Chapter 34

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Translator: Harry Potta
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: The Alloje Contract
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“Are you all right, Croire?”

Diello asked as soon as I entered the thicket.

He seemed very worried.

“I felt a sharp killing intent.”

He seemed concerned that I might have returned injured.

His pale blue eyes, filled with worry, scanned me over.

“I’m fine.”

I looked behind me.

The Argenta agents, who had confiscated any hidden weapons from Nirua just in case, were bringing him over.

Nirua’s and Diello’s eyes met.

“This is Sir Nirua.”

Nirua flinched at my introduction, then bowed his head to Diello.

“Greetings.”

Judging by his polite greeting, he didn't seem to intend to be hostile just because Diello was an Argenta.

“…”

But the other Argenta agents were a different story.

Knowing he had been an Alloje assassin, the agents were suspicious of him.

*Clank!*

Because of that, Nirua was assigned a position far from the carriage Diello and I were riding in.

It was essentially an order to trail behind the rest of the group.

While Nirua might have felt it was unfair, having dedicated himself to Alloje, it was unavoidable.

I had already explained the situation to Nirua on the way here.

‘Argenta has a different atmosphere from Alloje. They have a much stronger sense of camaraderie and solidarity among their own. They don't welcome outsiders.’

Nirua had replied simply.

‘It's better than dying, isn't it?’

It was a clean answer.

But his answer didn't end there.

‘And regardless of title, I will follow the one who is more like a true Alloje. The one who uses Alloje's power for the right cause.’

It was just as I'd seen in the original novel.

The Shadow Sword family had sworn an oath on Alloje's blood. To pledge their loyalty to 'the one they recognized as their lord' according to their own beliefs.

If they didn't follow that oath, they would not only lose their 'disguise ability'—the power to imbue special magic into disguise materials—but in severe cases, they could even lose their lives.

That was why I trusted Nirua.

I'm not Diello; there's no way I'd just trust people so readily, right?

‘So, no matter what kind of place this is, I will adapt and endure.’

‘If that's your resolve, then you're welcome. The problem is that the others won't trust you.’

So I decided to use another method.

“Diello. I have a favor to ask.”

“Yes, Croire.”

A gentle smile, as if he would grant any wish, was directed at me.

I spoke to him lightly.

“The Argenta contract, can I use it too?”

Diello paused at my words.

“The contract…?”

“The one you and Mirta signed.”

Of course, that contract was a prohibition against revealing anything about Argenta, so if Nirua and I were to make a pact, the contents would have to be changed a bit.

Diello's mouth fell slightly open at my words. His hand, which had been stroking the back of his other hand, stopped.

“…Don't tell me you're thinking of making the contract yourself, Croire?”

I nodded at his words.

“Yes. The contract is necessary to fully trust Nirua and use his abilities, and also for him to be accepted by the other Argenta people.”

Diello looked troubled.

“…Croire, as you know, a contract is a heavy burden.”

A heavy and frightening thing.

Diello's voice was strangely subdued.

Was he thinking of the late Mirta?

His face, as he held the blood-stained sword, had been cold, but his eyes looking back at me were trembling.

I thought of Diello crying silently in the sunset, and then nodded.

“I know.”

But Nirua's disguise ability will be incredibly useful for our plans.

I had to bind Nirua with a contract to ensure his absolute loyalty and keep him here.

“But the meeting is just around the corner, and even after that, Alloje and Cartiel will be curious about whether your lily is disappearing.”

Without the Shadow Sword family's disguise techniques, there's no way to perfectly hide the lily.

…Unless he and I truly fall for each other and the lily disappears for real.

But I'm not Pero, so that would be a problem.

In the end, Diello let out a sigh.

“In that case, I'll make the contract.”

Then he said something completely out of the blue.

“What?”

I blinked.

Why are *you* jumping in?

“This is a matter between an Alloje vassal and an Alloje.”

Diello shook his head at my words.

“It's also for the purpose of hiding the Argenta head's lily.”

He gave a faint smile.

He said a contract was a heavy burden, yet his smiling face was so light.

The man who made that face after cutting down Mirta wants to make another contract?

And with someone who isn't even an Argenta, but was originally an Alloje?

Of course, I knew Nirua couldn't betray me, but there was no way Diello would know the secret of the Shadow Sword family.

It was only mentioned in the narration of the original novel. Even Duke Alloje probably doesn't know.

In short, Diello was being reckless with himself.

When that thought crossed my mind, I frowned.

*Smack!*

And without realizing it, I smacked the back of Diello's hand.

“!”

Diello blinked his dewdrop-like eyes.

“Stay still, esteemed family head.”

Don't go around making contracts so carelessly!

This man really doesn't understand how frightening a contract is!

* * *

In the end, I was the one who proceeded with the contract with Nirua.

Nirua must have already been briefed on the contract, as he looked at the document with curiosity rather than surprise.

It was understandable he'd be curious, since Alloje had no such method for pledging loyalty.

“So this is an Argenta contract.”

Nirua murmured.

I nodded while examining the contents of the contract.

If I was the one who 'witnessed' Mirta and Diello's contract, this time, it was Diello who was the witness.

Thus, Diello was also carefully examining the contract's contents.

It was likely because the contents were quite different from a typical Argenta contract.

[Nirua, who signs this contract in blood, shall never divulge the secrets of the other party, Croire, and shall offer absolute loyalty.

In return, Croire takes responsibility for protecting Nirua from the Alloje family to the best of her ability, and for accepting him as a member of Argenta.

Should the contract be violated, the life of the violator shall be claimed by the power of Alloje.]

That was the gist of the contract.

“Then, let's sign.”

Pielle came forward with a solemn expression, holding a dagger.

On the grounds that Nirua couldn't be given a blade before the contract was made, it was Pielle who drew blood from his fingertip.

But Nirua pressed his thumbprint onto the contract with a look that said it was only natural for him to be suspected.

I was next.

“Hoo.”

I let out a short breath.

I know Nirua won't betray me. But seeing blood was another matter.

What modern person has ever pricked their own finger with the sharp tip of a knife?

But I had to do it.

“…I'll do it myself.”

I took the dagger from Pielle. I thought it would be better to do it myself than have someone else cut me.

With my lips firmly shut, I secretly clenched my teeth.

“!”

I’m sure I only touched it lightly?

“Croire!”

A startled Diello wrapped my hand in his handkerchief. Despite that, some blood still dripped down onto the contract.

“Wait a moment…”

I was just as surprised. A stinging pain shot up from my fingertip.

But I had to finish what I started quickly.

I pressed my thumbprint onto the contract just like that.

*Pop!*

In that instant, the contract was encased in a giant water droplet.

“!”

If Diello and Mirta's contract burned with the power of Argenta, a contract empowered by water was encased in it.

I was a little surprised by this myself.

While Nirua and I stared wide-eyed, the contract vanished.

As if washed away by water.

But if either Nirua or I were to violate the contract, it would reappear, just like Mirta's contract that had burned in midair.

“I look forward to working with you.”

Nirua bowed his head.

The Argenta members, their gazes toward him now much more relaxed, untied him from the chair.

…Such thorough people.

*Tap.*

Just then, Diello took my hand again.

“Diello?”

Diello was pressing down firmly on my hand to stop the bleeding.

His handkerchief was stained bright red with blood.

“…The dagger was sharper than I thought.”

The truth was, it was my first time cutting myself, so I hadn't been able to gauge how deep it would go.

I didn't know my skin would split so easily, like cutting tofu…

“It might leave a scar.”

Diello's worried gaze was fixed on my hand.

“Let's go get it treated right away.”

He'd said his own wounds were nothing, yet he was making a fuss over my injury, which was obviously much lighter.

Honestly!

“After this.”

I turned to look at Nirua.

“There's a use for your ability.”

“Pardon?”

His expression seemed to ask, ‘Already?’

“There's something we need to do right away.”

The meeting is soon, after all.

As I began to explain the plan, Nirua's expression slowly changed.

“…It seems I've come to Argenta at just the right time.”

Yeah, if you hadn't come, I would have been in quite a bind.

Of course, I didn't say this thought out loud.

“I will give it a try.”

Nirua turned to look at Diello.