Chapter 104
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Royal Palace (7)
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"Hahaha... Well, thanks to you, I've saved myself some trouble. Thank you, Mr. Lee Yun-seong."
"No need, Mr. Ray Hak-ter."
"Anyway, thanks to you, we've skipped a tedious process. We've already compiled most of what that woman confessed... The palace will likely launch a secret subjugation operation soon."
"...A subjugation operation?"
"Yes. From the palace's perspective, they can't just leave madmen conducting human experiments alone... Those guys haven't caused much trouble in the Neutral Nation yet, but we checked and found they have records of major incidents in the Eastern Alliance and Taios."
Recalling how that bastard Bahn bought slaves from the Eastern Alliance for human experiments, it made sense they'd stirred things up there.
But I hadn't expected them to have done the same in Taios.
'It's unexpected that they've operated even in Taios.'
These guys seemed bigger than I'd thought.
"Understood for now. So what about Sharis? My request..."
"Ah... There were several discussions at the palace, but since most of the credit for this incident goes to you, Mr. Lee Yun-seong, we concluded your request was reasonable."
"In that case..."
"Yes. As you requested, the woman named Sharis belongs to the Eternity Clan—no, to you, Mr. Lee Yun-seong. Of course, as per your request, we've placed magical restrictions on her, so she won't be able to do anything foolish."
My request had been simple. Since my contribution to this incident was significant, as Ray Hak-ter said, I just asked for the woman named Sharis to become my property.
Sharis had demanded her freedom from me, but I had no intention of granting it.
Or more precisely, as one of the top-tier powerhouses, I planned to use her as a subordinate.
'She's valuable talent; it feels wrong to just let her go free, and it'd be a waste to hand her over to the palace.'
In the end, my rewards had doubled in an instant. I'd suddenly gained two legendary-grade items and Sharis.
I couldn't stop the corners of my mouth from turning up at this unexpected windfall.
And who could blame me?
'Being able to wield a supreme powerhouse like a tool is an enormous achievement. Honestly, forget the legendary items—this is what I wanted most.'
I felt like bowing to Yun Yeon in gratitude. Without her, I wouldn't have gotten rewards like this.
I hadn't expected things to work out so smoothly.
From Ray Hak-ter's recent words and actions, he didn't seem to harbor any ill intentions toward me.
'Well... at least not yet.'
Everything falling into place so suddenly actually made me uneasy.
Unexpected luck was great, of course, but it felt off to just bask in it.
'Whenever fortune comes my way, misfortune follows right after. Probably just my imagination.'
In any case, I needed to visit Sharis again. Her opinion didn't matter much, but it was best to inform her.
No matter that she was now my property to command as I wished, I didn't want to force or oppress her unnecessarily.
'It's not about conscience; honestly, the hassle of doing that is just tiring.'
Conscience? I'm not righteous enough to worry about that when such huge gains are on the line. I'd sell it out in a heartbeat if it profited me.
It was just the exhaustion from forcing her that bothered me.
After parting with Ray Hak-ter and arriving at the prison, I spotted Sharis spotting me and opening her mouth.
"...How did it go? I told you everything as you said. The promise..."
"Of course, I kept the promise. Well... not entirely."
"Not entirely...? What does that mean?"
"I'll spare your life. But I can't grant you complete freedom. The palace deems you a dangerous individual they can't just release, and I agree."
"What...? Then what..."
"You've been assigned to the Eternity Clan—or more precisely, to me—and you'll serve as my subordinate from now on."
"W-what? What is that?! I clearly asked for freedom! That...!"
'Her reaction is as intense as expected. Tsk... How do I handle this...'
I'd anticipated it, but her response was even more vehement than I'd imagined.
I didn't know the exact reason, but this woman Sharis seemed obsessively fixated on keywords like "freedom" and "normal life."
"Calm down first. Think about it—isn't it obvious? Why would I or the Neutral Nation trust you with full freedom?"
"But...!"
"Serving as my subordinate won't involve anything unreasonable or bizarre; it'll feel close to freedom. I have no intention of oppressing you greatly. Just fulfill your role as a clan member of the Eternity Clan."
"I'm... I'm a native. Why should I join you foreigners' clan and do as you say?"
"Would you prefer doing the palace's dirty work under constant surveillance for life...? Look, I'm not forcing you. The choice is yours, Ms. Sharis."
"......"
She had no real options. This was a done deal.
Her best choice was to accept my proposal.
"...This isn't what you promised...!"
She was practically whimpering now.
I didn't know if she was imagining her future or what, but she'd realized there was no guaranteed freedom ahead.
"...I've done all I could. I can't do more than this. Let's be frank—I'm not the king, am I?"
"......"
"What will you do?"
I asked without much emotion. She'd accept my offer anyway.
All I saw was her nodding slowly through quiet sobs.
Of course, I needed to explain to Seo Yu-ju what had been discussed at the palace and what had transpired.
She was our clan's Clan Master, and I'd already gotten permission from the palace to share the information.
When I explained the situation on the way back to her, she looked flustered and followed along.
Her face showed utter bewilderment.
"...So, Mr. Yun-seong, you're saying the maid from Lord Byeongang Baek's mansion is actually a native tied to demons... and now she's become property of our clan... is that right?"
"Hahaha... Yes, that's how it turned out."
Seo Yu-ju rubbed her face tiredly and spoke.
"Haa... Mr. Yun-seong, what on earth have you been up to?"
"Well... it just happened that way... Anyway, because of that, the palace is launching a subjugation operation."
"...I get that. More importantly, the maid Sharis..."
"She's nominally part of the Eternity Clan... but I have a favor to ask, Yu-ju. Could I manage Sharis myself?"
"...Go ahead. It's your personal achievement, after all."
"Thank you, Yu-ju."
I'd worried she might refuse or react poorly, but fortunately, she approved.
However, her unhappy expression made me feel awkward.
'...Is she upset?'
From Seo Yu-ju's perspective, it was understandable to feel displeased. Things had progressed without her knowledge, and she was essentially just being informed.
"Mr. Yun-seong... Do you like the Myth Clan Master?"
"...Pardon?"
"Last time, and now this—you're always tangled up with the Myth Clan Master."
"...No. We cross paths professionally, but I don't have feelings for the Myth Clan Master."
Her expression suggested she didn't believe me.
I'd faced similar misunderstandings before. Since Yun Yeon knew my Unique Trait and we kept working together, this was inevitable.
"Oh, right—today's the day we get our rewards, isn't it? The guide should be here soon..."
*Knock knock.*
"Ms. Seo Yu-ju, Mr. Lee Yun-seong. I'll escort you to the treasure vault."
The timely knock brought relief. Being alone with Seo Yu-ju right now felt burdensome.
Going to the treasure vault was pre-arranged between us.
Not just us two would receive rewards, but we couldn't all swarm in, so only two went to pick items.
The clan members had no complaints.
Seo Yu-ju was the Clan Master, so it was natural, and I was deeply involved in this incident.
"Please wait a moment. I need to disable the security magic on the treasure vault. Thank you for your patience."
I wasn't a mage, so I didn't fully understand, but I could tell intricate spells were inscribed there, visible even to my eyes.
'It's the royal palace's treasure vault, after all. Invading recklessly would leave no bones behind.'
Disabling the security took time, as it was complex, but eventually the guide spoke.
"You may enter now. As I said, select two items and exit. Each item has a description, so choose after reading, or use the one-time artifact if you prefer."
"Yes, understood."
"Just a reminder: don't take more than two. The entrance sensor will only allow up to two."
I nodded at the guide's words and entered the vault, where a dazzling array of items delighted the eyes.
So many splendid treasures—it was hard to know where to start.
"The space isn't too cramped, so I'll look around this side. You..."
"Then I'll check this side. We'll pick as discussed."
We'd already decided who gets which of the reward items. Seo Yu-ju had settled on one for herself.
'The Clan Master needs a legendary-grade weapon to maintain her prestige.'
Seo Yu-ju was a Spearman, after all. It was natural she'd covet fine equipment. Despite feeling sorry toward us, she'd accepted the clan members' urging.
'What should I pick...?'
For the remaining item, I'd said to choose something useful for the other clan members based on my judgment.
Suggestions that I pick for myself had come up, but I'd refused.
'I've got Sharis—that's plenty for me.'
Honestly, Sharis was a greater gain than any legendary item.
I figured I should find something helpful for the others now that I had her.
'Even if I used great gear, it'd be like a pearl necklace on a pig—no efficiency gain.'
And... in the royal palace's treasure vault like this, finding something suited to a Dark Sorcerer seemed unlikely anyway.