"I decline."
The words slowly slipped out of Aaron's mouth, his face pale and sweaty as he grimaced through the agonizing pain.
The constant throbbing that shot through his central brainstem made him flinch and twitch; however, the two men noticed none of this through their shock.
For a moment, they sat completely still, then they faced each other, mouths agape and confused.
The tan-skinned man spoke first, his blinking erratic as he faced the boy with his fingers wrapped together.
"You are refusing the offer of two Sea Kings?"
He paused, sighing heavily and turning his gaze upward.
"I sure as hell didn't expect this…"
Irvin took the opportunity to interject, his complexion slightly better than his partner's, yet still visibly distressed.
"Perhaps we weren't clear enough. If you agree to this deal, you will be evaluated and possibly even trained by two Sea Kings. Not only that, but there are further rewards that we haven't even accounted for."
The blond boy sat unfazed by their words, the offers they attempted to persuade him with, only seeking to irritate him further.
Don't they understand that since I have a Ghostship that it would be unsafe for me to approach a King?
Scratching the back of his head to try to nullify the pain, he spoke again, annoyance slipping into his voice.
"If you really want me to agree, then maybe you should've explained yourselves better. Did you really think I'd agree with a pitch like that?"
A cool breeze blew through the cathedral, the two men looking back and forth between each other and then muttering quietly.
"W-We just assumed that since—"
Now, after embarrassing both commanders thoroughly, Aaron steadied himself, fixing his posture and focusing intensely.
"I apologize if I sound disrespectful. I respect both Lord Quinn and Lord Droskyn greatly; however, without knowing what they are requiring of me, I simply believe I am useless to such powerhouses."
As he spoke, he watched the color return to Irvin's face while Solister relaxed in his chair, a weight taken off his shoulders.
Coughing lightly into his elbow, the tan-skinned man spoke quietly.
"Of course… In that case, perhaps we should outline this agreement further before you come to your final decision."
Nodding slowly, the blond boy waited for him to continue, which he promptly did after a swift thumbs-up from the other man.
Parting his lips slowly, Solister picked up the agreement from the table and began reading where Aaron had left off.
"Due to unforeseen circumstances that would be revealed upon agreement to this contract, Aaron Grimstall, unranked member of the Hunters' Guild, would place within the top five spots of the bi-yearly exam."
"He will then, under direct supervision of Lepaie Quinn and Vaelmyr Droskyn, enter the Vault of Nautilus and select an item of immeasurable strength that has capabilities to surpass the Apex level."
The black-haired man paused, looking up at Aaron's blank expression that told him to continue.
"The item taken would be passed along to the Sea Kings at a price determined by the greatest artificer in the world, Cauron J. Thorn. All three Kings have forged a Soul Pact through the Ghostship wielded by Vaelmyr Droskyn with their lives on the line. Therefore, under this clause—"
There was a heavy silence as Solister paused, his own brows furrowing in confusion at the words written.
Irvin froze as well, glancing over in disbelief as he read the paper that he likely should've read prior to the negotiations.
"U-Under this clause, if the contract is broken, the party who has committed the offense will offer their life in repentance. This extends to the signer, Aaron Grimstall, when he agrees to the terms and forges the Soul Pact."
Staring blankly at the end of the only non-confidential paper in the document, the first mate to the King of Souls couldn't believe what he had read.
Neither Irvin nor Aaron could, as they both sat in a similar condition, confused and worried at what they had just understood.
For, as the words stated in the official contract, the lives of three Sea Kings were at stake, a price so great that the reward must've been equally immense.
Taking a heavy breath and then releasing it, the blond boy opened his mouth to speak, the words not coming out as loud as he wished.
"T-That is quite…"
He paused.
"Unbelievable."
Nodding their heads in agreement, both men scanned the section again, making sure they hadn't missed any important lines that would guarantee their captains' safety.
Muttering under his breath, Irvin spoke first, anger and annoyance evident across his face.
"This is obviously a false document. Lune, did you find this in a public library written by a child? Why the hell would our captains make a deal with…"
Extending his hand out to Aaron subconsciously, he retracted it just as fast.
Awkwardness hung in the air for a moment before the turquoise-eyed boy shrugged, clearing the tension.
"This is good for you. Even if I wanted to sign the contract, I wouldn't be able to forge the Soul Pact. Therefore, the Lords will remain living without the threat of contract breakage."
Watching their eyes flicker in relief, then confusion, Solister responded in a slight stutter that revealed his true thoughts.
"W-wouldn't be able to forge a Soul Pact? The only way you couldn't is if—"
The words didn't come out of his mouth as he gazed above Aaron's head, the only visible trace of his mana evident through a thin stream that ejected from his core and out into the universe.
"Who the hell did you…"
He didn't have time to finish his words before the blond boy placed his finger over his lips, a hush coming from his mouth.
"Is this a formal interrogation, Sir Lune? Or is this simply your own curiosity about who could've possibly made such an unbreakable pact?"
Tapping the side of his temple, Aaron placed his hands above his head, seemingly touching the connection point with his bare hands.
"I've done comprehensive research on the matter of Soul Pacts. The limits of one per soul are quite clear to me. And without the completion of my current Pact, I'm afraid I cannot join you or your captains in their endeavors."
Standing up slowly and patting his lap off, he reached out his arm to shake both their hands.
Exchanging yet another uncertain look, the two men followed his lead, Solister firmly clasping his wrist and shaking, then Irvin.
They watched as his face paled after each slight touch, his complexion visibly sickly and his eyes seemingly spinning.
While both of the commanders had worn mana-suppressing cufflinks to prevent the boy from fainting or from causing other bodily injury, small traces likely caused him mental discomfort.
After finishing their goodbyes, there was one last thing Irvin wished to address, something that bothered him about their previous encounter at the sea.
"You mentioned your battle scars earlier… I just so happened to be there on that day, and I watched your destroyed vessel float away. Under Guild regulations, I couldn't directly intervene to help you; however, there was something strange I detected."
He paused, probing the boy's reactions for any indicators, yet all he noticed was his complexion worsening even further.
Is he dying or something?
Shrugging off the thought and continuing, he felt another gust of wind blow through the room, this time, one of warm air.
"My captain, Lord Quinn, could not detect your presence in the slightest bit, nor even see you with a spyglass. He has requested me to ask you how a low-ranking examinee evaded the gaze of a King. If you could provide an answer, I would be able to leave in peace. Of course, even if you didn't, there wouldn't be any repercussions."
Smiling slightly and awaiting Aaron's response, he noticed Solister pretending not to listen from the other end of the room, his eyes glued to a Church scripture, but darting in their direction every now and then.
Finally, after a moment of thought, the extremely ill-looking child spoke up, his voice gravely and cold.
"Maybe I died for a moment? If you look here…"
Pulling up his pant leg slightly, he revealed a metallic leg that caught the interest of both men immediately.
"I lost quite a lot of blood. Therefore, when you saw me, I might've been on death's door, and he sent me back with a smile."
In the background, Solister rolled his eyes, obviously displeased with conjecture about Death; however, Irvin only deepened his furrowed brow.
"Interesting… Perhaps that's the case."
Leaning over and examining the leg made of metal and terror bone, he nodded slowly, a smile coming across his face.
"Incredible equipment you have here. This is one of the finest blacksmithings I've ever seen. For your primary weapon, I must admit, it's quite the spectacle."
Patting the boy on the shoulder, he turned around, signaling to the tan-skinned man that it was time to leave.
"My primary weapon is the sword."
In a voice less than a mumble, Aaron addressed the exiting men, their pace slowing for a second before glancing back.
Solister scoffed, his eyes staring at the empty hilt at the boy's waist.
"You ain't got no blade. No sword, no swordsman. Trust me, kid. That foot you got is ten times better than any fancy toothpick you'd get from a blacksmith."
Irvin reflected his sentiments, yet he, unlike the black-haired man, had seen the scars left on the body of the very same Apex terror that Grimstall boy had battled.
The slashes were deeper than the ones made by Lepaie's own dagger…
Pushing the thought from his mind, he raised his hand, waving back towards the boy as the two men headed out of the room.
"If you change your mind, then tell Ms. Buckley. She knows how to contact us."
Then, reaching the large cathedral doors, they pushed them open, the sunlight covering their forms as they faded into the day.
Aaron himself was left alone in the room, his face pasty and wet.
His entire body trembled, his skin on fire, blood racing at speeds unnatural to even him.
A headache so vile that he wondered if he had already died throbbed through his entire skull, and whispers of an unknown speaker bombarded his ears.
If the men had said anything after they told him to contact Cam, he hadn't heard it; the ringing only worsened as time went on.
Yet, now that the men had distanced themselves from him, the pain began to recede; the once-irritating groans of the Naelith that returned felt like divine blessings in the wake of that agony.
Holy hell, that was bad…
Falling backwards into a chair, he ran his hands through his hair, thinking carefully.
I'm so dead. Dead, dead, dead. I basically told them to screw off! I'm a damn idiot!
Hitting his head against his palm, he realized slowly that this only furthered his suffering, a thought that made him think even harder.
They were going to sponsor the rest of my exam, and I turned them down! Dammit, that old geezer better be paying better than them! I thought this Pact was supposed to end when I got Penelope from that weird prison!
Feeling his empty hilt and searching for her voice, he figured out quickly that she had entered a sort of power conservation mode, her light snores actually serenading his mind.
Plus, I could've gotten direct training from two Kings! I'm certain I could've met Cauron, too, since he would've been evaluating me! Gah, I'm an idiot! Why the hell did I have to decline this deal!
Closing his eyes and gazing upward, he could only sigh as all his regrets bubbled to the surface; his long day ahead only lengthened by the sudden visitors.