The Book Of Flowers
Negotiation of Darius
-- The night -- - the
...
...
Fyon and the Elves turned out to take quite a long time to research the demon sigil that Leshy had taken off
Verdea even looked sleepy so Remina had to make sure she wouldn't fall while asleep. Leshy also seemed too engrossed in talking to Veskal and Natasha while waiting for confirmation from me
Hmphc...
Looks like the Sigil is indeed difficult huh...?
I want the Dark Elves to research it first. I would at least like to know what kind of structure half a demon's power has, and get more information should this be their weak point
But they have taken quite a long time, since the sun began to set until now when the night was late
Even so, I still have to appreciate their efforts
"Vainzel"
Uh-uh? Fyon-y?
"It's over??" I asked enthusiastically
I looked at my friends, but unfortunately Verdea had fallen asleep until Remina had trouble holding her back. Veskal and Natasha were even glued to the boy first before focusing on me
"Uh... You'd better take Verdea inside and put her in her room" I asked Veskal
"Heeh?? Then what about-"
"Oh I'm sorry, romantic master. But you can take care of your boyfriend later after you help Remina to not have trouble"
"I'm really asking for help...!!" Remina interrupted
This other child should have gone home with his father, but remained silent with us out of curiosity
Veskal complained that he did not want to be the target of my sarcasm and began to obey what I wanted after asking Natasha for permission
Remina was behind him, carrying Verdea after leaving me, and the three of them entered Miralius as I began to focus on Fyon
"So?" I asked
"The formula of the magic that we can dismantle well. Everything was also thanks to the help of the transparent protective magic belonging to the guard Leshy" Fyon replied
He also flicked his finger so that his subordinates who were carrying the sigil to get closer
"This magic is more complicated than we thought. In fact, I'm sure this isn't magic, but it works just like a wisp of Mana being forcibly removed from one's body" Fyon explained later
Which Wad...?
It's only natural that he has been in trouble since. Apparently he was researching a wisp of Mana
Researching a blob is tantamount to figuring out every detail of the core of someone who has it
But he said it was the same thing
...
Oh-h!
"The concept may be the same as Verdea's seal..." I muttered, confirmed by Fyon's nod
"But the dangerous one from this wisp of Mana was the characteristics of the demons that were within it. He took without giving, so we can't use our Mana too much in researching it"
"It sounds like the devil..."
"That's because this thing came from a half-demon too isn't it? They're not much different"
Then he said that the Sigil received without giving
Accept without giving. It came from a half demon. Deadening
...
"That explains why Jael became so weak after using this savage sigil"
Accept without giving. It means that this sigil ate Yael's power. And after receiving it, this deadly magic could also be thrown
Uh-uh? No
How do I know that the sigil was thrown? There's one more way to get the most out of it when it just comes to my head
The Sigil exploded like a box that charged too much and was forced. That's why Yael couldn't manage his power for him to be able to safely throw
The Sigil exploded, draining his Mana, as well as hurting himself
...
...
...
"There's gotta be something I need to call right away. You can rest" I give the order
Fyon looked confused by my orders, as well as the other Dark Elves. But one of them shrugged, and all agreed to go to Miralius.
So all that's left is Natasha, Leshy, and me
Pretty safe in my opinion. Natasha also already knows very well the contents of the message from the sender that we will contact this
Yep. I will contact Darius with this magic seed right now
"Tests, tests. Can you listen?"
...
...
"Tests. Tests"
"I waited a long time, Oberon"
Uh-h!
His voice shocked me until I spontaneously gasped
Well, at least he answered
"From. That's you, isn't it?" I asked
"Of course it's me. And just calm down. Collin is with me now with a witch we can trust. We can speak freely with you because this room is already covered by protective magic" Darius replied, followed by a voice from Collin that sounded like shouting but was held back by Darius
"Good then. But I don't think there's still anyone who dares to fight Rosalia there"
"Money is everything Oberon. I just threw a little at him, and the second wave will come after this talk"
Just natural...
"Then, what do you want to talk about, Darius?"
I knew he would give me information as proof of his promise, but I just wanted to know if there was more to it or not
"Only some. Rosalia and Jael's movement patterns, how much they know, and so on"
"That might be useful. But it just means that you're going to be Artorius' replacement just for me"
"I still have many things I can give you Oberon. But let's start from the bottom first without haste"
This guy is smarter than I thought. I think she's just as stupid as her brother Damien...
"Please start" I said
"Alright" Darius gladly accepted
...
But unlike what I wanted, he was silent
I know he's still there, but he's just speechless, with his mouth open
His breathing was still in order, so there was no way that anything would harm him right now there
But just as I was about to ask about his condition, I heard Darius take a deep breath as if ready to speak
"... Rosalia has a bigger army than you think, Oberon"
...
...
"What kind of squad?"
"Monster, a Dwarven city, and also a country"
...
Monsters. I'm not too surprised to hear that
It's just that I can't guess which Dwarven city will cooperate with Rosalia...
And I have one guess as to which country would foolishly conspire with that person
"Cruxes..."
"really so. So I'll warn you not to give too much information to my mother's country"
"Then tell me immediately about the Dwarves conspiring with them"
"Lapio"
Oh my goodness why am I not surprised!?
Lapius in the Crux! What a very unpleasant coincidence!
"That's why they have enough magic objects to use. Naturally Eloy's ego becomes very high"
Eloy didn't lie when she said she was strong enough to kill me. He had the help of some of the Dwarves, the most reliable people in making tools
"You mean... The Dwarven City..." Natasha has commented
"Who's that, Oberon?" Darius asked, unintentionally hearing Natasha talking to me
"A new friend. You can find out about it later"
Because you still have a lot of things to explain
He knew what I was thinking, marked by a sigh of surrender from him
"I don't have to worry about the monster, so we jump right into another topic"
He sounded like he was preparing to say something serious...
"I want to join you in making Verdea a king" He said, after a while I waited
Huh huh?
Make Verdea king...?
"Why? What good is it to make Verdea a king for you?"
"Freedom, Oberon"
That's a subjective answer and just makes the question more...
If I think back...
Darius never had any ill intentions for Damien or his brother. Although his mouth was extremely rough, he was never a great threat to someone
It was as if he was deliberately holding back. Even from what I know, Darius has become more 'rational' lately. Unlike Damien or Artorius who feel pressured by the threat of Rosalia
He's also a talented kid, I have to admit. Had she had a better mother or guidance, she might even have been able to surpass her brother if she wanted to join the board
And just now, he said that he wanted freedom? A kind of freedom to will, right?
Bizarrely. Darius whom Verdea and I knew was a very disorganized person due to the influence of his mother, Sofia
...
"Can't be all you want, right?"
My cautious attitude is not necessary, but I must uphold it
However, it soon collapsed instantly as Darius explained one more thing he wanted
"... I want you to kill every member of the Hortensia family, except Collin and Verdea"
!!!
One thing came into my head. About his first wish he had expressed to me
The freedom he wanted...
...
"You want me to kill you, too...?"
...
"It should be..."
L'm...
I don't know what to say...
"really. What is your real purpose, Darius Hortensia?"
"Dead, Oberon. The goal of everyone in life is just that. And let's just say I want to speed it up while dragging my whole family into the pit of hell"
"It's not the behavior of people who want to die"
"yes too. So let's just say that I want to drag my family down the hellhole"
This guy's stubbornness reminds me of his sister...
...
He really just wanted that...?
I'd better take note first. If he wanted something more than that, then he would also have to pay more
It's just...
Killed the entire Hortensia family except his two younger siblings huh...?
...
"I will ask Verdea's opinion after I tell her all these things. And for that long, you'd better stay alive, Darius"
"By pleasure"
Heh. Now it's time for me to take a break
"But you forgot something, Oberon..."
Heh?
What did he mean?
But before I could finish speaking, I heard that someone had been pushed to the ground not far from me
And when I turned my head, I found Collin looking down, right at someone I didn't recognize
Only the emblem on that guy's uniform I recognize. The emblem depicts the tendrils that form an image of the heart. The emblem of the Hortensia's royal sorceress is officially recognized by the master of the magic tower itself
And that guy looks like he was dragged by Collin here forcibly. Even he just looked panicked as if this was something that was not included in his plan
...
Don't tell me this witch is the one who helped them?
Then why are they dragging this person in front of me...?
"You forgot to take out the trash, Oberon"
Sam... pah...?
...
Only one person could tell why Darius said that
So, I turned to Leshy to confirm the contents of the witch's mind that I did not recognize
"I smell the scent of fear and attack intent huh" Leshy said, without taking long after examining the person
"We paid him to cooperate. Brother said that such a person was completely unbelievable" Collin interrupted
...
I know that he's right...
But the thought that we had to finish off this guy right now, the idea that was stuck in Darius and Collin's head, made me a little afraid of their behavior
I mean, Collin was just a little boy not too old from Verdea. And hearing that he had those radical thoughts without a sense of remorse made me a little...
...
And that guy...
Yes, Leshy's right. The witch intended to attack someone to escape, seen once from the suspicious and frightened movements of his body
The body of a magician when intending to attack suddenly does look like that. The hand that was not completely stuck to the ground when it fell, his frantic eyes despite his unblinking focus on gathering Mana, and his breath that he was trying to set to better control his Mana flow
He intends to attack Collin I already know that. But Collin also seemed ready to dodge using the teleportation device I made for him
The thing he made the necklace of course he used to get here as soon as possible, taking the person by force. So, he must be so exhausted right now, that I'm sure he'll soon faint when he uses it one more time
"Oberonian. Make your decision" Darius said through the seed
Yep. I better not take much longer
So then...
"Fireba"
"Not so fast"
His magic streak was instantly undone when he felt an extremely powerful hand touch in his head. The man slowly turned his head up, right looking at my eyes that were shining under the light tonight, looking down at him as if he was being underestimated
"B- How can you-"
"Moving quickly? How do you think?" I cut it
Collin was able to breathe with relief seeing my position that had secured the witch
Now, she just needed to see the results that she and her brother wanted from me. An assessment of how seriously I take all these situations
Alright. Now what should I do hm...?
Killing this guy won't help at all. Letting it loose would also be very messing with us, even with a warning or threat
So how's...?
...
"We're gonna make a deal"
The two men gasped at my words, and the reaction they gave afterwards became quite different
"Oberonian. You sure-"
I just kept quiet without looking at Collin one bit, and it was able to make him pause for a moment. He understood that I was saying, 'Give this to me', to him
And this witch looks happy. He was very happy as if he could get out the easy way from this situation
Unfortunately this guy. But I have no sympathy for traitors
"Give me your full name, young man" I said
"Guilan Trounce, your majesty!" He immediately called
Now it's time to add to this agreement
"Please promise me that you will not betray me or the two princes who are in need of your help right now. And that way, we won't hurt you either"
"Good! Okay, your highness!"
And then for the last part
"If you think a little bit about betraying them, or lying to them...
First, your tongue will be cut off. If you try to use writing to betray, then your finger will be broken. And if you try to use the cue to do so, then your leg will break. Then after that, if you still try again, your heart will suffer the consequences, until you will die"
He was shocked to hear the terms of me. But...
This fool only gulped his saliva a little, and did not hesitate at all to accept the agreement
"alright. I promise"
...
...
...
"That's it, Oberon...?" Darius asked, not believing
Then I handed the seed over to get closer to the witch
"Give him one question, 'Are you going to betray or not', Darius" I asked Darius
He listened to it and sounded surprised. But he just sighed before trying to do what I asked
"Will you betray me or Collin, Guilan Trounce" Darius asked
The witch looked a little nervous, yet she did not try to hide her smile
And one answer has already determined his fate...
"Of course not, prince Darius"
No need for a second
It didn't take a second before he felt a blood dripping out of his mouth
It didn't take a second before he sensed that something was chewy yet hard in his mouth, so he had to spit it out
But he was immediately startled when he saw that thing. The thing that came from his own body, which was now off the tip
"A- A...!"
...
In fact, his sentence had started to be unclear due to his tongue being cut off
A terror-filled scream could be heard loud all over the forest, giving fear to all those who were not used to seeing it
Leshy just planted his chin back on Seren's grave. Natasha looks very agitated. Meanwhile, Collin looked terrified
Darius himself could only hear the scream, so he could only imagine what was happening there with the goosebumps
So, he asked me too
"What happened, Oberon...?"
I threw the seed at Collin, who he reflexively caught before taking a step back
"D-Him-His tongue-! Cut-up!" Collin immediately spoke to his brother in a trembling tone
"What??"
As the two brothers talked about this situation to each other, I took the piece of tongue that came out of the witch's mouth from her hand, as long as he's still scared to see me getting stuck to the ground
Then I pulled the hand of the man who tried to wriggle to escape and forcefully opened his mouth
But since he didn't want to be around me anymore so he started hitting me, I made a statement to him
"I'll stick your tongue back this time. And I'll let you do this offence alone"
He then flinched and immediately fell silent with a face so ugly as to already grimace in fear
Then he nodded with a broken movement as his body trembled at that moment
"So open your mouth and try sticking out your tongue that is not cut a little even though it will hurt"
He nodded once more, and the next moment was extremely painful
He tried to do what I asked him to do, until he occasionally groaned in pain while closing his eyes. But he knew that I was going to heal his tongue this time, so he didn't feel any trouble
I did exactly as I promised him, reuniting the two ends of his tongue using healing magic. In the process as well, he still whimpered until his mouth reflexively wanted to close, so that his teeth stuck deep enough into my hands
It's just that it didn't take long for me to be able to heal his tongue. I got up immediately, took off my gloves, and said
"Open your eyes and speak. I'm done"
The witch opened her eyes in surprise, then immediately touched her tongue to check whether it was still painful or not
Then he tried to talk back. The first sentence of his choice was also enough to make me satisfied with the results of the agreement
"M-I'm sorry---! This time I swore that I would not betray!! So don't hurt me again---!!" He said, prostrating to the ground is asking for mercy
Collin was still visibly agitated by the situation, although this time he tried to get close to me throwing the dirty gloves at the witch to throw them away
I turned to Collin who was right next to me with a confused face
"... He's really honest, isn't he...?" Colin asked, doubtful
"I understand you doubt. But, that Elf promise will continue to hold true as long as the person who promised is still alive
He won't be able to let go. It can only change the contents, and it also requires the consent of me and the two of you" I explained
"Just like a pact to the devil?" Darius interjected from the seed Collin was holding
"The difference is that we didn't take anything away from that promise. We just want to bind them and ourselves so as not to go too far past our wishes"
In essence, we are not much different from the demons. It's just that we have opposite natures and forms
It is made of water and made of fire. Promises that bind and promises that take. The purity of the actions of each kind
Really, we are not much different. God did create Elves as opposite duplicates of demons. We are the most powerful beings in accomplishing a task, despite not having freedom like humans
"For now you don't have to worry about this guy. He'll help you from now on, and he won't be able to escape that responsibility"
Collin once again breathed a sigh of relief, although then he looked at me with a still-vigilant face
Hmphc... He won't like me from today...
"Then Collin will leave from there, Oberon" Darius said after Collin handed the seed back to me.
"alright. But he had to drink a potion of Mana first"
Darius agreed with my request, before silence returned as I tried to call Zaphir by telepathy
The three people watching me who were silent were staring at each other, while Leshy suddenly started to snore and startle them all
They were then startled again by a shadowy figure that suddenly appeared beside Natasha until she fell to the ground. But the figure that appeared was not just one
"Zaphir said he was called" Veskal said
She saw that Natasha had fallen to the ground, started laughing awkwardly, then helped her friend to get up
As Zaphir and Luna approached me to salute
"Uh... I'm sure I just called Zaphir..." I said
"We happened to be together, Oberon. And I've brought what you asked" Zaphir replied, handing over the Mana potion that I immediately gave to Collin for him to drink immediately
He did it without wasting time. And after the potion bottle was empty, he handed the thing back to me, until it returned to Zaphir's hands
"Thank you, Oberon. I'm better now"
"It's okay. You have also teleported here. Of course I know you're tired"
Collin smiled as he rubbed his head like a child whose mistake had been discovered
Veskal realized that Collin was there
"ah! Prince! How you doing?" Veskal called
Collin simply replied, "Well", before going to the witch whose presence made my three friends frown
"But I'm sorry, I have to come back soon" Collin said again
"Whoa! Then it doesn't matter..." Veskal retaliated
Collin smiled as he waved his right hand at Veskal, with his left hand on the witch's shoulder
"Ah, and one more thing before I left" He said, before turning to me
"Son, you should withdraw from Goeitias' western expedition. Gather your strength first, and do not act rashly" He explained again
...
"I understand" I replied
Collin smiled once more, but this time at me
And in the blink of an eye, he disappeared and shot into the sky covered in blue light after saying, "Teleport location"
...
"Collin is back. Thank you for your help, Oberon" Darius said
All right, he's back safely
Let's just end it tonight
"Then our business is done. We'll talk some more time while we get through the seeds I tucked in Collin's pouch"
Darius agreed, before sounding surprised. But I immediately closed the communication through the seed before he could speak again
"... So you've been talking to Darius all this time huh...?" Veskal said
"I wanted to do it with Verdea, but her brother was determined to plan everything after stealing the seeds of the communication I gave Artorius" I gave an excuse
"But who was the witch?" Zaphir asked, as he stood back up and helped his son as well
"Ah... He's the one who helped the two princes" I said
I mis-focused on Zaphir and Luna just now...
My eyes don't cheat, do they? Zaphir's? Helping Luna stand up as if it wasn't a small thing?
Heh?
I wouldn't lie if I said I was happy, but-
...
Never mind. Tonight is too long
"We should get back to rest. I'll just sit outside this time to help Leshy keep watch. The Gnomes also deserve a break for once in a while" I said
"Then let us come along" Luna said, enthused by Zaphir's slow nod
"All right.........."
Something strange happened to both of them. They scare me a little because they're acting out of their habit
Huh...
'You have a lot of things to explain, Zaphir' I said to him via telepathy
He just lowered his head a little sign of agreement, before we started looking for a comfortable position to guard the Forest Gate while Leshy was sound asleep
