The Archangel of Death - Chapter 66

66: Visit from Sophien 66: Visit from Sophien Chapter 66 Although the items I gained were a little peculiar, they were still rewarding after such a battle.

Since everything was good enough, I checked the final thing.

[Eye of recovery Current Rank: C+ A magical artifact that can restore the mana of a person fully once a day.

Additional information: It has to be unlocked before it can be used.

Upon unlocking, its original rank would reveal itself.

Limitations would be revealed once the artifact is activated] That sounds like a proper artifact.

And it is sealed so there is no way of knowing its real worth.

However, its effects make it perfect for Alicia who has higher mana than usual people.

But its shape might make it a bit difficult to use unless one has an inventory like me.

If what I planned to do with the slime cores can also be done to it, then it would be amazing.

But before that, how the hell do I activate it?

[It can be activated when one person supplies mana to it for a long period of time] One person?

So it’s a bound item?

[Yes] I see.

In that case, I can have Alicia supply her mana to it until it is activated and then I will see what to do with it.

Of course, then it would be bound to Alicia but I intend to give it to her in the first place.

Done with the items, I next checked the gains in terms of skills.

I didn’t use any other skill much but I did use Decay a lot.

[Congratulations] [Skill ‘Decay’ has now evolved to a higher grade] [Decay LV (intermediate) LV: 1(231000)] Sweet.

I will see the difference in attack power once I get the chance but right now, I need to get out of here.

I have a very difficult situation to face.

I manipulated the life strand to grow my hair back again and equipped another Hartmann’s suit.

====== “Give me this, this, and this,” I asked a shopkeeper to pack most of the three expensive items in his shop.

They were dresses that could adjust themselves to the build of the wearer.

Although I could guess the proportions of the girls, the dresses available in their sizes weren’t so luxuriant so I decided to buy these instead.

Of course, they were extremely expensive as well but no amount of gold could amount to the anger I will face once I return.

So I was preparing to lessen that anger as much as I could.

I bought a bunch of other stuff as well and some things from the system shop as well.

Once I was penniless in terms of gold and had spent about a million coins, I finally decided to face my fate and left everything to luck.

[Your luck is the lowest stat] And not to mention it has been sh*t ever since I came here.

“Fuu…” I exhaled deeply and opened the door to my room and there they were like three inquisitors ready to make a sinner commit his crimes and deliver punishment.

I had to say, they were not happy in the least.  Laura was very angry even visibly, and as for Alicia, the coldness on her face sent chills down my spine.

What was equally terrifying was how calm Rose appeared to be.

She has all the makings of an assassin with how perfectly she can mask her true emotions.

One thing was sure, I was screwed.

===== [That was something, huh?] Tell me about it.

They were truly angry, so much so that not even the most luxuriant dresses, exquisite cuisines, and artifacts couldn’t appease their anger by much.

I was grilled by them for at least two hours before they had enough and left, still with some anger left.

Still, it’s in a woman’s nature to forgive as long as the opposite party is sincere and truly sorry for what they have done.

There are still limits but as long as it’s not something very wrong, men are forgiven most of the time.

I have never seen my Mom getting angry at Dad except for that one time when she found out that Dad had a love interest before her.

He was still forgiven as it wasn’t something in his control.

What I found weird about that was how a man like him had only one girlfriend ever.

[Maybe it’s the feeling thing about you] Maybe.

We are insensitive but passionate at the same time.

Although I won’t feel anything most of the time but nothing, when I do feel something, I feel it manifold.

In the case of my Dad, it would have been more severe since he didn’t have someone to guide him like I had him.

Anyway, we decided to spend today here as well and leave in the evening for the academy.

It would still be Friday and we all decided to apply for a leave for breakthrough.

The test was next weekend so I doubted the leave would be granted because breakthroughs can be unpredictable at times.

===== “Finally, back,” I stated as we entered the mansion we were staying at.

“Yes, in one piece,” Laura remarked sarcastically from the side.

She was still dissatisfied with me quite a bit.

I decided not to explain myself as it would only make things more complicated and asked a servant to prepare Laura’s usual room where she would stay whenever she stayed over.

I went to my room without the company of anyone else and took a long and calm bath.

I came out of the bath and dressed properly.

While I was doing my bowtie, a knock came on the door which I permitted.

Rose appeared and informed me, “Sophien Vermillion is requesting to meet with you, Your Highness.” I was surprised and wondered what she would want.

But what puzzled me was the timing as if she was already waiting for me.

“When did she come?” I asked.

Rose replied, “She has been here since yesterday.

She came to meet you but when she found you weren’t here, she decided to wait for you.” Which means she needs something and she can’t go back without it.

Whatever it is, it’s important.

“Very well, let’s go,” I said and we both left for the reception room.

I have no idea what she wants but I can predict a few scenarios.

All of which benefit me.

I entered the room and saw Sophien sitting on the sofa with a dissatisfied expression rather than her usual coldness.

Rachel, standing behind Sophien, was equally dissatisfied also but she was doing a better job masking her expression.

There was another addition in the reception room who was drinking tea leisurely as if she wasn’t even here, Laura.

“Welcome to humble abode, Sophien.” I greeted joyously.

Doing so not only annoyed Sophien but also made Laura a little more attentive.

Sophien although dissatisfied, didn’t say anything but the same couldn’t be said for Laura.

“It is not good behavior to not address a lady without her proper title.

Please refer to her as Lady Vermillion.” Laura said calmly as if it didn’t bother in the least yet even an idiot could feel the jealousy seething behind her words.

“Of course.

You are right.” I replied with a smile and then turned to Sophien and said again, “Welcome, Lady Vermillion.” Sophien glanced at Laura and then at me wondering what was going on but since she wasn’t much interested, she was quick to discard this matter and got straight to business.

“Tell her to leave.

We have a business to discuss.” She coldly said to me.

Now that wasn’t so nice.

Laura was asking me to respect her, but she wasn’t respecting Laura.  “Then please don’t let the door hit you on the way out,” I said with the same smile but the meaning behind my smile was different.

Sophien was taken aback while Laura smiled sweetly.

It was Sophien who needed something.

If so, she has to do it on my terms, not hers.

Sophien was no doubt angry but containing herself she said, “I apologize but you know that our talk is confidential.” “There is nothing to worry about.” I simply stated and took a seat on the sofa next to Laura, dangerously close to her.

She smiled sweetly but didn’t say anything.

She was very happy after all.

My dad always says, ‘Put women even before you let alone anything else.’ Although he annoys me a lot, his wisdom is great.  Sophien had no choice seeing my demeanor so she spoke, “Very well.

If you are willing to, then whatever.” She then took some papers from Rachel and passed them on the table.

I arched forward, took them, and gave them a quick read, and couldn’t help but smile.

“Insurance, huh?” I said which made Sophien a little surprised.

“I doubt it is your idea though.

Then who?

It is easy to guess but I didn’t expect you would tell him so easily.” What Sophien handed me was a simple contract that was a little too much in my favor.

Ten percent stake in the potion-selling business but also stating that I can’t start one of my own and also the empire wouldn’t be able to get the formula.

Key points to note were that he was aware that I had more potions in my arsenal.

He wasn’t asking me not to sell just the strength potion recipe but the recipe of all potions.

In simpler words, ‘Don’t give it to us if you don’t want to but don’t let anyone have them as well.’ In turn, he was offering me a ten percent stake in the business.

The ‘he’ I was referring to is the president of the Central government.

And I could bet my hair on line that he was currently listening to our conversation.

If I had to bet, it would be through that necklace I have never seen Sophien wear before.

But, “Don’t you think you are being very unreasonable?

You are asking me to vanquish the right to make immense wealth while giving me just this much.

That doesn’t sound like a fair deal to me.” Although I don’t intend to sell the potions anyway, they don’t have to know that.

The wealth I would accumulate from selling potions would be a hundred times more than what the central government was offering.

Since I was being given a chance to loot someone, I should do it properly, shouldn’t I?

So although I will gladly sign this deal, I will make sure to make it favorable for myself as much as I can.

“…” There was no reply from the other side.

But I wasn’t in a hurry myself so I leaned back in and just waited.

Laura sitting next to me also remained quiet, mostly oblivious to the situation since I hadn’t told her about the potions.

“What do you want?” A voice came from the same direction as Sophien.

It was the same overbearing and authoritative voice I had heard when I sold the mana concentration potion in the auction house.

Cornelius Vermillion.

The powerhouse who made the central government himself from scratch from the ashes of the Hawser Kingdom after he conquered it.

His strength was undeniable at SSS.

Even the headmaster of the Bellator Academy was at SS, so Cornelius’s authority was undeniable.

But, he was still below the empire, and although I had no authority in the empire, he couldn’t just impose his authority on me as I am a member of the Lux family.

“If I have to tell you that, then I feel like you are not sincere enough.” I gave the same bullsh*t answer, only this time, I knew what I wanted but I wanted him to give his own price first.

“Castro.” He said only one word but I was immensely surprised.

He wasn’t offering me just anything, but a city with a dungeon of B-rank.

Although B-rank doesn’t sound much, the highest grade dungeon in this entire world is only at S rank.

“Grandfather!” Sophien exclaimed, which sounded like she was trying to protest.

As for me, I was surprised sure but I wasn’t jumping up and down.

Why?

Because he wasn’t done yet.