Chapter 97
[Impossible Achievement! You have successfully removed ‘Karl’s’ ‘Command’!]
[The following rewards have been granted!]
Recovery of Odette’s lost quests
Increase in the number of times disgust can be checked (2 times → 5 times)
Odette stared at the newly appeared status window, slightly dumbfounded.
“…I didn’t expect the command would actually be removed.”
Her lifelong blind devotion to Fenrir wouldn’t have been broken by just a single word. All the criticism she had unleashed, showing all her cards, had only been to justify abandoning Karl.
But, just as she was about to say,
“See, you can’t disobey your father’s command. Then you’re no longer my slave—”
Karl’s eyes suddenly glowed red.
Odette felt uneasy. Why did Karl keep becoming an unpredictable variable?
“…I’m sorry. From now on… I’ll unconditionally prioritize my master’s orders.”
Karl, freed from the command, pleaded with tears streaming down his face.
A pitiful and fragile boy—he didn’t resemble the man from just a few hours ago at all.
‘Karl, who was difficult to handle even when blind, would it really be easier to handle him now that the command is gone?’
In fact, everything Odette intended to do in the future, even the children she held hostage, had lost meaning… which made him obviously even harder to handle.
‘Then abandoning him is the right choice.’
Yet, seeing Karl—once mechanical—cry for so long tugged at her heart.
“I didn’t know my father’s command… remained in me, Master… And I never thought he’d consider me nothing but a tool…”
Moreover, Karl reminded her of herself. His helpless obedience to his father, thinking himself not even a slave…
“I’m sorry for tying your hands last time, Master… I didn’t want to defy you… it probably sounds like an excuse, doesn’t it?”
Karl trembled as he recounted each of his actions.
‘When I first realized my father’s betrayal, I felt the same. Betrayal, self-loathing, regret, guilt for hurting others…’
The more she understood Karl’s heart, the softer Odette’s own resolve became.
‘I’ve been given another chance myself… do I even have the right to take away Karl’s chance?’
“From now on, I’ll follow any command you give, Master. No matter how small or difficult. You’re the one helping me live my own life, Master.”
‘…Yes, I can give him a chance. If I don’t, it might even increase disgust…’
“Alright. I’ll allow you to remain my slave.”
Odette finally gave her permission.
Karl finally calmed down slowly, wearing a boyish smile—faint, but bright and kind.
“Shall we ride the horses down together?”
Because he had cried so intensely, Odette asked kindly, but Karl shook his head.
“Thank you, but the horses are too slow.”
Carrying the corpses and the Emperor, he replied,
“Master, you go down first. I’ll follow your orders and delay my descent.”
“Then come after the Emperor wakes. Arriving around sunset will have the greatest impact. You’ve heard from Goetz how to behave after receiving the laurel, right?”
“Yes, Master.”
It was better for Odette to go separately. She needed time to think about the status window and Karl’s changed condition.
“This time, don’t kill the Emperor.”
“Don’t worry, Master. I will never disobey your orders again.”
“Good. See you later.”
Odette descended the ridge and summoned her status window.
‘Check received rewards.’
[Rewards received from achieving the ‘Karl’s Brainwashing Removal’ achievement are as follows:]
The lost quests in the status window have been recovered!
Disgust can now be checked 5 times per day!
Not only had the color of the status window deepened, but now every time she opened it, it even smelled faintly of peach blossoms. Moreover, as the color darkened, the status window on Odette’s necklace began to resemble the omnipotent status window from the <Danguwon> game.
‘Judging by the lost quests in the status window… originally, this necklace wasn’t just for checking favor/disgust; it was a full-fledged status window.’
At that moment:
[♡Quest Triggered♡]
Obtain the ‘Laurel,’ the symbol of victory in the hunting competition.
Reward: Recovery of the status window’s ‘Inventory’ function.
Deadline: End of the hunting competition.
Penalty: None.
A new notification appeared before her eyes.
“…They give you a quest the moment you claim the reward?”
She looked bewildered. Still, it perfectly confirmed her hypothesis, so that was enough. That teasing heart symbol was definitely the <Danguwon> status window.
Besides, Karl would be the one obtaining the laurel anyway, so it wasn’t disadvantageous. And once the inventory function was restored, the status window could do much more.
‘Then… there might be a way to regain that function later?’
Odette’s eyes sparkled with newfound possibility.
Returning to the room after tying the horses by the stream and changing her dress, she returned to the glass greenhouse with the quietly waiting Mrs. Becker.
“I’m sorry. I felt dizzy, so I rested in my room for a bit.”
It was a lie, but no one doubted her—besides, the greenhouse was noisy due to other events.
“Lady Odette, this is terrible! Assassins targeting the Emperor appeared in the hunting grounds!”
“Oh my, really? Is that true?”
She responded brazenly.
“That’s not all. They kidnapped His Majesty and went into the mountains! Even the royal guards can’t find them.”
Another young lady, pale as a sheet, chimed in.
“And at that time, a disaster occurred, separating the transcendent ones from them!”
“How could such a thing happen…? I’m ashamed I was lying here, knowing nothing.”
Odette acted startled, performing convincingly for the ladies.
‘Everyone speaks to me so easily now.’
Judging by the lack of concern for her infamous reputation, it seemed Doli had become more disliked in the meantime.
Around sunset, the Emperor returned to the summer palace hunting grounds, being supported by someone.
“Look, someone’s bringing His Majesty!”
“Oh my, thank goodness.”
The nobles, having failed to locate the Emperor, had assumed he was dead.
The nobles’ faces brightened upon seeing the Emperor, all except Count Albrecht.
His face turned pale upon seeing the person carrying the Emperor.
“Ka-Karl… how dare you—!”
The excited count shrieked at Karl without realizing it.
“Count! Who are you yelling at? Karl is the one who saved me. I won’t forgive anyone who touches him!”
The count shut his mouth but couldn’t hide his shocked, heavy breathing.
The Emperor’s attendants helped him down.
Gentlemen who had been with the ladies in the greenhouse also rushed to the Emperor. In that moment, Zion briefly approached Odette.
“How’s my skill? I removed his intimidation cleanly, didn’t I?”
As if removing bones from a fish, his tone carried a subtle expectation of praise.
“Yes, Your Majesty. Your skill is exceptional.”
Odette complimented him sincerely. No one here seemed afraid of Karl.
Her father was staring at Karl in shock, so their conversation went unnoticed.
“How did you do that?”
“Why?”
“You used mind control on Karl, right? That couldn’t have been easy. It must’ve required considerable skill.”
Transcendents are determined by birth, and even future transcendents would find using abilities more cumbersome than ordinary people.
‘Could he have realized Karl will soon awaken as an S-class transcendent?’
She asked cautiously, but Zion only chuckled.
“It required incredible skill. You couldn’t even imagine.”
Judging by his boastful tone, he hadn’t realized Karl was a transcendent.
At that moment, Doli glanced this way and approached. Odette closed her mouth, and Zion discreetly acted as if they hadn’t been talking.
“I survived thanks to you, Karl. You saved my life, my savior.”
The Emperor, looking as if he had cheated death, praised Karl loudly for everyone to hear.
