Wasn’t This Supposed To Be a Strategy Game?

“Are you going to the library again today?”

 

Rita asked, habitually cutting her bread in half with practiced precision. Eden, already having cleaned her plate, stood up and replied.

 

“Yeah.”

 

Rita looked at her with admiration, prompting Eden to flash a quick smile before heading to the library.

 

Ever since Eden realized that her situation wasn’t just a fleeting mistake or dream, she had been coming to the temple library every day.

 

“More scripture study?”

 

A fellow priest passing by noticed Eden poring over the scripture and shook his head in mild disbelief.

 

Eden smiled, skillfully deflecting.

 

“Just trying to learn more.”

 

“Such dedication! Keep up the good work!”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Once her colleague had left, leaving the library in quiet solitude, Eden took a deep breath and opened the scripture once again. Despite her daily efforts, the sheer thickness of the book meant her bookmark was still lodged in the early chapters.

 

“…”

 

Bracing herself against the overwhelming length, Eden continued reading, making a conscious effort to push aside any distraction.

 

The scripture, dedicated to the deity Hamyun, was filled with legends and myths that felt close to fantasy. When viewed as just another story, it wasn’t too dull.

 

But Eden wasn’t studying this book just to pass the time.

 

“By now, something should’ve cleared…”

 

With only three days until the imperial banquet, a hint of anxiety crept in. Mumbling to herself, Eden quickly adjusted her mindset, shaking her head.

 

“No, stay genuine. Only a sincere heart can receive blessings.”

 

Please, Hamyun, lend me a hand.

 

As Eden resumed reading with a quiet prayer, she heard it.

[*Ding!* The long-awaited notification sound echoed in her ear. She lifted her head to see the alert window in front of her. *【★】Basic Quest Completed!* *Faith has increased to 20! Please select a reward.* *<Prophecy Book/Item/Stat Increase>*] 

“Yes!”

 

In her excitement, Eden momentarily forgot she was in a library and let out a loud exclamation, only to immediately glance around with a gasp.

 

Fortunately, there were only a few other people in the library, and they glanced at her briefly before returning to their own tasks.

 

“Um…”

 

Trying to play it cool, Eden turned her attention back to the notification window.

 

As expected, the first quest of raising her Faith stat was tied to reading the scripture and learning the doctrines.

 

“Of course, if I wanted higher Faith, simply reading the scripture probably wouldn’t be enough.”

 

But her aim wasn’t Faith itself—it was the reward.

 

Eden’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the three options.

 

This was just like *Last Kingmaker.* Completing a quest always gave these three types of rewards, and the player had to choose one to proceed with.

 

The Prophecy Book provided hints or key information for upcoming episodes.

 

Items were given at random, but they always proved useful, even if they seemed trivial at first.

 

The Stat Increase allowed her to raise any of her stats, with the increase amount varying based on quest difficulty.

 

All three rewards were tempting, but Eden had a specific one in mind this time. Her gaze focused on the ‘Item’ option.

 

“…”

 

Eden had a theory.

 

“If this character truly is a hidden character, then a certain item should appear.”

 

Holding her breath, Eden slowly moved her hand and pressed firmly on the word ‘Item’ in the air. She felt a strange sensation, as if she were actually touching something, and then the chosen reward glowed, with a new window appearing above it.

 *You have selected Item as your reward. The item ‘XXXXX’ has been granted to you.* 

Eden barely managed to finish reading the notification before she felt her pocket grow heavier.

 

“No way…”

 

Could this game be more surreal?

 

She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh, amazed yet again by how eerily realistic everything felt. After all, she was in a world where notification windows floated in midair.

 

Without hesitation, Eden reached into her pocket and carefully pulled out the item she had received.

 

“…”

 

Eden’s eyes shone with clear excitement.

 

With the item in hand, the next steps were all up to her as the player.

 

Eden immediately sought out Priest Mobrin to volunteer for the Imperial Foundation Day banquet. Fortunately, getting a spot at the banquet wasn’t too difficult.

 

Since it was the annual celebration of the empire’s founding, the grand banquet was attended by the high priest, and a few novice priests could accompany him for “experience.” Eden made a discreet offer to the chosen novice, Herna.

 

“I’ll clean the high priest’s office for two months in your place!”

 

After some hesitation, Herna accepted Eden’s proposal, securing Eden’s spot at the banquet.

 

Finally, the day of the event arrived.

 

Since the high priest and the imperial palace were in the same capital, the journey wasn’t far. The priests traveled by carriage, and Eden joined them on their way to the grand hall, where her first episode would begin.

 

“Wow…”

 

Looking out the carriage window at the palace, Eden couldn’t help but be amazed.

 

She knew from the game’s setting that Hesmore was the largest and most powerful empire on the continent, but being confined to the temple for a month had kept her from experiencing it firsthand.

 

The grandeur of the massive, majestic palace made it all real.

 

The capital was in a festive mood in honor of Foundation Day, and both the palace surroundings and the palace interior were lavish and vibrant.

 

“It really feels like a game world.”

 

Following the high priest, the priests entered the banquet hall. When the high priest arrived, the chatter in the room ceased as everyone quieted in reverence.

 

Eden, positioned at the back of the line, glanced at the nobles, who greeted the high priest with the reverence one would show to a deity.

 

Given that this world had an official religion and dark creatures that only holy power could defeat, it was clear that the high priest’s authority rivaled even the imperial family’s.

 

“High Priest Serman Laok, greetings to His Majesty the Emperor.”

 

Walking down the long carpet, the high priest Serman bowed respectfully before the emperor.

 

Standing in line with the other priests at a distance, Eden finally got a good look at Serman’s face.

 

He was so busy that, despite sharing the same temple, Eden hadn’t seen him before.

 

Though she was familiar with the high priest’s character illustration from the game, seeing the actual character in real life was fascinating.

 

“…”

 

Despite his lofty position as the high priest, Serman was young. His exact age was unknown, but he appeared to be barely over thirty.

 

As someone who commanded deep trust from the citizens, he exuded a serene yet solid aura that instilled confidence.

 

And, as expected from a game known for its high-quality art, Serman was strikingly handsome.

 

‘If even a side character like the high priest looks like this, the main ones must be breathtaking.’

 

Eden glanced at Serman’s lavender hair. The long, silken strands added an air of mystery.

 

His deep violet eyes, paired with his high priestly role, only enhanced his captivating presence.

 

“I congratulate the Empire of Hesmore on its founding day and pray that His Majesty will continue to protect our citizens from the vile creatures threatening us. I, too, will give my all to aid you, Your Majesty.”

 

Watching him, Eden couldn’t help but wonder why the high priest wasn’t among the characters eligible to be a royal ally.

 

Maybe his neutrality as the high priest kept him out of court politics?

 

“With the high priest’s blessing once again, Hesmore will be safe and prosperous for another year.”

 

The emperor smiled with satisfaction. He had graying hair but was still in good health.

 

Eden observed the emperor with curiosity. Seeing how perfectly he matched his in-game illustration sent a shiver down her spine.

 

Finally, Eden remembered why she was here and scanned her surroundings.

 

“…”

 

Sure enough, she recognized many of the faces filling the grand banquet hall. At the very front was the first prince, Kyris Declend, the prince she had failed to raise to the throne.

 

Not far behind him stood the second prince, Patrian Declend, another potential choice from the game.

 

And then…

 

“Ha…”

 

Eden let out a short sigh. She had finally spotted the key character she needed to approach.

 

He had light brown hair and dull green eyes, with a stern expression that seemed to have never known a smile.

 

With pure, delicate features contrasting his cold, rigid demeanor, this was Ivatan Rainberon, the youngest chancellor in the empire, known as the Empire’s Hope.

 

The man looked just as formidable as he had in his illustration, and the sight was daunting.

 

He looks like he wouldn’t bleed if you stabbed him.

 

“How am I supposed to convince that guy…”