There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
Especially not from a Witch who came from a great clan that ruled three city-state territories.
Adelle fell silent for a moment.
The cabin was quiet, save for the low hum of the airship’s engines, faintly audible through the thick walls.
Outside the window, the sky had completely darkened. The dim yellow light of the cabin, along with their two silent figures, was reflected on the glass.
"That remnant... it’s a spoil of war, left behind after one of my clan’s Morning Star Wizard ancestors slew a Shadow Devourer in a Void Rift over three thousand years ago."
Adelle spoke slowly. There was no pride in her voice, only the dispassionate tone of someone stating a fact.
"It has been sealed in the deepest part of the Secret Vault, serving as one of the clan’s foundational treasures. It cannot be used without a joint resolution from the Clan Leader or the Elder Council."
She lifted her eyes to look at Ian.
The flickering lamplight danced in her dark brown pupils, yet they remained as deep as an abyss.
"I came to the East Coast to find a medicinal catalyst."
"My father, the current Clan Leader of the Justice Clan, was afflicted by a rare bloodline Curse more than three years ago."
Her tone was still calm, but Ian keenly noticed that the fingers resting on her lap curled slightly.
"In three years, his Realm has fallen all the way from Level Three Peak to Level Three Initial Stage."
"Now... he can barely even remain conscious for a few hours each day."
Ian said nothing, simply listening in silence.
"In the clan’s Secret Vault, there is an ancient Curse-removal Formula."
"The clan has a stock of all the main ingredients, but we’re missing one catalyst: the complete Tentacles of an Ice Soul Jellyfish, which must be found deep within the Extreme Northeast Sea Region."
Adelle’s voice was soft, yet every word was crystal clear.
"I spent eight months crossing three dangerous zones marked as ’Death Sea Regions.’ I hunted down two Tier Two Sea Beasts and was critically injured, on the brink of death, three times."
"Finally, in a deep-sea Rift Valley beneath the Eternal Ice Glacier, I found a slumbering thousand-year-old Ice Soul Jellyfish."
She paused, as if recalling the brutal battle.
"I used the life-saving trump card the clan bestowed upon me and risked life and limb just to sever one of its complete Tentacles."
After she finished, she fell silent.
The very air in the cabin seemed to stagnate.
Ian looked at her deathly pale face and the deep-seated exhaustion and determination in her eyes.
Eight months, the Death Sea Region, Tier Two Sea Beasts, a thousand-year-old jellyfish.
Behind every word was a trail of carnage, a life lived on the razor’s edge of death.
"And then?" Ian asked softly.
A bitter, self-mocking smile appeared on Adelle’s face.
"Then, just as I obtained the Tentacles and was preparing to return, a message arrived from the clan."
"My father... has fallen into a deep coma."
"The clan’s Elder Council has already initiated the selection process for a new Clan Leader."
She looked up at Ian, her gaze somewhat lost and vacant.
"Out of ten heirs, I am seventh in the line of succession. Third from the bottom."
"If my father dies before the selection is over, my branch of the family... will be completely marginalized."
"My mother died young, so I have no support from her side of the family."
"My two older brothers, Edwin, who is second in line, and Adrian, who is third, both wish I had died out there."
She recited the facts mechanically, as if talking about someone else.
"Edwin keeps Death Warriors. Three years ago, he secretly executed the competitor who was fifth in line."
"Adrian helps him collude with the merchant guilds. The two brothers have used profits from smuggling to bribe some of the Elders."
"If I go back and fail in the competition..."
She paused, a trace of coldness finally seeping into her voice.
"Leaving the territory without permission, wasting the clan’s resources, accomplishing nothing... They can accuse me of whatever they want."
"The best-case scenario would be having my succession rights revoked and being imprisoned for life. Or... I might just ’disappear.’"
A dead silence fell over the cabin.
Even Gaga didn’t stir, seemingly understanding the gravity of her words.
It buried its little head in its wings, leaving only its eyes exposed to peek at Adelle.
Ian leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the armrest. TAP, TAP, TAP.
He understood her intentions.
This Adelle Justice... the medicinal catalyst she’d spent eight months risking her life for had suddenly lost its meaning in the face of the whirlpool of shifting power within her clan.
Her father was in a coma, and the selection for a new Clan Leader had begun.
Returning now would mean being immediately embroiled in a life-or-death struggle for succession.
Right now, she desperately needed allies, more Power. That was why she had set her sights on him.
’But a Level Two Crystalized Wizard, while perhaps a somebody on the East Coast Islands, is nothing in the eyes of a great clan from the Central Continent...’
"You want to win me over?" Ian spoke, his voice returning to its indifferent tone.
"On what grounds?"
Adelle did not avoid his gaze. "On the grounds that you value your Summoned Demon."
She looked at Gaga, admiration once again surfacing in her eyes.
"A Wizard who can claim a Shadow Messenger as their Summoned Demon is no mediocrity. And the Justice Clan’s Secret Vault holds the most crucial item for its advancement to Tier Two."
"The Eternal Shadow Remains. I can grant access to them."
She thought for a moment before adding,
"Before my father fell into a coma, he left me with partial authority within the clan. Combined with some of the loyal subordinates my mother left behind... if I can win, the Remains will be part of your reward."
’This Witch is very clever.’
She wasn’t making grand, empty promises. Instead, she had pointed directly to the most tangible bargaining chip.
Gaga’s path to advancement.
"What do you need me to do?" Ian asked.
"During the time I’m back at the clan participating in the selection, I need you to do everything in your power to help me win."
A glint flashed in Adelle’s eyes. "I don’t need you to directly confront my brothers. But at critical moments, I will need some reliable Level Two Wizards to act as my ’supporters.’"
"In the Wizard World, struggles for succession place great importance on the apparent comparison of strength."
She looked at Ian, her expression sincere. "I won’t be sending you to your death."
"But I need your declaration of support. Your participation will be a bargaining chip for my faction."
Ian lowered his head in contemplation, remaining silent for a long time.
The light in the cabin stretched their shadows long, casting them swaying on the wall.
Outside, the Endless Sea was pitch-black, save for the occasional luminous deep-sea creature that streaked by, leaving a fleeting arc of ethereal blue light.
"I need a few days to think it over."
Ian finally spoke, his voice calm and betraying no inclination.
Adelle seemed to have expected this answer.
She showed no disappointment, nor did she press him. She simply nodded lightly.
"Very well. I’ll await your response."
She stood up, her dark cyan long robe draping down to trace her graceful silhouette.
"Tomorrow night, there will be a Wizard gathering in the third-floor banquet hall of the Skybound."
"It’s hosted by the Giant Sail Trade Alliance. Most of the Wizards on board will be there."
She looked at Ian. "If you’re interested, you can find me there."
"At that time, perhaps you’ll be able to meet more Wizards from the Central Continent and learn more about the Justice Clan’s situation."
Ian rose to see her out. "Alright, I’ll be there."
Adelle gave a slight nod and turned toward the door.
She stopped at the doorway and glanced back at Gaga, who was perched on Ian’s shoulder.
"Grow up well, little one. The potential of a Shadow Messenger is far greater than this."
With that, she opened the door, and her figure blended into the dim yellow light of the hallway.
As the cabin door slowly closed, Ian mulled over their conversation.
Gaga flew in front of him, its small eyes blinking.
"Ian, what that Witch said sounds true, gaga."
"She’s injured. It’s not very serious, and she’s hiding it well, but I can smell it."
Ian ruffled its little head. "I know."
He walked to the window and gazed out at the dark Endless Sea, his eyes profound.
’The Justice Clan, three city-state territories, the Eternal Shadow Remains, a struggle for succession.’
’And... a Level Two Wizard as a bargaining chip.’
The events of tonight had unfolded too quickly and suddenly, but Adelle’s last words echoed repeatedly in his mind.
’The potential of a Shadow Messenger is indeed far greater than this. If Gaga could advance to Tier Two...’
His own Power would take a qualitative leap.
’In the perilous Central Continent, that kind of Power is crucial.’
"Gaga," Ian began in a low voice, "do you want... to become stronger?"
Gaga immediately puffed out its chest, its feathers ruffling up.
"Of course! I want to become the strongest Shadow Demon King and help you defeat all our enemies!"
The corners of Ian’s mouth curved into a gratified smile. He patted Gaga’s little head. "Then let’s go take a look."
’Let’s see just what kind of monsters and demons show up at this Wizard gathering.’
Outside the window, the Endless Sea was deep and dark as the Skybound sped silently toward the Central Continent.