Only...
Richard looked at the Alliance Emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, are you certain you'll fulfill it within five days? But... what if, by some chance, you can't?"
This was practically naked distrust toward the Alliance Emperor. Had it been a hot-tempered emperor, he would likely have flown into a rage the next moment. But Peter Romanov merely froze for a beat before laughing. "Hahaha, it seems you really don't trust me all that much. Fine. After all, you did complete the Alliance's task beyond all expectations. I truly should guarantee that you receive your reward. How about this? I'll sign a contract with you."
As he spoke, Peter Romanov walked to the side and stopped before a stone table.
He pulled out a sheet of parchment from the tabletop, gripped an oversized Goose Feather Quill in his huge hand, dipped it in ink, and quickly began writing on the parchment. Once he was done, he showed it to Richard.
Richard glanced over it and saw that its contents were the promises the other party had just made. But what made his eyebrows rise was the final line, the penalty Peter Romanov had set for breaking the contract—"Should I break my word, all that belongs to the Soma Alliance may be claimed by the holder of this contract."
That was an extremely severe penalty. It was not simply using one person's status or reputation as collateral, but an entire nation. If the contract holder were an ordinary person, it would be nothing more than a joke without consequences for breach. But Richard was different. Richard was the foremost contributor to the destruction of the Truth Society. With his formidable strength, once he held this contract, he truly posed an immense threat to the Alliance.
From that perspective, Peter Romanov truly