. So Eden had subtly manipulated the situation to make that possible.

The idea that Karon might have pieced everything together sent a cold sweat trickling down Eden’s back.

“I suppose that’s the case, isn’t it?”

Fortunately, Karon did not press further and seemed to accept her explanation. Eden breathed a silent sigh of relief, nodding along.

“Of course.”

Karon smiled gently at her.

“You did well.”

The praise, delivered in his kind tone, left Eden feeling strangely perplexed.

‘Huh? But I just said it was a coincidence?’

However, by then, they had arrived at the East Tower, leaving no room for further conversation.

“We’re here.”

“Oh… Thank you for accompanying me.”

“Think nothing of it.”

“I’ll take my leave now… I have a lot of cleaning to do.”

“Of course.”

Eden gave Karon a small bow before hurrying into the tower. As she stepped inside, she risked a glance over her shoulder. Karon stood where she had left him, still looking her way. When their eyes met, he flashed her another warm smile.

‘Ack!’

Startled, Eden whipped her head back around and bolted up the spiral staircase. Only when she heard his footsteps receding did she finally slow down and let out a breath she didn’t know she had been holding.

“…This damn game.”

Leaning against the wall, Eden peered out a small window at Karon’s retreating figure, sweat breaking out on her brow. She had thought he would be the easiest character to bring into her fold, but her assumption had been utterly wrong.

No, when she had played the game, he hadn’t been like this. Back then, she had thought of him as an upright character with strong convictions. But now…

“He wasn’t the type to smile while spitting venom…”

The realization that the game she had played might have hidden layers of character complexity left Eden feeling suffocated.

“…Still, he should stick to his basic traits, right?”

Karon was a character driven by a strong sense of justice, and his loyalty was always directed toward the empire. Even this unsettling side of him must stem from that fundamental setting.

“Stay calm, Seo Ji-won… No, Eden. Stick to the basics, and you’ll clear this.”

Muttering self-reassurances, Eden took a deep breath and resumed her climb toward the office.

Once she reached the top, Eden passed a security check from the guard at the door and entered the chamber. She had expected the topmost floor to be an office, but it revealed yet another spiral staircase.

“Um… I’ll be going up now.”

Though she knew no one was there to hear her, Eden spoke cautiously as she ascended. At the top, she was greeted by an impeccably clean and spacious room.

The office was far more expansive than it appeared from the outside. The walls were lined with shelves overflowing with books, and scattered among them were pots of rare plants Eden had never seen before.

Eden recalled the strict instructions she had been given. At least this room’s pristine condition made it possible to clean without moving anything.

“So this is the High Priest’s office. Doesn’t look like much.”

With careful hands, Eden began dusting, her thoughts lingering on the tension between Karon and the priests.

“…Does Karon dislike the cathedral?”

Why?

She replayed the conversation in her mind.

“Meaning, he’s upset the barrier only protects the capital?”

Eden furrowed her brow. To Karon, the cathedral’s focus on the capital alone must seem unjust.

Still, Eden knew that maintaining the barrier required an enormous amount of divine energy, even for the High Priest. Expanding it to cover the entire empire was likely impossible.

The larger the barrier, the weaker its protection. The fact that the High Priest could sustain a barrier encompassing the capital was impressive in itself.

“Of course, it must be frustrating for someone on the frontlines…”

Eden stacked books from the desk and sank into thought.

“So what does Karon want, then?”

Surely he knew that a barrier protecting the entire empire was unrealistic. Figuring out his desires would certainly aid in gaining his favor.

It was then.

A quest notification!

Eden’s eyes lit up at the familiar sound. Her head shot up, spotting the glowing quest window in the middle of the High Priest’s office.

Her face lit with excitement, only to darken a moment later.

“What?”

Eden blinked in disbelief. Though the window didn’t respond, she couldn’t hold back her incredulous voice.

“…Tea? With him?”

Ivatan Rainveron was the Chancellor of Hesmores. Meeting someone of such stature was already daunting enough, but a casual tea meeting?

“Ha…ha…”

It seemed her luck had officially run out.