Chapter 93: Contract Guarantee – 1
Everyone’s jaws dropped.
Aina shot up from her seat with a loud thud.
“The seventh one? That’s the next quest!”
“Yeah. That’s how it turned out.”
“‘That’s how it turned out’? If you don’t win the next quest…”
“I’ll be dragged to hell and beco Magireta’s plaything. Of course, I have no intention of letting that happen.”
Silence fell over the group.
But a mont later—
Each of them began to speak.
“No matter what happens next, we’ll make sure you take first place.”
“Right. I’ll make up for my disgrace this ti.”
“You must live. You’re soone who has to.”
“I’ll help you with all my power. Don’t worry.”
My chest tightened for a mont.
Then Aina, perhaps trying to lighten the mood, spoke playfully.
“Your Highness, you’re not saying anything? You’re usually the first one to speak in monts like this.”
“I am speaking.”
“No, you’re not.”
“…I am.”
Right. Arlia was speaking.
I could feel her trembling hand clasped tightly around mine beneath the table.
That tremor carried many anings.
The anxiety and fear of possibly losing in the next quest.
The guilt and gratitude for letting face the ordeal alone.
And the determination—to save no matter what.
Aina tilted her head curiously.
Then, as if realizing sothing, she quickly ducked her head under the table.
Of course, we had already let go of each other’s hands faster than that.
“Hm… Sothing’s off. It feels different. Sothing’s changed.”
“……”
“Yeah, sothing’s definitely… sothing.”
So noisy.
Edgar was dead—so completely mangled that even the word “wreck” fell short.
And once again, he was slowly resurrecting, overcoming Mason’s blood.
Last ti, during the Frozen Season Quest, it had taken nearly a full month before he could even speak properly. But this ti, he was recovering much faster than expected.
‘Has he built up resistance?’
Louis sat still, staring down at Edgar.
Why did this guy co to save ?
When Edgar arrived at Bucklet Forest, he had already been fully resurrected.
There was no way he could have healed himself alone—he must have borrowed Magireta’s power.
He must have struck a deal with her to recover.
‘What did he offer in return…? No, no, why am I even thinking about him this much?’
She shook her head roughly.
“You’ve fallen in love, haven’t you?”
Magireta appeared before her.
Louis flinched, looking up at her.
She could feel it herself.
Her eyes must have been filled with unmistakable anger and disappointnt.
As expected, Magireta spoke.
“Why are you looking at like that?”
“It’s nothing.”
“Because I sent all your entities into Bucklet Forest?”
“…Why? Why did you do that? Mason was waiting there with traps. You knew it, and you still drove into one.”
“He offered his blood as paynt. Just when I was disappointed that you couldn’t bring any, your brother made that offer. How could I refuse?”
Magireta’s answer wounded Louis deeply.
Of course, Magireta didn’t care in the slightest whether she was hurt or not.
“In the end, you did your part. You’ve done well.”
“You’re too cruel.”
“Mm. I can see how it looks that way. So? What will you do about it?”
“……”
“Sorry. Just kidding.”
Magireta waved her hand with a laugh.
Louis didn’t move an inch.
“I ca to tell you one thing. Your height shrank again, didn’t it? Since all the other entities lted away.”
“…Yes.”
“But since you already took the first-place reward pill last ti, your height will recover soon. You’ll grow back to your original 510 ters.”
“……”
“I thought you might be worried, so I told you. Shouldn’t you thank ?”
Louis hesitated before bowing her head.
“Thank you.”
“Good. I’ll be going then. Enjoy your sweet ti with your beloved.”
“……”
She didn’t respond.
Magireta didn’t bother reproaching her for her rudeness.
Instead, she sneered faintly and peered into Louis’s soul.
The monsters modified by Magireta’s omnipotence were fundantally bound to possess absolute loyalty to her.
That was why Louis had faithfully carried out her every command.
Even so…
‘She’s already been completely dyed in Edgar’s colors. Honestly, she never learns.’
Now, Louis trusted Edgar more than Magireta.
Edgar’s talent had temporarily overco Magireta’s omnipotence.
Of course, if Magireta wished, she could easily reverse it.
But she didn’t bother.
For one very Magireta-like reason.
—Because it was more entertaining that way.
Swoosh—
Magireta vanished.
Louis was tornted by the realization that the one she had once trusted and followed had thrown her away like trash.
‘Who can I even trust now…’
Then her eyes caught sight of Edgar’s half-dead body.
She gently caressed his slowly regenerating form.
“Wake up soon, Arcane.”
Several days passed since the Doppelgänger incident had ended.
For days, the group had shut themselves away, huddling together in deep discussion.
Aina asked,
“Mason. I know I’ve asked a dozen tis already, but what’s the next quest about?”
“Hm.”
“I didn’t ask to hear you hum. Why won’t you tell us this ti?”
“……”
“We need to know so we can prepare and make you first place.”
I scratched my head.
I’d already told them last ti that the next quest’s first-place reward was the Replication Sack.
And I’d already received it in advance.
In other words, if I failed to take first place in the next quest, that would be the end of my life.
Up to that point, the party already knew. But…
With a sigh, I spoke to the Diary Book.
‘I want to look at the last page.’
[Yes. Since you’ve already viewed this page before, there will be no point deduction.]
The pages of the Diary Book fluttered open.
Right. That was the problem.
Up until now, the last page of my Diary Book had always been dated January 10th, Year 327.
I’d struggled endlessly to push that date even a little further back, but not once had the final entry ever been delayed.
Far from being delayed, this ti—
[It’s actually moved forward. In about two weeks, it will be Mason’s death anniversary.]
‘I’m not dead yet.’
[Cheer up. After all, you’ve already changed countless futures, Mason.]
‘……’
[It’s just that this ti, the future you need to change happens to be your own.]
Hearing it put that way almost made it sound simple.
I gathered my thoughts and said,
“Anyway, the next quest is called Bungee Jump.”
“What’s that? Never heard of that title before.”
“It’s apparently a ga where you tie a rope to your legs and jump from a high place.”
“Hmm… What a bizarre act. Truly, that demon’s sense of amusent is incomprehensible.”
“It seems the person whose rope stretches the longest wins. The rope supposedly lengthens automatically.”
I shifted the topic there.
“Actually, there’s sothing more important than the content of the ga. I’ll be eliminated in the next quest.”
“……!”
“No—let correct that. Not eliminated. I’ll just fail to win first place.”
“Isn’t that the sa thing? The first-place reward next ti is…”
“Yes. The one I already used in advance.”
The mood instantly darkened.
For those who knew just how accurate my visions of the future were, it was only natural that their hearts grew heavy.
Benjamin asked,
“Ahem. If you fail to win first place, that ans soone else takes it. Who was it?”
“It’s the na we all expected.”
As if rehearsed, everyone spoke in unison.
“Edgar Tyler.”
Even without seeing it in the Future Diary, there was no one else it could be.
Across the six quests so far—
The six first-place rewards had been split neatly between Edgar and .
Of course, the Frozen Season Quest’s prize had gone to Louis, but since she was on Edgar’s side anyway, that still counted.
“Well, it’s not like anyone else could possibly win first now.”
“How did that bastard even manage to take first place in the future? If we knew that thod, we could use it too.”
“He’s always been impossible to read, what with his insane way of thinking.”
“And now he’s got allies on top of that.”
“That monster, Louis—the Doppelgänger.”
Everyone fell silent.
Then Benjamin spoke again, determined.
“Let’s kill that bastard again. If I recall correctly, he was struck down by Mason’s blood last ti. At this point…”
“Louis will probably be guarding him.”
“But Mason, you’ve got the Replication Sack. If that bag could turn ten drops into a sea within an hour, you could use it again, no?”
He was nearly bouncing in his seat with anticipation.
But I shook my head.
“He has a teleportation bead. If we chase him, he’ll just run.”
“Hmm.”
“The bead has no usage limits or cooldowns, so if we go after him blindly, we’ll just end up repeating a stupid ga of tag.”
“Then what do we do…?”
Instead of answering, I tapped the table with my index finger.
How could I make Edgar give up on taking first place?
What if I tried making a deal with him?
Hmm, what could tempt that guy?
No, even if sothing could, there was no guarantee he’d keep his word.
Then it struck .
“Let’s go.”
“Huh? You just said…”
“Sothing ca to mind. I want to check it—and talk to him.”
“Fine. Whatever it is, it’s better than sitting here doing nothing.”
So, using the teleportation bead, we moved to a location near Edgar.
When I opened my eyes, a quiet countryside hill spread before .
The scenery was so peaceful that, under different circumstances, I might have wanted to enjoy it for a while.
“Hard to believe this tranquil village belongs to Edgar.”
Ignoring Aina’s words dripping with venom, I used the compass—the first-place reward—as a map to approach Edgar.
Then the Diary Book spoke.
[By the way, Mason.]
‘Yeah?’
[Even if you stop Edgar from taking first place this ti…]
‘Yeah?’
[Wouldn’t another competitor just win instead?]
What was this thing saying now?
‘But the Future Diary says Edgar was the one who took first place.’
[Yes, but it doesn’t say you were second, does it?]
‘……!’
[What if you were third, for example? Even if you stop Edgar, you’d still lose first place.]
The Diary Book’s words left uneasy.
So I asked, just in case.
‘Do you have soone else in mind?’
[Who knows.]
‘From now on, you’re banned from saying “who knows.”’
[Who knows…]
Rebellious little thing.
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