Chapter 42: The Devil’s Bargain

“You may leave now. Work hard; I have high hopes for you.”

Su Mu moved, his limbs feeling cold and numb. Just as he reached the doorway, the king’s voice echoed from behind him once more.

“Oh, and one more thing. Send Sasaki in on your way out.”

“…Yes, Your Majesty.”

Su Mu pushed the door open and stepped out.

****

In the wake of Su Mu’s helpless departure, a black hole suddenly materialized on the study wall. From within it emerged an old man clad in the white robes of a healing mage.

“My Lord Louis, do you truly intend to entrust the kingdom to a devil?”

“Why not?” Louis replied casually, his interest piqued. “I hear devils are incredibly greedy. Perhaps, the ambitions I failed to achieve will find their realization in him.”

“But…” The old man’s brow furrowed with worry.

“Of course, if Sasaki can show some promise, if he can see through what he failed to accomplish last time and succeed, then this devil will simply be a joke. At that point, he will be the sole heir to the throne.”

The old man said no more. He retreated back into the wall, vanishing without a trace.

Sasaki pushed the door open and entered just then.

“Father.”

Louis regarded him with a faint, unreadable smile. “You’ve rather exceeded my expectations. To so thoroughly deceive your amnesiac brother… He refused to believe you were the one who assassinated him, even to his dying breath.”

Sasaki’s expression remained calm. “It was merely the truth. Why did you insist on forcing such a lie upon him?”

“Truth? A lie? There is no distinction, not really. As long as Susumu Miston believes it, even a falsehood becomes reality.”

“So, did he believe your words?” Sasaki clenched his fists, asking through gritted teeth.

Louis offered no reply, merely gazing at Sasaki with an air of disappointment.

“Father, answer me!” Sasaki’s emotions surged.

“What is the point of asking that now? The seeds of discord have been sown, the rains of suspicion have nourished them, and conflict is inevitable. Yet you still cling to the fantasy of peaceful coexistence, Sasaki. You truly disappoint me!” Louis’s voice was heavy with disillusionment.

Sasaki bit his lip, his body trembling uncontrollably. He remained silent for a long moment.

Louis continued to provoke him. “In contrast, your brother performed far better. He accepted reality quite readily, adopting an air of someone willing to do anything to survive.”

“Why… why…” Sasaki mumbled, a trickle of blood escaping the corner of his mouth. His dark eyes reddened as tears slowly streamed down his face.

“Why must you push your own flesh and blood to their death!” He roared suddenly.

Louis frowned, his voice turning cold. “Sasaki, enough. Do not disappoint me further. I wish for *you* to be the one to lead this country in the end!”

“Then why not simply pass the throne to me directly? Why go through all this trouble? I already possess sufficient capability!” Sasaki pleaded desperately.

“Ha, sufficient?” Louis scoffed. “You lack even the courage to ruthlessly eliminate those who would seize power, expecting me to push you every step of the way? Entrusting the kingdom to you would only lead to its downfall!”

“Father, you’ve changed…” Sasaki lowered his head, utterly crestfallen.

“Sasaki, it is *you* who needs to grow up!” Louis stared at the child who had studied under him for countless days and nights, a flicker of reluctance in his eyes.

However, a dark glint swirled within his gaze, and the softening expression hardened once more.

Sasaki said nothing further. He turned and left the study.

From the shadows, a cold gaze watched his retreating back.

After Sasaki left, Su Mu emerged from his hidden corner, smoothing out his slightly wrinkled robes.

“You will continue to wait for me outside.”

Bai Ji replied, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

Su Mu pushed open the king’s study door once more.

Louis, seeing him enter, paused in surprise.

“You haven’t left yet? Is there something else?”

Su Mu’s prior fear and despair had vanished, replaced by his usual gentle expression.

“Father, I have come to clarify the rules of the game with you.”

Louis narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing Su Mu. “The rules of the game? Aren’t they already quite clear? You die, or you become the heir. It’s that simple.”

“Father, those are the rules for a year from now, are they not? I wish to know the scope of my authority and activity during this year. Otherwise, if I am merely confined within the small birdcage of the royal palace, it would be better to pronounce my death sentence now.”

“So, you are bargaining with me?”

“I merely seek an opportunity. After all, I imagine you wouldn’t wish to see my brother triumph over me without any growth, only to inherit the throne as a mere good-for-nothing, would you?”

Louis fell silent for a moment, then suddenly chuckled. “You have a point. Once your eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony concludes, I will grant you a fiefdom. You shall operate for one year as a duke, holding the highest possible status. How does that sound?”

Su Mu pondered this. To be honest, the terms Louis offered far exceeded his expectations. He had originally only hoped to secure an opportunity to leave the palace. He never imagined Louis would directly grant him territory. It seemed Sasaki truly had disappointed him, making Louis so eager to apply pressure.

“Very well.” Su Mu readily agreed.

“Then I expect a good performance from you. Do not disappoint me, my devil son,” Louis said, a smile that didn’t reach his eyes playing on his lips.

‘A devil?’

This wasn’t the first time Louis had alluded to his identity as a devil. But why? What exactly had happened for him to detect another soul within his son’s body and be so certain of a devil’s presence?

Su Mu felt that his transmigration and subsequent assassination were not as simple as they seemed. There had to be some complex reason behind it all.

“By the way, Father, have you decided what gift you’ll give me for my coming-of-age ceremony?” Su Mu asked with a cheeky grin.

Louis was stunned once more. Even with his vast experience, he had never encountered such an unpredictable soul. He let out a hearty laugh. “Rest assured, I will give you a gift that will satisfy you.”

Su Mu looked at Louis’s subtly sinister smile and suddenly felt a pang of apprehension. Had he just tempted fate again?

“Ahem, then I thank you in advance, Father.”

Su Mu bowed and exited the room. His mood was rather good. The despair he had felt earlier, feeling cornered and paranoid under Louis’s intimidation, had now dissipated. For now, he hadn’t reached a point of utter hopelessness.

What did it matter if everyone around him was a potential suspect? At least they weren’t actively harming him at the moment. He could take precautions in advance, which was a blessing amid misfortune. Whether in his previous life or this one, he had never been one to give up easily.

Su Mu looked at Bai Ji, his eyes bright. “Ah Bai, let’s go home.”

****

“My Lord King, why would you grant him such favorable terms? Prince Sasaki is already at a disadvantage; now, with this…” The old man’s voice emerged from behind the wall once more.

Louis, however, merely smiled, his tone filled with excitement and madness. “Old friend, did you hear that? He called all of this a *game*. Heh, what an arrogant, yet cautiously cunning devil. Sasaki’s fate is no longer important. My time is running short. To be able to dance with a legendary devil in the time I have left… what an honor!”

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