Upon hearing Amyrius Rieveldt's statement rather than a question, Bilt's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
He opened his mouth, as if wanting to explain something, but ultimately knelt down on one knee with a thud, trembling under the indescribable pressure, and said:
"General, Your Excellency, the previous vagrant suddenly fell ill and died, so I had to find a new adventurer who can change his appearance."
At this moment, Klein wasn't too nervous, because Amyrius Rieveldt had noticed him in the banquet hall, and there was no reason why he would only recognize him as Beyonder now. The fact that he was willing to meet him instead of directly avoiding the risk showed that he didn't care too much about who Bilt had brought.
Not worried at all? This is the confidence of Demigod, or perhaps his Beyonder Pathway can eliminate potential dangers in advance... Klein struggled to raise his head and cast his gaze at the admiral who had already turned away.
"Not bad," Amyrius Rieveldt commented expressionlessly.
He continued, still looking at Bilt kneeling on one knee, and said:
"Don't try to outsmart me with those petty tricks that aren't good enough for the poker table."
"Ordinary people and Beyonder occupy different positions in this world, and as a practitioner of order, I am clearly aware of this."
Sure enough, just as described in the documents, this general has a tendency to preach. I must remember this well; it's a style completely different from mine and from Gehrman Sparrow's... Klein thoughtfully withdrew his gaze and looked at the ground, as if unable to withstand that pressure.
Amyrius Rieveldt took a step forward:
"Deception was your first Error, and carelessness was the second."
"A homeless man who has expended tremendous energy suddenly dies, and then an adventurer who can change his appearance appears before you. Don't you think that's too much of a coincidence?"
"Yeah, what a coincidence..." Klein almost repeated the other person's question.
If he hadn't confirmed it on the Gray Fog, he would have suspected that he had been targeted by some Mythical Creature or a "level" Sealed Artifact again.
Bilt's pupils contracted slightly as he realized what was happening.
He realized that his previous fear and apprehension had driven him to cling to that last lifeline, completely robbing him of the caution that comes with experience, and he hadn't even considered whether Gehrman Sparrow's appearance was too much of a coincidence!
The first time he went to the " Sweet Lemon " bar, the homeless man suddenly fell ill and died! The more Bilt thought about it, the more he felt that he had fallen into a carefully planned trap.
Seeing the changing expressions on Bilt's face—a mixture of realization and regret— Amyrius Rieveldt nodded slightly and said:
"My father, the late Earl Rieveldt, once taught me a piece of advice."
He said, "Forgive your subordinate for the first Error."
" Bilt, you should thank him for his kindness."
Bilt's tense nerves immediately relaxed, and he was inexplicably moved.
He had assumed that Amyrius Rieveldt, who was closer to God than man, would execute him on the spot as a warning to all the adventurers who secretly served him. To his surprise, Levitt chose to forgive him.
"Your Excellency, General, I, I..." Bilt couldn't utter a word for a moment.
Amyrius maintained a serious demeanor and said in a deep voice:
"There was a second part to what you just said, which was 'Severely punish them for making the same Error a second time,' Bilt, do you know what to do next?"
Bilt, who was kneeling on one knee, immediately straightened his back, clenched his right fist against his left chest, and said:
"I am utterly loyal to Your Excellency, General!"
Amyrius nodded, then turned to look at Klein:
"May I have your name?"
"That depends on which of my identities you're asking about..." Klein thought to himself, before calmly replying:
" Gehrman Sparrow."
Amyrius Rieveldt fell silent for two seconds, as if the atmosphere in the storeroom had frozen.
Just as a slight unease began to rise in Klein's heart, Amyrius finally spoke:
"So it was you."
"General, you speak as if you know me. I'm just an ordinary military informant. I only received the bounty through you and haven't even had a chance to claim reimbursement yet..." Klein muttered to himself, feeling increasingly guilty.
Amyrius nodded and said to Bilt and Klein:
The plan will proceed as scheduled.
"But a contract needs to be signed."
A contract? Klein struggled against that imposing aura and looked up at Amyrius.
Admiral Amyrius offered no explanation, picked up the paper and pen that had been prepared beforehand and placed on the windowsill, and began to write rapidly.
Every time he put pen to paper, it seemed as if golden light burst forth, creating a solemn and sacred scene, just like drafting a law.
Klein gradually narrowed his eyes, his vision began to blur, and he couldn't help but lower his head again.
After an unknown amount of time, Amyrius stopped writing, picked up the page, and said to Klein:
Sign your name at the end.
"If you are not satisfied with the terms, you don't have to sign."
Do you think I dare, or not? Klein thought to himself, watching as Bilt stood up, took the paper and pen, and handed them to him.
The terms on that piece of paper were very simple, just a few clauses that roughly governed Gehrman Sparrow's behavior when Acting Amyrius Rieveldt, including but not limited to not proactively revealing problems, not using his status as an admiral to do anything detrimental to Amyrius himself, not having too close contact with Miss Cynthia, and so on.
I thought such a high-ranking figure wouldn't care too much about his mistress's chastity... This general is indeed a rigid man... However, I'm not that kind of person either... Klein concealed his curiosity and asked as if discussing an academic issue:
"What if Miss Cynthia wants to have some physical contact with me?"
His unspoken message was that appearing too aloof and resistant would give Cynthia a clue, prompting her to ask how to strike the right balance.
"It's alright," Amyrius said expressionlessly. "During the contract's validity period, you will either lack desire when facing her, or your body will lack the necessary abilities."
Is this even possible? This contract is quite powerful... Aside from contracts with Spirit World beings, this is the first time I've seen any other kind of contract. Moreover, the former requires borrowing the power of the Underworld, while this contract only involves the two parties involved... Is this Amyrius's Demigod- level extraordinary ability? The " Arbiter " pathway? Klein glanced at the expiration date and found it was five days.
Was he confident he would return within five days, or was his current status only enough to maintain the contract's validity for five days? Klein read the terms again, picked up his pen, and wrote down Gehrman Sparrow's name.
As the last letter ended, he saw the words on the paper emit golden light, converging into a brilliant glow.
Enveloped in brilliant light, the paper quickly faded and disappeared, as if merging with the rules of the world.
An invisible, thin Gray Fog gently rippled around him, Klein clearly felt that he had gained layers of restrictions that could not be described in words.
These limitations were quickly internalized, temporarily becoming part of his spirit and body.
The Gray Fog can ward off a certain degree of external Misfortune and good fortune, but it can't shield me from the contract I've already signed... That's true, if it could, the messenger's contract wouldn't be effective... Klein looked at Amyrius Rieveldt again with a sudden realization.
The admiral had now toned down his imposing manner and revealed a dark gold talisman by flipping his palm.
The talisman is covered with symbolic elements such as the " Sword of Judgment " and densely packed magical symbols, exuding a restrained and profound aura, giving the impression of a legal code.
"This is a high-level talisman I created using my own blood, ancient codes from the Fourth Age, and a royal 'class' Sealed Artifact," Amyrius said calmly. "It's called the ' Ninth Law,' and with a small amount of Spirituality, it can project a similar sense of majesty as me—something even an ordinary person could do. Without it, it's very difficult for you to truly impersonate me."
Indeed, the aura of authority I simulated was only superficial. It was fine for fooling people normally, but it was useless when I needed to Awe any subordinate... Klein quietly breathed a sigh of relief.
Amyrius continued:
"With your current strength, you should be able to handle its use."
"By using it, you can specify the necessary restrictions for the target, forcing him to endure extremely unfavorable situations."
"That way, even if a Demigod were to try something, you could scare him away."
"If nothing unexpected happens in the end and you don't need to use it, it will be yours afterward."
"Its validity period is one year." Klein was taken aback at first, then felt a strong sense of surprise.
Since using the advanced talisman created from the " Mutated Holy Emblem of the Sun," he finally has another one.
Although this item has a limited duration and can only be used once, it has the advantage of having no negative effects. Of course, the demanding production conditions make it extremely rare.
As expected of Demigod, much more generous Bilt... Hmm, the price for bribing a vagrant and an adventurer of pirate general caliber is different... As Klein thought this with delight, he silently reached out and caught the high-level talisman called " Ninth Law ".
Then he saw Amyrius unbuckle his belt.
After a brief silence, Klein overcame his embarrassment and began to undress without any expression.
Soon, he and Amyrius exchanged clothes, and he put on the dark blue, crisp general's uniform.
Watching Amyrius and Bilt leave along the secluded path in the garden, Klein meticulously fastened his buttons and turned to look at the glass window.
In the deep darkness of the night and under the crimson moonlight, the glass window, like a mirror, blurredly reflected Klein's current appearance:
Neatly combed black hair, deep blue eyes, slightly downturned lips, a clean-shaven face, a stern and serious demeanor, and dark blue clothing adorned with sashes, medals, and epaulets.
Klein's lips twitched, and he muttered to himself:
"From this day forward, I am an admiral."
P. S.: Happy Lunar New Year's Eve everyone! By the way, I recommend a book, "Don't Ascend," by Yang Ping'an (or rather, Wen Yan Dui Jiu). It's a great book with no clichés.