"Ciel is innocent!"

"She did everything to protect us!"

"If you kill her, you must kill all of us, too!"

What an insane development.

It turns out Ciel was right. These people truly desire to die alongside their Chief.

What should I do now?

'I can't kill all of these people in my current state. And… I truly do not want to.'

"If you don't kill us, we will also attack your people. We will continue Ciel's will and continue to wreak havoc. We will avenge our leader and not stop until everything is razed to the ground!"

"Your Nowe'arn Race has enslaved our people and hunted us down since ancient times. This will be our retribution!"

"History will repeat itself now that they've discovered our Sanctuary anyway! We might as well go down fighting!"

"So kill us, Javier!"

"Kill us, or we will kill you! This is the law of nature. We bear no grudges, but we will protect our own!"

I smile while watching their long rants

These people sure like to talk big.

Even though they are hurling all kinds of threats, their voices are shaky, and the expressions on their faces depict great fear.

None of these people has any experience in combat.

They likely don't have the heart to take a life.

Ciel could make those grim choices because she's a Leviathan. She sees the world differently from everyone else in this Sanctuary.

And even then—

"You guys…" Ciel whispers as she lifts her head to look at her people.

Her eyes turn moist, and her body constantly trembles with deep emotion. I can't even blame her.

Seeing so many people standing united with the resolve to die is incredible.

I'm truly moved.

"Killing all of them, huh?" I mutter, my voice audible enough for Ciel to pick up on them.

"Javier. Please don't listen to them. Just let me talk to them. I promise they won't follow up on their words. Please don't harm them!"

"Pfft!" I let out a snicker. "How am I to trust your words? I'm not a mind reader, remember?"

Ciel's face pales the moment she hears my words.

"P-please… I'll do anything. I can even become your slave. Just don't kill them, I beg of you!" She lowers her head and presses it on the ground, tears forming in her eyes.

I can tell this is difficult for her.

Ciel is a proud woman.

She didn't even beg when I was about to end her life, but with the lives of her people at stake, she's willing to go this far?

Even lowering herself to the status of slave?!

Is such a thing even possible?

Can I enslave another Leviathan, especially since we are both of the same Rank?

No, Ciel is even higher than I am.

She's at the peak of Rank 1.

'But if it were possible, I'd have a Seeker on my side. She can definitely help me with all manner of things since her abilities far exceed the limits of Divination.'

It is certainly a tempting offer.

But I can't trust Ciel.

I also cannot trust these Vey'lithars.

There's no telling what these people will do with sufficient emotions serving as their motivation.

"They disobeyed your orders and came out of hiding, didn't they? Who's to say you can truly convince them not to have their revenge if they have already made up their minds?"

"T-this…"

Watching Ciel try but fail to answer my query confirms what I already know: If I kill Ciel, I will need to get rid of everyone here.

'An hour has passed, which means I can use Tracing to return to Lumian Town and gather supplies. Even then, it will take an absurdly long time to kill everyone. The poison would have killed me before then. Even if I stall the poison and eliminate them, there's no doubt that their bonded Magivores will act out, and I may need to kill them too, or disaster will strike. I don't know how many Direwolves these people have left in stock, but they definitely exceed three hundred thousand.

Although most of them are in Cadre 2, I'm certain a good number of them are Cadre 3. I still can't forget the Cadre 5 Magivores that I left in the cavern.

Without the Vey'lithars caring for them, they will leave the Sanctuary and attack everyone beyond this mountain.

It would be catastrophic.

I can't stop this on my own, and before the Royal Family mobilizes an army to stop them… too much damage would have already been done.

All my plans would be ruined if that were to happen.

It pains me to say, but I need the Vey'lithars alive. But they require Ciel to be alive if they are to cooperate.

As for Ciel… she's willing to bargain her life for that of her people.

'I could try controlling her with the Black Heart Vow, but how effective would it really be? She's a Leviathan, so it wouldn't be unbelievable if she found an antidote for it. In fact, I should confirm something.'

I turn to Ciel and finally speak.

"How do you solve Deficiency? Who brews the Potions?"

"A-ah, that is—"

"Don't think of lying to me. The lives of your people are at stake here."

Ciel sighs and finally caves in.

"I make the Potions. I use Grade 4 Potions to maintain my existence."

'Which would make her a Senior Alchemist.'

I smile lightly.

A Leviathan who is also a Senior Alchemist… It's only a matter of time before she makes an antidote for the Black Heart Vow.

I can't rely on that method.

Conversely, if I can somehow control her, I'd get yet another Senior Alchemist on my side. I have been desperate for one, especially since I can't rely on Jasper alone.

She is likely more skilled than he.

This is an opportunity for me

'I shouldn't kill her…' My thought finally settles after realizing far too many benefits in keeping her alive and far too many losses in letting her die.

Of course, that isn't the only reason.

Benefits are one thing.

But if I truly found Ciel utterly repulsive, I would have killed her regardless of any consequences.

The truth is, I had already contemplated sparing her before her people showed up.

I just didn't have a good reason to.

Now, I do.

"If I choose to spare your life and the lives of your people… what can you offer me, Ciel?"

"W-what?"

She looks at me, completely stunned by my words.

Did she not see this with her Prophecy?

Dealing with a Seeker sure is tricky.

"I know you are grieving, too. You lost your bonded Magivore, and so many of your protectors have perished in this battle. I am certain that loss weighs heavily on your mind and the hearts of your people. We have both lost valuable people on our respective sides, so why don't we cease the bloodshed and come to a compromise?"

Her purple eyes flash for a moment, and her eyes suddenly bulge.

She must have seen the future just now.

She knows my intentions.

"Y-you… wish to forge an alliance?"

I nod.

"W-why…? You have so many cards on your side. Your hold on us is enormous. Why settle for an alliance?"

I only laugh lightly, not directly answering her question.

'Although it might seem like I hold all the cards, I am actually in a precarious position myself. I need the antidote to the poison coursing through me, and although I can try making it myself, I'm only an Intermediate Alchemist, so I'll more than likely fail. I also can't risk a full-blown war with the Vey'lithars and their leftover Magivores. Perhaps I could solve all of these problems if I enslaved Ciel, but that isn't possible.' My sigh echoes across the field.

The truth is that I simply have no way to deal with her at the moment.

I can't tell Ciel all of these things, though.

Apart from the aforementioned, there are many things the Vey'lithars can be useful for if we ally.

I could use Ciel's Senior Alchemist expertise with my Potions, and I can use this place to safely store my Special Resources. This can also serve as a fortress of my own, a hidden domain I can utilize at my convenience.

The Magivores will protect me, and I will have access to a lot of manpower to achieve tasks within the Sanctuary.

Brewing Potions… developing Armaments.

And so on.

Of course, there will have to be room for compromise, since my actions may not align with their traditional values.

But this is called an alliance for a reason.

'Most importantly, I can finally fulfill my promise to Brad. The villagers whom Ciel rejected before, I can make a case for them this time around.'

And Ciel will have no choice but to accept this deal. Of course, she could choose to simply accept it for now and scheme against me later on, but I will simply have to ensure that doesn't happen.

"Ciel, you will be leaving this Sanctuary with me. I hope this will open your eyes to the world beyond the Sanctuary, and with the villagers relocating to your Sanctuary, I can only hope your people also have the same experience." I tell her with sincerity.

People are indeed capable of change.

Brad's village changed with the visit of a single Vey'lithar, and I hope that my presence here will bring some positive change to these people.

"The world remains an ugly, unpredictable place, with countless horrid people. But… there is much beauty in it."

"...."

I don't need to tell her all my intentions.

With Prophecy, she already knows what I am about to say before I say it. That means she is aware of what I require from her and the Vey'lithars in this alliance.

The question is—

"... What do we gain from this?"

'I knew she would ask.' I stare at her gently, watching a fierce look of determination form on her face.

Right now, I no longer see a pathetic or desperate person.

Ciel has the disposition of a true leader.

"My protection, Ciel… and my knowledge."

"What?"

"You were right in calling me dangerous. I am actually a Harbinger, belonging to the sixth Pathway, and I am a regressor who traveled fifty years into the past. There is much you do not know about the world of Leviathans, and I can help you with that."

To be honest, this is mostly a bluff.

Although I regressed fifty years into the past, I have already used up all of my future knowledge and the advantage that comes with it. It's not like I was a very important or powerful person in the past.

In fact, I have achieved far more in the nine years since my regression than in my entire past life put together.

But—

'I have Lady Anastasia, and she should be more knowledgeable than Ciel. I am also a Harbinger with three completely different Conceptions. Most importantly, as the one who slew their Cadre 6 champion, I have clearly proven my strength.' I smile knowingly at Ciel.

"You have the chance to ally yourself with the greatest combat force in the Randalorion Kingdom. I may not be selfless, but you can trust that I will protect my interests. If we are allies, that includes you all."

"Can you get the Randalorion Kingdom to stop looking for our Sanctuary?"

"Yes." I firmly nod. "As long as we are allies, I swear to you that the Randalorion Kingdom will not pursue what happened, and I will personally ensure that they don't make a move against your people."

"...."

"Although I said you'll be coming with me, I don't plan to keep you out of the Sanctuary forever. Your people won't even trust me if they don't see you regularly, and they could end up acting out. I intend to ensure you visit once a month, and since we'll be doing business together, I'll be tagging along for the most part."

Naturally, this is also to keep an eye on her to make sure she doesn't do anything against me behind my back.

"Do not worry, Javier…" Ciel slowly rises to her feet, letting out a loud sigh. "If everything you said is true, then you don't have to worry about me betraying you. All I want is for my people to be safe. Allying with you is the best way to ensure that, so… I will accept your deal."

I didn't even cancel the poison yet, but she still mustered enough strength to undo the paralysis.

How frightening!

I truly made the right choice by opting for a mutually beneficial resolution.

"You wish for an antidote to your poison, right?" She limps forward, smiling at me.

I calmly nod.

"Well…" Without an ounce of hesitation, she wraps her arms around me and pulls me closer.

"You'll have to ingest a lot of my fluids."

"You mean—!"

"Yes. Kiss me."

She plants her lips on mine, and we engage in a passionate kiss under the watchful gaze of everyone present.

Their jaws drop, and all manner of shocked expressions fill their faces. I can't help but tightly close my eyes in mild embarrassment.

I can only imagine what's going on in their heads right now

'But it's really not what you guys think!'

This is only for the antidote.

No… for the alliance.

Nothing more!

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