A Shocking Negotiation

The time has come.
To think Baalzeph requested a one-on-one private audience with me.

It’s definitely one of two things.

Either he noticed something fishy about the Coliseum incident yesterday, or he’s going to give me another bizarre artifact collection quest.

I thought it was rather a good thing.

Whether we liked it or not, it was time to settle things soon anyway.

“…Alright, then listen to my plan.”

Since Karvan said he would ‘usurp Midvalen’, he would do it even if the sky fell. And they say it’s better to get the beating over with quickly.

“I’ll casually ask him first, and if negotiations break down, we’ll go with your plan after that. How’s that?”

“What do you plan to ask.”

Karvan, who had been listening quietly to my operational plan, opened his mouth as if he found it absurd.

“Are you going to politely ask, ‘Can you give us Dowongyeong’?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s right. How did you know?”

From what I’ve observed, Baalzeph is the typical ‘strong against the weak, weak against the strong’ type.

He always gave me vicious quests and nagged me, but he catered to the Skollcat’s every whim, even opening the ‘Coliseum’ just for his simple entertainment, completely subservient to him.

However, the news that we defeated the ‘Rank 1 BerserkerCries’ must have spread throughout Midvalen right on time, and my very rational deduction was that if we threatened him using that as an excuse, he would be scared and negotiations would be easy.

“Also, Baalzeph finds the Skollcat difficult to deal with, right? And that Skollcat is afraid of you, so if we bring that up and threaten him, he’ll surrender 100%.”

“…….”

“And if Baalzeph surrenders obediently, we get Midvalen for free without any casualties! It’s literally a piece of cake!”

“…….”

“No, eating cake lying down might give you indigestion. Drinking cold soup? Anyway.”

“Really, I can never figure you out. You.”

It was a brilliant plan based on such perfect reasoning.

Yet Karvan’s thoughts on it were short and impactful.

“Sometimes you’re so clever and sharp that you can even perfectly handle military command. But then, at times like this.”

“You’re not calling me an idiot, are….”

“You’re soft. So soft and naive that I wonder if your name was taken from ‘mercy’ (Jabi).”

‘As expected, once I usurp Dowongyeong, I shouldn’t let her take a single step outside.’
Muttering as if lamenting, the man let out a deep sigh.

“Whyyy, what’s the problem? Honestly, isn’t there a possibility?”

“…At this point, I’m getting curious. If Baalzeph hands you a honey candy and apologizes for what happened, will you accept it?”

“Are you joking? Of course not!”

Wondering if he really thought of me as a simpleton, I glared at him with narrowed eyes, and the man chuckled, firmly pressing my furrowed brow, and said.

“I’m glad it’s not to that extent.”

“Your premise is wrong in the first place. Empire vampires can’t eat candy.”

“…….”

“Because their fangs protrude, they can’t hold it in their mouths and suck on it. So there’s no way Baalzeph would apologize while giving me candy.”

Irritated that he was seriously asking such nonsense, I logically corrected him, but he held his forehead and chuckled for a long time again.

“Why are you laughing? It’s true! It’s official from Loktis, okay?”

“Living with you, I’ll never have a dull moment in my life.”

“Ugh, who said I’d live with you for the rest of my life?! You’re just trying to tease me every day.”

“…Then, which guy are you planning to go to. After making me like this.”

Tch, he asks so persistently even though he knows I have nowhere else to go but to him.
Since he kept asking ‘Then which guy are you going to live with’, I just shook my head side to side.

“You’d better not harbor any foolish thoughts, Bi.”

He suddenly lifted my chin, meeting my gaze straight on, and spoke.

His fiercely glowing eyes flashed like a guillotine blade, making it hard to believe he was the same man who had been laughing so merrily just a moment ago.

“I have no intention of letting you go, even if I die.”

If it were the past, such a volatile and sudden blizzard-like change in emotion would have made me anxious and fearful.

“…I was just saying that. Who would I go to?”

But now that I know he acts this way purely because he likes me, wants to be with me, and because of his innate, intense possessiveness and jealousy, I could answer as if it were absurd.

“I can’t ever return to my world anymore, so I have to stick close to your side.”

“…….”

“Still, keep the teasing to a moderate level! Do you think I’m a squeaky toy that makes a sound every time you press it?”

‘If you keep doing this, I won’t hold back either!’ I playfully retorted, but the look in the man’s eyes was strangely peculiar.

“Yes.”

As I was looking at him dubiously as he just stared at me, Karvan pulled me into his arms as if trapping me.

“You should stay by my side.”

So tightly it was hard to breathe.

We decided to execute my plan first.

“I’ll test Baalzeph, so don’t interfere until then. When I give the signal, we’ll go with your plan then. Got it?”

“Yes.”

With Karvan, who had suddenly become docile, I headed to the audience chamber of Midvalen.

He was wearing a fake pet collar tied tightly enough to make anyone think ‘I’m a s*ave’, and handcuffs that would come off with a light tap.
In Midvalen, where slavery is common, it’s not strange to bring a s*ave anywhere, so they wouldn’t find it particularly suspicious.

As expected, the Empire knights let us in without much suspicion.

Thud.

As the heavy door of the audience chamber closed behind us, a familiar darkness fell.

Step, step. As our footsteps echoed in the empty space, two candles lit up with a click, as if waiting for us.

“Your Majesty. It is an afternoon to raise a toast of blood.”

“…I hope it will be such a time.”

I gave the Empire-style greeting, pulling the long cape wide, but the answer returned was ambiguous.
Wondering if he didn’t like the greeting, I lifted my head slightly, and saw Baalzeph’s gaze was fixed on the man next to me.

His neck was as stiff as an icicle.

‘…Bow, bow!’ I poked him stealthily, but Karvan just stared expressionlessly at Baalzeph.
I belatedly realized my mistake.

I forgot to include such basic and obvious things in the ‘operational plan’, but this man had probably never bowed his head to anyone in his life.

“Ah, well, um. He is….”

I was about to make an excuse like ‘The s*ave is new so he hasn’t been properly trained’, but seeing Baalzeph’s annoying face, with his chin raised as if telling me to go ahead and babble, I changed my mind.

Right. Yeah, we came here to cause a scene today.

There was no need to grovel to that damn vampire anymore.

“Ahem, anyway, for what matter did you summon me? You promised not to request any more holy artifacts.”

“I called you because I wanted to commend you.”

Even though I asked in a somewhat challenging tone. Baalzeph didn’t point out my disrespectful attitude.

“I watched you take down the Awakener called the best in the Coliseum yesterday.”

Rather, he even smiled slightly and got straight to the point.

“Especially, the fighting skills of that beast-kin s*ave were truly impressive.”

Once again, Baalzeph’s dry eyes landed on the side next to me.
The man, receiving all the attention in the room, was looking somewhere at the ceiling regardless.

‘…Come on! At least pretend to be a s*ave! We haven’t failed negotiations yet.’
Tap, tap, as I touched his arm again, Karvan, who had been staring into the air with a bored face, turned his gaze to me.

‘Are negotiations broken down.’

‘Not yet!’
Freaking out, I quickly averted my gaze and smiled.

“Haha! I didn’t know I would win either, I was just lucky.”

“Luck is also a skill. Fortune is not given all the time.”

“Ah, ha, thank you.”

“Therefore, I was thinking of giving you a reward. Is there anything you desire?”

‘Oh my god, what a windfall.’ At the returned words, I gulped down my dry saliva.

“If I say it, can you really give it to me?”

“Of course.”

“E-even if it’s something absurd?”

“Please speak.”

“…I, I want to have Midvalen!”

Baalzeph von Bloddyhen, who had been blinking indifferently, let out a small laugh.
Hahaha, the dry laughter filled the dim audience chamber.

“I’m serious. Because, this city is….”

“Very well.”

“…Pardon?”

Thinking he was treating it as a joke, I was about to give a further explanation when my jaw dropped.

“I will give it to you.”

‘Your joke goes too far’, or ‘Why is that?’. I imagined countless questions and even prepared plausible lines.

“You mean you want to become the ruler of Midvalen, do you not? By all means.”

I was flustered by the answer that came out too easily, but I soon became triumphant and glanced up at the man standing next to me.

‘…See! I told you he’s secretly a coward!’

However, Karvan was staring at Baalzeph without a word.

“An Awakener would make a much greater ruler than I.”

“Are you really giving it to me? This easily?”

“Instead, there is one condition. Give me freedom.”

…’Freedom’? I don’t know what he’s talking about when he’s the most free person in this neutral city of Midvalen.

Is there an artifact named Freedom? Blinking in puzzlement, I asked back suspiciously.

“How, do I give you freedom?”

“It is very simple. You just have to kill me.”

…Is there something wrong with my ears? I rubbed my ears vigorously.

“You want me, to kill Your Majesty?”

“That is correct.”

I stared at him with a dumbfounded face, wondering if he meant ‘save me’ and misspoke, but Baalzeph just nodded dryly.

“Kill me.”

With a bored and exhausted attitude, as if telling me to go ahead and do it quickly.

“Then I will give you this Midvalen.”