Chapter 760: An Employment Relationship
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 760: An Employment Relationship
Falling leaves drifted through the air as a cold wind howled.
Despite being in the middle of a lush botanical garden, the atmosphere had somehow become exceptionally desolate. It was as if a "negative energy generator" was running at full capacity, making an outstanding contribution to solving the problem of global warming.
"Waaaaah... Dammit! Why? Why is heaven doing this to me?"
At this moment, the negative energy generator herself was still pounding the ground with her small fists, consumed by grief and indignation.
Ariel could not understand. She truly, deeply could not understand.
Life had given her hardships, forcing her to eat nothing but black bread, and she could endure that; she had been used to such struggles since childhood.
Cultivation brought her pain, putting her through trials and crises, and she could endure that too; it was the path she had to take to become stronger. Anything that didn't kill her only made her more powerful.
Her innate constitution left her "broad-chested"—flat as a board—earning her the sneers and humiliation of those lewd, big-bosomed cows. She didn't even care that much about that, for she firmly believed that even the smallest bud would one day bloom and bear fruit.
But...
But...
Why did she always suffer such crushing defeat when it came to matters of the heart, specifically her struggle for the "Crystal Palace" of her dreams?
Failure was one thing. Multiple failures were also fine; she wasn't the type to stay down after being knocked over.
But why was it always the same person who caused her to fail?
It was him with Liya.
It was him with Celicia.
And now... even the Miss Muse she had been pining for, the one she thought was her fated match... Setting aside the failure itself, how did she turn out to be that person?
Did the plot really have to be this convoluted and bizarre?
"Heavens... are you punishing me?"
Ariel subconsciously pulled out her Voice Transmission Stone with a trembling hand. Recorded within was a frequency she had long ago memorized by heart.
On many nights following bloody battles, she had been tempted countless times to dial this frequency, yet she had always held back, fearing she would disturb the beauty on the other side.
But in the end... in the end, there was no beauty.
None!
There was only that damned blonde bastard!
"Dammit... is my luck really this bad? Why do I always run into this kind of thing?"
Wait, that wasn't right.
Her luck was supposed to be excellent. Otherwise, she wouldn't have obtained so many blessings and abilities up to this point. In fact, she had never lost a bet on anything with a probability greater than fifty percent...
Huh?
Actually, she had lost before. And the reason she lost was also because...
"Aaaaaah! Dammit, dammit, dammit! I can't take it! I'm going to kill that bastard!"
After thinking it over, she realized that every bit of suffering she had endured until now was connected to that prick. Even with a heart as solid as stone, Ariel couldn't stomach this humiliation. She leaped to her feet and drew the Heavenly Fire Greatsword in one fluid motion.
That’s right, kill him!
Once he was dead, everything would be fine!
Ariel marched back to Muen’s side.
Her face was as cold as iron, radiating a chilling killing intent. Every movement screamed her resolve to hack Muen Campbell to pieces.
Except...
The man didn't show the slightest fear or even react to her killing intent.
Because...
"Huh?"
Muen’s eyes were tightly shut, his face deathly pale. He had completely lost consciousness at some point.
Forcing the Black Flame to refine medicine within his own body and then losing so much blood just now—even if his body were made of iron, he couldn't withstand such a toll.
In fact, the fact that he had held on until now was a testament to his incredible willpower. A normal person would have likely collapsed and died long ago under such mental and physical torture.
"Don't think playing the pity card will stop me from cutting you down!"
Ariel gritted her teeth, unwilling to let him off.
She had made up her mind. After suffering such humiliation, killing this bastard was only natural. Even a goddess as merciful as the Light Goddess couldn't find fault with her!
"Die, Muen Campbe—"
Ariel raised the Heavenly Fire Greatsword, about to strike...
Vrrr...
The Heavenly Fire Greatsword trembled slightly, letting out a low hum.
Ariel froze.
"You..."
She glared at the sword, her teeth grinding together. "You bastard, he only used you once! What are you resisting for? Are you going to let him snatch you away too?"
Vrrr, vrrr...
"I know he saved me! I know he saved me at the cost of his own life! But didn't I save him too? What does that have to do with me wanting to kill him?"
Vrrr, vrrr, vrrr, vrrr...
"Who... who are you saying can't bring themselves to do it? Don't you know I want to chop him into pieces and eat him raw right now?"
Vrrr...
"..."
After a brief "exchange," Ariel looked like an infuriated heifer, panting heavily with bloodshot eyes. It was as if her sore spot had been poked with surgical precision.
Ultimately, she swung the Heavenly Fire Greatsword to the side and stomped her foot.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit... Damned Muen Campbell!"
"I'll remember this grudge! Once I've repaid my debt to you and we get out of here, I'm definitely going to kill you! For now, I'm just letting you keep your dog life!"
Ariel huffed and turned to walk away. But after only two steps, she suddenly turned back.
A profound light flashed in her eyes once more.
The Eye of Truth.
This time, however, it wasn't to confirm that loathsome face, but to...
"Hmph, it looks like you won't live long even if I don't do anything," Ariel sneered, hands on her hips.
His mental energy was drained, he’d lost too much blood, and his internal aura was in total disarray.
To be honest, Muen Campbell’s current state was similar to hers earlier; he was basically on the verge of kicking the bucket. If no one helped him, it was hard to say if he could pull through on his own.
Serves him right for feeding me so much of that stinky blood! He deserves it!
Just die a pathetic death like that, it’s perfect for—
"Tsk."
Ariel clicked her tongue, wiping a trace of blood from the corner of her mouth.
Despite her words, the more she thought about it, the more she realized that if she didn't kill the bastard with her own hands, she would never be able to vent her frustration.
That’s right. It’s not that I want to save him; I’m just saving him so it’s more convenient to kill him myself later. Saving him and wanting to kill him aren't mutually exclusive.
Ariel waved her hand, and in an instant, surging flames filled the entire botanical garden.
Having consumed so much medicinal blood, she had recovered about twenty to thirty percent of her strength. While it didn't seem like much, it was enough to allow her to wield her Divine Blessing on a large scale.
"Come."
Ariel’s eyes shimmered. In this garden filled with ancient flora, she quickly identified several useful medicinal herbs. They drifted toward her, caught in the swirling currents of her flames.
"Refine."
Ariel slammed her palms together. The circulating flames immediately emitted a precise, high temperature, beginning to smelt the herbs with expert control.
Muen Campbell didn't know how to refine medicine, but she did.
Furthermore, with her mastery of potions—honed by years of her teacher’s diligent instruction—there was no way she could let someone die before her eyes in an ancient botanical garden overflowing with treasures.
"Consider yourself lucky, you blonde bastard."
*
"Am I... not dead yet?"
Muen opened his eyes to a world of pure white light. It wasn't the sun or the moon, but a soft glow emitted by massive magic stones—bright, but not blinding.
"Right, I..."
Muen remembered something and bolted upright, his hands frantically checking his body.
Okay, hands are still there. Legs are still there. Eyes, nose, ears—all present. Even his most precious "son" was still there.
"Phew... scared me to death. I thought for sure..."
"Thought I’d take the chance while you were out to draw and quarter you?"
A ghostly voice rang out, making Muen jump.
He turned his head stiffly to find Ariel sitting on a patch of bare ground nearby, hugging her knees. Her fierce expression made her look like she was staring at a skinned lamb, ready to pounce and devour it to satisfy her grudge.
"Ha... haha, good morning." Muen offered an awkward but polite smile. "It seems the beautiful Miss Ariel has recovered quite well?"
He was as timid now as he had been forceful before.
The situation had been dire then, but now that the crisis had passed, he realized his previous behavior was essentially dancing a jig on Ariel’s grave. If she’d had a single breath left in her, she would have crawled out of the dirt to strangle him.
"It seems you know exactly what kind of bastarly things you did."
"Haha... well, didn't I say? It was all an accident, an accident..."
As he spoke, Muen noticed a bitter taste in his mouth, which gave him pause.
Is this... medicine?
In an instant, he understood everything. Muen looked at Ariel in shock. "You refined medicine to save me?"
No wonder the garden looked so much brighter. He hadn't expected Ariel to actually step in and save him after everything.
Is this the broad-mindedness of a protagonist? I could get used to this.
"Don't get the wrong idea! I only did it to repay the favor so I can kill you later with a clear conscience!"
Ariel gave a cold laugh that made Muen shiver.
Surprisingly, however, Ariel didn't dwell on the matter for long. She ground the grass under her toe and asked with her head down, "Tell me, why is the illustrious son of a Duke in Demon territory? The Empire and the Demons are at war. Don't tell me you took a liking to some Demon woman and came here specifically to snatch her."
"Well... that's actually not far off," Muen replied after a moment's thought.
"Huh?"
Ariel looked up in shock. "Have you really become that desperate? You’re even interested in those hideous Demon freaks?"
"Don't make it sound so disgusting, okay?" Muen said with a wry smile. "What I mean is, while my initial goal was different, I'm actually here to save someone."
"Who?"
"An."
"Miss An?"
Shock flashed through Ariel’s eyes again. After a moment of stunned silence, her expression turned to one of disappointment.
"I see... so even Miss An is..."
Ugh... that damned blonde!
Why is he so charming? Why do girls flock to him one after another while I...
No, stop thinking about it. My heart hurts. If I keep thinking, my heart is going to shatter!
"You know An too?" Muen asked, puzzled.
"I met her on the way. I only got involved in this to help Miss An, but I didn't expect..." Ariel trailed off.
Dammit. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Maybe she should just kill this guy right now!
"I see..."
Seeing Ariel start to toy with her greatsword again, Muen’s eye twitched. He silently scooted his body back a few inches.
He had originally thought Ariel was involved simply because of her "eye of the storm" protagonist nature, but he hadn't realized there was such a hidden connection.
He felt increasingly guilty toward Ariel. It felt like even if she actually did kill him, he wouldn't have much right to complain.
"So... what does Ariel plan to do next?" Muen asked after a moment.
"What do I plan to do?" Ariel retorted. "What else is there to do? Recover, find a way out of this hellhole, and then find an opportunity to kill you."
"Can... can we temporarily stop talking about killing me?"
I'm physically weak right now; I really can't handle the stress.
After venting internally, Muen continued, "We've already come this far. Why not come with me?"
"With you?"
Ariel immediately made a face of disgust. "Do you want me to be bored to death by your stench on the way? Please, I'm no longer in the mood to be involved in this."
"But An..."
"Whatever happens to Miss An has absolutely nothing to do with me!" Ariel’s voice suddenly rose.
That’s right, what happened to Miss An was none of her business. They were just passing acquaintances. Although she’d had the idea of adding her to her Crystal Palace before, that was impossible now.
For this blonde bastard to risk his life to save her, Miss An must be someone very important to him. What was the point of her getting involved? It would be just like...
No, no, no! Don't mention that incident again!
Even if there were a reason to stay involved, it would only be for the beautiful girl captives waiting to be rescued. She could do that on her own.
"Go by yourself. Isn't she your girl?"
"I suppose so..."
Muen rubbed his chin, secretly observing Ariel’s face. That expression... didn't look like someone who didn't want to go.
And...
"Right. Since you have nothing else to do and I happen to need a helper, how about I hire you?"
Muen gestured to their surroundings. "In an unfamiliar environment like this, two people helping each other is better than going it alone. Not to mention we're both still injured, and you'll need me to find the way out, won't you?"
"Hire me?" Ariel laughed in spite of herself. "Do you really think your measly coins could—"
"Ten million," Muen said, holding up a finger.
"Heh, ridiculous." Ariel’s disdain grew. Was she the type of person who could be bought for a mere ten million...
"Twenty million."
"Hmph."
So what if it was twenty million? She had gained plenty in the Abyss. As long as she returned to the Empire and found a way to sell those items, she’d be a multi-millionaire in minutes. She was no longer that pauper who cried over two weeks' worth of meal money!
"Thirty million?"
"Shut up! I am not that kind of person!" Ariel barked with an air of righteousness.
Even if thirty million wasn't a small sum for a new multi-millionaire, how could she possibly accept employment from the person she hated most? This guy seriously underestimated Ariel Bugard!
"Give up. I will absolutely never—"
"One hundred million."
"Deal."