This is precisely what I was afraid of.
Micah sighed and gazed at the expectant Luca standing in his office. His eyes moved toward the black snake in the cage that his brother was holding.
"I'll ask Evelyn at the ball tonight about having her promise tattoo artist come in and create a contract tomorrow," he said. "She’s the best for this sort of delicate work."
"Thank you, Micah," Luca spoke aloud instead of utilizing illusion magic.
~I see why Master speaks so highly of you. You are very resourceful.
Micah's eyes narrowed on Apophis, who hissed in its cage.
He knew this type, sucking up to whomever they needed to get what they wanted. They set aside their pride and were willing to lick the very ground someone walked on if it was advantageous to them in the long run. There was zero honest loyalty, and if the opportunity arose, this type was quick to backstab.
But with a proper promise tattoo, that shouldn't be an issue. Luca will be able to reap all the benefits, with the risks hammered down in place ahead of time. It's quite fortunate that this snake's weakness is those modified kids—it's a seemingly cheap payment in exchange for whatever knowledge a previous Celestial being might possess.
Luca had inquired the System what a Celestial was, and per it, it was a being that ruled over a realm where Players lived. Given the trouble that Players posed to this realm beyond this current Game, Micah agreed with his assessment that this was useful knowledge to have.
Moreover, Apophis's knowledge is helpful for the current Game, as it might reveal knowledge only available to a Celestial being, that is above the rank of a Player.
Of course, there was the possibility that Apophis may have lied about previously being a Celestial, but the potential information is too good to pass up.
And besides, a promise tattoo would ensure the truth would be provided.
Micah ran his hand over the leather cover of the notebook on his desk, which detailed all the information Luca had provided him this morning.
The real trouble is that Luca will attempt to save far too many people at this rate. All the loops combined after he was made a Player don't even add up to half a year, yet the number of people he wants to save is growing exponentially.
His gaze shifted to the mural of the world map on his wall.
He already has two nations he's planning on saving.
There was obviously a strategic benefit to all the lives Luca planned to save. Being a hero had practical merits, especially on the grand scale of a nation saved. A life saved was a life indebted.
The trouble is if he gets too attached to any of these people. He has enough people he's attached to as it is.
Micah had gone to painful extremes thus far to prevent Luca from becoming too attached to unnecessary people. His aim was to keep Luca's focus and sanity intact when the inevitable loops began and the people around him died. Luca's memory being wiped clean in the previous loop when Micah died was proof enough of the dangers that caring about others posed him.
Thus, the altruistic and seemingly cheap payment of saving the kids The Alchemist experimented with in the next loop ultimately meant additional people that Luca would have to consider with every future loop. And with enough loops, it was likely his soft-hearted brother would eventually get attached to them as well.
"Luca, I still have a few other matters to attend to, but as a reminder, we'll be heading out to the palace in about three hours," Micah told his brother.
"Ah, about that, I have two requests." Luca smiled apologetically.
***
The carriage rolled to a halt. The sun had yet to set, but the palace was already brightly lit with colorful light stones. Guests flowed up the stairs inside, all brilliantly dressed and excited for the ball.
"Remember, enjoy yourself, but be careful. Don't you dare pull anything that'll put a stain on tonight's ball," Mother chided my brother.
"Don't worry. Jarvis didn't bring any consumables today, right?" Micah turned to his red-haired brother.
"As I've repeatedly said, those kids ate those cookies at that party without my permission," Jarvis grumbled and hopped out of the carriage after Mother and Micah. "But no, I did not bring anything."
"Was your sister upset that only you got to tag along?" Mother asked Jarvis as they entered the palace ballroom, where conversation and music were flowing in the foreground.
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"Surprisingly, no. She was much too excited about something Luca had shown her. I think she forgot all about tonight's ball—she was busy tinkering away in her workshop." Jarvis looked eagerly around the attendants. "If anyone sees Kathy, a pink-haired woman, let me know—Ah! That man!"
Jarvis walked ahead, having spotted someone he likely wanted to engage in a project proposal. Mother was equally quick to move toward her target as well.
Micah strolled over to a long table overflowing with food and collected a few bites for Evelyn, who Luca had previously told him was hungry and sitting on the balcony.
"I recommend the lemon tarts. They are the best of the lot," a voice sounded behind Micah.
"Is that so?" Micah smiled tightly and turned around to face Prince Chase Daylan, the youngest heir to the throne of the Daylan Dynasty.
But also the most dangerous one, apparently.
The young man wore a pair of reflective circular silver shades and was licking his fingers clean of some yellow pastry cream. He had an air of childishness that could be found in small children and the insane. Per Luca's accounts, Chase fell in the latter category and killed Luca on two occasions.
"Where is your brother, by the way?" Chase looked around. "I saw Jarvis come along instead of Luca."
"He had something else to attend to, but he did want to pass along his thanks for the last time he saw you," Micah said.
It felt ridiculous to thank Chase for killing his brother. Still, it was hardly the oddest thing amid everything else, including the incredibly reckless matter that Luca was currently up to.
Not that I was able to dissuade him.
"Of course! That's what friends are for, after all!" Chase laughed brightly in response.
"Luca also extended an invitation to come over tomorrow for breakfast," Micah said. "He wished to discuss something with you."
"Is that so? I'll gladly make the time, then," Chase said, finishing piling pastries and tarts on his plate.
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Leona would have been upset about missing the ball and its food again since I decided to wait on hatching her this Round.
But I'm not getting to enjoy the banquet food either.
I bit into the sandwich Fiona had prepared for the road and nearly choked as the carriage rounded a corner, lifting the wheels on one side. I grabbed hold of my seat to avoid toppling into the crates beside me.
"Hah! Hah!" The driver urged the horses to go faster, heading in the opposite direction of the palace where my two brothers were undoubtedly enjoying delicious pastries and comfort.
I grabbed a nearby leather water jug and chugged it to get the stuck food down.
Damn it. I need to take smaller bites. If I force a round restart because I choke to death on a sandwich… that would easily be the stupidest death to date.
The vehicle I was riding in wasn't one of the usual Frey carriages and lacked many of the comforts I was used to. This one was primarily utilized for transporting goods rather than people. However, despite its many discomforts, it had the advantage of being plain, the sort of carriage commonly seen across the continent, moving goods for the Frey Merchant Guild. Given Saga Duex's warning, this precaution was necessary, given who I was planning to meet with.
I looked out the small window and noted that we had now crossed deep into the Ozeryn Duchy. Bright green trees stood on either side of the road, with the peaks of the Celestial Mountain Range appearing above them. The sun had not yet set, providing ample light.
According to the System, 42,007 Players had attempted to beat Adovovoria's Fall before me. Moreover, many persisted beyond the first attempt despite every Round increasing in difficulty. Most notably, one Player, the last one before the Game was handed over to me, had attempted to beat it 67 times.
Or rather, now it's 69 times if they've returned and are present in this loop.
BlueLizard: That was the username of the woman who had possessed Grandov in my original life, the same one who managed to re-enter the Game as a Player with only 60% of their functions, thereby complying with the single-player rule of this Game.
According to the System, the summoned Player would spawn within a specific part of the forest in the Celestial Mountain Range on every new Round.
"System, where is BlueLizard now?" I asked aloud, my voice barely audible over the carriage's rattle and clatter. The constant jostling and creaking made me confident that the driver wouldn't overhear.
[ BlueLizard had managed to hail down a passing cart and is heading in your direction on this road. ]
"How many skulls away is he... or she?" I pressed.
[ 90 skulls. ]
[ 80 skulls. ]
Damn it.
I scrambled to the front of the carriage, banging on the wooden wall. "Stop the carriage!"
Luckily, or unluckily, the driver took my order to heart, and the carriage lurched to a sudden halt, skidding on the dirt road. My body was flung around like a rag doll, but I had no time to worry about a few measly bruises.
Outside, the sun cast long shadows across the road, illuminating the vibrant greens of the trees and the distant peaks of the Celestial Mountain Range. The air was filled with the earthy scent of the forest and the dust that was kicked up by the abrupt stop.
I heard the sound of hooves approaching and quickly leaped out of the carriage, landing unsteadily on the rough ground. "Stop!" I called out, waving my hands frantically at the passing cart.
The cart continued forward, but I caught sight of Grandov sitting on the back. He looked baffled by my sudden appearance but promptly stood up and jumped off with unusual ease; such an attempt by any regular person might have resulted in a broken limb or sprained ankle, at the very least.
As he walked towards me, his expression shifted from confusion to concern. The sunlight highlighted the dust on his clothes and the determined look in his eyes.
"Luca?" he asked, his voice filled with surprise.
"Grandov," I greeted back, feeling suddenly overwhelmed.
I knew that the person standing before me was technically not Grandov. This was a Player named BlueLizard possessing Grandov's body. But at this moment, that didn't matter. This was the Grandov I knew—the Grandov who had pulled me out of the bottomless pit of despair in my first life, the Grandov I had fought alongside and died with on the battleground against the Kobar Empire.
"You're alive again," I choked out, my voice breaking. "I saw your head get chopped off by that Kobar knight."
This wasn't how I had intended our meeting to go, but tears streamed down my cheeks despite my efforts to hold them back.
The person before me was the only one in the entire world who knew me from my original life. My family was long gone, and Fin would never be the same as I remembered. But this Grandov, or rather the Player possessing him, was the last connection I had to my past.
I felt a pounding headache as I wiped my face.
Grandov's face twisted through a myriad of expressions, emotions I had never seen him display before.
"You… you're Luca Frey?" he said, pointing a trembling finger at me. "The Luca Frey I found drunk at the bar and convinced to join The Order?"
I laughed through my tears. "Who else would I be?"
Grandov's eyes widened in disbelief. He grabbed his head, crouching down to the floor. "Oh, my fucking god."