Chapter 40

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Translator: MadScientist

Chapter: 40

Chapter Title: Forced Contract

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"...What the hell are you?!"

Archlich freaked out as he watched the curse clumps sticking to him one after another, only to slip off each time. Was this even possible? Those were curses! Not some slime blobs!

They weren't supposed to dodge like that in some ridiculous fashion. They were the kind that clung for life, tormenting their target for eons until death!

-Whoosh! Whoosh!

Eugene eyed the persistently attaching curse clumps with annoyance, then simply grabbed one with his hand.

'...You idiot! I don't know how you blocked the curse, but touching it like that...!'

Archlich inwardly mocked Eugene's foolish action, but...

-Clack!

"Got it."

"...?!"

Not only had he blocked the curse, but grabbing it barehanded was such a bizarre sight that Archlich recoiled in shock, dropping his staff.

"Collect."

Having finally collected the slippery curse clump that had been wriggling too much to catch before, Eugene joined Erzsebet, who had finished mopping up the death knights, and turned to Archlich.

"How in the world did you do that? Making my subjects vanish, severing the link with their spirit bodies, and now grabbing curses with your hands..."

"Master."

"Yeah?"

"The method to annihilate the undead you're using... Can't you use it on Archlich?"

"Oh."

Come to think of it, the undead blocking his view were all gone now, so maybe it would work. Archlich was undead too, after all...

"What? Annihilate me...?"

Overhearing the conversation between Eugene and Erzsebet, Archlich bellowed, but his gaze shook with subtle unease.

'I can't understand it at all.'

Even for Archlich, who had amassed knowledge over countless years, Eugene's method of annihilating undead was an utter mystery he couldn't fathom. If... just if...

...he could annihilate even him?

"...!!"

Archlich desperately racked his brains. Logically, it was impossible. His subjects... the skeletons were mere lesser undead. He was leagues beyond them. No way could a great being like him be annihilated by such an absurd method.

But the unknown was inherently frightening, and to Archlich, Eugene's 'system' was that unknown. Therefore...

"...Wait!"

Before Eugene could test the 'collect' function on him, Archlich stepped in to block them.

"...My mood is good, so I'll specially forgive your insolence!"

All while unable to utter the word 'surrender,' even on the brink of death.

'The bluff worked.'

After hearing Erzsebet's words, I'd naturally tried to 'collect' that Archlich or whatever he was. But the attempt had failed.

'Why doesn't it classify as a 'corpse'?'

Skeletons and such showed up as 'corpse' contaminants, but no matter how I looked at Archlich, the collect function never activated. Was it related to what Erzsebet said about sensing 'life' in him?

I'd been pondering that when Archlich suddenly got scared on his own and surrendered.

"Ahem. Upon reflection, showing mercy to those who trespass in my domain is also a virtue of a king..."

He was still clinging to his haughty attitude, rambling about mercy and such.

"...Master! Just annihilate him. A bastard like that...!"

"Calm down, Erzsebet."

"Tch..."

Erzsebet was furious at Archlich's attitude and demanded I wipe him out, but I held her back. I couldn't actually annihilate... or 'collect' him anyway.

But I couldn't waste this advantageous situation. Pretending full confidence that I could 'collect' Archlich at any moment, I initiated a conversation.

"What's your name?"

"...My name is Desmond."

He wouldn't drop his pride despite prattling about mercy, but objectively aware of his disadvantageous position, Desmond twitched his brow at my casual tone yet obediently answered.

I wanted to nitpick his speech too, but provoking him too much might make him lash out again and expose my bluff...

Lots I wanted to ask, but first...

"Desmond. When ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠you first saw us, you asked if we'd tampered with your memories, right?"

"Indeed."

"What did you mean by that?"

The first words Desmond spoke upon seeing us. Ignoring the unpleasant mood stuff...

"Simple. After awakening from eons of slumber, I checked my body's condition... and found gaps in my memories."

"Gaps?"

"Yes. Where this place is, how I ended up sleeping here... none of it was in my memories. Then you invaded my kingdom."

"You don't even know where this is, yet it's your kingdom."

"Where I am is my kingdom."

"........."

Putting aside Desmond's arrogance... memory gaps? Doesn't know where he is?

"...Master."

I glanced at Erzsebet, whose expression had grown serious. Then I recalled Dry waiting upstairs.

'...Third one already.'

Excluding mindless monsters like undead or treants, I'd encountered three beings with intellect in this ruin: Erzsebet, Dry, and now Desmond.

Erzsebet had memory gaps from blood loss, Dry's ego had regressed from nutrient drain.

And now Desmond claimed someone tampered with his memories.

This situation... they're awfully similar, aren't they?

I asked a few more questions after that, but got nothing useful. Like Erzsebet, he was an empty shell with lost memories. He didn't know where this was, or about Earth, or the Cleaning Game.

'Who messed with their memories? The one who reincarnated me here?'

My mind swirled with hypotheses that came and went, but I shook my head. Frustrating, but I had no way to find out now.

Failed to get info, so now what to do with him...

'Killing him... would be tough.'

My trusted 'collect' function was useless, and even with the [High-Pressure Cleaner], Erzsebet said she'd struggle against undead.

If I really tried to kill him, he'd go berserk again despite being docile now. Need some other method...

"Erzsebet. Can't you make him a kin?"

"One that strong isn't easy to turn into kin, and... undead can't be made kin anyway."

"But is that guy even undead?"

I asked, puzzled at Desmond not classifying as a 'corpse'.

"Hmm... An archlich could be seen as half-undead. Having transcended the limits of a normal lich, stepping into the boundary between life and death... calling it fully undead might be a stretch."

Hard to fully grasp, but... half-alive? Anyway, disqualifies him as kin for Erzsebet.

Can't kill him, attitude's a pain, and he's a psycho who tried to kill us on sight to turn into undead... Ha, what to do with this guy.

"No need to make him kin... Master can just contract him, no?"

"Me?"

"Yes. I was unsure before, but... the contract you made with me, and with Dry. Make that one."

Oh, right... [Employee]? Talking about the employee hiring system? Come to think of it, when I registered Erzsebet as an [employee], she sensed something.

But... the [employee] function doesn't bind or restrain anyone, does it? Erzsebet's secured by the 'Blood Contract,' but...

"Hmm. Didn't notice? Master. He's half-undead. Undead are more sensitive to 'contracts'... precisely 'connections' than any race. Trust me once and try imposing your contract on him?"

"Hmm..."

I eyed Erzsebet suspiciously. After all her ditzy moments, hard to trust blindly...

And the [employee] slot wasn't even there to begin with...

'...Huh? What's this.'

As I pondered, the [Main Quest] contamination suddenly popped up. But... 80 percent? Why'd it drop so much?

'Did collecting all those undead count as cleaning?'

Plus Dry and Rio cleaning upstairs... that must've hit exactly 80. Good news, but now's not the time...

And a reward for the 20% drop appeared like before... Wait, employee hire slot?

'...This is practically shoving it down my throat.'

Timing's too perfect. Well, contamination's been dropping steadily, so 80% is coincidence... but of all rewards, an employee slot...

Felt fishy, but can't ignore a given reward. Confirmed over 10,000 points left and decided to follow Erzsebet's advice.

Recalling the [Employee] function and looking at Desmond brought up the familiar message. Casually agreed. No real expectations...

"...W-What are you trying to do?!"

But Desmond's reaction was off. Just registering as [employee], why the freakout...

'Oh yeah, this too.'

The message that always appeared when registering employees. It'd gone smoothly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠before, so I ignored it... It checks consent, huh. No big deal anyway...

"...Huh?"

"W-What did you... Gaaahhh!!!"

Contrary to my expectations, it confirmed and registered Desmond as an 'employee.'

"...What's up with him?"

Desmond suddenly started thrashing wildly.