Chapter 167: Compromise
→ Compromise ←
“…Caliban.” freēwebnovel.com
Dowd spoke in a trembling voice as he wiped his face.
On his other hand, which trembled precariously as if he was suffering from Parkinson’s, hung a leash that the Saintess had just entrusted to him.
In his head, the sentence he had just heard was being played back.
-S-Sometimes, p-please fasten this and t-take me on a w-walk!
-…
-I-I mean, engaging in s-such activities regularly i-is crucial for your health! P-Please stay healthy! D-Don’t get hurt unnecessarily! G-Goodbye!
He remembered how she said those words with a great deal of embarrassment.
Having finished such a recollection, a voice, deep with self-loathing, came out of his mouth as he asked,
“…What in the world was I doing before I lost my memory?”
[…]
‘Uh…’
‘If I were to tell him right now, he’d definitely consider killing himself, so I should just exercise my right to remain silent.’
[…A lot of things…]
“To summarize what I’ve just heard…”
He said, covering his face with his hands.
“I am engaged to a genius Hero Candidate, who’s admired by people across the continent. But not only that, I also went around dragging the Saintess, the one all the believers of the Holy Land’s faith is looking up to, by the leash?”
[…]
“…And we must have done that quite a few times for her to refer to herself as being my pet or whatnot.”
[…]
‘Actually, after hearing all that…yeah…that’s quite something…’
‘One of them lied to him, but that’s just the case of him reaping what he sows, pretty much.’
‘Now I realized the level of the incidents this punk has been causing all this time…’
“…Doesn’t this count as adultery?”
[I’ve told you before, you shouldn’t just believe all the words that the women around you said.]
Dowd’s question, almost akin to a groan, was met with a sigh and response from Caliban.
Of course Saintess was telling pretty much the truth, but their relationship wasn’t close enough to the point that she’d normally go out of her way to ask him to take her on a ‘walk’.
If anything, it was more like she was trying to take advantage of his amnesia to carry out some kind of scheme.
‘…Wait.’
Caliban suddenly had a chilling thought, sending shivers down his spine.
‘It had only been two days since this guy lost his memory, but two women had rushed in, trying to cook him in their own way.’
‘And those two are actually less obsessed with him compared to the others…’
‘Given the number and the line-up of all the women around him, this is likely to be just the beginning…!’
‘…We already have a fiancé and a pet as the beginning, what will come up next?’
While Caliban was shuddering at the thought, Dowd suddenly stood up from his seat. His face suggested that he had made some kind of firm resolve.
“Mr. Caliban.”
[Yeah?]
“I think I need to check for myself.”
[Check for what?]
“Whether there are others that I’m having a relationship with even though I have a fiancé already.”
[…]
“Surely I can’t be that unhinged. Given that I’ve already done such a thing to the Saintess, there’s no way that there are others like her, but…”
[…Why don’t you think about it first?]
Caliban definitely couldn’t encourage him to do that.
Because what he had encountered was nothing more than the tip of the iceberg.
The two people he had met were the most naive and innocuous out of them all.
If he were to meet the other ones, who knew what would happen to him.
Thinking as such, Caliban was about to object.
But soon after, he closed his mouth again.
As for why he did that…
‘…Well, it’s his karma.’
Chances were, even if he didn’t look for them, they would come to him on their own.
Since he was going to find out sooner or later, what even was the point in stopping him?
[No, forget it. Who are you going to meet first?]
“…Who? What do you mean who? Your question is strange.”
[Huh?]
“I was planning to gather them all together and ask if I’ve laid hands on anyone el-”
[…Hey, hey, hey. Hold on.]
‘Yes, it’s something that’s bound to happen eventually…’
‘But that’s just suicide! There’s no way I can let him throw himself into the fire like that!’
In this world, there were people who just weren’t meant to get along with each other no matter what.
The prime example of that were those sitting together here.
“…”
“…”
Eleanor and Chancellor Sullivan looked at each other.
If they could manifest their gazes into something, sparks would have already flown from them. The sheer hostility mixed within their gazes was something else.
“…I see you have managed to graciously accept the invitation, Lady Tristan.”
Chancellor Sullivan began with a cold voice.
“If you had tried to resist, I would have sent someone to forcibly drag you here.”
“The Tristan Duchy knows the meaning of courtesy, duty and procedure, Chancellor.”
Eleanor responded with a voice filled with ridicule.
“Well, I can assume that those concepts are unfamiliar to someone who is accustomed to killing those who opposed her and trying to make herself seem bigger.”
“…”
Although she didn’t specify who it was that she was talking about, it was already clear from the sentence itself.
Thanks to that, the attendants and servants nearby all wore expressions as if they wished to die.
Being close to two of the most noble women in the Empire growling at each other, as if ready to devour one another, would undoubtedly make anyone’s blood run cold.
Although they had heard that the relationship between the Tristan Duchy and the Chancellor was not good, seeing them exchanging venomous words in private would make that fact even more tangible.
“…Since we are not in a position nor a relationship to exchange idle gossip with each other, let us get straight to the point.”
And, to put that in different terms…
“It is about Viscount Campbell, Lady Tristan. You must have suspected already, that’s why you walked into my office without any hesitation.”
It was a shocking fact in many ways.
That there existed a man who could, even if only for a moment, make these two cooperate.
“…We both must have reached the same conclusion. After all, you are not someone who is not capable of rational thought. Nor are you someone who lacks the intelligence to make such a deduction, Lady Tristan.”
When Sullivan spoke as such in a calm voice, Eleanor nodded expressionlessly.
“…After scouring through all the literature, I have learned that the ‘victims’ of the White Devil are trapped in an Image World created by that being. And external interference is utterly meaningless.”
As such, even the elite forces in Elfante were struggling in vain, unable to even involve themselves in such a matter.
“…”
“…”
Eleanor and Sullivan looked at each other silently.
Both of them were probably thinking about the same thing.
If a being at the level of a Devil truly started to exert their power, the only things that could counter them were celestial beings at the level of Seraphims or…
Another Devil.
“…It is sad to say, but…”
Sullivan continued with a sharp voice.
“Right now, there is nothing ‘I alone’ can do to save that man, I…”
Her voice trailed off momentarily.
Then, she slowly closed their eyes.
Her expression made it seem like she was being overwhelmed by memories, reminiscing about ‘someone’ from a long time ago.
Drowning in nostalgia, such was the atmosphere she exuded.
“…have a bit of a circumstance, you see.”
“…”
“My ability to use the ‘entity’ inside me is quite restricted. Especially if it involves that man.”
Eleanor slightly furrowed her brows.
Once again, the other woman uttered an incomprehensible array of sentences.
Eleanor herself didn’t care if the other woman talked about something that only she herself knew.
But, hearing that she kept trying to involve Dowd in such matters, something that she wasn’t aware of, it painted her heart in displeasure.
And that was probably the reason why her next words came out so abruptly.
“…If you are hoping to receive a promise of cooperation to use the ‘Devil’s Fragment’ or whatnot within me, then—”
“No.”
Sullivan cut off Eleanor with a sharp smile.
“What is inside you is not merely a ‘Devil’, Lady Tristan.”
“…What is the meaning of that?”
“They just lumped it together, calling it the Grey Devil and whatnot…but even among those Devils, that being is at a completely different level. That’s why I’m making this request to you.”
“…”
“Because there’s no one else that can do it besides you.”
“…I do not care about any of that.”
After listening to the Chancellor quietly for a while, Eleanor interrupted her words.
“Just tell me the important part.”
Her clear, red eyes met the other woman’s golden’s eyes.
“If I cooperate with you, can we save Dowd?”
“We can, Lady Tristan. But you might die in the process.”
“And how do I do that?”
After she heard the reply that came out without a single ounce of hesitation, Sullivan let out a chuckle.
“…It would be wiser of you to hesitate a little.”
“This matter is related to Dowd. Risking my life for that isn’t a big deal.”
Just like she said, her tone did not contain some sort of grand resolve.
She just said it plainly, as if it was the most natural thing to say.
As if, for that man’s sake, she could easily lay down her life.
“…”
Sullivan slightly bowed her head and closed her eyes.
‘…She was like this before too. In fact, she was always like this.’
In every situation she had ‘seen’, the sentiment that the other woman carried had always been like this, no matter what the situation she found herself in.
No matter what kind of catastrophe she faced, no matter what kind of choice she had to choose, no matter how destructive the action she had to do…
Eleanor and the Grey Devil’s course of action always remain the same.
Everything was for the sake of Dowd Campbell.
Regardless of the consequences that may come forth.
“…Even though everything just stems from her greed…”
However, as she was in a position where she could predict the ‘outcome’ of such actions, that was all she could say.
“…Excuse me?”
“It is nothing.”
When Eleanor responded with a puzzled voice, Sullivan replied nonchalantly and looked back at Eleanor.
“For now, before I explain the method in detail, I have something I must ask you.”
Sullivan’s stern expression made Eleanor also let out a serious look.
Though she wasn’t sure what question would come, judging by the atmosphere, she knew that at least the it wouldn’t be an utter non—
“What is the most aggressive, radical, and extreme thing you have done with Viscount Campbell?”
“…Excuse me?”
“I’m asking in a sexual sense. Given your timidity, I presume that this isn’t likely, but have you ever slept with him prior—”
Hearing that unexpected question, Eleanor let out a dumbfounded look, a look that could be considered unbecoming of her.
“What– wha-w-what in the world are you saying right now?!”
“Your reaction suggests you haven’t. That is fortunate.”
Sullivan continued to speak, still maintaining her utterly serious demeanor.
“After all, if you had done something I haven’t even done myself, I would kill you right now.”
“…”
“Because I want to be the one to take his first time.”
‘I see…’
‘So Dowd has never slept with anyone, including the Chancellor…’
Her knowledge about Dowd increased.
“Well, that was just my personal musings, but besides that…”
Despite Sullivan having made such a statement, she continued speaking without blinking an eye, before facing the bewildered Eleanor.
“It is truly fortunate that you have not done such a thing, Lady Tristan.”
“…”
“If you were as promiscuous as your body suggests and had already laid hands on that man, this method would be absolutely im—”
“…Chancellor Sullivan.”
Eleanor rubbed her temples, which were starting to throb with the onset of a headache.
Normally, she was the one who’d cause people to rub their temples, that was why she had never experienced it herself, but now she seemed to have met her match.
“Please, I beg of you, explain in a way that I can understand.”
The sentence that came out of her mouth was filled with genuine sincerity.
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