"Milady, I have safely delivered your letter"
Nine said while facing his shoes, still doesn't dare to look at the culprit of his traumatic nightmare. After firstly reporting to his true master, the Crown Prince, he has no choice but to report to the Princess as well in her mansion.
"Well done, how about your resignation letter?"
"It was rejec-, huh?"
He accidentally replied, revealing the Prince's rejection of the resignation letter he submitted before reporting to the Lady.
Grizel grinned as she glances at the pale Imperial shadow guard who gets caught submitting a resignation letter to avoid her.
'Master, can't you see his mentality is on the verge of destruction?'
Athena commented as if feeling sorry for the young spy.
Tap!
Grizel tapped his trembling shoulder, this time she is smiling sympathetically like an angel.
"You see, Nine. Do you know why did I appoint you as my secret messenger?"
"To keep your livestock around?"
Nine's innocent answer makes Grizel wanted to burst into laughter but still successfully holding on to her friendly face.
"It's because I feel guilty about that night"
Grizel said in her drama queen mode as if feeling guilty towards this pitiful shadow guard.
"Pardon?"
"Your trauma seems to affect your emotions, can you continue on your job as a spy in that state?"
"I..."
Nine doubtfully responded, hiding emotion is a basic principle for a spy, as his expression became visible after the trauma in that fateful night, Nine couldn't be a spy again as long as he couldn't perfectly control his emotions, especially fear.
"I offered you this position and keep you around me is to overcome your fear, is it unnecessary help?"
Grizel said in a remorseful act yet cut mercilessly by Athena.
'Aah, Master is bulshitting again'
'Just shut your mouth or I'll sew it for you'
'If you really are guilty you'll manipulate his memories and made him forget his trauma, by the way, I don't have a mouth for you to sew muahahaha'
'Tch'
"N-no Milady, I am such an ungrateful servant for not seeing your kindness towards me, please forgive this lowly human"
Stuttering with shame, Nine for the first time kneeling genuinely in front of Grizel, the fear didn't vanish entirely but he is willing to face the reason for his nightmares.
"It's normal for you to misunderstand me, Nine. Since I tend to be a mirror. I'll be a devil for the evildoer, and an Angel for righteousness. That guild master is an evildoer who enslaved people for his own good, I need to be a Devil for him for the sake of his victims"
Grizel said with her Heroine-like act as Nine looks at her with admiration, but the opera moment was ended up with Athena's snort.
'Haaa... Master, you are a pure devil in and out. I can't believe a line of twisted words is enough to turn him into your side, this servant is just another victim of my nasty master, ugh'
"Please bear with me for this time being, Nine"
"It's an honor to serve the future Empress"
He said confidently, up until now he wishes for the evil fiancee of his master to disappear and didn't have a slight hope for her becoming the Empress of this nation, yet here he is wishing for the opposite thing after a single conversation.
"Ah, His Highness sends a message to you milady"
"A message?"
"His Highness wishes for your best of luck for the test tomorrow"
She recalled Rex's promise to arrange for her a test instead of lessons, as the future Empress, Grizel needs to undergo the Imperial study, but she has no time for something as trivial as attending classes of Imperial study because her next plan will start when her chosen Craftsman arrived at the capital.
'Hhmm, so the test is tomorrow'
Grizel said inwardly as she didn't pay any attention to this test.
"Alright, Nine. You are dismissed"
"Yes Milady"
Nine bowed before leaving. After making sure his presence disappeared, Grizel called Levi who is waiting for her outside the room holding a black long robe.
"Levi, let's go get your new brother"
She said as wearing the long robe brought by Levi and jumped out of the window, sneaking into the dark pitch night.
-â¢-
[Wait here, I'll come and get you in 2 days]
The red-haired man once again looking at the message written on a piece of paper placed on the table.
When he decided to rip off the scroll sent to him, he was teleported into a room in a nameless Inn near the slum of the capital city of Azure empire, a perfect place for a shady transaction.
As if was arranged for him not to get out of the room, his chamber was included a toilet, moreover, all of his needs are prepared completely by the innkeeper such as food, beverages, and books. He spent 2 days in the room willingly while trying to study the incomplete blueprint of the rifle.
Knock! Knock!
The innkeeper always knocks on the door to deliver his meal then leaves without asking anything, but it was too late for dinner or the night snack.
Knock! Knock!
The charming young man frowned but soon comes to a realization.
'Ah it must be the mysterious person who sent me this thing'
He glances at the blueprint in his hand, because too engrossed in it, he didn't realize 2 days have passed since he arrived at the capital.
Click!
The young man unlocked the door hurriedly and let 2 hooded people come into his room, the one who walks at the front is short enough to be an adult, on the contrary, the posture of the other one is as tall as a Knight.
Flop!
The short one sits on the couch leisurely as the tall Knight standing on guard behind.
"Please..."
The hooded girl revealed herself as she beckons him to sit, for a moment he was lost in awe, never he ever witnessed a human resembles a snow fairy exactly like the legend described in books for children.
Feeling confused, the red-haired man takes a seat right on the opposite side of the beautiful girl.
'Is she a messenger of the mysterious person who comes to pick me up?'
"I hate beating around the bush, and I'm not a messenger since I was the one who sent the letter"
He was startled by her absurd declaration, yet couldn't say a thing as there is an indescribable aura around her that telling him that this girl is no ordinary human, then Grizel took a thick book and hand it over to the confused man.
"It's your biggest desire"
He frowned upon the book but soon turn into a shocked expression as he flipped the pages with trembling hands.
"T-this..., the lost dwarven ancient techniques of craftsmanship"
If the Elven race is the master of the magic circle and magic scroll, the Dwarven race is the expert in craftsmanship, their extinction resulting in the disappearance of craftsmanship techniques, make it difficult to reproduce the legendary items as good as the ancient items nowadays.
"It's transcribed and rewritten in our language for you to read, and..."
The genius Craftsman gulped as he stares at the bunch of books floating in the air around them.
"...I have more of it"
"I will provide everything you need, facilities, money, assistants, rare materials, ancient techniques, just name it..."
She glances at the young man whose jaw almost dropped low, not only books, right now a lot of high mana stones and rare materials collected from her 10 years of night-hunting in the Forest of Demise also floating in the air filling the room, seeing him too shocked to respond, she keeps on talking.
"All you have to do is creating the nonexistent to exist, what is your answer?"
"Tonight..."
He gulped once again, all of his life, he endures being a womanizer to noblewomen just to fund his passion, then some girl comes out of the blue offering all his needs in exchange for his ability as a craftsman, not as a boy toy.
"The 4th young master of Roseville family has died"
His decision is firm, he will cut off his past life and reborn as a new soul whose both life and death are for craftsmanship, he's more than happy to gamble on the hand of this unknown girl than living like the object of lust for wealth noblewomen.
"I will offer my whole life for you, please give me a new name and life"
Grizel smirked looking at the kneeling young man in front of her, everyone has their own weaknesses, Lucifer who lives astray was sheltered by Grizel, Leviathan who stands alone by himself to survive against the world in the slum was taken as a family member, and now...
"I bestowed upon you the name of Asmodeus, live your life passionately as you desire"
"I can't thank you enough, My Queen"
Said the man who will sell his soul to the devil in willingness to fulfill his passion for craftsmanship.
His desire is his biggest weakness...
And the Devil just taking advantage of it to lure him into her side as her servant.
To be continued...