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Ruler Vol 6 Chapter 6

Author: Anit666

Editor: Weasalopes

【Sam’s POV】

“How much of it was planned?” Her eyes glinted as she narrowed them.

“Pardon?”

Can anyone tell me what this woman is talking about?

⟦I can. So basically-⟧

⟦Papamone.⟧

⟦Argh! I swear to fucking god-⟧

⟦What the hell do you need a ‘Fucking God’ for? Just what the fuck are you doing inside me, Simone?⟧

⟦I didn’t mean it like-⟧

⟦I’m incredibly disappointed in you, Simone.⟧

⟦Hey-⟧

⟦Seems like Phiria has rubbed off on you.⟧

⟦Arrrghh! Fuck you! Fuck you, and fuck everything you stand for! So shut the fuck up you stupid ass fuck! Goddamnit!⟧

She’s been with me for more than a month and she has already learned how to swear. I couldn’t be prouder.

Anyway.

“You know what I’m talking about.” Cecile answered with a light sigh.

“I’m afraid I don’t.”

I mean, this shit was planned, but the scope of that plan is far greater than what she can possibly imagine. So I’ll need her to give me a concrete idea of what she considers to be planned, so I don’t end up blurting out more than necessary and land in more trouble.

I mean, I do have some ways of dealing with her even if that happens, but they’re troublesome so let’s avoid them, yeah?

“You tell me, Lantz.” She turned to the man who had been silently listening to our conversation till now. “Don’t you find anything strange in everything that happened till now?”

“Now that you mention it…” He rubbed his chin. “His preparations were too perfect, weren’t they? It’s as if-”

“As if he knew the contents of the Trial.” The smile on her face had vanished by now.

“Huh.” I couldn’t help but sigh.

Like, she calls that planning? Damn.

“I never knew the contents of the Trial, not until I took it myself.” I decided to clarify.

“As if I’m going to believe that.”

“Of course, that choice is up to you.” I shrugged. “But tell me, did I really need to be aware of the contents of Trial to be able to do those things?”

“Maybe you didn’t, but it’s just too perfect to be a coincidence. In my line of work, one cannot rely on coincidences.”

Huh.

“Fair enough. Then I’ll tell you the truth; I didn’t know the contents of the Trial.”

“Then?”

“But I did predict what it could entail.”

“What do you mean?” She squinted.

“What I needed was a little imagination, and I could divide the Trial into different categories. Like, come on, it’s the Trial, of course it’s not going to be a simple contest of strength.”

“…Go on.” She crossed her legs, clearly interested.

“But if it’s not related to strength, then what could it be? I’m sure even you can imagine the answer to that.”

“Yes, if not strength, then it can only be related to the mind or soul. I also thought of that.”

She did?

“Then the rest is simple, isn’t it? I couldn’t have done anything about the soul, so I focused on the mind.”

“And how exactly did you do that?” Lantz pitched in, also interested.

“Well, for starters, this was a Trial created for the Heroes by the Gods, so I did expect to be a bit brutal. If it’s going to be brutal, then it must attack the weak points of the Heroes. Other than their personal matters which I again could not have done anything about, all the Heroes were mentally not prepared to be ‘Heroes’. I mean, they did know that they had immense power, but they had no clear idea of the purpose they could use it for.” I paused for some moments. “If the Trial was going to mentally test them, then of course it would take advantage of that aspect.”

“I see…” Her eyes widened slightly. “So you took out events that couldn’t happen based on information you already had at hand to arrive at a plausible answer.”

“Yes.”

The so-called method of elimination.

“But what would you have done if your predictions were wrong? What if the Trial targeted their minds in a different way? Or what if it required them to prove their strength by defeating, let’s say, an Ancient Dragon?”

“Nothing.”

“Sorry?” She raised her eyebrow.

“I couldn’t have done anything even if I wanted to. Remember, ultimately it was the Heroes who had to take the Trial.”

To be more precise, it didn’t really matter whether they would pass or fail the Trial; their usefulness would have remained about the same. Not to mention that I had some help from Phiria, so I didn’t have to worry about the issues she just mentioned.

“So you chose to believe in the Heroes?”

“In a sense, yes.”

“…I see.” She sighed. “Seems like I considered too many things at once.”

“Oh?”

“Unlike you, I tried to account for every possible situation which could have arisen in the Trial.”

“No wonder you couldn’t do much for the Heroes.”

“Yes, I’m ashamed of my incompetence.” Her head drooped.

“There’s always a next time.”

“…Aren’t you supposed to reassure me that I did well?” She frowned and pursed her lips.

“Did you want me to say that?”

Well, I can do that if that’s what she really wants.

“No, not particularly. I appreciate your honesty, in fact.” She smiled bitterly.

“Then I shall strive to be as honest with you as possible.”

“Then why did you-”

“No.”

“What?” She furrowed her brows.

“I won’t be answering that question.”

“But you didn’t even listen to it!” She exclaimed.

“Good point, but still no.”

The concept of honesty applies only when I actually answer her questions; I can’t be dishonest if I don’t say anything.

“Gosh, you’re unbelievable.” She sighed and leaned back into her chair.

“You guys are so compatible. You should marry already.” Lantz chimed in.

I could study human psychology in its entirety and I still wouldn’t understand how he reached that conclusion.

“That doesn’t sound like a bad idea.” Cecile smirked.

“Oi.”

“Fufu, don’t worry.” She giggled. “I don’t have any plans to marry right now.”

Good good.

“But that aside, did you seriously bring Serasta La Graes back with you?”

“In case it wasn’t apparent the entire time she was on my back, then yes, I did.”

“Just what the hell were you thinking?” She seemed ready to grab me by my collars.

“That she could be a reliable fighting power?”

“Don’t you know that she hates humans from the very core of her being? What makes you so sure that she won’t betray us at the last moment, or that she won’t stab you in the back?”

“She hates demons as much as she hates humans, so she at least won’t betray us that easily. Besides, we do have that slave contract.”

Not to mention that I’m her God and have promised her a vengeance befitting of the injustices done against her. She won’t turn on me so easily, especially when her trump card, the Spirit King of Fire Solis Feuzaru, kneels before me. She probably already knows that she’ll be killed the moment she defects, so she won’t do something that stupid.

“Just in case you don’t remember, she is the Witch of Ruin. Annulling a slave contract would be easy for her.”

I’d be troubled in more than one way if she was capable enough to annul a contract made by Phiria, the woman who stands at the very peak of mana. If we take the manipulation of Space-Time aside, then even Meteron is inferior to her. And if we do take Space-Time into account, then the difference between them is like the difference between 95 and 100; Meteron is better than her in Space-Time manipulation, but not by a large degree.

In terms of pure fire power, her ability to manipulate mana, and the sheer number of spells she has at her disposal, Phiria is almost equal to the second Adjudicator.

“I’ll deal with it when the time comes.”

“And how exactly will you do that?”

“I will re-seal her.”

Well, I would probably kill Serasta, but saying that would be problematic cuz Serasta is one of the strongest existences known to mankind.

“You can do that?”

“Yes.”

“But is it necessary to take such a risk?” She asked while resting her cheek on her palm.

“This is a war against Solomon, Cecile. Of course, we have to take at least this much of a risk.”

“That does make some semblance of sense, I suppose.” She sighed. “But remember, we’re taking her down the moment she shows signs of being a hindrance.”

Lantz’s eyes narrowed when she said that.

“Do as you like.”

“I will.”

The conversation was over with this, and we went back to staring at the scenery passing by outside the window. Of course, it’s not like we didn’t talk at all, but those were mundane topics, except for one.

“Why do you think the King has summoned us?” I asked during the third day of our travels.

Now that I think about it, why didn’t I ask about it earlier?

“Probably to commemorate your achievements.”

“I don’t remember my achievements being apparent enough that the King would personally wish to award me.”

“Precisely.” She sighed again. “Most likely, it is related to how I professed my ‘love’ for you back at the banquet.”

See? I knew that was going to happen. Like, being the love interest of the Princess of a country and not having my qualification tested by the overprotective father-cum-King of that country? Impossible! That’s one thing that always remains constant.

“Is there anything I need to know before we meet the King?”

“Not particularly. I’ll handle everything, so you just need to act the part just like you’ve been doing till now.”

“That of an Adventurer who’s working with you but is still not interested in you as a woman.”

“Yes.” She nodded.

Well, that should be easy, because that’s the truth.

“Alright.”

Finally, after travelling for 7 days, we reached the Imperial Capital.

Time to meet the King.