Kaely approached Saudro, who was trying to shake Castian off with all his might. She had a slightly embarrassed expression.
—I'm sorry, I let my law not last too long so the guy wouldn't panic. I seem to have trusted too much...
—Whatever, just get him off me.
—Sorry, I didn't hear you well. Did you say something?
—Ah... please lift him.
The blonde laughed a little and quickly recited her Wandering Law. Then, she effortlessly lifted Castian, allowing Saudro to stand up.
Basil observed all this while reflecting on what had happened. He realized that Merlian had lied to him, as there were not four, but six Disciplinarians. What the hell is going on with that number? It just keeps rising.
Meanwhile, Merlian looked at Castian, pondering what had occurred.
That strength, how is it possible? Even while lying down, he was able to propel himself towards Saudro in an instant. Moreover, he pulled him without being on his feet. Could it be...?
—Take off his shirt.
Kaely looked at her for a moment and understood what she wanted. She placed Castian on the ground and exposed the man's chest.
Everyone was shocked to see the Ivory lattice embedded in his skin. However, it wasn't enough for Merlian, who asked them to show his back.
When they did, they were even more stunned. There were two Ivory holes in his spine. One of them in the dorsal area, between the shoulder blades and the other lower down, in the lumbar area.
—A Machinery Spear! —Fauste exclaimed on everyone's behalf.
—I don't think so; a Machinery Spear doesn't possess that strength without injecting Ivory. —Merlian dismissed the idea and everyone thought the same.
—Are you suggesting that it's...?
—Look at his nape.
Kaely brushed aside Castian's messy hair and everyone was astonished. In the middle of his scalp protruded a hole whose unnatural appearance gave a sense of discomfort. Of milky white color, that Ivory port shone in everyone's incredulous gaze.
—He's a Gear Warrior!
—How is that possible?
Basil observed closely with a spark of amusement on his face but also felt a bit of frustration. For him, it would have been better to keep that card secret for a little longer. It was a pity that Castian hadn't managed to kill Saudro.
Well, even being a Gear Warrior, you couldn't do much against six Disciplinarians.
A "Gear Warrior" was one of humanity's best weapons. Existing for over a thousand years, they were the second greatest scientific advancement in weaponry technology. They were on par with Disciplinarians, always fighting on a similar scale.
However, Basil didn't have much faith from the start. First of all, Castian lacked the most important thing: his Ivory Exoskeleton. Without it, he only had the power of a Steam Heart.
It's already a miracle that he scared them off. Anyway, any extra second until the Great Headquarters arrives is welcome.
—Hey, answer! How is this possible!? —Merlian shouted without caring about manners; the situation was quite unexpected.
Just as Disciplinarians were quite rare, Gear Warriors were too. Only great families could afford to have several; it was unheard of for a simple criminal to have one at their disposal.
—Miss, I-I told you before; I'm from the Fairgo family; Castian is a knight who trained my family. —Basil's expression didn't change; he still looked weak and helpless, unable to endure the pain.
—You!
With brutality worthy of giving her etiquette teacher a heart attack, Merlian crushed Basil's limp feet. He screamed in agony and writhed on the ground like a worm, but she didn't care as she continued kicking his broken limbs until wounds opened and blood flowed.
—You bastard! Do you have any idea how close he was to killing Saudro!?
The kicks and groans continued for some time until Merlian began to tire. At that moment, she stopped with an annoyed and reluctant face.
—Tsk, damn... —Her gaze shifted from anger to reflection; memories passed through her mind as she looked at the gray-haired man—. Basil... Meun Fairgo... or whoever you are; I can't underestimate you. I don't know how, but you had a Gear Warrior working for you. You made us bring him up ourselves and to avoid raising suspicions; you used his real name, making us lower our guard in the process.
»Even being just a Steam Heart, you're insidious and cunning. Therefore, I will treat you as someone very dangerous.
The pain had twisted Basil's expression into a distorted portrait. He listened to every word from Merlian with an exhausted face.
So, I guess this is where the real torture begins. Ah... I think the old man has a Wandering Law related to wounds; maybe he's a healer. Which means he can push my injuries to the limit... Damn, this is going to hurt.
—Fix his legs, Ferned.
—Right away. —The old man approached with an upright posture and leaned towards the two—. The broken legs will heal.
After those words, Basil could feel his bones and muscles regenerating at abnormal speeds. He gritted his teeth at the sudden pain, but it didn't last long. By the time he realized it, his legs were in perfect condition.
This is going to happen a lot...
He slowly got up and brushed the dust off his pants. Then, he looked at Merlian with a distrustful expression. Her gaze shone with a dangerous spark. Basil's anguished face reflected in her black irises, bathed in barely concealed anger.
She moved forward, and Basil gritted his teeth, ready for the worst. However, far from what he expected, the woman passed by him. He had to listen to the sound of her footsteps to recover from the surprise. When he turned around, he saw Merlian grabbing a sheet of paper from her desk.
—This will be enough.
Blank sheets and a pen; that was all she had in hand. However, Basil didn't lower his guard. Is this some unknown method of torture?
The woman took a small dark vial out of her bag. Then she dipped the pen in the ink from the vial and began to write while leaning on the desk.
Could it be ivory ink?
Although the light source was scarce, Basil could still notice a slight shine in the ink, characteristic of that substance. He felt curious about Merlian's actions; it wasn't common to use ink on basic sheets.
It was annoying to write without being able to sit down, so Merlian took some time. When she finished, she approached Basil with a determined expression and handed him the handful of papers.
Is this....!?
Against Basil's expectations, it wasn't a method of torture or possible evidence about his past. It was something he didn't expect to find in that situation. It was a contract.
Soul contract.
Through this act, the terms between both parties are established; contractor and contracting party. For greater fluidity, they will be referred to as B and C, respectively.
1. B will be C's bodyguard; they will protect them from any external and internal attacks that threaten their life.
2. B will only harm C as long as it's to fulfill the first condition.
3. B's group will do everything possible to heal C's wounds. If C is in danger, the first condition will be fulfilled and then the third.
4. When C feels ready, they will answer B's group's questions truthfully.
The contract will end when B's group deems their mission complete.
Consequences:
--
Contractor:
--
Contracting party:
--
As he read, Basil's mind worked quickly, trying to give some meaning to everything that was happening. But even so, all the ideas he held fell apart as he read the contract.
What is happening!? First, a group of Wanderers with six Disciplinarians knock on my door, torture me for information and.... They say they want to protect me?
Merlian let out a mocking laugh upon seeing Basil's stunned expression. For a moment she fell silent and returned to her usual seriousness.
—It must be confusing, right? One moment we're treating you inhumanely and now we want to protect you. —A spark of disgust shone in her gaze—. Although I don't like the idea of helping a criminal much, circumstances push us to do so.
While saying this, her annoyed gaze turned towards Auryn but quickly returned to Basil.
—What... are you talking about?
—Let me put it into words Mr. Basil; we are going to save your life.
Although she wanted to maintain a serious demeanor, a small smile betrayed her mockery towards the gray-haired man. He looked at her dumbfoundedly, shaking his head side to side to observe everyone.
—Hey, wait a minute... repeat that... I think I heard wrong.
—It's exactly as you heard.
—No, wait; I really heard wrong.
—Oh well then I'll say it again. We are going to save your life.
Basil rolled his eyes for the second time. It had been a long time since someone had surprised him so much.
—Stop for a moment; there's something I don't understand! If your intention is to protect me then...?
—Why did we hurt you? Well, think of it as wanting to know more about the person we are going to protect.
Pure bullshit! You don't break someone's legs just to ask them where they come from!
Basil's curses were all that remained in his mind as he couldn't help but reveal his surprise.
—Damn, this must be a vile lie. Part of a psychological torture method, right? Otherwise, who would say something like that? —The impact was such that he forgot his act, leaving only a bewildered man—. Are you telling me I was tortured just to be asked something so common? For Hex, I'm starting to think I've gone crazy.
Everyone looked at Basil with an understanding gaze. Although there had been some unexpected things, almost everything was going just as they expected.
Merlian also assumed the criminal would blank out. In fact, she was already mentally prepared, but still felt a sense of renewal seeing the poor devil in that state.
—Hm.... Mr. Basil, Mr. Meun Fairgo.... or whoever you are, from now on, we are going to tell you a story that you won't believe at first. In fact, you may never be fully convinced. —Merlian's tone was extremely serious, as if the secrets of the world were stored in her next words. Indeed, when Basil saw her black eyes, he couldn't help but notice the true depth in those dark wells she called irises. Seeing them, an ominous feeling choked him—. And believe me, I'm not saying this because I think you're naive. What I'm going to tell you will make you doubt everything you know as common.
Basil tried to laugh, but he felt too uncomfortable to do so. He could only try to think that Merlian was bluffing.
Nonsense, what could be more absurd than six Disciplinarians knocking on my door, torturing me and then saying they want to protect me? Heh, the question is, what mission requires six Disciplinarians? Am I related to some Wandering Emperor or worse yet, a Sacred Will? Hehe, just thinking about it makes me laugh. Miss, are you going to tell me that the great Hex has descended to have tea with me? Or that Celei comes to take revenge because I killed some of her believers?
As he thought about those absurd situations, his heart calmed down. He had been too surprised tonight; it was impossible for something weirder to happen.
Merlian prepared to speak with a serious expression.
—Mr. Basil, have you heard about Wandering Emperors?
—What!?
Merlian looked at Basil with confusion for a second but quickly regained her composure.
—A Wandering Emperor is the fourth rank of the Wanderer path...
—No, wait, I know what a Wandering Emperor is, but what does it have to do with...?
—A Wandering Emperor threatens your life, Mr. Basil.
Ehh!?
Basil struggled to analyze what Merlian told him. He reviewed each word, recalling the meaning each one had. But even so, he couldn't fully understand what he was told. He did it over and over again but always concluded that Merlian—or he—had gone crazy.
"Wandering Emperor," the rank following the Disciplinarians. The Wanderers had five ascending ranks, each more powerful than the previous one: Apprentice, Pastor, Disciplinarian, Emperor and Sacred Will. Disciplinarians are rare; they are the elites of the Wanderer world. In the Uliem Kingdom, there were forty Disciplinarians. Each of them was widely known for their fame and wealth.
And above that rank filled with select individuals were the Emperors. Unlike the Disciplinarians, little is known about them. They have been an enigma throughout history and are portrayed as legends. As far as he knew, only five Emperors are known across the continent.
And you're telling me one of those people wants to kill me!?
—I... don't understand anything anymore... —Basil's golden eyes lost their shine. Every word he heard made him doubt his mental health.
—It's understandable. I ask you to recover because this isn't the only madness you will hear.
Is there... more?
—I guess I have no choice; I'll go along with it. Why would someone like that want to kill me?
Merlian looked at him in silence for a while. She had to prepare for what she was going to say.
—To become a Sacred Will.
Basil's strength betrayed him. He quickly fell to the ground, even forgetting to breathe. It was over... these people are crazy.
If the Emperors could be considered demigods, the Sacred Wills were true deities. Throughout the history of the planet, there have only been two people capable of ascending to such a status. Their names have been recorded in history, being praised in churches today. They were The Great Hex and Celei.
Since the Fifth War; the battle of the Archaic Ivory, until now, there has been no record of anyone ascending to such a rank. Basil couldn't comprehend being part of an Emperor's ascension method.
—Well... this... If things are like this... I don't think six Disciplinarians can save me...
Then, to Basil's surprise, this time it was Merlian who looked puzzled.
—Mr. Basil, the excitement of the moment has made you senile. I told you we were four Disciplinarians.
...? Are they really crazy?
—But I saw everyone using their voice to invoke their Wandering Law...
Merlian looked at him while reflecting. Moments later, he realized there was a clear misunderstanding between them. But she didn't know how to clarify after dropping such a bombshell, so she just looked at Basil.
They both stared at each other while Basil pondered the meaning of his silence. He began to think at high speed.
She says there are four Disciplinarians, but they are all Disciplinarians... unless two are Pastors, but that doesn't make sense with their abilities. But then... wait... could it be...
—Hey... you're not trying to say.....
Merlian nodded silently, and Basil jumped up.
—Wait, I think we're not thinking about the same thing; I was going to ask if you have two...
—That's correct; our group has two Emperors. Although correctly, they would be two Empresses. In fact, we have one more, but he is not here right now.
Basil put his hands on his face with the most lamentable "For the Great Hex..." he could have said. It took him a while to be able to speak again. But even then, he didn't; there was nothing reasonable to say. So he just proceeded to speak sarcastically.
—W-Well, if that's the case, that means I'm at least safe. A demigod against three; what could I do?
Merlian looked at him sadly. Everyone in the room did too. They wished they could say that with complete certainty, but remembering who they were facing erased any confidence.
—Oh... damn it... —Basil noticed their gazes and could only curse quietly.