ch 9: The Curse of the Lord of Frailty

The weekend arrived.

Elias left the Academy quietly, boarding the carriage he had rented in advance, heading toward the village of Narista.

He closed his eyes as soon as the carriage moved, letting the rhythm of the wooden wheels soothe his tense nerves.

He had already sent instructions to Marinda to prepare the reception, but the difficult task now fell squarely on his shoulders.

Elias reached his destination by sunset.

Narista was a remote rural village with dirt roads and scattered houses.

He looked for an inn to spend the night, but the clerk at the only inn apologized regretfully, saying there were no vacant rooms due to a small passing trade caravan.

Elias understood the message. Tonight, he would sleep under the stars.

He headed toward a nearby forest to camp, but as soon as he set foot among the dense trees, his senses froze.

Killing intent. Thick, sticky, and terrifying.

It wasn't directed at him; it was overflowing from somewhere deeper in the forest.

A fight.

(Deal?)

I want complete concealment of presence. No sound, no scent, no magical trace.

(Price: 30 Gold Coins.)

Agreed.

Elias melted into the shadows, becoming part of the air itself. He advanced cautiously until he reached a small clearing.

And there he saw them.

A group of men masked in gray cloaks, surrounding an old man.

The old man had long white hair and a beard, and his body was as thin as a withered branch, but his blue eyes burned with the rage of a cornered predator.

It was him. Garos Novellia. The Martial King.

But he looked sick, panting heavily and coughing up black blood.

The leader of the masked men stepped forward and said in a cold voice, "Martial King, we advise you to stop this stubbornness. Follow orders and submit, and we promise to let your granddaughter live... albeit partially."

Garos bit his lip until it bled, screaming in a voice that shook the tree leaves:

"Even if I die! Even after death! I will not let you touch a hair on her head again!"

A terrifying martial aura exploded from him, embodying the image of a wounded wolf defending its cubs with its last breath.

The leader took a step back, realizing that killing this old man would cost them dearly tonight.

"Fine... we will retreat this time. But remember, your little granddaughter doesn't have much time left."

He signaled his men. "Withdraw."

The masked men vanished in the blink of an eye.

Silence fell over the forest, but Garos's killing intent did not subside.

The old man suddenly turned toward the tree Elias was hiding behind and said in a voice dripping with venom:

"Are you not going to withdraw with your comrades? Or have you decided to kill me treacherously?"

Elias understood that the stealth technique ended the moment the old man focused his aura on him.

He canceled the concealment and stepped out slowly, raising his hands.

"How did you feel my presence?"

Garos snorted with disdain. "Next time, don't hide your presence completely so you become a 'void' in nature. Blend it with the surroundings. A void arouses more suspicion than noise."

Elias nodded. "A valuable lesson. I shouldn't have underestimated your experience."

"Are you not leaving?" Garos asked sharply.

"I don't belong to them."

"Then why do you sneak around like a rat?"

"I intended to sleep here, but your killing intent drew me in."

Garos turned to leave, uninterested.

Elias said suddenly, "Don't you want revenge?"

The old man stopped. "Little brat... what do you know? Leave before I change my mind and kill you."

Elias continued in a calm, steady voice, "The First Prince. He is the one who destroyed your life, isn't he?"

Garos froze in place. How does this boy know?

Elias didn't give him a chance to comprehend, continuing to recite facts as if reading from an open book:

"He deceived you and sent you on a distant mission. He held your family hostage. He killed your son and his wife when you didn't submit fast enough. Then he cursed your granddaughter with the 'Curse of the Lord of Frailty', which slowly eats away vitality."

Garos turned slowly, his eyes wide with shock and horror.

"He told you the only way to alleviate her pain was to share the curse using your own vitality, so you bore the greater burden for years. And now, it seems your time has run out."

Garos's eyes sharpened with insane killing intent. "I will kill you... then ask how you knew."

The old man moved with incredible speed.

But Elias didn't blink. "Don't move. I didn't come to fight you, but to cure you and your granddaughter."

Garos stopped, his fist an inch from Elias's face. "Cure?"

"In return, I want your services. A magical contract binding on both parties."

Garos hesitated, then lowered his hand slowly. "Show me the contract."

Elias took out the contract paper and presented it to him.

Garos read the terms:

Party A: Elias Reinhardt.

Party B: Garos Novellia.

Clause 1: Party A commits to curing Party B and his granddaughter immediately upon signing the contract.

Clause 2: Party B commits to obeying Party A's orders for 5 years.

Clause 3: Neither party may harm the other.

Clause 4: After 5 years, Party B regains full freedom.

Penalty: Immediate death by mind destruction upon violation.

Garos looked at Elias, then at the paper. The terms were harsh but fair. And most importantly, they were his only hope.

"Agreed."

He cut his finger and signed. The contract glowed and vanished.

"Alright," Elias said. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"To cure her."

They walked to a small, dilapidated hut.

Inside lay a little girl with short brown hair, her body so emaciated her bones were protruding, her breathing as faint as a dying candle wick.

"Irina..." Garos whispered painfully, gritting his teeth. "Please... cure her."

Elias stood by the bed.

(Deal?)

I want an immediate cure for the child and the restoration of the grandfather's lost health. Complete removal of the curse.

(Diagnosis: Curse of the Lord of Frailty, advanced stage. Price: 50 Platinum Coins.)

No. Take something else.

(All monster corpses in your spatial storage + 3 years of your life.)

Agreed.

In the void, the monster corpses Elias had collected from the dungeon evaporated.

And in reality, Elias felt a tear in his soul. He coughed violently, and a thread of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

His face paled slightly.

But in return, a warm golden light enveloped the child and the old man.

The blackness vanished from Garos's veins, and vitality returned to Irina's body. She breathed deeply, and her cheeks gained a healthy pink color.

The child opened her eyes slowly. "Grand... pa?"

Garos fell to his knees and hugged her, trembling and weeping soundlessly. "Irina... thank you... thank you truly."

"Grandpa, I'm suffocating," the child whispered with a weak smile.

Garos let her go, turned to Elias, his eyes filled with gratitude beyond words.

"Thank you. My life is yours."

Elias wiped the blood from his mouth and said coldly, "It's nothing. We signed a contract, this is just business."

The child was looking at Elias silently, with strange depth.

"I will go now," Elias said. "Prepare yourselves, we move to the capital tomorrow."

"You will sleep in the forest?" Garos asked.

"Yes."

"Don't be a fool. Stay here tonight. The hut is small but warm."

Elias agreed and slept that night with true depth.

The next morning, the carriage set off for the capital.

They arrived by nightfall. Marinda was waiting for them at the North Gate, dressed in elegant formal wear.

"Master, it pleases me to see you with..."

"Save the pleasantries," Elias interrupted her as he stepped out of the carriage. "Let's move. I have only a few hours before returning to the Academy."

She led them to the "Secret Headquarters" (the old inn).

They all sat down.

"Marinda, this is the Martial King, Garos. He will be our sword and shield."

Marinda looked at the old man with awe and respect. The legend was real.

"Martial King, this is Marinda. Information broker, and our commercial arm."

Elias got straight to the point.

"Marinda, what is the status of the investments?"

"I bought some, but funding ran out."

Elias took out a heavy bag and threw it on the table.

"400 Platinum Coins."

Marinda gasped. "This... is a small baron's fortune!"

"This is your funding. Complete the list. Whatever doesn't yield immediate profit, convert it to establish a company selling magical potions in the black market."

"But Master," Marinda said worriedly, "where do we get the alchemists? And black market companies will try to eliminate us if we compete with them."

Elias smiled and pointed his thumb toward Garos.

"Buy cheap potions, and we will modify them later. As for competitors... that is the Martial King's role."

Garos looked at Elias and said in a deep voice, "Hmm... you want to monopolize the market by force. A brazen plan, I like it."

Elias added, "And that's not all. Once we establish our footing, we will create a political faction of minor nobles. Those greedy ones are the easiest to control."

Everyone nodded. The plan was crazy, but with this "Triangle," it seemed possible.

Elias stood up. "Meeting adjourned."

He headed toward the door.

Suddenly, Irina jumped off the sofa and ran toward him.

Garos froze.

The child grabbed the hem of Elias's shirt.

He turned to her. "Need something?"

She looked at him with her big eyes and said in an innocent voice, "Brother... you didn't tell me your name."

Elias's face softened for a rare moment. "Elias... Elias Reinhardt."

"Elias..." she repeated the name as if carving it into her memory.

Elias walked out and closed the door.

Irina returned to her seat, her eyes shining with strange determination.