Chapter 1249: One Move
Chapter 1249: One Move
"The moment that brat dares to set foot outside of the Apothecary Guild, I will make sure he knows the price of offending me!" Shateur thought to himself.
"Since I’ve agreed to your terms, hurry and show your proof!" Shateur urged.
"Before that, I would like to make an official contract. I am rather distrustful of new faces." Izroth stated.
Izroth did not want to leave any room for Shateur to back out of their agreement once it had been made. He had no intention of simply trusting Shateur’s words alone.
...
A few minutes later...
"There! Are you satisfied?!" Shateur said angrily as he lifted his thumb from the surface of a scroll.
The scroll emitted a faint blue hue in the shape of Shateur’s thumbprint before it dissolved.
"It will suffice." Izroth replied indifferently.
He then turned to face Varuu and said, "I want to thank Apothecary Head Varuu again for acting as the guarantor of our contract."
Varuu nodded responded, "Rest assured, Apothecary Izroth. As the guarantor, I will hold Family Head Shateur accountable should he fail to make good on the listed terms. On this, you have my word."
In RML, contracts that involved nobles were different. It could not be made between just two people. It required a guarantor. Not just any guarantor, but one with equal to or greater status that the highest noble listed on the contract. This was due to the fact that nobles had many methods at their disposal when it came to getting out of contracts without a guarantor. This was even more so if they had more power than the other party mentioned on the contract.
As for the contents of the contract, it was simple. If Izroth could prove that he was the one who cured the Holy Maiden beyond reasonable doubt without enlisting the help of another Apothecary to craft pills for him, he would receive three things.
The first was full ownership rights over one of the Duvelle family’s properties located in a premier spot within Danaharpe’s Central Hub. None of the shop items or personnel would be transferred. But, Izroth was not interested in that part anyway.
The second part was that Shateur would pay ten years worth of taxes for the property he relinquished to Izroth.
While Izroth was confident in covering the taxes himself, why should he when he could get someone like Shateur to do it for him?
As for the last thing Izroth would receive, it was the Cosmic Trinity Pill crafted by Shateur.
Needless to say, Izroth made sure to word the contract in such a way that it was airtight and left no room for open interpretation. After all, he knew that someone like Shateur would jump at any faults left within the contract.
Once Shateur finished placing his seal on the contract, Izroth placed it into his inventory.
"As I’m sure everyone here knows, the Apothecary badge not only displays one’s rank, it also keeps tracks of tasks completed for the Apothecary Guild. Naturally, this also includes requests from the Wall of Pills. As for tampering with it—even someone with Apothecary Head Varuu’s resources and connections would not be able to do so without leaving behind obvious traces." Izroth stated calmly.
He then continued, "Of course, I’m sure that the Head of the Duvelle family will not be satisfied if I simply hand over my Apothecary badge for an inspection. After all, the contract states that I must show proof that I personally crafted the pill responsible for the Holy Maiden’s recovery."
Shateur seemed visibly annoyed when Izroth inspecting the Apothecary badge. Indeed, if Izroth did try to use the Apothecary badge alone, Shateur would have brought up the possibility of tampering with the help of Apothecary Head Varuu. As a result, it would have been on Izroth to prove that the Apothecary badge was not tampered with by anyone. However, that was much easier said than done since it required an expert in that piece of technology.
That said, Shateur was able to add one thing to the contract. This was due to the fact that a contract required some kind of terms present for both sides. In the end, Shateur chose to add that Izroth would only have one hour to prove himself. If he failed to do so, the contract would be considered void.
"Did he catch on? Hmph, no matter. If he falls for such a small trick, I will not be able to enjoy crushing him properly." Shateur thought to himself.
"I could also craft the pill I made to cure the Holy Maiden here in front of the eyes of everyone. However, even if I craft the pill I used to cure the Holy Maiden, there is no way to test it. It’s not like anyone here is afflicted with the same ailment as the Holy Maiden. I assume the Head of the Duvelle family would not have been willing to overlook this fact." Izroth said unhurriedly.
He then continued, "In truth, even if the Holy Maiden herself were here in person and informed the Head of the Duvelle family that I was the one personally responsible for her recovery—I fear we would simply be accused of colluding."
Shateur’s gaze sharpened as his expression seemed to turn darker with each word that left Izroth’s mouth. He trembled slightly from anger. It was as if all of his thoughts were being seen through and exposed one by one. How was it possible that a brat around the same age as his son had such precise insight?
"Fortunately, I have come up with a simple way to prove myself." Izroth stated.
The next moment, a contract appeared in Izroth’s hand. However, it was different from the one he made with Shateur.
Izroth spent a few seconds writing on the contract before he pressed his thumb into the contract, leaving behind a light blue hue that eventually dissolved into the surface.
Without hesitation, Izroth held the contract up for Shateur to see.
"Is this proof enough?" Izroth said with a carefree smile.
Shateur’s eyes widened in shock as he read the words on the contract.
"You- Have you gone mad...?!" Shateur exclaimed.
Varuu narrowed her eyes as she locked her gaze onto the contract.
When she read the words, it caused Varuu’s brows to rise in surprise. Then, out of nowhere, a lively laughter filled the silent promotion test room. This laughter came from none other than Varuu.
Everyone present was shocked by the sudden outburst from Varuu.
"This... I have not seen Apothecary Head Varuu laugh like this since she met an old friend several years ago." Rozomius said to himself.
"Using the Laws of the World—even if one is confident, it is not an easy action to take! Family Head Shateur, I am afraid it is your loss." Varuu said with a satisfied grin.
Shateur grit his teeth as a powerful aura around him erupted. He stared at Izroth. And, if looks could kill, he would have slain the enemy in his eyes a thousand times over.
However, despite the killing intent directed at him, Izroth remained unfazed. This level of killing intent paled in comparison to what he experienced after severing the arm of the Netherworld’s Envoy. Or, the time he angered that peak legendary realm existence during the second team’s selection on the Sky Palace.
Compared to those times, Shateur’s killing intent seemed like an infant throwing a tantrum.
Varuu lifted her hand slightly.
When Shateur saw Varuu’s actions, he quickly dispersed his aura as his killing intent vanished.
Shateur closed his eyes. The following moment, he turned around and said, "I will send a servant to honor the contract! Let’s go!"
Shateur made his way toward the exit with quickened steps, accompanied by Brukan and Juria.
Pierce, on the other hand, stood dumbfounded. He had no idea what just happened. One moment, his father had signed a contract and the next he was basically acknowledging that Izroth had proven himself.
"F-father, what is-" Pierce began; however, a single piercing gaze from Shateur was enough to silence him.
Knowing that his father was in no mood to discuss what had just taken place, Pierce walked briskly after his father and his two family Elders.
"Safe travels, Family Head Shateur. As always, it is a pleasure to be graced with your presence and unmatched generosity." Varuu commented slyly.
Shateur halted his steps briefly as he tightly clenched his fists.
"Hmph!" Shateur soon continued onward as he departed from the promotion test room.
Pierce glared at Izroth one last time before he followed after his father.
The observers, participants, and even the judges were left confused by the abrupt turn of events. Just what did Izroth show the Head of the Duvelle family that caused him to walk away without being able to get a word in, while simultaneously causing Apothecary Head Varuu to be so amused?
The words Izroth wrote on the contract were simple—"I, Izroth, personally crafted the pill that was consumed by the current Holy Maiden of the Order of a Thousand Blossoms and directly responsible for the Holy Maiden’s recovery. If my words are false, may I be judged by the heavens and struck by heavenly lightning where I stand."