That was not what Reed wanted.
Getting stronger and unraveling the secret of the runes was all good, but he didn't want to force her to do something she hated.
Orneptos couldn't understand Reed's actions.
"Are you saying that you will refuse my words?"
"Yes."
"…I believe there must be a reason worthy of convincing me."
Orneptos was patient.
She thought there might be a more complicated story or it was a matter of negotiation.
But the reason Reed rejected her words was extremely simple.
"As I said, my daughter dislikes making a contract with you."
Orneptos placed her hand on her mouth.
"I see. You're being objective because it's about your daughter? Then let me propose one condition."
Orneptos scanned Reed's entire body with her transparent eyes.
"Judging by your abilities, it seems difficult for you to make a contract even with an intermediate spirit. I can provide you with a high-ranking spirit. How about that? An Auriel who will unconditionally obey your words. With that alone, you will be able to treat her as a servant that you couldn't even dream of and that all spirit mages desire."
It was a radical statement.
If he had been a spirit mage, it would have been a proposal worth prostrating and accepting.
However, Reed shook his head.
"That's not the issue. You keep making off-topic remarks."
"Are you objecting to my words?"
"Yes. And I would like to boldly suggest that you change your behavior."
Orneptos' expression contorted.
It was like a commoner yelling at a king to straighten up.
Orneptos' body turned red with anger.
However, she didn't dare to attack Reed.
Orneptos crossed her arms and looked down at Reed.
"Tell me. What's the problem with me?"
"Lady Orneptos, you must ask for my help. It's not a threat or coercion, but a request."
"What's the difference?"
"A request is made by admitting that you are at a disadvantage."
"I allowed myself to play with that lowly fire creature for the sake of the contract. Are you saying that's not enough?"
"Yes."
Reed nodded.
"I know how great you are, and so do the elves. But Rosaria doesn't know that fact. That's why she must have made such a remark to Lady Orneptos."
"She called me a bad... spirit."
How dare she...
She swallowed those words.
Her expression showed that she was not happy about it.
"Rosaria hates fighting. She also really hates speaking ill of others."
"Are you saying it's slander because I called that lowly thing lowly?"
"Value is relative. If you called something Rosaria likes lowly, she would be angry. If someone verbally abused Lady Orneptos, saying you're an unnecessary spirit, wouldn't you be angry?"
Orneptos' body bubbled up like carbonated water.
"Of course. I am Orneptos, the king of all water spirits! No one can be without me."
"Would Rosaria really like to hear that?"
"…I don't know."
It was the first time the spirit king had encountered such a situation.
She had always done as she pleased.
Being the king of all spirits, she could endanger humans if she wanted to.
Anyone would know that her actions could become a disaster.
That's why they revere her, respect her, and want to keep her close.
The Water Spirit King, Orneptos, bows and submits to someone?
The very attempt of Orneptos to make a request to someone was a major event that could draw a line in history.
Orneptos was aware of this fact and was reluctant.
Changing history was what spirits feared the most.
"If I were the old me, I might have tried to find a contractor again."
It was not the time to turn a blind eye to such fears.
"But now, the fire spirit, Borkaus, is getting stronger. I don't know what you guys are thinking, but we spirits have a duty to maintain the balance of the continent."
So, she had to make a contract with Rosaria, even if it was to maintain that balance.
That was her judgment.
Reed smiled at her words.
"Shouldn't you do anything for such a duty?"
"What are you going to make me do, Tower Mage?"
Orneptos frowned at the uncomfortable feeling.
Reed extended his hand to her and proposed.
"Let's make a contract with me."
It was a contract.
Orneptos looked down at Reed with a face of disbelief.
It was a face of disgust.
"So, in the end, you mean to do whatever is good for you."
"I will only suggest three things. Other than that, I won’t ask anything from Lady Orneptos. Of course, if Rosaria wants a contract, you can cancel the contract we made at any time."
"Then let me propose the conditions first."
Reed nodded.
Orneptos raised her index finger.
"Do not disclose this contract to the outside."
"Understood."
"Don't even think about calling me and using me recklessly if you're in danger."
"Understood."
"And I have absolutely no intention of lending you the power of water, who has not even a speck of talent."
"Understood."
The way Orneptos looked at Reed changed significantly.
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If she had looked at him with a hateful gaze as a greedy human until now, now she felt a sense of alienation as if she was looking at a strange guy.
If she had proposed these three conditions to other spirit wizards, no one would have wanted to make a contract.
It was because if Reed kept all of them, there would be no meaning in making a contract with Orneptos.
"Tell me, Magician of the Tower."
Orneptos' proposal had ended.
Now it was Reed's turn to suggest.
"First, I'd like you to help me a little with my work."
"What are you doing?"
"I want to decipher the Rune language."
"Hmm, the Rune language, huh? I haven't heard that in a long time. I have memories of using it in the past, but no one uses it now, so it would be impossible to teach it. This would be the same for other spirits as well."
"Is deciphering also difficult?"
Orneptos raises one eyebrow.
It sounded like Reed was belittling her.
"It's just old. It doesn't mean I'm a fool. If I see a Rune I've seen before, I'll definitely remember it."
"Then you can help."
"That's right. I'll accept the first condition."
"Let's move on to the second."
Reed spread his middle finger.
"Please make an effort to get along well with my daughter."
Orneptos expressed doubt upon hearing that.
"I'm already making enough effort. Isn't it your job to help make the contract possible?"
"If she shows even a slight sign of disliking it, I won't encourage it at all. That's why you need to make an effort, Lady Orneptos."
"Hmm... It's difficult. Does it mean I have to cater to someone's preferences? Are you asking me to do something I've never done before?"
She wasn't sure if she could do such a task well.
"That's why I'm making a third proposal."
Reed spread his ring finger and spoke.
As he said those words, he could see Orneptos' face contort and she eventually looked down at Reed with a dumbfounded expression.
"…Are you serious?"
Reed nods his head.
Orneptos reconsider's his words.
This is...
Yes...
No, still...
Repeating the process of chewing and spitting out, she looked down at Reed with resentful eyes.
For Orneptos, it was a humiliating situation where even if she had drowned an ordinary human, he would have had no words to say.
Reed was walking on a tightrope in such a delicate place.
Though it might seem precarious to the onlooker, he was an experienced tightrope walker.
"...I have a duty to maintain my dignity externally."
"Don't worry. I will thoroughly keep that fact secret."
"...As long as you keep your promise. Fine."
She even accepted Reed's outrageous third condition.
And so, the contract was established.
