Chapter 181

Chapter 181

I Proposed While Drunk and Now the Princesses are Obsessed.

Episode 181: Steeplechasing, Double-dealing, And Unfair Trade (3)

“…So, what is your decision? Will you give me your answer?”

Valetta’s expression was filled with anticipation.

Jaekiel calmly pondered.

It was, in fact, a ridiculous proposition. To confront the Emperor directly one day? Wasn’t that essentially treason?

It was certainly a proposal that should be rejected.

But…

‘There are a few gaps in this deal.’

Jaekiel asked, wanting to confirm with the Demon Lord once more.

“So, a single clash with the Emperor later, is that sufficient for now?”

“That’s enough for now! We can’t settle everything from the start. The first deal should be sufficient.”

As expected, Valetta didn’t concern herself with the life-or-death fight between Jaekiel and the Emperor. All that mattered was that Jaekiel, once he achieved his full potential, would eventually come into conflict with the Emperor.

And Jaekiel had a reason for that now.

‘Akne.’

Including Akne’s situation, Jaekiel needed to confront the Emperor about his careless destruction of things Jaekiel held dear.

Since one-sided logic didn’t work, direct confrontation seemed to be the only way. In fact, his deal with the Demon Lord might serve as the catalyst for that.

‘If things go well…’

When he first felt the Demon Lord’s power, he thought he was facing an unimaginable threat, but after reviewing the deal, he realized that wasn’t the case.

He would save Akne and gain the power to warn the Emperor of his strength. If he continued to grow stronger, he would never be swayed by the Demon Lord.

It was an opportunity to hit several birds with one stone.

“My Han Shin, you won’t refuse, will you?”

The Demon Lord gently urged him, like a parent luring a child with a toy.

Now, Jaekiel understood why she was coaxing him rather than threatening him.

What the Demon Lord wanted could only be obtained if Jaekiel moved of his own volition. It wouldn’t work through forced threats.

‘Then.’

Jaekiel now fully understood the situation.

In this situation, he was definitely not in a subordinate position. On the contrary, he could be in a position of power over the Demon Lord.

His task was clear. He needed to turn the deal in his favor.

“This is strange. Isn’t your situation urgent? It’s time for you to give me an answer.”

Jaekiel finally spoke, addressing the urging Demon Lord.

“Are you asking me to trust the words of the Demon Lord?”

“I haven’t lied. Ah, shall I explain the difference between my deal and the Emperor’s right now?”

Snap!

With a snap of her fingers, a bright red pearl appeared on her palm.

“My deal pays the reward in advance. You consume the Eternal Blood Pearl first and start off feeling good.”

“It’s not just about the reward. What if you break your promise not to interfere later?”

“Why would I act in a way that would make you hate me? Han Shin, the moment you lose all motivation and do nothing, it will be my huge loss.”

Valetta calmly answered each point.

Her answers didn’t feel like mere excuses, each one was reasonable, to the point that Jaekiel could understand.

He gazed at the Eternal Blood Pearl resting on her palm. That single pearl was worth about a drop of Sun Water.

“One won’t do. At least give me four.”

He knew he was in a position of power in this deal, so there was no reason to hesitate. He figured it was fine to demand this much.

“Hmm…?”

Of course, Valetta immediately expressed doubt. After all, the Eternal Blood Pearl was one of the rarest items in the Demon Realm, so asking for four was naturally surprising.

The Demon Lord grinned.

“My dear, aren’t you being a little too demanding? Even if you only consume one, the growth would be immense.”

“I’ve been accomplishing feats that could earn me three drops of Sun Water every time. Yet you say I can only consume one Eternal Blood Pearl? The ratio doesn’t match.”

Jaekiel tapped his chest a couple of times.

“You must know that if the balance of energies isn’t right, my body will break down. If you want me to get stronger, this is the minimum you should give me, right?”

“Alright. I’ll give you three instead of four.”

Valetta smiled brightly and placed three Eternal Blood Pearls into Jaekiel’s grasp, and at the same time, the barrier that had obscured them began to fade.

The deal was struck.

Now, it was time to part ways.

“We’ll meet again later. My Han Shin, maybe you’ll be a father someday? Settle down with the Spider Goddess and start a family.”

With a mischievous joke, the Demon Lord disappeared, vanishing in an instant with teleportation.

Seina and Anes, who had been waiting outside, quickly moved to Jaekiel’s side, accompanied by a flurry of movement.

“Master, what happened with the Demon Lord?”

“More importantly, are you alright?”

Their faces were filled with concern.

It was only natural. Jaekiel had a history of being kidnapped by demons, and now he was facing the Demon Lord again.

“I’m fine.”

Jaekiel merely nodded lightly.

There had been a deal with the Demon Lord, and it seemed he had benefited from it, but explaining everything was not feasible.

Thud! Thud!

Suddenly, his heart began to pound loudly. The Eternal Blood Spirit inside him urged him to consume the Eternal Blood Pearl he was holding.

There was no reason for him to hesitate. It would be better to become stronger before meeting the Purple Tower.

“I need to focus. Please stand guard for a moment.”

Jaekiel leaned against a large tree trunk, dropped the Eternal Blood Pearl into his mouth, and immediately closed his eyes to begin focusing.

Immediately, immense demonic energy swirled inside him.

Two full days passed.

The city of Clatie, where the Imperial Tower and Purple Tower had agreed to launch a joint mission, had seen only the Purple Tower’s arrival thus far.

Zeta may have had an arrogant personality, but he wasn’t shallow or careless in his thinking. He had been stationed in Clatie for a full four days already.

‘If I’m late for no reason, I don’t know what they might use against me.’

The battle of tactics between the Imperial Tower and the Purple Tower had already begun. They would avoid giving any opening for a quarrel.

Thud. Thud.

Even now, Zeta was leading the Purple Tower elders as they wandered around Clatie. His task was simple: eliminate the demons disguised as humans.

Suddenly, he thought of his younger sister, Herta.

‘Foolish girl.’

She hadn’t joined the joint operation, claiming she had something weighing on her mind. Zeta found this utterly pathetic and cowardly.

Meanwhile, the elders busily sought to please Zeta.

“The joint operation was proposed by the Imperial Tower, wasn’t it? Yet, despite the two-day delay, they haven’t shown up. What kind of attitude is that?”

“Isn’t it the arrogant attitude of hoping that the Purple Tower will handle everything? Cowards.”

“Ha! It worked out in our favor. Now, the people of Clatie are fully under our control.”

The elders’ words were not wrong.

Why did Zeta arrive a day earlier?

To show the Purple Tower’s success in front of the Imperial citizens, earning their favor. From the start, Zeta had been fixated on that goal.

The Imperial Tower, being linked to the Imperial family, had to care about public opinion. However, if the Purple Tower had strong support, they wouldn’t dare make foolish moves against it.

“Everyone ready?”

“Yes! Lord Zeta!”

“Good. Let’s do what we’ve been doing.”

Zeta and the Purple Tower elders moved toward the city’s vast square, completely binding the demons. Today, many people had gathered as well.

“The Purple Tower is here!”

“Once again, they’re exposing the demons!”

The welcoming atmosphere was palpable. The citizens of Clatie were overjoyed to see the demons being eradicated.

“Everyone, focus!”

One of the elders of the Purple Tower shouted, clearly accustomed to taking charge of such proceedings.

Wham!

Eyes, mouths, and bodies… Those fully concealed were laid out in the center of the square like larvae. In that situation, the elder leader, Gendiz, continued speaking.

“Once again today, our Purple Tower has uncovered the demons hiding in Clatie and contributed to the purification process! We will continue to put in effort!”

His voice, booming with mana, resonated loudly.

“By the way, this operation was originally supposed to be done with the Imperial Tower, but they abandoned Clatie! Only the Purple Tower has kept its loyalty!”

“Why hasn’t the Imperial Tower come?”

“Didn’t the Imperial Tower say they were making a name for themselves? It was all lies. The Purple Tower is the best after all.”

Crackle!

As Zeta’s golden lightning began to scorch the fallen, the people cheered in unison.

Lately, demons disguising themselves as humans had become more and more sophisticated.

The average person couldn’t identify them, so they had to rely on magicians.

And with the Purple Tower’s appearance, they were treated as saviors.

“Burn them more! Burn them all!”

“The golden lightning is dazzling…!”

“The Purple Tower is the best!”

Amid the tremendous cheers, there was a sound buried beneath them. Suddenly, one of the prisoners spoke up.

He shouted desperately.

“I… I’m not a demon! I’m human! Why are you killing me? At least give me a chance to explain–”

Crackle!

To prevent his words from dragging on, Zeta’s lightning struck like a thunderbolt. The man was soon dead.

‘Annoying.’

Zeta grinned.

When catching demons, humans might get mixed in sometimes, but what does it matter?

What’s important is winning the public’s favor. The Imperial Tower could never challenge a level of public support like this!

Meanwhile, three people were watching the scene closely.

It was none other than Jaekiel and his companions.

“Those insane bastards!”

Seina clenched her fists tightly.

“There were definitely regular people mixed in! Even though they weren’t demons, they were struck by lightning and burned!”

Jaekiel’s gaze quietly turned toward Anes.

“Anes, did you record it?”

“Yes. I’ve stored everything in the cube for now.”

Those who were wronged must have families. This would be crucial evidence later.

“Teacher, they’re pretending to help this city, but they’re actually draining it. If we leave them like this…”

Seina, furious, tried to say something to Jaekiel but couldn’t bring herself to speak.

This was because Jaekiel’s face was already filled with anger.

“The elite of the Purple Tower, his name is Zeta, right?”

“Pardon?”

“…He must die. That’s what I’ve decided.”

His murmuring voice was chillingly cold.