Chapter 143
Chapter 143
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 143
Chapter Title: Shahad's Oath
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“Frankly, I’m against it.”
“Why?”
The unrelenting stress and frayed nerves. Is this what it feels like to be on the verge of madness? Constant vigilance and suspicion that stretched beyond day and night. Paranoia deepening alongside the doubts.
Shahad pressed hard on his temples before lifting his gaze fiercely, and his aide familiarly pulled a vial from his pocket.
“Do we really need to join hands with them? We don’t even know who they are, and they’re dangerous to boot.”
“So, has anyone besides them explained why I’m in this state? From renowned priests to scholars and mages. All the prominent figures on the continent—who among them has ever even mentioned it once?”
Simply that I was born frail. That all of this was just the result of my innate instability.
They all blamed my fundamental nature rather than my efforts, never weighing them properly.
“Even so. That doesn’t give us a primal reason to trust them, Shahad. In fact, as you said, no one has known until now—doesn’t it contradict that they somehow do?”
Even if they claimed to have a trait that could detect seals on someone’s talents.
What were the odds that someone with such an ability would join that group, spot Shahad’s seal out of all the people on the continent, and approach him?
‘Wouldn’t it be far more convincing to assume they sowed the seeds long ago and are now reaping them?’
“Yeah, that could be. But listen.”
Even after downing the vial, the pain didn’t stop, nor did the hyperventilation. Clutching his face with his hands amid the suffocating fragments, Shahad’s eyes gleamed sharply through the gaps in his fingers.
“So what? I don’t get what difference that makes right now.”
I told you. Even if they’re devils, I’ll sell my soul.
Even if my soul gets dragged to the demon lands, I have to reclaim what I was meant to have and enjoy.
A soul trapped in a broken body inevitably succumbs to madness.
Shahad’s aide let out a low groan.
“If you wish, I’ll capture them and lock them up, then extract everything.”
“No. This is the first opportunity that’s come my way.”
I plan to grasp it firmly.
At Shahad’s words, the aide bowed his head.
“Then at least let me advise minimal safety measures.”
If they’re truly behind everything, then. If I’m going to be manipulated anyway, better to know and be manipulated.
“Bring the divine contract.”
If they’re not involved even a little. Then under my princely status, I’ll lay hands on everything possible to hold onto them.
That’s why he’d prepared the divine contract.
“I swear that neither I nor my organization has sealed the talents of Taiteria’s 12th Prince Shahad with intent.”
At least that line.
The moment he confirmed that the unknown party hadn’t crossed that line.
The things swirling inside Shahad churned and devoured each other once more.
They prepared above all to become the sharpest thorns.
“…What do you want.”
“Before that. We need minimal safety measures too.”
His raspy voice carried arrogance even through the hoarseness.
‘A royal or noble from another country after all.’
Shahad looked at the divine contract the other offered.
“Everything said here must remain secret.”
“I swear it.”
Fetters each placed on the other.
Once that was done, what remained before Shahad was a hexagon drawn inside a circle. And within that hexagon, something that was neither letters nor pictures—unidentifiable symbols.
A single sheet of paper stamped with it.
“…Do you trust them?”
“No.”
Taiteria’s 1st Princess Seria. If she was behind it all.
Whether to believe it or not was entirely up to him, but if it was true.
‘If you’re prepared, contact me. But regardless, you’ll do one job for me.’
More unrealistic than Seria’s matter was this side.
Who would’ve thought that wastrel was a lackey for this organization.
Shahad fluttered the paper with the strange emblem and opened his mouth.
“Bring Adelian Guardian Kruger.”
* * *
“He’s not as hopeless as I thought.”
The conversation went surprisingly smoothly without any real threats or coercion.
Of the methods 1st Princess Seria offered to unseal him—ones I wouldn’t lose much from—there were two usable ones.
One was an artifact like the continent’s version of a monkey’s paw: it granted wishes but always exacted a price.
The other was a seal-breaking artifact made for unlocking sealed items or places often found in ancient dungeons or labyrinths.
The latter wasn’t originally made for use on people, truth be told.
‘But in my memory, it was definitely possible.’
He didn’t seem as upright as Peria from the hunting festival, but Shahad was more decent than I’d expected.
If he’d been a bit more rotten, I’d have used the monkey’s paw to unseal him while keeping the promise but setting a trap to trip him up later.
‘Tough call.’
His personality wasn’t completely wrecked, and with sealed abilities like [Genius (B)], [Martial Prodigy (B)], [Divinity (C)], he was practically a lottery unit.
‘If I could recruit him, I’d run him in the 2nd squad….’
If this were Innocent Saga—the game itself—I’d have snapped him up for the second party no matter what, sight unseen. Unfortunately, this was reality.
As the mastermind, one wrong backstab and I’d have a headache.
“What’re you pondering so hard?”
With my arms crossed, humming and hawing, Zero asked casually while carrying me like luggage.
“Oh, this and that. Let’s wrap this up first, head back to the lodging, and think it over more.”
Maybe because of the mana delay. In the maze garden enchanted to disorient people, Zero navigated flawlessly, as if viewing it from above, avoiding everyone else and setting me down at the outskirts.
Quite some time delayed from my secret talk with Shahad.
Vert, who’d obediently hidden at first when I said to play hide-and-seek and stay put.
What about now?
I took off the black robe, grabbed Aegis who’d been flying invisibly nearby in guard mode, and checked my face reflected on its round body.
Good. The hair I’d styled well was a bit mussed.
Slowly emerging from the maze garden, Vert—who couldn’t control her expression this time—froze while drinking something at a table near the garden, then strode over with a hardened face.
“Adeli……!”
“You’re too much, Vert.”
Before she could unload on me, I hardened my expression, glaring at her like my pride was wounded—lips twitching like I wanted to smile but couldn’t.
“Too much? What’s too much is……!”
“No matter how much I hate it, you could’ve just told me from the start.”
I cut her off without giving her a chance to speak properly.
“No, wait. Let me talk first.”
“Yeah, now I get it. You’ve been playing me all this time? Figures.”
“What are you talking about!”
“You knew the rumors about me, right? How much did you laugh inside? That wastrel Adelian trying to look good for you, acting like a decent guy.”
I recited coldly, staring at Vert as if she couldn’t comprehend, her face going blank for a moment.
“Searching everywhere and not finding you, wandering while you watched me for fun? You’re crueler than I thought.”
“Huh?”
No matter how big the maze garden was, failing to spot you even once while scouting meant you’d ditched me from the start so you wouldn’t have to hear my confession—you left me to wander alone.
Whispering that to Vert, I quickly turned back toward the maze garden before she could grab my ankle.
“Hey, wait! Talk to me!”
Vert hurried after me, but it was already too late.
Rounding one corner, Zero scooped me up like luggage again and slithered inward.
“Let’s shake her off in the maze appropriately and head back.”
“Don’t worry about that, but is it okay to leave her like that?”
I chuckled softly at Zero’s glance back.
“Why? Concerned?”
“Well, she’s still young.”
Appearances were everything.
Sending lookalikes to corner us, making moves on Gadia, coveting my things—even worry spread to those who eyed us that way.
I shrugged.
“So what if she gets embarrassed once at a party.”
It’s not just once, Zero muttered, but I let it slide.
I’d tucked it away in memory for a while. Zero was innocently soft-hearted despite appearances.
That’s why it was better to pair him with Kane. But of all times, Kane wasn’t around.
Protagonists were always absent when needed. Then his comrades die, he awakens on that pretext, huh?
Maybe I should watch my back for a bit.
“Don’t forget. Enemies can approach in their most harmless form.”
Zero pondered my words before speaking.
“As Adelian?”
No, even if I’m weaker than you, that’s too much.
The guy who once called me a demon was catching up now.
While I shook Zero by the collar, we arrived at the lodging, and he set me down.
“Work and home—now I’m hungry.”
“Me too.”
After attending a lavish, glittering party hosted by royals, what of it.
I’d had a few cups of tea at the maze garden center, and outside, I’d just pranked Vert without eating.
Clutching our growling stomachs and slumping our shoulders, we trudged to the lodging, knocked like we were making a snowman, and the door flew open.
“Ah, why so late!”
“Why snap at people who just got off work?”
A delicious aroma hit our noses the moment the door opened, along with Rachel shoving her furious face forward.
When I pushed her face away, she didn’t budge—instead rubbing against my hand like she was headbutting it—and growled.
“The rabbit said no dinner till you came!”
“I gave snacks and stuff, not dinner.”
Ah, so this was the weight of being the head of household.
After a full day’s work, even a dragon not my daughter was nagging me.
It almost brought tears.
“Ah, let’s wash up first and eat. Gotta clean up a bit.”
“Don’t wash! What’s magic for?”
Inside, there was a huge horned chicken roasted in butter, topped with cheese and tomatoes on firm baked bread, plus spicy steamed fish.
“If you really go wash, I’ll explode, Adelian.”
“Figures.”
With no choice at Zero’s whisper, I pulled out the codex and cast Clean and Purification.
“Good, good.”
Sitting down at last, Rachel finally beamed happily.
“Whew.”
—I’ll divide the horned chicken.
Luna shook her head with a sigh at the sight, while Leaf silently rose, picking up carving fork and knife to slice the horned chicken.
She gave me a big drumstick, a portion to each of the others.
The largest body went plate and all in front of Rachel, who swallowed hard, eyes gleaming happily.
—Did your vassal work yield results, Manager?
“Not bad. It’s too early to show my face openly, so I just threw smoke with the emblem I made this time.”
Who knew I’d remake my seal stamp here. The one from Earth as Kang Suho wasn’t common here—perfect for black ops.
And positioning Adelian as a clueless lackey #1 for that organization worked fine.
I tore off a big piece of the drumstick and grinned.