353 Rise of Calot
"Um… Okay, fine… I'll tell him, but you need to help persuade him too!" said Pride.
"Of course, dear. I'll help you with this, but I hope you won't create any more trouble for or him in the future, okay?" Envy agreed with a smile, patting Pride's head as if she were a child. Surprisingly, Pride didn't display any resistance, allowing Envy to pat her head.
— Morning —
In the morning, after Daniel had separated from Koyuki and taken a bath, preparing for the new day packed with tasks, he found himself with a lot on his plate. With just three days to wrap everything up before heading to North Arica to support Greed, his schedule was tight.
As he made his way through the hallway toward his personal office in the Oceanos command center, he was intercepted by Envy and Pride. They inford him that they needed to speak with him, so he led them to his office. Now, seated behind his futuristic desk, Daniel waited patiently, observing Pride's fidgeting and occasional glances at Envy, sensing that sothing was amiss.
"Yes? Is there anything you wanted to tell ?" Daniel inquired after a few minutes of waiting, noticing Pride's hesitation. It seed as if she had done sothing wrong and was reluctant to confess, a reaction he had seen before from his little trouble maker, Sylvana when she unknowingly used a permanent marker to draw a flower on his precious collection of 'Super Dark Lotus' cards from his favorite card ga, 'Magic The Unity,' which had ceased printing long ago. (Author's Note: It's the sa as the Black Lotus Card in our world.)
"So?" he asked again, his smile gentler this ti, his eyes focused on Pride, reminiscent of the way he listened to his little troublemaker, Sylvana.
Observing Daniel's deanor, Envy let out a long sigh, rubbing her temples. It seed he was treating Pride much like he treated little Sylvana. If Pride were aware of this, Envy wondered how she would react.
"Um... I'm sorry..." Pride said, her eyes cast downward, avoiding Daniel's gaze.
"Sorry for what?" Daniel inquired gently.
Pride hesitated, glancing at Envy once more, seemingly afraid that Envy wouldn't support her. However, Envy nodded reassuringly with a gentle smile, encouraging her to speak.
"It's because of last night..." Pride began, then proceeded to recount everything she had done. She confessed to Daniel about killing all of those high-value prisoners because she feared his anger upon learning that her father was sohow involved in the sche.
Initially, Daniel felt anger rising within him, but as he observed Pride's guilt-ridden expression and received a subtle shake of the head from Envy, he sighed and leaned silently against the table, listening to Pride's explanation and recounting of events.
By the end, he had heard it all—Pride's confrontation with Momotaro, her use of her witch power to learn his swordsmanship, and her subsequent deception and near loss of her lifespan to Lucifer. Learning that Pride only had one month left to live left Daniel feeling conflicted.
While he was indeed angered by Pride's actions, it wasn't to the extent that he wanted to hurt her or exact retribution. In fact, her actions in eliminating the high-value prisoners inadvertently aided him. With Nobunari and the other Onmyoji higher-ups deceased, the transition of power to the new governor would proceed even more smoothly.
Furthermore, upon hearing Pride's account, Daniel realized that the value held by those prisoners was nearly depleted. Even if they hadn't died, he wouldn't have placed much importance on them since extracting all they knew would have likely resulted in their demise anyway.
After taking it all in, Daniel exchanged a knowing glance with Envy, understanding her intentions.
"You wanted to help her, right, Envy?" Daniel asked.
"Yes… Can you help her? No… Please, help her," Envy corrected herself, her tone shifting into a plea as she inquired, knowing well that Daniel had the ans to aid Pride, even capable of creating the Elixir of Immortality, albeit choosing not to.
"Okay… I'll help her," Daniel agreed, his tone slightly stern as he turned towards Pride. "I hope this is the last ti you do sothing reckless like this," he added firmly.
"Um… Okay…" Pride nodded, feeling a warmth in her heart as she realized Daniel wasn't as angry as she had feared. But then...
"Good… rember your promise, okay?" Daniel said, patting Pride's head with a gentle smile.
Pride felt warmth flooding her cheeks, but she was hesitant to accept this gesture from Daniel. She pushed his hand away from her head.
"Stop treating like a child!" she protested with a pout before swiftly leaving Daniel's office, leaving him confused as he glanced at Envy.
"I'll talk with her later," Envy assured him before inquiring, "How are you going to help her?"
In response, Daniel retrieved a small vial from inside his coat and placed it on the table, pushing it towards Envy.
Examining the vial, Envy noted its enticing red-blue liquid, seemingly resonating with her magical energy. She uncorked the vial and took a whiff, sensing a denseness in her magical energy with just a sniff.
Closing the vial, Envy's face filled with wonder and bewildernt as she looked at Daniel.
"It's the longevity elixir, albeit a diluted version. It should increase Pride's lifespan by at least ten years. That should suffice until the contract works its magic against Lucifer, or at least weakens him enough to feel pressured and forces him to erge from his hell realm in search of sustenance," Daniel explained, his expression turning cold.
"When that ti cos, we will capture him and force him to cough up all that he has consud, and then so. If he refuses, I won't mind plundering his hell realm." Daniel declared with ruthlessness glinting within his eyes.
"Thank you" With a grateful smile, Envy approached Daniel, leaning in close to him before sharing a deep kiss.
The two exchanged a tender mont, feeling each other's presence for a while before parting. Envy offered a smile as she walked out of Daniel's office, leaving him with a complex mix of emotions swirling within him.
—
After Envy left his office, Daniel remained seated, lost in thoughts as he replayed the kiss in his mind, grappling with the complexity of his emotions. It took him quite a while before he managed to regain control and let out a sigh, releasing the pent-up feelings swirling within his heart.
"I'm such a bastard…" Daniel muttered under his breath, leaning back in his chair and gazing up at the ceiling, seeking to calm the turmoil within him.
After a few minutes, he managed to settle his emotions and decided to check his tablet to review the points he had accumulated. Retrieving his trusty device from the drawer, he discovered that more than 50,000 points had accrued from the recent events, prompting a satisfied smile to grace his lips as he summoned the door to the card shop and entered swiftly.
"Good day, Mr. Emberweave. How may I assist you today?" greeted the Keeper with his customary genteel smile, though this ti he appeared to be seated behind the counter, leisurely enjoying his tea. His mannerisms and deanor, reminiscent of an old British noble, added to the ambiance.
"Morning tea?" Daniel inquired with a smile.
"Why yes, Mr. Emberweave. Would you care for so?" replied the Keeper, offering the aroma-filled cup of Earl Grey tea towards Daniel.
Curious, Daniel questioned, "Where did you procure such exquisite teas?"
The Keeper chuckled softly. "From a fine tea room, naturally. Such extraordinary aromas cannot be found in convenience stores," he explained, pouring tea for Daniel into a guest cup.
Daniel felt a pang of foolishness for posing such an obvious question. Recalling the Keeper's ability to traverse realms when he disrupted the fabric of reality last ti, Daniel's suspicions were confird: the Keeper likely had the freedom to co and go out of here as he pleased, anywhere and anyti.
"Thank you," Daniel expressed his gratitude as he accepted the cup, sipping at the mild and rather sweet Earl Grey tea.
The warm tea enveloped both his body and mind, leaving Daniel with an unexpected sense of calm and composure after savoring its extraordinary flavor.
"It's good, isn't it?" The Keeper asked, elegantly sipping his own tea before setting it down just as Daniel finished his.
"I have good news for you, Mr. Emberweave. Before you arrived, the shop suddenly manifested a new set for you," the Keeper said, turning to retrieve a boxed set from the storage room behind him and placing it on the counter for Daniel to see.
The box depicted a knight battling barbaric n, otherworldly creatures, and fae, labeled "The Rise of Calot."
Daniel's excitent surged at the sight. This set held many valuable creatures, especially the legendary cards within the Knights of the Round. As long as it wasn't Lancelot, any mber would be beneficial. These figures in his lore were renowned for both martial prowess and strategic acun, making them ideal commanders for his forces.
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