Chapter 69
1. Sealing the Pact
I reached into my pocket and handed the contract deposit to Nard. He counted and nodded:
“One hundred denai—exactly as agreed.”
“Very well. Let’s get this contract official.”
At Zetren’s signal, one of the agents brought over a document. Nard handed me one of the two copies.
I skimmed it:
Contract for Services
- The Night Watch will do its utmost to fulfill the client’s request.
- A 10% deposit (100 denai) is paid upon signing.
- The remaining 900 denai is to be paid immediately when the success is achieved.
- The client must cooperate, including providing intelligence.
- The contract is confidential—breach of this may result in retribution.
Simple, but enough. The paper doesn’t matter much—actions do.
“Since I gave you those five sample bottles of Ere Essence already, let me know if you’d like any conditions added.”
“No. The terms are fair. I do want this notarized by a mage.”
“You want magical notarization, huh?”
That’s a serious commitment. If the contract is magically sealed, betrayal could cost one’s life.
Zetren frowned, twirling his stubbly jaw.
“Five free bottles… that’s generous. But still, lots of risk on your side.”
“How about, you receive five bottles every month instead?”
The room buzzed. My bold condition earned him a delighted grin.
“That works. Why didn’t you say so earlier?” he laughed heartily.
His agents cheered—sweet crumbs falling to them from a noble’s table…
I smiled back, proud. Even Raymond looked full of quiet approval.
“But what conditions should we include in the notarization?” I asked.
“Hmm,” I paused, then decided.
“Each agent must sever their left wrist, exactly at the forearm.”
“What?!” gasped the room.
Even Raymond winced at the shock.
“Quite the bold clause,” Zetren said.
“Wrist oath—common enough?”
“Understood.”
Zetren agreed, and his agents immediately clamped down in respectful silence.
In the original story, I knew what the left wrist meant—it’s sacred to the Night Watch. Members vow vengeance till death, and the mark is etched onto their left hand—only known to insiders. By invoking it, I bound myself to them completely.
Now the deal was sealed.
The Night Watch could succeed—or fail—and it wouldn’t matter to us. As long as their actions checked the Emperor’s power, it worked in our favor.
We signed the contract, then invited a mage to perform the magical notarization—a formality that wasn’t too complex.
With this deal sealed, our base in Ferment grew much more secure, and I couldn’t help but puff out my chest with satisfaction. It was my handiwork that made it happen.
2. The Emperor Learns of Us
Later, a knock echoed. Laughter from the concubines in the emperor’s chamber died down, and only the Emperor’s stern voice remained.
“Enter.”
His chamberlain stepped inside, bowing respectfully.
“Your Majesty, you asked for an immediate report.”
“Yes.”
The Emperor dispatched the women with a flick of his hand.
Then to the chamberlain:
“What is this report about?”
“About the Grand Duke… and Lady Eilene, Your Majesty.”
His usually unfocused gaze snapped into sharp alertness.
“…Both?”
“Yes, Sire.”
“Tell me.”
The chamberlain continued, quickening his speech.
“They were seen together recently—walking in the village by our royal watchers.”
“Is that true?”
“Yes. They looked casual, but it was definitely them.”
The “royal watchers” are agents stationed across Ferment and the empire, under the Emperor’s direction. He clenched his fist, suppressing rage.
“What were they doing?”
“Visiting a shop. The Grand Duke’s cosmetic business—Ere Essence—apparently doing very well.”
“Ere Essence…”
The Emperor pressed more.
“Why do you think they went there?”
The chamberlain hesitated, eyes flicking around.
“Well… The item is so hard to get—even expensive—so perhaps she requested it as a favor, Your Majesty.”
It was plausible. Many nobles obsessed over looks—but not Eilene. His instincts whispered: Something’s off.
“Track her every step. Assign more guards to follow her routine. If they meet again, capture it at once.”
“By your command, Sire,” the chamberlain replied firmly.
3. A Daytime Date—and a Strange Sign
With Raymond officially in the capital, the freedom we had before dwindled. We still met often, but mostly at night. We also continued using the hidden Hills hideout.
The problem? Ere Essence’s popularity grew fast. We needed to produce more—even during daytime!
“I’m uneasy about meeting in the day.”
“We used to go to bookstores in the day…”
“But this is different.”
“We’ll disguise ourselves, of course. No time to waste—let’s go.”
We changed our looks at the hideout and snuck off to the workshop. Little did we know—the Emperor’s soldiers were receiving reports of our daytime activity.
4. Market Date Interrupted
Later, we decided to enjoy a simple afternoon date—heading to a nearby market.
“Should we head home?”
“Or… let’s go to the ABC market for a snack!”
We walked side by side among street stalls. I’d step forward, entranced by aromas, and Raymond would hand me food to share. Simple joy in stolen moments.
But near the market, something odd happened—a cacophony of birds.
They weren’t usually around—but dozens upon dozens had descended on the trees, filling the air with chirping.
Chirp chirp… hoot… caw… tweet-tweet.
“Why are there so many birds today?”
“So noisy… it’s maddening.”
Everyone hurried by, covering their ears. The sudden, eerie flock felt like a cruel signal…
