Chapter 12: All Transactions Are Prepaid (2)

Keter was no stranger to cursed weapons like Amaranth.

Demon Blade Aporphis.

He had once borrowed it briefly from the Godfather of Liqueur. As it was cursed, the blade demanded a portion of his lifespan each time it was used. After using it about twelve times, Keter discerned the source of its power.

It possesses the properties of both aura and mana.

Aura was almost impossible to transform but was extremely powerful. It also rapidly dissipated if it lost contact with the body. Mana, on the other hand, was easily transformable but lacked strength. Unlike aura, it retained its form and spells even when disconnected from the body.

Impressed by Keter’s discovery of the secret of Ein, Aporphis deemed him worthy and offered to teach him the method of acquiring Ein, the power of the void, in exchange for ten years of his life.

No thanks.

However, Keter declined Aporphis’ offer. Through trial and error, he succeeded in merging mana and aura—he had gained the power of Ein on his own. It was incomplete, but Keter eventually realized that he could control Aporphis.

Thanks to the experience at that time, Keter thought that he could handle Amaranth as well, which turned out to be true. The total amount of power possessed by the Demon Bow far exceeded Keter, but it ultimately operated through humans as intermediaries.

Humans who were unaware of the existence of Ein were unable to respond to Amaranth and were taken over helplessly. But Keter, who knew about Ein better than anyone, used Amaranth’s power against it to subdue it.

If one could handle the power of Ein, using cursed weapons was no longer a threat.

There would be no need to use cursed weapons if you had the power of Ein, but my situation’s a little different.

Keter was the only person in the world who knew how to wield Ein but did not have the power. Amaranth, unaware of this fact, only felt wronged.

Amaranth had managed to escape Keter’s grasp and take over Taragon. It could have turned him into a mindless servant under its control with a bit more time... Yet, this extraordinary human, Keter, subdued Amaranth through a ridiculous method.

His power isn’t that remarkable. So how does he handle the power of the void so proficiently?

Amaranth was surprised. The power of the void was forbidden to humans and had all its records erased in the distant past. But Keter, this seemingly unremarkable human, not only understood the power of the void but also knew how to utilize it.

As Keter walked through the storm of power and reached for Taragon, Amaranth decided to intervene directly. It manifested in its most terrifying form, a sight designed to evoke the utmost fear in humans. But Keter merely scoffed and aimed a punch right at its face.

Bam!

Amaranth experienced immense pain, something it hadn’t felt in hundreds of years.

—...Yes, this pain... This pain is evidence that I am alive!

Amaranth’s fleeting moment of joy was quickly interrupted.

Crack.

With a swift motion, Keter pried open Taragon’s fingers and took back the bow. Amaranth felt its connection with Taragon split and cursed Keter.

—I may retreat for now, but I will return. I will take everything from you.

That was when Keter spoke up.

“Let’s make a deal, Amaranth.”

—...!?

“You like deals, right? Me too.”

—

How dare a mere mortal propose a deal with me...

“You don’t like a business relationship? Then how about a master-slave arrangement? I’m fine with either.”

—You’re bold. Very well! I will grant you seven arrows. Six of them will be yours, and the last one will be mine.

Amaranth’s proposal was the standard terms of the contract that Volkanus had described before.

Keter shook his head.

“That’s an unfair deal. A true deal involves exchanging things of equal value.”

—Human deals? Why would I agree to that?

Amaranth just chuckled.

“What if I offered to break your seal in return?”

—...What did you say?

Amaranth’s unyielding attitude of before wavered. Keter skillfully exploited this moment of hesitation.

“You want to be free, don’t you? You want to escape from that bow that imprisons you.”

—How did you know!?

“Well, I’ve met something like you before.”

Demon Blade Aporphis had also yearned for freedom, once pleading to Keter to break its shell. Of course, Keter declined that request.

After a moment of contemplation, Amaranth spoke again.

—I don’t know how you came to know that secret, but it is impossible for a human to break my shell.

“It requires the power of Ein Sof, doesn’t it?”

—...!?

Amaranth thought it could no longer be surprised, but Keter’s words proved otherwise.

—How does a mere mortal like you know about Ein Sof?

“You don’t need to know that. Here’s my new proposal: one free demon arrow every day. If you refuse, I won’t use you at all.”

—Not one arrow every time you need it, but one every day? Are you saying the unused bullets will accumulate?

“Of course.”

—...

“Judging by your hesitation, I guess you enjoy being locked away in a warehouse? Fine. I’ll bury you deep underground next time. It will take thousands of years before anyone finds you.”

—

I’ll accept the contract... no, the deal. However, the maximum number of accumulated arrows cannot exceed thirty. I won’t budge on this.

“I can agree to that.”

Amaranth believed Keter’s words and also doubted them at the same time. It believed that Keter would bury it deep underground and doubted the part about how he could break the shell. The reason Amaranth agreed to the deal nonetheless was a deception.

No matter how impressive you are, you are still human. Humans inevitably make mistakes and let their guard down. It doesn’t matter if it takes years. Once I seize control of your body that skillfully wields Ein, my true resurrection won’t be a mere dream.

Amaranth’s true intentions were only meant to be known to itself, but Keter had already figured it out.

Pretending to cooperate, huh? Waiting for me to let my guard down. I’ve dealt with countless beings like you in Liqueur.

Pulling up his left sleeve, Keter said, “Come into my left arm.”

—You know a lot of things...

Amaranth transformed from bow form to a jet-black liquid, covering Keter’s left arm. This was clearly different from an attempt to possess Keter—it was not possession but assimilation. The black liquid writhed and formed patterns, eventually settling on Keter’s arm, like a tattoo. The black storm that had swept through the house was quickly absorbed through Keter’s left arm and eventually subsided completely.

Volkanus, who was watching this entire thing lying on his stomach, said in disbelief, “B-Bumpkin, what are you, exactly?”

Keter, fixing his wind-ruffled hair, replied, “I’m the Solver.”

* * *

Water splashed onto Taragon’s face.

“Ugh.”

Taragon sat up abruptly, coughing as if he had water in his nose. Seeing the house in shambles and Volkanus’ grim face was enough for him to understand the situation.”

“Haa...”

Letting out a deep sigh, Taragon dropped his head.

“Is there nothing I can do right?”

Taragon wasn’t foolish enough to insist after already failing once. Instead, he rapidly became drawn as he realized his limitations.

Keter approached Taragon. In his previous life, Taragon had tried to wield Amaranth, but went berserk when he failed. That future was now gone. For now, Taragon had escaped Amaranth’s temptation, but it was clear he would cause other problems. However, those futures could also be changed.

“Taragon, you are not useless.”

As Keter extended his hand, Taragon’s eyes welled up with tears.

“Keter...!”

Keter was the only one who had listened to Taragon’s story and given him a fair chance. Despite being pummeled by him, Keter let Taragon be tested to see if he was worthy of Amaranth’s ownership.

Grasping Keter’s hand and standing up, Taragon fought back tears and said, “Fine, I’ll yield Amaranth. I’ll look for another path.”

“No, don’t.”

“Huh?”

“You’re not the type of person to do well on their own.”

“...!?”

Is he giving with one hand and taking away with the other?

Taragon couldn’t grasp what Keter was trying to say. Volkanus grumbled as he tidied up the wrecked house.

“What nonsense is he going to say now...”

Ignoring Volkanus’ remark, Keter placed a hand on Taragon’s shoulder.

“Taragon, from what I see, you’re the type who follows orders well,” he said.

“Uh, sure.”

“But our family is too reserved and has too much faith in people. To put it nicely, we give too much freedom for self-growth, but that kind of freedom is too much for you.”

“...!”

“You need someone to give you orders—someone smarter than you. Your brothers or Father could do it, but as I mentioned, our family isn’t like that.”

Taragon nodded in agreement. Everything Keter said was true. Taragon himself was reluctant to ask, let alone give orders. He found himself waiting attentively for Keter’s next words.

“And listening to orders from someone who isn’t family is out of the question, right?”

“Right.”

“You’re so lucky, Taragon. You met someone who is much smarter than you, has no problem with giving orders, and has a lot of time on their hands. That person is in front of you right now.”

“You’re saying that...”

Taragon gulped, hoping that Keter would give him the most optimal orders for him.

That was when Keter held out his hand.

“That was the free consultation. The next part is paid.”

“What?!”

Taragon was surprised, and Volkanus clicked his tongue like he was expecting it.

“That guy wouldn’t just help.”

Taragon quickly thought about how much money he had. Keter’s words were worth paying for.

“Keter, all I have is two hundred gold. Can we work with that?”

Keter’s authority in the area was already proven. He had solid reasons behind his arrogance and confidence. Everything he had said so far was accurate, and he understood Taragon’s worries and situation even though Taragon didn’t say anything. Plus, Keter wasn’t a stranger; he was family, even if only half-related by blood. He had acknowledged Taragon, who he had just met.

Taragon, naive and longing for recognition, had no reason to doubt Keter.

“Hm. Normally, I’d charge five hundred gold. But Taragon, since you didn’t push for Amaranth, I’ll make an exception just for today!” Keter said.

“Haha, thanks. Tell me the next part quickly.”

“All transactions are prepaid.”

“Huh? Oh, I don’t have the two hundred gold on me right now... I need to go get it.”

“Then go get it.”

“Ah... okay.”

Taragon hesitated for a moment. His clothes were a mess from Amaranth’s storm, and he had blood stains on him, making him look far from normal. At that moment, Volkanus tossed a cloak to Taragon.

“Wear this. You’ll draw unnecessary suspicion.”

“Thank you, Master Volkanus.”

Taragon, now cloaked, left the house. Keter sat down on a chair, which now didn’t have a backrest anymore.

“Grandpa Midget, do you have anything to drink? My throat’s a bit dry from straining myself. The tea got destroyed earlier.”

Volkanus, with a strange expression, handed Keter something.

“We don’t have water, but drink this.”

Volkanus took out a porcelain liquor bottle from a drawer embedded in the floor and tossed it to Keter.

Keter caught it easily, opened the cap, and exclaimed in admiration, “This is a fruit wine that elves drink, isn’t it? It seems quite aged from the strong aroma. Thanks.”

Since Volkanus offered it without hesitation, Keter accepted it and took a swig straight from the bottle.

“Hm?”

Keter was someone who wouldn’t bat an eye if a companion suddenly pulled a knife on him, but his eyes widened after tasting the fruit wine.

“Damn, this tastes better than the one hundred thousand-gold vintage I had in the lawless city! What did you make this with to get such a deep yet refreshing flavor? Tell me, please.”

Volkanus found a chair that was still relatively intact and sat down.

“Did you finish it?” he asked.

“Yeah, it was just a mouthful. Was it expensive? I’ll pay you back right away.”

“I don’t know the exact price. That wine was made with the fruit of the World Tree and everfrozen water.”

“What? Fruit from the World Tree?!”

The World Tree was a sacred tree that elves worshiped like a deity. It wasn’t just a superstition; the World Tree genuinely had divine power, making it a coveted treasure for many hunters. The fruit from such a tree, naturally, was priceless.

There was an auction in Liqueur for it once. How much did it sell for? If I remember correctly, it was several hundred thousand gold.

If a human ate the fruit of the World Tree, even a dying elderly would become lively, and their lifespan would increase. This was proven, which made it a treasure that high-ranking nobles and royalty desperately sought.

That was really a wine made from the fruit of the World Tree?

Moreover, Everfrozen water, which could only be obtained from the peak of the Everfrozen Mountain, cost about ten thousand gold per cup. At this point, what Keter drank was not just wine; it was an elixir that everyone dreamt of drinking. It should be savored drop by drop, yet Keter had chugged it like water.

Keter inspected the inside of the bottle carefully, hoping to find some residue, but there was none.

Just then—

“...!”

Something started changing in his body. The mana within his body, which had been calm and dormant, suddenly began to surge wildly.