Chapter 17: The Covenant of Oath
"Honestly, I thought you'd just run away."
Dust motes danced in a single beam of sunlight. Dante immediately waved a hand
in front of his face and let out a small cough. At his feet, the traces of a
teleportation magic circle were slowly dissipating.
Shortly after Elisha proposed the deal, the guards had stormed the front of the
inn. Naturally, Elisha had slipped from his grasp to avoid them.
"I was worried she might disappear forever."
Contrary to his expectations, Elisha had waited for him until the investigation
ended, albeit from a distance. Though the investigation itself hadn't taken
long.
"Since I told them I'm the Captain of the Magic Knights, most of them seemed to
accept it."
They didn't ask any further questions about the person in the cloak, so the
report reaching Eric wouldn't contain anything about Elisha. Dante was overcome
by a feeling he couldn't quite place, unsure whether he should be happy or not.
If she were caught, he’d be dead; if she weren't, he’d be entangled in this
troublesome matter. Though it seemed he was already terribly involved.
"I never thought I'd come here again."
Dante finally said, taking a step forward. Without paying him any mind, Elisha
looked around with an indifferent expression. The scent of paper wafted from the
books lining the shelves that surrounded them on all sides.
"This is the Renard family library."
Though it had been a very long time since anyone had set foot here—not since the
death of the previous head of the family. Dante spoke, walking without looking
back. His gaze constantly scanned the surroundings as if he were searching for
something.
"So, why did we come here?"
"I already broke the communication stone, so it's not like you contacted Eric
separately."
Elisha asked, tilting her head slightly. Dante replied, still not looking at
her.
"There are some perks I’ve enjoyed for being Eric’s friend. Not as many as you
have, of course."
"......"
"Ah, found it."
I knew it would be here.
A moment later, Dante pulled a piece of paper from between the bookshelves and
smiled. Elisha immediately recognized what the paper was. This was...
"A Covenant of Oath?"
"If we're going to strike a deal, we should have one of these, don't you think?"
As he finished speaking, Dante’s violet eyes curved into crescents. Elisha
stared intently at the Covenant in his hand. The "Covenant of Oath," one of
Eric’s magical inventions.
It was an absolute contract that used the mana and signatures of both parties as
a medium. If violated, it could demand a penalty up to the life of the offender,
depending on the terms. With this, there would definitely be no chance for
either of them to break their word.
"But Eric hasn't released the Covenant of Oath to the public yet, has he?"
"This isn't the original, just one of the early prototypes. He asked me to try
it out and tell him if there were any side effects, but I never used it and just
kept it."
At Dante’s words, Elisha frowned slightly. No wonder Eric had grumbled, "That
fellow Dante isn't doing his job," and for the first time, tested the effects
himself.
"Even if it's a prototype, since Eric made it, the effect must be perfect."
"I know."
Dante might not know it, but Elisha had already experienced its effects herself.
Because she was the other party in the Covenant.
"Honestly, I'm not sure if this is the right thing to do."
Dante continued, pulling a quill from his coat.
"But what can I do? This is the only way for everyone to be at ease."
It felt incredibly suspicious, but honestly, Elisha had the upper hand in this
deal. Unlike him, Elisha could disappear at any moment. So, in the end, this
Covenant was the minimum protection for himself.
"For now, I have no choice but to bind Elisha like this and find another way to
tie these two together." He couldn't stay stuck in the middle suffering forever.
"Anyway, first, we need to write the most important part."
After finishing his sentence, Dante shrugged his shoulders and held up the hand
carrying the quill. Elisha watched silently as the quill moved without
hesitation, following his gestures.
The most important part.
"What should the penalty for breaching the contract be?"
"Our lives."
"No, that's a bit much......"
That seems a little excessive.
The pen, which had been moving enthusiastically, stopped for a moment. Elisha
blinked in bewilderment.
"Why this reaction? Were you planning on breaking the contract?"
"No, it's not that. But there are plenty of other options. Like losing your
sense of taste for life......"
"Our lives."
"......Fine."
Her determination to stick to the contract is truly something else. How
reassuring. Great.
Dante let out a small sigh and continued speaking as he moved the tip of the
pen.
"Dante Renard will maintain absolute silence regarding Elisha’s location and
will periodically notify her of the situation in the Imperial Palace and with
the Emperor. In exchange, Elisha will take over a portion of Dante Renard’s
duties. The scope of this portion will be all of my document-related work."
"All of it?"
"It's just 'document' work. Honestly, I'm the one getting the short end of the
stick here," Dante exclaimed, his brow furrowing slightly.
Elisha narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, then let out a shallow breath. It
was true that Dante Renard was caught between her and Eric, so she could easily
agree to such a request. Besides, wasn't the High Mage's job mostly dealing with
Eric? Specifically, testing the magic he was researching on the spot.
"I’ll bring the documents to you, pretending I’m taking them home to finish, so
you won’t even have to come to the Imperial Palace."
"And how will you know where I’ll be?"
"Where else?"
Dante, who was constantly moving the tip of the pen, glanced at Elisha and
opened his mouth.
"Right here."
At the same time, Elisha’s brow furrowed.
"Here?"
"What, don't tell me you plan to keep staying in that inn?"
His violet eyes stared at Elisha, with the same coldness as her own.
"This is an old residence that isn't used. Servants only come once a month, so
you won't have to worry about being found. And since you managed fine at the
inn, I assume you can handle most things on your own."
"I wasn't handling my own meals."
"I've thought of all that."
His eyes soon curved gently. The sharp look from moments ago vanished without a
trace.
"Anyway, I think that should cover the details."
Dante handed the written Covenant to Elisha, a broad smile on his lips. Elisha
examined its contents carefully.
First. Dante Renard will never speak of Elisha’s location.
Second. Dante Renard will report on the situation in the Imperial Palace
whenever Elisha wishes.
Third. Dante Renard will provide Elisha with a room and stable food. The
location will be the old Renard family residence.
Fourth. Elisha will be responsible for all of Dante Renard’s paperwork.
Condition: Limited to tasks assigned to her directly by Dante Renard.
Fifth. Elisha will not leave the old Renard family residence without Dante
Renard’s permission.
In case of contract breach, the violating party loses their life.
"Dante Renard."
After reviewing all the clauses, she fixed her blue eyes on Dante and spoke.
"You must not play me."
Chapter 17 (Part 2): The Emperor’s Suspicion
"You must have enjoyed your vacation quite a bit."
Enough to disobey the order to return to the Imperial Palace immediately.
Eric’s cold voice echoed in the office. Dante flinched unconsciously. Seeing
that reaction, he must have been informed of yesterday's events. It meant he was
caught—a subordinate who was supposed to return was at an inn on the outskirts
of the capital...
"I'm in trouble."
How am I supposed to explain this? I was going to have lunch at that inn and
leave, but I ran into Elisha and even a monster, so I completely forgot about
returning. At least I didn't forget I had to come to work today! ...It's not
like I can say that out loud.
"I apologize, Your Majesty."
Without any other choice, Dante let out a small sigh and bowed immediately. In
situations like this, it was best to just lower your head and wait. Especially
if the other person was the Emperor.
"If you want, I can grant you a longer leave," Eric replied with a lazy smile.
Dante immediately shook his head.
"No, thank you. Absolutely not."
If it were a real vacation, there would be no reason to refuse, but being sent
on a business trip under the guise of leave as before was out of the question.
More so when the person he was supposed to find was firmly planted in his own
manor. It's not like this poor man with a split personality would know that.
Thinking about it, he looks even more haggard than when I saw him through the
video communication stone. The only decent things about him were his body and
face.
"And on top of all that, you found a monster instead of Elisha." Eric continued
talking while Dante observed his condition.
"Ahahaha." Dante let out an awkward laugh.
Actually, I found Elisha and then stumbled upon the monster as a bonus.
"I didn't know you had the ability to kill a Hyde in one strike."
At that moment, Eric said, his blue eyes glinting coldly. Dante swallowed hard
without realizing it.
This is why men with sharp intuition are so annoying...
"I know, I didn't know I had that kind of ability either."
"I heard you used lightning magic."
"That’s right, I did."
Elisha did, not me.
As Dante provided a half-truth, Eric continued his questioning.
"You must have been able to see the Hyde, then?"
"Of course. I was very confused when something big and black suddenly appeared
in front of me."
"That matches Elisha’s description of the Hyde."
"What, were you just suspecting me?"
That's insulting in itself. Dante frowned slightly. Eric replied, the corners of
his eyes curving slowly.
"I was just hypothesizing."
"What hypothesis?"
"That maybe it wasn't you who caught the monster, but Elisha..."
You terrifying bastard! Dante almost nodded his head unintentionally before
catching himself and tensing his body. If he were caught having met Elisha here,
it would be over. He couldn't reveal her location. Then he’d end up as a traitor
guilty of the grave crime of losing Elisha...
"Judging by that look in his eyes, it’s a death sentence."
Of course, that wouldn't actually happen, but he certainly wouldn't let him off
easily. Dante swallowed hard once again. After a moment, Eric continued slowly.
"That couldn't be true."
"......"
"Because if you had found Elisha, you would have contacted me immediately."
At Eric's somewhat prickly words, Dante responded once again not with an answer,
but with a faint smile.
The truth is, I couldn't contact you. It was destroyed the moment I tried to use
the video communication stone...
"What about the video communication stone?"
As if expected, Eric immediately fixed his gaze on Dante and asked. As if he had
anticipated it, Dante took a perfectly intact video communication stone from his
coat and handed it to Eric.
You have no idea how much story is behind this communication stone. Still,
Elisha repaired it herself after we made the Covenant, so it might be in better
shape than before...
"It looks newer than before, somehow."
Damn, this bastard is observant. Dante silently let the corners of his eyes
curve in a smile.
The feeling of finding Elisha and not being able to report to Eric, and missing
out on a paid vacation. The fact that, on top of all that, I have to take on
more work is just frustrating and incredibly unfair...
"What's with that expression?"
"No, it's nothing."
Dante immediately shook his head. In truth, until the moment he brought out the
Covenant of Oath, Dante had no intention of keeping his promise to Elisha
literally.
When my peace is threatened, I can't just take it lying down.
"That's why I wrote it vaguely on purpose."
Especially the first clause: Dante Renard "will never open his mouth" about
Elisha’s location. He had a grand plan to exploit the contract's loophole by not
opening his mouth, but writing it down instead...
"You must not play me."
Unfortunately, Elisha wasn't Elisha for nothing.
"Revise the first clause. And add another clause stating that under no
circumstances will you allow anyone related to Eric into the Renard manor."
Dante let out a faint sigh. No language, no text, no drawings. A ban on all
linguistic means that could pinpoint her location, even without using the name
"Elisha." It was practically equivalent to banning all means of expressing his
intentions entirely.
"If I had known it would come to this, I wouldn't have brought out the Covenant
of Oath." In the end, he fell into his own trap. And of all things, wasn't the
price for breaching the contract "his life"? But if he hadn't done that, there
was no guarantee when Elisha might run away...
"For someone saying it's nothing, your expression is very strange."
The cause of all this chaos opened his mouth, acting as if he knew nothing.
Dante resisted the urge to grab Eric by the collar.
That rotten bastard. To say such things to Elisha and now act like he's
searching for her.
"If it were me, I would have left the Imperial Palace immediately after hearing
that."
I'm a being that shouldn't be in the Imperial Palace? You don't recognize my
unparalleled competence, even I think this Imperial Palace isn't a vessel worthy
of containing me!
"...Renard. Are you listening to me?"
At that moment, a chillingly cold voice crept into Dante’s ear. Dante
immediately regained his senses and stared straight ahead.
Those predatory eyes. No matter how many times I see them, I can't get used to
them.
"Starting today, delegations from allied nations will arrive at the Imperial
Palace."
"Yeees."
"The position of High Mage cannot be left vacant, so you will serve in this role
until the conference of allied nations concludes."
"Of course you will..."
It's not like I've only known you for a day or two. Even after the conference
ends, the position of High Mage won't change. They say the excessively competent
die young.
"I'll definitely submit my resignation before that happens."
Just as he was sticking out his tongue at Eric behind his back. At that moment,
an idea suddenly flashed through Dante’s mind.
If I can't express it with text, language, or images. Can't I just express it
with my body?
"Your Majesty, no, Eric."
As soon as he finished his thought, Dante called Eric, his eyes gleaming with
determination. Eric frowned slightly and looked at Dante.
"You, I don't like that look on your face right now."
"It's a look of determination."
"That's why I don't like it."
That's the face you wear when you're plotting something. Eric muttered, his face
wrinkling. Dante ignored him and lifted his chin, continuing.
"From now on, I'm going to tell you something very important."
"......"
"It's up to you to understand it."
And I really hope you understand. So I can escape this damn battle between
whales.
"...Go on, try."
After a brief silence, Eric nodded with a thoroughly displeased expression.
Dante took a deep breath, then slowly closed and opened his eyes. They say that
no matter what foreign country you go to, as long as you use hand and foot
gestures well, you can communicate anything. And my audience is Eric, a fellow
citizen of the Empire.
"He should be able to understand this much, shouldn't he?"
After finishing his thought, Dante showed the back of his hand to Eric. First,
pointing to the fourth finger.
"Your fiancée."
Second, tapping his chest.
"Is currently in."
Next, touching the tips of both hands together.
"My house."
So please, take her quickly and work it out between you two. And in return for
keeping Elisha, I hope for a sweet vacation and a huge bonus. That's the most
important part!
After sending one last desperate look, Dante slowly let out a long breath. It
was a gesture he had put his whole soul into, so unless he was an idiot, he must
have understood.
I believe in you, Eric. That expression and the look in your eyes right now must
mean you understood...
"What are you trying to do now?"
...The hell he didn't.
"You really..."
You're hopeless. You can't be saved. Dante fell to his knees and struck his
forehead with his hand. For my last resort to fail like this. I'll be stuck
between Eric and Elisha forever and wither away...
"What. Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?"
"Forget it. I really hate you, Eric..."
"I don't like you either," Eric retorted, his face showing a complete lack of
understanding. He then stared in bewilderment at Dante, who was practically
prostrate on the floor.
"This is driving me crazy." Following his lead, he pressed a hand to his
forehead and let out a long sigh. Dante closed his eyes tightly.
"I'm the one who's truly going crazy..."
You damn bastard.
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