CH 26

The Flame Contract

Translated by SoundOfDestiny

Edited by Zil

“Ha…?” 

Whose voice was that of the idiot?

All those present rolled their eyes at Raidorl, who had withdrawn his conditions so easily and without a hint of regret.

“Yea, I said I’d drop the last condition if you didn’t want it that badly. It’s not like I really wanted to be crown prince.” 

He then took out a brush and an inkwell from his pocket. He unrolled the rolled parchment again and without hesitation drew a horizontal line across the last condition and crossed it out.

“All right, then, I’ll give you the four conditions above. That’s all right, isn’t it, brother?”

“Mm, ……, yes, …….”

In a few minutes, Granard had been furious and angry, but now his anger has been snuffed out like a willow and the poison has been drained from him. With a stunned look on his face, he couldn’t help but nod his head in agreement with Raidorl’s words.

“Well, well, I’m glad to hear that you’re convinced, now let’s get you to sign the pledge.”

“So that’s what it is.”

As Raidorl nodded with his arms crossed in satisfaction, Lockwood realised what his brother was after.

He was not expecting Granard to give him the crown from the start.

He would set out conditions that would be denied, and if Granard became incensed, as he hoped, he would simply withdraw them.

This is the reason why it is so easy to make other demands.

“His Highness Prince Raidorl readily conceded to the term, If you take advantage of this and force further concessions, it will make King Granard looked bad.”

Not all of the nobles present were loyal to Granard.

Although they ostensibly obeyed the king, some of them, because of the invasion of the empire, were ready to turn on the enemy at any opportunity.

The king could not afford to show his narrow-mindedness in front of those who might betray him at any moment.

Granard, too, seems to have come to the same conclusion as Lockwood, and accepts Raidorl’s condition, though with a reluctant look on his face.

“…..this is fine. That’s the deal. I’ll have the seal of state brought to you at once, but you must wait a little longer.”

“Don’t worry about the seal, brother. Men!”

Granard was about to order his men to bring him the seal of state, but Raidorl stopped him.

“We are brothers by blood. Then let us make a covenant in a way that is appropriate.” 

“In a manner befitting brothers? You’re not going to make a verbal agreement, are you?” 

“If it makes you feel better, that’s good……. Well, we’ll be doing the contract with the blood seal.”

“Bloodseal….”

Granard wrinkled his brow. 

As the name suggests, a blood seal is the act of using one’s own blood to sign a contract. It is not a legal act, so it is not officially binding, but as the blood is used as ink, the contract is heavy. 

Disobeying a contract signed in blood is an act of dishonour to the dignity of the soul.

“Your Highness, with all due respect to ……, it would be impolite to ask His Majesty King Granard for a blood seal.” 

Raidorl was unsure if it’s a disrespectful thing to say at this point, but Lockwood is giving him a hard time about it.

Raidorl doesn’t think there’s any need to be disrespectful now. 

“Is that so? My brother is the king of this country. I may be royalty, but I’m just a lord on the frontier. The difference in position is as great as that between the abyss and the heavens, isn’t it? But now we must face the national crisis of the imperial invasion together. Isn’t it natural that we should reunite as brothers?”

“That’s true, but isn’t there …… other ways to do that?”

“Blood brothers, blood covenants of faith. I can think of no more suitable means.”

Raidorl plunged his right thumb into his mouth and without hesitation bit off the tip of his finger with his canine tooth. He then used the blood to inscribe his name on the oath.

“Now,I have written my name. Yours?”

“Mu…” 

Granard’s face became even more grim as he was confronted with an oath bearing the mark of red blood.

I am willing to shed blood. What about you? It was as if he had been challenged in this way.

“Well, if you really don’t want it to hurt, we can use normal ink. I won’t force you.”

“…… Don’t be ridiculous. Who is afraid of something like this? I never said I wouldn’t sign anything.”

Granard ordered his attendants to bring the oath from Raidorl’s hand, and he did the same, biting off the tips of his fingers to write his name.

King Granard Zain and his brother Raidorl Zain. The names of the two royal families are written in blood.

The oath with their names on it was passed through the hands of the attendants and then back into the hands of Raidorl. 

“Now you have nothing to complain about, Raidorl. I will accept your terms. You will fight the Empire as you promised.”

“Yes, of course. We have a deal…………. ‘Activate’”

“Wha……!”

Raidorl briefly murmured the words of the spell. The next moment, the oath was engulfed in black flames in Granard’s hand.

Granard hurriedly removed his hand from the oath, but the black flames that had burned it split in two. A fist-sized fireball pierced the chests of Raidorl and Granard, respectively.

Raidorl accepts the black flames without blinking, while Granard rolls off his throne, clutching his chest.

“Your Majesty!”

Lockwood shouted in dismay, and the other nobles screamed. The audience room was instantly filled with shouting and clamour.

“…… Now the deal is done. My fangs are now in place, Granard.” 

In a voice so loud that no one could hear him, Raidorl murmured, a cold smile on his lips.