episode_0058

“…Well, let’s say that’s the beginning, but what do you plan to suggest for the rest?”

As Aladikh finished speaking, I could hear the sounds of the spiders clicking their teeth and jaws as they had been still, but I asked her back as calmly as I could.

In my mind, I was concentrating my mind to find out even a little more information.

Alladih also answered my question with a smile, perhaps because he didn’t find my question particularly annoying, or because he actually liked it.

“Of course, I have no intention of exploiting customers without proper compensation. Please tell me what you would like to receive.”

“Conservative…”

I purposely blurt out the end of my sentences to waste time while also trying to understand the situation.

Before all this started, when I dealt with the first spider that appeared, what did the female warrior of this land say?

‘To put it simply, omitting the details, they are monsters who committed sins and were cast out beyond the darkness by the gods.’

‘Is it okay to release those species at will?’

Of course, it may be biased to judge by only hearing one side’s story, but what bothered me was that when they first encountered us from the other side, their first behavior was aggression.

If the goal was really just to get out of here, why bother attacking visitors who might ask for cooperation like now?

Moreover, even if we had not been able to ignore the pressure Aladikh had put on us just now, it was questionable whether we would have made such an additional offer.

‘First of all, we need to look a little more carefully over there.’

“You said earlier that you would get out of here if we catch that rabbit… but how exactly do you plan on getting out?

All we have to do is get her and that’s it? If you need to do something more-”

“No. All you have to do is catch the cursed rabbit.

Because we know specific ways to reverse the curse of the gods.

All your guests have to do is capture it and bring it back to our home nestled in the darkness of this cave.

Then when we’re done, we’ll all be able to see the sunlight outside this cave again.”

After she finished speaking, I was lost in thought for a moment, and then I asked her the first question that came to mind.

“I will be honest. Do we have any guarantee that we will keep that promise to each other?

I don’t want to be suspicious, but it’s too early to build trust.”

If we went outside, of course we would move again to catch the rabbit monster, but after a successful hunt there was no reason to return to this dangerous spider nest.

On the other hand, if we kept our promise and dragged her into this darkness, there would be no need for Aladih and her children to pay us the promised compensation.

“Hehe. If that’s the problem, don’t worry. We’ll make a proper ‘contract’. A contract that both parties can never break…”

As Aladih said those words, a drop of something flowed out of his mouth.

The smoke that rose from the poisonous liquid that started burning the cave floor the moment it touched it was so murky and dark that it could not even be compared to that of her children.

Next, she bent down for a moment and took out a pure white cloth that contrasted with the black poison smoke.

Aladih put his head down on the silk, which looked more beautiful and softer than any fabric I had ever seen.

“Grrr…”

And the poison that had just been dropped poured out, staining the white cloth black.

I unconsciously felt sad and swallowed the sigh that was about to come out of my mouth, and continued to watch that scene.

It must have been a poison that burned the stone as soon as it touched it, but the thin white cloth was merely stained black and did not suffer any damage.

The engraved black stains wriggled and moved little by little and soon took the form of letters whose meaning I could not tell.

When the letters finally stopped moving, Aladikh nodded in satisfaction and unfolded the cloth with the letters on it and held it out.

“Now that the contract has been written like this, if the two of you express your consent to it, from then on, a contract that neither party can ever break will be established.

So, there is no need to worry about the problem you mentioned.”

“Even if you say that, we don’t know what is written in the contract…”

“The form of the character can be changed. I will rewrite it so our guests can understand it, so please briefly show the contract in imperial script.”

When I blurted out my words as if I was embarrassed, Aladikh answered as if there was no problem.

‘Certainly, if you listen to the story so far, signing a contract itself doesn’t seem risky…

The reason why I am so suspicious of giving such a quick answer is that I am being too sensitive, but the problem above all else is what will happen when they get out of this darkness and go out into reality.

Can even that be restricted by contract? Even if it were possible, would they accept those conditions?’

While I continued to worry, someone who had remained silent joined the conversation and asked.

“…I also want to ask, what happens to the rabbit after you take advantage of the curse and go outside?”

‘…okay. Even if Aladih’s suggestion were true, her situation would be different from ours.’

Unlike us, whose main goal was to subjugate cursed rabbits, Yongahbyeong’s goal was to take rabbits cursed with immortality to their owners.

If the way to use the curse that Aladikh was talking about was to sacrifice the rabbit, she would not be able to accept the offer.

Aladikh looked somewhat embarrassed, as if he had not thought that there would be someone who naturally cared about the monster’s life.

“…Are you serious? How dangerous it is… If you are swayed by something like sympathy-”

“That can’t be possible. Having faced swords myself, I know very well how dangerous they are.

I just obey because my master wants me to catch it alive.

However, I have to point out this one thing… Isn’t it quite ridiculous for you to say that a certain being is dangerous?”

Aladikh’s face was seen distorted by the dragon’s sarcasm.

The mask of kindness she had been wearing was about to be peeled off little by little by the anger she had been provoked.

I also thought that there was nothing wrong with what Yong Ah-byeong said, but since there was no benefit to provoking the spider woman now, I quickly intervened.

“Wait a minute. It would be better to avoid unnecessary stress on one another.

I would also be concerned if the curse of immortality was misused, so I would appreciate it if you could answer her question.”

For a moment, between Aladikh, who didn’t seem to be easily relieved by my words, and the dragon soldier who raised his weapon as if he was prepared to fight me if I made a mistake, I also held my spear tightly and waited for their answer.

“… As that customer who smells like a dragon said, once the ritual is completed and my children and I go out into the world, the rabbit will die.

So maybe the job of catching it should be left only to the customer with the spear.”

Alladih spoke sharply, as if the venom he had been suppressing was mixed into his voice, and raised his legs sharply.

As she entered into a fighting stance, the other spiders, who had been quiet for a while, also stood up again and were ready to attack.

In contrast to his bloody appearance, Yongahyeong adjusted his helmet and pointed his sword in a calm manner, as if he knew what was coming.

Although the sharpness felt at the end was sharper than ever.

‘I’m going crazy. ‘You don’t give me time to think about my choices.’

The two beings were on the verge of clashing, and there seemed to be no room for further compromise.

The simplest option here, of course, was to just watch without intervening.

Then, the dragon soldier will probably struggle until the end, but he will soon be swallowed up in front of the hordes of spiders, and Aladikh will ask to make a contract with me, who is left alone.

The problem was that, as Yong A-byeong pointed out, I also could not shake the feeling that Aladikh was hiding something.

If I just accepted the contract like this, wouldn’t I really end up regretting it later?

However, it was doubtful whether he would be able to get out of here safely even if he were to fight with a mercenary soldier who never knew when he would put a knife in his back.

Until the moment when Aladikh folded his eight legs and jumped up, and Yongahbyeong also ran away.

After thinking about it for a little while longer, I come to a conclusion.

And with that answer in mind, he threw out his spear with all his might.

The force contained therein was at least enough to intervene and stop the women just before they collided.

However, I honestly wasn’t confident that I would be able to deal with the two women who tried to block me and glared at me at the same time.

I must try to make up for the lack of strength with words.

“Guest? If you want to take the side of that foolish person-”

“Aladih, could you give me a moment to persuade her?”

Aladikh looked embarrassed for a moment as if he didn’t understand what I said, but compared to Yongahbyeong, it wasn’t that bad.

“…I didn’t know you would make such foolish decisions. Obediently follow that spider’s words and try to persuade me.”

“I never said I would persuade with words alone.”

While they were talking, I came between the two people and continued speaking while turning my gaze and the direction of my spear towards Yong Ah-byeong.

“I didn’t expect to be easily persuaded in the first place.”

Before the spear blade clashes with the blade, cutting off any further conversation, he adds one last word.

“But I don’t think I can do it.”