Chapter 165
Chapter 165
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 165
Chapter Title: Contract with the Emperor (2)
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“Will you do as I say?”
To Charles XIII’s question.
“Yes, I will.”
Kang Hyun-soo called it without any haggling.
“Ooh, thank you! This could even displease the Empress of the Rokto Empire.”
Though he had made the offer.
From Charles XIII’s position, a refusal would have ruined everything.
He had been prepared to push gifts and persuade if rejected.
‘To accept so readily. As expected of the Dark Knight’s leader.’
Charles XIII was even happier that Kang Hyun-soo matched the image he had imagined.
‘A dark hero who isn’t swayed by personal gain and acts for the peace and stability of the entire Atlantis dimension.’
It was such a shame that such a person hailed from the Mulan Kingdom, a vassal state of the Rokto Empire.
‘No, it’s not too late yet.’
In any case, he had granted the rank of Grand Duke.
And accepted his proposal.
‘I can’t just sit idle.’
Clap clap!
Charles XIII clapped his hands.
Palace attendants then appeared carrying all sorts of gold and jewels.
They stacked them neatly in front of Kang Hyun-soo.
“A gift for you.”
To Charles XIII’s words.
“Material things hold no meaning for me. Thank you, but I must decline.”
Kang Hyun-soo had plenty of money.
Of course, more money was always better.
He could buy high-rank items and skillbooks with it.
However.
‘Image is more important than pocket change like this.’
A well-crafted image would allow.
“Hahaha, I’ve made a big mistake. My apologies.”
‘Even greater rewards.’
“Clear these away and bring every high-rank item and skillbook from the imperial treasury.”
No sooner had Charles XIII spoken than the attendants withdrew with the gold and jewels.
Moments later, high-rank items and skillbooks appeared.
‘Now this is the real treasure.’
The value of just one or two high-rank items here.
‘Far exceeds all that gold and jewelry from before.’
Kang Hyun-soo’s prediction that showing detachment from material greed would yield greater gains proved spot on.
“Take whatever you need.”
Kang Hyun-soo’s eyes sparkled at Charles XIII’s words.
‘Standard high-rank items can go to my subordinate commanders and summons.’
If there were useful skillbooks among them?
Learning them himself would be the gain.
‘These come from the imperial treasury, so there’s bound to be something worthwhile.’
Kang Hyun-soo selected items and skillbooks.
Truthfully, he wanted to take them all.
‘But that’s pushing it.’
It might paint him as greedy to Charles XIII, who had shown him goodwill.
‘Huh?’
As he scanned the items and skillbooks, Kang Hyun-soo’s eyes caught.
‘This is here?’
One completely unexpected skillbook came into view.
[Equivalent Exchange - EX-Rank]
-Consumes one stack to reset the cooldown of another skill.
-Current stacks: 10
-Stacks recharge one by one as the reset skill’s cooldown completes.
‘I have to take this.’
It was one of the cheat skills that allowed chaining long-cooldown skills.
‘Before regression, this ended up in the Lord of Destruction’s hands and caused me endless trouble.’
The Lord of Destruction was a humanity’s enemy, just like the Mad Blood Witch Yuka.
‘A minion of the Demon King.’
As a ranged dealer.
‘He had a wide-area attack skill with immense power—enough to obliterate an entire small city—despite its long cooldown.’
He also possessed an extremely rare long-range spatial teleportation skill.
Generally, powerful ranged attacks or long-range spatial movement skills had long cooldowns.
But.
‘He got Equivalent Exchange and spammed those long-cooldown skills nonstop.’
How a skillbook from the Saklant Empire’s imperial treasury ended up in a Demon King minion’s hands, he didn’t know.
‘Not anymore.’
Kang Hyun-soo took the Equivalent Exchange skillbook.
Strengthening himself while weakening a future humanity’s enemy was a massive profit.
“Finished choosing?”
Charles XIII asked, gazing at Kang Hyun-soo with intrigued eyes.
‘Not foolish.’
He had the political acumen to sit on the throne.
And the reason for speaking now.
‘A timely check.’
He couldn’t let Kang Hyun-soo take everything here.
He had said take as much as wanted.
‘But it was political rhetoric.’
Still.
‘This is more than satisfying.’
Charles XIII’s goodwill toward him wasn’t fake.
‘And he’s still young, after all.’
He viewed Kang Hyun-soo like a hero from a novel or film.
His pride seemed strong too.
“Yes, I’ve chosen. Thank you for your generosity.”
“It’s just recompense for stopping the orc and undead legions.”
With the simple transaction done, Charles XIII posed more questions.
Kang Hyun-soo shared various tales.
“What a shame I couldn’t see it myself!”
Charles XIII reacted with enthusiasm once more.
In the midst of it.
“I wish I had become a Player too.”
Charles XIII muttered with a wistful expression.
‘Well, if this guy were a Player, it wouldn’t be bad for me either.’
He’d slap Marionette on him immediately.
‘Marionette only works on Players.’
Sadly, it couldn’t be cast on monsters, demons, or even non-Player humans.
“To escape this stifling throne, venture on adventures, hunt monsters with comrades, and live freely—how wonderful that would be.”
Charles XIII kept saying childish things.
‘He envies Players.’
And this from someone with the power to command top-named Players with a word.
‘Still a kid, huh.’
He understood to some extent.
He was young, after all.
The power of superhuman Players stirred primal human instincts unlike that of rulers.
‘But after one Tutorial?’
Those thoughts would vanish for sure.
However, Charles XIII envying Players wasn’t all bad.
“For now, we should switch all nations’ spatial gates to constant access. Lift hunting ground restrictions too.”
This was why words got through.
The examples Kang Hyun-soo had sprinkled in worked.
‘He experienced the gate change himself, so constant access makes sense to him.’
But he hadn’t expected hunting ground restrictions lifted too.
“Still, I worry rebels might run rampant.”
Then Charles XIII mentioned treason.
‘So you knew.’
The failed orc legion subjugation shook imperial authority, followed by backlash from vassal states and other-dimension Players.
With troops absent from the Saklant capital, the undead legion invaded.
‘It can’t be coincidence.’
Kang Hyun-soo sensed the rebellion’s signs, and so did Charles XIII.
‘Solved it with my help.’
Conversely, without him, Charles XIII would face a major crisis.
Naming him Grand Duke three months ago patched things up verbally.
‘But let it slide, and it repeats.’
Bringing up gate access and hunting lifts, then this?
“Won’t you officially support me to solidify my throne? It would make things much smoother.”
‘As expected.’
This was political bargaining.
“Ahem!”
Charles XIII cleared his throat, face flushing.
Not shame from an emperor seeking help from a wilder.
“Sorry. Truthfully, I want to grant your requests without conditions, but as a nation’s monarch, it’s not easy.”
He was embarrassed to bargain with conditions to a hero serving humanity.
“I’ll do it. I’m a Saklant noble too. It’s only natural to aid Your Majesty.”
“Hahaha, really? That’s reassuring. No more worrying about rebellions.”
With Iron-Blood Emperor Bragul’s Grand Duke and imperial elite Players suffering heavy losses against the orc legion, shaking the throne and weakening military might.
If Demon-Exorcising Blood God and Dark Knight—who crushed the orc and undead legions—backed Charles XIII?
It would provide immense intangible and tangible support.
“Better do this properly. Bring the soul contract!”
At Charles XIII’s order, attendants swiftly brought the soul contract.
‘Prepared from the start.’
Meeting Kang Hyun-soo personally, granting Grand Duke rank, and gifts were likely for this.
‘He expected me to propose terms first.’
No need now.
Kang Hyun-soo and Charles XIII drafted the soul contract.
But.
“Inspection and military authority too?”
Charles XIII included granting Kang Hyun-soo inspection and military rights in the soul contract.
“Only for Demon King army matters. Can’t exclude what the Rokto Empress granted, right?”
A satisfied smile curved Kang Hyun-soo’s lips.
‘Got Equivalent Exchange skillbook, constant gate access, hunting lifts—huge gains.’
Now imperial authorities like inspection and military rights.
Not free, of course.
‘But still a massive profit.’
If Charles XIII gave this much?
Even without writing it, Kang Hyun-soo would safeguard his throne and safety.
If Charles XIII were ousted or assassinated?
‘All gone.’
Kang Hyun-soo and Charles XIII finished the soul contract.
Whoosh!
It dissolved into bright light orbs, absorbed into their bodies.
“Please take care of me.”
“You too.”
Kang Hyun-soo felt great.
‘Never expected things to go this smoothly.’
He thought it’d end with praise.
Instead, a solid alliance with Charles XIII by chance.
“I’ll assign Your Majesty a bodyguard.”
“Bodyguard?”
“Yes, one of Dark Knight’s top three powerhouses. You’ll like him.”
“Such a powerhouse?”
Charles XIII asked with curious eyes.
‘Then I should.’
Charles XIII dying meant losing reforms, Grand Duke rank, inspection, and military rights.
“Ri, come out.”
With those words, Kang Hyun-soo summoned Doppelganger King Talisman.
Swoosh!
Mana disguised as demonic energy flowed, forming a knight in jet-black armor.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Startled imperial guards drew swords, aiming at Kang Hyun-soo and Doppelganger King Talisman.
“Sheathe your swords! Such rudeness to Dark Lord Grand Duke!”
Even at Charles XIII’s shout, guards held firm.
“An unpermitted intruder breached the palace’s strict security. We can’t overlook it.”
To First Imperial Guard Captain Duke Richard’s words.
“Didn’t you see Dark Lord Grand Duke and I sign the soul contract? He can’t harm me. Sheathe your swords.”
Charles XIII commanded again.
First Imperial Guard Captain Duke Richard sheathed his.
The other guards followed.
‘Duke Richard the Loyal’s steadfast loyalty remains.’
Kang Hyun-soo had met First Imperial Guard Captain Duke Richard before regression.
‘A classic imperial loyalist.’
A knight distant from politics.
‘Died protecting Charles XIV.’
His current lord was Charles XIII.
‘He’d give his life for him.’
Rebellion risk near zero with Duke Richard the Loyal.
“Keep him by your side. Not just a guard—he can contact me anytime.”
“One of Dark Knight’s top three? A tremendous powerhouse.”
Charles XIII eyed Doppelganger King Talisman curiously.
“Yes, Ri is a powerhouse on my level.”
“What?”
Charles XIII’s face filled with shock at Kang Hyun-soo’s words.
Duke Richard the Loyal and the guards shared the reaction.