Chapter 332. Conditional Agreement (2)
This was the Frontera County.
Still the only region exempt from the frozen world around it, thanks to the morning sun that had shone for months. It was a rural estate where people lived their lives under the steady sunlight.
But today, a different kind of light poured into one corner of the estate.
Fwoosh!
A brilliant beam of light enveloped the bedroom in the mansion.
It didn’t last long. Just as long as it takes to down a shot of soju. Or to sneak a quick look at your phone during class.
But after the brief light faded, two people who hadn’t been there before appeared in the previously empty, silent bedroom.
Lloyd and Javier.
“…Phew.”
Lloyd took a deep breath and looked around the bedroom.
The familiar interior and the bed.
It was his bedroom.
A smile spread across his face.
‘We made it back. And I got what I wanted.’
Suddenly, he remembered the events that had just transpired.
His confrontation with the archangel.
The bold proposal he had made.
The archangel’s reaction.
And…
“You seem quite pleased, which suggests your negotiation with the archangel went well.”
A voice suddenly broke through his thoughts.
Lloyd, who had been lost in contemplation, turned to look beside him.
Javier was staring at him intently.
“Your expression has been very positive since earlier. I thought your negotiations with the archangel went well, but I couldn’t ask because of the surrounding angels.”
“Were you worried that a careless question might cause trouble with the angels?”
“Yes.”
“Well, your caution is always appreciated.”
Lloyd sat on the bed.
He smiled brightly.
“The talks went extremely well. I got almost everything I wanted.”
“Did you?”
“Yeah. So now, we’re going to the capital to get the Eye of Summer.”
“…Pardon?”
“The archangel agreed to help with that.”
Lloyd’s smile grew wider.
Talking with Javier brought back memories of the negotiation with the archangel.
♣
“I request full cooperation to obtain the second sacred relic of the Magentano royal family, the Eye of Summer.”
“…What did you say?”
The archangel’s eyebrows furrowed.
He looked at Lloyd with a puzzled expression.
Lloyd’s eyes gleamed.
He didn’t smile at all.
Instead, he spoke even more seriously as the archangel’s reaction became more incredulous.
“Just as I said. I wish to obtain the Eye of Summer, a sacred relic of the Magentano royal family, and I need the support of you and the celestial realm.”
“So, you want us to help fulfill your desire?”
“Yes.”
Still serious.
So much so that it might have seemed shameless.
Lloyd nodded as if it were the most natural thing.
“You just admitted it yourself, didn’t you, Celestial Secretary? You acknowledged that I suffered great harm when the demoted angel descended to demolish the Jewel of Truth. I nearly died at the time. Not by Satan or a murderous robber, but almost by an angel. In the mortal realm, do you know what we call that?”
“Attempted murder?”
“Thank you for understanding my point. Yes, attempted murder. Or at least we could call it negligence causing potential fatality. So, I don’t think my request for compensation is excessive.”
“You want cooperation to obtain the royal sacred relic?”
“Yes.”
“But angels do not assist mortals for personal reasons.”
“This isn’t a personal reason; it’s compensation for damage caused by official duties.”
“But in the end, isn’t your demand just to help you personally?”
“I’m not asking for outright assistance. Just a little seasoning sprinkled into the task I’m undertaking.”
“Seasoning?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of seasoning?”
Good.
He was getting there.
The archangel furrowed his eyebrows, showing curiosity.
Lloyd asked quietly,
“Could you lend me your ear for a moment?”
“…”
“So, my plan is… whisper, whisper… when I meet the Queen… murmur, murmur… descend and… babble, babble… do this and that… yadda, yadda… and that’s how it will be.”
“…”
“What do you think?”
“What do I think?”
The archangel, having heard Lloyd’s quiet proposal, sternly responded.
“Are you asking the angel to lie for you?”
“Oh no, not at all.”
Lloyd quickly explained.
“You don’t need to lie at all.”
“Why not? How?”
“Because if you agree to my request right here and now, that acceptance alone will remove any falsehood from what I will ask later. Isn’t that right?”
“…”
The archangel’s expression hardened.
Lloyd’s words were true.
Archangel Gabriel knew that well.
‘Indeed, if it’s an action approved by me, the highest authority, then there would be no falsehood in the angels’ words when they assist that human. But… it feels uneasy.’
Was this why the King of Hell coveted this human?
The archangel gazed at Lloyd.
In a sterner voice, he asked,
“Lloyd Frontera of the mortal realm, are you not aware that trying to manipulate celestial workers will accumulate karma on your soul?”
“I am aware.”
“Then why do it?”
“Because I have no other choice.”
A bitter smile crossed Lloyd’s lips.
It was true.
There was no other way.
Moreover, it was the most certain method.
‘If I can’t obtain the Eye of Summer this way, I would have to rebel against the Queen. But that’s unacceptable. No, it can’t happen. If I did, everything would end. Even if the rebellion succeeded, it would be a problem. If I became King, I’d never get to live a lazy, comfortable life again.’
That was the real issue.
If he wanted to live leisurely?
The Queen needed to be a solid protector.
So, a rebellion was out of the question.
“I thought a lot about this. This is the conclusion I reached. It’s the least harmful way to obtain the Eye of Summer.”
“Hmm.”
“So please, let me make up for this karma by doing many good deeds afterward.”
Lloyd earnestly requested.
It was heartfelt.
Perhaps his sincerity came through.
After a long contemplation, the archangel finally nodded.
“Alright. You have accumulated many good deeds in the mortal realm, so I will consider the harm you suffered and grant your request this time.”
“Thank you!”
Success.
Lloyd cheered inwardly.
But he didn’t let his excitement cloud his judgment.
He quickly took action.
Before the archangel could change his mind.
Before the recent decision could be overturned.
He pulled out his trump card to seal the negotiation.
Flutter!
“…What is that?”
“A contract.”
Lloyd handed over two pre-written contracts to the archangel.
“One copy is for me, and the other is for you. It includes everything I requested. Both copies are the same, but please check carefully for any mistakes or points you don’t agree with. And sign at the bottom.”
“…”
“For the date, please use the celestial standard.”
“…”
Forget signing; should I just crush his head and send him to Hell?
But then I might lose this talent to the King of Hell.
The archangel pondered briefly while looking at the shameless Lloyd.
But the pondering was brief.
The decision was swift.
“…I don’t have a personal seal, though.”
“Oh, just a thumbprint will do.”
The archangel asked just in case.
Lloyd grinned broadly.
Moments later, the sacred golden thumbprint of the First-Rank Celestial Secretary adorned the contract.
The negotiation was a success.
♣
“…So, we’re going to the capital.”
“Yeah. Probably?”
“But I have a question.”
Having heard the rough details of the negotiation, Javier furrowed his brow slightly.
As if not understanding, he asked,
“How did you predict all of this?”
“Predict?”
“The archangel’s reaction.”
Javier continued.
“Seeing your demeanor and negotiations in the celestial realm today, it seemed like you had planned and anticipated this situation. So I’m curious.”
“Are you asking if I was confident in negotiating with the archangel?”
“Yes.”
Javier nodded.
Lloyd smiled.
“That’s because I was able to conduct preliminary research thanks to Raphael.”
“Preliminary research?”
“Honestly, watching Raphael’s actions, I guessed a bit. Ah, angels aren’t supreme beings ruling over us; they’re more like celestial officials. So I confirmed it.”
“What did you confirm?”
“I asked directly. Are decisions made by the celestial realm absolute? If there’s an administrative error, do they acknowledge it? How do they acknowledge it? If I raise objections, will the archangel be offended and angry? Things like that.”
Lloyd shrugged.
It was true.
Ever since Raphael had stayed as a guest at the estate mansion.
While completing the dam and the Jewel of Truth, he had asked Raphael various questions.
Mostly about the celestial realm.
‘In the novel “The Iron-Blooded Knight,” there were brief mentions of the celestial realm. But they were vague. So, I needed confirmation. I thought it would be useful to know as much as possible about the celestial realm and the archangel for future conflicts or negotiations.’
So he did.
Even on tiring days, he would often visit Raphael.
As a result, he learned quite a bit.
“When I asked, Raphael answered freely. That angels are like celestial officials, that administrative mistakes occasionally happen, that it’s possible to appeal for damages caused by such mistakes, and that angels, including the archangel, are humble enough not to be stubborn when such mistakes are pointed out.”
Thanks to confirming this beforehand, he could paint the big picture.
Confidently negotiating and achieving success.
So now?
‘Time to work!’
The successful negotiation with the archangel.
The powerful cooperation he would gain from it.
He would use that momentum to turn the big picture into reality.
Resolving himself, Lloyd stepped outside the mansion.
He looked up at the sky.
Reached out his hand.
And unfroze time.
‘Now, to the capital.’
[The Time Freeze option of the Manaheart skill has been deactivated.]
Kiiiiii…
With the notification that time freeze had been deactivated, his Manaheart throbbed violently in his chest.
The fused Winter Heart rapidly cooled down.
It was similar to the last time he deactivated the time freeze.
But this time, it was even more intense.
‘…Ugh?’
If the previous sensation was like having an ice cream pressed against his heart?
This time, it felt like his heart was wrapped in triple-embossed bubble wrap with an ice pack.
His heartbeat almost stopped.
His blood vessels constricted strongly.
Shock waves surged through his body.
“…Huff… Huff.”
Did his vision go dark?
Had he lost consciousness for a few seconds?
Just before collapsing, Lloyd regained his senses and grabbed the fence next to him.
Finally, he could breathe heavily again.
And he realized.
‘The side effects of the Winter Heart are more severe than I expected.’
He remembered the Ice Dragon’s warning that the side effects would worsen if left unchecked.
Lloyd’s expression grew serious.
‘The side effects are worse than I expected. I almost had a heart attack. If it’s this bad after just two uses, what will happen on the third?’
He felt uneasy.
But at the same time, he felt a strange sense of relief.
‘It was wise to heed the Countess’s advice. Proceeding with resolving the Winter Heart’s side effects first was the right move.’
From that day onward.
Praising his foresight once again.
He hurried to prepare for his journey to the capital.
The preparations weren’t complicated.
As usual, he packed his things.
A bit of food, a change of clothes, some gold and silver coins.
Then he visited the Count and Countess.
He wanted to inform them and bid farewell, saying he had some matters to attend to in the capital.
Of course, he was completely unaware.
That recently, the Count and Countess had been faintly showing a sad sense of loss in their eyes when looking at him.