Wreath of Lilies, Cauldron of Poison

Chapter 192

Contract of Three Promises

“…Pardon me?”

“I’m going to teach the townspeople something called Cultivation. With it, the people can draw nutrients from the air,” Connie said. It was a lie, of course. The process was something more fundamental, more complex than that. But she was unwilling to spare the details. Not to a simple potential disciple, anyway. “They will still hunger, but they will need to eat a lot less; and even if they did not eat for a few days, death will not be an issue.”

“T-that sounds too good to be true!” the man said in disbelief.

“Oh, but it is,” she smirked as she flung her arm and grasped the air. The wine bottle that was on the desk floated towards her, controlled by her Energy. She took the goblet on the desk and let the wine poured into it while Harrison looked on in fascination.

“Me, Illumca, Martell, and Lihua are all Cultivators. And those who practiced Cultivation to a high enough degree, will not even need food. I, myself, eat simply because I enjoy it, not because I need it. At my level, I can last for weeks without food or drinks. As a bonus, Cultivation is not something that rely on talent or Skills. As long as you work at it diligently, you’ll be able to become stronger. Just ask the Alchemists and Healers who served under me.”

“I…did see that they were getting long hours and ate little, without getting weaker. But I still can’t believe something like that is possible,” the man said, eyes rolling in deep thought. “Is it possible for me to become this…Cultivator thing? Even someone as old as me?”

“Oh? I didn’t expect that you’d volunteer so readily.”

“I cannot let those who put their trust in me do something that I haven’t done before.”

“A brave man,” Connie said. She would have preferred things go faster, but she understood that the man was someone who cared a lot for his people, rough as he was. She too, would not let her disciples try any poison that she had not experienced before if she could help it. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”

Connie helped him to start the first process of Cultivation, explaining to him that the Cultivation Technique that she taught him was the very basic. It was a low ranked one that could only be used to improve his constitution, and would be useless once he reached the middle stage of Shedding Mortality. She also gave him a Pill that could help him reach the Middle stage explosively, but will make it harder for him to break through to the next realm.

“Not a word to anyone else that I taught you. And if anyone ask, just say that a respected teacher taught you,” she warned him at the end.

“Yes, Lady Steelheart.”

With a nod of acknowledgment, Connie bade him to leave.

After he was gone from sight, Illumca appeared from the shadows of a corner of the office. She had been concealing her presence since the beginning of their talk.

“Why him, Connie?” she asked

“He is a trusted elder of this town. If he spread the word, the people would be more willing to try.”

“Will he keep your secret?” she asked.

“I’m sure he will. The man is an honest one. With enough grit and bravery to gather people to create a resistance. If it’s for his people, he’d keep his silence. Anyway, I just need him to keep his silence while I prepare the next step,” Connie said as she spread some drawings of masks before Illumca’s face “Now, which mask would look better on me?”

While Connie was preparing for the next step in her plan, a war council to determine the path the war would take, led by King Gerard, was being held in the castle in Courandhel. While they were discussing the matter of logistics, they heard a pleading voice coming from behind the door before it was unceremoniously opened.

There, a desperate looking servant was trying to stop an ashen-haired old man.

“Guild Master, please! The King is still in a war council!”

“Gerard!” the bellow caused everyone in attendance to look at the dirty old man. “You made the Hero call me back here and you made me wait for a whole day?! Do you think I have nothing better to do?!”

“Ah, forgive me, Guild Master,” Gerard said from his seat. “I’ve had so many meetings these days everything blurs together.”

“Fine,” Sabrac said with a scoff. “Just tell me what’s so important you sent for me personally quickly so I can get back to my work.”

“Insolence!...(cough),” Duke Gladstone stabbed his cane into the marble floor angrily. “You dare to use His Majesty’s name without honorific? You have no place here, Hunter.”

“Duke Gladstone!” Alrond, who was leading the discussion scolded him. “Guild Master Sabrac has every right to be here. We invited him here to help us in the war. Although his entrance could be more subtle.”

At this news, the whole assembly became excited. The prospect of having the legendary Guild Master Sabrac in battle filled them with anticipation. Even Duke Gladstone did not anticipate this.

“If the Dragonslayer joins us, then the war is as good as won!” one of the Marquis under Duke Gladstone said.

“Indeed! No news could be better than that!”

However, this earned a mighty scowl from the old Hunter.

“What in Sud-Ghazid are you talking about? I’m not here to join your war. If you want someone to lead the charge, you should’ve gotten Wilhelm to return.”

“Unfortunately, that’s something we cannot do. He is busy keeping the Demons from taking over Sina-Maydin,” a voice came from behind them. Prince Elhart, in all his massiveness, was sitting pretty on a sofa nearby.

Once he saw him, the old Hunter smiled thinly. “Elhart, you fat bastard. I see that you no longer have that sickly look about you. Got yourself a proper Healer, finally?”

The fat Prince raised his glass of wine with a small cock of his head. “Oh, I just found a good investment that turned out to be better than expected,” he said, drawing a breath quickly. “Continuing on, due to the fact that both the Unrestrained on our side and Al-Khemiyan side are being preoccupied with defending our position in the Demon Continent, the only person capable of fighting Great General Lorenzo is you. Anything to add, Your Majesty?”

The King nodded. “My brother is correct. We need your help, Sabrac.”

“Your Majesty! We have a lot of men with valor! Why do we have to rely on a Half-Blood like him?” Duke Gladstone, ever the believer of purity of bloodlines, viewed Half-Bloods the same as beasts. Impure and abominable in the eyes of Junnaveil. His voice boomed in the room, and once the echoes of his tirade died down, a deafening silence fell onto the room.

Sabrac walked up to the Duke, who was staring at him defiantly. Members of the Duke’s faction quickly took a few steps back, intimidated by the tall figure. Despite the difference in height, the Duke still kept his eyes looking at him. Which was incredible in its own right.

“Repeat what you said…Duke,” Sabrac commanded, making sure to impress on his title.

“Sabrac…” Gerard spoke up, trying to mollify him.

“Little Gladstone,” Sabrac then spoke with a disrespectful sneer. “Little Gladstone with his scurrying little legs and pitiful little schemes. Making his pitiful little…noises,” Sabrac walked his two fingers in the air mockingly.

“Do you think I care about the names you call me? I, who have killed more monsters than the number of people in the Capital?” the old Hunter said. “I don’t care about politics. So I don’t really care for you trying to assert your dominance over me, or whatever it is you’re trying to do. The Hunter’s Guild is neutral and doesn’t take any sides.”

“Sabrac, please,” the King tried again.

“Do you presume to command me, Gerard?” Sabrac turned to face him. “I am no servant of yours. And I definitely haven’t sworn my name in your service.”

“No. It is a request. Between fellow comrades who have fought in the frontline shoulder to shoulder,” King Gerard said, his face still.

“Yes. We are comrades…,” the old man gave the Duke a thin smile. “But he is not. Yes, unlike your Great Grandfather, you’re no military man. You always were a mousy, little thing. Even in your childhood.”

He took out his pipe, filled it up with tobacco and took a few leisurely puffs before taking a deep one and blew the foul-smelling smoke towards Duke Gladstone’s face. “You are…inconsequential. You are as trite as the dirt under my nails. To be scraped off and discarded upon the ground. Your daughter is also the same. She isn’t even half as good as Steelheart’s daughter.”

The people behind him shifted uncomfortably at the taunting smile of the old Hunter.

“YOU!! (Cough)! (Cough)“The Duke coughed heavily, trying to stifle his anger.

Hearing this, the Prince - who had been silent for a while as he was overwhelmed by Sabrac’s presence - could not help but ask. “W-what do you mean, Guild Master?”

“You don’t know? Oh, that’s even more hilarious!” Sabrac’s mood improved slightly at the thought of the girl he met in Greyvault. “That girl is an Unrestrained Candidate now. In fact, the Beastfolk and the Dark Elf with her have also become Unrestrained Candidates,” he then briefly told of the stories he heard about Connie’s escapades in Greyvault.

“An Ur-Nagud?” Alrond said out loud, surprised. “She killed an Ur-Nagud?”

“Yes. I saw the skull myself. It’s being displayed at the square in Greyvault,” he said approvingly. "Very morbid, but she's got style."

“T-that’s impossible!! She was just a weak little girl a few months ago! How could she become an Unrestrained Candidate in such a short time?!” Prince Mikael cried out in frustration.

“Are you saying I’m lying?” The old Hunter glared at the Prince, who jumped out of his seat in response. “N-no! Forgive me, Guild Master. I was just surprised.”

“Alright, enough!” Gerard shouted angrily, having had enough of this. “The war council is adjourned! Escort Duke Gladstone to a room and have him rest. We will continue after I’ve finished with Guild Master Sabrac.” he glared at Prince Elhart, who was trying unsuccessfully to blend in with the crowd exiting the room. “Not you, brother.”

“Why can’t you let me have some face, Sabrac?” Gerard complained at the old Hunter.

“Coming here is already giving you face. Let’s cut to the chase. If you want me to join your war, I’ll refuse.”

“Why? You realize that there are Demons involved.”

“Hah!” Sabrac scoffed. “They might be the fuse, but this is a war between humans, not Demons. When you win the war and slain all the Demons involved, what happens then? Will you give Vorzenny back to its people?”

Alrond and Gerard looked at each other, not knowing how to answer him.

“No, you won’t. You’ll cut up the place and divide it among you people. Like I said, the Hunter’s Guild is neutral, and we have a right to refuse unsavoury deals. Especially when it comes to war.”

“Then…” Gerard put his hand on the arm of his chair and squeezed tight. “We will have to use the Contract of Three Promises.”

Sabrac frowned. “You are going to use it for this?”

“Contract of Three Promises? What’s that?” Prince Mikael asked. Prince Elhart, who knew more about the secrets in the Royal Family explained.

“It’s a Contract that was made between Guild Master Sabrac and your Great-Great-Great-Grandfather in exchange for allowing the creation of the Hunter’s Guild in Calendia. It gives the Royal Family the right to ask anything of Sabrac up to three times. The first one was used to ask Sabrac to slay Glaedvidnr.”

The old Hunter took out a parchment that had seen better days with a serious look. There were three pictures of the Calendian Royal Family Coat of Arms at the bottom of the parchment. The left one had a thumbprint on it.

“Let me confirm first. What is your request?” Sabrac said somberly. It was clear that he disliked the request.

“An Unrestrained can only be fought by another Unrestrained. We might be able to defeat him using Unrestrained Candidates under our service, but that will cost us too much. So, I want you to defeat Great General Lorenzo Contaldo Da Caravaggio when he takes to the field.”

“Understood, then put your thumb on this.”

The King took out an ornate dagger from his inner pocket and sliced his right thumb, pressing the bloodied digit on the middle symbol. After he did so, the symbol shone with a white light, and the picture lost its hue.

“This leaves you with one request,” Sabrac said as he rolled the parchment and put it into his Item Ring.

“I will take to the field once Lorenzo does. Until then, I am going to be at Rokudo Temple. Is that fine with you?”

“…understood. We will contact you when we need you.”

Once Sabrac left and the meeting continued, the Noble Faction sounded their dissatisfaction.

“The arrogance! He dares to question your will, Your Majesty! We should punish him severely,” one man said. Other such suggestions were thrown, all wishing to punish Sabrac’s impoliteness.

Then, the King said. “Then one of you should go to him and tell it to his face.”

At once, the dissatisfied Nobles began to murmur, making excuses for themselves.

“You all shouldn’t open your mouth if you don’t have the will to go forth with it," Prince Elhart said as he sipped his wine. "We don’t want a repeat of the incident with the former Royal Treasurer, do we?”